POWER PLAY (Pilots Hockey #2) by Sophia Henry-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 16, 2016

Beneath her innocent facade, Gabriella Bertucci has her reasons to be standoffish with guys. Especially guys like Landon Taylor, a star defenseman on the minor-league Detroit Pilots and the object of a serious crush since he first walked into her family’s market. But when Landon comes through for her in a moment of crisis, Gaby starts to wonder if there might be more to Landon than hard muscles and fast skates.

Landon isn’t afraid of telling Gaby that he’s got it for her bad. The problem is, she seems unwilling to believe it. And though Landon enjoys his reputation as a cool-headed athlete, he hates losing—both on the rink and off. It’s his competitiveness that makes him so damn good at what he does . . . but it also makes him just a little bit complicated.

One minute Gaby’s tempted to give in; the next, she’s getting cold feet. How can she trust a guy who’s destined for bigger and better things to stick around? Then again, when Landon pulls her close with those powerful arms, the only thing that matters is right now.

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REVIEW: POWER PLAY is the second installment in Sophia Henry’s new adult, contemporary PILOTS HOCKEY romance series focusing on the members of the AHL Hockey team the Detroit Pilots. This is Pilots player Landon Taylor, and Gabriella Bertucci’s story line. POWER PLAY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from first person point of view (Gabriella) POWER PLAY follows the building relationship from friends to lovers of Landon Taylor and Gabriella Bertucci. Landon is a semi-pro hockey player whose star is about to rise; Gabriella is the only daughter of an Italian-American businessman who appears to have misplaced his faith in the wrong member of the family. What ensues is Landon’s attempts to woo the young woman he has loved for most of his life, and Gaby’s attempts get the recognition she deserves from the family she believes doesn’t know she exists.

POWER PLAY looks behind the scenes of a successful business family, and their attempts to protect the daughter they believe may be broken beyond repair. Gabriella has worked beside her father since she was a little girl but three years earlier our heroine faced the fight of her life. But to be honest, hockey and any ice time are secondary to the story line.

Landon Taylor comes from a well respected, and well to do family but believes he has been pushed aside to make way for the younger heirs. Landon has worked hard to achieve his success in hockey, and is hoping to one day make it to the NHL While his other teams members are called up to the big leagues, Landon bides his time playing one game at a time.

POWER PLAY is a sweet story but reads more like a young adult (YA) story line than a new adult romance. Most of the $ex scenes are implied or skim the surface. There are no graphic $ex scenes, or graphic sexual language. The leading characters, although 19 and 21+, act more like younger teens when it comes to their emotions and family interactions; for two people who have loved one another for years, I did not feel the emotional need or connection. The use of ‘hoes’ and ‘buck bunnies’ is reflective of the YA nature of the story-many adults would walk away without a backwards glance. And the heroines continued need to deny her friendship with the leading hero pushed one too many of my buttons. If it were not for the ages of the leading characters ( and one slightly sexual love scene) I would think this series would be more successful in the YA category.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy