anthology. each story between 2.5 and 4 stars

Overall antho rating: 3.5 stars

Toni Aleo - TANGELED IN THE LACES (The Assassins series: Prequel to Laces and Lace)

In Tangled in the Laces, Karson King is on the fast track to the NHL. Lacey Martin is coming back from a hard fight against cancer and is terrified of him but the attraction is too much to ignore. Soon their love is so intense, neither of them see the rest of their lives without the other. Will Karson prove that he will protect her heart at all costs, or will he leave Lacey to pick up the pieces of her life once again?

Elements: NA, Cancer

What I liked about this story was the über-confidence of the hero, Karson. When he set his mind on something he went after it. In this case, it was Lacey, his friend's sister. Perhaps it was that she always seemed to want to get away from him that drew his interest so quickly. For the sake of the novella, I could buy into the insta-attraction. The beauty of the story unfolded in his pursuit of her, and knowing why Lacey was so reluctant to get close. Of course, what would be a great love story without some major drama? It hit me in the gut, but I understood why things played out the way they did.

What brought my enjoyment to a standstill, however, was the zinger of a cliffhanger ending. There was no happy ending but rather a note saying their story will continue in a full-length novel in 2015. By then I will have forgotten to bother with catching up on Karson and Lacey.

Rating: 3.5/5

Cassandra Carr and Cindy Carr - HOOKING HANNAH

When Hannah attends the NHL All-Star game, she doesn't expect a hockey player of all people to turn her world upside down. Her sister is married to a player and Hannah never wanted that life. But Scott could change everything. For Scott's part, he has to know the woman who stirred his blood with just a look, and once he does, he realizes he wants Hannah to be his forever. Now to convince her...

Elements: Adult, well-endowed hero


I really liked this story. Scott was humorous and adorable, but what really drew me to him were glimpses of his vulnerability. He wasn't a player who used his fame and fortune to score women. He had more depth than that.
I thought Hannah handled this budding relationship maturely, and I enjoyed how she listened to him and saw things that made her question her prejudices. The love scenes were very sexy. One scene in particular was a scorcher. G-spot orgasm :)

Rating: 4/5

Jami Davenport CRASHING THE BOARDS (Seattle Sockeyes 1.5)

Professional party crasher, Izzy Maxwell, needs the cooperation of reluctant party guest Cooper Black, the team captain of Seattle’s new hockey team, but Cooper can’t get past his anger over the team’s relocation to Seattle. Can Izzy melt Cooper’s frozen heart or will this party crash along with her fledgling business?

Elements: Adult, very well-endowed hero, humor


This story was both sexy and funny. Cooper saw women as useful for recreation only, and he'd enjoyed plenty. He wasn't a jerk by nature, but rather that behavior stemmed from being burned by an ex.
Izzy was cheeky, confident and smart. I liked that she wasn't shy about going after what she wanted.

The biggest draws for me were the witty banter, some funny situations and a handful of very sexy scenes. Cooper was a sexy devil with a dirty mouth. He may have nearly ruined things at the end, but he could admit when he'd made a mistake. I loved the ending because of it's significance to an earlier part of the story. A note at the end said these two would appear again in a full length novel, but I'm glad they got a happy (for now) ending here. I'd definitely check out the rest of the series.

Rating: 4/5

Catherine Gayle TAKING A SHOT (Portland Storm 2.5)

Katie Weber has had a crush on Jamie Babcock for almost two years, since he joined her father’s NHL team, the Portland Storm as an eighteen-year-old rookie. When cancer takes her health, her hair, and even her friends, she can’t bear to go to senior prom…until Jamie intervenes.

Elements: NA, Cancer


This story definitely required a big box of tissues. It was also the second NA story, but it was so touching, I didn't even mind.

Katie and Jamie were too adorable. I loved the alternating POVs and seeing the feelings and thoughts from both sides. While the story ended on a good note, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to them down the line. I'd like to think that they lived HEA.

Rating: 3.5/5

Jaymee Jacobs, A VALUABLE TRADE

Bryan's life gets turned upside when he gets traded to the Dallas Comets, and things get even messier when he meets Georgiana, the Director of Team Services. He's got a lot of work to do to prove his worth to his new team, but Georgiana's sure he'll prove to be a valuable trade.

Elements: Adult, cheating


Out of all the stories, this was probably the oddest one and my least favorite. It started out somewhat depressing. The hero was sad about getting traded, he was sad that his girlfriend of five years wasn't going to up and leave with him on the same day, then he arrived in his new city still depressed. He didn't have a good moment until he got drunk at the bar with his new team mates and Georgiana, the Director of Team Services. To make matters worse, he slept with her that same night. The next morning he called his girlfriend to confess. I will say this, the setup was such that if you read between the lines, you'd have guessed their relationship had already passed its expiration date. She showed little emotion, but I was still stunned that he was stunned when she said she needed time to think about whether to pack up and move to him. After that point, I skimmed heavily but I was no longer vested in a happy outcome for either of them. As for Bryan and George(iana), they had no chemistry despite all attempts to the contrary.

Rating: 1/5

V.L. Locey - HEIR APPARENT

Superstar Cam Evans is fighting to climb out of a slump that`s growing worse with each day of living in denial. Fresh from the minors, Jacobi Neal is hungry for this chance to play back-up for the legendary goalie. Can two men battle each other, their inner demons, and the sizzling attraction building between them?

Elements: Adult, M/M


This story was a little angsty but touching. Jacobi was very comfortable with being gay and felt no need to make a public announcement even after making it into the big leagues. His attraction to his life-long idol was only slightly dampened by the fact that he was poised to become his replacement, but I loved Jacobi's maturity in not only being very diplomatic but also genuine. This story felt very realistic in that someone from a different generation would struggle with the ramifications of coming out. That struggle took a toll on Jacobi, and I felt so deeply for him. A great story with great emotion and a realistic feel.

Rating: 4/5

Bianca Sommerland BLIND PASS (The Dartmouth Cobras 0.5)

Nothing could stop Tim Rowe, the assistant coach of the Dartmouth Cobras, from falling in love with Madeline, but love alone can’t satisfy every need. Sometimes, to reach the goal, you have to take the chance with a . . . Blind Pass.

Elements: Adult, BDSM


I loved the confidence and maturity of the characters, particularly that of Madeline. Tim was definitely the beta to his alpha brother, but no less loveable. I felt for him and his inner struggle - wanting to be with Madeline but feeling like he had to give up the submissive side of his lifestyle in order to be with her. I liked how Madeline overcame her boundaries in only wanting a man who was pure dominance after getting to know Tim better and taking the reins to be what both of them needed. Very hot and the ending was so damn sweet. I will definitely be adding this series to my TBR list.

Rating: 4/5

Nikki Worrell – Captain, My Captain (Prequel to the NHL Scorpions Series)

Keith Lambert is the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers—until he’s not. To everyone’s shock, he’s traded to the San Diego Scorpions. As if that’s not bad enough, Phoebe, his girlfriend of two years, decides she doesn’t love him enough to follow.

All alone in a new town, Keith is drawn to Kelly, his take out delivery girl. When she shows up at ice girl tryouts, he’s lost. She’s all he can see. Can he convince her to forget her past and take a chance on him or is he destined to be alone in a new town a little bit longer?

Elements: NA


This story followed a somewhat typical formula of the hot shot and the girl he's interested in being a woman who wouldn't instantly fall at his feet. I thought Keith was a likeable hero, standing up against anyone who made unnecessary comments about Kelly. Kelly was skittish after dragging herself out of a slump and getting out of a bad relationship. She was smart not to fall for a good-looking guy at the drop of a hat.

The drama was not only predictable but it felt forced. It was also one of the most used plot devices - have the current love interest walk in on a situation only to misunderstand it and run. The redeeming factor of this story was that Kelly realized she should have asked for an explanation which she eventually got.

One scene that made little sense to me for its presence was between Keith and a random hook-up named Pip. She wanted him to take her virginity and after he did, poof, she was gone. That scene contributed nothing to this story and just felt thrown in, so I have to wonder if that little ditty won't come back to haunt him later in the series. The story was okay but forgettable.

Rating: 2.5/5

The Bottom Line

Eight novellas that had something for everyone. Of the eight stories, three were NA and the rest were adult romances. Only two touched on the subject of cancer, and you will need tissues.

Personally, I avoid the NA genre because I prefer older characters. I'm just not a fan of teen or tween angst. Having said that, I didn't know they were NA stories when I signed up for the ARC. I wasn't even aware that the majority of the stories tied in to already published series, but I decided to give them a try.

If you love hockey heroes in your romances, then you'll love this anthology and all the diverse stories. It's also a great way to get introduced to some hockey romance series out there. I would purchase this solely for the cause.

Disclaimer: Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher via author assistant for a blog tour in exchange for an honest review. ( )

What do ice skates and sticks have in common? Hockey! Welcome to the fastest game on Earth (and dare I say, the best sport?). Anthologies are often difficult to review because you’re reading more than one novella and there’s always one or two that you enjoy the most. I’m going to review Seduced by the Game a little differently from my usual style and give you five reasons you should purchase a copy!

1. Hockey-I’m not much of a sports person, but I am a hockey fan (go Stars!). It’s pretty rare in general for me to pick up a hockey romance, but the few that I’ve read, I’ve really enjoyed. If you’re a sports fan, I recommend picking up Seduced by the Game and if you’re new to the genre, welcome on board! I really liked how it was easy to imagine yourself cheering for the team to being on ice with them. Each author conveys their love for the sport and it’s easy to understand why they write about the sport they love.

2. Prequels / Standalones-Seduced by the Game has a little for everyone’s personal taste. What I really liked about the set up (in hindsight because Toni Aleo ripped by heart with the ending to Tangled in the Laces and I hated how it was set up at the time) is that it allows any reader to come in and pick up an established series without the pressure of reading said series. Out of the 8 novellas, 5 are part of a series and if you’ve never read that particular author, you’re free to do so or not.

3. Emotional rollercoster-I know it can be pretty depressing to read about cancer, but the authors wrote strong characters. Each character struggles with their own personal demons in their own way. I laughed and cheered for the survivors and yet, cried my eyes out at how unfair life can be. What I really liked about Seduced by the Game, is how each author gave us strong characters with a personal journey. After reading the first novella (you don’t have to start at the first one listed), you’ll look at life a little differently.

4. Charity-The great thing about Seduced by the Game is that all the authors came together and contributed for free. All proceeds earned the first year of publication (April 2014-April 2015 give or take) go directly to fighting cancer. Cancer affects everyone and there’s still a lot we don’t know. The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players Association founded “Hockey Fights Cancer,” in 1998 as a charitable initiative and to date has raised over 12 million. And it’s great that hockey fans continue to support and raise awareness. You can find out more information about the NHL / NHLPA campaign here.

5. Quick read-Find yourself pressed for time? The beauty of anthologies is that you get to pick and chose which stories to read first. While Seduced by the Game is a contemporary romance, you’ll find the novellas easily fit into several categories (a bit of YA on the verge of being New Adult to New Adult). We also have a M/M romance (ah that would be Locey’s book), so if those type of stories don’t appeal, you can skip it and not feel guilty for not reading or marking a section “did not finish.” ( )

What is not to love in this book? It's hot hockey men being sexy and sweet. There are eight stories that are all great and just tease you enough to want to read more from each author. ( )

I love hockey romances. So when I discovered that a bunch of my favorite authors came together with an anthology I was doing back flips. Okay I’m not really capable of doing a back flip without seriously hurting myself, but I did a lot of them in my head – where it counts.

Even more amazing they put this anthology together for an incredible cause, the fight against cancer.

The anthology opens with Toni Aleo’s Tangled in the Laces (The Assassins series: Prequel to Laces and Lace coming out in 2015). All I can say is incredible, my heart just melted. It was a truly magnificent story about a strong heroine, Lacey Martin, who survived breast cancer and the wonderful perspective first-round draft pick hockey player, Karson King, who loves her. I will anxiously be counting day the days to the release of Laces and Lace to read the rest of their story. Tangled in the Laces has become my new favorite in the Assassins series.

Next up is Cassandra Carr’s and Cindy Carr’s HOOKING HANNAH. Hannah does not have the best image of hockey players. NHL hockey star Scott Richards plans on changing her opinion. First off, I love that the mother and daughter wrote this story together. I also enjoyed the concussion aspect and Hanna support of Scott. This is a sweet book, with lovable characters that I hope will resurface in a future book.

Jami Davenport CRASHING THE BOARDS (Seattle Sockeyes 1.5) The Giants hockey team has been sold and are relocating to Seattle. The players are not happy, especially team captain, Cooper Black. Management decides to hire professional party crasher, Izzy Maxwell to initiate some fun at the team welcome party to help team morale. This was a very creative concept and original story that will have you smiling.

Catherine Gayle TAKING A SHOT (Portland Storm 2.5) Eighteen-year-old, Katie Weber, is suffering from leukemia and beginning to lose her will to fight. Twenty-year-old Jamie Babcock has liked his teammate's daughter from afar. Jamie’s team mates talk him into asking Katie to her prom to help give her something to live for. This story made me cry from both heartbreak and joy. It is a heartwarming story you will not want to miss.

V.L. Locey - Heir Apparent is a clever tale about up-and-coming goalie Jacobi Neal and the relationship he develops with his childhood idol and new teammate goalie Cam Evans.

Jaymee Jacobs, A VALUABLE TRADE: Bryan Comstock is upset by his trade to the Dallas Comets, but his transition is made easier by their Director of Team Services Georgiana Pierson.

Bianca Sommerland BLIND PASS (The Dartmouth Cobras 0.5) Having followed the Dartmouth Cobras Series, I enjoyed learning assistant coach Tim Rowe’s story. He is a lovable character with a great romance.

Nikki Worrell – Captain, My Captain (Prequel to the NHL Scorpions Series) I loved hearing Scorpions Captain, Keith Lambert’s story. It was a great way to complete this anthology.

A couple of authors were first time reads for me: Catherine Gayle, Jaymee Jacobs, and V.L. Locey. I’m glad I finally had an opportunity to read something by all of them.

I would like to point out that I don’t remember ever giving an anthology five stars. Typically, I might love one or two stories but never all of them, so I give the book what I feel is an appropriate average. I literally loved the characters in every story and did not want any of them to end.

Whether you love contemporary sports/hockey novels, a good romance, or to support a wonderful cause: you will not be disappointed in this book. It should be a staple in every romance library.

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