Breezy Angel is a children's librarian and huge fan of hockey in general and Jed West, captain of the Hellions, in particular. Jed ends up agreeing to fill in at a library event in his coach's place and saves Breezy from being publicly humiliated by a wardrobe malfunction. The two of them start seeing more of each other and soon become a couple, but they're both hiding things. In an effort not to be creepy, Breezy hides all of her Jed West memorabilia and allows him to think she's the only one in her family not wildly into hockey. He, meanwhile, has increasing concerns about his health and the potential impact on his hockey career.

The early humorous moments had me cringing in secondhand embarrassment more often than I preferred, but the characters were generally very likeable and Jed and Breezy's relationship had some nice cute moments. Both of them struggled with family issues, particularly feeling like they were living in a sibling's shadow. I loved that he took her ice skating so that she could try it without her mom's expectations putting pressure on her. Her efforts to find the perfect book for him were nice too, although they didn't inspire quite the same warm fuzzies as the ice skating scene.

This was working fairly well for me until the end. Breezy's plan to set the record straight and apologize to Jed could, and probably should, have backfired - honestly, the way she'd arranged things put him in a pretty awkward position. I was also really annoyed by Breezy's secret goal and the way things worked out there - she wanted to open a children's bookstore, which the author, via Jed, seemed to view as a natural thing for a children's librarian. Never mind that being a children's librarian doesn't necessarily prepare you for owning your own business, or that Breezy would have to take sales and profits into account in addition to the joy of matching kids up with the perfect books.

So, this had some issues. But like I said, the characters were really likeable, and that might be enough to make me give this series another shot.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) ( )

Funny & sparkling at times, but kind of tanked by unoriginal and contrived conflict. Quick and easy, 2.5, but lost its strength toward the end. ( )

A librarian meets--and dates--her hockey crush? Yes, please! :)

This book was so much fun to read. I absolutely loved the beginning, when Breezy first meets Jed and can barely string two words together...and then, OMG, her costume malfunction. Absolutely too funny! Their relationship progresses along nicely, if a bit quickly, though the specter of her stalker-like "Jed closet" is always hovering in the background (and yikes, it's more than a little scary how closely I resemble Breezy's fan persona...funny, but scary. And when she's talking about where she is in her Goodreads challenge for the year? I'm pretty sure we were separated at birth). Still, they're really adorable together. Not to mention H-O-T...

Certain parts of the story (Breezy's mom's turnaround, for one) seem a little bit too easy, but overall I enjoyed this story too much to really mind. I absolutely cannot wait to see what's going to happen with Breezy's sister Neve and Coach Tor in the next book, especially if Jed and Breezy are going to be hanging around... ;)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. ( )

Librarian, Breezy Angel, is stunned when the man of her dreams (and literally in her dreams) walks in as a guest reader at her event. Denver Hellions team captain, Jed West, is the hottest player in the NHL. One thing lead to another and they have an amazing kiss. The only problem is, Jed doesn’t date fans. This story is suitable for adult audiences.

Mister Hockey is an entertaining start to the Hellions Angels series. There are realistic obstacles and occurrences. The plot was witty and believable.

Lia Riley character development was noteworthy. Jed is an interesting individual. He is getting older and understandably concerned about a recent injury that he received in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. He has a complicated relationship with his family. I appreciate that he wants to be in a relationship with someone who treats him like a regular person.

Breezy is a likable character. She is funny and sweet. Her visuals are amusing. She feels like she has lived I her sister Neve’s shadow, but still has a good relationship with her. I appreciated Breezy’s insights on her relationship with Jed. It was interesting how she went from fan girl to girlfriend. I could totally understand why she would be embarrassed to admit that she had a crush on Jed. I liked the realization that he is a person like everyone else.

I like how Breezy and Jed met. I also, love that helps her at her house. They are compatible in many thought-provoking ways.

MISTER HOCKEY is a well-written and fun read. The story flows well and is easy to follow. This is the first book that I have read by Lia Riley. I enjoyed her writing style. I plan on following this series. I’m looking forward to Nave Angel’s and Coach Tor’s story next in HEAD COACH expected to be released in November 2017. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book. ( )