Book Blurb:
River
Carter Graham has been after me for a year now; leaving my favorite coffee on my desk every morning, showing up when I think I’ve successfully avoided him. I don’t want to find him attractive. God, I really don’t. Every time he pierces me with those glacier-blue eyes, it feels like he sees right down to the depths of my soul. I become confused, my pulse races, my cheeks warm, and tingles spread throughout my body. It literally feels like the ground shifts under my feet. Usually, that’s when I run. Running is something I’ve become very good at.
Carter
River Hendrix. Man, I’ve had it bad for that woman since the day I laid eyes on her. She took my breath away. But it wasn’t only her beauty that shook me, it was how she looked at me like I was an idiot when I held out my hand to shake hers. Since then, that girl has lit me up and torn me down in the same breath. Chasing her is a high that makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt in my life. Every glance, every time she brushes me off, or pops off with one of her smart remarks, only makes me crave her more. The more she turns me down; the more determined I become. I’m not one to give up easily. I don’t quit . . . ever. Mark my words. One day, she will be mine.
After a painful divorce, River is still piecing herself back together, wary of letting anyone in. Carter is relentless, determined to win her heart. When a wild night in Vegas ends in an accidental marriage, they’re forced to confront what they truly want. Will River’s past destroy their chance at happiness?
Or will Carter prove he’s worth the risk?
Tropes:
*High Gravity ALC *Hockey Romance *Workplace Romance *Forced Proximity
*Slow Burn *spice *Accidental Marriage *Drama *Green Flag MMC *Fierce FMC
*Protective MMC *humor *Golden Retriever MMC *mental health representation
*Found family *State Challenge New York (Repeat)
Trigger Warnings: *Toxic Ex *DV *Check for other triggers
Thoughts:
I received this ALC from High Gravity and was really excited to start this one after finishing up the first book especially since the ending of the first book set us up for the 2nd book.
Carter (MMC) is hot (he knows it, we know it) he's a Hockey superstar, wealthy and has charm for days he can get any woman he wants... or at least he thought he could until he ran into River (FMC) but he knows they were meant to be and he'll wear her down eventually he just needs to be patient.
River has a bad history with men since getting away from her awful ex it will be a long, long time before she wants anything to do with men... especially Carter, he's handsome (yes) but he's also got a temper which she's seen on the ice... she can't deal with that again.
Carter and River are in Vegas for their best friends wedding and when they get thrown together for the night to do a pre-wedding game, maybe have a few too many drinks and wake up the next day with a rotten hangover and evidence that their night might have been a bit too much... of everything since now they are married and it will be a bigger PR nightmare to get this annulled... I guess they are doing this.
Carter was surprising to me in all the best ways in the first book I saw how sweet he was towards River... but just when I thought he was just a hot, goofy party boy hockey player... he shows up and steps up as the man River always should have had he's caring, supportive, protective, he's truly kind, he even teaches her self defense techniques, he's everything that she didn't even know she was missing with a man in her life.
River is unsure of herself after the end of her last relationship and still trying to figure out who she is now by herself without adding another person to the mix... but Carter is so easy to love.
Their love is not over night it happens slowly and I appreciated that it was a slower progression and not an instant situation especially since River had been fighting any feelings she might have towards him for the last year. The longer they were together the harder time she had staying away from him and the closer they became throughout the book the harder time she had wondering why she was putting up so much fight against him... he is nothing like her ex and showed her day after day that he was one of the good ones.
Just when things are going so well between our couple a wrench gets thrown in the middle... will they ever be able to have a happy ending or will her past keep coming back to haunt them?
When this ALC popped up I downloaded it immediately and I wasn't disappointed it has a full-cast of amazing narrators: Teddy Hamilton, Andi Eloise, Corvin King, Stella Hunter, Aaron Shedlock, Lauren Beck, Brandon Francis, Leanne Blade, and Audrey Obeyn.
I was drawn in from the first chapter and truly felt like I was going on an emotional journey with our couple if you enjoy a hockey romance with humor, a green flag protective book boyfriend, a fierce FMC (and like I said some more emotional/harder moments too) add this one to your list... and do yourself a favor if you are an audio book lover and get the audio version too!
Have you read this one? What did you think?
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