Overall Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
Spicy Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
I've missed Kelly's books! And then she comes out swinging with this incredible hockey romance story between Ben and Mabel.
One thing I love about Jamieson's stories is that she doesn't write "funny" characters. Like, that's not their entire personality. Don't get me wrong, I do love those kinds of characters! But when you write the most relatable characters as well as Kelly does I don't need them to be a laugh a minute.
Case in point? Mabel is every woman I know who was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD/Autism late in life. She was me at that age. Floundering. Having it *so together* in one area just to feel like your life is falling apart in every other one. Looking up one day and finding yourself staring back at a narcissist who has convinced you that you have zero worth; that they're your key to success. That..
Whoa. That got real deep, real fast. Sorry.
But that's just it. Mabel is literally me. She's my friends (because we ADD'ers clump up). She's women I know who just want to feel good about themselves while everyone they love looks at them with pity.
And then Ben. Ben is such an incredible character. He's a pullover from the Chicago Aces series and I love seeing him grow and develop. As a character and a player. In this book, his coaches want him to step up, become the leader they see in him. The issue is: he's an introvert. He's a balls-to-the-wall player on the ice, but off it he'd rather keep to himself.
He's also crushing on his best friend's twin sister.
This book isn't just hockey--though Jamieson writes those heart pounding scenes beautifully. It's a look back. It's remembering "the good ole days" of high school when everyone is awkward but only a few realize it. It's relationships upon relationships upon relationships. I love how rich this world is and I cannot wait to read the rest of the guys' stories.
Because, oh yeah, Kelly has definitely set this up to be multiple stand-alones. I'm already so invested in Marek and wondering if I've met his future FMC or if she's waiting in the wings. I want all the guys to have HEA ... and eventually the Stanley!
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