The Score Keeper by Gina Azzi {a review}

The day is here. Today is the day that The Score Keeper by Gina Azzi is available. I've been anticipating this book like mad, but at the same time, I am sad the day is here. If you do not know, The Score Keeper is the 9th, and final, book in the Boston Hawks Hockey series. I fell for this series immediately, and it's hard to believe that the journey is over.

That being said, the end of the Boston Hawks series DOES have me eagerly anticipating the Tennessee Thunderbolts series. You see there is a connection between the two that you will learn about in The Score Keeper. That connection has me giddy.

So what is The Score Keeper about? Scott Reland is the owner of the Hawks, and he's looking for love. A few years ago he had a moment with Noelle, and it has stuck with him. When he sees her at an event, he has to jump in to help her out. That leads to a conversation, which leads to her looking at Boston for another location for her business. She'd JUST be going there for business, no other reason. Especially since Scott and her dad run in the same circles. (you know since they both own hockey teams.) This age gap romance will draw you in, and hold your attention until the very end.

The Score Keeper was excellent. Not only was Scott and Noelle's story wonderful, it also has me hyped for the Tennessee series. Especially after reading what I did, and learning about the connection.

Scott and Noelle are both driven people who work hard to help their businesses be successful. Noelle is being groomed to take over for her father, but that isn't her passion. Noelle's passion is her bakery, Primrose. Baking is her where her heart is, and she wishes her dad could support her decisions. Unfortunately he has tunnel vision, and is not accepting anything except her working for his hockey team.

I absolutely loved the connection that Scott and Noelle had. I couldn't help but notice how they fit into each others lives so easily. They are both familiar with the hockey world, and everything that goes into it. At the same time, Scott knew he needed to back Noelle with her business. Helping her to succeed was everything to him. I think it also took him saying what he did for things to turn around. Did he overstep? Possibly, but honestly it was for the best.

These two did not have an easy path to their happily ever after, but once they arrived it was glorious. I am hoping that these two will pop up in the Tennessee Thunderbolt stories, but only time will tell.

Loved the story. Loved seeing the familiar faces. I am hyped for the next series. As much as I am heartbroken the series is over, at the end of the day this moment had to arrive. I am appreciative of the stories I read within this world, the characters I fell for, and the journey they took me on. I look forward to the future and the potential to see characters pop up in the future.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on The Score Keeper. I truly hope that if sports romance is a genre you enjoy reading, that you will pick up the entire Boston Hawks series, and fall for these characters the way I did. Kudos to Gina Azzi for creating this amazing world, and the characters in it.

Laura

 

Boston Hawks owner Scott Reland is my father’s biggest rival and the last man who should catch my eye. But when he does, I don’t look away.

 

We’ve circled each other for years, two outliers in a small club of NHL owners. We know the rules, manage similar pressures, and understand that this lifestyle — hockey over everything — isn’t for everyone. 

 

Which is why I want out. 

 

To prove to my father that I have a future beyond the New York Sharks, I score one for me and open a bakery in Boston, the city that reveres Scott. 

It isn’t long until the dynamic and perceptive Hawk pursues me. And I’m entirely unprepared to be swept off my feet, cared for and supported after so many years on my own. Scott easily draws me back into the hockey life I thought I didn’t want. 

 

But can our relationship survive the demands of this industry? Or will I always be keeping score, second to the game that dictates everything?

Order Your Copy Here:

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Apple | Google Play 

Add to your Goodreads TBR List!

Meet Gina Azzi

I’m Gina Azzi, a book-obsessed, coffee-drinking, globetrotting, mama of soon-to-be three! I write sweet with a dash of spicy New Adult and Contemporary Romance full of good men putting in work to win the hearts of even better women.

A total Jersey girl at heart, I struggle with insatiable wanderlust and currently reside in Ontario, Canada with my family. 

 

When I’m not dreaming up storylines or writing all the words, you can find me hanging with my littles, attempting to bake, or planning my next adventure.

 

Connect with me on social media or at ginaazziauthor@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Happy Reading!

Xo,

Gina

Connect with Gina

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | BookBub | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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Thank you to Gina Azzi, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced review copy of The Score Keeper.

The Hustler by Gina Azzi {a review}

The Hustler is the eighth book in Gina Azzi's Boston Hawks hockey series, and it is now available. If you've read the other books in the series and think you're ready for Theo's (Eddie) story, you're wrong.

Let's travel to Maui for the wedding of Preston and Heather. Sofia Carpenter happens to be planning it, and her life is about to change. Sofia is engaged to Don Servino, and she works for the family's resort (Lely Prive). However it turns out that Don's family has looked into Sofia's past, and it isn't going to work any longer. Not with her dad having served time in prison. Don ends things with Sofia, but then has the nerve to ask her to stay on until the Lawrence wedding is over. Flash forward to the week of the wedding. Sofia is out for a swim, and Theo is out surfing. Sofia catches his eye, and Theo is entranced by her. He cannot turn away. 

She's an anomaly in a paradise filled with beauty, laughter, and excitement.

 

The night before the wedding, Theo finds her again, and he's determined to meet her. They strike up a conversation, and that leads to a night spent together. Theo asks her to be his plus one to the wedding, and Sofia agrees. That is until the next morning when she finds out Theo Lawrence is really Eddie Sims. He lied to her. Or did he? Sofia's been hurt in the past, and she's struggling with this. So she leaves a note saying goodbye. Except it isn't goodbye, as Sofia will soon learn when her brother (Jesse) is traded to the Boston Hawks organization. Sofia and Theo are about to get their second chance. But will an issue from the past come back to hurt their chances for a happily ever after? Also, will Theo tell his teammates who he really is? They know Eddie Sims, can they accept him as Theo Lawrence? Will they feel betrayed?

 

Gina Azzi gutted me with this book! Oh the emotions.😭

Having read the description for the book, I wasn't certain what was going to happen. I was NOT expecting Sofia and Theo to meet at Preston's wedding, nor was I expecting it be after Don the dumbass broke off their engagement. Basically all I knew going in is that Eddie Sims was going by an alternate name, and I had no clue why. Well now I do! Of course I also knew that Sofia was a cancer survivor, and that experience had shaped her views on certain things.  

I loved how everything unfolded with their relationship. From the introduction in Maui, to Sofia's brother being traded to the Hawks, to everything that happened next (relationship/history/family).

The storyline involving Sofia's dad, and her cancer treatment? Oh my heart. I think anyone can understand why he did what he needed to. But at the same time you can see why the other party did what they had to do. It just goes to show how messed up health care truly is. Ugh. Also, I want to say that I called this aspect of the storyline pretty early on. So throughout the story I was waiting for it to be revealed, and I was waiting to see how both parties responded to the situation. But then that next bombshell was dropped, and my eyes became extremely blurry due to the tears that were about to be shed.

The one thing I haven't figured out is where that magazine came from that allowed Sofia to find out Theo's "true identity". I don't feel like I glossed over that, but maybe I did. 

No matter what, I loved this book! It very well might be my favorite out of the all of them. From their initial meeting (and subsequent hookup), to the reunion in Boston, to friendships formed thanks to the awesome wives and girlfriends, to the meeting of Theo's parents, to everything that happened next, to the revelation of the past, and so forth. I was all in.

I think I need a few days to recover from all the tears I shed. Oofta Gina's writing hit me hard with this storyline. 

Go read this story! Go fall for these two, and see how being together impacts both Sofia and Theo. Because these two definitely change with the influence of the other. Also, I need for Gina to write a story featuring Jesse Carpenter. Please and thank you.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on The Hustler. I hope you'll check out this fake identity, second chance romance.

Laura

Theodore Edward Sims was supposed to be my hot summer hook-up, a stranger I slept with in Hawaii. Now, he’s my stepbrother’s new hockey teammate.

When we met, Theo was a sexy surfer in Maui, riding waves by day and rocking my world at night. After being played for a fool by my ex-fiancé, Theo proved to be a source of instant gratification.

He was refreshingly honest, engaging, and incredibly charming. Theo built me up when it felt like my world was crumbling down.

Turns out, he’s just like my ex. A liar.

To avoid the gossip of my failed engagement, I hightail it to Boston, where I’m forced to cross paths with a new version of Theo, aka Eddie Sims, Boston Hawks right wing. Here, he isn’t the well-connected, alluring surfer but a determined, angry hockey hunk with something to prove. Especially to me.

Except I’ve written him off. Once a liar, always a liar.

But Theo isn’t backing down. Instead, he’s hustling for my forgiveness.

If I give him another chance, will he live up to his apologies? Or am I just lying to myself?

Order Your Copy Now!

Add to your Goodreads TBR!

Meet Gina Azzi

I’m Gina Azzi, a book-obsessed, coffee-drinking, globetrotting, mama of soon-to-be three! I write sweet with a dash of spicy New Adult and Contemporary Romance full of good men putting in work to win the hearts of even better women.

A total Jersey girl at heart, I struggle with insatiable wanderlust and currently reside in Ontario, Canada with my family. 

 

When I’m not dreaming up storylines or writing all the words, you can find me hanging with my littles, attempting to bake, or planning my next adventure.

 

Connect with me on social media or at ginaazziauthor@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Happy Reading!

Xo,

Gina

Connect with Gina

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads    Amazon Author Page

Hosted by:

Thank you to Gina Azzi, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced review copy of The Hustler.

The Score Keeper by Gina Azzi {cover reveal}

 

 Release Date: March 3

Boston Hawks owner Scott Reland is my father’s biggest rival and the last man who should catch my eye. But when he does, I don’t look away.

 

We’ve circled each other for years, two outliers in a small club of NHL owners. We know the rules, manage similar pressures, and understand that this lifestyle — hockey over everything — isn’t for everyone. 

 

Which is why I want out. 

 

To prove to my father that I have a future beyond the New York Sharks, I score one for me and open a bakery in Boston, the city that reveres Scott. 

It isn’t long until the dynamic and perceptive Hawk pursues me. And I’m entirely unprepared to be swept off my feet, cared for and supported after so many years on my own. Scott easily draws me back into the hockey life I thought I didn’t want. 

 

But can our relationship survive the demands of this industry? Or will I always be keeping score, second to the game that dictates everything?

Pre-Order Your Copy Here:

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Apple | Google Play 

Add to your Goodreads TBR List!

Meet Gina Azzi

I’m Gina Azzi, a book-obsessed, coffee-drinking, globetrotting, mama of soon-to-be three! I write sweet with a dash of spicy New Adult and Contemporary Romance full of good men putting in work to win the hearts of even better women.

A total Jersey girl at heart, I struggle with insatiable wanderlust and currently reside in Ontario, Canada with my family. 

 

When I’m not dreaming up storylines or writing all the words, you can find me hanging with my littles, attempting to bake, or planning my next adventure.

 

Connect with me on social media or at ginaazziauthor@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Happy Reading!

Xo,

Gina

Connect with Gina

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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The Trailblazer by Gina Azzi {a review}

It's here my friends! The newest addition to the Boston Hawks series is HERE! The Trailblazer by Gina Azzi is a second chance romance slash marriage of convenience. Declan and Vivi are just wonderful. They've touched my heart. I now have a soft spot for them.

Second chance romance is toward the top of my tropes I love list. In The Trailblazer, we find out right away that Genevieve's (Vivi) grandfather has just passed away, and he changed something in his will. He said that for Genevieve to continue with her current role within the company, she needs to be married by her birthday. If not, then things will be shifting. This immediately throws Genevieve for a loop, and she doesn't know what to do. A marriage of convenience will have to work. Now she just needs to convince her best friend to marry her. Flash forward a couple weeks. Declan is about to take the ice when his dad calls. It is then that Declan is filled in on the passing of his mentor, and also that his Vivi is getting married. That prompts Declan to head to Tennessee. Returning to Tennessee changes everything for Declan and Vivi. And it's all for the better.

This story, oh this story. First of all it should be obvious that I loved it. Afterall I have loved all the stories with the Boston Hawks team, so I knew it would be fabulous. Declan and Vivi have wormed there way into my heart. I will say I was a bit worried toward the beginning that maybe it wouldn't work out. There was just so much pain and heartache that Vivi was dealing with. Plus the secret she had been keeping was digging at her. Yet she knew that she still loved Declan. After a little bit of time they were able to work through the issues of the past,Vivi was introduced to a fantastic group of women, and she was loved on. Having Vivi back in his life was a good thing for Declan too. I think it relaxed him, it settled him. He had someone he loved at home that he was excited to return to. That scene before the team left for Cali...I knew something was going to happen. I knew what was going on with Vivi. I wasn't prepared though for how everything played out. The tears flowed. Kleenex were required. Oh my heart. I just love these characters. Absolutely love them. Now don't worry, everything is fine with our characters. Their lives continue on, and they find their HEA. We also get a glimpse into their future, and oh what a future it is.

If you're a hockey romance lover, and haven't read the Boston Hawks series, please do. The characters are amazing, and their stories are everything. Now naturally I am going to say to start at the beginning with The Sweet Talker, because that's just how I am. But really these are standalones, so you can jump in at any point.  Go read this series. Go fall for the team, and their love interests. You won't regret it.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on The Trailblazer. I love this book, these characters, and the entire series.

Laura

I always knew I’d marry my first everything, Declan Yaeger, the Southern boy with Irish roots. That was before he became my first heartbreak, a NHL superstar with a playboy reputation I no longer recognize.

The summer he left our small, Tennessee town, to pursue his hockey dream is the summer my life changed. That was seven years ago, before he became a defenseman for the Boston Hawks. Before I became fixated on my career, losing pieces of myself along the way.

To protect my grandfather's legacy, I agree to marry my oldest childhood friend, Henry. But when I enter the Church on my wedding day, the grey eyes piercing mine aren’t my fiancé’s.

They’re Declan’s, the last person I expect to show up with an offer of his own. One I can’t refuse even though my heart should know better than to accept.

Will my marriage to Declan heal the broken between us? Or are we destined to repeat the mistakes of our past?

GrabYour Copy Here:

Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | Google Play

Add to your Goodreads TBR!

Start the series at your favorite retailer!

Meet Gina Azzi

I’m Gina Azzi, a book-obsessed, coffee-drinking, globetrotting, mama of soon-to-be three! I write sweet with a dash of spicy New Adult and Contemporary Romance full of good men putting in work to win the hearts of even better women.

A total Jersey girl at heart, I struggle with insatiable wanderlust and currently reside in Ontario, Canada with my family. 

 

When I’m not dreaming up storylines or writing all the words, you can find me hanging with my littles, attempting to bake, or planning my next adventure.

 

Connect with me on social media or at ginaazziauthor@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Happy Reading!

Xo,

Gina

Connect with Gina Azzi

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Hosted by:

Thank you to Gina Azzi, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of The Trailblazer.

The Hustler by Gina Azzi {cover reveal}

 

 Release Date: January 6

Theodore Edward Sims was supposed to be my hot summer hook-up, a stranger I slept with in Hawaii. Now, he’s my stepbrother’s new hockey teammate. 

When we met, Theo was a sexy surfer in Maui, riding waves by day and rocking my world at night. After being played for a fool by my ex-fiancé, Theo proved to be a source of instant gratification.

  

He was refreshingly honest, engaging, and incredibly charming. Theo built me up when it felt like my world was crumbling down.

Turns out, he’s just like my ex. A liar.

To avoid the media scandal of my failed engagement, I hightail it to Boston, where I’m forced to cross paths with a new version of Theo, aka Eddie Sims, Boston Hawks right wing. Here, he isn’t the well-connected, alluring surfer but a determined, angry hockey hunk with something to prove. Especially to me.

Except I’ve written him off. Once a liar, always a liar.

But Theo isn’t backing down. Instead, he’s hustling for my forgiveness.

If I give him another chance, will he live up to his apologies? Or am I just lying to myself? 

Pre-Order Your Copy Here:

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Apple | Google Play 

Add to your Goodreads TBR!

Meet Gina Azzi

I’m Gina Azzi, a book-obsessed, coffee-drinking, globetrotting, mama of soon-to-be three! I write sweet with a dash of spicy New Adult and Contemporary Romance full of good men putting in work to win the hearts of even better women.

A total Jersey girl at heart, I struggle with insatiable wanderlust and currently reside in Ontario, Canada with my family. 

 

When I’m not dreaming up storylines or writing all the words, you can find me hanging with my littles, attempting to bake, or planning my next adventure.

 

Connect with me on social media or at ginaazziauthor@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Happy Reading!

Xo,

Gina

Connect with Gina

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Instagram | BookBub | Goodreads    Amazon Author Page

Hosted by:

The Heart Chaser by Gina Azzi {a review}

My name is Laura, and my obsession/fascination with hockey romance is still going strong almost 2 years later.

What's that, you didn't know I was a hockey romance fan? Well just click on that hockey romance tag, and you'll see all the wonderful books that I have read. It's a lot. Trust me. And all my reviews are not even posted here on What Laura's Reading. I can't help it. I just love it.

If you've been around for a while, then you know I fell hard for the Boston Hawks series by Gina Azzi at the beginning of this year. Here we are at the end of September, and I am still loving the series. I can't tell you though if Torsten or Jake is favorite though. It's pretty closely tied. That being said, The Heart Chaser is all about Panda. If you've read the series, then you've seen him in the background of the other stories, and chances are he's made an impression on you. Well it's time for his story to be told, and oh I wasn't prepared.

Luca and Abbi had an amazing weekend together, and before she left town, Luca promised to call. He was going to, until a family emergency made that difficult to do. Flash forward 6 months, and Abbi is now an employee with the Boston Hawks organization. It is here that she and Luca meet again. Things in both their lives have been overwhelming, and both are tired and hurting. It's just been a lot. Abbi has every right to be mad at Luca for not calling, but at the same time she could have reached out to him as well. She's here in Boston now though, and as much as she'd like to keep this professional, she can't deny the attraction. Same goes for Luca. He still wants her, but between his family and his career he's being pulled in too many directions. Abbi is also dealing with her ex texting her, and he isn't making life easy for her. Can these two work to overcome their current situations (family/job/ex/trust) to make it as a couple? Or will it all blow up in their faces?

Luca is an amazing man. Plain and simple, he just is. Yes he's been a player in the past, but this current Luca is amazing. He is doing what ever he can for his family, all while continuing on with his career. Yes, he wants Abbi in his life too, but things need to settle down a bit. Then there's Abbi. Oh Abbi. My heart hurts for her, and I just want to wrap her up in a giant hug. This woman has been through so much loss! Then there are these men who have just decimated any trust that she may have had. Her exes are just horrible, and so it isn't shocking to see the trust issues that she has. But when that situation happened with her ex, and all that went down, OH MY WORD. GRRRRR. Then there is Luca, and his family. I think I love them. His family just seem like a fantastic group who just want what is best for their loved ones. There is so much I want to say about The Heart Chaser, and everything that happened in the book, but honestly I can't put it into words. Luca has pushed Austin out of my top 3. He just has. I can't help it. Abbi is joining Claire and Chloe in the top 3 as well. These characters! I tell you. Their stories, their friendships, the environment that they are in, I just can't get enough. 

I can't scream it loud enough, but go read the Boston Hawks series. Please. Just do it. Go fall for these characters, and you just might find yourself wishing they were real people so you could befriend them. Or that could just be me. 

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on The Heart Chaser. If you read Luca and Abbi's story, please let me know what you think. I'd love to talk about the book with you. (or any of the Boston Hawks books for that matter!)

Laura

BLURB

Notorious ladies’ man and hockey hotshot Luca Pandatelli broke his own rules when he tangled up with me.

Not only did we spend an entire weekend in bed together, but he confided in me, sharing painful truths about his past. With a kiss good-bye and a promise to call, something sparked between us. Something that broke through my walls.

Except he didn’t call. And I re-enforced my walls with steel and barbed wire.

Now, I’ve accepted a job with the Boston Hawks franchise, making it inevitable that I see the last man I want to cross paths with. I’m prepared to dismiss him and pretend like our weekend together never happened.

But the regret in Luca’s eyes and the apology in his voice catches me off-guard. The harder I push him away, the harder he pulls me in.

Until the one thing I can’t accept, can’t forgive, comes to light.

And I’m left wondering, is Luca only interested in the chase? Or is really playing for keeps?

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Meet Gina Azzi

Gina Azzi writes emotional and captivating contemporary romance novels with heart-warming happily-ever-afters. She is the author of Second Chance Chicago Series, The Kane Brothers Series, Finding Love in Scotland Series, The College Pact Series, and Corner of Ocean and Bay. All of her books can be read as stand-alones. 

A Jersey girl at heart, Gina has spent her twenties traveling the world, living and working abroad, before settling down in Ontario, Canada with her husband and three children. She's a voracious reader, daydreamer, and coffee enthusiast who loves meeting new people. Say hey to her on social media or through www.ginaazzi.com.

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Thank you to Gina Azzi, and Give Me Books PR, for providing me with an advanced copy of The Heart Chaser.