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Frozen Hearts #3
One Last Shot
Aleksandr Ivanov was my person. We helped each other through the worst of our childhoods. I thought we were meant for each other; then he ghosted me.
That’s when I learned that the only person I can count on is me.
Fourteen years later, the NHL superstar reappears in my life with an outrageous pretend to be his wife and help him adopt his orphaned niece, Stella. The twist? Apparently we’ve been married since I was sixteen.
I can’t commit to the relationship he’s asking for, but when I accidentally screw up his childcare arrangement before he leaves for the Stanley Cup playoffs, I end up as Stella's nanny for a couple weeks.
I shouldn’t put my life on hold to help him. I shouldn’t fall hard for his precocious niece. And I definitely shouldn’t let him into my bed, or more importantly, into my heart. Because if I do those things, I might start wanting things I can’t have.
There is no happy ending for I’ve got a company to run, and a contract to start filming a television show in Los Angeles. He can’t leave New York, and staying with Aleksandr would mean giving up everything I’ve worked so hard for.
Most importantly, I can’t put my very fragile heart right back into the hands of the one person who already destroyed it.
Author’s If you don’t like childhood loves, second chances, strong female main characters, hot hockey players, surprise marriages, precocious little girls who worm their way into cold, unfeeling hearts, ice cream for dinner, and television shows about inspirational women, then look the other way. But if you love all that and a happy ending, one-click now to get One Last Shot!
That’s when I learned that the only person I can count on is me.
Fourteen years later, the NHL superstar reappears in my life with an outrageous pretend to be his wife and help him adopt his orphaned niece, Stella. The twist? Apparently we’ve been married since I was sixteen.
I can’t commit to the relationship he’s asking for, but when I accidentally screw up his childcare arrangement before he leaves for the Stanley Cup playoffs, I end up as Stella's nanny for a couple weeks.
I shouldn’t put my life on hold to help him. I shouldn’t fall hard for his precocious niece. And I definitely shouldn’t let him into my bed, or more importantly, into my heart. Because if I do those things, I might start wanting things I can’t have.
There is no happy ending for I’ve got a company to run, and a contract to start filming a television show in Los Angeles. He can’t leave New York, and staying with Aleksandr would mean giving up everything I’ve worked so hard for.
Most importantly, I can’t put my very fragile heart right back into the hands of the one person who already destroyed it.
Author’s If you don’t like childhood loves, second chances, strong female main characters, hot hockey players, surprise marriages, precocious little girls who worm their way into cold, unfeeling hearts, ice cream for dinner, and television shows about inspirational women, then look the other way. But if you love all that and a happy ending, one-click now to get One Last Shot!
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2022
3340 people are currently reading
16682 people want to read
About the author
Julia Connors
14 books1,159 followersJulia grew up on the warm and sunny West Coast, but her first decision as an adult was to trade her flip-flops for snow boots and move to Boston.
She’s been enjoying everything that New England has to offer for over two decades, and now that she’s acclimated to the snowy winters and finally found all the places to get good sushi and tacos, she has zero regrets.
You can usually find her in front of her computer, but when she stops writing she’s most likely to be found outdoors, preferably with a pair of skis or snowshoes strapped to her feet in winter, or on a paddleboard in the summer.
She’s been enjoying everything that New England has to offer for over two decades, and now that she’s acclimated to the snowy winters and finally found all the places to get good sushi and tacos, she has zero regrets.
You can usually find her in front of her computer, but when she stops writing she’s most likely to be found outdoors, preferably with a pair of skis or snowshoes strapped to her feet in winter, or on a paddleboard in the summer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
October 19, 2022
Even though I love Petra and Stella, I was very much aware of the time bomb ticking over everyone’s heads in the form of Alex’s secrets, the entire time. And I also knew it was all going to, inevitably, blow up in the third act causing our main couple to fight break up, and go their own way for a little bit. Up until this point I thought it was a solid three star read, nothing exceptional, but not bad either.
Then the grovel came. Alex, who kept this fathers nefarious plannings from Petra, who donated money to her schooling even though he knew she didn’t want that, who knew they signed a marriage contract, but kept it from her, who broke her heart because his father forced him to, etc etc, was not the one who had to grovel.
No. It was Petra who, after having basically everything she knew to be true thrown in her face, went home (yes she had to take a plane to get there) to her friend so she could get advice. Who needed time to evaluate the future course of her career, and how her new relationship factors into that was the one who had to apologize and grovel for Alex to take her back. And for what??? Because he wasn’t doing well in a game????
Was I reading this wrong because I was wholly on Petra’s side the entire way though. She didn’t do anything wrong, so why did she apologize for everything? This ruing everything about the book for me.
Then the grovel came. Alex, who kept this fathers nefarious plannings from Petra, who donated money to her schooling even though he knew she didn’t want that, who knew they signed a marriage contract, but kept it from her, who broke her heart because his father forced him to, etc etc, was not the one who had to grovel.
No. It was Petra who, after having basically everything she knew to be true thrown in her face, went home (yes she had to take a plane to get there) to her friend so she could get advice. Who needed time to evaluate the future course of her career, and how her new relationship factors into that was the one who had to apologize and grovel for Alex to take her back. And for what??? Because he wasn’t doing well in a game????
Was I reading this wrong because I was wholly on Petra’s side the entire way though. She didn’t do anything wrong, so why did she apologize for everything? This ruing everything about the book for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2024
2.5⭐️
This book would’ve been at least 4 stars if it wasn’t for 1-2 chapters towards the end that ruined everything.
So this man leaves for 14 years to “protect” her, lies to her and then when he finally confesses the truth, she leaves him for one week because she needs space. UNDERSTANDABLE!!!
Anyways, You’d think he’d go search for her and grovel but nope! HE DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. SHES THE ONE TO GO BACK AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS BECAUSE SHE WAS GONE FOR ONE WEEK. THE MAN LEFT FOR 14 YEAR. Sorry I’m pissed.
Im so confused why did she need to apologize for? She did nothing wrong. Also she’s the one to change her life for him? JUST NO.
Anyways I didn’t even read the epilogue to see how it ends because I’m still annoyed 😑
I have to add that I love Stella🥺
This book would’ve been at least 4 stars if it wasn’t for 1-2 chapters towards the end that ruined everything.
So this man leaves for 14 years to “protect” her, lies to her and then when he finally confesses the truth, she leaves him for one week because she needs space. UNDERSTANDABLE!!!
Anyways, You’d think he’d go search for her and grovel but nope! HE DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. SHES THE ONE TO GO BACK AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS BECAUSE SHE WAS GONE FOR ONE WEEK. THE MAN LEFT FOR 14 YEAR. Sorry I’m pissed.
Im so confused why did she need to apologize for? She did nothing wrong. Also she’s the one to change her life for him? JUST NO.
Anyways I didn’t even read the epilogue to see how it ends because I’m still annoyed 😑
I have to add that I love Stella🥺
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2023
2.5
Could have rated higher, but didn't like that the H was the one hiding things and was the h that had to ask for forgiveness.
Could have rated higher, but didn't like that the H was the one hiding things and was the h that had to ask for forgiveness.
November 13, 2022
without a doubt the best hockey romance i've ever read! this book checked every single one of my boxes and i am fully obsessed with it. i saw the author's tiktok about it and then spent an hour trying to find it again after i scrolled past without saving it, but all that time was worth it!
it's got childhood friends to enemies to lovers, second chance romance, arranged marriage/marriage of convenience, dual pov, two amazing main characters, a single dad, slow burn, a hot hockey player, and a dash of mafia vibes. there were so many tropes jammed into this but it never felt forced or overdone. it also had the perfect mix of plot and spice.
as for the characters, they were pretty close to perfect. they both had some past traumas but they worked together, communicated and grew together throughout the book. and petra! one of my new favorite romance female leads. she was such a strong character but it didn't feel fake or forced. i feel like a lot of times authors use feminism as a personal trait without actually backing it up, but petra actually did something about it and became an icon, rather than it just being used as a reason for her to hate men. (i'm not saying all authors do this, just a pet peeve of mine in romance books, like when a character's feminist beliefs are used as a reason for them to swear off love/men.)
and overall, the writing in this book was absolutely amazing! i've read a lot of bad hockey romances in my day and this one really made me raise my standards. i was shocked to find out that the author only has three books (all within this series) and i can't wait to read the other two books and see what else she does! (but personally, i really hope they're hockey romances)
but yea! i really loved this book. it was such an unexpected gem and i can already tell i'm going to be thinking about it for a very long time. also, i'd like to call it now, this will be super popular and get traditionally published within two years. it's just that good.
it's got childhood friends to enemies to lovers, second chance romance, arranged marriage/marriage of convenience, dual pov, two amazing main characters, a single dad, slow burn, a hot hockey player, and a dash of mafia vibes. there were so many tropes jammed into this but it never felt forced or overdone. it also had the perfect mix of plot and spice.
as for the characters, they were pretty close to perfect. they both had some past traumas but they worked together, communicated and grew together throughout the book. and petra! one of my new favorite romance female leads. she was such a strong character but it didn't feel fake or forced. i feel like a lot of times authors use feminism as a personal trait without actually backing it up, but petra actually did something about it and became an icon, rather than it just being used as a reason for her to hate men. (i'm not saying all authors do this, just a pet peeve of mine in romance books, like when a character's feminist beliefs are used as a reason for them to swear off love/men.)
and overall, the writing in this book was absolutely amazing! i've read a lot of bad hockey romances in my day and this one really made me raise my standards. i was shocked to find out that the author only has three books (all within this series) and i can't wait to read the other two books and see what else she does! (but personally, i really hope they're hockey romances)
but yea! i really loved this book. it was such an unexpected gem and i can already tell i'm going to be thinking about it for a very long time. also, i'd like to call it now, this will be super popular and get traditionally published within two years. it's just that good.
March 30, 2023
this book felt unnecessarily long and i definitely got bored at some points. stella is by far the best part of this book and i absolutely adore her. petra and sasha were cute but also made me want to rip my hair out. this book tried to deal with some important topics/themes but they were either glossed over or so forced that it didn’t land.
honestly finished just bc i can’t not finish a book more than me finishing bc i was enjoying it
honestly finished just bc i can’t not finish a book more than me finishing bc i was enjoying it
July 16, 2023
tiktok made this seem interesting but wtf was this.. stella was the only redeeming factor
October 5, 2022
One Last Shot
Author: Julia Connors
eARC & Book Review
Pub Date: October 7, 2022
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Fourteen year ago, Aleksandr walked out of Petra’s life, leaving her upset and feeling ghosted. Watching one of her best friends walk away as he did changed something in Petra, teaching her that the only person she can count on is herself.
Flash forward to the present and Aleksandr (who Petra calls Sasha) is now an NHL superstar. The two haven’t talked since their falling out, but Sasha approaches Petra with a not so easy request: pretend to be be his wife and help him adopt his orphaned niece, Stella. Another shock to Petra? According to Sasha, he and Petra have been unknowingly married for the last 14 years.
What happens to Petra and Sasha when old feeling resurface, the cutest niece is involved, but some memories just cannot be forgotten? Find out in Julia Connors’ One Last Shot!
🏒
One Last Shot was the first book I’ve read from Julia Connors, and will not be the last! I absolutely loved this romance. It featured sports but not enough to overwhelm the main plot line.
I really enjoyed Petra’s character — she was fierce and not one to step down. I also really liked Sasha and Stella! The moments of the three of them together were some of my favorites 🫶
Thank you Julia for having the eARC in exchange for my honest review! Congratulations on such a great novel!
Author: Julia Connors
eARC & Book Review
Pub Date: October 7, 2022
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Fourteen year ago, Aleksandr walked out of Petra’s life, leaving her upset and feeling ghosted. Watching one of her best friends walk away as he did changed something in Petra, teaching her that the only person she can count on is herself.
Flash forward to the present and Aleksandr (who Petra calls Sasha) is now an NHL superstar. The two haven’t talked since their falling out, but Sasha approaches Petra with a not so easy request: pretend to be be his wife and help him adopt his orphaned niece, Stella. Another shock to Petra? According to Sasha, he and Petra have been unknowingly married for the last 14 years.
What happens to Petra and Sasha when old feeling resurface, the cutest niece is involved, but some memories just cannot be forgotten? Find out in Julia Connors’ One Last Shot!
🏒
One Last Shot was the first book I’ve read from Julia Connors, and will not be the last! I absolutely loved this romance. It featured sports but not enough to overwhelm the main plot line.
I really enjoyed Petra’s character — she was fierce and not one to step down. I also really liked Sasha and Stella! The moments of the three of them together were some of my favorites 🫶
Thank you Julia for having the eARC in exchange for my honest review! Congratulations on such a great novel!
October 4, 2022
WOW. What a touching, empowering, hot read. I couldn’t put it down. The writing was amazing! These characters were real and flawed but still lovable. 🥰 Their story, their love, their struggles all felt real and relatable. I was really impressed with how Connors wove in girl power!! The female lead is a successful, strong badass who teaches her man some lessons while building up little Stella. 😍 I will definitely be reading more from this author!
July 19, 2023
one star for petra and one star for stella.
April 11, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
Idk bruh it’s ok but also ANNOYING AF ughhhhhh they both so god damm annoying.
Stupid ass Sasha not opening his mouth pissed me off and she had a right to be mad.
BUT damm was Petra so annoying. Felt like that hoe was telling me a life lesson every other second 😭LEAVE ME ALONE PETRA DAMM. BACK THE FUCK UP 🤺 to much god damm feminism. She pissed me off when she legit did not care about Sasha refusing the sleepover (THE KIDS FATHER MIND YOU). Bro you been here for a week and your NOT her mom so why are you not respecting her father’s decision? Disrespectful as fuck. And did this girl actually believe she couldn’t make long distance work with her millionaire ass husband? Like wtf 🤡🤏🏻 these authors forget that money makes that shit easy I’m sorry you’re not going to convince me otherwise. LIKE BRO WAS LIVING IN 20 MILLION DOLLAR NEW YORK APARTMENT. If they can’t make it work NONE OF US CAN. The povs change gave me whiplash I didn’t know what that hoe was feeling I felt as dumb as Sasha.
Idk bruh it’s ok but also ANNOYING AF ughhhhhh they both so god damm annoying.
Stupid ass Sasha not opening his mouth pissed me off and she had a right to be mad.
BUT damm was Petra so annoying. Felt like that hoe was telling me a life lesson every other second 😭LEAVE ME ALONE PETRA DAMM. BACK THE FUCK UP 🤺 to much god damm feminism. She pissed me off when she legit did not care about Sasha refusing the sleepover (THE KIDS FATHER MIND YOU). Bro you been here for a week and your NOT her mom so why are you not respecting her father’s decision? Disrespectful as fuck. And did this girl actually believe she couldn’t make long distance work with her millionaire ass husband? Like wtf 🤡🤏🏻 these authors forget that money makes that shit easy I’m sorry you’re not going to convince me otherwise. LIKE BRO WAS LIVING IN 20 MILLION DOLLAR NEW YORK APARTMENT. If they can’t make it work NONE OF US CAN. The povs change gave me whiplash I didn’t know what that hoe was feeling I felt as dumb as Sasha.
October 1, 2022
This universe makes me so damn happy. And once again I got what I wanted.
Petra is the best person alive. Really confident, bossy and most importantly, a damn feminist that teaches little girls and boys how to act in such a shitty society. Her struggles with work and the decisions between Sasha-work, work-Sasha were so hard to get though for her. Although I am not so happy with how she dealt with things she was really interesting person.
On the other hand Sasha.. I just didn’t feel it between them. He hurt her so bad in the past and I can’t forgive him for that. Also the fact that he was constantly lying to her, for good reason, but still lying and then he got really mad she left, while he was at fault makes me feel weird.
They were cute together, but the whole point of book and how it started kind of got lost with Petra’s work and Sasha’s dealing with Stella. It just missed something.
Petra is the best person alive. Really confident, bossy and most importantly, a damn feminist that teaches little girls and boys how to act in such a shitty society. Her struggles with work and the decisions between Sasha-work, work-Sasha were so hard to get though for her. Although I am not so happy with how she dealt with things she was really interesting person.
On the other hand Sasha.. I just didn’t feel it between them. He hurt her so bad in the past and I can’t forgive him for that. Also the fact that he was constantly lying to her, for good reason, but still lying and then he got really mad she left, while he was at fault makes me feel weird.
They were cute together, but the whole point of book and how it started kind of got lost with Petra’s work and Sasha’s dealing with Stella. It just missed something.
February 2, 2023
Is this a 1 star book? Probably not. But I could not get through this book and was rolling my eyes at almost every page.
Endless essays and unnatural not flowing conversations about empowering women and misogyny that should have been written differently in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong these are important topics that need to be discussed, especially in the romance genre where situations in which a man is misogynistic or “demanding” can often be portrayed as romantic. Howeverrrr, not in this way. This is a romance not an essay.
Then the secret that is obviously going to blow up and temporarily end their relationship. Funny how he is the one that was clearly in the wrong but she ends up being the one to apologize.
I skimmed through the last half because I just couldn’t be bothered and wasn’t interested in knowing all the details.
Endless essays and unnatural not flowing conversations about empowering women and misogyny that should have been written differently in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong these are important topics that need to be discussed, especially in the romance genre where situations in which a man is misogynistic or “demanding” can often be portrayed as romantic. Howeverrrr, not in this way. This is a romance not an essay.
Then the secret that is obviously going to blow up and temporarily end their relationship. Funny how he is the one that was clearly in the wrong but she ends up being the one to apologize.
I skimmed through the last half because I just couldn’t be bothered and wasn’t interested in knowing all the details.
August 3, 2024
holy shit i didn’t think i’d love this as much as i do
October 8, 2022
Amazon
Alex and Petra were best friends. She was starting, had for awhile, to want more but he walked away from her and she hasn't heard from him in over 10 years. In the time since then, she's made herself into a success. She's got walls sky high, and knows she absolutely cannot let herself depend upon anyone but herself, thanks to Alex or Sasha as she called him, walking out of her life without a word. Then the man himself walks back into her life with a ballsy request - make their marriage (?!?!?) look real so he can adopt his orphaned niece. Her first instinct is to tell him to take a hike, but after meeting Stella she can't seem to resist and wants to help. But that's all it will be, she won't be married for real, she won't be giving Sasha her heart again, then he can't break it again...
Petra is fabulous - she's a modern day feminist, teaching Stella to demand to be treated equally by the boys and men in her life, never hesitating to call people out for bad behavior, and generally being an amazing, strong woman. Alex I'm not so in love with, his reasons for leaving aren't really valid, and definitely not good enough for never getting in contact with her until he needed her. But Petra is so amazing that I really didn't care that Alex wasn't really equal to or good enough for her. The rest of their story is great though, and has tons of chemistry and heart.
ARC provided by author for an honest review.
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January 28, 2023
So let me get this straight… he lies to her when he leaves her, devastating her emotionally because he thinks it’s for the best. Then, 14 years later, he enters a committed relationship with her and CONTINUES to lie about several things, one of which she has outright asked him about repeatedly and he continued to lie about. Then, months (?) later when he confesses all these lies she storms out in a rage and avoids him. He then goes on to be a dick in all his hockey games and gets a shitload of penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct and blames HER????? Babe you lied for over a decade and she got pissed and YOURE pitching a fit???? Be fucking for real oh my god. And then he has the AUDACITY to say “I’m sorry for lying but I need someone who’s not going to run away when things get hard.” OH THATS RICH BABE. Like everything was going fine until it was framed like Petra was in the wrong instead of Alex, which honestly made literally no sense to me. Ruined the entire book for me tbh
Honestly this is just way too long. From about page 140-350 NOTHING new happens. I skipped about 50 pages between 300 and 350 and didn’t miss a thing. I thought the relationship in the first book of this series was a little rushed so I figured the author must’ve learned better pacing with this one considering it’s 100 pages longer but apparently not???? Everything was just as rushed at the end, it’s just that there was about 200 pages of nothing before that that about drove me out of my mind
Honestly this is just way too long. From about page 140-350 NOTHING new happens. I skipped about 50 pages between 300 and 350 and didn’t miss a thing. I thought the relationship in the first book of this series was a little rushed so I figured the author must’ve learned better pacing with this one considering it’s 100 pages longer but apparently not???? Everything was just as rushed at the end, it’s just that there was about 200 pages of nothing before that that about drove me out of my mind
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2023
this book had potential… it really did … and then it just turned to dog shit
April 26, 2024
4.25 stars - I really enjoyed this, picked it up and devoured it in one day! Going to go back and read the rest of the series because the other women are all so cool and interesting, I need their stories.
I love Petra, she’s had it hard but she’s so strong and cool and kind - I really enjoyed reading her story. And her & Stella were the cutest thing ever, adored their connection and the way that Petra taught/guided Stella was so inspiring.
Second chances are really growing on me and this one was equally emotional and hot. Sasha and Petra are so clearly meant for each other but so many things have kept them apart all this time. The fact that all the feelings, attraction and love are still so strong after that made this so good. I enjoyed the tension and the longing, and they were so sexy together!!
I do agree with the lower reviews about the ending, not quite sure why Petra was the only one really apologising. I really liked Sasha but he should’ve grovelled more in several instances imo. But I liked their happy ending and I’m very intrigued for Lauren’s story.
I love Petra, she’s had it hard but she’s so strong and cool and kind - I really enjoyed reading her story. And her & Stella were the cutest thing ever, adored their connection and the way that Petra taught/guided Stella was so inspiring.
Second chances are really growing on me and this one was equally emotional and hot. Sasha and Petra are so clearly meant for each other but so many things have kept them apart all this time. The fact that all the feelings, attraction and love are still so strong after that made this so good. I enjoyed the tension and the longing, and they were so sexy together!!
I do agree with the lower reviews about the ending, not quite sure why Petra was the only one really apologising. I really liked Sasha but he should’ve grovelled more in several instances imo. But I liked their happy ending and I’m very intrigued for Lauren’s story.
November 24, 2022
3.5 stars
July 3, 2023
WORST BOOK IVE EVER READ. So much feminism that is so stupid, the fmc is a HUGEEE feminist and because of that mindset she couldn’t commit to her relationship till the last 40 pages. She always was like “I-I’m not used to being with a m-m-man.🥹🥹🥹🥹” and put the mmc thru so much shit, poor man honestly. Her being independent is great, and so is her show she’s in that interviews powerful women n shiii. I love that for her, but the author brought feminism into ALMOST EVERYTHING. It’s amazing that there is feminism but I’d much rather read a book where there’s misogyny rather than this. It’s so bad, the ending is bad, and stupid. It’s so unrealistic the guy is SO SWEET AND IS LITERALLY GETTING WALKED ON BY THE FMC. Wasted hours reading this and regret it all. And the author is really weird.. writing some pedophilic shit. The guy liked the girl when he was 16 and she was 13, and wanted to act upon his “love” at the age of 19 when he was 16, but instead controlled himself. And he eyed her down sm. Like what i DONT get is how she is so feminist yet got w a man who literally checked her out at such a young age. And he confessed to it and she said “I loved u too🥹🥹🥹” like stfu. This book is barely a romance book, it’s all about the fmc and her love for independence and feminism (even when it doesn’t apply she kept bringing it up which pissed me off bc I get it bro I’m a woman I obviously understand😭) and the fmc was so sensitive and controlling like she was influencing the mmc’s adopted daughter that she should never let any man touch her, which is totally normal obviously but when the little girl asked the fmc if she can wear a dress like hers (low v cut neckline, backless, knee length) when she was older, the fmc said “yes of course!” At the same time thay the mmc (THE GIRLS FATJER) said “what, hell no.”, then the fmc proceeded to say “don’t ever let a man tell u what u can wear!🥹” but she had just gotten into the little girls life like a month before. It was so stupid how she was parenting the girl like she was her mom, and idk it doesn’t sound that bad but if u read it, it’s honestly tiring how much the fmc has to say. And the mmc is just a pedophile so IDFK. WORST BOOK IVE EVER READ. And didn’t put in my DNF bc of a scene on tiktok I found, which happened somewhere in the last 20 pages but it was a flashback, and only four sentences long. ANWYAYS, SUCH A BAD REPRESENTATION OF A HOCKEY ROMANCE AND in the middle of the playoffs between games 1-7 (the days the men have to practice, the mmc went to visit the fmc for a whole weekend and had a game the next day which is not even realistic like bffr💀)
October 7, 2022
✨ARC REVIEW✨
“What is feminism if it’s not a woman unapologetically going after what she wants?”
“The ultimate feminist: someone who has chosen to live life on her own terms, regardless of what people expect of her.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶.5
• Second Chance Romance • Arranged Marriage • Forced Proximity • Hockey Romance • Single Dad • Badass Boss Babe • Millionaire Romance •
I loved Petra and Sasha! The story was well written and well paced. The dual POV makes it easy to really get into the heads of both characters and empathize with them. You’ll be rooting for them to resolve their conflicts from the get-go.
Petra is a former Olympic Skier and model turned business owner. She’s spent her whole life following dream after dream and lifting other women up with her. She’s truly a badass feminist boss babe.
Sasha (Aleksandr) is a famous NHL player who recently assumed guardianship of his 6 year old niece, Stella. He’s extremely private and is known on his team for being serious, focused, and calm.
Petra and Sasha grew up together but were forced to break contact as teenagers before they could even really acknowledge the feelings growing between them. It’s been 14 years since they went their separate ways and they’ve had no contact.
But Sasha needs Petra’s help.
It’s a beautiful story of two people who were denied not only true love but friendship, never really having any meaningful relationships while building their careers. They’ve been closed off to love to protect their hearts from more hurt. But coming back into each other’s lives has reminded them how much they simply enjoyed the other’s company. And friendship is what all great relationships are built on.
There are a lot of great moments through this book and the parts with Stella were especially sweet. Julia writes emotional scenes very well, lots of great descriptors and the dialogue is excellent. While most spicy interactions were detailed, there were a couple of instances of fade to black that I wished would have actually been elaborated.
There were a couple of characters that just kind of felt glossed over near the end that I would have liked to have a little more info on (TG and Raina).
“What is feminism if it’s not a woman unapologetically going after what she wants?”
“The ultimate feminist: someone who has chosen to live life on her own terms, regardless of what people expect of her.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶.5
• Second Chance Romance • Arranged Marriage • Forced Proximity • Hockey Romance • Single Dad • Badass Boss Babe • Millionaire Romance •
I loved Petra and Sasha! The story was well written and well paced. The dual POV makes it easy to really get into the heads of both characters and empathize with them. You’ll be rooting for them to resolve their conflicts from the get-go.
Petra is a former Olympic Skier and model turned business owner. She’s spent her whole life following dream after dream and lifting other women up with her. She’s truly a badass feminist boss babe.
Sasha (Aleksandr) is a famous NHL player who recently assumed guardianship of his 6 year old niece, Stella. He’s extremely private and is known on his team for being serious, focused, and calm.
Petra and Sasha grew up together but were forced to break contact as teenagers before they could even really acknowledge the feelings growing between them. It’s been 14 years since they went their separate ways and they’ve had no contact.
But Sasha needs Petra’s help.
It’s a beautiful story of two people who were denied not only true love but friendship, never really having any meaningful relationships while building their careers. They’ve been closed off to love to protect their hearts from more hurt. But coming back into each other’s lives has reminded them how much they simply enjoyed the other’s company. And friendship is what all great relationships are built on.
There are a lot of great moments through this book and the parts with Stella were especially sweet. Julia writes emotional scenes very well, lots of great descriptors and the dialogue is excellent. While most spicy interactions were detailed, there were a couple of instances of fade to black that I wished would have actually been elaborated.
There were a couple of characters that just kind of felt glossed over near the end that I would have liked to have a little more info on (TG and Raina).
June 21, 2023
I wanna be Petra when I grow up!
No but really this FMC is everything! She is so powerful and unapologetic it's just amazing!
Just for her this book is amazing! I have a total crush on her!
Stella and Alexandr when also super good!
The only this that is missing is the explanation of the why the nickname for Alexandr is Sasha!
For those wondering :
Sasha is a gender-neutral name of Russian origin, meaning “defender” and “helper of mankind”. This solid and heroic name is the Russian short-form of the Greek name Alexander or Alexandra, which means “to defend man”.
Thanks Google!
No but really this FMC is everything! She is so powerful and unapologetic it's just amazing!
Just for her this book is amazing! I have a total crush on her!
Stella and Alexandr when also super good!
The only this that is missing is the explanation of the why the nickname for Alexandr is Sasha!
For those wondering :
Sasha is a gender-neutral name of Russian origin, meaning “defender” and “helper of mankind”. This solid and heroic name is the Russian short-form of the Greek name Alexander or Alexandra, which means “to defend man”.
Thanks Google!
October 8, 2022
I picked this up because I was craving a good hockey romance. Little did I know that I was getting way more than that. Alex (Sasha) and Petra’s story was one wild slow-burn second-chance romance story. I was instantly connected to these characters. Both strong and vulnerable. I wanted to see them get their happy ending.
Alex and Petra have a long history. I found part of enjoying this book is going in blind so I’ll just say that they were best friends that is until Alex ended the relationship. Fast forward fourteen years. Petra, who has grown to become a successful, strong woman, is asked to come to New York to meet with a mysterious client. Little does she know that Alex is the mysterious client. He is a successful hockey player In the NHL who needs her help. She leaves the meeting feeling shaken not only by the proposal but by seeing Alex again. Seeing Petra has left Alex feeling equally off kilter. It’s the way these two navigate their situation is what kept me reading. They never back down from a good fight but they also never quite open up. The underlying tension between the two of them was equal parts maddening and intriguing. My kindle nearly combusted when they finally acted on their attraction. It was fourteen plus years in the making. It did not disappoint.
All the yeses to this amazing story. I can’t wait to read more from this author. It gave me what I was craving and much more.
Alex and Petra have a long history. I found part of enjoying this book is going in blind so I’ll just say that they were best friends that is until Alex ended the relationship. Fast forward fourteen years. Petra, who has grown to become a successful, strong woman, is asked to come to New York to meet with a mysterious client. Little does she know that Alex is the mysterious client. He is a successful hockey player In the NHL who needs her help. She leaves the meeting feeling shaken not only by the proposal but by seeing Alex again. Seeing Petra has left Alex feeling equally off kilter. It’s the way these two navigate their situation is what kept me reading. They never back down from a good fight but they also never quite open up. The underlying tension between the two of them was equal parts maddening and intriguing. My kindle nearly combusted when they finally acted on their attraction. It was fourteen plus years in the making. It did not disappoint.
All the yeses to this amazing story. I can’t wait to read more from this author. It gave me what I was craving and much more.
March 17, 2024
this book should not have taken me that long to read goodness me.
the little feminist shtick that white women LOVE to hold onto was so potent in this book it disgusts me.
the plot was SO interesting and then just… stopped as soon as they got together.
third act break up was a waste of time and both sasha and petra were in the wrong.
i’ve never wanted to bash my head up against the wall and scream “save me” repeatedly until i read this book.
and that’s not even half the negative emotions i feel about this book.
the little feminist shtick that white women LOVE to hold onto was so potent in this book it disgusts me.
the plot was SO interesting and then just… stopped as soon as they got together.
third act break up was a waste of time and both sasha and petra were in the wrong.
i’ve never wanted to bash my head up against the wall and scream “save me” repeatedly until i read this book.
and that’s not even half the negative emotions i feel about this book.
November 23, 2022
This is what happens when you stay up all night watching Hallmark Christmas movies and need something to pass the time during commercials....
June 10, 2023
I really needed him to grovel, like REALLY grovel. Loved everything but the lack of frigging grovelling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2022
Talk about angsty! The tension is high and hot hot hot!
Get your butt on the lift, out of the penalty box, or whatever and start reading One Last Shot. It is funny, angsty, sexy, sweet and unputdownable!
Gah, I just love JC’s writing style and with each book, the stories and the couples get better and better. For me OLS is the angstiest book in the series. The love was never lost between these two and you can absolutely feel that in their heated almost foreplay-ish arguments and the thick heavy clouds of sexual tension that surrounds them. You really connect with how both Petra and Alex feel and their emotions towards each other in the aftermath of their broken childhood friendship.
Petra and Alex will set your kindle on FIRE! These two are so hot for each other, even after 14 years apart, that you will feel the heat leap off the pages **fans face and reaches for a ciggy in satisfaction**
So, I knew Petra was a total baddy, but whoo, girl is beyond! She is 100 percent the real deal, Boss Lady/Bitch. I can wax poetic all day long about how amazing, confident, smart, strong etc. Petra is. Her personal growth is what got to me the most. When she had her light bulb moment, I was shouting YESSSS GIRRRL!
Alex, Aleksander, Sasha. Don’t matter what name you use, he is just tops! This guy right here might be stoic and broody sexy, but he also has the biggest heart. All the choices he made, good or bad, he made with the best of intentions so that the person he loved most would have the life she deserved. His self sacrifice made him totally redeemable and that much more loveable. I can’t really describe just how GOOD Alex is as a person, lover, father, brother. He will make you swoon and melt into a big pile of goo!
The Last Shot had me grinning from beginning to end. Stood up until 1am to finish, I couldn’t put it down. When I finished the story I felt so warm and fuzzy, happy and satisfied. But that extended epilogue got me people! Those final words to their story completely melted my heart and the tears flowed. Fan-Fluffing-Tastic ending!!
I say this every time, but I CANNOT wait for the next book. Lauren I’m looking at you girl!
This couples story standalone, but it goes so much better paired with the first 2 in the series I promise. **crosses heart**
Book 1: On the Edge
Book 2: Out of Bounds
Get your butt on the lift, out of the penalty box, or whatever and start reading One Last Shot. It is funny, angsty, sexy, sweet and unputdownable!
Gah, I just love JC’s writing style and with each book, the stories and the couples get better and better. For me OLS is the angstiest book in the series. The love was never lost between these two and you can absolutely feel that in their heated almost foreplay-ish arguments and the thick heavy clouds of sexual tension that surrounds them. You really connect with how both Petra and Alex feel and their emotions towards each other in the aftermath of their broken childhood friendship.
Petra and Alex will set your kindle on FIRE! These two are so hot for each other, even after 14 years apart, that you will feel the heat leap off the pages **fans face and reaches for a ciggy in satisfaction**
So, I knew Petra was a total baddy, but whoo, girl is beyond! She is 100 percent the real deal, Boss Lady/Bitch. I can wax poetic all day long about how amazing, confident, smart, strong etc. Petra is. Her personal growth is what got to me the most. When she had her light bulb moment, I was shouting YESSSS GIRRRL!
Alex, Aleksander, Sasha. Don’t matter what name you use, he is just tops! This guy right here might be stoic and broody sexy, but he also has the biggest heart. All the choices he made, good or bad, he made with the best of intentions so that the person he loved most would have the life she deserved. His self sacrifice made him totally redeemable and that much more loveable. I can’t really describe just how GOOD Alex is as a person, lover, father, brother. He will make you swoon and melt into a big pile of goo!
The Last Shot had me grinning from beginning to end. Stood up until 1am to finish, I couldn’t put it down. When I finished the story I felt so warm and fuzzy, happy and satisfied. But that extended epilogue got me people! Those final words to their story completely melted my heart and the tears flowed. Fan-Fluffing-Tastic ending!!
I say this every time, but I CANNOT wait for the next book. Lauren I’m looking at you girl!
This couples story standalone, but it goes so much better paired with the first 2 in the series I promise. **crosses heart**
Book 1: On the Edge
Book 2: Out of Bounds
October 21, 2022
(Advanced Reader Copy)
This is book 3/4 in a series
Tropes:
• hockey romance
• single dad
• second chance
• childhood friends to lovers
• professional snowboarder
• fake marriage
“Be unapologetically you. Be a badass and in love. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”
Whew - Petra is a force to be reckoned with. I love her no bs, strong, confident, energy. She’s never needed a man to complete her before and she’s not looking for one to complete her now. She is whole as Petra.
Alex/Sasha is a professional hockey player who is now the legal guardian of his six year old niece Stella.
These two have a family history back in their home country. Petra’s dad used to work for Alex’s dad…I won’t spoil the book but these two men signed a few documents years ago…money was exchanged and let’s just say that day comes back to haunt Petra and Sasha…
After an unfortunate event causes them to cross paths again Sasha and Petra are forced to exhume the emotions of the night they said goodbye as teenagers fourteen years ago. Only - there’s two versions of the story…and some secrets to unhash.
Does time heal all wounds? Maybe? But what happens when the past carries wounds you never knew about that cut even deeper after all this time?
Can true love conquer all?
What happens when a child is added to the mix?
And what about the fact that Petra lives in LA and Alex lives in NY?
How far would you go to protect someone that you love?
You’ll have to grab this one to find out.
Julia is the master of imagery. Her writing is so descriptive and beautiful effortlessly. She also does an incredible job of fitting so much plot into a book but not making it feel jumbled or rushed.
I shed some happy tears as usual because I’m a sucker for love and HEAs.
And there’s even a bonus epilogue!
This is book 3/4 in a series
Tropes:
• hockey romance
• single dad
• second chance
• childhood friends to lovers
• professional snowboarder
• fake marriage
“Be unapologetically you. Be a badass and in love. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”
Whew - Petra is a force to be reckoned with. I love her no bs, strong, confident, energy. She’s never needed a man to complete her before and she’s not looking for one to complete her now. She is whole as Petra.
Alex/Sasha is a professional hockey player who is now the legal guardian of his six year old niece Stella.
These two have a family history back in their home country. Petra’s dad used to work for Alex’s dad…I won’t spoil the book but these two men signed a few documents years ago…money was exchanged and let’s just say that day comes back to haunt Petra and Sasha…
After an unfortunate event causes them to cross paths again Sasha and Petra are forced to exhume the emotions of the night they said goodbye as teenagers fourteen years ago. Only - there’s two versions of the story…and some secrets to unhash.
Does time heal all wounds? Maybe? But what happens when the past carries wounds you never knew about that cut even deeper after all this time?
Can true love conquer all?
What happens when a child is added to the mix?
And what about the fact that Petra lives in LA and Alex lives in NY?
How far would you go to protect someone that you love?
You’ll have to grab this one to find out.
Julia is the master of imagery. Her writing is so descriptive and beautiful effortlessly. She also does an incredible job of fitting so much plot into a book but not making it feel jumbled or rushed.
I shed some happy tears as usual because I’m a sucker for love and HEAs.
And there’s even a bonus epilogue!
October 4, 2022
4 Star Review One Last Shot by Julia Connors
Julia Connors is a new author to me and am surprised I have not come across her books before. Although my first book, it won’t be my last. One Last Shot was an emotional roller Castro of a read that ticked a number of boxes for me.
This is a second chance at love story with characters who quickly get under your skin. This is hockey player Aleksandr and Petra’s story and it was an emotional read at times. The one person he needs to help him with his orphaned niece Stella is Petra. However she has her own life and is not prepared to dive back into his life.; the spark is still there but Petra has no intention of risking her heart again.
I admired Petra, she is is a strong, determined woman and there were moments that really got to me in this angst written story. The growth that she went through as the story progressed was gripping. I really liked Aleksandr, he had me swooning on a number of occasions.
There was tension, angst, humour and passion in One Last Shot and made for an entertaining read.
Julia Connors is a new author to me and am surprised I have not come across her books before. Although my first book, it won’t be my last. One Last Shot was an emotional roller Castro of a read that ticked a number of boxes for me.
This is a second chance at love story with characters who quickly get under your skin. This is hockey player Aleksandr and Petra’s story and it was an emotional read at times. The one person he needs to help him with his orphaned niece Stella is Petra. However she has her own life and is not prepared to dive back into his life.; the spark is still there but Petra has no intention of risking her heart again.
I admired Petra, she is is a strong, determined woman and there were moments that really got to me in this angst written story. The growth that she went through as the story progressed was gripping. I really liked Aleksandr, he had me swooning on a number of occasions.
There was tension, angst, humour and passion in One Last Shot and made for an entertaining read.
October 6, 2022
Each book I read by Julia Connors just gets better and better!
One Last Shot is a spectacular second chance romance that delivers on angst, steam and romance.
My favorite character was definitely Petra, hands down. I loved her confidence and her relationship with Stella. I was I had a nanny like her when I was little.
Petra and Aleksandr have a rocky road to romance but, man oh man, did my angst loving heart love every moment. The attraction between these two is intense but Petra has been burned by Aleksandr before so she's reluctant to dive back into his life and her romantic feelings for him. I did like how this issue was resolved and it felt genuine to the characters. Aleksandr was easy to fall for. A hockey player that wants to adopt his niece? I mean aww!
I also think the steam delivers! The tension certainly builds throughout the story and once Petra and Aleksandr cross that line? Oh boy it was hot!
Overall, I really loved this one and will definitely plan on rereading it. I would recommend this for readers who like second chance romance, childhood friends to lovers, fake dating, single dad romance, found family, hockey romance, and steamy books.
One Last Shot is a spectacular second chance romance that delivers on angst, steam and romance.
My favorite character was definitely Petra, hands down. I loved her confidence and her relationship with Stella. I was I had a nanny like her when I was little.
Petra and Aleksandr have a rocky road to romance but, man oh man, did my angst loving heart love every moment. The attraction between these two is intense but Petra has been burned by Aleksandr before so she's reluctant to dive back into his life and her romantic feelings for him. I did like how this issue was resolved and it felt genuine to the characters. Aleksandr was easy to fall for. A hockey player that wants to adopt his niece? I mean aww!
I also think the steam delivers! The tension certainly builds throughout the story and once Petra and Aleksandr cross that line? Oh boy it was hot!
Overall, I really loved this one and will definitely plan on rereading it. I would recommend this for readers who like second chance romance, childhood friends to lovers, fake dating, single dad romance, found family, hockey romance, and steamy books.
April 25, 2025
This was a cute book to read! I will say childhood best friend tropes aren’t my favorite, so I got a little bored reading through the book. It pissed me off when Alex was being hypocritical of how Petra just left him when she discovered all of the family secrets that their parents kept from them. Like sir, when you found this out you left her for 14 YEARS, and you have the audacity to be upset when she left you for ONLY a week?! Petra, girl, I would’ve still kept arguing with that man because there was no way you let him win so easily😭. Stella was literally the cutest child you could ever meet. When people say they want kids this is what they mean. I will say there were some gaps in the storyline, which was frustrating because I have so many questions about their parents that was never explained in detail.
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