The first book in this new series, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, came out last year and I was eager to read about Gio’s sister getting her own HEA. Luca was a total sweetie with a fun banter game. There was the usual thing you get in a story where the love interest is on a team with a brother. Gio has told all his teammates that his sister Nova is off limits. And of course he’s told her to stay away from them as well. 

The match on the dating app starts the whole relationship with some fun back and forth and a first meet up that is a NON date. At the Rainforest Cafe. Do they still have those? Those were always fun to take kids to back when they had them here. A second date starts at a grocery store with an “accidental” meet-up, followed by going back and cooking at Nova’s place.

So most of this is keeping the romance a secret, which means both from her brother, but also obviously from everyone because if a picture got out to the press, of course her brother would find out. This would also be a he falls first story, as he is the first one to say it and really is ready to show it and tell her brother and get it out in the open. It is understandable why Nova is unsure about going further based on her past relationships, as well as what happened to her and Gio’s parents. There was a little bit about Luca’s family in the story too, so it is also easy to see why he is at first a little hesitant, even if he gets over it pretty quickly. 

Like pretty much every other story by this author, once the story gets steamy, we get a lot of that, almost always just right there on the page, so if that’s not your thing, this might not be for you. I’m also noticing that this latest series has completely different types of guys than her earlier series had. I mean I guess when you look at the series title from before, D-bag, you kind of get that, lol. And while I do love a guy like this, I also have a little trouble with this many guys being softies and not at all like you’d expect the ego of a pro-hockey player/athlete to be? It’s almost a little too easy for me? I also would have liked a little more of Luca’s background maybe? I don’t know if I missed it maybe, but I’d have loved some more on him like we got from Gio and Nova’s side. 

I am really enjoying this series though, love this hockey team and am very excited to see Nova’s best friend Poppy’s story coming in book 3!