Summary
One night. No strings. And a really good puck.
Five years ago, Astrid O’Malley experienced the ultimate in public humiliation. Being dumped at the altar by her childhood sweetheart was horrifying enough. That fact that he was a professional hockey goalie and her dad was his coach? It was all anyone in sports could talk about.
Eff hockey. Eff goalies.
These days, Astrid lives a life (mostly) free of hockey and free to pursue whoever she wants with exactly zero shame in her game. Like tonight’s hook-up. This guy’s nailed the lumberjack aesthetic perfectly. Especially when he has the stamina and creativity to back it up.
Because the rule is: it’s one night only. Which is gonna be a problem because she’s just discovered he lives in the apartment upstairs.
And he’s joined her dad’s team. As the goalie coach. To train her ex.
Now Astrid is in some kind of hockey hell–filled with her ex, her family, and the best sex of her life. And somehow she’s been roped back onto the team.
Puck my life.
Review
(audiobook) There wasn’t much of a story–they meet, they have what’s supposed to be a one night stand, but they end up working together, they seduce each other, one tiny setback then happily ever after. The characters and their struggles were interesting though, and it was a lot of fun, and a lot of sexy.
After being left at the altar, Astrid writes off serious relationships and hockey at the same time. Cal is supposed to be one more notch on her bedpost, except the man lives in her building, and he works for the hockey team her father coaches. Where her dad asks her to come back to work. With the groom that never was. Too many complications for someone who’s trying to figure out her life.
Cal isn’t that more stable. He’s just lost the one thing that was most important in his life: his career as a hockey player, after a serious injury. This job as a coach is his one chance at staying relevant. But what happens when he realizes there are things more important than hockey?
Their relationship is what helps them heal, help them going forward. They support each other right from the start, which was nice, since they barely know each other. But there’s an instant connection between them. They also have great interactions with other characters–their family, their friends, their co-workers, even their so called enemies. The book works a lot on conversations and interactions. That’s where you find the funny, and the deep feelings too.
As for the level of steam, it’s pretty high. Astrid and Cal start with a bang, and they never let go. There definitely is a lot of attraction between them.
I’d have liked to have a more developped plot, but it works as it is. There are still some interesting themes like relationships with family members. And great side characters.
And the narration is perfect. The female narrator expresses all nuances of Astrid–her strengths and her softer side–and the male narrator’s voice matches with older Cal. They both give life to their character, and they sound good in the duet style texting chapters. Spot on on the funny and the sexy.
Quickie
- Series: Downside of dating #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #hockey romance #workplace romance #age gap
- Triggers: N/A
- Main couple: Astrid O’Malley & Cal Madsen
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 5/5
- + how Cal seduces Astrid
- – such a thin plot
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