Kiss Hard

 

Kiss Hard (Hard Play 4)- Nalini Singh

TKA Distribution

Release Date: May 3, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Daniel Esera is a young god on the rugby field, a sexy and charming man who's got the world at his feet. There's just one problem: his sudden potent attraction to his number one nemesis--Catie River. No. Just no. Not happening.

Catie River is on her way to Paralympic gold, and she's not about to allow Danny "Hotshot" Esera to derail her plans. Too bad her body isn't cooperating. Even worse? Her heart might be coming along for the ride. No. Nope. Never.

The pair are united in their desire to remain enemies... until a stranger's reckless action threatens both their careers. Now, the only way out for Catie and Danny is to pretend to be in a relationship. How bad can it be? They're adults in full control of their hormones and their hearts. There will be no kissing. No PDA. And definitely no falling in love.

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Anyone who has been along for the ride as Nalini Singh introduces us to the Bishop-Esera men and the women they love (Rock Hard, Cherish Hard, Love Hard) will enjoy Kiss Hard, where Danny Esera, young rugby star, and Catie River, a professional runner, finally change their relationship status from frenemies to lovers. Anyone new to the series will be hard pressed not to instantly fall in love with this closely knit family and cheer for the youngest brother to get his happy ending.

 Danny and Catie have known each other since they were teens and always had the kind of snarking, pranking relationship that best friends or siblings might have. As adults the snark and humor is part of their brand on social media and their fans love the banter that everyone is sure is flirtatious fun. When a situation comes up where they need to pretend to be dating, everyone outside the family buys the act and are happy to cheer the relationship on. But what happens when it becomes more than an act- for both of them?

Fake dating, enforced proximity, enemies to lovers- they may sound like stereotypes that have been done to death but here Singh makes everything fresh and new, and makes you hope for the moment when the heroes are ready to push past their fears and admit they want a real relationship. Catie has been hurt before, learning as a child never to emotionally depend on or reach out to anyone based on an emotionally distant mother and a feckless gambling father. She's not sure how to break down her walls and allow herself to be emotionally vulnerable to anyone outside of her tiny circle, even for Danny. Singh makes you cry for her as she struggles between her new love and her ingrained need to never allow anyone to hurt her. She has plenty of confidence in herself, yet still finds herself wondering if/when Danny will get bored and move on because she learned from her father that this is what men do. I also really loved how emotionally vulnerable Danny could be at times- his worries about living up to his brother's lives and standards, even though no one in the family is pushing him to do so, are something I wouldn't have guessed a confident looking man would have in his head, yet here it is, messing with him even though it shouldn't be an issue. Danny does a great job (or Singh, through Danny) as an example of how everyone needs help once and awhile, and you can only hope more real life examples stand up to help erase the stigma around treating our mental health the way we do physical health. 

The chemistry between Danny and Catie are sizzling, even when they don't want it to be there, the emotions leap off the page and wrap around you in the best possible way.  A wonderful story of two people battling more than others would expect to find exactly where they need to be, and exactly who they need to be with. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dare to Play

Dare to Play (Dare Nation 3)- Carly Phillips

CP Publishing

Release Date: October 6, 2020

Rating:  📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Pitcher, Jaxon Prescott has a lot on his plate. Major League Baseball. Reputation as a player. And now? He’s on the verge of losing it all. He didn’t mean to sleep with his general manager’s daughter or get into a brawl that was captured on camera. But his notoriety is a problem and everything he's worked for is at risk. 

What’s a bad boy to do? Marry his sister's best friend to save his career, even if it’s the opposite of everything he wants and believes in.

Macy Walker is the sole guardian of her half-sister until the girl’s mother returns and wants her daughter back. In order to win custody, Macy needs to provide stability and marrying someone would do the trick. Luckily for her, her best friend’s brother needs a wife.

They're this close to getting exactly what they want - as long as they don't fall in love.

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Macy Walker has been her teenage half-sister's guardian for nearly a year. Now the girl's mother is back and claiming to want custody- and prepared to bribe and cheat to get it.  Jaxon Prescott is a Major League Baseball player with a reputation off the field for being wilder than his team's head office would like.  Both need the image of a stable family to help them move forward. A marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution. Only one rule: no emotions involved.

Macy Walker has been taking care of her half-sister since Hannah's mother walked out on her, and been the sole guardian since their father died.  Between playing the parent and her work on web design, Macy doesn't get out much or have anyone to help back her up when Hannah's mother, Lilah, shows up again claiming she wants custody and bribing Hannah with expensive buying sprees.  She's a strong character who can handle a lot of stress, but is not too proud to lean on others when she needs help. Jaxon is a star baseball player with a reputation with women, and a few too many off-field antics for management.  But when you get to know him, he's more a wounded, unsure guy still trying to protect himself from an abusive father and the others who have let him down along the way.  Each of the Prescott siblings is dealing with their father's shadow in different ways, and this is Jaxon's. He thinks no one will choose him when the going gets tough. So why put yourself out there? He and Macy click beautifully together and I love how Macy shows through her actions that she will be there for Jaxon when he needs her. Their chemistry is perfect and the story is fast-paced and lovely, flowing with the wit and emotions readers expect from Carly Phillips at her best. 

As far as marriages of convenience go, how can you go wrong with two people who like each other, have excellent chemistry, and instantly have each other's back through incidents that might send others fleeing? Answer: you can't. Dare to Play may be Carly Phillips' first marriage of convenience trope book, but she hits all the right buttons and then some.  A stand alone in the Dare Nation series, characters from other books have cameos that will make series readers happy and won't confuse new readers. The ease and chemistry between Macy and Jaxon flows beautifully from each page, both in and out of the bedroom, and shows what a true partnership can be between the right people.  Even before they realize they are right for each other. A must read romance!

 

I received an ARC of this book from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review

Shot on Gold

Shot on Gold (Play by Play series)- Jaci Burton
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: February 13, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis:  Will "Mad Dog" Madigan is making his second trip to the Winter Games, and he couldn't be happier. Hockey is his life and playing for the U.S. team is a privilege. Then he meets U.S. figure skater Amber Sloane. She's beautiful, ambitious and driven--everything Will desires in a woman. He would love to show Amber how hot life off the ice can be. 

Amber has skated her entire life, sacrificing everything in the hopes of one day winning gold. Now she's competing for the third and final time. She intends to win, and nothing's going to get in her way--until she meets Will. He's an irresistible charmer, and before long Amber is wondering if this sexy hockey player is the perfect guy to show her some moves outside the rink.

But after all the medals have been awarded, Will and Amber will have to decide if what they have together is just a fling or a real shot at true love.

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Amber Sloane has focused on figure skating her entire life.  At 24, she knows this year's Olympics will be her last and she's determined to do things differently.  Instead of closing herself off she begins making friends and emerging from the isolated cocoon her mother has forced her to stay in her whole life.  Romance has never been in the plans, but hockey player Will Madigan may just change her mind.

Shot on Gold is a sweet romance out just in time for this year's Winter Olympics.  Burton captures the excitement and camaraderie of the athletes and readers get as caught up in the excitement of the games as they will watching their winter sport of choice.  Amber is a sweet girl who is experiencing many things for the first time- despite this being her third Olympics.  With a domineering stage mother pushing her nonstop, she's spent her whole life working towards a gold medal.  There are plenty of times you just want to slap her mother for her attitude, but Amber somehow manages to be friendly and normal despite her mother's example.  When Amber begins to fall in love with Will, she discovers that friendship and romance complete her and make her a better skater instead of distracting her as her mother fears.  But a relationship in the bubble of the Olympic village is different from in the real world and Amber isn't sure that will work.  Will is a guy with a refreshing attitude towards life: live hard, work hard, play hard, but be open to the idea of love because it's real.  He's seen it in his parents and is sure he'll find it for himself some day.  It frustrated me at the end that it looked like Will might not be willing to fight for a relationship with Amber, despite all his big talk.  When she gets cold feet, he accepts that and walks away instead of pushing back.  I was glad Amber was brave enough to (eventually) give them a chance, because they had a great chemistry between them and really brought out the best in each other.  

While a good story, Burton's writing was often repetitive and I found myself skimming some sections because of that. I also kept waiting for more of a conflict than ever really came up.  However,this was still a fin book.  Despite being part of a series, this is a stand alone book and readers won't need to have read any other books in the series to enjoy this one (I haven't, yet).  Shot on Gold was fast paced and fun, a light romantic read perfect to get readers in the mood for this year's Winter Olympic Games.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Slap Shot

Slap Shot (Aces Hockey) - Kelly Jamieson
Loveswept/ Random House
Release Date: October 17, 2017

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚

Synopsis: After my wife died from a rare form of cancer, sex was the last thing on my mind. Same with hockey, the other love of my life. Now, after fifteen months of eating too much, drinking too much, and generally just feeling sorry for myself, I’m facing a steep uphill battle to get my ass in shape and play my way back onto the Chicago Aces.

So I’m not looking for a relationship. Just sex. Yeah, I know how that makes me sound. But the truth is, I’ll never love another woman the way I loved my wife. When I meet a sexy bridesmaid at my teammate’s wedding, I decide to scratch that itch. A fling with Kendra Armstrong in her posh hotel room could be just what the trainer ordered.

Not only is Kendra smokin’ hot, she’s dynamite in bed—one of the perks of being a sex toy designer. Since she lives in New York anyway, we agree to keep things casual, no strings attached. The arrangement is perfect . . . until one of us falls in love. And it’s not me.

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Max Hall took a leave from the Chicago Aces two years ago when his wife was diagnosed with a rare form of terminal cancer.  Now he's trying to move forward with his life, deal with his grief, and return to hockey.  Beginning to interact with teammates again means weddings and weddings can lead to all kinds of interesting things . . . What starts out as a one night stand with Kendra becomes a casual, no-strings fling and friendship.  Max doesn't believe he's ready for more and never wants to go through the pain of losing someone again.  But life sometimes doesn't give us what we think we want- it gives us what we need.  If we don't screw it up.

I've probably said this in other blogs but I'll admit it again here: I very rarely like books written in the first person.  I like seeing things through both characters' eyes, I like seeing what's going on in their heads, how their past experiences shape who they are and how they react to things. And of books written in the first person, it's even rarer that I like a book written in the present tense where the character is narrating events as they happen instead of a past tense remembering (which has a different set of pitfalls in my opinion).  I have no idea why I find it annoying, distracting even, but I usually do.  All that lead up is something of an explanation and an apology for why I didn't like Slap Shot as much as I usually enjoy Kelly Jamieson books- especially her hockey books.  It's the first among the Aces books (maybe all of her books) I've read that is written in first person and I'm sure it was done to focus on Max's internal struggle between holding onto his grief and his guilt at starting to really live again after the death of his wife.

Although we meet Kendra through Max's eyes and see their entire relationship from his point of view (which, spoiler alert, includes falling in love with her) I never really felt like I got to know her as a person.  I knew things about her: she's a psychologist who eventually switched careers and started her own business with a friend to make sex toys for women.  She has an instinct for 'fixing' people that's gotten her into lousy relationships in the past and she has a terrible relationship with her parents.  She's caring, fun, outgoing, and loves dancing and dogs.  But for all of that, I never felt like she was a fully developed, three dimensional person. Of course, I also had that problem with Max.  I didn't like him.  He would possibly have been a more likable (or at least sympathetic) character from the outside, but when the whole book is told from his point of view he really mostly came across as a self-absorbed jerk. His goal was getting in shape for training camp and getting back on the team. It's a great goal and I loved that he was so motivated and willing to work hard to get there.  But the self-defense process of not looking at his emotions to try and avoid being hurt again came across (in his own head) as not even wanting to admit to a caring friendship with Kendra, let alone falling in love with her, but just focused on good sex.

While following Max's progress out of grieving and back to living and admitting to emotions could have been a very reflective and touching story, I was left feeling a little flat about Slap Shot in general.  There are a few great scenes at the end where Max finally gets his head on straight and very well written and emotional apology and reconciliation scenes.  But overall, I was left wanting a little something more. Whether that was a bit of additional plot or more emotional introspection or more depth of character, I feel like Slap Shot was one of Jamieson's more mediocre books, with the potential to have been one of her best.    

Long time readers of Kelly Jamieson's Aces Hockey series (Back Check, Icing) have been aware of Max and his tragic story, but he's always been a very peripheral character.  So readers new to the series don't have to worry about having missed any backstory if they start the series with Slap Shot.  Personally, I recommend reading the rest of the Aces series first so that Max's return to the team at the end will give you a bit more emotional satisfaction than the rest of the book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Dancing in the Rain

Dancing in the Rain- Kelly Jamieson
LoveSwept
Release Date: April 11, 2017

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Drew Sellers is drowning in broken dreams and empty beer bottles. Hockey was his world, until a bum knee reduced him from superstar to has-been. Then he learns that, thanks to a one-night-stand back in college, he’s the father of a preteen girl with major issues. Her protective aunt sees right through Drew’s BS, but “Auntie P” is no stereotypical spinster. With her slender curves, toned legs, and luscious lips, she has Drew indulging in fantasies that aren’t exactly family-friendly.

At another point in her life, Peyton Watt would have been all over a cocky alpha male who pushes all her buttons like Drew. Right now, though, she needs to focus on taking care of her niece during her sister’s health crisis, all while holding down a job and keeping her own head above water. Besides, Drew’s clearly no father of the year. He’s unemployed. He drinks too much. And he’s living in the past. But after Peyton gets a glimpse of the genuine man behind his tough-guy façade, she’s hooked—and there’s no going back.

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Kelly Jamieson, author of several hockey romances including the Aces Hockey series (with Back Check, and Icing) gives fans a little something different with Dancing in the Rain.  Drew Sellers was a Chicago Blackhawks star player until an injured knee ended his career.  He's handling the end of his dreams through excessive amounts of alcohol when he gets another life changing surprise: finding out that a one night stand in college resulted in a daughter.  Chloe is now twelve and dealing with the fact that her mother, Sara, is dying.  Drew knows nothing about kids and is terrified he'll fail Chloe as a dad.  After all, he doesn't have his life together, how can he be there for anyone else?  Chloe's aunt, Peyton, is trying to handle her job, her jerk of a boss, her niece, and her sister's health.  The last thing she needs is a guy like Drew getting involved.  She plans out everything and Drew and her attraction for him are not in those plans.  But could their clashing life styles be exactly what Drew and Peyton- and Chloe- need to get through the hard times?

Dancing in the Rain is a stand alone novel that deals with some heavy issues.  Drew is dealing with not only the loss of his career but an identity crisis and borderline alcoholism as a coping mechanism.  Then comes a surprise daughter and a whole new identity crisis: is he father material?  Peyton may have a career that she loves but she hates her boss- who seems not to know the meaning of the word 'compassion'.  Her job is in New York City, her niece and sister are in Chicago.  She not only has to deal with the very personal fact that her sister is dying, she has to try to be strong for Chloe and figure out what's best for the family. Jamieson does a wonderful job of making the family's situation real and relatable without allowing the story to get bogged down at any time.  She keeps things moving forward and for every step back Drew or Peyton take, they also figure out how to keep going forward.   The reflections both do on their lives and what they want to do with careers, as well as the difficulties they have in figuring out career-life balance, especially touched a chord for me.

Neither Drew nor Peyton are in a place where romance is a good idea and they are both sure that it's a really bad idea to get into a relationship with each other!  But the chemistry between them is undeniable.  I liked how, despite that initial attraction, there was plenty they didn't really like about each other at first.  Eventually the protective walls are lowered and they get to know each other, seeing the person behind the facade.  Peyton and Drew are a lot alike at the core: competitive, stubborn, and loyal.  But they approach those core values in opposite ways and without Chloe they might never have made themselves work out all the differences.

While both Drew and Peyton are great, the character who really stayed with me is Sara.  In the face of any number of obstacles she has pressed on, doing her best for both herself and Chloe.  She faced unexpected pregnancy in college and still not only finished college but got a law degree.  She was aware enough of herself and her priorities that she didn't stay in the corporate rat race but chose to work with a smaller law firm so she could have a better work-life balance with Chloe.  She fought her cancer every step of the way and when it became clear none of the treatments were going to work she set up everything Peyton and Chloe would need after she passed: guardianship, her will, even her funeral.  On meeting Drew, she genuinely understood if he didn't want to be a part of Chloe's life.  Despite all her own trials, she tried to make everything easier for everyone around her.  Sara is probably one of the most caring and unselfish characters I've ever read, and faced everything with strength, courage, dignity and grace that others in her position could only hope to match.  

I'm normally not a fan of books that make me cry, and there were several absolutely tear-jerking, heart-wrenching scenes in Dancing in the Rain.  However this was a book that I couldn't put down: full of truly three-dimensional, realistic characters; and the inspiring life lesson that challenges don't come when you are ready for them but that life is short, and sometimes the most precious moments come just by dancing in the rain.

A deep, wonderful, sad, uplifting, and romantic book, Dancing in the Rain will touch your heart and could change the way you look at life.  A must read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.