Former collegiate athlete and successful sports agent, Charlotte “Coach” Coachman, is a straight shooter who has a very strict policy—no dating clients. The loves of her life are coaching little league basketball and managing the careers of her players, leaving no room for men.
Coach hasn’t met an athlete she couldn’t handle and a deal she couldn’t close—until she meets Alex Parker—the NHL’s most notorious bad boy both on and off the ice.
Alex is the best defenseman in the league, breaking records along with hearts. He’s made a name for himself as a womanizer, and after a scandal involving the owner’s granddaughter, Alex is traded to Philadelphia. Still reeling from the loss of his father, Alex is on a downward spiral, drowning himself in booze and women, until Coach takes him under her wing.
She might be attracted to the sexy hockey star, and certainly not immune to his charms, but Coach can see that Alex needs her help, and coaching players is what she does best. Now that the lines are blurred and the passion between them is too strong to deny, Coach has to decide if Alex is worth making an exception to her rules.
Coach hasn’t met an athlete she couldn’t handle and a deal she couldn’t close—until she meets Alex Parker—the NHL’s most notorious bad boy both on and off the ice.
Alex is the best defenseman in the league, breaking records along with hearts. He’s made a name for himself as a womanizer, and after a scandal involving the owner’s granddaughter, Alex is traded to Philadelphia. Still reeling from the loss of his father, Alex is on a downward spiral, drowning himself in booze and women, until Coach takes him under her wing.
She might be attracted to the sexy hockey star, and certainly not immune to his charms, but Coach can see that Alex needs her help, and coaching players is what she does best. Now that the lines are blurred and the passion between them is too strong to deny, Coach has to decide if Alex is worth making an exception to her rules.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Alex Parker was once at the top of his game courtesy of his father who kept him focused and gave him the support he needed to keep striving for perfection. Since his death though Alex has fallen off the rails with numerous one-night stands splashed all over the internet and on the front page, along with drunken antics bordering on illegal. It's left his hockey career in a shambles and him with a reputation that's in the gutter. His most recent incident leads to him being traded from a team closing in on the playoffs to one that's at the bottom of the rankings which has him questioning everything about himself and what he wants out of life. Meeting the strong-willed and straightforward Charlotte "Coach" Coachman also has him questioning his many meaningless sexual encounters as he finds himself drawn to her and has him willing to make a change to get her in his arms. From that moment on Alex is a changed man, cleaning up his act and showing a softer side that endeared him to me. When his relationship with Charlotte hits the newspapers, and puts her career in jeopardy, will she choose him or will she believe the pictures that belie the feelings he's expressed over and over? Alex is super sexy, but clearly hurting at the start of the story as his father was his whole world. His alcoholism was something he was scared to deal with but once he committed to sobriety I was left cheering. He's truly romantic in his interactions with Charlotte enjoying her soft side as well as her commanding side in encounters that were sweet yet scorching. He's good too with the young boys Coach mentors in basketball which further endeared him to me and helped him in winning Charlotte in a heartwarming Grand Gesture.
Charlotte's childhood was a rough one as the daughter of addicts. Because of their addictions she ended up in foster care which left her with few ties. Meeting Mickey Donoghue changed her life irrevocably as he set her on her path to sports agent supremacy. Work has always taken precedence, leaving no time for love, but from the moment she meets Alex she's drawn to him despite his bad boy reputation. Knowing what his father meant to him has her wanting to help him which brings back her childhood nightmares and binds them together in their mutual pain. The closer they get the more in jeopardy her job becomes as mixing business and pleasure is frowned upon. When push comes to shove will she be able to get her HEA or be alone once again? Charlotte's a workaholic who defines herself by her job, she has to be tough to succeed which doesn't allow her feminine side to come out and play very often. Being with Alex lets her embrace her softer side and I enjoyed their sensual tug of war in the bedroom and out and was rooting for them from start to finish.
This was a quick read with immensely appealing characters. The main couple was combustible together with a playful nature and scorching dialogue. Along with this compelling main couple came a cast of equally entertaining characters ranging from Charlotte's lone friend Jamie, who supports and defends her wholeheartedly, to bad boy hockey players Tyler and Carter. These men caught my attention as they were intriguingly delicious and I'd love to see more of them in the future. From the first page to the last I found myself completely captivated by this story with its nice balance of romance and eroticism, with just a bit of hockey thrown in to keep my heart pumping. With its truly sweet conclusion full of warm fuzzies it's a satisfying start to a new series that I definitely recommend.
Charlotte's childhood was a rough one as the daughter of addicts. Because of their addictions she ended up in foster care which left her with few ties. Meeting Mickey Donoghue changed her life irrevocably as he set her on her path to sports agent supremacy. Work has always taken precedence, leaving no time for love, but from the moment she meets Alex she's drawn to him despite his bad boy reputation. Knowing what his father meant to him has her wanting to help him which brings back her childhood nightmares and binds them together in their mutual pain. The closer they get the more in jeopardy her job becomes as mixing business and pleasure is frowned upon. When push comes to shove will she be able to get her HEA or be alone once again? Charlotte's a workaholic who defines herself by her job, she has to be tough to succeed which doesn't allow her feminine side to come out and play very often. Being with Alex lets her embrace her softer side and I enjoyed their sensual tug of war in the bedroom and out and was rooting for them from start to finish.
This was a quick read with immensely appealing characters. The main couple was combustible together with a playful nature and scorching dialogue. Along with this compelling main couple came a cast of equally entertaining characters ranging from Charlotte's lone friend Jamie, who supports and defends her wholeheartedly, to bad boy hockey players Tyler and Carter. These men caught my attention as they were intriguingly delicious and I'd love to see more of them in the future. From the first page to the last I found myself completely captivated by this story with its nice balance of romance and eroticism, with just a bit of hockey thrown in to keep my heart pumping. With its truly sweet conclusion full of warm fuzzies it's a satisfying start to a new series that I definitely recommend.
My rating for this is an A-
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Jillian loves Mafia men, sports, bad boys, dirty talkers, strong female characters, and books with plenty of heat, all of which you will find in her books. As a lover of all things bookish, she has a serious book hoarding problem and runs a book blog in her free time. When she's not reading, writing, or blogging, she's obsessively fangirling over hockey players and can be found wherever she can catch the next hockey game.
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A 'combustible relationship' sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Jody! This sounds like a fun read and very well written! Glad you liked it! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! :) Love your review of Parker! I'm glad you enjoyed the story. Tyler, Carter and Jamie all have their own books coming out. Tyler's book releases at the end of April.
ReplyDeleteTY so much for stopping by and for your kind words! I'm happy to hear there's more to come and that Tyler's story is first up! Might he perhaps be paired up with a certain reporter? Just asking. LOL!
DeleteThe Scarf Princess