Ella has learned how to survive on very little—little sleep, little money, and even less hope. Between long shifts at the diner, night classes, and raising her younger sister on her own, there’s no room in her life for fairy tales. She’s plain, forgettable, and invisible… or so she’s always believed. Until Captain Sexy notices her.
Shay O’Connell is everything Ella isn’t—charismatic, powerful, and the face of the Houston Howlers. On the ice, he’s a leader. Off it, he’s a man carved from temptation and restraint, carrying the weight of a past that still owns him. A devout Catholic with a rigid moral code, Shay lives in constant battle with desires he believes make him unworthy of love—or forgiveness.
Ella was never supposed to see past his armor. And he was never supposed to want more than a few stolen nights in her arms.
But somehow, she becomes the only person he trusts with the darkest parts of himself—the secrets he keeps from his teammates, his faith, and even his own reflection. With her, the control he clings to fractures into something raw and dangerous… and achingly intimate.
Shay knows he doesn’t deserve her openness, her loyalty, or her faith in him after what he’s done. And Ella is well aware of a hard truth: men like Shay don’t choose women like her. She’s a passing fancy. A mistake he’ll soon repent and leave behind.
Yet when desire collides with devotion, and guilt tangles with love, both must decide if redemption is earned through punishment… or through daring to believe they’re worthy of each other.
Edit: Had to reread this one because I kept thinking about how much I love Ella's feistiness and their little roadie across Texas. So cute and yet so nasty. That scene in the back of his car when he tells her how beautiful she is...yeah, bro, I love this fucking book.
Absolutely hate these covers, so I'm glad they got an update on Kindle. Just some good old fashioned super sweet, super sexy hockey smut. Loved the sister bond and Shay literally had me drooling so it was a big win all around. Just enough angst to keep it interesting without beating you over the head with it. And I'm super hype to start the next one now.