Esa Saari plays hockey for the New York Blades. He is not having a very good year and to top it off he has gained custody of his niece Nell. Esa has no clue how to deal with an 8 year old's grief when he is having trouble dealing with his own. The family that Michelle Beck had been the nanny for decided to move out west. Michelle did not want to leave her father and brother so opted out of her job. Esa is given Michelle's name and when she interviews for the job she is not impressed with Esa or his bad boy image. However, she knows what it is to lose your mother at a young age and feels that she can help Nell. She is also worried that Esa will neglect his niece and is determined not to let that happen.

HIP CHECK is one of a series of books about the Blades hockey team. This one does not disappoint in any way. Esa is quite the playboy who needs to change his lifestyle and realize that the world does not revolve around him. Michelle is a strong young woman who will not let Esa shrug off his duty to Nell. Lot's of bumps in the road for both of these characters to overcome, Michelle's father's health and Esa shaky future with the team. It's nice to see characters from earlier books like Michael Dante and his wife Theresa, who help Michelle get the job. An endearing minor character in this book is Esa's teammate Ulf, who lends humor and brings out Esa's jealousy. Ms. Martin weaves a wonderful story of compassion and how people deal with grief, mixed in is a bit of humor and lots of love. She is one author that I know when I pick up her book that I am going to love it. If you have never read a book by Ms. Martin, you are really missing out on something special.