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.