Tag: Sports Romance (Page 3 of 4)

BOOK REVIEW: Overtime (Moo U #5) by Kat Mizera

April 29, 2021 / Arielle / 2 Comments

Overtime (Moo U #5)
by Kat Mizera
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Hotshot hockey star Patrick Graham has been groomed for the pros since before he could walk. Fast forward to his junior year of college, and he’s having the time of his life. What could be better than pucks, partying, and having his pick of campus women? But if Patrick doesn’t buckle down and get his grades up, he could find himself benched for the championships. Could a beautiful brainiac be the solution to his problems?

Nineteen-year-old Master’s student Ellie McGinn could do so many things with her biology degree, but her mother is pushing her toward a future she doesn't want. Tutoring a hockey hottie seems like the perfect opportunity to start making her own choices and living life on her own terms.

When learning turns to yearning, will they be ready to face the heat and heartache that love can bring?

Review

She reminded me of old-fashioned ice cream sundaes and drive-in movies, which made no fucking sense, but that’s what came to mind when I looked at her.

This specific trope is one that, if done poorly, I find so incredibly unrealistic. Kat Mizera though–she hit it out of the park. Sometimes authors just capture that one specific moment where the two main love interests have a single interaction and you can FEEL their spark. The energy. The connection. That’s how I felt with Patrick and Ellie. I honestly don’t even know how to explain it other than I knew it was going to be a good book even just based on this one interaction.

I was especially nervous because Paxton’s book wasn’t my favorite and Patrick was kind of a dick in that one and that one just wasn’t my favorite in general. Unsurprisingly we saw a totally different Patrick in this story. I loved how straight up smitten he was with Ellie–so cute. I also loved watching her being able to experience life. I can’t even image what it would have been like to go to college at that young of an age all the while have that much of an overbearing mother. It was clear that she loved Ellie and wanted the best for her but…sometimes parents want very different things for their children than what they actually need. The fact that Ellie eventually just took charge and made some big decisions for herself was great. (Also loved the support she got from the WAGs from the Vegas team).

I was also so relieved that the twins finally cut their asshole dad off at the end. My heart hurt for them SO BADLY. Good riddance.

Overall, great addition to the Moo U series!

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! ♥

BOOK REVIEW: Gametime (Moo U #4) by Jami Davenport

April 28, 2021 / Arielle / 0 Comments

Gametime (Moo U #4)
by Jami Davenport
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
One drunken night and one case of mistaken identity turns a friendship inside out...

You’ve seen the hockey twins around campus--they look identical, but you can tell them apart by their actions. Patrick is the one who’s busy charming women. Paxton is the one in the library.

Until one night when Paxton parties a little harder than usual. Next thing he knows, he’s waking up naked next to Naomi, the girl of his dreams. He bares his heart before an awful realization sets in. He’s not the twin she thought he was...

Naomi is the only child of a hockey legend. Partying hard is the best way she knows how to rebel against her controlling father. After a particularly crazy night, she realizes her big mistake. Her hookup isn’t the guy she’s been crushing on. It’s Paxton, her friend, the guy who gets her, who she can always count on. The guy she’d never want to hurt. And yet, the sex was good. Better than good.

Now she’s wondering if the wrong twin might be the right one after all . . .

Review

Ugh it really pains me to rate this a three but I couldn’t in good conscience give it anything higher. I honestly think it was a case of the “It’s not you, it’s me” for the trope. That or I’m just getting older and now that I’m not actually in college and haven’t been in some time I can’t handle as much of the hot shot sports swagger/ college party and hookup scenes like I used to. Mainly though, I couldn’t get over the fact that Naomi slept with the wrong twin (WHO WAS ONE OF HER BEST FRIENDS) and didn’t know it until she woke up and licked her way down to his tattoo that was obviously Paxton’s hockey number and not Patrick’s and the two got to live in that awkward moment together. From then on I was like nope–no thanks, lol. I really think most people will like this one. I still obviously loved seeing Paxton’s journey coming out of Patrick’s shadow and his work with Garf (lol love that guy) to become the best player he can be and prepare for the pros. I loved seeing grumpy ass Kaitlyn, sweet, loyal Lex, and the rest of the team, too. I just really couldn’t be convinced by Paxton x Naomi.

Huge thanks to Heart Eyes Press for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

BOOK REVIEW: Slapshot (Moo U #2) by Rebecca Jenshak

February 13, 2021 / Arielle / 0 Comments

Slapshot (Moo U #2)
by Rebecca Jenshak
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
I’m banished to Vermont for a scandal that wasn’t my fault, and broke because my famous father cut me off. And did I mention my roommate stole my boyfriend? Yeah, I’m loving my Moo U experience.

Now I need a job, because this gel manicure won’t upkeep itself. The only available option is the last one I’d ever want--a job as the hockey team’s equipment manager. My plan is to do the bare minimum, get paid, and find my way back into my father’s good graces.

I will not get involved with a hockey player, no matter how hot. They’re cocky. And obnoxious. I know their type, and I’m not willing to risk getting hurt again. Until Lex Vonne glides into my life looking like sin on a stick.

He thinks I’m a spoiled brat.
I think he’s using me to get ahead.
But the fire I feel when we’re together is like a slapshot to my heart…

Review

I knew it from the first few times that he was mentioned in Blindsided and it was so good to have it confirmed: Lex Vonne is one of my all-time favorite male leads in a romance. First of all he’s the perfect opposite to Kaitlyn. He’s calm, he’s steady, he’s focused on hockey. For someone like Kaitlyn who has had trust issues her ENTIRE life, he is everything she needs (even if she thinks he’s got to be playing some kind of game).

Kaitlyn. Man…it has been a while now since I had read Heartland but initially after I realized who she was I thought “oh right, Kaitlyn, mean-ish roommate who had been dating Dylan that I didn’t like” but…man I’m annoyed at myself for thinking that. That’s the problem with the first person narrative though. We see what one character sees and what they feel, and their story and their truths aren’t always the full picture. I got a big reminder of that in this book.

While I couldn’t personally put myself in Kaitlyn’s shoes, I understood. I got why she had done what she did with Dylan and her mindset made sense. My heart still hurt for her, but it made sense. The fact then, that she had those complex feelings about hockey and ended up having to work as the team’s equipment manager was *chef kiss*. The perfect kind of plot device to help move her story forward. Especially with Lex (:. Ahh, to be a young, cocky hockey player used to being hot shit and getting his way. I love when those types of men are put in their place by women, lol. Don’t get me wrong, Lex isn’t your typical alpha jock that you only enjoy reading about in books, but he still has that natural confidence.

I loved their dynamic together from start to finish. Love that she helped him on the ice and that he broke down her walls so that she began to trust in him. Of course there was a little bit of tension to stir things up towards the end but you know, sometimes you just need that little bit of angst to really drive things home at the end.

Huge thanks to HeartEyes Press and Sarina Bowen for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!♥

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Best Mistake (Southern U O’Brien Brothers #1) by Cookie O’Gorman

May 1, 2020 / Jen / 16 Comments

I absolutely loved this book! So check out my 5 Star Review below, read when Honor and Archer first met and enter a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy ♥

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Best Mistake (Southern U O’Brien Brothers #1) by Cookie O’Gorman

The Best Mistake (Southern U OBrien Brothers #1)
by Cookie O'Gorman
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Honor Tierney just wants one night with the playboy.

One hot, steamy, meaningless hookup, and then she'll happily go back to reading her favorite books, studying to be an accountant and writing for the campus-paper-nobody-reads. Too bad she ends up in the wrong bed, with the wrong brother...who gives her the hottest night of her life.

Archer O'Brien just wants to play ball.

Well that, and for his brothers to stop acting out, so he won't have to worry 24/7. As the oldest O'Brien and team captain, it's his duty to make sure they don't drink too much, party too much, or get in too much trouble. But when she walks into his bedroom--mistaking him for his brother--life throws him a curveball.

She's determined to guard her heart. He's not giving up.

And when Honor gets assigned to cover the Wolves baseball team, it's game on.

This new adult sports romance features one hot (and hilarious) case of mistaken identity and a sexy set of brothers guaranteed to make you swoon.

Sometimes, the best mistakes are worth making.

Review:

The Best Mistake was sexy, hilarious and so much fun. When I finished that last page, I still had happy tears falling down my face. This book was exactly what I needed. It had friendship, family, love and made me laugh so much. So if you’re a fan of romance set in college or sports romance, then definitely add this one to your tbr!

Only I, Honor Tierney, bookworm extraordinaire, writing recluse, and apparent virgin-for-life, could’ve confused one O’Brien brother for another.

Honor was looking for a one night stand and who better to have one with then Baylor O’Brien. He was absolutely gorgeous, athletic and known for his player ways. Except Honor hooked up with Baylor’s brother, Archer, and she was none the wiser. But it set Honor and Archer on a path that had me smiling and laughing from that first chapter to the last.

The only thing I knew for certain: Guys like him and girls like me didn’t mix.
This couldn’t end well.

I loved how easy it was to connect with Honor Tierney. She was a down to Earth girl who didn’t want to emotionally get hurt from a relationship. Her past had jaded her and I understood why she doubted others interest in her. But she was a wonderful friend and had such a good heart. I absolutely loved Honor, especially when she spoke her mind. Her happiness, embarrassment, nervousness all felt like mine. And a lot of those emotions were tied into her moments with Archer.

“Did you really think I’d give up that easily?”
“Most guys would,” she said with a shrug.
Yeah well, I wasn’t most guys.

Archer O’Brien was the oldest of six siblings. And he played on a college baseball team with three other of his brothers. They were amazing and some of them were destined to go pro. But it felt like Archer had the weight of the world on his shoulders. So when Honor stumbled into his life, I loved how his worries disappeared when she was around. And even though Honor had her walls up, Archer was patient with her. Just like he was in baseball. I loved watching him try and knock down her walls. Especially since he was kind, determined, smart, humble and oh so sexy. He even had a sense of humor and made me laugh. I fell so hard for Archer!

“I went along with the friends thing because that’s what you wanted. I’m absolutely willing to try no strings attached, if that’s what will make you happy.”
He paused, shook his head.
“But I want so much more from you than sex.”
I forgot how to breathe.

This book was a ton of fun and I was rooting for Honor and Archer every step of the way. From awkward to embarrassment to heartfelt to steamy, they had all the moments. So when Honor got tasked with covering the baseball team Archer was on, for the school paper, I couldn’t contain my excitement. I loved how their time together could turn from being so simple into something with so much heat. But family and friendship also played such a huge roll in this story. I loved Archer’s siblings and Honor’s close friends. They rounded out the story perfectly and I’m so excited for future books about the siblings.

“Can I—”
“Yes.” My answer was immediate.
Honor gave me a look. “But you didn’t even let me finish. I could’ve asked for anything.”
“Exactly. And I would give it to you.”

So yes, I definitely recommend this book! The Best Mistake was mesmerizing, addictive and sexy! This book is for everyone out there who loves romance that melts your heart. The chemistry between Honor and Archer was addictive and the family and friendships added so much depth to this story. It all felt so real and it was so easy to devour. The Best Mistake is another huge hit by Cookie O’Gorman and I can’t wait to see whose story she writes next in this world!

His frown softened to something that looked like awe as I shivered.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, meeting my eyes again. “So damn beautiful.”

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Excerpt:

A sudden feeling drew my attention to the other side of the room. I couldn’t really explain it. It was hot like electricity, something magnetic. My eyes searched for the source of that strange pull—and clashed with gray.

My breath caught.

It was like looking into the heart of a storm, intense, powerful. I hadn’t gone up in flames for any of the others, but this guy… Well, this O’Brien who was staring at me—devouring me—with those unusual gray eyes, wearing a frown like he never smiled, a stare so focused I thought he might be memorizing every move I made? Or reading my mind?

“Wow,” I said, voice nothing but a shaky exhale.

This guy caused a slow burn inside me. I wanted to run. Either to him or away, I wasn’t sure. But as his eyes traveled the length of my body, all the way down to my shoes, and back up again to meet my gaze, everything inside me turned to wildfire. I licked my lips, thighs clenching together instinctively.

His frown deepened, jaw tight.

And that made him seem even sexier.

About Cookie O’Gorman:

Cookie O’Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, and The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romance, The Best Mistake.

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BOOK REVIEW: Kulti by Mariana Zapata

August 30, 2019 / Arielle / 4 Comments

Kulti by Mariana Zapata
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.”

When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn't take a week for 27-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she'd seen in the international soccer icon - why she'd ever had his posters on her wall or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.

Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man who hadn't known she'd existed. So she isn't prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team's season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he'd once been.

Review

‘I can and I will,’ had been the motto I held closest to my heart at all times. I didn’t like people telling me I couldn’t do something, even if I didn’t want to do it.

This is one of those books that I am slapping myself for waiting so long to read. I read ONE not-so-great review a while back and it stopped me from picking this up until now. That’s complete and utter bullshit. I love the fact that we all can speak our minds about the books we love and hate but I don’t love how other’s words can impact us so deeply, before we even get a chance to try things out ourselves. I need to get better with taking people’s reviews with a grain of salt, I really do. LUCKILY, Chelsea started sending me quotes and I just felt it in my bones that this was the book I needed to be reading, right now.

I could have been more and I could have been less, but I was just me. At some point, you just have to decide to be the best version of yourself, the one you can live with and look at in the mirror day after day.

For those of you who have followed my reviews for any amount of time, or have gotten to know me at all over the years I’ve spent on here, its common knowledge that I LOVE sports romances. I played a few sports in high school and while I was never great at any of them, I LOVED the competitiveness of it. The excitement of a Friday night football game in the fall. The sweat and blood and tears that people pour into their sport because it’s their dream to be the best. I eat. That. Shit. Up. It’s kind of hilarious too, that the sports books that I end up loving the most, are ones that feature sports that I know nothing about. I die for Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen’s hockey books even though I’ve only ever watched ONE college club game and with this one, I know literally NOTHING about soccer. My school was too small to have a team so I never played it myself. While I always end up hopping on the bandwagon when the Women’s World Cup rolls around (especially if the US is doing its thing) that’s the extent of my soccer feels. Sure enough, just like with the hockey books, I absolutely loved getting to know the sport in the book through Sal’s eyes.

Before I even had time to think about what he’d done, my oversized bratwurst took a step forward and he did it. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, bringing me in so close my nose was pressed against the cartilage right between his pectorals. He was hugging me.

This is the second book that I’ve read by Zapata and it won’t be the last. Even though I crave more smut (lol I will not apologize for it) her brand of slow burn is so fucking delicious. I love how she builds her relationships up in such a realistic way. I love her broody men and her badass women. I can’t decide if I like this better than Lukov because while the books are similar is certain ways, the characters are different in other ways. While I loved that Jasmine never gave up in Lukov, sometimes it was hard to connect to how harsh she was. Sal on the other hand was so easy to love. I would love to have her as a best friend because she’s the type of person who would never steer a person wrong. She would always have you back no matter what. Just like she had Kulti’s back. He was a grumpy old bratwurst, prick to her so many times and she let him back in again and again. I’m not advocating for keeping a friend/ significant other around who is constantly treating you like dirt obviously, but Kulti wasn’t like that. He obviously was such a genuine person…but also with a Germany sized chip on his shoulder.

“My schnecke. My little snail, do you know that’s what it means? It’s a term of affection in my country. My love. My snail. I don’t want to waste more time. I have nothing to hide and neither do you.”

I think what I love the most about Zapata’s writing is the dialogue. I fucking died over and over again with Sal’s nicknames for Kulti bhahaha. Omg. And then when he joined in on it. AND I MEAN SCHNECKE?! COME ON. How cute is that?! I die for pet names in other languages. Even the swearing…I mean I’ve got a potty mouth myself so I just think it adds an extra bit of realism and oomph when authors throw it in there. Shrug

I seriously cried happy tears over that epilogue, too. Just knowing he stuck by her side and that she got to play at the level she did…. It was perfect.

“You could never disappointment me.” Did his voice sound strange or was I imagining it? “Not in this life, Sal.”