Slashed by You

Chicago Steel #5

by Jessica Buss

Josh
As the captain of the Steel, Josh is always in control and confident as hell. In relationships, not so much, especially after being majorly burned. Then a gorgeous baker enters his life and changes everything. Her confections are pure magic, and now she’s all he craves.

Kenzie
Kenzie’s always dreamed of owning her own bakery. With a heart of gold, everything she does is filled with love. Busy running her shop, she doesn’t have time for relationships. However, priorities shift when she catches the eye of a kind and sexy professional hockey player who has developed a major sweet tooth.

Genres: Friends To Lovers, Sports Romance, Romance, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

Published February 5, 2024

About the author

Jessica Buss was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She is married to her high school sweetheart and has two sons. Although she has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Psychology, she stepped away from that field to be a stay-at-home mom. Now that her kids are growing up and she’s getting more time to herself, she’s giving this writing thing a chance.


https://www.jessicabuss.com

https://linktr.ee/jessicabussauthor?u...

Reviews

[Amanda M · Rating 5 out of 5]

So with this book when I started reading it I clearly was taken aback by the predicament that Josh found himself in right from the beginning. It really was rather shocking to know that somebody would go to that kind of lengths to try to put their hooks into someone. But I really liked how that situation was resolved to where he could move on. With him and Kenzie it was real and it did take them some work, especially with Josh's past experience with his ex, but their connection was evident from the get. I liked the storyline, the overall plot and the few surprises that popped up in the story. This series just has a way of grabbing you from the moment you start reading. At least for me that's been my experience and this book did not disappoint. It's an excellent read.

[evieo17 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5stars
This was a good read. Not one of my favorite from this series. Josh seems like a nice guy but too much of a doormat for me. He needed to grow a spine. At least he finally found a good thing with Kenzie.

[AddictedToReadingRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is definitely going to be in my favorites!

This story is definitely going to be in my favorites!!! I’m obsessed with pregnancy trope so when I read the tropes for this book I was gone. Jessica is doing The Chicago Steel Series one of my favorites sport romance. This time is the turn of the Captain, Josh Logan. I fall for him just a fast and hard as he falls for Kenz. All the troubles, insecurities and fears made me fall for him even more. And Kenzie, she is definitely one of the strongest heroines, despite all her fears and anxiety. This story is going to surprise you at some point and is going to let your jaw dropping too. You’re definitely going to be mad at Josh but he beautifully redeemed himself and you are going to forgive him. He is the sweetest man. Their HEA is freaking awesome just how I love them. Can’t wait for the future of the Steel men.

[Lorey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Boy! I ate this book up. I started out of order for this series. After reading this one I will go back and order the first few. Josh and Kenzie's story is heartwrenching and heartwarming. The author provided a story rich with sizzling chemistry, magnetic attraction, and endearing characters. Their story is a roller coaster of emotions that keep me engaged. Josh and Kenzie's story held my attention and was hard to put down. Highly recommend. 5-stars!

[Jennifer VanDriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book except that a Hat Trick was scored!! The Chicago Steel are quickly becoming a favorite hockey team of mine! The players are all super hot and love deeply. Some do have a hard time trusting women. However when they do finally fall they go hard. It’s a great read and definitely worth your time!

[Karrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josh hasn’t had an easy time. He moved from Arizona to Chicago to play for the Steel. He meets Kenzie after being with Kayla who played him just because he’s a professional athlete and makes good money. They get their happy ending after he figures out that Kenzie is nothing like Kayla and never has been. He gets the family and life he’s always wanted.

[Melissa]

This is book #5 in the Chicago Steel series. I love reading about the Chicago Steel Men and their women. I’m thinking this is my favorite book out of them all. Kenzie and Josh are so sweet together. Will Josh realize his mistake and beg for her forgiveness?

I can’t wait to read more from this series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

[SB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Josh and Kenzie’s story. They are perfect together and I’m so glad he is able to resolve the conundrum he finds himself in at the start of the book.

[Carla Dau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sparks, Love and Forgiveness

Josh, Captain of the Chicago Steel Hockey Team, is a hardworking leader of the team. A New Year’s hookup becomes a false accusation of pregnancy, a faked miscarriage, a scorned woman who smears his character on social media. Josh is a kind, generous, honest man and when he meets Kenzie, a baker who owns CakeStop, he is immediately captivated by her beauty and her gentle, shy personality. She’s seen the posts and turns down his invite to coffee. He convinces her to give him a chance which develops into friendship, commitment and love. Their accidental pregnancy spirals Josh back to the woman who lied to him about her pregnancy. Author Jessica has developed great characters in this series, women and men, who support Josh and Kenzie during this time. Forgiveness, rebuilding trust, admitting your wrongdoing is a key theme.

[Jenn Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one may start out a little frustrating, but it builds up to a real connection between two lovable characters with a lot of heart. Josh has had his trust tested before so I really enjoyed the friendship that he built with Kenzie. It's a real friendship and it gives us a great slow burn. I really loved both of them, their ups and downs, and that journey they take. This series continues to give us great characters, stories that pull us in, and so much more!

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm completely in love with these Chicago Steel guys, and while our hero, Josh, made some pretty big mistakes in Slashed by You, I'm still very much in love with him! He's really the nicest guy in the world who has just joined the Chicago Steel hockey team when the book started, and he works up to becoming the captain as he's a great guy & hard worker. He has a one night stand with a horrible female named Kayla, and let's just say, she messed his head up despite the fact he didn't have any sort of feelings for her other than to avoid drama LOL! Poor Josh, he should've done something about this piece of work sooner but our paths are our own aren't they. He finally meets his soulmate in Kenzie, a brilliant baker who always works but makes the best sweets around, and while they're drawn to each other, he's got his work cut out winning her (I'll let you find out why). I'm telling you these two are perfect for each other, and they became close friends first so it was looking great by the time they crossed that line. However, that piece of work Kayla messed his head up big time so he definitely steps in it with Kenzie at the very worst time, and it's not looking good at all good that he could actually make it right when he gets his head out of his behind. This story was another winner in my eyes, and it was super easy for me to finish in one sitting. There's heat, sweet, and humor with the supporting cast to keep me laughing quite a bit, so you don't want to pass up Slashed by You as I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Angels · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved Josh and Kenzie's story as it was filled with heartache and pain, betrayals and surprises, friendship and love and so much more.

Josh is a bit skittish after having been betrayed in the worst way. It puts the man in a funk he can't pull himself out of. Kenzie is a breath of fresh air and just what the man needs.

Josh was a sweetheart of a character who was kind, compassionate, caring, and patient, and has a heart as big as Texas which is currently a bit battered. Loved his courtship with Kenzie it was so sweet all his little jesters were heartmelting as friendship grew so did love and affection.

Kenzie we found to be driven and shy not experienced when it comes to dating and relationships but, she muddles through with so many ups and downs but, Josh is everything she wants and needs. Her shyness was endearing and she was perfect for Josh they made the cutest couple.

The other characters were awesome as well. We fell a little bit in love with Toby such a sweetheart of a man who always has Kenzie's back. The author made it easy to fall in love with this cast of characters as a whole they were such a delight.

Loved this slow-burn romance filled with drama, happiness, love, awesome friendships, pleasant surprises, and forgiveness, and was a story filled with touching moments.

[Read.Review.Repeat Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I know it's going to sound all cliche & that, but this series just keeps getting better & better. Admittedly, Josh was very frustrating to read at the start of this story. What he went through with his ex makes it all sort of understandable, but for the majority of this book, I honestly thought Kenzie was way too good for him.
Without giving the whole storyline away, he does eventually get his act together, and by the end, I was so happy that these two made it as a couple. I also thought that the supporting characters were amazing as well. Sure, they just happen to be Josh's teammates & their significant others, but they had me laughing and also nodding my head along to their advice when things weren't looking to great.
I have everything crossed that there will be more teammates finding their own HEA, because I would love to be able to step back into this world again" ~Sharon


Slashed by you is the fifth book in Jessica Buss's Chicago Steel series. I loved reading and following Josh and Kenzie's love at first sight romance. I enjoyed reading this entire series and meeting the song chap this author has created. I look forward to reading more from her. ~Dawn

[Jackie Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Buss has done it again!!!!!
Slashed by You (Chicago Steel #5) is the captain Josh and baker Kenzie’s heartwarming journey and for me it’s the perfect addition to one of my favourite hockey romance series. I love my visits to Chicago to catch up with the Steel and from the moment I picked this book up I knew I was reading something very special.
Josh is the captain of the Steel and normally he is a great guy but after getting himself into a difficult situation he needs to get his head straight and fate seems to be stepping in by putting Kenzie in his path. He fell hard and fast for this baker who makes magical creations but she has only heard about his bad side so that means some serious grovelling if he is going to have any chance at love with Kenzie.
This is a story about new beginnings, trust and love, the road was never going to be smooth but together this couple can get through the bumps along the way if they just give love a chance. Slashed by You touched me on so many levels and I loved it.

[Diane Lynch Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica Buss scores with SLASHED BY YOU (Chicago Steel #5). This is Captain of the Chicago Steel, Josh Logan’s and CakeStop Bakery owner Kenzie’s story.

SLASHED BY YOU starts out with Josh in his previous relationship that leaves him with trust issues. After his breakup, he meets Kenzie at the Steel Your Heart gala. Kenzie's bakery is supplying the desserts at the gala. The two form of friendship and spend a lot of time together. They become best friends. It takes a long time for the couple to take their relationship to the next level.

At the beginning of the story, I was having a really hard time with Josh and his previous relationship. I just wanted to shake him because of how gullible he was. His ex was a piece of work. Kenzie is super sweet. Josh and Kenzie are an amazing couple. Josh's previous relationship caused issues for the couple.

SLASHED BY YOU is a heartwarming and entertaining read. It is an excellent addition to the Chicago Steel series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[N.D. Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh and Kenzie were such a cute couple!! The way they came together was even more compelling because of what Josh had already been through with his conniving ex-girlfriend. And on top of that what Kenzie already thought about him and he had an uphill battle ahead of him.

But holy moly was he just the sweetest potential suitor ever, showing her that he was considerate and willing to take it slow. It wasn't at all a quick love story, oh no, these two were definitely friends for a while though it was crystal clear they both wanted more. I loved that it wasn't just one or the other who were gun shy, but both of them.

This is a full length story and I don't mean that it's long but I mean it takes through the relationship from friends all the way to inevitable conclusion and that made it so much more fun to read. Although both are sweet, this isn't a sweet romance. There's plenty of steam and just enough angst to keep you reading with your fingers crossed.

There was so much emotion wrapped up in Slashed By You and I felt every one of'em from beginning to end.

[Sharon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it's going to sound all cliche & that, but this series just keeps getting better & better. Admittedly, Josh was very frustrating to read at the start of this story. What he went through with his ex makes it all sort of understandable, but for the majority of this book, I honestly thought Kenzie was way too good for him.
Without giving the whole storyline away, he does eventually get his act together, and by the end, I was so happy that these two made it as a couple. I also thought that the supporting characters were amazing as well. Sure, they just happen to be Josh's teammates & their significant others, but they had me laughing and also nodding my head along to their advice when things weren't looking to great.
I have everything crossed that there will be more teammates finding their own HEA, because I would love to be able to step back into this world again

[FunUndertheCovers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book evoked an emotional reaction to the lead male character and it was not very good at first, just giving you fair warning!

Josh is an imposing figure of a hockey player. He can go up against huge men on the ice but he couldn't handle a tiny woman!! After putting up so very long with a female who was not the woman of his dreams, he doesn't know how to handle the woman who should be his soulmate.

When Kenzie meets Josh, she wins him over with her sweets both in her personality and in her oven at her bakery. Kenzie has established her dream, her very own bakery and it is her original baked goods from there that she has won Josh's stomach and heart.

Sadly, there is a huge development that splits this pair and it is a long climb to reach the point where they had been but the trip is so worth it.

[Carol Seymour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book evoked an emotional reaction to the lead male character and it was not very good at first, just giving you fair warning!

Josh is an imposing figure of a hockey player. He can go up against huge men on the ice but he couldn't handle a tiny woman!! After putting up so very long with a female who was not the woman of his dreams, he doesn't know how to handle the woman who should be his soulmate.

When Kenzie meets Josh, she wins him over with her sweets both in her personality and in her oven at her bakery. Kenzie has established her dream, her very own bakery and it is her original baked goods from there that she has won Josh's stomach and heart.

Sadly, there is a huge development that splits this pair and it is a long climb to reach the point where they had been but the trip is so worth it.

[Erin Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

5-star review of Slashed By You (Chicago Steel #5) by Jessica Buss
I have quickly become invested in the Chicago Steel series and could not wait to read Slashed By You, is the book five in the series.
As I have come to expect from this author and series, Slashed By You was a well written, entertaining read with characters whose story you cannot help but be captivated in. I quickly became hooked in Josh and Kenzie’s love story which was everything I look for in a romance and ticked all the boxes for me.
Neither were looking for a relationship and yet the connection between Josh and Kenzie, it was real and added to the story. Their journey was rocky but it was worth it as their relationship blossomed.

[Kari Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh is the captain of the Steel hockey team who is a great teammate and a good friend but hasn’t made the best choices when it comes to his last relationship. When he meets Kenzie, he quickly develops feelings for her but first he needs to convince her to look past his reputation.

Kenzie is focused on her career as a baker and is cautious about letting Josh into her life. As they spend time together, she sees the man he truly is however his past refuses to stay where it belongs.

The characters are relatable, and you will be invested in seeing them overcome the obstacles that are trying to tear them apart so that they can have the life they both deserve.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heartwarming journey of captain Josh and baker Kenzie is told in Slashed by You (Chicago Steel #5). Just as quickly and intensely as Josh falls for Kenzie, so do I. I became even more in love with him despite all of his problems, anxieties, and insecurities. And despite all of her worries and anxieties, Kenzie is unquestionably one of the strongest heroines. He gets himself in a difficult situation and doesn't handle it in the best way possible. This is a story of fresh starts, trust, and love. Although there will always be bumps along the way, this pair can overcome them together if they simply give love a chance. Slashed by You was very beautiful and touched me in so many ways.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in this incredible series, and this is Josh and Kenzie’s story.
Josh is the captain of the Chicago Steel hockey team, and after being burnt in the past, he is not looking for relationships. Kenzie owns her own bakery, and she has no time for any relationships.
This is a well written story which has friendships, challenges, emotions, humor, witty banter, trust, and love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, unpredictable, sweet, heartwarming, and steamy addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Christine Woinich · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. The book had a slow start for me until Kenzie and Josh met. From there, it was a roller coaster of emotions, happy, sad, shock, swooning, and more. I loved Kenzie's determination and willingness to work hard to succeed. I was glad that she had succeeded, found some time for love and friendships, and planned her life around the changes that came. Josh was so hurt because of his situation with Kayla that he could not believe that he had found a woman that was honest and loyal. When it fell apart, he realized what true love was and went after it. I recommend this story.

I received a copy through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pregnancy trope is not my thing, but I truly enjoyed the book. My heart broke for Josh with everything that Kayla did to him. This book has several moments where you just want to yell at Josh and help him understand/give him a hug. Needless to say it is easy to connect with characters in this book. Kenzie, is a baker who catches his eye. He and Kenzie struggled a bit with developing their relationship, I thought it was cute and authentic. I also really enjoyed Toby. This is a great addition to the series, I highly recommend you read it. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janae Peterson Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Josh is the team captain of the Chicago Steel and ends up in a difficult situation but ultimately finds love with Kenz. They were happy until Josh lets his past affect his relationship with Kenz and soon Josh realizes he has made a huge mistake and has to find a way to redeem himself. After some ups and downs, they do eventually find their hea. These books just keep getting better and better. I’m looking forward to more Chicago Steel!

[Sarah Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Captain! I love Josh and have been waiting to see how he falls. He found himself in quite a pickle and in a very difficult position and he handled it not so great at times I wondered what he was doing. But he did redeem himself. Kenz is a sweetheart who is living her dream of having her own bakery. Kenz is very relatable with her anxiety and insecurities but she's also brave and strong. There are a few surprises in the story too, which kept me on my toes.

[Dawn Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slashed by you is the fifth book in Jessica Buss's Chicago Steel series. I loved reading and following Josh and Kenzie's love at first sight romance. I enjoyed reading this entire series and meeting the song chap this author has created. I look forward to reading more from her.

[Laura]

Abandonado al 30%.
Por desgracia no he podido con este libro porque no soporto la forma en la que está escrito. Pensaba que era cuestión de acostumbrarme y de que apareciera la protagonista en escena pero ni con esas, así que me rindo.

[Hannah Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

i think this is the worst book i have ever read