Stockholm Diaries, Caroline by Rebecca Hunter is a contemporary sports romance taking place in Sweden. Photographer Caroline Mendoza leaves her home in Michigan to set out on an adventure to see and photograph the world. While she is in Stockholm, she meets her neighbor ex-Red Wings hockey player Niklas Almquist. She knows her time in Sweden is short and does not want to give up her travel dreams, but she struggles with her emotions about leaving Niklas. This novel is suitable for adult audiences.

I like that Caroline was a photographer. I was an AP photographer in college and used to photograph the hockey games, so I could relate. I like that she was brave enough to set out on her adventure. I liked Niklas. I felt bad for the negative media press he received. It is horrible that false/speculative media coverage can effect someone’s life so much. Caroline and Niklas have great chemistry.

I did not like Ludvig. He definitely had ulterior motives. Plus, I felt he was bitter because he was not successful in hockey.

Stockholm Diaries, Caroline was believable and entertaining. I enjoyed the ending. I do want to read Caroline 2 to find out what happens next.

Complimentary copy provided via manicreaders.com in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Caroline is a photographer who is on assignment to interview ex-patriots around the world. It is her dream job, and the chance to break free of a life that was stifling her. Sweden is her first stop and will last only weeks before she off to a new country. Niklas is a former NHL hockey player, currently playing for the Sweden national team. He has a temper and a past. Neither is in a place where a relationship makes sense, but they are drawn to one another nonetheless.

The best part about this book is the setting. Caroline is new to world travel and Stockholm. It is terrific to see the city through her eyes. That she tends to see it through a camera lens just makes it all the better. All the little details of daily life in this country add so much to the story. The main characters have a lot of potential, but tend fall a bit flat. Caroline is trying a little too hard to break free of men ruling her life, it is an old saw that was brought up a bit too much. Niklas is a stereotypical hockey player with anger management issues and his constant withdrawal at times leaned toward tedious. Still the love story itself was sweet and the ending was unexpected. I am looking forward to continuing the story in the next book. ( )

I love this book, but since I wrote it, I'm a little biased!

This is Caroline and Niklas's first book, and a follow-up on their story is coming soon ("Part 2," not a serial), along with some shorter stories about their adventures.

It's also the first book in the Stockholm Diaries series of steamy romances between North American women and Swedish men. My husband and I have lived in Sweden twice, and both times I met women from around the world with interesting, unique stories about meeting Swedish men and moving to Sweden. These stories involved chance meetings, uncertain risks and sacrifice, all in the name of love. The whole Stockholm Diaries series is a kind of tribute to all these stories.

Stockholm was our own home for three years, so the series is also a tribute to a city I know and love. One fundamental idea behind my stories is to explore romance and love with someone who comes from a different background—both the appeals and the difficulties. ( )