I do love a hockey romance, and this one features prickly black cat/filthy mouthed golden retriever vibes. Avery has family trauma that's colored the way she sees all relationships, and Cole decides right away that it's Avery or no one, and he isn't into casual. This is the second installment of the Beyond the Ice series, and the chemistry between these two sizzles right off the page.
I appreciate the complexity of Avery's character. She's been through so much, and she's still going. She can come off as a PITA because life has taught her that even the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally will forsake you, and Cole has to use all his patience to try and break down her walls. He's the star left winger on the Teagan University hockey team, and Avery's soft place to fall. He's also a part time Henry sitter and a master of duck related puns.
The bit of suspense and intrigue in the 3rd act was something I didn't see coming, but it played out well enough to be the final push for everyone to lay their cards on the table and get really honest, really fast. Overall I enjoyed this book, my first read from this author, and would recommend it to fellow hockey romance fans. I plan to go back and read the first book in the series before the 3rd comes out. While I think Reese's story will be good, it's Mase I want to get to the bottom of...