GOOD BOY is book one in the WAGS series (Waves And Girlfriends, in this case as relates to professional hockey players) by co-authors Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy. This is a romantic comedy, and it’s very slapstick. This short novel (originally only 283 pages and now listed at 320 pages) was first published in 2017, and I read it when it first came out. I didn’t realize when I requested GOOD BOY for review that it was an old book, and Googling indicates this is a “new edition global release.” It’s a spin-off of their wildly successful Him and Us books.
Jess Canning feels like the family screw-up and has bounced from career to career before discovering what she truly wants to be...a nurse. Jess is trying to buckle down and prove that she’s no longer a failure, so letting her family know that she had a hook-up last spring with the best man from her professional hockey player brother Jamie’s wedding is a no-go in Jess’s mind. Jess is pretty stubborn and uptight- diametrically opposed to Blake’s uninhibited demeanor.
Blake Riley is a teammate of Jess’ brother Jamie. He’s had his eye on Jess, and the wedding seems to him to be a great place to start up something long-term. Blake is a huge flirt and a big goofball, and I found him to be somewhat wearing. Blake is like a 7-year-old boy pulling on a classmate’s hair to get her to notice him. He’s constantly yanking Jessie’s chain on the premise that any attention is good attention. He’s very aggressive in his pursuit of Jess, ignoring many of her negative responses. Given his party-boy persona and how much he pushes Jess, I found it hard to warm up to Blake.
Readers who enjoy slapstick romantic comedy will probably find a lot to enjoy about this book. Similarly, fans of Pippa Grant or Penny Reid are likely to find zany this hero to be their cup of tea. The romance is steamy, and the story is frothy. The hockey angle is lightly held, so readers don’t have to be sports fans to enjoy this story.
From New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy and USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen comes the first in the spin-off series of their wildly successful Him and Us books.
"We're way more than friends, Jessie."
"Blake—"
"But no worries. I'll just sit tight until you figure that out."
Hosting her brother's wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning's life. Already the family screw-up, she can't afford to fail at this, too. Especially after the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. Nobody—absolutely nobody—can find out about that, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. No matter how devastatingly sexy his smile, he's a giant manchild who's never been serious in his life. And if Jess wants to prove herself to her family, serious is what she has to get.
For Blake Riley, this wedding is a gift from fate itself. The girl he has his eye on is the maid of honor, and he's the best man? Let the games begin. So what if Jess is giving him a little—fine, a lot—of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he's really a good boy with a bad rap. Beneath the flirty jokes and goofy smile, he's got layers—even if Jess doesn't want to see them.
Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you've got to make an effort if you want to score.
And Jess is just the girl he wants to win.
No excerpt available.
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