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Renegades #1
Score on Me
Kat Torella didn't believe real love existed outside of her romance novels. She didn't believe in Prince Charming, or happily ever afters. Well, actually, she just didn't believe they would ever happen to her.
Kat was not built for love. She always felt like the fat girl that no one really saw. Being bullied as a child led to a lifetime of self-doubt. She feared that she would always see that little fat girl staring back at her in the mirror. Even as an adult, she's still dealing with it.
Hockey was her escape. She loved the game and she loved the players. One player in particular. He was dreamy. Even swoon-worthy. His dark eyes were mesmerizing. His smile devilishly sexy. His signature flowing locks always looked effortlessly perfect. He was flawless in every way...
Too bad she would never get a guy like him. Well, at least that's what she thought.
Kris Lafleur was the star defenseman for the Pittsburgh Renegades. Hockey was his life. Well, it was easy to be so dedicated to the game when he hadn't had much luck in the romance department. His hockey star status attracted puck bunnies and gold diggers. Neither was the kind of girl you wanted to bring home to mom; actually neither were the kind of girl that Kris even wanted to associate with. Deep down he was a hopeless romantic. He was looking for someone who was as devoted to him as he was to her, and not so interested in his bank account.
Then he saw her... Was it her smile? Was it her laugh? He didn't know what it was, but she already had his heart.
Kat was not built for love. She always felt like the fat girl that no one really saw. Being bullied as a child led to a lifetime of self-doubt. She feared that she would always see that little fat girl staring back at her in the mirror. Even as an adult, she's still dealing with it.
Hockey was her escape. She loved the game and she loved the players. One player in particular. He was dreamy. Even swoon-worthy. His dark eyes were mesmerizing. His smile devilishly sexy. His signature flowing locks always looked effortlessly perfect. He was flawless in every way...
Too bad she would never get a guy like him. Well, at least that's what she thought.
Kris Lafleur was the star defenseman for the Pittsburgh Renegades. Hockey was his life. Well, it was easy to be so dedicated to the game when he hadn't had much luck in the romance department. His hockey star status attracted puck bunnies and gold diggers. Neither was the kind of girl you wanted to bring home to mom; actually neither were the kind of girl that Kris even wanted to associate with. Deep down he was a hopeless romantic. He was looking for someone who was as devoted to him as he was to her, and not so interested in his bank account.
Then he saw her... Was it her smile? Was it her laugh? He didn't know what it was, but she already had his heart.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2014
469 people are currently reading
959 people want to read
About the author
Melody Heck Gatto
29 books129 followersPittsburgh, PA born and raised! I write Spicy Hockey Romance and Cozy Closed-Door Contemporary Romance.
I am a Mom, a Wife, and a dog and cat lover.
I've loved reading and writing since I was small.
My books are cozy with a little spice. Some might be a little fluffy, but sometimes you need that to get away from every day stress!
I am an avid hockey fan. I love my Pittsburgh Penguins! I do plenty of "research" for my books by going to hockey practices and games-I want to make my characters as real as possible.
Facebook page: http://www.Facebook.com/AuthorMelodyH...
I am a Mom, a Wife, and a dog and cat lover.
I've loved reading and writing since I was small.
My books are cozy with a little spice. Some might be a little fluffy, but sometimes you need that to get away from every day stress!
I am an avid hockey fan. I love my Pittsburgh Penguins! I do plenty of "research" for my books by going to hockey practices and games-I want to make my characters as real as possible.
Facebook page: http://www.Facebook.com/AuthorMelodyH...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 6, 2018
The beginning of this book and Kris and Kat’s meeting is one of my all time favorites! I absolutely loved their story and can’t wait to read Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Renegades #2.
June 10, 2015
So yeah... This book... where to start...
So the ONLY reason that I gave it 2 stars is because of Kris' character. HE was sweet. An unbelievable character but sweet. Hence the two stars (really it's more like 1.5).
This is another instant lust cliche of epic proportions. The premise was SO good! I mean come on, fluffy girl gets hot hunky hockey player? I'm all in... and then I read it... more like I refused to not finish it because I don't have a DNF list and I wasn't about to create one. But my poor Kindle did take some abuse from forceful put downs because if I didn't step away from the book right then and there... I was going to hurl the poor Kindle across the room and it just didn't deserve that kind of treatment.
Kris is a sweetheart. He's not your "typical" hockey star. Meaning even though he is a fan favorite of the ladies, he's not a man-whore. He had his heart broken by a psycho ex and he falls head over heels in love with Kat. He shows her that he loves her and doesn't see the body image issues that she does. To him, she's just beautiful. He indulges her junk food obsession and tempers it with his healthy food nuttiness. He showers Kat with love and affection throughout the entire book but I think I would have liked to see him be a little firmer letting Gia know that any advances on her part were not welcome. He didn't do anything that would suggest that he did welcome them, he just didn't say, "That's not really appropriate since I love your sister. Don't grab my ass..."
So my big problem with this book... there is no suspense. Nothing to drive the plot along at all it just plods along like a lazy river and it's BORING! There was some crazy ex but that was over and cleared up in a puff of smoke before the 50% mark. After that it's just interactions with various characters in every day yadda yadda life. I read books to get AWAY from that crap.
But lack of plot does not make a 2 star book all on it's own. Nope there was waaaay more wrong with this than that. So let's start with Kat, who is our "h" of the story. She's mad obsessed with this one hockey player (Kris) and of course the one time that she goes to the ice to watch warm ups their eyes connect... and she drools nacho cheese down her face. But first we got the lovely inner dialogue of Kat while she is dealing with the so called "puck bunnies" that are also down there. "Savoring the bite of crunchy chip and flavorful cheese, she fed her emotions like fat girls do... She bet these skinny girls never tasted the cheesy goodness of nachos." So yeah, that's not offensive in any shape or form. Second, she's a size 14 which is AVERAGE size and yeah she's a bit curvy but it's not like she's walking around being called a heifer like a size 28 woman might be subjected to. Second, not every fat person stuffs their face because they have to feed their emotions so don't even go there.
I get that her mom screwed her head up pretty good but I have a question: If her mom is as screwed up in the head as the sister Gia let on, how did a fat camp let her become a counselor? I mean, this woman had such an eating disorder and from the sounds of it still does and people are going to let the crazy person try to counsel kids who have to deal with their weight? Seriously?
So yeah, these two lovebirds' eyes connect and after the game she just happens to be sitting at a table in front of a coffee shop and he walks by on his way to get a cup of coffee after the game. The arena is closing and after a brutally awkward conversation they go to yet another coffee house then back to his house and jump in the sack. Yup.. Instant Lust and no mention of any sort of protection ever in this book. Seriously, it NEVER came up. It's stressed that Kris is a health nut to the highest degree and he doesn't think about using protection with a woman he has literally known for 2 hours? PUHLEAZE!
So we get to hear over and over that Kat thinks she has weight issues. But all of a sudden when summer rolls around she's running around in little tiny bikini's poolside. But she still has body issues when looking at dresses....
The book goes on from there with her thinking that a hot hunk of a hockey player couldn't possibly be attracted to someone over a size 2, a gold - digger ex girlfriend makes a brief appearance, to a spoiled, selfish, self-absorbed sister, cocky player of a cousin coming to town, Kat getting past her "fear" that none of the other hockey girlfriends/wives are going to like her just because of her size ... and so forth ...
This book I'm guessing takes place over about 9 months, maybe 8. The two meet I'm going to guess it was either late January or very early February because she moves in within weeks of even knowing the guy and then everything wraps up before the start of training camp for the next season which I know starts in September. I know hockey and the timing of hockey seasons! So this whole timeline of "instant love" crap just is completely unbelievable.
The hockey part of it was on the border as well. There are 23 other guys on the team and it seemed like every freaking game Kris had a goal and 1 or 2 assists. Let me put it to you this way: Alex Ovechkin is the current top goal scorer in the NHL for this current season and he had 52 goals in the regular season no one else scored anywhere near him this season, there have been others in the past though. There are 82 games in an entire REGULAR season. There are 3 rounds of games before the Stanley Cup Finals. All of these games are best of 7 series so in order to get to and win the Stanley Cup a team would have to play an additional 16 - 28 games depending on how they did in a particular series. It's possible just not exactly plausible for any one player to routinely score game winners or that many goals/assists unless you are setting him up to be one of the top all stars of the game in the entire league who are just on a freak tear... it's ok to let teammates shine too (not just those who will have future books)... I get it he's the hero, but come on, let's retain a little bit of the game that we all love. It's ok if he goes on a scoring drought, all players do! That part of my rant may just be about me and my love of the game but I love hockey because it's a team sport but we didn't even get to meet half of the team just a couple of the players by name and the mention that most of the others came to hang out at a BBQ or whatever. Not everyone is going to care about those kind of details but it was just one more thing that irked me.
Other problems with the book are the extensive typos: "She has always loved food." If you're going to say something inane, at least stay in one tense... "I'm glad, cause he's a god guy." Editor should be sacked for missing the obvious ones. Other than the typos, the dialogue is absolutely horrendous and it takes awkward to a whole new meaning. Everything is stilted and uncomfortable like robots are reading the conversations.
Please for the love of God use a freaking thesaurus. Everyone smirks in this book. Smirking to me is sarcastic and there is a time and a place for it. You don't smirk during lovey dovey scenes. Chuff, chuckle, giggle, laugh there are dozens of other ways to describe something other than a smirk unless you are being intentionally snotty or snarky. The love scenes could actually be cut and pasted between one another. They are all the same and actually get monotonous which is NEVER a good thing when you are trying to be sexy. And please stop using the term "Lady Parts" for the vajayjay. I akin that to using "dangley bits" for guys. It's just icky.
I absolutely hated Gia's character altogether. First off, if my sister kept making inappropriate comments like she did when I introduced her for the first time to the man I was living with, I'd have smacked her. It didn't come off as playful, it came off as her being a jealous bitch of a younger sister who is going to try to steal a man away from her older sister just because she thinks she's the prettier one. It's pathetic and not likeable in the least.
I feel sorry for Tyler because he comes off as such a sweet guy and who deserves to be loved and she's the definition of a man-eater. It's setting up so that she is stringing him along while she really has the hots for Patrick (Kris' cousin) so he's being set up for a massive heartbreak which sucks. I hate women who are like, "I just want to be friends with him, but I want to sleep with him, so I guess I can be called his girlfriend but I secretly like the bad boy who I'm going to pretend that I don't like to see if I can make him want me even more.. When everything falls apart I can cry that I told the guy I wanted to be friends with that friendship was all I had wanted and I don't know why I complicated it with sex when bad boy was all I wanted in the first place." I disliked Gia so much so that I honestly don't give a rat's patootie what happens to her in the next book. She could fall off a cliff and I wouldn't bat an eyelash and I will just end up hating her more for hurting Tyler.
So yeah, this puppy needs a serious overhaul and reworking to actually become a believable story. But even then, I still will pass on giving it another shot.
So the ONLY reason that I gave it 2 stars is because of Kris' character. HE was sweet. An unbelievable character but sweet. Hence the two stars (really it's more like 1.5).
This is another instant lust cliche of epic proportions. The premise was SO good! I mean come on, fluffy girl gets hot hunky hockey player? I'm all in... and then I read it... more like I refused to not finish it because I don't have a DNF list and I wasn't about to create one. But my poor Kindle did take some abuse from forceful put downs because if I didn't step away from the book right then and there... I was going to hurl the poor Kindle across the room and it just didn't deserve that kind of treatment.
Kris is a sweetheart. He's not your "typical" hockey star. Meaning even though he is a fan favorite of the ladies, he's not a man-whore. He had his heart broken by a psycho ex and he falls head over heels in love with Kat. He shows her that he loves her and doesn't see the body image issues that she does. To him, she's just beautiful. He indulges her junk food obsession and tempers it with his healthy food nuttiness. He showers Kat with love and affection throughout the entire book but I think I would have liked to see him be a little firmer letting Gia know that any advances on her part were not welcome. He didn't do anything that would suggest that he did welcome them, he just didn't say, "That's not really appropriate since I love your sister. Don't grab my ass..."
So my big problem with this book... there is no suspense. Nothing to drive the plot along at all it just plods along like a lazy river and it's BORING! There was some crazy ex but that was over and cleared up in a puff of smoke before the 50% mark. After that it's just interactions with various characters in every day yadda yadda life. I read books to get AWAY from that crap.
But lack of plot does not make a 2 star book all on it's own. Nope there was waaaay more wrong with this than that. So let's start with Kat, who is our "h" of the story. She's mad obsessed with this one hockey player (Kris) and of course the one time that she goes to the ice to watch warm ups their eyes connect... and she drools nacho cheese down her face. But first we got the lovely inner dialogue of Kat while she is dealing with the so called "puck bunnies" that are also down there. "Savoring the bite of crunchy chip and flavorful cheese, she fed her emotions like fat girls do... She bet these skinny girls never tasted the cheesy goodness of nachos." So yeah, that's not offensive in any shape or form. Second, she's a size 14 which is AVERAGE size and yeah she's a bit curvy but it's not like she's walking around being called a heifer like a size 28 woman might be subjected to. Second, not every fat person stuffs their face because they have to feed their emotions so don't even go there.
I get that her mom screwed her head up pretty good but I have a question: If her mom is as screwed up in the head as the sister Gia let on, how did a fat camp let her become a counselor? I mean, this woman had such an eating disorder and from the sounds of it still does and people are going to let the crazy person try to counsel kids who have to deal with their weight? Seriously?
So yeah, these two lovebirds' eyes connect and after the game she just happens to be sitting at a table in front of a coffee shop and he walks by on his way to get a cup of coffee after the game. The arena is closing and after a brutally awkward conversation they go to yet another coffee house then back to his house and jump in the sack. Yup.. Instant Lust and no mention of any sort of protection ever in this book. Seriously, it NEVER came up. It's stressed that Kris is a health nut to the highest degree and he doesn't think about using protection with a woman he has literally known for 2 hours? PUHLEAZE!
So we get to hear over and over that Kat thinks she has weight issues. But all of a sudden when summer rolls around she's running around in little tiny bikini's poolside. But she still has body issues when looking at dresses....
The book goes on from there with her thinking that a hot hunk of a hockey player couldn't possibly be attracted to someone over a size 2, a gold - digger ex girlfriend makes a brief appearance, to a spoiled, selfish, self-absorbed sister, cocky player of a cousin coming to town, Kat getting past her "fear" that none of the other hockey girlfriends/wives are going to like her just because of her size ... and so forth ...
This book I'm guessing takes place over about 9 months, maybe 8. The two meet I'm going to guess it was either late January or very early February because she moves in within weeks of even knowing the guy and then everything wraps up before the start of training camp for the next season which I know starts in September. I know hockey and the timing of hockey seasons! So this whole timeline of "instant love" crap just is completely unbelievable.
The hockey part of it was on the border as well. There are 23 other guys on the team and it seemed like every freaking game Kris had a goal and 1 or 2 assists. Let me put it to you this way: Alex Ovechkin is the current top goal scorer in the NHL for this current season and he had 52 goals in the regular season no one else scored anywhere near him this season, there have been others in the past though. There are 82 games in an entire REGULAR season. There are 3 rounds of games before the Stanley Cup Finals. All of these games are best of 7 series so in order to get to and win the Stanley Cup a team would have to play an additional 16 - 28 games depending on how they did in a particular series. It's possible just not exactly plausible for any one player to routinely score game winners or that many goals/assists unless you are setting him up to be one of the top all stars of the game in the entire league who are just on a freak tear... it's ok to let teammates shine too (not just those who will have future books)... I get it he's the hero, but come on, let's retain a little bit of the game that we all love. It's ok if he goes on a scoring drought, all players do! That part of my rant may just be about me and my love of the game but I love hockey because it's a team sport but we didn't even get to meet half of the team just a couple of the players by name and the mention that most of the others came to hang out at a BBQ or whatever. Not everyone is going to care about those kind of details but it was just one more thing that irked me.
Other problems with the book are the extensive typos: "She has always loved food." If you're going to say something inane, at least stay in one tense... "I'm glad, cause he's a god guy." Editor should be sacked for missing the obvious ones. Other than the typos, the dialogue is absolutely horrendous and it takes awkward to a whole new meaning. Everything is stilted and uncomfortable like robots are reading the conversations.
Please for the love of God use a freaking thesaurus. Everyone smirks in this book. Smirking to me is sarcastic and there is a time and a place for it. You don't smirk during lovey dovey scenes. Chuff, chuckle, giggle, laugh there are dozens of other ways to describe something other than a smirk unless you are being intentionally snotty or snarky. The love scenes could actually be cut and pasted between one another. They are all the same and actually get monotonous which is NEVER a good thing when you are trying to be sexy. And please stop using the term "Lady Parts" for the vajayjay. I akin that to using "dangley bits" for guys. It's just icky.
I absolutely hated Gia's character altogether. First off, if my sister kept making inappropriate comments like she did when I introduced her for the first time to the man I was living with, I'd have smacked her. It didn't come off as playful, it came off as her being a jealous bitch of a younger sister who is going to try to steal a man away from her older sister just because she thinks she's the prettier one. It's pathetic and not likeable in the least.
I feel sorry for Tyler because he comes off as such a sweet guy and who deserves to be loved and she's the definition of a man-eater. It's setting up so that she is stringing him along while she really has the hots for Patrick (Kris' cousin) so he's being set up for a massive heartbreak which sucks. I hate women who are like, "I just want to be friends with him, but I want to sleep with him, so I guess I can be called his girlfriend but I secretly like the bad boy who I'm going to pretend that I don't like to see if I can make him want me even more.. When everything falls apart I can cry that I told the guy I wanted to be friends with that friendship was all I had wanted and I don't know why I complicated it with sex when bad boy was all I wanted in the first place." I disliked Gia so much so that I honestly don't give a rat's patootie what happens to her in the next book. She could fall off a cliff and I wouldn't bat an eyelash and I will just end up hating her more for hurting Tyler.
So yeah, this puppy needs a serious overhaul and reworking to actually become a believable story. But even then, I still will pass on giving it another shot.
November 2, 2014
This book was...ok. It started out awesome. And I love it when the curvy girls get the hot guy. But in the end, while it was decent, I didn't love it.
October 4, 2014
Well, what more could a girl want other than sexy hockey players and a good storyline. The chance meeting of Kris and Kat lead to a love at first sight romance, I did think that this was a little bit too good to be true and that the author could've made this part of the story have a little bit more angst and turmoil. I really fell in love with Kris especially when he was being so supportive and reassuring to Kat when she was in her self doubt mode regarding her weight, he never let her think that she was anything less than perfect. Exactly how a man who loves you should make you feel!!! The introduction to other members of the team was good opening the door for further books in the series to follow. Overall a good beginning to a series. I award 4 stars ~ Rosie
August 18, 2015
I had read this before Melody decided to add more to the story and thought it was good debut novel rated it 3 and half stars as it was good but it lacked something . Well now I would say it is a 5 star read Melody has grown as author and it shows in the revised edition. I love the story of girl goes to hockey game catch the eye of her favourite player they fall for each other this is a sweet romance no over the top drama, that you will enjoy struggle to put down and want to read again and again.
September 5, 2023
This was not good. The characters were one dimensional and the story line was a little boring. Their day-to-day was overly detailed for not being about anything. More focus on her career would have fleshed this out a little bit. The only place where there was any depth at all was the portions about her constantly hemming and hawing about her weight and her curves, but then stuffing her face with whatever she wanted. There wasn't much to this but what there was wasn't good.
April 7, 2018
Good!
This was the first book that I've read by this author, but it kept me hooked. I really liked the story. It wasn't anything different to the usual hockey stories I've read, but I liked the simplicity of the story. I liked the team as a whole, the secondary characters, and the slide stories they brought to the table. I liked Kat and Kris, they were cute. The story was dragged out at bits, but because I was hooked I didn't really care. I look forward to the next book because Gia and Pat are going to be fun.
This was the first book that I've read by this author, but it kept me hooked. I really liked the story. It wasn't anything different to the usual hockey stories I've read, but I liked the simplicity of the story. I liked the team as a whole, the secondary characters, and the slide stories they brought to the table. I liked Kat and Kris, they were cute. The story was dragged out at bits, but because I was hooked I didn't really care. I look forward to the next book because Gia and Pat are going to be fun.
April 9, 2018
Good one!
I would read this one again. I really enjoyed it. This kept me reading till I read it without stopping. Enjoy!
I would read this one again. I really enjoyed it. This kept me reading till I read it without stopping. Enjoy!
October 28, 2014
Sports romances, who enjoys these? I will have to admit I am finding my around this new favorite of mine. You have to be able to intertwine the character around their profession without over doing it. You also have to be knowledgeable enough to make the story believable. Melody Heck Gatto did just that with a grasp on the game, but focused on the story line.
Another enticing thing about most of the sports romances is that the secondary characters usually end up with their own books. With that being said, the author needs to introduce interest in the characters to move forward. There was definitely no lacking on the author's part here either. I'm really interested to see who gets to be the main character in the next installment.
You get both the main character perspectives which allows you to connect to them and see what is stirring around in their heads. There are a few minor edits that caught my attention, but nothing that takes you away from the story.
I was received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely recommend this read. Take a chance on a little hockey romance. Enjoy!
Another enticing thing about most of the sports romances is that the secondary characters usually end up with their own books. With that being said, the author needs to introduce interest in the characters to move forward. There was definitely no lacking on the author's part here either. I'm really interested to see who gets to be the main character in the next installment.
You get both the main character perspectives which allows you to connect to them and see what is stirring around in their heads. There are a few minor edits that caught my attention, but nothing that takes you away from the story.
I was received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely recommend this read. Take a chance on a little hockey romance. Enjoy!
September 23, 2015
I purchased this book on a recommendation of a Fellow Street Team member and I absolutely LOVED IT! This book is full of everything a romantic hockey girl could love. Kat has a major crush on Kris, a sexy hockey player for the Renegades but knows it is a dream, there is no way he could ever fall for her. But with deams, sometimes they do come true.
I couldn't put this book down. Both Kat and Kris have insecurities/fears of things that life has given them and the author did a tremendous job of dealing with them. Whenever I read a book, I always think ahead, trying in my mind to feel out where the book was headed. Melody did a great job of surprising me, of going in a direction I hadn't expected. I fell in love with Kris and Kat. I have already purchased book two and hope to see more of this series. I recommend this author and the series. You will not be disappointed.
I couldn't put this book down. Both Kat and Kris have insecurities/fears of things that life has given them and the author did a tremendous job of dealing with them. Whenever I read a book, I always think ahead, trying in my mind to feel out where the book was headed. Melody did a great job of surprising me, of going in a direction I hadn't expected. I fell in love with Kris and Kat. I have already purchased book two and hope to see more of this series. I recommend this author and the series. You will not be disappointed.
October 22, 2014
Ok, first, I love hockey. Hockey romances are certainly my FAVE! That being said, this was actually good. There was enough hockey in it, to make me feel like it was a real sports book. It wasn't a romance with just the word hockey thrown around! This author has a great grasp on the sport and I love it.
That being said, this was a sweet romance. The sex was hot, the relationship and interaction was perfect and I'm DYING to see who gets the next book! Tyler? Patrick? Mmmm... There were a few editing mistakes, but it won't hinder you from reading this book! Pick this up!
That being said, this was a sweet romance. The sex was hot, the relationship and interaction was perfect and I'm DYING to see who gets the next book! Tyler? Patrick? Mmmm... There were a few editing mistakes, but it won't hinder you from reading this book! Pick this up!
May 25, 2015
I can count on 1 hand how many times I have quit a book before it's over but I just couldn't take this one. Horribly written. I wish I could blame it on the grammar aspect but that wasn't the problem. Real people are not this polite, they just aren't. Especially athletes. I am a huge fan of sports romance. Entirely too mushy, too fast. Just not my style. Not enough first person. Ugh. I just didn't like the book. This is one where I want a refund.
August 14, 2015
Absolutely lovely!
I normally never leave a review, but after the 5th time re-reading I just had to! This book is an absolute joy to read and you should totally try it!
I normally never leave a review, but after the 5th time re-reading I just had to! This book is an absolute joy to read and you should totally try it!
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April 24, 2018
I love a good sports romance series but found this book disappointing. I did like it enough to finish, and I liked Kris the H. But there were a few things that annoyed me.
I felt the book lacked a decent storyline. It is fun to imagine life as a player’s girlfriend with a close knit group of fellow spouses to hang with, but the description of the day to day happenings without any real plot makes for a dull read. The book is long, but not much really happens. There are plenty of sex scenes but it’s very vanilla, a tad awkward and not that sexy.
The h also annoyed me. We all love to see the less than perfect girl get the hot guy, but I found myself wanting Kris to cut this h loose for being annoying more than I wanted to see the relationship develop. Kat created some imagined conflict with her self doubt and melodramatic actions but this came of as immature and detracted from the story rather than adding any plot.
The other thing that drove me nuts was the constant reference to junk food / unhealthy eating. I love some nachos and cookies as much as the next person but felt a little ill reading the H’s diet. And it irritated me when combined with her constant whining about her body issues. Healthy can be sexy in any size/ shape. If there wasn’t soooo many descriptions of food and eating and mocking Kris being healthy it wouldn’t have bothered me, but OMG eat a vegetable and stop wingeing. And while I get the an athlete will be health conscious they also need to eat a lot of carbs so the descriptions of Kris’s eating irritated me too. But I digress....
Overall I didn’t hate the book but am glad it was a freebie. The second book is a cheating/ love triangle issue so I’m not rushing to get that one but the 3rd book sounds more promising so I might give that a go and see where the author goes with the series.
I felt the book lacked a decent storyline. It is fun to imagine life as a player’s girlfriend with a close knit group of fellow spouses to hang with, but the description of the day to day happenings without any real plot makes for a dull read. The book is long, but not much really happens. There are plenty of sex scenes but it’s very vanilla, a tad awkward and not that sexy.
The h also annoyed me. We all love to see the less than perfect girl get the hot guy, but I found myself wanting Kris to cut this h loose for being annoying more than I wanted to see the relationship develop. Kat created some imagined conflict with her self doubt and melodramatic actions but this came of as immature and detracted from the story rather than adding any plot.
The other thing that drove me nuts was the constant reference to junk food / unhealthy eating. I love some nachos and cookies as much as the next person but felt a little ill reading the H’s diet. And it irritated me when combined with her constant whining about her body issues. Healthy can be sexy in any size/ shape. If there wasn’t soooo many descriptions of food and eating and mocking Kris being healthy it wouldn’t have bothered me, but OMG eat a vegetable and stop wingeing. And while I get the an athlete will be health conscious they also need to eat a lot of carbs so the descriptions of Kris’s eating irritated me too. But I digress....
Overall I didn’t hate the book but am glad it was a freebie. The second book is a cheating/ love triangle issue so I’m not rushing to get that one but the 3rd book sounds more promising so I might give that a go and see where the author goes with the series.
April 2, 2025
Kat works for a local newspaper company. She doesn't get the big stories to report on. She is working the mid school / high school sports teams. She isn't unhappy with her job, just wishes they gave her more to do, bigger stories. Kat loves hockey, always has. One night she goes to a hockey game by herself, and sits next to the glass around the arena while the players are warming up. Kat sees Kris staring at her. Even when hot nacho cheese is running down her chin! Oh gosh she's so embarrassed!
Kris is on the NHL Team for Pittsburgh. He loves his team and what he has been building with the team. Kris sees Kat during warm ups before a game. He can't stop staring at her. He can see her blue eyes and is take back by her inner beauty. He's not sure if he will be able to see her or find her after the game. But, they do run into each other at the coffee shop inside the arena. Both seem to be attracted to each other and make great small talk with each other.
Kris and Kat talk and text a lot while he is out of town for games. One of Kris's teammates tells him to be careful with Kat. He assumes that she is just a gold digger waiting to get her hooks into a hockey player. Kat isn't like that though and Kris knows it. All Kris can see is her kindness and beauty.
I know this is a problem many plus girls/women have is thinking we don't deserve happiness, and that is because we are often put down for our looks/weight. I wish Kat was more body positive in this book. She often looked down on herself and wasn't happy with herself because of her weight.
I did receive a free ARC Book Copy of this book. I am freely leaving an honest review.
Kris is on the NHL Team for Pittsburgh. He loves his team and what he has been building with the team. Kris sees Kat during warm ups before a game. He can't stop staring at her. He can see her blue eyes and is take back by her inner beauty. He's not sure if he will be able to see her or find her after the game. But, they do run into each other at the coffee shop inside the arena. Both seem to be attracted to each other and make great small talk with each other.
Kris and Kat talk and text a lot while he is out of town for games. One of Kris's teammates tells him to be careful with Kat. He assumes that she is just a gold digger waiting to get her hooks into a hockey player. Kat isn't like that though and Kris knows it. All Kris can see is her kindness and beauty.
I know this is a problem many plus girls/women have is thinking we don't deserve happiness, and that is because we are often put down for our looks/weight. I wish Kat was more body positive in this book. She often looked down on herself and wasn't happy with herself because of her weight.
I did receive a free ARC Book Copy of this book. I am freely leaving an honest review.
March 20, 2018
DNF!!!! You don’t understand how annoying this book was. It started off ok but by the tenth page I was rolling my eyes every time Kat said something or thought something. It’s one thing to have a insecure character it’s another to have one who’s inner dialogue and conversations are all depressing. She had absolutely no confidence and was suspicious and self-conscious any time food or Anna were mentioned. I had to stop reading the moment I read the first paragraph of chapter 11. Her reactions made absolutely no sense. I hate characters like Kat and I wish authors would stop making characters who need validation from others to finally see themselves as beautiful. Also as a book that’s been published and whatnot the least the author could’ve done was hire a decent editor.
November 6, 2017
4
I enjoyed this read, but still felt that it was missing something.
Kat is a beautiful girl with low self-esteem learning how to love herself while falling in love with Kris. Kris is a guy trying to do what he loves playing hockey and give love a second chance after being hurt and used.
I would recommend the read if I was asked but I would warn them about the lack of controversy in the book. As good as it was, it’s filled with fluff through at least 70% of the book, and I want to read a little more drama.
I enjoyed this read, but still felt that it was missing something.
Kat is a beautiful girl with low self-esteem learning how to love herself while falling in love with Kris. Kris is a guy trying to do what he loves playing hockey and give love a second chance after being hurt and used.
I would recommend the read if I was asked but I would warn them about the lack of controversy in the book. As good as it was, it’s filled with fluff through at least 70% of the book, and I want to read a little more drama.
December 1, 2022
Enjoyable, but for me it was a bit too easy and straight to the point with no real plot to sink into.
And just FYI I am not hating the author nor wanting anyone to say hurtfull things.
I know they work a lot on the stories. They are their babies, their brain's children. And it is frustrating and sad to read some of the comments when the public disliked their work, something they put so much effort and time into.
So, either I did or didn't like the story, congrats to the author. They wrote a book and had the courage to open themselves to the world and their opinions.
And just FYI I am not hating the author nor wanting anyone to say hurtfull things.
I know they work a lot on the stories. They are their babies, their brain's children. And it is frustrating and sad to read some of the comments when the public disliked their work, something they put so much effort and time into.
So, either I did or didn't like the story, congrats to the author. They wrote a book and had the courage to open themselves to the world and their opinions.
March 21, 2019
This was so bad I'm actually shocked. I was super excited to start this book because it's about the hockey team the Pittsburgh Renegades. This was about star defensemen Kris LaFleur and Kat Torella. When I read that I was like Kris LaFleur sounds quite similar to the current defensemen playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kris Letang. I mean his wife's name is Katherine. I figured that was interesting enough to make me continue. I regret finishing this because it was really that bad.
October 9, 2022
So much wrong with this one, it needs serious editing and work. The plot was boring, some of the characters were just over the top ridiculous, and the conversations were stiff and lacked emotion although from the over excessive use of the exclamation point you'd think there was a lot of emotion! I liked the hero quite a bit but the heroine grated on my nerves and don't get me started on her OTT mother. Overall, I plodded through it but in reality I should have DNF'd it.
August 2, 2025
This story has it all, and you will love Kat and Kris! Swoony hockey player who sees the beauty in Kat, when she can't see it in herself! 5 stars for this one!
Melody did an amazing job with this story, Kat, a little heavy, she sees the looks from other woman while at the hockey game, but when Kris spots her, cheese dripping down her face and all, he knows there is something special about this woman!
Don't miss out on this amazing start to a new series, you will love it!
Melody did an amazing job with this story, Kat, a little heavy, she sees the looks from other woman while at the hockey game, but when Kris spots her, cheese dripping down her face and all, he knows there is something special about this woman!
Don't miss out on this amazing start to a new series, you will love it!
April 12, 2018
Must Like Hockey
Hockey lovers will really like this story! Ms Gatto included ice time along with the stadium atmosphere . There was some twists and turns to keep you guessing and some steamy intimacy scenes too. Proofreading had a few glitches, there was no cheating or cliffhanger and you get a happy ending.
Hockey lovers will really like this story! Ms Gatto included ice time along with the stadium atmosphere . There was some twists and turns to keep you guessing and some steamy intimacy scenes too. Proofreading had a few glitches, there was no cheating or cliffhanger and you get a happy ending.
May 14, 2018
It was a good read but annoying at the same time not because of the storyline but because of the page formation. Some pages have between 1-3 lines and I couldn’t understand why. It sort of take the excitement of the read for me. Anyway the romance between Kris and Kat was fantastic. From the start they clicked and you can’t help but like the characters.
August 25, 2018
I enjoyed Kat and Kris's story. I love hockey romance books and I was happy that this book included some hockey. I was able to relate to Kat's body image issues and her mother's beat down. I admired how the author handled this. I smiled a lot as I read this book as the average girl got the love of the hunk.
September 6, 2018
Score on Me
This is a great hockey story. Kat and Kris are a perfect match. There chemistry between them is off the charts. The sensitivity the author gives to curvy girls and parent relationships add to the story development. This book is relevant, sexy, romantic, funny, and honest. You’ll leave with a new book boyfriend and a romance hang over. Can’t wait to read the next book.
This is a great hockey story. Kat and Kris are a perfect match. There chemistry between them is off the charts. The sensitivity the author gives to curvy girls and parent relationships add to the story development. This book is relevant, sexy, romantic, funny, and honest. You’ll leave with a new book boyfriend and a romance hang over. Can’t wait to read the next book.
September 17, 2018
Unlike able heroine
Kay was so neurotic and self centered I don’t see how Kris could stand her. In hindsight, the sister ,Gia, and the mom were terrible as well. The writing was rudimentary but I think it can improve with more books. I probably won’t read any others but I do wish the author well.
Kay was so neurotic and self centered I don’t see how Kris could stand her. In hindsight, the sister ,Gia, and the mom were terrible as well. The writing was rudimentary but I think it can improve with more books. I probably won’t read any others but I do wish the author well.
April 9, 2018
I loved the book!
I really loved this book, it cut straight to the important parts, it had some suspense, I was expecting a little more drama but it was a different turn of events it was an amazing story and full of love. I recommend the book!
I really loved this book, it cut straight to the important parts, it had some suspense, I was expecting a little more drama but it was a different turn of events it was an amazing story and full of love. I recommend the book!
April 14, 2018
Loving hockey players
Wonderful story that balances hockey and romance and the importance of loving who you are and excepting yourself and your flaws..beautiful reinforcement of self-esteem!
Wonderful story that balances hockey and romance and the importance of loving who you are and excepting yourself and your flaws..beautiful reinforcement of self-esteem!
April 18, 2018
Hockey anyone
While I’m not a big sports lover of any kind and tend to stay away from books about sports players, this book was about so much more. Self doubt, body shaming, determination and true grit. Oh and well of course a happily ever after.
While I’m not a big sports lover of any kind and tend to stay away from books about sports players, this book was about so much more. Self doubt, body shaming, determination and true grit. Oh and well of course a happily ever after.
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