Sweet, sexy, satisfying with a whole lot of verbal foreplay made Hooked On You an outstanding romance! ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures
Blurb:
The steamy Chicago Rebels series returns with this racy and sassy tale of embittered hearts, second chances, and going for the goal—on and off the ice.
Violet Vasquez never met her biological father, so learning he left his beloved hockey franchise—the Chicago Rebels—to her is, well, unexpected. Flat broke and close to homeless, Violet is determined to make the most of this sudden opportunity. Except dear old dad set conditions that require she takes part in actually running the team with the half-sisters she barely knows. Working with these two strangers and overseeing a band of hockey-playing lugs is not on her agenda…until she lays eyes on the Rebels captain and knows she has to have him.
Bren St. James has been labeled a lot of things: the Puck Prince, Lord of the Ice, Hell’s Highlander…but it’s the latest tag that’s making headlines: washed-up alcoholic has-been. This season, getting his life back on track and winning the Cup are his only goals. With no time for relationships—except the fractured ones he needs to rebuild with his beautiful daughters—he’s finding it increasingly hard to ignore sexy, all-up-in-his-beard Violet Vasquez. And when he finds himself in need of a nanny just as the playoffs are starting, he’s faced with a temptation he could so easily get hooked on.
For two lost souls, there’s more on the line than just making the best of a bad situation… there might also be a shot at the biggest prize of all: love.
I shed a lot of tears reading Hooked On You; tears for Bren St. James, a recovering alcoholic trying to lead his team to the Stanley Cup and
reconnect with his two young daughters, tears for Violet Vasquez, a cancer survivor trying to figure out her place in the world while connecting with her half sisters while running a professional hockey team, tears for two young girls trying to understand why their life has been uprooted again, and tears because I knew this was the last book in this series and I have loved it so much. Two people both with something to prove find their way to each other despite their prickly personalities, interfering but well meaning family and friends, and lots of crazy, fun banter.
To say Bren St. James has been fighting an uphill battle is putting it mildly, he alcoholism led him to making a huge mistake with his girls and his ex-wife taking them to live with her new boyfriend far away and ordered to either go to rehab or lose his job with the Chicago Rebels. Eight months after getting out of rehab, his life is turned upside down when his ex-wife checks herself into a clinic for a “rest” and as the playoffs begin he has his girls full-time. He is thrilled to have the chance to reconnect with his daughters, but it some at the worst possible time and he knows that his ex will show up again soon just to f*ck with his head.
From the moment she met Bren, Violet Vasquez has made it her mission to try and get under his skin and in his pants, but she hates that he seems to have a less than stellar opinion of her. However when he sees how she relates to his children, he knows she is the best one to stay with them when he is on the road. Being in his house with his children only makes her long for him more, but she is determined to put that aside until he is ready and his children are adjusted to their new life.
I really loved the push-pull of Bren and Violet’s relationship and the fact they both were trying to figure out their lives, their new normal. There was something sweet about the way they opened up to one another and began to trust each other explicitly. I loved the slow burn to get to the physical aspect of their relationship and the little lies they told themselves that this was temporary. While at times they both frustrated me with their behavior, it was indicative of all the changes in their lives and the stress of the run for the Stanley Cup.
What I really appreciated about this book is that we got a lot of face time with Violet’s sisters, Bren’s teammates who have been there with him through thick and thin, and Bren’s children who had such a unique look on life and brought childhood wonder into what could have been a very heavy story.
I’m always sad when a series ends especially one that I have loved but with Hooked On You, Ms. Meader takes the Chicago Rebels out on a very high note
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PS—Kudos Kate for giving readers a little glimpse of some favorite characters from you Hot in Chicago series! And double Kudos for the Fleetwood Mac love, have been listening to Rumors nonstop since I finished reading the book!
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