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When hockey phenom Billie-Jo Barker returns home and decides to play in the local Friday night hockey league, all hell breaks loose. Not because Billie's talent is in question, but because Billie is a woman. And though these are modern times, some of the local guys still have a problem letting a girl into their 'men's club.'

Soon, Billie is at the center of a small town battle of the sexes, with everyone choosing sides. Her sisters. The townsfolk. Her friends. And yet, the only person whose opinion she cares about doesn't seem to care much at all. Logan Forest, the man who broke her heart when she was eighteen and the man she now shares the bench with every Friday night.

She's got a lot to prove and though Billie Jo Barker scores on the ice, will this girl ever score with the man of her dreams?

222 pages, ebook

First published September 30, 2012

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About the author

Juliana Stone

70 books1,286 followers
Juliana Stone is also known as J.A. Stone.

USA Today bestselling author and 2015 RITA® winner JULIANA STONE fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she splits her time between baseball, books, and music. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance—books that have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly & Booklist—from somewhere in the wilds of Canada.

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5 stars
2,234 (28%)
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3 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 549 reviews
Profile Image for Ridley.
358 reviews353 followers
December 1, 2012
This was a strange little book. While I enjoyed reading about a heroine who's a serious hockey player, and the sexual tension was expertly paced, the book was exceedingly over the top. Everything in it is turned up to 11. The sexist backlash over her joining the men's beer league, her dementia-addled father pointing a shotgun at the hero while her grandfather's drawers fall down, the triplet sisters being named Billie-Jo, Bobbi-Jo and Betty-Jo, the prodigal triplet returning just in time to toss a drama bomb - all of these moments felt scripted. It was like the author was poking me in the ribs and saying "ISN'T THAT JUST ZANY?"

I started off entertained, then I was being indulgent, but by the end I was rolling my eyes at the blatant manipulation. It's a fun book if you don't try to pin real world logic onto it, but the ending was just a stunt too far for me.
Profile Image for Goddess Of Blah.
514 reviews76 followers
February 12, 2015
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I though the story would be an uplifting account of a woman discovering her strengths after suffering a sports injury.

Instead this book spends 50% of the first few chapters setting the scene for its trilogy.
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We're introduced to a myriad of caricature chick-lit cardboard-cut-out characters, a surfeit of angst and lust before we've finished reading the first chapter and a lackluster tale.
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I'm assuming the author intends to publish 3 books based on a set of triplets called Billy-Jo, Betty-Jo and Bobbi-Jo. This isn't a joke- that's really their names. The hillbillies are aware of their unfortunate name hence I thought, perhaps not all is lost. Alas, their constant irrational fighting was ridiculous and tedious. Even teens would be embarrassed by such immature conduct.
DUMB. DUMB. DUMB. SO DUMB IT HURTS.
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JUST SHUT UP. YOU'RE STUPID.
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NO MORE PLEASE! YOU DUMB B****

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***SNORE**** BORING *****

It's also pretty incestuous and weird. Bobbi or Betty had a fling of some sort with the hero, Logan. But now he's pursuing the heroine. While Shane (a former beau of Bobbi or Betty) is chatting up Billi-Jo. Charming.
description
Billy-Jo and the hero (in the first few chapters) rarely spare a word to each other, however, we can't have a scene without one or the other thinking how hot his/her bits are. And yes, Logan Forrest is really hot. He's the tall, dark handsome cliche that's found in every chick lit, but other than that he doesn't seem to possess much personality, intelligence or witty banter. The dialogue was dry, the story dragged and the fighting was over the top.


There's also all these evil background characters who seem to be solely placed as a foil to make the hero (and the next installment of hero's) look good. The worst being Seth Longford, who is not only a pale, short and ugly comparison to our tall, dark handsome hero, but is sexist, crude and resembles a spiteful 14 year old. The hero keeps company with this dude because they're part of the same hockey team - clearly the hero is desperate for team mates because this unrealistic caricature of a "bad guy" spends an awful amount of time with him.
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Additionally, Shane will be the hero in the next installment. He's a damaged brooding badboy type (most likely tall, dark and handsome too) and an ex con. A tortured & tormented soul with a DARK passion for Betty or Bobbi whatever. He's hurt and jaded by love, life and all things nice. We're introduced to him in this novel and also to Bobbi-Jo or Betty (the lass he'll end up with).

This charming sister has agreed to marry a dweebish lawyer (and according to the author's logic) it is the dweeb lawyers fault for not being manly, passionate, blah blah. Of course he will receive his just desserts for not possessing these attributes (and for being a law-abiding citizen and an achiever) when Bobbi betty whatever leaves him for Shane - can't wait to read the next installment yay.... NOT. . .
description

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Billy-Jo is a 25 year old former professional ice hockey player (who formerly played in Sweden because they allow women in their non-contact version of the sport). She suffers a head injury (probably explains her lack of grey matter) and returns to her home town. Here she encounters family drama with her sister, engages in a melancholy (but touching) reunion with her father and grandfather and suffers sexist remarks from former classmates when she decides to join an all male hockey team. She also encounters her childhood wet dream Logan.
description
Profile Image for Nicoletta Micillo.
744 reviews27 followers
June 5, 2021
Tre stelline e mezzo
L' idea di una ex giocatrice di hockey tornata nel suo paesino di origine dopo un brutto infortunio ,che ha messo fine alla sua carriera , e che lo sconvolge decidendo di iscriversi al torneo locale era molto originale ma le buone promesse sono state disattese. Non se per il pov alla terza persona ma rimane una lettura piacevole scorrevole e nulla di più
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 15 books612 followers
October 3, 2012
Review posted at Demon Lover's Books & More

4.5
I loved this book. Want to know a little known fact about your Highland Hussy? I played hockey for my university team, on a men’s team (we had no women’s team, so there were 4 of us girls), and I played in House Leagues. Those leagues are super competitive. Not that college hockey isn’t, but it’s a different vibe, so to speak.

In Offside, we see Billie Jo being pushed out of her pro league team in Sweden due to injury and coming home to her small town of New Waterford where hockey is god.

Billie has played with these guys her whole life, she’s played pro, you’d think they’d welcome her into their “Friday Night beer league” with open arms and a bunch of “Hell Yeahs!” but realistically, it’s not like that. It’s a men’s league, and they don’t want no wimmenfolk on the ice.

I brought about my own experiences to just lend a bit of credence to the book. Billie is treated abominably. Her car is keyed, her tires slashed, she’s roughed up a lot, and she’s got to deal with jackwagons giving her crap all over town. Not just on the ice. (I had my cute little Neon keyed, sprayed with silly string, shrink wrapped with layers of shaving cream in between each layer. And how did they get the shrink wrap under my car and around the top? Seriously) And this is just what I remember.

The man she’s been in love with since she was a kid is there, and she’s no longer a kid. The only problem in getting close to Logan is that he slept with her sister Betty Jo since high school. Oh, and she’s a triplet, so the fact that she looks exactly like Betty doesn’t make her feel any better. Does Logan want Billie for Billie? Or is he still lusting after Betty, but taking Billie as a substitute?

But they do get close, and they have some pretty steamy times, add to that another Barker sister, Bobbi Jo (whose story I soo can’t wait for), and there’s a lot going on in this small town.

I loved the hockey aspect, and I think that the steamy scenes would make the ice melt.I loved watching Logan fight his love for Billie, and I loved watching Billie try to distance herself from Logan (which obviously didn't work! lol). But how can they fall in love when each has a big secret that could ruin it?

Their secrets are not on par with "The Big Misunderstanding" we so often get in contemporaries. Oh no. This is much more intense, and so much BIGGER. when those bombs are dropped, the whole book became so tense my heart was pounding! But then it was cleared up. It was a bit too fast for me. I think they had a whole lot of drama and I felt cheated at not seeing that play out.

But that notwithstanding, this is still the best contemporary romance I’ve read in a long time. Juliana Stone’s writing is always good, and this lady can write an intense plot! If you want a steamy, sexy contemporary romance, this is for you!

***ARC provided by author
Profile Image for Blog Coccole tra i Libri .
1,452 reviews96 followers
November 10, 2019
Recensione in anteprima a cura di Belle

“Billie sospirò e lo seguì con lo sguardo, poi spostò gli occhi sul muro dietro la cassa. Sentì subito stringersi il petto e il cuore iniziò a batterle tanto veloce che le guance le andarono a fuoco. Tutta la parete era coperta di fotografie e articoli, e molti non ritraevano altri che lei. La ragazza d'oro di New Waterford.”


Eccomi qui a descrive ciò che ho provato in questo romanzo sportivo.

Offside è un romanzo pieno di sentimenti tra cui: passione, tristezza, rabbia, amore e sogni. Le pagine sono intrise della forza e dalla intraprendenza che ha la gemella Billie. Billie che nelle vene non scorre solo sangue, ma anche la forte passione per l'Hockey. Solo che il suo sogno non sempre viene compreso dagli altri, soprattutto dagli uomini! Per cui Billie si ritrova sempre a dover combattere con i denti e con le unghie per arrivare a ciò che desidera. In tutto ciò il ritorno a casa si divide tra il combattere per il suo amato sport e Logan: l'affascinante uomo per cui ha sempre avuto una cotta!


“Sì, il Signor Alto, Moro e Bello come il peccato Logan Forest, l'uomo che aveva popolato tutte le sue fantasie di ragazzina, se ne stava a pochi passi da lei, puntandole addosso gli intensi occhi blu.”


Cosa dirvi di questo romanzo? Juliana Stone ha una scrittura fluida, ti afferra e ti lega alle pagine e ti immerge all'interno della storia, alle difficoltà e alla forte passione che ha Billie per l'hockey, lo rende vivido e capace di far capire quanto tutto ciò sia importante per lei. Perché l'Hockey per Billie è come respirare. 

A presto con nuove storie tutte da scoprire, perché non si legge mai abbastanza!!

Baci

5 abbracci
Profile Image for Syndi.
3,615 reviews1,024 followers
June 23, 2019
Oh wow! This book is really taking me by surprise. I was not expecting this book to be very much cute. Cute overload.

Billie is triplet. She has 2 other twin sisters. Their family dynamic is all over the place. Sometimes they claw at each other like they want to kill each other. So many bitterness but so much love too. In short Billie has been in love with Logan since teenager. And with hockey throws into the mix, this is their story.

I love that the author does not shy away from the battle of the sexes. I just wish it can be explored more or to become a background of the story. The ending was bit rushed. I wish it can be extended a bit more.

4 stars
Profile Image for The Reading's Love Blog.
1,339 reviews241 followers
January 11, 2020
RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...

3.5 stelle

description
Care readers, siamo a metà autunno ormai e il freddo inizia a farsi sentire, in compenso però è iniziato il periodo dell’anno che più mi piace e che vede come protagonisti indiscussi me, il mio adorato plaid a pois rosa, la mia comodissima poltrona verde bosco e un’immancabile cioccolata calda rigorosamente servita in una fantastica tazza a forma di panda (ebbene sì). Aspettate!! Manca un altro elemento fondamentale: un bel libro che sappia farmi sorridere ed ecco a voi servito il pomeriggio perfetto!! Se siete quindi alla ricerca di una lettura leggera, divertente, che sappia però anche farvi riflettere, “Offside” di Juliana Stone fa proprio al caso vostro! La storia è piuttosto semplice, non vi annoierò quindi con un riassunto della vicenda in quanto la trama è già piuttosto esplicativa. Mi limiterò quindi a sottolineare alcuni degli elementi che ho molto apprezzato durante la lettura e altri che, al contrario, non mi hanno del tutto convinto. Billie Jo, la nostra protagonista, è sicuramente uno tra gli elementi positivi di questa storia: una donna forte e caparbia ma anche gentile, a tratti ingenua, che sa farsi volere bene. Ho apprezzato la sua forza di volontà, il suo volersi mettere alla prova e farsi valere nonostante i pregiudizi e le angherie subìte. Un bel personaggio che ha saputo conquistarmi! Logan è di certo il compagno di vita che fa per lei: bellissimo (mai sottovalutare un bel pacchetto di addominali scolpiti), protettivo e sensibile. Una storia semplice la loro, l’attrazione tra i due è palpabile fin dalle prime pagine e i sentimenti di Billie Jo chiari fin dal principio quindi non aspettatevi una storia d’amore tormentata, saranno piuttosto le vicende di contorno a creare un po’ di scompiglio ed in particolare l’astio dei concittadini nei riguardi della nostra protagonista e i rapporti piuttosto tesi tra le tre sorelle Barker. Billie, infatti, ha due sorelle gemelle che le daranno non poco filo da torcere e che saranno le protagoniste dei prossimi volumi. Tre sorelle all'apparenza identiche ma tanto diverse caratterialmente, tre donne dagli atteggiamenti a volte aggressivi che celano però ferite profonde nel cuore. Curiose vero? Ora vi starete chiedendo: “Ma cosa non ti è piaciuto allora?”. Se la prima parte mi aveva piacevolmente conquistato, nella seconda gli avvenimenti si susseguono alla velocità della luce per poi concludersi con un finale fin troppo affrettato e per nulla soddisfacente. Considerato che si tratta però del primo volume di una serie, confido nel fatto che rincontreremo Billie e Logan: sono curiosa di scoprire infatti cosa combineranno insieme!

CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/
Profile Image for Applesandpie.
69 reviews
January 8, 2015
WTF?!

I was nearly done reading this book when the most annoying girl-imma-slap-your-face part happened.

Let me start with the good part.

It was nice to see Billie take a stand and show the a--holes that a girl can beat guys, obviously a 2 time gold olympian medalist (or was 3) and pro hockey girl player can. She didn't back down and show weakness from all the insult she received. You go girl!!

That's all. Now the bad parts.

Billie, you SELFISH B-tch! Seriously?!
You still want to play hockey even though you just recovered from a terrible injury 2 months ago? And because you, Billie, so dearly love playing that even if your family is struggling because your father's sick, you just have to add the worry they'll have when you play a very rough game of hockey, right? I mean who could resist adding that burden to their family?

And now that your sister, Betty revealed your secret lov-OBSESSION to Logan. Really you think it's love to sleep w/ a guy whilst pretending to be your sister? If so You, M'am are a nut-case.

The best part is coming!


The perfect solution for the ending is......

(Drum roll please)

BLAME THE GUY!!

Well this is kind of a feminist story right? NOT

Of course, Logan is at fault worrying and caring about Billie. He even had the gut to tell Billie that he slept with her sister, Betty, which was truly Billie, who just pretended to be Betty.
What is wrong with this guy, right?!
What makes it even worse than worse is that he accepted his "faults" and went back to Billie. Poor Logan, he was truly devastated when Billie was knocked out during their hockey tournament. But alas, Billie has proven she is a rock, a freaking dumb rock.


That is all.
Profile Image for ☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎.
1,747 reviews161 followers
November 1, 2016
I'm going to rate this a 3.5 stars. It was an ok story. The hockey phenom Billie career ends due to a head injury only to return home to a bunch who aren't happy to see her join the team and give her hell over it and even question her ability because she is a female but also to run into the man she lost her virginity too, Logan, who also broke her heart and is making things even worse for her. It's like no matter where she turns there's always an issue about to happen. I actually felt bad for Billie.
Profile Image for Ivy Deluca.
2,368 reviews328 followers
May 5, 2015
Free read and I'm glad I picked it up. I enjoyed that the heroine is the hockey player and seeing the struggle she had playing in a mens league. Definitely a good start to a series and I will be reading to see what happens to the other sisters.
236 reviews2 followers
May 25, 2021
3.5
Ha del potenziale questa storia, si capisce l’intenzione dell’autrice di presentare la vita di una piccola comunità in cui tutti si conoscono, una famiglia con dei problemi, 3 sorelle che litigano tutto il tempo.. ma non decolla mai veramente, per non parlare del finale. In generale l’ho trovato un po’ acerbo e superficiale, ma con del potenziale, vediamo le storie delle altre due sorelle🤞🏻
Profile Image for Vanessa theJeepDiva.
1,257 reviews118 followers
September 20, 2012
I love these books that are centered around small town folk and how they react to different situations. The situation in New Waterford is Billie Jo. She has returned home after seven years. Those seven years were spent in Sweden where she was one of four women playing pro hockey. She knows she’s good at hockey. She even has the Olympic medals to prove it. The guys on the Friday night league she has joined do not care how good she is. They want her gone, she’s a girl and they don’t want her on their all male league.

Dealing with the hockey guys is just a minor problem. She has a beyond complex relationship with her sisters Bobbi Jo and Betty Jo. Her father is ill. Her grandfather is getting too old to take care of his son (her father) and the one man she has always had the hots for still sees her as a kid. She has a mountain of problems that continually grows and she still has yet to figure out what she wants to do with her life now that she has returned home.

Logan Forest may not intentionally be causing trouble in Billie Jo’s life, but he is. He is also drawing unwanted attention to her. Logan is one of New Waterford’s most wanted single men. He has never settled down. He does not see a need to when he has not found the perfect woman for him. Now he is spending a lot of time with one of the troublesome Barker triplets who he is starting to notice is more than just the kid he has always saw her as.

I just adored this book. The triplets and their family dynamics are hilarious. Billie Jo is the mild one. I cannot wait to see what her two sisters have in store for their books. Billie Jo was an awesome lead female to read. She is strong and courageous. She knows she wants to still play hockey and is determined not to let some narrow minded men stop her. Finally getting the man of her dreams is the icing on her rink.

On a small side note I read this on September 19th, which is International Talk like a Pirate Day. The hockey team that Billie Jo and Logan play for are called the Angry Pirate’s, be patient I promise I am going somewhere with this. Go to Urban Dictionary.com to find out why this is giggle worthy. Oh yeah, she was so surrounded by a bunch of typical beer drinking men.
Profile Image for Jola.
778 reviews8 followers
February 28, 2020
3+
Chyba za bardzo się napaliłam na tę książkę i spodziewałam się czegoś innego. Lubię książki o sportowcach, ale tu mi czegoś zabrakło, mimo że na pierwszy rzut oka było wszystko - sportsmenka, samiec alfa, spora rodzina, rodzinne nieporozumienia, tajemnice i plotkujące miasteczko. Nie mogę zaprzeczyć, że między głównymi bohaterami była chemia i wątek między nimi był fajny, ale strasznie mnie irytowała Billie-Jo. Rozumiem, że uprawiała "męski" sport, a miasto było pełne szowinistycznych facetów, ale czegoś mi w niej brakowało i po prostu mnie drażniła. Tak samo, jak jej siostra której imienia nie pamiętam. Laska z wiecznymi pretensjami o wszystko, bo ona została w domu, bo ona zajmowała się chorym ojcem, bo ona nie zrealizowała swoich marzeń. Ale kurde, kto jej bronił? Gdy pozostałe siostry się realizowały, to kto jej kazał siedzieć w domu? Nie lubię takich ofiar męczennic nadaremno. I irytowała mnie też swoim takim "jestem zaręczona z innym, ale ciągle czuję coś do mojego byłego chłopaka, więc nawet nie patrz w jego stronę". Przypuszczam, że w części o niej, skończy ostatecznie z tym byłym chłopakiem, ale ludzie, dopóki się nie zdecyduje, to moim zdaniem nie powinna się tak zachowywać. Albo po prostu nie rozumiem pochrzanionej miłości i udawania, że niczego się nie czuje... A ostatnia siostra, Betty-Jo, Jezu to jest dopiero patola. Wpada znienacka do rodzinnego domu i od razu sieje zamęt. Nie polubiłam jej. Zdecydowanie nie będziemy się koleżankować, ale jestem ciekawa jej historii i dlaczego jest taka, jaka jest.
Ogólnie to rodzinka Barker jest nieźle pochrzaniona, ale historia z grona tych lżejszych, do szybkiego zapomnienia.
Profile Image for Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️.
2,054 reviews35.7k followers
June 4, 2013
I liked it, but I didn't love it. I kept waiting for Billie to stand up for herself with her sisters and she kept pissing me off. I liked her and Logan, but it was just lacking something for me.

I'm thinking about reading number 2, but I'm not quite sure because I didn't find Bobbi (the female lead for 2) to be all that likeable.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews113 followers
Want to read
May 3, 2024
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/8/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Rachel-RN.
2,386 reviews29 followers
July 31, 2021
Billie Jo is one of a set of triplets (Bobbi Jo and Betty Jo are the other 2). Billie Jo is the jock of the sisters. She has played hockey since she was a kid and has natural talent. She was able to go pro in Europe before a series of concussions ended her career. Now back in her small town, she is doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, except for play hockey. She lives with her grandpa, father (who has dementia), and sister Bobbi.
She has had a crush on Logan since she was a teenager and those feelings have never gone away. Problem is, he (as a teen) lusted after her sister Betty (the boy crazy one). There is also resentment with Bobbi since she was the one who "had" to stay home to care for father. The towns as starting a no contact hockey league. Billie Jo joins it and causes an uproar (it wasn't advertised men only, but the understanding was it was going to be men only). I thought the town was small minded and pathetic (everyone took sides & at first it seemed like most where anti-Billie). However, most do eventually change their mind.
Billie Jo a secret regarding a night as a teen with Logan and Betty. There is some angst (not long lasting thankfully) when that secret is revealed. Bobbi was a bitch, but got a little better at the end. We do meet Betty and she is even a bigger bitch than Bobbi. I did like Billie Jo and Logan and they worked well together. I liked Billie Jo's ability to do her own thing and not care what anyone else thought. And she does figure out what to do with her life (it makes sense and it is easily guessed).
Not interested in books 2 and 3 (Bobbi and Betty's stories- I do not like either of them & have zero interest in their stories), but I did like the writing.
I read the for Ripped Bodice Bingo's triplets square.
Profile Image for Shannon.
499 reviews165 followers
April 28, 2023
Absolutely not. Terrible plot, unlikable characters, extremely boring read. Don’t even get me started on third person narrative.

And are we just going to skip over the fact that Billie pretended to be Betty (identical triplets) while Logan was drunk so she could sleep with him when he wanted nothing to do with her? Get Law and Order over here because that’s not alright.

There was one glimmering moment when this all came to light and Logan was disgusted, as he should be. But no, two pages letter everyone loved each other and the book ended, how nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Emily.
5,815 reviews544 followers
March 1, 2013
Billie-Jo Barker left home a hockey phenom, only to return at the age of twenty-four injured and unable to play in the pros again. Lost and drifting, Billie-Jo sees that the local town has joined a hockey league, she wants in especially since it is no contact, but the men in the small town of Waterford don't want to play with a girl, especially one who can kick their ass on the rink. Adversity has never been a problem for Billie-Jo and she can run with the punches, but factor in Logan Forest and she knows she is in trouble.

Billie-Jo had a crush bordering on true love on Logan, but he didn't notice her even if she was one of three triplets. He carried a torch for her sister and one little opportunity arose to show Logan she was every bit as good as her sister, but it backfired leaving her devastated and running off to the big leagues. Logan however is seeing Billie-Jo in a different light, he wants her, the commitment-phobe is breaking all the rules when it comes to Billie-Jo, but when he finds out her secret will he be willing to forgive and forget?

Highly entertaining, I loved this story. It was gruff, blunt, seductive, and unexpected. I thought Logan was yummy, he is used to being sought after and has the reputation to prove he is the love em and leave them type, but Billie-Jo has him confused and uncertain.
Profile Image for Barbara ★.
3,506 reviews281 followers
February 10, 2017
Billie-Jo Barker has suffered a permanent injury that knocked her out of professional play and she returns home to play on the Men's League since the Women's League isn't up to her caliber. Of course, the men didn't want her to impinge on their "men only" time and fought her tooth and nail. I love that Billie-Jo didn't let the men force her out of the Men's League and stood her ground especially being as she was the best darn player on the team. I liked Logan Forest and liked that he stuck up for her even before he fell in love.

A sweet romantic romance that hit all my buttons. Loved it.
Profile Image for Sometime.
1,716 reviews170 followers
July 11, 2015
I really liked this one. It was well written and had very appealing leads. The romance was great aside from a little too much time pondering over the hotness of each other. There were a few problems with the ending especially Logan's reaction to Billie's secret. If he'd thought about it for more then two seconds he would have behaved better.

Overall a nice read.
Profile Image for Feel The Book.
1,739 reviews54 followers
January 13, 2020
Recensione a cura di Morgana per Feel the Book

Voto 3,5

Amo gli sport romance, e quando ho letto la trama di questo libro quello che mi ha maggiormente incuriosito è stato lo scambio di ruoli, l’atleta famoso qui è lei invece del solito lui. Gli ingredienti per fare di questo libro una bellissima lettura c’erano tutti, lo sport, una lei grintosa, un lui davvero molto hot, un pizzico di problemi a condire il tutto, ma purtroppo qualcosa non ha funzionato.

Billie-Jo è una ragazza tosta, un’atleta famosa che a causa di un infortunio ritorna a casa dopo esserne stata lontana parecchio tempo per giocare a hockey, il ritorno la porta a mettere in discussione se stessa ed il suo futuro, ma soprattutto la porta a dover ricostruire dei rapporti con la famiglia e ad affrontare i problemi che si sono creati durante la sua assenza. Non riuscendo a stare lontana dal ghiaccio decide di iscriversi al torneo locale di hockey dove rincontrerà il suo primo amore.

Logan Forest ha una sua attività molto ben avviata, gioca a hockey, ha valori morali ben radicati e dà un gran valore all’amicizia. Supporta Billie-Jo nella sua scelta di voler giocare nel locale torneo di hockey. E’ decisamente sexy e molto audace, ma non se ne approfitta. In passato ha avuto a che fare con una delle gemelle Barker, ma non con quella che crede lui.

I personaggi sono abbastanza interessanti, perché dico solo abbastanza? Perchè a parere mio l’autrice avrebbe potuto approfondire di più alcuni loro lati, invece di limitarsi ad abbozzarne la presenza, ma soprattutto avrebbe potuto evitare di presentarceli come due adolescenti in preda all’ormone. Ora mi piace leggere scene hot nei romanzi, ma quando sono ben contestualizzate, qui le ho trovate un po’ esagerate.

Ed è un peccato perché a mio parere questo libro aveva un grosso potenziale, che non ho trovato sfruttato pienamente, l’autrice avrebbe potuto approfondire diverse tematiche invece di limitarsi a trattarle superficialmente. Temi come il maschilismo in certi settori, in questo caso l’hockey, e non parlo di hockey a livello professionistico ma quello amatoriale dove la squadra è quella di una piccola cittadina. Oppure avrebbe potuto approfondire un po’ di più i rapporti familiari della protagonista, e di come la malattia di uno dei membri incida sulla vita di chi lo circonda.

Altro punto che non mi ha soddisfatto del tutto è la fine, l’ho trovata un po’ troppo affrettata mi ha lasciato un po’ così con la voglia di sapere qualcosa in più.

Uno dei pregi di questo libro è che lo si legge velocemente, merito di uno stile lineare e accattivante che non ti annoia.

Questo libro mi ha un po’ delusa mi aspettavo molto di più, ma tutto sommato è stata una lettura piacevole, ora sono molto curiosa di leggere il seguito, ovvero la storia di Shane, miglior amico di Logan, con un passato molto turbolento, e di Bobbi-Jo sorella gemella della protagonista di questo libro. Dagli indizi disseminati in questo libro, la loro storia promette di essere molto interessante.

Editing a cura di Lilith.
Profile Image for Reading Is True Love .
275 reviews6 followers
November 19, 2019
Recensione:
Readers vi parlo del primo romanzo delle gemelle Barker. Billie-Jo è la prima che iniziamo a conoscere, è un fenomeno dell'hockey su ghiaccio e non potrebbe fare a meno di questo sport.
Dopo aver subito un incidente in Svezia, ritorna nella sua cittadina a New Waterford, dove scopre sin da subito che ci sarà un torneo di Hockey. Come vi ho già detto, questo è il suo sport, sembra come se fosse nata già con i pattini e direttamente dal ghiaccio, quindi per lei è inevitabile andare contro tutto e tutti pur di partecipare a questo torneo. Ma c'è un problema: non vogliono che Billie giochi perché è una donna.
Tutti le vanno contro, ma lei non si lascia abbattere dai pregiudizi, quindi testarda continua a partecipare al torneo. Uno dei suoi compagni di squadra è Logan Forest, nonché l'uomo di cui è sempre stata innamorata e che le ha spezzato il cuore. Potrà l'hockey unire due persone?




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Appoggiò a terra la stecca e lasciò andare l’aria. Quello era il suo elemento. Lì si sentiva una vera regina. La sua coordinazione occhio-mano, l’innata abilità di anticipare e segnare, quello era ciò che l’aveva resa una leggenda nelle squadre in cui era stata.
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Per continuare a leggere la recensione venite nel blog Reading Is True Love (Carmy)
Profile Image for Naomi (aplace_inthesun).
1,122 reviews28 followers
April 27, 2023
The weirdest little convoluted book I’ve read in a while. Triplets with weird and all too similar baked, involved with the same man (their MMC) or with someone they don’t love because they’re in love with another man who is a ex-con.
And round and round it went. What was possibly intended to be. A story about a female making it in a men’s league, and returning home after an injury got really complicated and just too much. The next two instalments are about the other two triplets I assume, where the confusion over who is who gets a bit easier as one is now saddled with the MMC. Yay for her (insert eye roll).
Profile Image for Teresa.
1,048 reviews38 followers
February 8, 2020
I finished this yesterday and already can't think of a thing to say about it. I didn't love or hate it so 3 stars it is. I'm intrigued enough by the rest of the characters to continue.
Profile Image for Jess.
1,072 reviews157 followers
October 12, 2012
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: 3.5/5

After a career ending injury playing hockey overseas sends Billie home, she can’t give up the game she loves with all her heart. She can’t afford another concussion, but when she sees the chance to play again in a no-contact men’s league, she signs up; much to the entire town’s dismay. The men in town, save for the hero and a few others, and most of the woman have a very extreme reaction to Billie playing with the men. Her car is trashed, she’s called names, is humiliated in front of the town, you name it and she had to deal with it, including getting it from her own sister. It certainly made me feel for Billie, there’s no way you can’t feel for her, but the reaction seemed really over the top by everyone in town.

With the town in an uproar, Logan puts Billie on his team, he’s one of the few guys in her corner. Billie more than holds her own against the men, in fact she sticks it to them on the ice, which doesn’t help her situation one bit. But it’s a game that she can’t sit back and watch, it’s in her blood and she has to be out on the ice. With her professional career over, a father who’s suffering from dementia and having to deal with the attitude of one of her triplet sisters who stayed at home to take care of their dad and is bitter about it, Billie needs to figure out what to do with her life, beyond playing Friday night hockey. She also needs to figure out what to do with the feelings she’s had for Logan ever since they were teens.

Billie was a character that I ended up just feeling for. She shows moments of vulnerability, when she’s the target of sexist behavior and having anger from her sister directed at her. She fights back tears more times than I could count and I liked that mix of her being a badass on the ice, but emotional about this in her personal life off the ice. She has kept one big whopper of a lie from Logan for many years and it provided the relationship angst these two had to work through to move beyond the past and into their future. I felt like the ending rushed a little bit though with regards to this. We’re told that Logan and Billie talked everything through and came out on the other side together. I’d have loved to have had that conversation on page. It would have added more intimacy to their relationship and more emotion. The sexiness of them together was very understated, which was fine, but I felt like more romance on page would have helped sell them as a couple. They’re enjoyable to read about, I just needed a little more.

Billie has a love/hate/love relationship with her sisters, Bobbie and Betty. Bobbie is dating a nice, but boring guy, and the man she used to love, Shane, is back in town after being released from prison. I initially hated Bobbie’s guts for the way she talked to Billie, but she grew on me a little and I want to know about her past with Shane and see how he shakes up her life now that he’s back in town and still obviously dealing with his own feelings for her. And Betty…how do I say this nicely…Betty is a flat out bitch in this book. She’s a model who shows up at the end of the story with her career in the toilet and seems to take great pleasure in making the people around her uncomfortable and as miserable as she is. I’m probably most interested in her story because I need to know if she can soften up at all, or at this point, I’d like to at least see her get what’s coming to her after her actions at the end of Offside.

This was a cute, fun read. I enjoy sports themed books and liked seeing a lead athlete role go to the heroine for a change. Billie is beyond likable, she’s tough and sweet and I only wanted good things for her, including getting the man she’s loved for years. Logan came across as a solid hero, one who had Billie’s back when not many people did. I hope we get some updates in the next Barker sister’s book on Logan and Billie, just to see their story continue.
Profile Image for Mandi.
2,344 reviews733 followers
October 9, 2012
I love a contemporary romance with a hockey hero and Logan Forest is a pretty good hockey player in this book. But when I found very intriguing when I heard about this book, is that Billie Jo, the heroine, is the true hockey star. Billie Jo was so good at hockey, she left her small town and moved to Sweden to play on a professional men’s team that allowed women to play as well. But when she gets a very serious concussion, she comes home, saddened that she is done with professional hockey.

She also comes home to drama and conflict. Her sister (Billie Jo is part of identical triplets also including Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo – the names are soooo not my favorite). Billie’s sister, Bobbie Jo has changed since she has been gone. She is now super conservative, with an uptight boyfriend. She has also been taking care of their father who appears to be in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. All of this has made Bobbie Jo bitter, and she takes it all out on Billie.

When Billie hears that there is a ‘beer league’ hockey team that plays every Friday night, she wants in. The rules state that it is a no contact league (good for her head injury) and she also notices there is not a rule that says girls can’t play. But when she signs up, the other men are not happy at all. They do not want any girls stepping into their Friday night fun. She does find one ally though. Logan Forest has lived in this small town all his life. He went to school with the Barker triplets. He has a soft spot for Billie and has her back in the league. And she is going to need it because the men in this town are not happy.

I liked both Billie and Logan, although I wish Logan had had more of a bigger presence in this book or a bigger personality. I liked Billie better. She is strong, and stubborn and never gives up on her quest to find happiness after her concussion. The men in this town are really nasty to her. I actually thought it was a little over-dramatic how they seem to all treat her so poorly. Maybe in these small towns this would really happen, but it seemed a little extreme to me. But I liked the way she handled them. I also liked her relationship with her sister Bobbie. It is very strained, but it felt realistic. The resentment Bobbie has of Billie going off to pursue her dreams while she is stuck at home caring for their ailing father came across well. There are also big hints about Bobbie and maybe someone who is not her current boyfriend who may be appearing in a future book.

Logan and Billie have hot sex in this book, but the one big thing I feel was missing was a glimpse more into an actual relationship, rather than just sex. I wanted to see them go a little deeper into their emotions. I feel like that depth was missing. I liked them together, but the ‘love’ announcement seemed to come too quickly for them. I think their physical relationship is done well, but I needed a little more emotional depth. I never felt a strong connection between them.

Otherwise, I liked this one. I like Juliana Stone’s voice and I’m looking forward to the other two Barker triplet stories.

Rating: C+
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