beckyyreadss's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I wanted to read this book because my goal last year was to discover new authors. Elle Kennedy was on this list, and I have been loving hockey romances in the past year. I was a little cautious going into this as I didn’t really like The Risk, but this was adorable.
The first point of view is Hunter Davenport, we met him in the first book. He is determined to not do what he did last year and that was cost his hockey team the whole season. He is not going to screw up because he isn’t going to be screwing anyone. As the new team captain, he is thinking about hockey and school, no women. Which means that Hunter Davenport is going celibate, no matter how hard that makes things. But there was nothing in the rulebook that says she can’t be friends with a woman. And Hunter thinks that his classmate Demi Davis is one cook chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell and so is the rest of her, but the fact that’s got a boyfriend means she’s off limits. The second point of view is Demi Davis, and she has got a whole plan for her life, she is going to become a psychologist and work in the mental health sector and marry her childhood sweetheart who’s she been dating since she was thirteen and then they are going to have loads of babies and live happily ever after . . . expect her dad wants her to become a brain surgeon like him and take more classes whilst she’s in college, and she’s just caught her boyfriend cheating on her with one of her closest friends. Now she is determined to stand up for herself and the only one who seems to be by her side is the cocky hockey player who she’s teamed up for a yearlong school project. This is the first time she has been single in a long time, and she is wanting Hunter to teach her the ways and thinks a rebound will be good for her. But Hunter is not willing to break his celibacy and for the both of them is going to be a long year.
I liked the banter between Hunter and Demi. I liked that they went from winding each other up to flirting and winding each other up. I love that 90% of Elle Kennedy’s hockey boys have got this big and mean exterior to a complete sopping golden retriever. There was no third-act breakup, and I liked how the serious discussion were discussed such as cheating, abuse, alcoholism and suicide. Again, Coach Jenson is everyone’s adoptive dad, and I would like him to look after me for life. The way he was willing to put his neck on the line for Hunter and his brother just warmed my heart. I loved that Hunter and Demi’s friendship started by wanting to do well on a year-long assignment and how Hunter wasn’t wanting Demi to do all the work and things but then they got to know each other, and it grew from there. I loved that Hunter finally got his own happy ending and it was what I wanted after The Chase and the way thinks ended between them.
I think I missed the dynamic between the group because it all feels very forced. In the other series, you can tell they are all friend, and they all want to be there for each other. Where in this series and especially in this book, it feels like the friendship and the team dynamic is forced. The girls have so much potential to be like the girls in the other series and they all keep falling a bit, I don’t relate to them, and I don’t care if they don’t do well or get the guy. There was a bit of double standards of a guy doesn’t want to sleep with anyone and everyone is like you good because he has a rep of being a player, but they support him, where if a girl doesn’t want to sleep with anyone, she’s a virgin mary and weird.
Overall, this book was cute and messy, and I think we all expected this with Elle Kennedy now and I don’t know who the next book involves but we shall see.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Cursing
Moderate: Suicide and Domestic abuse
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