Book Summary: 

He’s the playboy she shouldn’t want.
She’s the woman he can’t live without.

Brit has spent her life trying to prove herself, and that’s no different when she comes to the Gold.

So when she is introduced to Stefan, the Gold’s captain, she is determinedly not interested in the well-known playboy.

But when management pushes Brit and Stefan together in an effort to gain good press for the beleaguered team, Brit finds that her carefully calculated disinterest doesn’t mask her body’s desires.

She wants him.

And the more she falls, the more she risks it all.

Mini Review:

While I want to say I loved this story, one thing that bothered me was the speed and intensity of Bree and Stefan’s relationship—it felt too unrealistic, even for a fictional story. The growth of their relationship lacked depth, and the storyline was so fixated on Bree’s lie that we, as readers, were essentially told to trust that they cared deeply for each other, with the true bonding apparently happening off-page. As I read, I constantly felt that they didn’t truly know each other, and Stefan’s love seemed more like lust.

There were also a number of grammatical errors. At one point, I was confused because Stefan was talking to Max but was then called Brian—which was confusing, since Brian was at the front of the plane talking to Bree. I thought perhaps he had stepped back to use the restroom, but then it was stated that Stefan saw Bree and Brian still talking and laughing at the front of the plane, confirming the error.

Aside from those issues, the story was entertaining. It broke my heart to learn about Bree’s experiences as a fellow hockey player—the abuse disguised as hazing—and what she faced when it came to light. The fact that she was brought onto the team to create a media flurry, not for her talent but to manipulate the captain, was appalling, especially since it was orchestrated by a woman who believed she was doing the right thing “for women everywhere.”

I do wish Elise had spent more time on the secondary characters, as this is a series several books in. I felt as though we only skimmed the surface of Max’s story and the mystery surrounding Mike. I am aware it is a twenty book series but creating a solid foundation of interest in the first book would have fueled the interest in subsequent stories. On that note, I did like Bree’s brother Doug and found Max’s mother to be a compelling character. Overall, the story had several layers—Stefan’s issues with his father, Bree’s trauma, the scandal, her distinction as the first female NHL player. There were almost too many layers, resulting in some points never being fully resolved and creating plot holes. For example, why did Jessica ask Bree for an autograph? Jessica was often lurking in the shadows, getting pictures, and it was clear when she came to Bree’s apartment that she didn’t know who Bree was, so the request for a signature made little sense.

While I have no desire to continue the series, I would say anyone who enjoys a hockey romance might like this book. Personally, I was not a fan until about three-quarters of the way through, when the third-act breakup finally happened and the story began to pick up. Before that, the book struggled to keep my attention.