I’m not entirely sure how to rate this one: I liked it, but it was SO very short (2000 locations on my Kindle). As a series starter, it works well; the characters are interesting and we get a feel for the team dynamic. I liked the hero quite a bit, and he has some compelling teammates whose stories I’d be interested in reading. I also liked the plot of this – it was unique and engaging. The strangers to friends to lovers dynamic worked for me, and the book remains light, easy, and just a little bit sexy. But it’s essentially novella-length, and there is barely any depth to the relationship. Everything is sort of glossed over, and I will likely forget that I even read this in a couple of days. That’s not really an enthusiastic endorsement, but I liked this for the most part.
The story follows Maverick, a hockey player returning to the ice after an injury. He’s in a new town with a new team, and feeling off-balance. So when Maverick meets a fascinating and sexy woman at a poker table, he’s intrigued. Gia is a great distraction from Maverick’s work troubles, and they get along very well. Though attraction simmers between Maverick and Gia, neither one is available to date – Maverick’s coach has put a temporary ban on women, and Gia has her own mysterious reasons. The two become friends, but there’s an undercurrent of more.
I’m still new to Rothert’s work, but I’m definitely interested in checking out the next book in the series. This may not have been a memorable, homerun of a read, but it held my interest and made a nice palate cleanser. Sometimes that’s all you’re looking for. I think this could’ve been a LOT better with another 100 pages; it’s almost like the author rushed to finish, because the groundwork was laid for a more substantial read. Parts of both Maverick and Gia’s backstories are barely explored at all, but there’s plenty more that could’ve filled in the story. And there’s a revelation towards the end that REALLY needed to be handled better. Without that depth, this is a forgettable read for me. I liked it, but it could’ve been so much more. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this sports romance.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tRqKX0
Blurb:
The Vegas heat just kicked up a notch with the arrival of ice hockey’s newest expansion team – the Sin City Saints.
Maverick Hagen’s fall from grace was more like a crash landing. His record-breaking career ended after a fight with an opponent over a woman left him with a broken leg, or so the pundits thought. Returning to the sport he loves as the captain of the league’s new expansion team, the Sin City Saints, his lucrative contract comes with just one rule—no romantic distractions. Gia Ford also makes her living playing a game—poker. The rounder has hit her stride in Vegas, quietly building her bank account one casino at a time. She’s got a score to settle, and nothing will get in her way—not even the sexy hockey player who’s willing to lose money just to see her in action. Maverick attracts attention, upsetting Gia’s under-the-radar game.Maverick and Gia can’t afford to give in to their magnetic attraction, with his career rebounding and her winnings growing. But the hotter their chemistry burns, the harder it is to deny. So will they or won’t they? In Vegas, there’s only one way to settle it—a bet, of course.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tRqKX0
About the Author:
Brenda Rothert was a print journalist for nine years. She made the jump from fact to fiction in 2013 and never looked back. From hot hockey romance to steamy romantic suspense, Brenda creates fresh characters in every story she tells. She’s a lover of Diet Coke, lazy weekends and happily ever afters.
For all the latest on Brenda and her books, join her Facebook reader group, Rothert’s Readers.
Website: http://brendarothert.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbrendarothert/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrendaRothert
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Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TyGXds
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