Hard Hit (St. Louis Mavericks 5) by Brenda Rothert & Kat Mizera -review tour

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Goodreads Link → https://bit.ly/HardHit_GR

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 21, 2023

Michael Boone has just one goal: to get traded to his hometown team so he can be closer to his family. But when a runaway bride who happens to be his coach’s daughter jumps into his car to escape Mr. Wrong, the heat is on … in more ways than one.

Boone
I’m supposed to be a guest at my coach’s daughter’s wedding to a player from another team, but instead I find myself helping her escape it. The timing couldn’t be worse—I have to stay in Coach’s good graces to secure the trade I need. But when the sexy, newly single redhead with legs for days shows up in my life again, I can’t say no.

Jolie
After escaping marriage to a man who made me feel like I was never enough, I plan to focus entirely on completing my dissertation. Science has never let me down—I can avoid emotional entanglements by focusing on cold, hard data. But when I’m powerfully drawn to a man who is warm and, okay, I’ll admit it—also hard—all bets are off. Mr. Right Now is exactly what I need, until both of us find ourselves wanting the one thing we can’t have—more.

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REVIEW:HARD HIT is the fifth instalment in the contemporary, adult ST. LOUIS MAVERICKS erotic, hockey romance series co-authored by Brenda Rothert and Kat Mizera. This is team member Michael Boone, and PHD student /coach’s daughter Jolie Gizzard. HARD HIT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as many previous scenarios are mentioned.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Jolie and Michael) HARD HIT follows in the wake of a runaway bride. Jolie Gizzard was about to marry a man of her father’s choosing, a man she didn’t love, and who didn’t love her in return. On the run, Jolie jumps into hockey play Michael Boone’s car, the man with whom Jolie will fall in love. Jolie is the daughter and only child of Michael’s grouchy coach, and as such, Jolie has been declared off limits by the man in charge but all does not go according to plan when Michael Boone finds himself a temporary parent to his sister’s son, and struggles in the wake of his own brother’s illness. Hoping for a trade, Michael finds himself falling for a woman who may or may not be available when an impending trade comes through. What ensues is the building but forbidden relationship between Michael and Jolie, and the potential fall-out as Jolie’s father not only threatens Boone, but his actions, threaten to push Jolie out of his life.

Michael Boone never considered dating the coach’s daughter but Jolie was no longer engaged, and our heroine wanted something more from our story line hero. Jolie would often help with looking after Boone’s nephew, a young man caught in an impossible situation. Boone is desperate for a trade to be near his brother but a trade means leaving the woman with who he may be falling in love.

The relationship between Jolie and Michael begins as a rescue-Jolie is a runaway bride who doesn’t love the man she has been forced to marry. Knowing the coach will not be happy with the current situation, Michael Boone intends to keep his distance but finds himself falling for a woman who could break his heart. The $ex scenes are provocative and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

For fans of the series, most of the previous story line couples return as several impending births push the players together. We are reintroduced to Hadley and Weston (Hard Fall), Sariah and Nash (Hard Pass), as well as Jolie’s father Coach Gizzard, her grandmother Grandma G, Boone’s brother Andy (via phone), their sister Emma, and nephew Joey.

HARD HIT is a story of family and relationships, power and control, desperation and determination, acceptance and love. The fast paced, character drive premise is captivating and energetic; the characters are animated and edgy; the romance is spicy and sassy.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy