BLURB ➞
Known as the team loner, Riggs Nadeau gives his all on the ice, but nothing extra off it. A beautiful stranger is about to cause chaos in his very structured world.
As a professional hockey player, people think I live a charmed life. On the surface, I do. But they don’t know the horrors of my childhood, or the real reason that I have custody of my seventeen-year-old sister, Janelle. And that’s exactly the way I like it. They may think I’m a prick because I don’t like to share, but that’s fine. They don’t know me, and they don’t need to.
In an effort to help Janelle get settled in Phoenix and stay out of trouble at school, I set her up with a job at Clarke’s Corner, the local bookstore owned by the girlfriend of a teammate. It’s there that she makes friends with Veronica Woodley, the extremely annoying, arrogant, money-hungry divorcee who I don’t want anywhere near my sister. Janelle insists I’m completely wrong about Veronica, but I refuse to accept that. I have to keep reminding myself that that the gorgeous blond with legs for days is off limits.
Through a series of events, I start to see Veronica for what she really is—an amazing woman who has survived her own hell to come out even stronger. I have to admit, we’re more alike than not and the attraction between us burns hot.
Maybe I was all wrong about my ability to love and commit, but when the past comes back to haunt me, can I be the man that Veronica, and Janelle, deserve?
“Besides, all I have to do is pick a fight with you, and I’ll get laid. No need to date.”
ARC REVIEW ➞
Riggs is the team loner. He hasn’t really connected with many of his new teammates since joining. His focus is taking care of his younger sister, Janelle, and making sure that she is adjusting to her new life with him. He is a great brother for doing what he did for her and really for always being there for her, despite the age difference between the two siblings. Veronica hasn’t had it great when it comes to relationships, but she is determined to be able to take care of herself and not rely on others anymore, especially a man.
When Riggs and Veronica first meet it is far from like at first sight. These two really did not like each other. They had formed opinions about each other, well mostly Riggs abut Veronica and didn’t bother to go further. However, things slowly shifted between the two of them and that fine line between hate and love slowly blurs and the chemistry that was buried comes to the surface.
I loved Janelle. She has experienced so much throughout her life and way more than any 17 year old should ever experience. Though there is tension at times, I loved the relationship between her and Riggs. She knew that he always had her best interest in mind. I also love the relationship that Janelle formed with Veronica. In a way, the two of them could really connect on a different level and she quickly became another person that Janelle could reply on in her life.
I love that Riggs story sets up future stories in the series and I can’t wait to see how everything plays out with those books.
If you’re looking for an enemies to lovers, sports romance this is one to read.
