As a fan of sports-themed romances I was immediately drawn to this fast-paced sensual book. For that reason I'm thrilled to give you a glimpse of Fire on Ice by Dakota Madison. Keep reading to learn more about this release through its excerpt and my impressions of it. Make sure to leave a comment for your chance to win books too!
After Taylor Thompson’s heart was completely shattered by her high school’s most popular jock, she vowed never to date another athlete. She keeps that promise through her first three years of college. But after a chance meeting with a star hockey player, the charming and irresistible Kian Kavanagh, Taylor’s carefully constructed walls are in serious danger of being burned down by Mr. Fire on Ice.
EXCERPT:
I shook my head and glanced around the club. Runt was right about one thing: the kids who frequented this place were loaded. Most of them were wearing top notch designer clothes and sporting hundred dollar haircuts. I grew up dirt poor, lucky to have second hand clothes from the donation bin and the occasional coupon-day haircut at Super Cuts. Even now, I didn’t like to waste money even though I was earning good coin. I knew there was a big chance my hockey career could be cut short, so I saved as much as I could for my future, which I hoped would someday be a sports bar, if I saved enough and was smart with investing.
As I glanced around the bar at the sea of perfect young faces, I spotted a girl sitting by herself at a small table in the corner. She was looking in my direction but when our eyes met, she quickly looked down and started reading a book.
What the hell?
Who reads a book in a bar, I wondered. I was intrigued.
The first thing I noticed about her was her beautiful wavy brown hair. The long waves were tucked behind her ears, which were decorated with a single pink pearl in each center. She was wearing a flowered blouse tied over a black tank top and a long black skirt. It was such an odd outfit to be wearing at a bar. She looked like she was ready for a stroll through a museum or art gallery. Most girls at bars tried to show as much skin and body parts as humanly possible. They left little to the imagination. But this girl had her arms and legs completely covered.
I could tell she was different and I wanted to know why.
I tipped back the rest of my beer, put the empty glass on the bar and made my way over to the girl. I just couldn’t get over the fact she was reading a book in a bar. It was such a strange sight. As I got closer, I noticed the book was a lot thicker than I initially thought. A textbook? Who studies at a bar?
She didn’t even have a drink in front of her. She was just intent on reading her book.
I stood next to her table and cleared my throat to get her attention. When she glanced up at me, her expression was neutral.
“Hey,” I said and gave her a quick smile.
She just stared at me. I have to admit, it kind of freaked me out. I was used to girls doing most of the work. Usually all I had to do was decide if I wanted to take them home or not.
Her hazel brown eyes were completely captivating. I felt like I was swimming in the deep end of two delicious pools. I gulped and suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say. The girl made me nervous and I never got nervous. All I could do was stare into her beautiful brown eyes.
“What do you want?” she said finally. The question wasn’t mean; it was like she was really curious why I was standing there.
“I was just wondering what you were reading.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew I sounded like a complete asshole.
And why was I second guessing myself? That was not like me at all. From the time I was fourteen, and started to really show off on the ice, girls dropped their panties for me with little more than a wink and a winning smile on my part.
But this girl was different. When she looked at me, it was like she was looking right through me, like she could see into every part of my mind and soul. And that scared the hell out of me because there was a lot going on in there that I never wanted anyone to see.
As I glanced around the bar at the sea of perfect young faces, I spotted a girl sitting by herself at a small table in the corner. She was looking in my direction but when our eyes met, she quickly looked down and started reading a book.
What the hell?
Who reads a book in a bar, I wondered. I was intrigued.
The first thing I noticed about her was her beautiful wavy brown hair. The long waves were tucked behind her ears, which were decorated with a single pink pearl in each center. She was wearing a flowered blouse tied over a black tank top and a long black skirt. It was such an odd outfit to be wearing at a bar. She looked like she was ready for a stroll through a museum or art gallery. Most girls at bars tried to show as much skin and body parts as humanly possible. They left little to the imagination. But this girl had her arms and legs completely covered.
I could tell she was different and I wanted to know why.
I tipped back the rest of my beer, put the empty glass on the bar and made my way over to the girl. I just couldn’t get over the fact she was reading a book in a bar. It was such a strange sight. As I got closer, I noticed the book was a lot thicker than I initially thought. A textbook? Who studies at a bar?
She didn’t even have a drink in front of her. She was just intent on reading her book.
I stood next to her table and cleared my throat to get her attention. When she glanced up at me, her expression was neutral.
“Hey,” I said and gave her a quick smile.
She just stared at me. I have to admit, it kind of freaked me out. I was used to girls doing most of the work. Usually all I had to do was decide if I wanted to take them home or not.
Her hazel brown eyes were completely captivating. I felt like I was swimming in the deep end of two delicious pools. I gulped and suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say. The girl made me nervous and I never got nervous. All I could do was stare into her beautiful brown eyes.
“What do you want?” she said finally. The question wasn’t mean; it was like she was really curious why I was standing there.
“I was just wondering what you were reading.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew I sounded like a complete asshole.
And why was I second guessing myself? That was not like me at all. From the time I was fourteen, and started to really show off on the ice, girls dropped their panties for me with little more than a wink and a winning smile on my part.
But this girl was different. When she looked at me, it was like she was looking right through me, like she could see into every part of my mind and soul. And that scared the hell out of me because there was a lot going on in there that I never wanted anyone to see.
BUY LINKS: AMAZON | SMASHWORDS
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a fan of sports-themed romances I was drawn to this story from the first page and its harsh but realistic view of hockey players and their groupies. Kian has always enjoyed the benefits of playing hockey but has never gone too over the top in his actions. He's saving his money for the future and after many meaningless one-night stands decides to eschew that life once he sets eyes on the studious Taylor. Even though he knows, and gets told by many others that he's not good enough for her, he wants no other. He grew up poor with an alcoholic mother who never showed him affection and thus he's never experienced unconditional love. He finds happiness in Taylor's sense of goodness and she makes him want to be a better man. Unlike most women though, she doesn't fall at his feet and he has to learn how to woo her and win her over in some sweetly endearing scenes.
From the outside it looks as if life has been easy for Taylor, but a betrayal from her first and only boyfriend caused her to withdrawal into a world that's safe but unexciting. She's devoted herself to school and has no friends except for Kyle, the friend who wants to be more to her. Taylor is a sweet girl who still seems a bit naive even after what her ex-boyfriend did. She doesn't want to set herself up for heartache again and is very suspicious early on of the feelings Kian engenders in her. His being a hockey player creates even more suspicion as her despicable ex played hockey too. It doesn't take long for him to win her over and after a slow build-up they finally connect in a close-knit mature relationship.
I enjoyed Kian immensely as he was sexy and charming. He had a bad childhood but didn't continue down that road of excess like his friend/fellow hockey player Runt. He wants to be a better person and has plans for his future after hockey which shows a man of maturity. While I enjoy a hero who can express his feelings I found Kian becoming a bit too emotional in the latter half of the book as he seemed just as likely to cry as the heroine. Taylor has let a past betrayal rule her life for too long so it was exciting seeing her come out of her shell to be with Kian. She's also too emotional at times and I wished for a stronger-willed heroine to complement Kian's confidence when playing hockey. Except for Kian most of the male characters in this story were creepy or crappy in their treatment of women. From Runt and the other hockey players crass treatment of the female groupies to a stalker who's introduced out of the blue to put Taylor in danger the men in this story are seen as the enemy. Though most of the men in this story were losers I still fell for Kian and the sweet yet sexy relationship that progressed between him and Taylor. Just when they looked to be on their road to happiness though the author gave us an unexpected cliffhanger that left me wanting to scream but dying to read the next installment in a story that nicely balanced a believable relationship amidst the fiery world of hockey.
My rating for this is a B.
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she's not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.
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BLOG: http://12novels12months.
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FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/
BLOG: http://12novels12months.
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/
**********GIVEAWAY**********
Dakota will be awarding a backlist eBook to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and a grand prize of a print copy of After Alex Died (US ONLY) to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
-To be entered, LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING US YOUR FAVORITE SPORT, along with your email addy (no email=no entry).
-Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning. A list of all participating blogs can be found here.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 9/27.
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting me! I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteNice review and excerpt
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