Hot Puck - Book Review

By Skye Jordan

Synopsis

The pressure has never been more intense for Rough Riders’ star defenseman Beckett Croft. With his contact expiring, Beckett has to live up to his badass reputation every minute of every game to earn the next big deal. A deal that will secure a stable home for his five-year-old daughter. So when an injury on the ice threatens to send him to the ER, he fights protocol—until the feisty EMT refuses to take no for an answer. Beckett likes his women assertive, and the spark between them is nothing short of scorching. Her indifference to his fame and money only intrigues him more. And by the time he peeks beneath her tightly sealed edges to see her beautiful but deeply wounded soul, he’s in way too deep to pull back.

After years of shutting herself off from men, Eden is tempted by the heat that blazes when she is around the NHL’s most notorious bad boy—even toying with an inkling of “what if”. But life has taught her how painfully that kind of fire burns. And how deeply it scars. So Eden denies the spark room to grow, the same way she shut out the violence from her past, focusing instead on her career and finishing paramedic school. She’ll never rely on a man for money or security again.

But when the heat between them becomes too hot to ignore, one night isn’t enough. Soon, Beckett and Eden find themselves caught between desire and fear—with painful pasts pulling them in one direction and a fragile new love pulling them in another. All while the family and careers that matter most hang in the balance.

Review

HOT PUCK is book 2 in the Rough Riders Hockey series and a great read, even if you’re not a hockey fan.

I liked Beckett and Eden and thought they made an amazing couple. Their chemistry was off-the-charts hot, as was their naughty little bar scene. Yowza! Eden has had a rough few years which has left her a little fragile, but at the same time, has made her a much stronger woman. She’s a woman who has chosen to live life instead of wallowing in the past, and I loved that about her. She’s smart, kind and honest, and is not at all interested in fame or fortune, which makes her a perfect match for Beckett. On to Beckett, who is cocky, charming, sweet and loveable. He’s the team’s captain and a single dad to his adorable five year old daughter, Lily. He’s under a lot of stress in this story, trying to secure another contract with the team while also trying to gain sole custody of Lily from her gold-digging mother, but not once does he direct that stress at Eden or Lily. He senses Eden’s fragility, so he’s gentle and patient with her, but he also knows when it’s time to push her out of her comfort zone. Did I mention he’s cocky and charming?

“I don’t know any hockey players.”
“You do now.”
“Hardly. We met thirty minutes ago.”
“Not only did we meet, but we’ve had our first fight and made up⎯all in half an hour. The next step is always makeup sex. Imagine where we could take this given a couple of uninterrupted hours.”

I think it could use a bit more editing because there were a few times where I noticed some repetition. I also felt the whole Kim issue was not finalised very well. I would have loved to have seen Beckett defend himself through the media and was deeply disappointed when it was all resolved in a single paragraph without really telling us anything. Other than that, I enjoyed HOT PUCK and thought it was a great read. HOT PUCK is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. As with QUICK TRICK⎯book 1 in the series⎯the conflict towards the end was believable, before ending with a wonderfully sweet HEA for Beckett, Eden and Lily.