Moonshot ~ Alessandra Torre

Amazon US

Baseball isn’t supposed to be a game of life and death… 

The summer that Chase Stern entered my life, I was seventeen. The daughter of a legend, the Yankees were my family, their stadium my home, their dugout my workplace. My focus was on the game. Chase... he started out as a distraction. A distraction with sex appeal poured into every inch of his six foot frame. A distraction who played like a god and partied like a devil. 

I tried to stay away. I couldn’t. 

Then, the team started losing. 

Women started dying. 

And everything in my world broke apart.

I am a big sports fan. Baseball and football are my favs. I was really excited to read Moonshot and this was my first Alessandra Torre book. It did not disappoint. I loved the whole baseball theme. The look in to the locker room and the business aspect of it was awesome. I love that this was based on some of her husband’s experience as well.

The love story between Chase and Ty was dramatic and emotional. You could feel the connection instantly, even though Ty was off-limits. The daughter of a teammate and 17 when Chase first meets her…. Definite no go. But their connection sizzled. It sparked. Couple that with a few misunderstandings and a murder mystery and you have one captivating book.

I will definitely read another Alessandra Torre book after this one!

Cross Checked (Shots On Goal Standalone Series Book 2) ~ Kristen Hope Mazolla

One accident - a freaking car crash. That’s all it took to send my life into a tailspin.

Little did I know that out of the wreckage, everything would fall into place. I would get everything I had ever worked for.

Little did I know that I would find the woman who would cross check my life, flipping everything upside down.

Even though she's melting the ice that surrounds my heart, I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Will I ever be able to find my footing or am I destined to stay pinned against the boards?

Cross Checked does include characters from Hat Trick, the first book of the series, but it can be read as a standalone. We do get glimpses of Brayden and Karla in Hat Trick, so I was anxious to read Cross Checked. I really enjoyed their quick sweet story.

Now it wasn’t always sweet for Brayden or Karla. Brayden had to take care of his sister while Karla was dealing with her own heartbreak at home. The car crash that crippled Brayden’s family also brought Karla into it. Even though they both were interested in each other, other circumstances were in the way. It just wasn’t their time.

Once Brayden and Karla connect, they spark. They have a good relationship and just get each other. Their friendship grows into more and helps each other through the drama. 

Hat Trick ~ Kristen Hope Mazzola

Amazon US/Amazon UK

One accident - a freaking car crash.

That’s all it took to send my brother’s and my life into a tailspin with no end in sight. I was going to be something. I was going to be the best. I had the Olympics in my sights. And it all went to shit in one flash. Brayden wasn’t ready to raise a younger sister when I was thrown into his lap. He had his life and everything going for him. Thankfully, he was still drafted to his dream hockey team. The same one dad played for when we were growing up.

It took time, but I started to get better, started to open up, started skating and even dating again. I even thought I found the perfect guy for me.

Isn’t it funny how guys hit on you when they know you’re not available, but when you’re single they won’t give you the freaking time of day? I guess the game is more fun that way. And for the captain of my brother’s team, that’s exactly what I was. A hat trick is three goals in hockey. Some say three is a crowd and they might be right.

I was Gavin Hayes' unobtainable goal.

*A No Cheating Standalone*

 I really enjoyed Hat Trick and the athletic hotties that were running rampant in this story. Forbidden love story with your teammate’s baby sister…..a must read.

Brayden and Myla definitely had a messed up hand dealt to them. The accident that took away their last parent and nearly destroyed Myla, ends up bringing the two closer together. Brayden steps up to the plate and not only becomes the big brother he needs to be, but the person Myla leans on while recovering from the accident.

Gavin is a hit-it and quit-it kind of guy. No woman makes it more than one night with him. It’s his MO, until he sees Myla out on a date with a complete douche. More and more, he tries to find a way to be with her, but it’s also his teammate’s baby sister. Myla is not like every other girl to him, she’s special and he wants only her.

This was a quick and fun read. I would have loved to see more of what Brayden went though with his sister’s relationship with Gavin as well as his own relationship with a special lady that helped them during some of their troubled times. Gavin and Myla were cute, sweet and super fun. I really liked this book. 

Touchdown (Game Day #1) ~ T.S. McKinney

Amazon US

Alexander Bryant has lived his entire life making everyone else happy. After meeting Lincoln, will he have the courage to finally do what makes him happy?

Alexander – I like to imagine myself a rebel – an ass-kicker that takes what he wants regardless of what others think. I make my own path and flip off the people who don’t agree. I laugh in the face of conflict. Nobody tells me what to do.

In reality, everything about me is a lie – past, present, and future. The Bryant name requires certain things and all my decisions are based on those requirements. I like football, but the family name demands I love it. I want to be an artist, but the family name demands I be a lawyer. The family demands I fall in love with a nice girl, but I’m falling for, well, the opposite of nice AND girl. I’m a coward and a liar.

Lincoln – I like to imagine myself a loner – a cold heartless bastard that takes what he wants. I lived the biggest part of my life with parents that were ashamed of me for more reasons that one could begin to count, so I trust no one.

I have a low tolerance for bullshit and hate liars.

So why did I go and fall in love with the biggest liar of them all?

So, this was my first T.S. McKinney book and I loved it. I was in the mood for a good M/M romance and Touchdown surpassed my expectations. I loved the characters and the emotional turmoil that both went through. Their desires and pre-destined futures are constantly question for what they are supposed to do and what they truly want to do.

Alexander is exactly what the blurb describes, a young man who follows his family’s rules, wants and traditions to the letter….even if it is the furthest from what he wants to do. He plays football like his father and grandfather did and he’s being groomed to go to law school and be a lawyer….just like his father and grandfather. He feels he’s living a lie, which just multiplies when he meets Lincoln. He’s confused by the attraction and the feelings that Lincoln stirs, but he can’t stop thinking about him.

Lincoln is completely enamored with Alexander, the star quarterback for the local college, from the moment he sees him. Not that Lincoln watches football, but he loved Alexander’s sexy body and his responsiveness... Even though Lincoln can tell that Alexander is fighting all his feelings. Lincoln can see the turmoil in Alexander’s eyes and as much as he knows he should walk away, he can’t.

There was some super hot scene’s between these two and some super over bearing family members that get involved. The whole façade that Alexander has perfected starts to crumble and he has to decide what he is going to stand up for. I was really surprised and proud by his decision, but also really surprised by Lincoln’s reaction as well. I loved their dynamic and their story. I would definitely read another T.S. McKinney book. Instant favorite. 

Match Point ~ Leigh Carmen

Two stubborn men.

One is a rude jerk. The other, the life of the party.

It was hate at first sight.

Pro beach volleyball players Finn Callahan and Dexter Savage have been rivals since college. While Finn always comes out on top on the court, Dexter’s carefree and fun-loving personality earns him scores of adoring men and women. And as much as Finn fights to deny it, there’s another reason for the tension he feels when Dex is around. Hate wasn’t the only thing he felt when he first laid eyes on his opponent.

When they’re forced to team up, the two men must bury their differences—on and off the court—if either of them is going to succeed professionally.

I know Leigh Carmen hints at this in the blurb, but these two men are so flipping stubborn. They both are so head strong that either they are going to sexual combust or punch each other in the face. I know I’m getting a head of myself, but I just had to put that out there.

I really enjoyed this M/M romance. I mean one man in denial and the other suffering from a tragedy, they have to team up and overcome their hatred. Or is it really hatred? There are some things in the past that come to light that make me feel some of the hatred was self-induced. But I don’t want to give too much away, so I will just leave it at that.

I love Dex’s personality. He’s loveable, fun and personable. That is until you speak to him about his finances and contracts. He gets paranoid and we can see where his workaholic mind frame comes in to play. I couldn’t stand Finn at first, but as I read on, I could see why he has that bitter, tough guy exterior.  He really is a good guy, but he had his own demons to face.

Match point was really well written and I couldn’t put it down. The sex scenes were just down right HOT!! Whew! The only thing I was frustrated with was how much these two fought each other. While I get why they were both frustrated with each other and themselves, I think a lot of that could have been solved with communication. But we all know how hard it is for guys to open up. I am super happy with how things ended and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. 

All the Rage ~ T.M. Frazier

They call me Rage.

My real name is like a shadow, always close behind, but never quite able to catch up.

I fly under the radar because no one ever suspects I’m capable of the kind of brutal violence I commit each and every day.

You see, I’m a girl. I’m nineteen.

And I'm a killer.

This life is all I know. It’s all I want to know. It keeps the s**t buried that I need kept buried. It allows me to live without thinking too much.

Without dwelling on the past.

Until him.

It all changes when an ordinary boy becomes my next target.

And my first love.

I have to choose.

The only life I’ve ever known has to die, or he does.

Either way, I’ll be the one pulling the trigger...

All the Rage is a STANDALONE.

So I have to say, I am partial to King and Bear, but I do love me some Goon!!! Yes, All the Rage can be read as a standalone, but I liked the King and Bear references. I love these two characters that T.M. has created. Yes, we get to see a part of Rage in Lawless and Soulless, but Nolan is new and super sexy.

Rage is a bad ass chick! She’s unique and hard core, yet super hot! No one ever knows what hits them. She had a really hard time dealing with her “anger issues” when she was younger, so she was thought of as odd and different. While learning how to disguise it, she still had it bubbling inside her.

Nolan, the sexy “ex-hockey” player we meet has a broken leg and broken spirit. He’s angry at the world, but after a near death experience, he’s re-thinking his approach. A gorgeous blonde with bright blue eyes has kind of influenced some more positive thinking (wink wink).

Rage and Nolan are super hot and scary in their own ways. While they may not know each other’s secrets at first, they both feel this connection….this pull that they can’t ignore. While Nolan may understand it more, Rage realizes that Nolan is the first man she ever really “felt” something for…and that scares the shit out of her. 

T.M. wrote another fabulous book that I couldn’t put down. There was one scene where I was like, no that's not going to happen and then I was like, Uh, WTF?! There were some twists in there too that I was not expecting!!

I loved Rage and Nolan, but they couldn’t overcome my love for King. T.M.’s writing is well thought out, suspenseful and it pulls you right in to the story. She is definitely one of my favs!

Ground and Pound ~ Emily Minton and Alexis Noelle

Kane Travis is one of the most successful fighters in the UFC. His name is known worldwide. Men want to be him, and women just want him. All Kane wants is the heavy weight title, nothing else matters to him. Not until, he see Emmy twirling around a pole

Kane has one rule, never give anyone else control. He doesn’t let anyone in, especially woman. The night he meets Emmy, he knows she is more dangerous than any opponent he has ever fought.

Emmy Sanders will do anything to care for her younger brother, even taking her clothes off at a seedy strip club. Ever since their parent’s death, she has been the sole provider for them both. All Emmy wants is to get her brother through college, nothing else matters to her, until she sees Kane sitting at the end of the stage. 

Emmy has to have control over every aspect of her life. There is a time and place for everything, she never wavers from her plan. The night she meets Kane, she knows he is more dangerous than anyone she has ever met.

Hot, Sexy, totally in control Kane “Knock-out” Travis gets knocked on his ass, by a sultry stripper. He loves her sassy smart mouth and the fact that she doesn’t take his shit.  Even though Kane is a total alpha, he has a sweet side. Events in his past have taught him how a woman should be treated and respected. Even though he can beat his opponents to a bloody pulp, he has a good heart. Instantly warming to Trey, after seeing his determination and strength, Kane takes Trey under his wing, which breaks down Emmy’s walls just a bit more.

Emmy takes care of her and her brother the only way she knows how, by taking her clothes off. Make no mistake, she doesn’t sleep with her clients, but she dances to make enough money to support her only family, her brother Trey.  Emmy has always had a chip on her shoulder as well as the RBF (resting bitch face). It’s easier for her to push through her guilt over her parent’s death and not talk about them, while not letting anyone else in. Everyone else, until she meets Kane.

I loved Kane’s alpha tendencies, but I also like that Emmy was sassy and only gave over control in the bedroom. There was angst, suspense, hope, despair and super, explosively hot sex. These two kept me reading and wanting to find out what happens next. I hope Trey gets his own book and we get to follow his journey.