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He's used to winning, but now he's playing with his heart.
Jude Braddock. Hockey god. That's how everyone sees him now. But when they were teenagers, Zoey knew him as the kid who didn't have enough nerve to make a move on their one and only disastrous date. Seems he doesn't have that problem anymore, though. According to the rumors, he's with a different woman every night. After a rough divorce, the last thing Zoey needs is more heartbreak. But Jude's cocky, playful attitude is mighty hard to resist.
Jude knows he isn't built for long-term relationships. But he's getting sick of women pounding on his door in the middle of the night looking for a rematch. When Zoey comes back into his life, it's like fate has given him a second chance. He'll do anything to make her happy again. Is this what love looks like? He has no idea. All he knows for sure is that this time, he's playing for keeps.
Jude Braddock. Hockey god. That's how everyone sees him now. But when they were teenagers, Zoey knew him as the kid who didn't have enough nerve to make a move on their one and only disastrous date. Seems he doesn't have that problem anymore, though. According to the rumors, he's with a different woman every night. After a rough divorce, the last thing Zoey needs is more heartbreak. But Jude's cocky, playful attitude is mighty hard to resist.
Jude knows he isn't built for long-term relationships. But he's getting sick of women pounding on his door in the middle of the night looking for a rematch. When Zoey comes back into his life, it's like fate has given him a second chance. He'll do anything to make her happy again. Is this what love looks like? He has no idea. All he knows for sure is that this time, he's playing for keeps.
368 pages, ebook
First published May 9, 2017
69 people are currently reading
1402 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Denault
31 books833 followersSign up for Victoria's monthly newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/cexOL9
Victoria Denault loves ocean air, seventies music, strong heroines and flawed heroes. She is a former journalist, stand-up comic and corporate marketing minion. Victoria is a Canadian and former Californian who currently lives in a 225 year-old house with her husband, their Chihuahua Maximus and more spiders than she cares to think about.
Victoria Denault loves ocean air, seventies music, strong heroines and flawed heroes. She is a former journalist, stand-up comic and corporate marketing minion. Victoria is a Canadian and former Californian who currently lives in a 225 year-old house with her husband, their Chihuahua Maximus and more spiders than she cares to think about.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
April 6, 2017
➳Second chances at finding the one and only are beyond rare to find, but Victoria Denault introduces not only the impossible but also the rare opportunity to falling in love with her characters such as Jude and Zoey…
➳Knowing each other from the early years of childhood, Jude and Zoey have once again rekindled in this new epic love story. Not only is the ability of finding love for the second time, and somewhat never loosing it is a message sent by Victoria, but she has also brought her comfort topic of hockey to the mix. Jude is a pro-hockey player that is well known for not only his play time in the ice rink, but also his play time outside of it with the ladies. He is watched from the paparazzi, to the annoying and loving pests of his sisters. It had gotten to a point that he had to use one of his sister’s to prevent from women to come to his house and stalk him down.
➳Zoey, trying to find her path after also trying to finalize her divorce papers, finds herself in a pickle that not only stimulates more the idea of getting divorce more appealing to her, but she also finds that Jude has never forgotten about her. With a second chance at love, she first sees it as a rebound way to move forward with her life. However, Jude has other ideas after finding his rekindle with Zoey. At first, he wants to just explore her body and see how well they connect physically, but he has seemed to find a way to feel her not only physically, but also emotionally. Time in the hockey rink is soon forgotten, as his thoughts only revolve around the hazel haired beauty of Zoey.
➳Obstacles are brought upon them both, making it harder to interact. Somehow though, they find ways to connect and be together. Zoey and Jude bring a whole new meaning to a seance chance love story, and Victoria has brought a new illumination to my eyes towards her writing. I hope that she can step outside her comfort zone of writing something beyond the point of hockey. Overall, I enjoyed this story much more than what I was expecting. I highly recommend this read for any who are looking for a sports romance as this novel, will take you away to a totally different world filled with angst, second chances, but most of all the idea of never forgetting those who have been there for you since the start.
➳Hero rating: 5.0
➳Heroine rating: 5.0
➳Sexual tension rating: 4.5
➳Sex scenes rating: 4.5
➳Sex scenes frequency: 4.5
➳Plot rating: 5.0
➳Dialogue rating: 5.0
➳Storytelling rating: 5.0
➳Story ending rating: 5.0
➳Pre-Order Links:
Amazon ♕ B&N
➳ARC kindly provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review…
➳Follow Me On:
Blog ♕ Instagram ♕ Facebook ♕ Twitter
➳Knowing each other from the early years of childhood, Jude and Zoey have once again rekindled in this new epic love story. Not only is the ability of finding love for the second time, and somewhat never loosing it is a message sent by Victoria, but she has also brought her comfort topic of hockey to the mix. Jude is a pro-hockey player that is well known for not only his play time in the ice rink, but also his play time outside of it with the ladies. He is watched from the paparazzi, to the annoying and loving pests of his sisters. It had gotten to a point that he had to use one of his sister’s to prevent from women to come to his house and stalk him down.
➳Zoey, trying to find her path after also trying to finalize her divorce papers, finds herself in a pickle that not only stimulates more the idea of getting divorce more appealing to her, but she also finds that Jude has never forgotten about her. With a second chance at love, she first sees it as a rebound way to move forward with her life. However, Jude has other ideas after finding his rekindle with Zoey. At first, he wants to just explore her body and see how well they connect physically, but he has seemed to find a way to feel her not only physically, but also emotionally. Time in the hockey rink is soon forgotten, as his thoughts only revolve around the hazel haired beauty of Zoey.
➳Obstacles are brought upon them both, making it harder to interact. Somehow though, they find ways to connect and be together. Zoey and Jude bring a whole new meaning to a seance chance love story, and Victoria has brought a new illumination to my eyes towards her writing. I hope that she can step outside her comfort zone of writing something beyond the point of hockey. Overall, I enjoyed this story much more than what I was expecting. I highly recommend this read for any who are looking for a sports romance as this novel, will take you away to a totally different world filled with angst, second chances, but most of all the idea of never forgetting those who have been there for you since the start.
➳Hero rating: 5.0
➳Heroine rating: 5.0
➳Sexual tension rating: 4.5
➳Sex scenes rating: 4.5
➳Sex scenes frequency: 4.5
➳Plot rating: 5.0
➳Dialogue rating: 5.0
➳Storytelling rating: 5.0
➳Story ending rating: 5.0
➳Pre-Order Links:
Amazon ♕ B&N
➳ARC kindly provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review…
➳Follow Me On:
Blog ♕ Instagram ♕ Facebook ♕ Twitter
November 4, 2023
*2.5*
He clearly got good at giving orgasms by handing them out in the thousands like samples at Costco.
M/F contemporary
Hockey romance
Second chance
Reformed manwhore
Cheating exes
Magic vag
Love triangle
This story has a little bit of everything, as you can see from the list above.
🛑 Spoilers in review below 🛑
When I started this book, I wondered if I was missing a prequel of some sort, as there is a previous love triangle that was not explained, involving the hero of the story. Basically, the hero was dating a woman, cheated on her, she broke up with him, and then proceeded to date his best friend and captain of his hockey team.
The hero continues his sluttastic parade through hundreds of women, and even gets lucky enough that one posts pics of his dick online for the world to see. He has OW banging on his door day and night for another ride on his very public transportation.
The heroine was a self proclaimed “wild woman” at 17 when she first met the hero, who was virgin at that time. He knew she was very experienced in the bedroom, and was hoping she would teach him all she knew. Insert random over drinking, vomiting, and ruined non-sex evening. 11 years later, they find each other in San Francisco, California. She is a (separated, but still married) real estate agent barely making ends meet, he is a hockey player.
Did I find it OTT that she just so happens to live in one of the most iconic houses in SF? One of the painted ladies recently sold for 3.5 million. Her husband must have been loaded. Did I also mention that his secretary is four months pregnant with his baby?
Overall, this is a highly predictable, yet somewhat sweet second chance romance. Low on any hockey details, but high on sexual conquests. I have very little patience for the magic-vag-reforming-a-man trope, hence the three stars.
Ends with a monogamous relationship, and a surprise pregnancy.
M/F contemporary
Hockey romance
Second chance
Reformed manwhore
Cheating exes
Magic vag
Love triangle
This story has a little bit of everything, as you can see from the list above.
🛑 Spoilers in review below 🛑
When I started this book, I wondered if I was missing a prequel of some sort, as there is a previous love triangle that was not explained, involving the hero of the story. Basically, the hero was dating a woman, cheated on her, she broke up with him, and then proceeded to date his best friend and captain of his hockey team.
The hero continues his sluttastic parade through hundreds of women, and even gets lucky enough that one posts pics of his dick online for the world to see. He has OW banging on his door day and night for another ride on his very public transportation.
The heroine was a self proclaimed “wild woman” at 17 when she first met the hero, who was virgin at that time. He knew she was very experienced in the bedroom, and was hoping she would teach him all she knew. Insert random over drinking, vomiting, and ruined non-sex evening. 11 years later, they find each other in San Francisco, California. She is a (separated, but still married) real estate agent barely making ends meet, he is a hockey player.
Did I find it OTT that she just so happens to live in one of the most iconic houses in SF? One of the painted ladies recently sold for 3.5 million. Her husband must have been loaded. Did I also mention that his secretary is four months pregnant with his baby?
Overall, this is a highly predictable, yet somewhat sweet second chance romance. Low on any hockey details, but high on sexual conquests. I have very little patience for the magic-vag-reforming-a-man trope, hence the three stars.
Ends with a monogamous relationship, and a surprise pregnancy.
May 24, 2017
This is one of those books that grew on me over time.
Score was my first book by Victoria Denault, and I was positive, at the start, that this was a spin-off from another series. Now that I'm finished, I'm not so sure, but the way the story starts off seems like there is a backstory there that readers should have prior knowledge of.
It is pretty strange how this whole weird side story about a love triangle is just placed into the story, like we should know what happened in the past, and I almost let that deter me from the book. However, I let my love of hockey romances guide me, and I kept on reading.
Most of this book is pure romance tropes. Cheating exes, reformed rakes, second chance romances... they are all there. The hockey elements are also really light, and I simply didn't buy the fact that no one made the connection that the MC and the manager of the team were related. There are also meddling family members, which I usually don't love.
But somehow, despite the many issues I had with the story, I got charmed in the end.
It sort of drew me in over time, and I found the book to be a pleasant, if not terribly memorable, read. Sure, I sound like I'm only focusing on the negatives, but the story ended up being sort of sweet and kind of hot, even if the sex got to be too gratuitous for me.
A decent read for M/F contemporary lovers who like steamy sex (and lots of it).
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Score was my first book by Victoria Denault, and I was positive, at the start, that this was a spin-off from another series. Now that I'm finished, I'm not so sure, but the way the story starts off seems like there is a backstory there that readers should have prior knowledge of.
It is pretty strange how this whole weird side story about a love triangle is just placed into the story, like we should know what happened in the past, and I almost let that deter me from the book. However, I let my love of hockey romances guide me, and I kept on reading.
Most of this book is pure romance tropes. Cheating exes, reformed rakes, second chance romances... they are all there. The hockey elements are also really light, and I simply didn't buy the fact that no one made the connection that the MC and the manager of the team were related. There are also meddling family members, which I usually don't love.
But somehow, despite the many issues I had with the story, I got charmed in the end.
It sort of drew me in over time, and I found the book to be a pleasant, if not terribly memorable, read. Sure, I sound like I'm only focusing on the negatives, but the story ended up being sort of sweet and kind of hot, even if the sex got to be too gratuitous for me.
A decent read for M/F contemporary lovers who like steamy sex (and lots of it).
*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
May 24, 2020
This was definitely an impulse read. I found an ARC of this at a local bookstore a long, long time ago. I must admit that I only got the ARC because of the cover. Anywho, I decided that this had sat on my shelf for long enough so I finally read this.
Honestly, it was less scandalous than two-years-ago-me expected it to be. I literally hid this in my closet because I thought it'd be super scandalous and innapropriate
But nope! It was just a classic steamy sports romance.
This second chance romance was cut and dry but enjoyable. I blew through it, enjoying every page! I just might read more from this author in the future!
------------
3.5 stars! Super steamy! Review to come
| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
Honestly, it was less scandalous than two-years-ago-me expected it to be. I literally hid this in my closet because I thought it'd be super scandalous and innapropriate
But nope! It was just a classic steamy sports romance.
This second chance romance was cut and dry but enjoyable. I blew through it, enjoying every page! I just might read more from this author in the future!
------------
3.5 stars! Super steamy! Review to come
| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
May 13, 2017
Review added:
Score was the first book in the San Francisco Thunder series by Victoria Denault and focused on the local NHL franchise. I'm a Denault fan through her Hometown Players series.
Jude Braddock was the gorgeous, arrogant, and confident NHL hockey star. He was loyal to family, friends and his team. Not so loyal to women.
Zoey Quinlin was the beautiful childhood friend to Jude and his three sisters. She is in the middle of a bad divorce and she's starting over. She's feisty and strong.
Jude and Zoey had not seen each other in over a decade; however, when their paths crossed again, the insane attraction they had as teenagers, came back in full force. Jude was on a mission and Zoey was the mission.
Although I liked the premise, it was a struggle for me at first because Jude was an ass. His approach to women was appalling. He was disrespectful and a cheat. I'm used to this at times in my books, but he surpassed the acceptable line by a mile. With that said, he actually grew on me as the book progressed and his layers began to unravel.
Denault built the story around the expected drama: messy divorce challenges, the chase, will Jude cheat or has he found his forever love? She also tossed in some hockey and real estate through their occupations, although that wasn't the focus for this storyline.
Once I got through Jude's attitude, the story worked for me. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the remaining series. For my book friends who are looking for safe, it's safe. The book addressed Jude cheating on his former girlfriend and keeps bringing it into the storyline, but it doesn't go beyond that.
The only real confusing part to me was Levi, Jude's best friend, and Tessa, Jude's ex-girlfriend. I felt we should have gotten their story first and I was missing something big within the storyline. Other than that, the story worked for me.
All in all, an entertaining read. Levi's younger brother, Elijah, and Jude's little sister, Dixie, is next on the horizon in Slammed.
Score was the first book in the San Francisco Thunder series by Victoria Denault and focused on the local NHL franchise. I'm a Denault fan through her Hometown Players series.
Jude Braddock was the gorgeous, arrogant, and confident NHL hockey star. He was loyal to family, friends and his team. Not so loyal to women.
Zoey Quinlin was the beautiful childhood friend to Jude and his three sisters. She is in the middle of a bad divorce and she's starting over. She's feisty and strong.
Jude and Zoey had not seen each other in over a decade; however, when their paths crossed again, the insane attraction they had as teenagers, came back in full force. Jude was on a mission and Zoey was the mission.
Although I liked the premise, it was a struggle for me at first because Jude was an ass. His approach to women was appalling. He was disrespectful and a cheat. I'm used to this at times in my books, but he surpassed the acceptable line by a mile. With that said, he actually grew on me as the book progressed and his layers began to unravel.
Denault built the story around the expected drama: messy divorce challenges, the chase, will Jude cheat or has he found his forever love? She also tossed in some hockey and real estate through their occupations, although that wasn't the focus for this storyline.
Once I got through Jude's attitude, the story worked for me. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the remaining series. For my book friends who are looking for safe, it's safe. The book addressed Jude cheating on his former girlfriend and keeps bringing it into the storyline, but it doesn't go beyond that.
The only real confusing part to me was Levi, Jude's best friend, and Tessa, Jude's ex-girlfriend. I felt we should have gotten their story first and I was missing something big within the storyline. Other than that, the story worked for me.
All in all, an entertaining read. Levi's younger brother, Elijah, and Jude's little sister, Dixie, is next on the horizon in Slammed.
May 28, 2018
Hockey, heart, love and sexy….
I love this author’s stories. L-O-V-E them. They usually have a lot to do with hockey which immediately catches my attention but the characters, they always capture my heart. Their capacity to make mistakes and recover. Their ability to be human – compassionate, loving, angry, cranky, bitter, funny, sarcastic - and everything in between. Real people with problems of the heart, AND hockey? Well, just set up the IV because I don’t want it to stop…
Jude and Zoey’s story is the first in the San Francisco Thunder series and it starts off with a quiet, hear me roar vibe. So much is going on in this second chance romance with Jude and Zoey having another chance at the romance wheel – though the first time barely made it off the ground…
“I’m not going to back off or give up.”
And thank goodness! How does someone who never wanted or needed a relationship win over someone who had one and can’t imagine doing it again? Well, perseverance, charm and being good in the sack helps. A lot! I loved how these two pushed, pulled and bantered their way through tentative steps and super sexy, heated moments.
“My life is in free fall and Jude is my soft landing.”
Some of my favourite characters of the year, this series is already on my insta-click, insta-everything list! ~Diane, 5 stars
I love this author’s stories. L-O-V-E them. They usually have a lot to do with hockey which immediately catches my attention but the characters, they always capture my heart. Their capacity to make mistakes and recover. Their ability to be human – compassionate, loving, angry, cranky, bitter, funny, sarcastic - and everything in between. Real people with problems of the heart, AND hockey? Well, just set up the IV because I don’t want it to stop…
Jude and Zoey’s story is the first in the San Francisco Thunder series and it starts off with a quiet, hear me roar vibe. So much is going on in this second chance romance with Jude and Zoey having another chance at the romance wheel – though the first time barely made it off the ground…
“I’m not going to back off or give up.”
And thank goodness! How does someone who never wanted or needed a relationship win over someone who had one and can’t imagine doing it again? Well, perseverance, charm and being good in the sack helps. A lot! I loved how these two pushed, pulled and bantered their way through tentative steps and super sexy, heated moments.
“My life is in free fall and Jude is my soft landing.”
Some of my favourite characters of the year, this series is already on my insta-click, insta-everything list! ~Diane, 5 stars
July 31, 2017
5 Jude and Zoey Stars
I really enjoyed this second chance romance featuring a hot hockey NHL player and a very sweet heroine who I adored from the first page.
Jude and Zoey are both 28 but they have known each other since they were teenagers. She was the rebellious girl who babysat his little sisters and he was the starry eyed love struck boy who crushed hard on the Preacher's pretty red headed daughter. They nearly get it together but it's not to be and they part ways and lose touch but each has a special place in their heart for the other.
Fast forward eleven years. Jude is a hockey superstar who works and party's HARD. Zoey is trying to nurture a new career whilst reeling from the collapse of her marriage to her husband (who was an asshole with a capital A). I warmed up to Jude and really liked him by the end but Zoey I adored from the start. She is such a lovely, warm character and I was in awe of how she reacted to her idiot of an ex. She shows temerity and strength with such class even when you know she is dying a little on the inside. When there is some conflict between the H/h late on in the book, she comments on herself and I think my heart broke a little for her.
Jude starts off as quite a typical contemporary hero in that he is a 'player' and a 'man whore' with a home that serves as a 'f*** pad'. But, there is a sweetness underneath and he is beautifully redeemed. He loves Zoey with all his heart, he just doesn't know it for a while.
I loved these two together. He has Zoey's back and that loyalty is reciprocated. There are some excellent secondary characters. A strong sense of family pervades which gives Jude another endearing facet to his character. It's also hilarious to watch him react to his three younger sisters and their merciless teasing of him. He calls them the 'Sorority' and the dynamic between them is entertaining to read. Especially Jude and Dixie:
"I wish my dad had indulged me when she was born and I requested we trade her for a puppy."
If you enjoy books about hot athletic men and heroine's who you absolutely root for from the start, then give this a whirl. It's sexy, fun and heart warming.
"I love you in a way I've never, ever loved anyone. I can't just let you go. Please don't let me go."
HEA? Yes
Cheating? No
I really enjoyed this second chance romance featuring a hot hockey NHL player and a very sweet heroine who I adored from the first page.
Jude and Zoey are both 28 but they have known each other since they were teenagers. She was the rebellious girl who babysat his little sisters and he was the starry eyed love struck boy who crushed hard on the Preacher's pretty red headed daughter. They nearly get it together but it's not to be and they part ways and lose touch but each has a special place in their heart for the other.
Fast forward eleven years. Jude is a hockey superstar who works and party's HARD. Zoey is trying to nurture a new career whilst reeling from the collapse of her marriage to her husband (who was an asshole with a capital A). I warmed up to Jude and really liked him by the end but Zoey I adored from the start. She is such a lovely, warm character and I was in awe of how she reacted to her idiot of an ex. She shows temerity and strength with such class even when you know she is dying a little on the inside. When there is some conflict between the H/h late on in the book, she comments on herself and I think my heart broke a little for her.
Jude starts off as quite a typical contemporary hero in that he is a 'player' and a 'man whore' with a home that serves as a 'f*** pad'. But, there is a sweetness underneath and he is beautifully redeemed. He loves Zoey with all his heart, he just doesn't know it for a while.
I loved these two together. He has Zoey's back and that loyalty is reciprocated. There are some excellent secondary characters. A strong sense of family pervades which gives Jude another endearing facet to his character. It's also hilarious to watch him react to his three younger sisters and their merciless teasing of him. He calls them the 'Sorority' and the dynamic between them is entertaining to read. Especially Jude and Dixie:
"I wish my dad had indulged me when she was born and I requested we trade her for a puppy."
If you enjoy books about hot athletic men and heroine's who you absolutely root for from the start, then give this a whirl. It's sexy, fun and heart warming.
"I love you in a way I've never, ever loved anyone. I can't just let you go. Please don't let me go."
HEA? Yes
Cheating? No
May 5, 2017
I loved this second chance sports romance! There was the perfect amount of swoon, angst, humor, and sexy times. This is the first book in the author's San Francisco Thunder series and is told from the points of views of both the hero and heroine, Jude and Zoey.
I will be completely honest. The reformed manwhore is my least favorite hero. I don't expect my heroes to be saints or anything, but having close to or over a thousand sexual partners is a tough pill to swallow for me. I just always have a harder time believing that the hero could be faithful and monogamous to our heroine. Score is so wonderfully written though that it actually works amazingly well in this story. I may not love that part of Jude's past, but I really liked Jude. Yes, he's cocky, arrogant, and sometimes a prick, but he can also be generous, thoughtful, tender, and sweet. His chemistry with Zoey is undeniable and that hopefulness of reconnecting with her over a decade later is both steamy and endearing. I loved watching these two get to know each other again as adults and bring out in the other, the people they hope to be. Of course, there are a few bumps in the road, but you will be so invested in these two that you will be rooting for them to get their happily ever after.
One thing that I especially loved about this book were the secondary characters, especially Dixie and the entire sorority, and all the witty and hilarious banter. Seriously, I love Victoria Denault's writing and sense of humor. There were times I was laughing so hard at what was going through our character's minds and flying out of their mouths! (ahem, restless d*ck syndrome!) I was so excited to find out that the second book will be Dixie and the mysterious Eli's and can't wait to continue on with the series! You definitely don't want to miss this one!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
I will be completely honest. The reformed manwhore is my least favorite hero. I don't expect my heroes to be saints or anything, but having close to or over a thousand sexual partners is a tough pill to swallow for me. I just always have a harder time believing that the hero could be faithful and monogamous to our heroine. Score is so wonderfully written though that it actually works amazingly well in this story. I may not love that part of Jude's past, but I really liked Jude. Yes, he's cocky, arrogant, and sometimes a prick, but he can also be generous, thoughtful, tender, and sweet. His chemistry with Zoey is undeniable and that hopefulness of reconnecting with her over a decade later is both steamy and endearing. I loved watching these two get to know each other again as adults and bring out in the other, the people they hope to be. Of course, there are a few bumps in the road, but you will be so invested in these two that you will be rooting for them to get their happily ever after.
One thing that I especially loved about this book were the secondary characters, especially Dixie and the entire sorority, and all the witty and hilarious banter. Seriously, I love Victoria Denault's writing and sense of humor. There were times I was laughing so hard at what was going through our character's minds and flying out of their mouths! (ahem, restless d*ck syndrome!) I was so excited to find out that the second book will be Dixie and the mysterious Eli's and can't wait to continue on with the series! You definitely don't want to miss this one!
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
January 16, 2018
**3.5 to 4 STARS!
May 17, 2017
4 stars
Score by Victoria Denault was a sweet, fun, steamy and very entertaining read.
A great start to the San Francisco Thunder series.
The storyline was well written, Jude and Zoey were likable, relatable and endearing characters that touched my heart with their story.
Score was a great read and a very good start to the San Francisco Thunder series.
*Purchase Links*
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2l40Vy1
iBooks: http://apple.co/2kR5vo2
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kR1IHa
Nook: http://bit.ly/2kR3qbz
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2mcfS6j
*An ARC was provided to me in exchange for my honest thoughts*
Score by Victoria Denault was a sweet, fun, steamy and very entertaining read.
A great start to the San Francisco Thunder series.
The storyline was well written, Jude and Zoey were likable, relatable and endearing characters that touched my heart with their story.
Score was a great read and a very good start to the San Francisco Thunder series.
*Purchase Links*
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2l40Vy1
iBooks: http://apple.co/2kR5vo2
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kR1IHa
Nook: http://bit.ly/2kR3qbz
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2mcfS6j
*An ARC was provided to me in exchange for my honest thoughts*
October 6, 2019
This book ticked off quite a few positives for me:
second chance romance
sports theme
reformed playboy
strong female lead
The chemistry between Jude and Zoey was palpable from the start. You felt it in the prose of the book. It sizzled even when they were pushing at each other. LOVE! These two are going to get on your last nerve at the same time as your heart is singing. You will root for them even when Jude is not such a likeable guy. Because believe me when I say .... there are time you will NOT like him but you will always root for them :)
This is my first read by Victoria Denault and I'm pretty impressed. The story was focused with very little angst and a lot of heart. I can't say the conflict wasn't predictable and maybe a little unnecessary, but that's just an opinion on my part. The book is a solid read and I really enjoyed the heck out of it!
Copy provided for blog tour review
second chance romance
sports theme
reformed playboy
strong female lead
The chemistry between Jude and Zoey was palpable from the start. You felt it in the prose of the book. It sizzled even when they were pushing at each other. LOVE! These two are going to get on your last nerve at the same time as your heart is singing. You will root for them even when Jude is not such a likeable guy. Because believe me when I say .... there are time you will NOT like him but you will always root for them :)
This is my first read by Victoria Denault and I'm pretty impressed. The story was focused with very little angst and a lot of heart. I can't say the conflict wasn't predictable and maybe a little unnecessary, but that's just an opinion on my part. The book is a solid read and I really enjoyed the heck out of it!
Copy provided for blog tour review
February 21, 2019
Pleasant, fun and enjoyable read. Cute but not incredibly memorable as I read it just a few short days ago and seriously struggled remembering the plot and ending; though that might say more about my memory retention than the book itself…the world might never find out. Haha.
After serious concentration on my part, I was able to recall things I very much liked about it, such as his 3 sisters and the whole dynamics between them all. I also liked there wasn’t too much drama nor a huge reveal; it was just a nicely played out story and fun to read. I look forward to the rest in the series.
After serious concentration on my part, I was able to recall things I very much liked about it, such as his 3 sisters and the whole dynamics between them all. I also liked there wasn’t too much drama nor a huge reveal; it was just a nicely played out story and fun to read. I look forward to the rest in the series.
April 30, 2017
MY RATING: 2/5 STARS
REVIEW:
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book by Forever Romance in exchange for an honest review.
I have to be really honest with myself when I requested this book from Forever Romance. I actually felt indifferent by the story line and I felt indifferent by the cover of the novel. I know. I know. I shouldn't judge a book by its cover but really I feel like I can sense out the type of style a book is going based on the cover. With that being said, let's jump into the review and you can understand why I'm giving this book a 2/5 stars.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
To begin, we have our main "hockey god", Jude Braddock who is the definition of a playboy. Here's this thing that I have with playboys. Yes, I get they have a lot of sex with many different girls. It's basically the definition and I'm cool with it to a certain extent in a book but oh my god. Victoria Denault really emphasizes that Jude fucks a lot of girls. And it's just frustrating because we can't get over it with a chapter of describing his sexual history but it has to drag on for over 5 chapters. It's also so annoying that all these girls remember where he lives and they keep showing up on his doorstep, begging him to have one more night of fun.
Read more…
Like bro. What. I don't even think that's believable. I don't think any guy ever has had a line of different women on different days come to their door and ask for fun without any attachments because man, oh man, is he giving them orgasms every 2 seconds or something?
So that's already annoying. To top it off, Jude had this lingering feeling for his childhood friend, Zoey. He claims it's just a bruised ego that he wasn't able to do the deed back when they were teenagers because of an embarrassing mishap featuring too much soda or something and vomit. Before we jump onto Zoey's boat, let's keep ranting about how Jude literally just wants sex with Zoey and he's doing that whole ego thing like yeah, I just want to fuck. UGH. UGH.
ANYWAYS let's go to Zoey. She married a pompous prick and now she's going through a divorce that is supposed to be painful but I felt nothing for her. Her ex-husband just sounds like a dick but he was created in a way such that it seemed so far stretched. Like he wasn't so harsh that I couldn't believe it but it was just okay, you took away her credit cards, her house, her car. You're a dick. But let's move on. It's reasonable that an ex would stop paying for your stuff.
OKAY BACK TO ZOEY. She sees Jude as a strong figure she can rely on and really, I can't tell you much more about her. She's a real estate agent. She helps Jude find a new place since so many annoying ass girls keep going to his place. She's insecure because Jude has so many girls flock to her and she really doesn't want to compete with gorgeous girls. It's just whatever.
MOVING ON. This whole book focuses too much on Jude's sister Dixie. She's like the epic third wheel of this book and you know why?
Because Victora Denault wrote a book about her and her main interest that comes out in December 2017. Fantastic.
Do I recommend this book?
You can't see me but i'm shrugging. Like it's not a loss for you to miss this but it's also not a big win to read it. I would pick it up if it were on sale at a thrift store or something.
For more reviews, check out my blog: https://remarkablylisa.wordpress.com
REVIEW:
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book by Forever Romance in exchange for an honest review.
I have to be really honest with myself when I requested this book from Forever Romance. I actually felt indifferent by the story line and I felt indifferent by the cover of the novel. I know. I know. I shouldn't judge a book by its cover but really I feel like I can sense out the type of style a book is going based on the cover. With that being said, let's jump into the review and you can understand why I'm giving this book a 2/5 stars.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS
To begin, we have our main "hockey god", Jude Braddock who is the definition of a playboy. Here's this thing that I have with playboys. Yes, I get they have a lot of sex with many different girls. It's basically the definition and I'm cool with it to a certain extent in a book but oh my god. Victoria Denault really emphasizes that Jude fucks a lot of girls. And it's just frustrating because we can't get over it with a chapter of describing his sexual history but it has to drag on for over 5 chapters. It's also so annoying that all these girls remember where he lives and they keep showing up on his doorstep, begging him to have one more night of fun.
Read more…
Like bro. What. I don't even think that's believable. I don't think any guy ever has had a line of different women on different days come to their door and ask for fun without any attachments because man, oh man, is he giving them orgasms every 2 seconds or something?
So that's already annoying. To top it off, Jude had this lingering feeling for his childhood friend, Zoey. He claims it's just a bruised ego that he wasn't able to do the deed back when they were teenagers because of an embarrassing mishap featuring too much soda or something and vomit. Before we jump onto Zoey's boat, let's keep ranting about how Jude literally just wants sex with Zoey and he's doing that whole ego thing like yeah, I just want to fuck. UGH. UGH.
ANYWAYS let's go to Zoey. She married a pompous prick and now she's going through a divorce that is supposed to be painful but I felt nothing for her. Her ex-husband just sounds like a dick but he was created in a way such that it seemed so far stretched. Like he wasn't so harsh that I couldn't believe it but it was just okay, you took away her credit cards, her house, her car. You're a dick. But let's move on. It's reasonable that an ex would stop paying for your stuff.
OKAY BACK TO ZOEY. She sees Jude as a strong figure she can rely on and really, I can't tell you much more about her. She's a real estate agent. She helps Jude find a new place since so many annoying ass girls keep going to his place. She's insecure because Jude has so many girls flock to her and she really doesn't want to compete with gorgeous girls. It's just whatever.
MOVING ON. This whole book focuses too much on Jude's sister Dixie. She's like the epic third wheel of this book and you know why?
Because Victora Denault wrote a book about her and her main interest that comes out in December 2017. Fantastic.
Do I recommend this book?
You can't see me but i'm shrugging. Like it's not a loss for you to miss this but it's also not a big win to read it. I would pick it up if it were on sale at a thrift store or something.
For more reviews, check out my blog: https://remarkablylisa.wordpress.com
June 3, 2017
ARC REVIEW
Score is book one of Victoria Denault's San Francisco Thunder series. Although it is a first book it really felt like this was a spinoff or had a novella before it. The whole backstory of Jude and his best friend and ex-girlfriend was, to me, kind of annoying and made the the whole story predictable. The characters were good, Jude is my favorite kind of reformed manwhore. He started before the beginning of the book and once he saw Zoey again he didn't see anyone else. Zoey is in the midst of a divorce and Jude respects her decision to wait until after the divorce is final. While his initial goal was to finally sleep with Zoey, who is in her own right a reformed bad girl, Jude takes way too long to realize that Zoey is the one. The secondary characters range from I hate them to absolutely hysterical. The second chance story was even though very painfully predictable with how it played out was a good read and had some very naughty sex scenes.
Zoey is trying to put her life together, her soon to be ex-husband blames her for not being able to get pregnant and now she's without a house and even though they agreed that the loser would cover the hotel until after the divorce she is now homeless, carless and credit cardless. She has had it the amicable divorce is quickly growing into a very bitter one. She is trying her hardest to get herself established in her new job but the real estate market is finicky.
Jude still hasn't forgiven Levi for falling in love with his ex-girlfriend, Tessa, and between that and all the late night booty calls he has been getting at his house he's tired of it all. But a stroke of luck happens when he runs into Zoey and she is everything he remembers. Zoey and Jude knew each other when they were teenagers and almost had sex. Jude thinks now is the perfect time to remedy that but is willing to bide his time because he knows it's going to be perfect. Since Zoey is a real estate agent Jude asks her to sell his place and find a new one. It's all fun and games until Zoey discovers something about Jude's past that could have been an easy forgive if he had only just told her in the beginning, but Jude is an oblivious male. Can he fix this and can Zoey forgive him?
Overall, it was a nice read, I do like the sisters and want their stories more than I want the other teammates of Thunder.
Score is book one of Victoria Denault's San Francisco Thunder series. Although it is a first book it really felt like this was a spinoff or had a novella before it. The whole backstory of Jude and his best friend and ex-girlfriend was, to me, kind of annoying and made the the whole story predictable. The characters were good, Jude is my favorite kind of reformed manwhore. He started before the beginning of the book and once he saw Zoey again he didn't see anyone else. Zoey is in the midst of a divorce and Jude respects her decision to wait until after the divorce is final. While his initial goal was to finally sleep with Zoey, who is in her own right a reformed bad girl, Jude takes way too long to realize that Zoey is the one. The secondary characters range from I hate them to absolutely hysterical. The second chance story was even though very painfully predictable with how it played out was a good read and had some very naughty sex scenes.
Zoey is trying to put her life together, her soon to be ex-husband blames her for not being able to get pregnant and now she's without a house and even though they agreed that the loser would cover the hotel until after the divorce she is now homeless, carless and credit cardless. She has had it the amicable divorce is quickly growing into a very bitter one. She is trying her hardest to get herself established in her new job but the real estate market is finicky.
Jude still hasn't forgiven Levi for falling in love with his ex-girlfriend, Tessa, and between that and all the late night booty calls he has been getting at his house he's tired of it all. But a stroke of luck happens when he runs into Zoey and she is everything he remembers. Zoey and Jude knew each other when they were teenagers and almost had sex. Jude thinks now is the perfect time to remedy that but is willing to bide his time because he knows it's going to be perfect. Since Zoey is a real estate agent Jude asks her to sell his place and find a new one. It's all fun and games until Zoey discovers something about Jude's past that could have been an easy forgive if he had only just told her in the beginning, but Jude is an oblivious male. Can he fix this and can Zoey forgive him?
Overall, it was a nice read, I do like the sisters and want their stories more than I want the other teammates of Thunder.
March 5, 2017
full review to come
February 26, 2024
won from a giveaway. came on the ups truck this afternoon. I just love winning books.
July 19, 2018
3.5 stars
May 2, 2017
Title: Score
Series: San Francisco Thunder #1
Author: Victoria Denault
Publisher: Forever
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Genre(s): Contemporary Sports Romance
Page Count: 368 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Blurb:
Review:
This is the first book in the new series, San Francisco Thunder, by Victoria Denault. This series is about different members of a fictional, Stanley Cup winning hockey franchise. This first book is a second chance romance where the two main characters reconnect after being separated during their teenage years. Now they are all grown up and both have past experiences that make getting back together a challenge. In the plot of this story, Jude Braddock is one of the star players. His life is facing some real challenges. A betrayal involving his best friend and ex-girlfriend. A loved father who has a terminal disease. A loving sister who gets to interfere in his life on and off the ice. One night stand hook-ups that bang on his door at all hours disturbing him and his neighbors. However, the most challenging part right now is Zoey. The girl that used to babysit his younger sisters during their summers at the shore. He had a crush on the wild teenager when life was simple. Zoey is starting a new chapter in her life. One that doesn’t involve her ex-husband who decided he didn’t want to be married to her anymore because she may not be able to conceive children. Fine, whatever, but now he is holding up the divorce because he wants to break the prenuptial that would give Zoey the house that she loves so much. When Jude comes back into her life, she is not sure if she wants to put her heart on the line again, especially with a man who may or may not have a private part of his body plastered all over the internet. The chemistry goes from a warm simmer to a rapid boil as this story progresses. This bad boy hockey player is the best. His love of his family and the way he treats Zoey make him a perfect book boyfriend. This book moves along very quickly, so be warned you will have that feeling of the end of book sadness when you reach the final page. Loved the ending, my only problem is that we have to wait awhile for the second book of this series. The author did not only a wonderful job developing the main characters of this story, but has given enough teasers to make you wonder who will be the main character of the next book.
PLOT: 4 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 5 Stars
PACING: 5 Stars
ENDING: 5 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5 Stars
Review Copy of Score provided by the Forever I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club
Series: San Francisco Thunder #1
Author: Victoria Denault
Publisher: Forever
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Genre(s): Contemporary Sports Romance
Page Count: 368 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Blurb:
Jude Braddock. Hockey god. That's how everyone sees him now. But when they were teenagers, Zoey knew him as the kid who didn't have enough nerve to make a move on their one and only disastrous date. Seems he doesn't have that problem anymore, though. According to the rumors, he's with a different woman every night. After a rough divorce, the last thing Zoey needs is more heartbreak. But Jude's cocky, playful attitude is mighty hard to resist.
Jude knows he isn't built for long-term relationships. But he's getting sick of women pounding on his door in the middle of the night looking for a rematch. When Zoey comes back into his life, it's like fate has given him a second chance. He'll do anything to make her happy again. Is this what love looks like? He has no idea. All he knows for sure is that this time, he's playing for keeps.
Review:
This is the first book in the new series, San Francisco Thunder, by Victoria Denault. This series is about different members of a fictional, Stanley Cup winning hockey franchise. This first book is a second chance romance where the two main characters reconnect after being separated during their teenage years. Now they are all grown up and both have past experiences that make getting back together a challenge. In the plot of this story, Jude Braddock is one of the star players. His life is facing some real challenges. A betrayal involving his best friend and ex-girlfriend. A loved father who has a terminal disease. A loving sister who gets to interfere in his life on and off the ice. One night stand hook-ups that bang on his door at all hours disturbing him and his neighbors. However, the most challenging part right now is Zoey. The girl that used to babysit his younger sisters during their summers at the shore. He had a crush on the wild teenager when life was simple. Zoey is starting a new chapter in her life. One that doesn’t involve her ex-husband who decided he didn’t want to be married to her anymore because she may not be able to conceive children. Fine, whatever, but now he is holding up the divorce because he wants to break the prenuptial that would give Zoey the house that she loves so much. When Jude comes back into her life, she is not sure if she wants to put her heart on the line again, especially with a man who may or may not have a private part of his body plastered all over the internet. The chemistry goes from a warm simmer to a rapid boil as this story progresses. This bad boy hockey player is the best. His love of his family and the way he treats Zoey make him a perfect book boyfriend. This book moves along very quickly, so be warned you will have that feeling of the end of book sadness when you reach the final page. Loved the ending, my only problem is that we have to wait awhile for the second book of this series. The author did not only a wonderful job developing the main characters of this story, but has given enough teasers to make you wonder who will be the main character of the next book.
PLOT: 4 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 5 Stars
PACING: 5 Stars
ENDING: 5 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5 Stars
Review Copy of Score provided by the Forever I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club
May 8, 2017
ARC received via publisher for an honest review
Hockey hottie? Check!
Second chance? Check!
It is no secret that I am a sucker for a hockey player story, but throw in a blast from the past/second chance romance and you had me at hello.
I am not always a fan of the reformed manwhore story, however Score definitely had a different feel to it than that. His history with Zoey is a big part of that feel. The way Ms Denault has written his story is another big part.
Oh Zoey, how I adore you. Through the crappy hand that you are being dealt, you are all dignity and class - unlike others involved.
I adored seeing both sides of Jude - the cocky, arrogant, sometimes a d!ck hockey player, and the sweet, kind, thoughtful man behind it all. We all know that there is more behind the public persona, and this showed it wonderfully.
I loved the push and pull between Jude and Zoey, but more than anything I LOVED the way Jude was with Zoey as she is dealing with the a$$hat that is her soon to be ex husband. This is when I felt he really shined. Don't get me wrong, he was still all about getting her, but he was so much more.
Another thing that Ms Denault does well is the secondary characters. Each and every book has some fantastic characters that I just need to know more about - this time it is Jude's sisters, escpecially Dixie. I hope we get more and more of her as the series proceeds.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting swept away with Jude and Zoey, and now I can't wait to see where the series takes us next.
May 22, 2017
Sometimes I sit down to write a review and the only thing I can come up with is: SQUEE!!!!!
This is one of those times. I am just completely crazy about Jude and Zoey's love story. This was my first book by Victoria Denault so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was an engaging, witty, heartfelt and damn sexy story that kept me glued to my kindle and shooting off messages to my friends about the fantastic hockey romance I was currently devouring.
I think that second chance romance is one of my top favorite tropes, and Ms. Denault got everything right here. It helps that Jude and Zoey are incredibly likable in their own right so the two of them together was complete perfection. There's some flirty (sexy) banter and some touching heartfelt moments. Watching Jude fall in love was incredibly rewarding, and Zoey's strong, steady presence was the perfect soft landing for his fall. I also love that there was no unnecessary drama here. I loved how they communicated with each other, fought for each other, and stayed true to each other. They're a remarkable couple and it was so much fun to read their story.
Also, let's talk about how much secondary character love I had in this book. Most notably Jude's sisters who had me cracking up on more than one occasion. The dynamic between Jude and "the sorority" was a special treat. It's smartly written and full of this completely engaging wit and gah! I just loved every minute and cannot wait to get Dixie's story. She's a firecracker and the set-up for her story was intriguing. My heart is already on notice for potential feels explosions and you can be sure that my grabby hands want lots more where this came from! ~ Shelly, 4 Stars
This is one of those times. I am just completely crazy about Jude and Zoey's love story. This was my first book by Victoria Denault so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was an engaging, witty, heartfelt and damn sexy story that kept me glued to my kindle and shooting off messages to my friends about the fantastic hockey romance I was currently devouring.
I think that second chance romance is one of my top favorite tropes, and Ms. Denault got everything right here. It helps that Jude and Zoey are incredibly likable in their own right so the two of them together was complete perfection. There's some flirty (sexy) banter and some touching heartfelt moments. Watching Jude fall in love was incredibly rewarding, and Zoey's strong, steady presence was the perfect soft landing for his fall. I also love that there was no unnecessary drama here. I loved how they communicated with each other, fought for each other, and stayed true to each other. They're a remarkable couple and it was so much fun to read their story.
Also, let's talk about how much secondary character love I had in this book. Most notably Jude's sisters who had me cracking up on more than one occasion. The dynamic between Jude and "the sorority" was a special treat. It's smartly written and full of this completely engaging wit and gah! I just loved every minute and cannot wait to get Dixie's story. She's a firecracker and the set-up for her story was intriguing. My heart is already on notice for potential feels explosions and you can be sure that my grabby hands want lots more where this came from! ~ Shelly, 4 Stars
June 23, 2017
This was a very good book about two childhood friends, who grew up together both skating one hockey and the other figure skating. When as teens Jude Braddock leaves for hockey school and Zoey Quinlin leaves foe Nationals and a shot at the Olympics. Now years later only Jude’s dream has come true playing hockey and by some people standards he is at the top of his game. For Zoey her dreams ended with allegations of bribes, cheating, and not wanting to show her face in public. Now working for an art dealer who lets her paint in the back room she has settled into a quiet non-life. That is until one day when she is chased down by the one guy who she thought for sure would not remember her Jude. He follows her to the art studio and then later shows up at her apartment asking questions but only getting the response google me and then talk to me. He shows back up a few days later saying he did not know about everything that happened to her and this is the beginning of them working towards first a friendship again. Both have a past that they must work through and his at times with his mother, and his divorce is holding him back from her more so than the other way around, and it is not until he tells her about his mother that he begins to heal and they begin to really become a couple. They both have fears that they are working through but they want to be together. His hockey playing is better when she is around and her painting is much better when he is with her. Now they must each deal with their demons from their past in order to have a future. There is also a twist close to the end that I did not see coming that really adds to this story. A very good book with good characters. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
March 17, 2018
Hi okay wow.
This was so great..... LIKE SO GREAT. I loved Zoey and her maturity in this story. I loved Jude and how he smartened the hell up as soon as Zoey was back in the picture. I loved that their fall out didn't take up majority of the book's plot.
Victoria Denault is a new author for me and one I will gladly and DEFINITELY revisit for the rest of the series and whatever comes before/after it. Her writing style is totally up my alley and one that I effortlessly fell in line with. I didn't want to put this book down, so I spent most of my time at work today flipping through the pages.
Listen, this has all the great tropes. Second chance romance, hockey star, player turned boyfriend (I'm not spoiling anything, y'all know it'll happen), misunderstood player, so on and so forth. I have nothing to complain about. I also very much enjoyed how Tessa and Carla weren't catty about Zoey finding Jude and connecting with him. I half expected Tessa to turn around and hit on Jude but instead she was supportive and helpful and even went as far as to congratulate Zoey when things were going well.
This was so great..... LIKE SO GREAT. I loved Zoey and her maturity in this story. I loved Jude and how he smartened the hell up as soon as Zoey was back in the picture. I loved that their fall out didn't take up majority of the book's plot.
Victoria Denault is a new author for me and one I will gladly and DEFINITELY revisit for the rest of the series and whatever comes before/after it. Her writing style is totally up my alley and one that I effortlessly fell in line with. I didn't want to put this book down, so I spent most of my time at work today flipping through the pages.
Listen, this has all the great tropes. Second chance romance, hockey star, player turned boyfriend (I'm not spoiling anything, y'all know it'll happen), misunderstood player, so on and so forth. I have nothing to complain about. I also very much enjoyed how Tessa and Carla weren't catty about Zoey finding Jude and connecting with him. I half expected Tessa to turn around and hit on Jude but instead she was supportive and helpful and even went as far as to congratulate Zoey when things were going well.
May 5, 2017
I love this author, I've read all her books and jumped at the chance of reading this book, I wasn't disappointed. I devoured this book in a few hours, it's my favourite book by this author so far! It's a sweet, sexy, funny, second chance romance read. I loved Jude, hes unapologetic about his manwhore ways and doesn't really care what people think about him. I loved how he was in a relationship and didn't even realise! Zoey, although going through a rough divorce, doesn't let that stop her from giving Jude a chance and being open to another relationship. I loved how she never Judged him about his past and was willing to find the girl he once knew that was buried inside. While reading this book, I fell in love with the characters while they were falling in love with each other, I was totally invested in them as couple and couldn't wait for them to seal the deal! This is an amazing start to a new series, I can't wait for the next book.
*** reviewed for sweet and spicy reads-ARC provided for honest review ***
*** reviewed for sweet and spicy reads-ARC provided for honest review ***
May 31, 2017
Oh here’s a new hockey series and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Jude is a hockey player for the San Francisco Thunder. He’s a player and hates relationships. Apparently he loves hook ups a bit too much since he has randoms showing up at his doorstep in the middle of the night. Jude has 3 fun and sassy sisters that love to egg him on. Dixie lives close by and also works for the San Francisco Thunder. When Dixie runs into an old childhood friend who used to babysit her one day, they make plans to get together. It just so happens Zoey was friends with Jude also and needs some friends since she’s going through a bitter divorce currently. When Jude shows up at the girls lunch as a surprise to see Zoey, he can’t help but talk to her and try to help her when things go sour in her personal life. Will he become a fast friends again with Zoey or will there be instant chemistry?
“Best kiss of my life.”
“That’s because we haven’t had our second one,” I reply.
“Yet.”
Have I mentioned how much I love Ms. Denault’s stories? She perfects these characters that we’re helpless and can’t help falling in love with. Can I imagine a Jude of my own because even though he can act like a dog, I wouldn’t mind a little of him on the side! What I loved about this story is the uniqueness of the situation, without going into any details, just know that Ms. Denault has crafted up quite the story with a lot of messiness. Not to worry, she weaves it all perfectly together to give us that everlasting love we wait for because that’s what she does best. 5 perfectly crafted stars for another story I was head over heels for.
“Best kiss of my life.”
“That’s because we haven’t had our second one,” I reply.
“Yet.”
Have I mentioned how much I love Ms. Denault’s stories? She perfects these characters that we’re helpless and can’t help falling in love with. Can I imagine a Jude of my own because even though he can act like a dog, I wouldn’t mind a little of him on the side! What I loved about this story is the uniqueness of the situation, without going into any details, just know that Ms. Denault has crafted up quite the story with a lot of messiness. Not to worry, she weaves it all perfectly together to give us that everlasting love we wait for because that’s what she does best. 5 perfectly crafted stars for another story I was head over heels for.
May 4, 2017
I thought this was just going to be fun. A distraction, a blast from the past, a final shot at a long-lost conquest. But I didn’t conquer anything. I surrendered.
I'm not entirely sure how Score came to be my first read from Victoria Denault, but let me start by assuring you it will not be my last. After all, I am a sucker for a good hockey romance, and for an excellent second chance romance, and this one has those two things stitched up. It has the right mix of swoon, sex, humor and heartache—never too light, never too angsty.
Ahh, those feel good moments had my face and my heart smiling, while those rocky moments had my brow furrowing and my blood pumping. Which made this book so very easy to get lost in.
And get lost, I did. In Zoey, whose sometimes wavering strength felt very human. In Jude—to quote Zoey, Oh, Mylanta—who is reformed playboy perfection; a good guy underneath a messy outer shell. And in The Sorority...
While Jude and Zoey brought the heat and the heart, Jude’s sisters brought the fun and funny to Score. And it was awesome. I can't wait to see these three again in upcoming books (Dixie and Eli, YES YES YES), because every page with their sisterly teasing was a favorite of mine.
If it's not yet clear, I loved this book, but if I have one complaint, it’s that Score occasionally read like a follow-up to another book, especially early on. As my first book by this author, I did a quick sweep of her other titles to see if, perhaps, I’d missed something, but it doesn't seem so (please, correct me if I'm wrong!). However, the feeling of missing something lessens as the book progresses, and by the end, I couldn't get enough the dynamics between all of these characters.
Or enough of this series—which is just one of the reasons why I'm certain that Score is just the first of many books penned by Ms. Denault that I'll be reading, starting with book two, which can't come soon enough.
“It’s been a decade, an entire decade, Zoey, and yet you’re still like a bomb that detonates inside me every time our eyes connect.”
~ 4.5 Sunset STARS ~
I'm not entirely sure how Score came to be my first read from Victoria Denault, but let me start by assuring you it will not be my last. After all, I am a sucker for a good hockey romance, and for an excellent second chance romance, and this one has those two things stitched up. It has the right mix of swoon, sex, humor and heartache—never too light, never too angsty.
Ahh, those feel good moments had my face and my heart smiling, while those rocky moments had my brow furrowing and my blood pumping. Which made this book so very easy to get lost in.
And get lost, I did. In Zoey, whose sometimes wavering strength felt very human. In Jude—to quote Zoey, Oh, Mylanta—who is reformed playboy perfection; a good guy underneath a messy outer shell. And in The Sorority...
While Jude and Zoey brought the heat and the heart, Jude’s sisters brought the fun and funny to Score. And it was awesome. I can't wait to see these three again in upcoming books (Dixie and Eli, YES YES YES), because every page with their sisterly teasing was a favorite of mine.
If it's not yet clear, I loved this book, but if I have one complaint, it’s that Score occasionally read like a follow-up to another book, especially early on. As my first book by this author, I did a quick sweep of her other titles to see if, perhaps, I’d missed something, but it doesn't seem so (please, correct me if I'm wrong!). However, the feeling of missing something lessens as the book progresses, and by the end, I couldn't get enough the dynamics between all of these characters.
Or enough of this series—which is just one of the reasons why I'm certain that Score is just the first of many books penned by Ms. Denault that I'll be reading, starting with book two, which can't come soon enough.
“It’s been a decade, an entire decade, Zoey, and yet you’re still like a bomb that detonates inside me every time our eyes connect.”
~ 4.5 Sunset STARS ~
May 8, 2017
Score (San Francisco Thunder #1) by Victoria Denault Victoria Denault’s SCORE is the perfect start and name to the San Francisco Thunder Series. Hockey star, Jude Braddock, is given a second chance with his childhood crush, Zoey Quinlin. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for adult audiences. I love Victoria Denault’s Hometown Players series. I was thrilled when I discovered she was coming out with another hockey romance series. I was not disappointed. I loved this book.
The characters are skillfully developed and likeable. Jude and Zoey had both crushed on each other in their youth in Maine. Zoey’s family moved, and they lost touch. She was the one that got away. Eleven years later, they run into each other on the other side of the country in San Francisco where they both now live. Zoey is going through a divorce, and Jude is going through women like they are going out of style. Both characters grow through this story, especially Jude, whose social life majorly transforms.
My heart went out to Zoey. Her ex-husband, Adam, was a piece of work. I love how Jude always defended Zoey around him. Jude’s situation with his best friend and team captain, Levi, was interesting. I can understand why things were strained between them. Different life circumstances altered their dispositions. I appreciated how Zoey and Jude brought back the positive aspect of their personalities.
I love Jude’s relationship with his family. It cracks me up that he calls his three sisters the sorority. I love that Zoey babysat his sisters, and that were so defensive of her.
I enjoyed the plot. Zoey and Jude have some interesting obstacles to overcome. The ending was perfect and felt well concluded. I’m looking forward to Jude’s sister Dixie’s and Eli’s story in the next novel in the series, Slammed. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
The characters are skillfully developed and likeable. Jude and Zoey had both crushed on each other in their youth in Maine. Zoey’s family moved, and they lost touch. She was the one that got away. Eleven years later, they run into each other on the other side of the country in San Francisco where they both now live. Zoey is going through a divorce, and Jude is going through women like they are going out of style. Both characters grow through this story, especially Jude, whose social life majorly transforms.
My heart went out to Zoey. Her ex-husband, Adam, was a piece of work. I love how Jude always defended Zoey around him. Jude’s situation with his best friend and team captain, Levi, was interesting. I can understand why things were strained between them. Different life circumstances altered their dispositions. I appreciated how Zoey and Jude brought back the positive aspect of their personalities.
I love Jude’s relationship with his family. It cracks me up that he calls his three sisters the sorority. I love that Zoey babysat his sisters, and that were so defensive of her.
I enjoyed the plot. Zoey and Jude have some interesting obstacles to overcome. The ending was perfect and felt well concluded. I’m looking forward to Jude’s sister Dixie’s and Eli’s story in the next novel in the series, Slammed. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
May 12, 2017
Holy crap! I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this book. Victoria Denault has been on my radar and TBR for about a year now, but I never got some time in my reading schedule until now. And honestly, I could just kick myself for not making time for her sooner. Victoria's writing style is amazing. She likes to describe her writing style as a cross between Christina Lauren and Nicholas Sparks. And while I agree with that description wholeheartedly, I think she is all that and more. She reminds me a lot of Susan Elizabeth Phillips (with a dash of Tessa Bailey thrown in for that yummy, hot, steam factor!) with her world building, details, humor, and wit. I've already placed this series right next to SEP's Chicago Stars series. Yes, it's that good!
So yes, the cover of this book looks like your average contemporary sports romance novel, but it ended up being so much more. The characters are deep and complex with fully fleshed out personalities, feelings, and a broad range of emotions. I found myself lingering reading the last 20 pages of this book because I wasn't ready to let go of this world and these characters. Jude, Zoey, and the gang have definitely ended up being some of my favorite characters ever.
I loved the pacing in this book of how Jude and Zoey got to know each other again with the second chance that life gave them. Their slow burn romance was one of the hottest ones that I've read in awhile. I loved how even though they knew each other from when they were teenagers, they still took the time to just be with each other before taking their relationship to the next level. They built everything on their rekindled friendship. Basically this book was everything that I LOVE about romance. I can't recommend this book and author enough. I can't wait to go through her backlist and hopefully that will tide me over until SLAMMED. I cannot wait until I get that book in my hands! It's shot to the top of my most anticipated of 2017 list.
So yes, the cover of this book looks like your average contemporary sports romance novel, but it ended up being so much more. The characters are deep and complex with fully fleshed out personalities, feelings, and a broad range of emotions. I found myself lingering reading the last 20 pages of this book because I wasn't ready to let go of this world and these characters. Jude, Zoey, and the gang have definitely ended up being some of my favorite characters ever.
I loved the pacing in this book of how Jude and Zoey got to know each other again with the second chance that life gave them. Their slow burn romance was one of the hottest ones that I've read in awhile. I loved how even though they knew each other from when they were teenagers, they still took the time to just be with each other before taking their relationship to the next level. They built everything on their rekindled friendship. Basically this book was everything that I LOVE about romance. I can't recommend this book and author enough. I can't wait to go through her backlist and hopefully that will tide me over until SLAMMED. I cannot wait until I get that book in my hands! It's shot to the top of my most anticipated of 2017 list.
December 29, 2017
It took me a little bit to get into this book. But once I got into it I really enjoyed it. I loved Zoey. She was an awesome heroine. I also loved Jude's family. I thought the author got the brother/sister vibe right and I loved how they where so close. The ending was also amazing and me me sooo happy <3.
I cant wait till I picked up Slammed and get to learn more about Dixie!
I cant wait till I picked up Slammed and get to learn more about Dixie!
May 9, 2017
4.5 Stars
Everyone knows how much I love Victoria's Hometown Players series (#TeamDevin), so when I found out she was doing a spin-off hockey series I was ecstatic!!
Let me start this review by talking about Jude. Honestly, he's not a very likeable guy at first. He's a cheater and kind of a pig when he talks about women. It seems as though his number one goal, outside of winning at hockey, is to sleep with as many women as possible. He doesn't do relationships. He tried once, and failed miserably, even losing his best friend along the way. Then suddenly Zoey, the girl he fell for in high school, but never sealed the deal with, is in the picture again.
Zoey is starting over again. Leaving one heartbreak for another isn't ideal, but a few stolen moments with Jude and how is she supposed to resist?!? Their chemistry was off the charts and even when Jude was being an arrogant jerk about his intentions with her, you could clearly feel the connection between them. Struggling from the fall-out from their last relationships, starting one with each other isn't the wisest decision, but what a great time they'll have making a mistake, over and over again.
This book was frustrating, but sexy, with just the right amount of angst and the sweet signature romance I've come to expect from Victoria Denault. Reforming a bad boy can be a daunting task but it's one this author handles with ease. You'll be swooning over Jude by the end of this book and begging for more from the secondary characters ASAP.
What an awesome start to another fantastic series and I can't wait for more!!
*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review
Everyone knows how much I love Victoria's Hometown Players series (#TeamDevin), so when I found out she was doing a spin-off hockey series I was ecstatic!!
Let me start this review by talking about Jude. Honestly, he's not a very likeable guy at first. He's a cheater and kind of a pig when he talks about women. It seems as though his number one goal, outside of winning at hockey, is to sleep with as many women as possible. He doesn't do relationships. He tried once, and failed miserably, even losing his best friend along the way. Then suddenly Zoey, the girl he fell for in high school, but never sealed the deal with, is in the picture again.
Zoey is starting over again. Leaving one heartbreak for another isn't ideal, but a few stolen moments with Jude and how is she supposed to resist?!? Their chemistry was off the charts and even when Jude was being an arrogant jerk about his intentions with her, you could clearly feel the connection between them. Struggling from the fall-out from their last relationships, starting one with each other isn't the wisest decision, but what a great time they'll have making a mistake, over and over again.
This book was frustrating, but sexy, with just the right amount of angst and the sweet signature romance I've come to expect from Victoria Denault. Reforming a bad boy can be a daunting task but it's one this author handles with ease. You'll be swooning over Jude by the end of this book and begging for more from the secondary characters ASAP.
What an awesome start to another fantastic series and I can't wait for more!!
*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review
May 8, 2017
***ARC Provided by Forever via NetGalley***
There were a lot of things about this title that I really enjoyed. I liked Zoey and Jude together, and I liked that this relationship felt different for both of them, that they both stated that they had never had another relationship like this. That is what you want in a romance, to know that the characters are all in, and you believe that.
I like that Jude was reformed, or working on being reformed, and that you see that his actions and the way they have led people to perceive him, have started to bother him. Little glimpses like this let you, as a a reader, believe that he really is changing for himself, and that is allowing him to let Zoey in and make her more than he has ever had with another woman.
The writing, the pacing, the characters and the dialog were strong, and I really enjoyed most of this book. Unfortunately, I had issue with where Zoey was in the divorce with her soon-to-be-ex. I get it, separated, they are both ready to move on...but then he decides to be difficult (which you totally see coming) and it makes the new relationship one that is developing in the shadow of the old one. This didn't totally ruin the story for me, but it did make it less enjoyable than it would have been without this. There was enough, I think, in the idea of a newly divorced woman dating a reformed playboy to make it work without the addition of this.
Overall, I did enjoy this and I am looking forward to the next title in the series.
There were a lot of things about this title that I really enjoyed. I liked Zoey and Jude together, and I liked that this relationship felt different for both of them, that they both stated that they had never had another relationship like this. That is what you want in a romance, to know that the characters are all in, and you believe that.
I like that Jude was reformed, or working on being reformed, and that you see that his actions and the way they have led people to perceive him, have started to bother him. Little glimpses like this let you, as a a reader, believe that he really is changing for himself, and that is allowing him to let Zoey in and make her more than he has ever had with another woman.
The writing, the pacing, the characters and the dialog were strong, and I really enjoyed most of this book. Unfortunately, I had issue with where Zoey was in the divorce with her soon-to-be-ex. I get it, separated, they are both ready to move on...but then he decides to be difficult (which you totally see coming) and it makes the new relationship one that is developing in the shadow of the old one. This didn't totally ruin the story for me, but it did make it less enjoyable than it would have been without this. There was enough, I think, in the idea of a newly divorced woman dating a reformed playboy to make it work without the addition of this.
Overall, I did enjoy this and I am looking forward to the next title in the series.
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