Reviewer: Tracy Hard Stick by L.P. Dover
Series: Breakaway Series #1
Also in this series: Blocked
Publisher: Random House, Loveswept
Publication Date: June 13th 2017
Pages: 225
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating:
He carries a big stick. And he’s not afraid to use it.
On the ice, I’m Kellan Carter, powerhouse enforcer for the Charlotte Strikers. Off the ice, I’m just a regular guy. The last thing I want is to get mobbed by a bunch of groupies who are only after me for my fame and money. My ideal woman knows how to enjoy a little good, clean fun—and maybe some not-so-clean fun too. That’s the kind of girl I’d never let go.
When Kristen Robinson, the gorgeous, down-to-earth bartender I’ve been crushing on, agrees to let me take her out, I’m thrilled. We have an amazing night together, culminating in the most electrifying kiss of my life—and that’s it. Kristen tells me we can’t see each other again, but I know that kiss meant as much to her as it did to me. What I don’t know is that Kristen has a dangerous secret. . . .
I’ve proved to Kristen that she can trust me with her body and her heart. But when her past comes back to haunt her, I need to prove that she can trust me with her life. And I might have to get my hands dirty after all.
Kristen Robinson was in a relationship with a controlling asshole. When she finds out that he had a hand in the death of her best friend she knows it’s time to get out. The problem is that he can find her anywhere. She enlists the help of a friend who have relatives that work with the FBI. They get her new papers and hide her. Kristen meets Kellan Carter because she is a bartender at the bar that him and his fellow ice hockey teammates go to. They’re constantly asking Kristen out but she always declines. She doesn’t want anyone else wrapped up in her mess.
When the FBI decides to fake Kristen’s death she feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She actually accepts Kellan when he asks her out and that’s pretty much all she wrote. They are incredibly happy together until Kristen’s past finds her once again.
I think I’m in the majority when I say that when I picked up this book I thought it was a hockey player romance. Ok, it is that but mostly it’s about Kristen and her issues with her ex-boyfriend. Yes, Kellan and Kristen get their romance and it’s very sweet but quite frankly Kellan could have had any job and the story wouldn’t have changed too much. There was very little hockey involved and it definitely wasn’t the focus of the book.
Once Kristen’s death is faked she really lets herself breathe and Kellan is there to date her. They are really quite cute together and I loved that they were so perfect for each other. After everything that Kristen had gone through she needed someone who cared about her. Their romance was kind of a blow to the head for Kellan as it was unexpected but he didn’t question his luck and I loved that.
The end of the story was a bit much in the drama department but it worked. I was happy that Kellan and Kristen got their HEA after everything that happened.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
I struggled a bit with this book because the drama seemed SO over the top. I was expecting something a little lighter I guess. But, this was just over the top in the drama.