Friday, January 22, 2021

Hockey Romance Series I've Read {part two}


Happy Friday everyone! The weekend is upon us, and we have nothing planned. Like normal. 🤷🏼‍♀️

So on Wednesday, I talked about three authors who wrote hockey romance series that I've loved. Well today, I am back to talk about another three. There are so many fantastic authors out there, and I know I am just at the tip of the iceberg.

First up we have Natasha Madison. She currently has THREE hockey romance series, and I have loved each and every one. Her Something So series was my introduction to her writing, and she has become an auto-buy author. If you enjoy steamy romances, alpha males, and happily ever afters, then check them out. 

In my opinion, you'll want to start with the Something So series, then move on to This Is, and then conclude with Only One. That is because the characters we meet in Something So will appear in the other two series. So if you know their backstory, then it just helps. Should you choose to just jump in where ever, know that that is okay too.

The first series was Something So. It is four books long, and each book follows a different set of characters. My absolute favorite from this quartet was Something So Irresistible. It follows Max and Allison's relationship, and the hoops they jump through to be together.


From Amazon:

Max Horton 
They call me an outcast like it's a bad thing.
An asshole byproduct of a shitty upbringing. I don't care about anything except myself and my little sister. 
I will always protect what’s mine.
With one year left on my hockey contract I'm keeping my head down and my eyes on the goal.
A collision, with her, changes my entire existence.
Allison Grant 
Never fall in love with a sports star. That's what my stepfather always said. He told me athletes are complicated and moody—that the higher their paycheck, the lower their morals.
As public relations for the New York Stingers I know exactly what he means, but I can’t seem to say no to a friendship with one beautiful, damaged man.
What started out as hate turned into something else. 
We tried to stay away, to keep our distance, but the pull was too strong.
Something forbidden turned into something so irresistible.

Oh if only I could go back and reread this series for the first time. Sigh.

Next up is the This Is series. It also spans four books, and it really is just building off of the Something So series. If I could tell you my favorite book from the quartet, I would, but it's hard to select my favorite. What I can tell you is that it is a toss up between This is Crazy and This is Forever. This is Crazy follows Zara and Evan, and their story starts with a simple tweet. Whereas This is Forever follows Justin and Caroline and their story starts at a hockey rink. They are both so good, but I think This is Crazy might just win out, especially since it allowed for the spin off of Only One. 

From Amazon:

Zara Stone 

All my life, I’ve said I will never date a hockey player. I know better because I’ve seen and lived it all. My father is a hockey god, my brother is the captain of the most successful NHL team in the world, and my brother-in-law also plays in the league. Their lives are complicated, so I went in the opposite direction. 
I fell in love with a scholar. But instead of proposing marriage, he broke up with me. 
Three months later, I saw his engagement picture on Instagram. I couldn’t let him get away with that. No, it didn’t matter what, I was going to make that man see that I did not need him. 

Evan Richards
I was in the running to pass my point record from last year, ready to claim the number one spot in the league. On top of my game, I was riding my career high wave. 
Then, Hockey’s Princess, Zara Stone tweeted me. She wanted me to crash her ex’s wedding. 
The worst that could happen? A PR nightmare. The best? A fun night with a beautiful woman. 
It started out as a game—something I’m good at. Her crazy idea twisted into something I wasn’t looking for, something neither of us wanted. 

When push comes to shove, one thing runs through my mind: 
This is Crazy. Also, this is crazy right.

The last series Natasha Madison currently has available is Only One. We are moving away from the New York Stingers, and are now getting to know the guys from the Dallas Oilers hockey club. There are currently three books that have been released, and book four is set to release on February 9, 2021. I think it's safe to say that you might already know my favorite of the series. I've talked about it a few times on my blog, and I was lucky enough to win an ARC of it back at the end of December. That is Only One Night. It is the third book in the series, and it is all about Manning.


If you're unfamiliar with the book, here is the description:

Manning
As captain of the Dallas Oilers, I was their leader on and off the ice. From the outside, it looked like I had the perfect life.
I didn’t.
I was married to a woman who refused to give me a divorce. All she wanted was the status title, and all I wanted was to be set free.
It was supposed to be just another event, except it took a turn I didn’t see coming.
Evelyn
Attending my best friend’s bachelorette party isn’t something I was looking forward to.
But it’s strange what a couple of glasses of wine will do.
It was one night, and I thought I would never see him again.
Especially not coming face-to-face with him and his wife while picking up my nephew from hockey practice.
All it takes is one kiss, one touch, one chance, and only one night.

The next author, who has written two fabulous hockey series, is Samantha Whiskey. Her books are simply amazing. Alpha males, steamy scenes, HEAs, and a great group of characters who truly seem like family. 

The first series is Seattle Sharks, and it consists of 9, yes I said nine, books. There are so many different tropes to be had in this series. From single dad, to accidental pregnancy, to work place, to best friends sister, and so forth. There is a little something for almost everyone.


My favorite from the series is Wheeler. Wheeler follows the love story of Lukas and Faith.  If you like the best friend's sister trope, then this one is for you. 

Description via Amazon:
I’m the Seattle Sharks’ power player.
Some call me the Wheeler.
That’s because I score on and off the ice more than any other Shark.
Well, until her. The one girl I’ve wanted for years.
And her brother just convinced me to hire her as my personal assistant.

Faith Gentry.
Sharp. Sexy. Funny as hell.
My best friend’s little sister.
Now that I’m her boss, she’s twice as off-limits.
And I’m twice as screwed.

Having Faith near me 24/7?
It’s a torture I never knew existed.
She sees me like no one else, and that mouth of hers? More than kissable.
Our banter is quick, our chemistry hotter than hell, but if we cross that line—

Her brother will kill me.
I’ll lose my best friend, rip our hockey team apart,
And I could lose my stay-in-the-states insurance.

My wheeler past could to turn everything I’ve worked for to ash.
But the more time I spend with Faith, the harder I fall.
And this might be worth taking everything I have coming to me
Samantha Whiskey's next series is the Carolina Reapers. Similarly to Natasha Madison's series, the Reapers is really a continuation of the Sharks. Only we've moved across the country. As of right now, the Carolina Reapers series consists of 6 books. The sixth, Sterling, was just released in December, so I don't think we'll see another book until maybe March. That is if there is another book in the series. That being said, my gut tells me there are a couple more books coming, but until Samantha Whiskey sends a text out (it's like a newsletter that you sign up for), I really have no clue. 


If I'm being honest, I actually am preferring the Reapers to the Sharks. I don't know what it is about the characters in these stories, but I am loving them. Now if I have to choose a favorite, well it's a toss up between Logan and Sterling. I think Logan wins though, after all he falls for a librarian. So I mean, how could I not favorite this one. 

Curious what it's about? Here's the blurb:
As the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, 
you’d think my skills would get more notice than my face.
Ridiculous, but I’ve been dubbed the “pretty boy” since rookie year.
Pair the looks with my multi-million-dollar career, and it’s a recipe to get used.
I’ve been burned before, and it’s never happening again.

Then I meet Delaney Collins—Charleston’s impossibly sexy librarian.
She’s brilliant, funny, and the chemistry between us crackles every time we touch.
But she doesn’t have a clue who I am.

Delaney treats me like a normal person, seeing straight to the heart of me.
And all it wants is her.

Only problem?
She hates celebrity athletes.
Her own dark past has ensured she’ll never take a chance on one again.
But the deeper we get, the harder it is for me to admit what I do on the ice.

All I’ve ever wanted is for someone to love me for me—not the paycheck, the fame, or the face.
But I’m not sure love will be enough to save us when the truth comes out.

Oh how I adore these fictional hockey players and their partners.

One more author to discuss for this go around! Odette Stone kept us waiting for her latest book, High Risk Rookie. On January 2nd, the wait was finally over though, and I'm convinced the fandom ran to Amazon to immediately purchase and download. Or maybe that was just me. 


So what series am I talking about? It is the Vancouver Wolves. As of today the series consists of 4 books. Are there more coming? I have no clue, but I am hopeful. Guess we'll just have to wait for Odette to make an announcement. I will say that after reading High Risk Rookie, I am wondering if we aren't headed to Brookyln for a spin off. 


If you're wondering which is my favorite, well I'm torn. I know, how many times can I say that about a series, but it's true. You see I loved High Risk Rookie, as the story between Krista and Levi had me hooked from the beginning. Then there's The Penalty Box. It's Mica, how can I not choose his love story with Charlie? So I'm going with The Penalty Box.


What has made Mica and Charlie my favorite? Here'e the teaser for their story:
He's a professional hockey player that lives on the edge.  I prefer to play life by the rules.  

I’m the personal assistant at a sports agency that no one notices.  
Unless they need coffee.
I don’t like sports and I like professional athletes even less.  
I’m indifferent to the mostly male clientele, except for one.
Mica “the savage” Petrov.  

When it comes to wild antics, Mica is the biggest offender of them all.  
He’s reckless, wild and carelessly charming. 
I’m mortified that I find him attractive. 
But it doesn’t matter because the guy hasn’t taken a second look at me.
Not once. In two years.  

Mica's career jeopardizing situation requires drastic measures to be taken to keep him in the game.    
He’s got money, I’ve got debt and my boss has a crazy idea.
Which is how I found myself stepping up to save him from himself.
But at what cost?  

How long can I keep fighting my attraction?
What ghosts from his past is he brawling with?
All I know is that I need to defend my heart before this big defenseman steals it away.  
Can we win this game? Or is it too late for either of us?

Does that help explain my love for these two? Probably not, but I can't say much about the book without spitting out some spoilers. So trust me, The Penalty Box is worth the read.

Okay fellow book lovers, I have two more authors that I want to share, but that will wait for another day as this is already a bit too long.  Tell me your favorite authors who write sports romance (more specifically hockey)! Any specific book that I should read? Is it new adult or adult? Also, have you read any of the books by these three authors? If so, what was your favorite?

Happy Reading,