Off the Ice (Central State #4) by Jaqueline Snowe
ABOUT THE BOOK
Falling for the hopeless romantic was never part of the plan…
Elle Van Helsing wants to start her life away from home. Constantly living under the shadow of her brother, she plans to find romance and survive on her own: even if it’s financially harder than she thought. Getting a job at a dive bar three doors down from her new place is the perfect solution. Well, it was until the owner has a family emergency and asks his nephew to help out in his absence. The guy she used to have a crush on until he ruined it.
Cal Holt might be a legend on the ice, but off it? He’s alone and likes to keep it that way. It’s easier to protect himself when he’s always a jerk, but the one person who gets under his skin is Elle. Torn between wanting to get to know her and pushing her away, he’s surprised when he learns she hates him. She looked at him differently the year before, and now that they’re stuck managing a bar for a few weeks, tensions rise.
She’s a hopeless romantic who wants grand gestures and sees the world through rose-colored glasses. He’s a grumpy cynic with a permanent scowl. She dreams of love, and he wants a one-night stand. She plans to build a life on campus, and he plans to leave and head to the NHL. Complete opposites in every way, they shift from enemies to friends…but Cal refuses to fall in love, and Elle deserves more. For the girl who never felt enough, and the guy terrified to feel, fear might ruin their chance at finding love.
MY REVIEW
I love opposites attract tropes. She’s his greatest fan, but will he disappoint her?
Misunderstandings and errors in judgment abound, sexual tension bursts, and awkwardness and self-doubt ensue. Add in heartbreaking backstories and lovely romantic gestures and it’s an unforgettable love story that Elle Van Helsing dreams about and Cal Holt dreads.
Elle and Cal couldn’t be more opposite. Elle is a writer and Cal is a hockey legend on his way to the NHL. Most people don’t like him and it shouldn’t bother him that Elle thinks he is a jerk too, but she is the warm sunshine to his grumpy detachment. Her chatty warmth and friendly nature undeniably confuse the stoic and broody bad boy as she chooses to work in Cal’s uncle’s bar which incites protectiveness in Cal. Can they just be friends?
I love how Elle protects Cal as she finally understands his aloofness and defensiveness. The loss of his parents is so tragic which explains his acting out and pushing people away, but it’s with the help of his coach, his uncle, his new cousin, Lizzie, and especially Elle who is the big turning point in his life, who make him see happiness and feel hope again in his life. As Elle and Cal slowly fall in love and get past their insecurities, they truly make a wonderful team. Supportive family and friends round everything out with a happily ever after.
Ms. Snowe’s books are very romantic and realistic and I guarantee you will get the feels. Her characters are compelling and relatable.
Thank you to Ms. Snowe for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the “dry heat” really isn’t that bad. She prefers drinking coffee all hours of the day and snacking on anything that has peanut butter or chocolate. She is the mother to two fur-babies who don’t realize they aren’t humans and a new mom to the sweetest baby boy. She is an avid reader and writer of romances and tends to write about athletes. Her husband works for an MLB team (not a player, lol) so she knows more about baseball than any human ever should.
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