Y'all, I am a total sucker for sports romances. It was a
sub-genre I wasn't aware of until about a year ago, and
since then I've read them voraciously. Baseball and
hockey happen to be my two favorite, so when I saw ONCE
UPON A POWER PLAY open for reviews, I pounced.
Pounced, I tell you.
And man, am I glad I did.
Chloe is a PR rep who has had her
heart broken a few too many times and has "sworn off
men" (we all know how that's gonna go, don't we,
friends?). Ryan is the captain of the New York Rangers,
but is coming off a particularly nasty injury which has
the potential to alter his career. They meet at a bodega
where Chloe is impressed with Ryan's ass and Ryan is
impressed Chloe has no idea who he is. The bodega gets
robbed as they're fighting over who gets the last lime
(long story) and their relationship begins by channeling
their fight-or-flight adrenaline into mutual and multiple
orgasms.
ONCE UPON A POWER PLAY hit all my buttons and then some. Strong, self-
sacrificing hero with a stubborn streak? Check.
Sassafras heroine too independent for her own good?
Check. Great detail of a hockey match, plus a good grasp
of the sport's culture? Check. Sex so hot it nearly
melted my Kindle, spurring my husband to inquire as to why
I was holding my breath while reading? Check, check,
check, cheeeccck. Add in some adorable moppets
and a few great friends, Jennifer Bonds has a winner of a
book here.
I titled this as erotica with a side of ice hockey
because this is one of those books where the sex is
athletic and adventurous, multi-locational and hot as all
hell, but it's even better because it's built on a
foundation of their growing relationship. I'm not a huge
fan of erotica for erotica's sake, but sex that tells me
things about the characters or tells the characters
things about each other? Bring. It. On.
If you're a sports romance fiend like myself, ONCE UPON A POWER PLAY
is a no brainer. Also recommended for folks who like hot
sex with heart, cheesy happily ever afters and authentic
character journeys where the hero and heroine bring out
the best versions of each other. Not recommended for
folks who prefer "closed door" books, or anyone who can't stand ice
hockey.
A sexy category romance from Entangled's Brazen imprint...
He'll do whatever it takes to get her against the boards…
Sidelined by a potentially career-ending injury, the only
thing hockey player Ryan Douglas should be thinking about is
recovery. But after sharing a near death experience and a
night of passion with a spunky brunette, the only thing on
his mind is five and a half feet of sexy sarcasm. And he'll
do whatever it takes to get her back in his bed--even if it
means playing dirty.
Chloe Jacobs is done with fairytales. And men. She's kissed
her share of frogs and what's it gotten her? Dumped by
text--again. Determined to eighty-six illusions of romance
and prove she's more than just a good-time girl, the last
thing she needs is a pushy, arrogant hockey player testing
her resolve. Especially one who's sinfully good with his
hands and thinks date-by-blackmail is a perfectly acceptable
social convention.
Ryan wants to play games? Fine by her, but this is one
faceoff he's going to lose.