When I first picked this up, I didn't realise it was part of the Must Love Hockey series. Obviously, I figured it out pretty quickly and I loved the book club being mixed up in the relationship tropes.
The actual fake relationship was different to the norm, and I really loved watching them pretending around his family. Because even knowing it was fake, I really felt the chemistry and had so many theories on how it was going to become real. And I was way off on all of them.
I also was really anticipating some other woman drama and some family closure for Clare. Mitchell and Clare had great chemistry, but they were both so closed off to the chance of a relationship I wasn't Sure who was worse. Luckily, they fought through their issues, and we got a super cute ending.
This book took me a minute to settle into, and it was entirely my kid's fault. But every time I sat down to read it I was interrupted and pulled away so I felt like I didn't connect with the characters. But then I had a few childfree hours, and I found that it was absolutely a me problem and I was dying to see the story play out.
Scarlett was a character that I probably wouldn't be friends with in real life. She was so cynical and jaded and I wanted to shake her a little bit. She had allowed a few things to influence her entire world view, and I just felt like she was too old to be so black and white in life.
Chase was a much more likeable character, but he came across as so young initially. Luckily for me he did a little self-reflection and growth. And I liked that he knew what he wanted and wasn't scared to go after it.
IN MY HOCKEY ERA
Kendall Ryan
Release Date: September 15
Blurb:
Lucy Quinn loves hockey. What she doesn’t love? The latest PR stunt from her favorite team—a hockey romance book club designed to lure in more female fans. Pandering to so-called “thirsty” fans? It totally cheapens the sport.
The worst part? They’ve slapped Bennett Wilder—the infuriatingly cocky, annoyingly handsome star forward—on the cover of this PR disaster like he’s some kind of book boyfriend. Gross.
So Lucy does what any passionate, totally rational fan would do—she starts a boycott.
Bennett doesn’t love being the face of a book club, but, hey, it’s harmless fun… until he finds out some feisty, foul-mouthed superfan is trashing it, he’s intrigued. And maybe just a little bit turned on.
So, naturally, he makes it his mission to shut her up—with charm, persistence, and exceptionally skilled hands. And somehow, he always manages to make her forget why she was mad.
But as their very public rivalry turns into something much deeper, Lucy realizes one terrifying truth—she might just be falling for the one guy she swore to hate.
My Review
Buy Links:
Kindle https://amzn.to/3DBneJL
Apple https://apple.co/4iwl652
Nook https://bit.ly/BNEra
Kobo https://tinyurl.com/EraKobo
Google https://tinyurl.com/HERGP
Audible https://tinyurl.com/HCKYAD
Meet Kendall Ryan
Kendall Ryan writes contemporary romance. Her books have been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists a combined total of more than 100 times.
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I really struggled to get into this book and connect with the characters, but I think that was probably entirely a me issue. This week has been insane and my ability to focus left the building. Because, when I found a few hours of peace I couldn't put it down and stayed up way too late to get it finished.
Lucy was a character who really knew who she was and was comfortable being herself. And she wasn't afraid to say what she was thinking, even at the risk of upsetting people. But she wasn't doing it to upset anyone, she was just very passionate about the things she loved.
Bennett was a little harder for me to read and I didn't really love him like I'd normally expect to. Despite getting his point of view I felt like I didn't know what he was thinking. He felt very wishy washy. Although he did work to fix his mistakes once he made them and lay himself out there, so I came around.
Bennett and Lucy were fun together and despite my distraction I could feel the sparks bouncing off their banter. And the epilogue was exactly what I needed to end the book all giddy and being team #QuinnWilder.
