Series: Carolina Cold Fury Hockey #5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
The New York Times bestselling hockey series featuring the Carolina Cold Fury continues as the team’s most notorious party animal gets blindsided by the one that got away.
Off the ice, elite defenseman Hawke Therrien enjoys his fair share of booze and good times. And why shouldn’t he? He’s worked his way up from the minor leagues and made himself a star. The only thing Hawke misses from that life is the pierced, tattooed free spirit who broke his heart without so much as an explanation. She’s almost unrecognizable when she walks back into his life seven years later—except for the look in her eyes that feels like a punch to the gut.
Vale Campbell isn’t the same girl she was at twenty. As crazy as she was about Hawke, her reckless behavior and out-of-control drinking were starting to scare her. She had to clean up her act, and that would never happen with Hawke around. Cutting him loose was the hardest thing Vale ever had to do—until now. Because she’s still crazy about Hawke. And if he could ever learn to forgive her, they just might have a future together.
Review:
As appears to be the norm for Cold Fury Hockey heroes (Max is next, woot!), I really liked Hawke as a hero. He’s definitely not perfect–pretty much to the end he’s still drinking a bit more than I would be comfortable with–but I really liked how he tried to rebuild things with Vale once he had the chance, and even before that how he was there for both her and her dad when they needed him. Overall he’s a standup guy, a great friend, and of course, a kick-butt hockey player. Le sigh 🙂
When Vale finally reveals to him the reason behind her sudden dumpage of him ten years earlier (which was kind of understandable, but kind of weak at the same time) he responded in the best possible way…fortunately!…and then relationship cuteness, and sexytimes of course, commenced.
Until the black moment, part 2 arrives…
Let’s just say I wasn’t able to put the book down once the second breakup happened–I just had to keep going until they got back together. Fortunately it doesn’t take as long as the first time 😉 The epilogue has all kinds of cuteness going on, not just for Hawke and Vale but for other series characters as well.
Hawke‘s the fifth in the series, but since both Hawke and Vale are new to the Cold Fury team, it works especially well as a standalone. A friendly warning, however: this series can be habit forming! (But hey, at least the backstory can keep you occupied until book six comes out…)
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
