Series: Breakaway Series

Guest Review: Blocked by LP Dover

Posted November 9, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 2 Comments

Guest Review: Blocked by LP DoverReviewer: Tracy
Blocked by L.P. Dover
Series: Breakaway Series #2
Also in this series: Hard Stick
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: October 31st 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

He’s got every reason to be cocky . . . until a female cuts him down to size.

I’m Dallas Easton, the best goaltender in the league. I make a damn good living playing hockey, and with women falling at my feet wherever I go, why not enjoy it? I get whatever I want, whenever I want—that is, until I come across the one player who gets the best of me on the ice.

When I try to pummel the dude, all hell breaks loose. Imagine my surprise when the helmet comes off to reveal a woman underneath. And not just any woman, but the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. Callie Davis is the complete opposite of the puck bunnies I usually go for, a good girl with sick moves and a selfless streak a mile wide. I need to make amends, but she dodges me at every turn. It doesn’t help that Callie’s brother hates my guts, or that my agent thinks she’s bad for my career.

But I could care less what they think. I can’t let our little run-in on the ice be the end of our story. Because when I set my sights on something, I won’t rest until I score.

Dallas Easton is a complete player.  He’s the goaltender for the Carolina Strikers and he thinks quite highly of himself.  When the book opens he’s at an after-the-game-win party at a fellow player’s house.  He picks the first hot chick he sees, dances with her for a minute and a half, maybe and next thing you know he’s in a bedroom with her RTF.

Dallas gets hurt at that party and Callie, an ER and surgical nurse takes care of him.  Later when he’s well enough to get back in the game he’s practicing on the ice and actually almost punches Callie (I won’t tell how).  He wants nothing more than to tell Callie how sorry he is but she won’t give him the time of day. She knows he’s a womanizer and really wants nothing to do with him.  He’s never had to chase a woman in his life so he gets creative with trying to see her and apologize for his actions. He soon gets close enough to tell her how he feels and soon Callie is giving him a chance

The pair start falling for each other but they have plenty of roadblocks standing in their way.  Will their love be enough to get them through everyone who hates them together and stands in their way?

I have to admit that when I got this ARC from NetGalley I was excited to read it.  I’d liked the first book in the series and was looking forward to book two.  I read the first chapter and quite frankly?  I hated Dallas. He was such a huge douchebag that I had no desire to read any more about him.  I put the book down and let it sit there for almost 3 months before I picked it back up.  I know, bad Tracy.  When I finally decided to give it another chance and read past chapter one I was quite surprised.  I still thought that Dallas was an ass for about half the book but he truly redeemed himself in my eyes.  He fell in love with Callie and couldn’t see any other woman besides her.  It went a long way toward making me like the man.

Callie was a strong woman and I liked that about her.  She stood up to Dallas, and her brothers as well when they got too protective.  She had a good head on her shoulders and was happy to see that she didn’t give in to Dallas right away.  She really made him grovel and I loved it.  Their relationship ended up being pretty great. Yes, there were the typical trying to tear them apart moments but overall it was good.

This has been a good series (yes, only two books so far, but still) and I was happy to see that this book had a lot more hockey involved in it.  The last book had a hockey player in it but not so much hockey.  This had a ton more and I loved it.  I’m looking forward to reading the next book and I can’t wait to see what happens next with these hockey players.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars

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Guest Review: Hard Stick by L.P. Dover

Posted June 30, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Hard Stick by L.P. DoverReviewer: 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: four-stars

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

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