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Slapshot #1
Exes and Goals
an alternate cover edition can be found here
Newport Beach Seagulls center Zachary Ryan heats things up on the ice... and in the bedroom.
As a blogger for the Newport Beach Seagulls, Harper Crawford is living her dream. She gets to write about her favorite sports team - and get paid for it.
Granted, she wishes she could shove an old jock strap in the smart mouth of new acquisition and cocky bast*rd, Zachary Ryan, but hey, she'll take what she can get.
When she's required to do a character piece on him at a local nightclub, she screams in her pillow. But getting to know the six foot four, two hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle better, she realizes he's not all that bad.
--
The minute Zachary Ryan sees Harper Crawford at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.
Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs.
When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.
Zach knows Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but he plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.
Warning: If you don't like bad boy hockey players who aren't afraid to get down and dirty on and off the ice, do NOT 1-click this book!
Newport Beach Seagulls center Zachary Ryan heats things up on the ice... and in the bedroom.
As a blogger for the Newport Beach Seagulls, Harper Crawford is living her dream. She gets to write about her favorite sports team - and get paid for it.
Granted, she wishes she could shove an old jock strap in the smart mouth of new acquisition and cocky bast*rd, Zachary Ryan, but hey, she'll take what she can get.
When she's required to do a character piece on him at a local nightclub, she screams in her pillow. But getting to know the six foot four, two hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle better, she realizes he's not all that bad.
--
The minute Zachary Ryan sees Harper Crawford at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.
Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs.
When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.
Zach knows Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but he plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.
Warning: If you don't like bad boy hockey players who aren't afraid to get down and dirty on and off the ice, do NOT 1-click this book!
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2017
1121 people are currently reading
1914 people want to read
About the author
Heather C. Myers
123 books764 followersFull disclosure: I am an acquired taste. I'm a typical blonde Orange County suburbanite who says 'like' more than necessary, laughs loud and probably obnoxiously, and loves to dance in the rain. I'm a 23 year old college graduate with more than a few tricks up my sleeve, and I also happen to be a pretty big Ducks fan. Oh, and I'm a writer. Like, for real.
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February 23, 2017OMG, this cover is making me laugh SO hard! Dude looks like he has tiny short legs...
![Profile Image for Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1642113904i%2F116166019._UY200_CR2%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 6, 2023
1 ⭐ 188 pages of internalised misogyny.
I should have DNFed this. The suffering I've gone through today is partly my fault, but holy f*ck. This is, without a doubt, the worst book I’ve read this year. From the writing to the tone and content, this book was bad. Both objectively and subjectively.
The FMC has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and her ex is stalking her, but hey, she should just get over it and get with this new guy she barely knows. Right? And if she says she’s warry about it, just steamroll her and gaslight her into thinking she’s being paranoid and you’d never do that to her. Yes, so romantic… **please, note the sarcasm**
The lack of consent in this book is not just troublesome, it's gross. Not just because it’s pretty much everywhere, but because it’s almost celebrated in the way that the author writes about it.
“He didn’t ask her if she was sure. He didn’t tell her they didn’t have to do this again. He took his time entering her, but he entered her with pride, without worry for himself or from her.”
I’m sorry, but wtf? Like this, there's at least one reference to his lack of care/asking for consent in every smut scene. I think there's just two of those, but even with kissing this guy said “By the way, you don’t get to tell me I’m not allowed to kiss you. You’re my girl now, and I’m going to kiss you whenever I want.” She was so sick she had to call off work, but hey, she's 'not allow' to say no.
The writing, too, is abhorrent and nonsensical half of the time, to the point where I had to go back and reread some of the sentences because they genuinely made no sense. These are just a couple of quotes to exemplify my point, but trust me, there’s many where that came from:
“Gross for me as a kid but it's relationship goals for me.” That was the whole sentence. Yes, grammar police, I have the gang leader and she’s trying to kill me, please hurry.
“When Zach came to her door, he could not take his eyes off of her. Which was saying something, considering he typically couldn’t take his eyes off of her.” And this one just doesn’t make sense. That’s the same as me saying ‘I ate ice-cream today, and that’s saying something cause I eat ice-cream everyday’ LOL. There’s nothing special in doing something you’d do anyway… I just… I can’t.
So, yeah. From the inconsistent narration, the lack of attention to detail, the problems with consent at every step, and the grammatical errors, there was no way for this book to succeed. This was painful, even for a short novel written in 2017.
⭐/ 5
🌶️ / 5
I should have DNFed this. The suffering I've gone through today is partly my fault, but holy f*ck. This is, without a doubt, the worst book I’ve read this year. From the writing to the tone and content, this book was bad. Both objectively and subjectively.
The FMC has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and her ex is stalking her, but hey, she should just get over it and get with this new guy she barely knows. Right? And if she says she’s warry about it, just steamroll her and gaslight her into thinking she’s being paranoid and you’d never do that to her. Yes, so romantic… **please, note the sarcasm**
The lack of consent in this book is not just troublesome, it's gross. Not just because it’s pretty much everywhere, but because it’s almost celebrated in the way that the author writes about it.
“He didn’t ask her if she was sure. He didn’t tell her they didn’t have to do this again. He took his time entering her, but he entered her with pride, without worry for himself or from her.”
I’m sorry, but wtf? Like this, there's at least one reference to his lack of care/asking for consent in every smut scene. I think there's just two of those, but even with kissing this guy said “By the way, you don’t get to tell me I’m not allowed to kiss you. You’re my girl now, and I’m going to kiss you whenever I want.” She was so sick she had to call off work, but hey, she's 'not allow' to say no.
The writing, too, is abhorrent and nonsensical half of the time, to the point where I had to go back and reread some of the sentences because they genuinely made no sense. These are just a couple of quotes to exemplify my point, but trust me, there’s many where that came from:
“Gross for me as a kid but it's relationship goals for me.” That was the whole sentence. Yes, grammar police, I have the gang leader and she’s trying to kill me, please hurry.
“When Zach came to her door, he could not take his eyes off of her. Which was saying something, considering he typically couldn’t take his eyes off of her.” And this one just doesn’t make sense. That’s the same as me saying ‘I ate ice-cream today, and that’s saying something cause I eat ice-cream everyday’ LOL. There’s nothing special in doing something you’d do anyway… I just… I can’t.
So, yeah. From the inconsistent narration, the lack of attention to detail, the problems with consent at every step, and the grammatical errors, there was no way for this book to succeed. This was painful, even for a short novel written in 2017.
⭐/ 5
🌶️ / 5
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July 16, 2022💝FREE on Amazon today (7/1/2018)!💝
Blurb:
Newport Beach Seagulls center Zachary Ryan heats things up on the ice... and in the bed room.
As a blogger for the Newport Beach Seagulls, Harper Crawford is living her dream. She gets to write about her favorite sports team - and get paid for it.
Granted, she wishes she could shove an old jock strap in the smart mouth of new acquisition and cocky bast*rd, Zachary Ryan, but hey, she'll take what she can get.
When she's required to do a character piece on him at a local nightclub, she screams in her pillow. But getting to know the six foot four, two hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle better, she realizes he's not all that bad.
--
The minute Zachary Ryan sees Harper Crwaford at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.
Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs.
When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.
Zach knows Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but he plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.
Blurb:
Newport Beach Seagulls center Zachary Ryan heats things up on the ice... and in the bed room.
As a blogger for the Newport Beach Seagulls, Harper Crawford is living her dream. She gets to write about her favorite sports team - and get paid for it.
Granted, she wishes she could shove an old jock strap in the smart mouth of new acquisition and cocky bast*rd, Zachary Ryan, but hey, she'll take what she can get.
When she's required to do a character piece on him at a local nightclub, she screams in her pillow. But getting to know the six foot four, two hundred and twenty pounds of solid muscle better, she realizes he's not all that bad.
--
The minute Zachary Ryan sees Harper Crwaford at Taboo nightclub during a team bonding session dressed in a plaid shirt and converse sneakers, he has to get to know her better.
Except there's a problem from her past that won't go away. Harper has an ex that won't stay in her past - where he belongs.
When Zachary gets involved, things get heated and his notorious temper flares.
Zach knows Harper doesn't want to get involved with a hockey player - especially with an overzealous ex who won't leave her alone - but he plans to change her mind. No matter what the cost.
July 9, 2018
There is always a lot of drama at the end of books like this. At least, there was a happy ending. I liked the main characters, Harper and Zach, and I rooted for them and their relationship. I was disappointed that there wasn't more hockey in this book. Also, I thought that the murder that was mentioned was going to be a big part of the plot, but it was only mentioned in passing. I still, overall, liked this story.
July 30, 2022
Harper is a sports blogger who gets hired to write about a struggling hockey team. Harper is alone in the world aside from her grandmother that she takes care of, after her parents died tragically. Zach is one of the players who got traded to the team amid rumors of cheating drama in his old team. He may or may not have slept with the wives of his team mates but Harper chooses to focus on aspects of his game when she writes about him. The team and associated hangers-on occasionally go to party or socialize together and one of those times, her stalkerish, abusive ex is there and Zach gets protective. When they have sex she freaks out and ghosts him, because of her past, but he is a forgiving character. I liked him better than Harper, mostly because he was straightforward and told her what he wanted, and she just ran away and avoided him.
This is not a long story but even so it starts a bit slow. There is a lot of exposition and explanatory detail about the hockey team in general, several minor characters in particular, and even murder, things that may have been important in some other book but felt rather irrelevant for this plot. Working on a strict need-to-know basis, a lot of that could have been left out as anyone who needs to know could read those other books. All we needed to know here was that the team was in trouble and the owner wanted some positive PR so that's why Harper was hired.
New rule: do not start a book by explaining a murder mystery if you're not going to solve it in this story.
In the last part, the excitement picks up some but the element of danger seems hastily thought-out because there is an incident that happens at her home and she is a witness for it all but the police never bother to ask her anything about it and she doesn't offer a statement, even if it could help both Zach and her to get out of unpleasantness. Eventually she needs to deal with her fear of her ex. Mostly she just decides to be done with it but I guess subjecting him to pain may have helped.
Point of view: this is written in third person past tense narrative, mostly in Harper's head, more rarely in Zach's.
Steam level: There is some sexual content.
Writing and editing: it flowed mostly nicely but a few sections could have been phrased better.
Optical fashions: Zach's eyes seemed to change colors as they are alternatively described as crystal blue, sky blue, midnight blue, dark blue... All those evoke images of different shades for me. But hey, colored lenses are a thing now so maybe he was using them.
TL;DR It was OK but could be better.
This is not a long story but even so it starts a bit slow. There is a lot of exposition and explanatory detail about the hockey team in general, several minor characters in particular, and even murder, things that may have been important in some other book but felt rather irrelevant for this plot. Working on a strict need-to-know basis, a lot of that could have been left out as anyone who needs to know could read those other books. All we needed to know here was that the team was in trouble and the owner wanted some positive PR so that's why Harper was hired.
New rule: do not start a book by explaining a murder mystery if you're not going to solve it in this story.
In the last part, the excitement picks up some but the element of danger seems hastily thought-out because there is an incident that happens at her home and she is a witness for it all but the police never bother to ask her anything about it and she doesn't offer a statement, even if it could help both Zach and her to get out of unpleasantness. Eventually she needs to deal with her fear of her ex. Mostly she just decides to be done with it but I guess subjecting him to pain may have helped.
Point of view: this is written in third person past tense narrative, mostly in Harper's head, more rarely in Zach's.
Steam level: There is some sexual content.
Writing and editing: it flowed mostly nicely but a few sections could have been phrased better.
Optical fashions: Zach's eyes seemed to change colors as they are alternatively described as crystal blue, sky blue, midnight blue, dark blue... All those evoke images of different shades for me. But hey, colored lenses are a thing now so maybe he was using them.
TL;DR It was OK but could be better.
February 10, 2024
This has got to be one of the worst books I have ever read.
It was horribly written and made no sense half the time. I have read extremely dark horror romances that gave me less of an ick feeling.
The way this was written felt so gross. It might just be me, but I kinda felt like for the basically no smut it had that compared to Zach Ryan Zade Meadows was an advocate for safe consensual sex.
Which is weird because there was nothing kinky or nonconsentual technically it was just how it was written.
"He didn’t ask her if she was sure. He didn’t tell her they didn’t have to do this again. He took his time entering her, but he entered her with pride, without worry for himself or from her."
Gross
Also a lot of the writing was just stupid
"..play with his balls. He hissed at the contact, but pleasure clouded his eyes. He was sensitive there, she realized, just like every man she’d been with. Probably just like every man."
Probably??
"..she already felt herself moistening between her thighs."
Ohhh hell no not moistening
To top it off it felt like this author Google hockey terms and didn't really read them just applied them. The little bit of hockey that was played in this hockey romance was described as chippy which is not really the type.of game you want from your star center.
"Especially the punk kids who thought they knew everything just because they won some trophy down with their U17 and U18 teams"
I am not a soccer fan but I am pretty sure that is a reference to tiers for soccer because surely she is not making reference to AAA and AA hockey?
One last example
"he could not take his eyes off of her. Which was saying something, considering he typically couldn’t take his eyes off of her."
No, actually, that is pretty much the definition of not saying or doing anything different
I could keep going because this is all coming from pretty much the first half the book and it only gets worse but it is making me mad and I don't want to be mad on a Saturday.
It was horribly written and made no sense half the time. I have read extremely dark horror romances that gave me less of an ick feeling.
The way this was written felt so gross. It might just be me, but I kinda felt like for the basically no smut it had that compared to Zach Ryan Zade Meadows was an advocate for safe consensual sex.
Which is weird because there was nothing kinky or nonconsentual technically it was just how it was written.
"He didn’t ask her if she was sure. He didn’t tell her they didn’t have to do this again. He took his time entering her, but he entered her with pride, without worry for himself or from her."
Gross
Also a lot of the writing was just stupid
"..play with his balls. He hissed at the contact, but pleasure clouded his eyes. He was sensitive there, she realized, just like every man she’d been with. Probably just like every man."
Probably??
"..she already felt herself moistening between her thighs."
Ohhh hell no not moistening
To top it off it felt like this author Google hockey terms and didn't really read them just applied them. The little bit of hockey that was played in this hockey romance was described as chippy which is not really the type.of game you want from your star center.
"Especially the punk kids who thought they knew everything just because they won some trophy down with their U17 and U18 teams"
I am not a soccer fan but I am pretty sure that is a reference to tiers for soccer because surely she is not making reference to AAA and AA hockey?
One last example
"he could not take his eyes off of her. Which was saying something, considering he typically couldn’t take his eyes off of her."
No, actually, that is pretty much the definition of not saying or doing anything different
I could keep going because this is all coming from pretty much the first half the book and it only gets worse but it is making me mad and I don't want to be mad on a Saturday.
March 23, 2023
Did I enjoy this book? Yes.
We’re there problems with it? Hell yeah!
First off, there’s one scene where she’s in a dress and then the next description, she’s in a shirt and bra 😒 she never changed
We learn way too much about to side characters that don’t even really get any page time, so why was all that extra information in there?
Her ex assaulted her and abused her, but she never reported it and let him get away with it? She was worried she wouldn’t be believed, but she had a protection order against him already?
Her new boyfriend got arrested and instead of going to the cops, she makes a deal with said ex to get him to drop charges, because she doesn’t think she’ll be believed as an eyewitness???
I DONT THINK SO. This book was not about hockey. The sport was a side thought. It didn’t feel like the main idea of the book or that it was relevant
We’re there problems with it? Hell yeah!
First off, there’s one scene where she’s in a dress and then the next description, she’s in a shirt and bra 😒 she never changed
We learn way too much about to side characters that don’t even really get any page time, so why was all that extra information in there?
Her ex assaulted her and abused her, but she never reported it and let him get away with it? She was worried she wouldn’t be believed, but she had a protection order against him already?
Her new boyfriend got arrested and instead of going to the cops, she makes a deal with said ex to get him to drop charges, because she doesn’t think she’ll be believed as an eyewitness???
I DONT THINK SO. This book was not about hockey. The sport was a side thought. It didn’t feel like the main idea of the book or that it was relevant
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2023
This book was a bit of a mess. For a sports romance, I would expect a decent amount of the story to be about said sport, but in this story, ice hockey seemed to take a very distant second place. When the story is under 200 pages, it is very noticeable. With Harper being hired as the blogger for the Gulls, I expected more sport & to see her interact with the players & staff more, or read snippets of what she had written - we only see her interview Zac & that is done at a nightclub. Harper & Zac were cute together, but that doesn’t cancel out everything else in the story. This book and series is just not for me.
April 6, 2018
Harper is a sports blogger. She primarily writes about hockey and is hired by the local hockey team< the Newport Gulls, to write specifically for them. The team has suffered recently with the murder of the owner and scandal surrounding it and the transfer of ownership. It is in a rebuilding phase and Harper will get to report on everything to do with the team including player profiles. One of her first interviews is with the new center, Zach Ryan. He has had his own scandal recently which forced him to leave the Toronto team and make the move to Newport. Initially, they don't like each other much, but there is definitely an attraction that eventually leads to a date. When Harper realizes that Zach is actually a pretty nice guy, and a hot one at that, things progress. There is one big problem - Harper's stalker ex, Bryan. The Bryan drama that surfaces comes close to ending Harper's new romance with Zack and threatens his hockey career.
This book was alright. It started off better than it ended. In the beginning, both Harper and Zack were career focused and weren't willing to let a romance interfere with their focus. Once the romance started, their career focus didn't fade but we heard a lot less about their jobs. Considering their careers were so important to both characters, it was weird to suddenly not hear anything more about what was going on there. Also, when the Bryan drama heated up, everything else in the book was eclipsed by it. I think the romance suffered. The book was still good, but it could have been better.
This book was alright. It started off better than it ended. In the beginning, both Harper and Zack were career focused and weren't willing to let a romance interfere with their focus. Once the romance started, their career focus didn't fade but we heard a lot less about their jobs. Considering their careers were so important to both characters, it was weird to suddenly not hear anything more about what was going on there. Also, when the Bryan drama heated up, everything else in the book was eclipsed by it. I think the romance suffered. The book was still good, but it could have been better.
April 5, 2018
I was really disappointed in this book, the sport was just a side story it really didn't play a large part in the book. Which was a pity as it could have added a lot more to the story. I would have liked to have seen a lot more on the blog side of the story with interviews with lots of team members so we could get more information on the other characters. The romance was weak although I liked Harper and Zac as a couple they were a little to perfect.
April 8, 2019
Started reading this series because it had some good reviews and I love hockey and was happy that I did. I loved Zach, he was sweet and persistant and hell Harper if you do not want him, pass him over to me..Harper did wake up and when you realize what she went thru with her ex you can understand her reluctance..Glad she got her Zach..loved her grandmother can't wait til the next one.. Enjoy!
December 28, 2020
this is just a sweet (even though its steamy) cliché hockey romance. With a lot of the romance and drama and less of the hockey.
harper is a sports blogger and Zach is an awesome hockey player. they began as friends and escalated into lovers throw in a crazy ex and you have the whole book. there was no suspense which left me wonder and that was the only thing I wanted more in the bookI loved the way their relationship developed a perfect pace.
harper is a sports blogger and Zach is an awesome hockey player. they began as friends and escalated into lovers throw in a crazy ex and you have the whole book. there was no suspense which left me wonder and that was the only thing I wanted more in the bookI loved the way their relationship developed a perfect pace.
May 1, 2018
This is the first book in this series and I really enjoyed it I just loved a good hockey romance and Zach and Harper's story did not disappoint they are just smoking hot together it was a well-written story and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series
July 9, 2018
I still love this series. Even though I read them out of order it still wasn't hard to follow. I loved reading their story. Too bad Harper's ex boyfriend is a douchebag. I'm just glad that they got everything worked out in the end.
February 25, 2017
The story was really good. I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Harper and Zach. I especially liked seeing Harper find her strength after the traumatizing situation she had been through. After reading the prologue trilogy, I really liked seeing the little bits of the growing relationship between Sera and Brandon sprinkled throughout. But the continuity errors drove me batty while reading. I don't know if it was her editor or her betas, but the author was badly let down by the people who were supposed to help her catch these things.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.
November 2, 2023
1*
Like several other books I’ve read recently, this was one of the “Stuff Your Kindle Day” deals that I was able to get for free. Unfortunately, it’s also a book that I wish I hadn’t wasted my time on.
Exs and Goals is only 166 pages (according to my Kindle edition) and boy, was that obvious.
While the premise was interesting/cute enough to catch my attention (at least when I was sorting through all of the deals), 166 pages is hardly enough time to build a believable romantic relationship or to have a solid plotline. But to make matters worse, there were so many comments or irrelevant things mentioned that took away from the plot. The author seemed to ramble and this book suffered from a lack of good editing.
Examples:
• There are a few mentions of a murder, but this seemed to concern a couple of the side characters. However, the murder had no effect or anything to do with the hero/heroine in this novel (this is possibly explained more in another book, but we’re thrown into the deep end with this information despite this being book #1 of the series).
• In the beginning, Harper makes a big deal about her grandmother and how much she supports her but we are never introduced to her grandmother (even via a phone call) and after her grandmother is being ‘taken care of,’ she’s never mentioned again.
• There’s one point when Harper gets called in the middle of the night to come pick up Katella from a club. Katella says that she couldn’t tell Seraphina (her sister) that she was drunk and needed a ride home and she didn’t have anyone else to call, despite just having been introduced to Harper herself. This plot device was used solely to get Harper into the club so that Haper and Zack could dance together (because after she gets there, Katella isn’t, of course, ready to go).
Or Quotes like:
• “Zack was used to two anthems being sung due to the fact that his former team had been Canadian, and any time a Canadian team played an American team, both anthems were sung. Though he wasn’t a citizen, he respected the anthem and what it represented. He had no problem standing and remaining silent during it.” - I mean, that’s great and all, but we needed to know this why?
• Harper: ”She cracked her windows just so she could feel the soft sea breeze against her hot skin. Normally, she would have closed her eyes and taken the time to relax, but considering she was driving, she chose to breath in deeply instead.” - Good for you??? Way to not close your eyes while you’re operating a vehicle? That seems like the right choice? I’m glad you didn’t kill yourself or others with that decision? How am I supposed to feel with a statement like that? What kind of nonsense am I reading?
• “The sun was still out, even at seven. Daylight savings time – where the clocks were set back an hour – had not yet come to a close so it was still sunny and bright in Southern California.” - Thank you for explaining to me how daylight savings works?
• “Harper saw the Gulls mascot from the corner of her eye at the start of the red carpet, giving each player a tap with his wing. For a bird, Kenny the Gull looked like a bada$$” – Since this is the first (and last) time ‘Kenny the Gull’ is mentioned, he’s not needed here.
• Another anthem quote: “…’Dawn Hasting from Tustin to sing the National Anthem and the Canadian Anthem.’ Everyone in the building stood. Hats were removed. It wasn’t a requirement but Harper always put one hand over her heart as a tribute to her grandfather who had served in World War II.” - Again, that’s great. I love that she puts her hand over her heart, but we don’t need to know this information. It has no bearing or significance to the story and this is the first (and last) time Harper mentions her grandfather at all.
There was just constant word vomit about the most irrelevant things imaginable all throughout the story. This made the writing seem poorly organized, unnecessarily embellished, and even a bit chaotic because she couldn’t stay focused and on track/on topic.
Brian is Harper’s abusive ex and the sole plotline outside of the budding romance. However, everything surrounding Brian felt like it could’ve been taken out and the book probably would’ve been better for it. Harper is an idiot in her dealings with Brian (like not immediately getting a new restraining order when she’d realized it’d lapsed or calling the cops as soon as he tried to assault her again after their “date”), she let’s Brian creep around her and manipulate her easily with threats, and the whole Zack-getting-arrested plot device was the stupidest thing ever. When Zack “assaulted” Brian (by punching him), Brian had already bullied his way into Harper’s home and refused to leave when he’d been asked to do so. He also has a past of having to have a restraining order against her, so would the cops really have arrested Zack one day later (so not even at the time of the incident) without talking to Zack and Harper about the accusations and circumstances? Plus, even if they did arrest first and ask questions later, Harper being a witness to what had occurred in her home would’ve turned the blame back around on Brian, but she’s too cowardly to stand up for Zack or tell the truth. After that whole incident, I had nothing but contempt for Harper and what she does later on was too little, too late.
I think because we were in Harper’s POV so much, it was often Harper who was having so many random and oddball thoughts that were completely off topic, I struggled like her at all.
While I liked the fact that Zack was upfront with his feelings, his feelings seem to come out of the blue and I couldn’t understand the pull he felt toward Harper. Plus, we never really get to know who Zack is. We get a glimpse into his past and why he transferred from his former team, but otherwise, there’s very little we know about him.
The romance between Harper and Zack was rushed and underdeveloped. They were saying “I love you” by the end even though there was little foundation to back up these sentiments. It felt incredibly weak and it was hard to genuinely cheer for them (like I was supposed to).
While I’m not sure if this is an actual ‘complaint’ or not, there was also very little about hockey within this novel, despite the importance of it for both Harper and Zack. For a sports romance book there was very little focus on this sport and it fell into the background very quickly.
The plot was terrible, the writing style left a whole lot to be desired, I disliked the characters and the supposed “growth” they showed, and the story was rushed and underdeveloped. There was very little for me to enjoy throughout this book and I don’t think I stopped rolling my eyes or internally cringing the entire time.
Like several other books I’ve read recently, this was one of the “Stuff Your Kindle Day” deals that I was able to get for free. Unfortunately, it’s also a book that I wish I hadn’t wasted my time on.
Exs and Goals is only 166 pages (according to my Kindle edition) and boy, was that obvious.
While the premise was interesting/cute enough to catch my attention (at least when I was sorting through all of the deals), 166 pages is hardly enough time to build a believable romantic relationship or to have a solid plotline. But to make matters worse, there were so many comments or irrelevant things mentioned that took away from the plot. The author seemed to ramble and this book suffered from a lack of good editing.
Examples:
• There are a few mentions of a murder, but this seemed to concern a couple of the side characters. However, the murder had no effect or anything to do with the hero/heroine in this novel (this is possibly explained more in another book, but we’re thrown into the deep end with this information despite this being book #1 of the series).
• In the beginning, Harper makes a big deal about her grandmother and how much she supports her but we are never introduced to her grandmother (even via a phone call) and after her grandmother is being ‘taken care of,’ she’s never mentioned again.
• There’s one point when Harper gets called in the middle of the night to come pick up Katella from a club. Katella says that she couldn’t tell Seraphina (her sister) that she was drunk and needed a ride home and she didn’t have anyone else to call, despite just having been introduced to Harper herself. This plot device was used solely to get Harper into the club so that Haper and Zack could dance together (because after she gets there, Katella isn’t, of course, ready to go).
Or Quotes like:
• “Zack was used to two anthems being sung due to the fact that his former team had been Canadian, and any time a Canadian team played an American team, both anthems were sung. Though he wasn’t a citizen, he respected the anthem and what it represented. He had no problem standing and remaining silent during it.” - I mean, that’s great and all, but we needed to know this why?
• Harper: ”She cracked her windows just so she could feel the soft sea breeze against her hot skin. Normally, she would have closed her eyes and taken the time to relax, but considering she was driving, she chose to breath in deeply instead.” - Good for you??? Way to not close your eyes while you’re operating a vehicle? That seems like the right choice? I’m glad you didn’t kill yourself or others with that decision? How am I supposed to feel with a statement like that? What kind of nonsense am I reading?
• “The sun was still out, even at seven. Daylight savings time – where the clocks were set back an hour – had not yet come to a close so it was still sunny and bright in Southern California.” - Thank you for explaining to me how daylight savings works?
• “Harper saw the Gulls mascot from the corner of her eye at the start of the red carpet, giving each player a tap with his wing. For a bird, Kenny the Gull looked like a bada$$” – Since this is the first (and last) time ‘Kenny the Gull’ is mentioned, he’s not needed here.
• Another anthem quote: “…’Dawn Hasting from Tustin to sing the National Anthem and the Canadian Anthem.’ Everyone in the building stood. Hats were removed. It wasn’t a requirement but Harper always put one hand over her heart as a tribute to her grandfather who had served in World War II.” - Again, that’s great. I love that she puts her hand over her heart, but we don’t need to know this information. It has no bearing or significance to the story and this is the first (and last) time Harper mentions her grandfather at all.
There was just constant word vomit about the most irrelevant things imaginable all throughout the story. This made the writing seem poorly organized, unnecessarily embellished, and even a bit chaotic because she couldn’t stay focused and on track/on topic.
Brian is Harper’s abusive ex and the sole plotline outside of the budding romance. However, everything surrounding Brian felt like it could’ve been taken out and the book probably would’ve been better for it. Harper is an idiot in her dealings with Brian (like not immediately getting a new restraining order when she’d realized it’d lapsed or calling the cops as soon as he tried to assault her again after their “date”), she let’s Brian creep around her and manipulate her easily with threats, and the whole Zack-getting-arrested plot device was the stupidest thing ever. When Zack “assaulted” Brian (by punching him), Brian had already bullied his way into Harper’s home and refused to leave when he’d been asked to do so. He also has a past of having to have a restraining order against her, so would the cops really have arrested Zack one day later (so not even at the time of the incident) without talking to Zack and Harper about the accusations and circumstances? Plus, even if they did arrest first and ask questions later, Harper being a witness to what had occurred in her home would’ve turned the blame back around on Brian, but she’s too cowardly to stand up for Zack or tell the truth. After that whole incident, I had nothing but contempt for Harper and what she does later on was too little, too late.
I think because we were in Harper’s POV so much, it was often Harper who was having so many random and oddball thoughts that were completely off topic, I struggled like her at all.
While I liked the fact that Zack was upfront with his feelings, his feelings seem to come out of the blue and I couldn’t understand the pull he felt toward Harper. Plus, we never really get to know who Zack is. We get a glimpse into his past and why he transferred from his former team, but otherwise, there’s very little we know about him.
The romance between Harper and Zack was rushed and underdeveloped. They were saying “I love you” by the end even though there was little foundation to back up these sentiments. It felt incredibly weak and it was hard to genuinely cheer for them (like I was supposed to).
While I’m not sure if this is an actual ‘complaint’ or not, there was also very little about hockey within this novel, despite the importance of it for both Harper and Zack. For a sports romance book there was very little focus on this sport and it fell into the background very quickly.
The plot was terrible, the writing style left a whole lot to be desired, I disliked the characters and the supposed “growth” they showed, and the story was rushed and underdeveloped. There was very little for me to enjoy throughout this book and I don’t think I stopped rolling my eyes or internally cringing the entire time.
November 6, 2018
I picked this book up because it is hockey season, and my team sucks... but so does this book.
The story takes for-ev-er to begin. Even halfway through the book the male suitor had not been clearly defined. Over half the book was about other people, possibly setting up the next book. However, to keep people engaged in the story the first book needs to make people want to read the second. This book was far too cliché for my liking. I get it, there are a million romance novels, and everything has been done, but the conflict in this book wasn’t that much of a conflict. There was no emotionally riveting scenario, there was not really a damsel in distress moment, but there was one good “go the fuck away” moment. This took me days to read, when it should have only taken a couple hours!
The editing in this book is horrible! Autocorrect surely got the best of this author when she used pick instead of puck. Elementary mistakes were made when the author began sentences with a conjunction. The general grammar mistakes were made. This makes a book hard. to. read!
If you are an indie author find better beta readers who aren’t afraid to redpen a book. Or higher an editor!
There will be no book 2 for me!
The story takes for-ev-er to begin. Even halfway through the book the male suitor had not been clearly defined. Over half the book was about other people, possibly setting up the next book. However, to keep people engaged in the story the first book needs to make people want to read the second. This book was far too cliché for my liking. I get it, there are a million romance novels, and everything has been done, but the conflict in this book wasn’t that much of a conflict. There was no emotionally riveting scenario, there was not really a damsel in distress moment, but there was one good “go the fuck away” moment. This took me days to read, when it should have only taken a couple hours!
The editing in this book is horrible! Autocorrect surely got the best of this author when she used pick instead of puck. Elementary mistakes were made when the author began sentences with a conjunction. The general grammar mistakes were made. This makes a book hard. to. read!
If you are an indie author find better beta readers who aren’t afraid to redpen a book. Or higher an editor!
There will be no book 2 for me!
June 12, 2017
After reading the 2nd book in this series, I had to check out this one! They each work as a standalone and I had no trouble following the story in book 2, but I wanted to know more about these great characters. What I found was another fun read by Heather Myers. Harper and Zach are so perfect for each other. Harper has some issues to work through, but she doesn't let them stand in her way and Zach is just an all around great guy - at least when he's off the ice. Bonus points to the author for not just saying "He's a hockey player" and calling it a sports romance. We get actual play! Don't worry if you don't know anything about hockey. It's written so you don't have to be a die-hard fan of the sport to understand what's going on. Overall, it's a great story and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.
August 12, 2017
Exes and Goals is the first book in the Slapshot series. While this is part of a series, it is a standalone with no cliffhanger. Though the storyline is open-ended for future books. There is mild violence. The sex is hot and steamy so 18+.
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that info here. The storyline is average but overall, it was a good read. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author including more in this series.
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that info here. The storyline is average but overall, it was a good read. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author including more in this series.
September 12, 2018
Bleh
It was decent up to when she actually went on a date with an ex who physically abused and nearly killed her to get her new boyfriend out of trouble for punching the ex when he forced his way into her home and called her terrible names. Did not finish. Will not be reading more by this author.
It was decent up to when she actually went on a date with an ex who physically abused and nearly killed her to get her new boyfriend out of trouble for punching the ex when he forced his way into her home and called her terrible names. Did not finish. Will not be reading more by this author.
January 8, 2023
Needed a good editor. A number of inconsistencies and repetitive sentences. not a fan of how the FMC basically wished her abusive ex boyfriend good luck in finding the right woman for him. HE WAS ABUSIVE. HE WILL BE ABUSIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE.
July 28, 2020
Between 2-3 stars. I liked it alright, but there were quite a number of weak points as well, keeping it from standing out particularly from all the other sports romances I read.
Harper (h) is a sports blogger who's just been hired by her favorite hockey team to cover them during a rebuilding year. Zach (H) is a newly acquired center who's part of that rebuilding. They're each starting over - her from a rough break-up and him from intense team drama and scandal. Can they open up to each other to heal?
The romance itself was sweet but very simple. I liked that Harper took initiative for herself and her mindset, recognizing that Zach was good for her, was supportive of her, but that ultimately she was the only one who could control her reactions. It's a pretty healthy mindset (especially for a romance novel character!). At the same time, the actual romance between them was pretty drama free. Zach moves very quickly from first meeting to hook-up to love - not quite past my "insta-love threshold", but pretty dang close. I wish we'd gotten more from his POV, because as it was, it was mostly about her healing, when he had his own story to tell too. Wouldn't have given him a bit more depth, too, instead of just being the perfect, supportive, super-hot, protective boyfriend.
I thought a lot of unnecessary time was spent on the Hanson sisters. I mean, we got more descriptions of what Katella and Seraphina were wearing and what they looked liked than we did of the heroine. Seriously! We didn't get an idea of what Harper looked like (other than having frizzy hair that was long enough to put up in a bun) until seriously at least a third of the way through. We find out her hair color at almost halfway! I don't need a h's description shoved down my throat through the whole story, but at the same time, with absolutely no description, it's a bit too Mary Sue for me. Especially when we get so much description of the Hansons (who are actually relatively minor characters in terms of this book).
Quite a lot of time spent on the team situation, too. The murder was mentioned several times, and I realize that's all covered in the prequel novella trilogy, it's mentioned quite a lot here for not being discussed or developed as a plot point. And we get lots of mentions about Seraphina's position owning the team, the press criticism, the sexism... all fair points, but this isn't Seraphina's story - it's Harper's.
I felt like this could have been so much more. There was relatively little sports action, but that's not here or there for me (some of my favorite sports romances are off season stories, and it's more about the team dynamics in the background than the actual game). But the relationship itself could have had some more development - what did the administration think? His teammates? The press? And while we heard how the fans reacted, how did the Toronto players react to Zach? Did he get any closure with his former friends? Any sign that the lying wife got some comeuppance? And the blog itself - this could have been something fun to play with. We could have gotten snippets from the blog (could have been a great way to give Harper a clever voice), or more of a picture of the teammates through interviews or events that Harper wrote about.
Quite a number of grammatical errors and typos. Quite a number of missing words, making sentences confusing. And one-letter typos too (picks/pucks - important in a hockey book). And minor continuity errors - is she in a shirt or a dress? Is his hair brown or blond? Distracting details.
3rd person POV, mostly from Harper's view, but some scenes from Zach's and quite a lot of 'big picture' comments that were more 3rd person omniscient than anything else. Never my favorite viewpoint - I've just found it's harder for me to really connect with that 3rd omniscient view, just too far outside of the characters' thoughts for my taste. No love triangle or cheating. Minor OW drama in the past (part of how Zach ended up being traded). Harper's ex creates quite a bit of drama taking revenge on Zach and trying to get back with Harper. Most of the drama is Zach trusting his new team and Harper learning to stand up for herself. HFN ending (no epilogue or view down the road - looks like other books cover that time frame). No cliffhangers, though a number of characters are introduced, including one pair that get their own book soon (Lip Locks & Blocked Shots).
Would I read more in this series? Yes. Though simple, this was still an enjoyable read and I wouldn't mind spending more time with the Gulls. Just compared to some of the other sports romance series I love, this one just didn't have that extra spark to make it a favorite.
Harper (h) is a sports blogger who's just been hired by her favorite hockey team to cover them during a rebuilding year. Zach (H) is a newly acquired center who's part of that rebuilding. They're each starting over - her from a rough break-up and him from intense team drama and scandal. Can they open up to each other to heal?
The romance itself was sweet but very simple. I liked that Harper took initiative for herself and her mindset, recognizing that Zach was good for her, was supportive of her, but that ultimately she was the only one who could control her reactions. It's a pretty healthy mindset (especially for a romance novel character!). At the same time, the actual romance between them was pretty drama free. Zach moves very quickly from first meeting to hook-up to love - not quite past my "insta-love threshold", but pretty dang close. I wish we'd gotten more from his POV, because as it was, it was mostly about her healing, when he had his own story to tell too. Wouldn't have given him a bit more depth, too, instead of just being the perfect, supportive, super-hot, protective boyfriend.
I thought a lot of unnecessary time was spent on the Hanson sisters. I mean, we got more descriptions of what Katella and Seraphina were wearing and what they looked liked than we did of the heroine. Seriously! We didn't get an idea of what Harper looked like (other than having frizzy hair that was long enough to put up in a bun) until seriously at least a third of the way through. We find out her hair color at almost halfway! I don't need a h's description shoved down my throat through the whole story, but at the same time, with absolutely no description, it's a bit too Mary Sue for me. Especially when we get so much description of the Hansons (who are actually relatively minor characters in terms of this book).
Quite a lot of time spent on the team situation, too. The murder was mentioned several times, and I realize that's all covered in the prequel novella trilogy, it's mentioned quite a lot here for not being discussed or developed as a plot point. And we get lots of mentions about Seraphina's position owning the team, the press criticism, the sexism... all fair points, but this isn't Seraphina's story - it's Harper's.
I felt like this could have been so much more. There was relatively little sports action, but that's not here or there for me (some of my favorite sports romances are off season stories, and it's more about the team dynamics in the background than the actual game). But the relationship itself could have had some more development - what did the administration think? His teammates? The press? And while we heard how the fans reacted, how did the Toronto players react to Zach? Did he get any closure with his former friends? Any sign that the lying wife got some comeuppance? And the blog itself - this could have been something fun to play with. We could have gotten snippets from the blog (could have been a great way to give Harper a clever voice), or more of a picture of the teammates through interviews or events that Harper wrote about.
Quite a number of grammatical errors and typos. Quite a number of missing words, making sentences confusing. And one-letter typos too (picks/pucks - important in a hockey book). And minor continuity errors - is she in a shirt or a dress? Is his hair brown or blond? Distracting details.
3rd person POV, mostly from Harper's view, but some scenes from Zach's and quite a lot of 'big picture' comments that were more 3rd person omniscient than anything else. Never my favorite viewpoint - I've just found it's harder for me to really connect with that 3rd omniscient view, just too far outside of the characters' thoughts for my taste. No love triangle or cheating. Minor OW drama in the past (part of how Zach ended up being traded). Harper's ex creates quite a bit of drama taking revenge on Zach and trying to get back with Harper. Most of the drama is Zach trusting his new team and Harper learning to stand up for herself. HFN ending (no epilogue or view down the road - looks like other books cover that time frame). No cliffhangers, though a number of characters are introduced, including one pair that get their own book soon (Lip Locks & Blocked Shots).
Would I read more in this series? Yes. Though simple, this was still an enjoyable read and I wouldn't mind spending more time with the Gulls. Just compared to some of the other sports romance series I love, this one just didn't have that extra spark to make it a favorite.
July 2, 2024
I hate to give bad ratings and even more when I know the book was done with the best intentions, but I can't save this one and I rather write a review that will be somewhat helpful.
In all honesty, I felt like I was reading a draft with no edits, which at some point I seriously considered was the case. Plot twist: It wasn't.
My main issue was the lack of consistency, the repetitive dialogues, and the unnecessary info dumping. I also didn't like how new characters were introduced because it felt abrupt and confusing, but I believe that's just a personal liking.
The consistency and coherence really threw me off, I don't mind having a cliché if it will make me feel something, but with this one, I stopped feeling something at the moment things started to detach. For starters, I think there was a big issue with the timeline, that made the whole thing look disorganized. Our poor main character was so traumatized by her relationship that she didn't know when it ended, eight months turned into YEARS from one chapter to another.
Then she was able to be rational about a very awful hurtful comment from her new bf although she was traumatized by her past relationship, but couldn't be rational about simple common sense things such as placing a statement in favor of someone she cared about and wasn't at fault. Even though, she did know how to ask for a restraining order. Not to mention when she had a full thought process on how the bad guy's request was irrational but she still complied. I can excuse that with trauma, but the repetitive inner dialogue was unnecessary then.
All the time spent repeating the same things could've been used to give depth to the characters and even build better chemistry between the couple.
Some if not most of the dialogues were written as if it was a movie, I had to guess or simply ignore some of the comments they made to each other because they made no sense. They might be able to know what they are thinking just by a look, but I can't see that look so I don't know what they mean. In books we don't have visuals, the author has to build the visual with words and that was a big miss here.
In all honesty, I felt like I was reading a draft with no edits, which at some point I seriously considered was the case. Plot twist: It wasn't.
My main issue was the lack of consistency, the repetitive dialogues, and the unnecessary info dumping. I also didn't like how new characters were introduced because it felt abrupt and confusing, but I believe that's just a personal liking.
The consistency and coherence really threw me off, I don't mind having a cliché if it will make me feel something, but with this one, I stopped feeling something at the moment things started to detach. For starters, I think there was a big issue with the timeline, that made the whole thing look disorganized. Our poor main character was so traumatized by her relationship that she didn't know when it ended, eight months turned into YEARS from one chapter to another.
Then she was able to be rational about a very awful hurtful comment from her new bf although she was traumatized by her past relationship, but couldn't be rational about simple common sense things such as placing a statement in favor of someone she cared about and wasn't at fault. Even though, she did know how to ask for a restraining order. Not to mention when she had a full thought process on how the bad guy's request was irrational but she still complied. I can excuse that with trauma, but the repetitive inner dialogue was unnecessary then.
All the time spent repeating the same things could've been used to give depth to the characters and even build better chemistry between the couple.
Some if not most of the dialogues were written as if it was a movie, I had to guess or simply ignore some of the comments they made to each other because they made no sense. They might be able to know what they are thinking just by a look, but I can't see that look so I don't know what they mean. In books we don't have visuals, the author has to build the visual with words and that was a big miss here.
April 2, 2024
Seraphina acquired the Gulls when her grandfather was murdered and being a female in a male dominated industry is already tough, so she is trying to make as many positive changes to the organization to drag them out of their funk and back into a solid team standing. She reaches out to an old college acquaintance Harper to offer her the position of the official team blogger. Seraphina likes that Harper doesn’t fluff her pieces but writes them with accuracy and also is engaging reads for the fans. This is a boost for Harper, but she also enjoys hockey and it’s a paid position so it’s a win-win for her.
Zach played for the Toronto hockey team and ended up asking to be traded amid an alleged scandal that left him on the outside of his own team. Zach is super focused on the game but also trying to build a relationship with his teammates. At the first team reveal, the media interviews the players but Harper lets everyone else do their thing and just soaks it all in for her blog, but she doesn’t realize that Zach noticed her and is attracted but kind of teases her when they have their one on one interview together and she thinks he is kind of cocky. When Zach and Harper start to hang out and then go on dates together, the chemistry between them becomes so much more as they really start to connect. Harper unfortunately struggles to trust people and especially men as she was in an abusive relationship and Bryan has crawled out of the gutter to make another go at her.
Only giving this a 4-star review as it was a great build up and then left me hanging and there was no closure. You had all this drama at the last third of the book with Bryan and it was like someone clicked their fingers and the book was over. Felt too short to me whereas I needed about 2-3 more chapters to wrap it all up nicely. But I enjoyed the characters overall and the storyline but just needed a little more to give it 5 stars. .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Zach played for the Toronto hockey team and ended up asking to be traded amid an alleged scandal that left him on the outside of his own team. Zach is super focused on the game but also trying to build a relationship with his teammates. At the first team reveal, the media interviews the players but Harper lets everyone else do their thing and just soaks it all in for her blog, but she doesn’t realize that Zach noticed her and is attracted but kind of teases her when they have their one on one interview together and she thinks he is kind of cocky. When Zach and Harper start to hang out and then go on dates together, the chemistry between them becomes so much more as they really start to connect. Harper unfortunately struggles to trust people and especially men as she was in an abusive relationship and Bryan has crawled out of the gutter to make another go at her.
Only giving this a 4-star review as it was a great build up and then left me hanging and there was no closure. You had all this drama at the last third of the book with Bryan and it was like someone clicked their fingers and the book was over. Felt too short to me whereas I needed about 2-3 more chapters to wrap it all up nicely. But I enjoyed the characters overall and the storyline but just needed a little more to give it 5 stars. .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 15, 2022
Labelled with an undeservedly so-called “bad reputation” among his teammates as a wife stealer, Zach Ryan was very happy to be traded to the Newport Beach Seagulls professional hockey team and a fresh start away from untrustworthy, lying women who were always after either his money, fame, or the chance to have slept with a professional athlete. He is unprepared for Harper Crawford, a blogger who is tapped by the Gulls new CEO to write about the team and hold nothing back. Harper gets to travel with the team, attend practices and social events, and just hang with the men, to learn how they are bonding, how they work together on and off the ice, and how well their skills are being utilized by the new coaching staff. Harper has finally left an abusive two-year relationship with an ex who has decided he will not accept her rejection, so he stalks and confronts her whenever he is able to catch her off guard. Harper is just starting to come out of her shell and finds a mutual attraction with Zach, each testing the waters, but inextricably drawn to the other regardless of their best intentions otherwise. And then Harper’s ex confronts the two of them dancing and walls start caving in around everyone! I will not give any more of the plot away, suffice it to say Heather C. Myers does not disappoint in this wonderful novel filled with love, hate, longing, misunderstandings, fears, lust, ambition, and every other emotion known to mankind. As usual, Exes and Goals, Book 1 of the new Slapshot Series, is beautifully written by Ms. Myers, and her characters are compellingly flawed people like the rest of us. It is always a pleasure to sit down and escape into one of Ms. Myers novels, and Exes and Goals does that! Do not pass up the chance to read this novel!
September 8, 2024
Exes and Goals by Heather C Myers is the first book in the Slapshot series. The Newport Beach Seagulls hockey team has had an abysmal previous season. With the murder of their founder and owner and a few scandals involving the players, the team needs some help. Seraphina Hanson, the new owner and manager, is making drastic changes. From new talent and coaches, she also hires a team blogger. Harper Crawford is a big fan of the team and is looking forward to writing character pieces, team critiques and game summaries. It is her dream job. Her first piece is an article on the new first line center, Zachary Ryan. Tall, dark and handsome, Zachary is arrogant, direct and has a troubled past. There is an instant attraction between the two and as their relationship heats up, an ex-boyfriend from Harper’s past, isn’t happy she has moved on, is back to cause trouble.
I enjoy sports romance, especially football and hockey, although I am not a regular hockey fan. I looked forward to Exes and Goals. From the opening chapter to the closing page, I was a bit confused. The romance between Harper and Zachary is hot and romantic (eventually). The issues with the ex were more annoying than troublesome. The murder of the team’s owner and founder is mentioned often and I expected a resolution or at least some details into the murder investigation. Perhaps the author is waiting to resolve the murder within other books in the series. I, however, will not be reading further to find out. Overall, it’s a fairly short read. The romance was hot but the rest of the story was disappointing. I also expected more details into the team, the other players and seeing them play more on the ice. I do not recommend Exes and Goals.
Exes and Goals is available in paperback and eBook
I enjoy sports romance, especially football and hockey, although I am not a regular hockey fan. I looked forward to Exes and Goals. From the opening chapter to the closing page, I was a bit confused. The romance between Harper and Zachary is hot and romantic (eventually). The issues with the ex were more annoying than troublesome. The murder of the team’s owner and founder is mentioned often and I expected a resolution or at least some details into the murder investigation. Perhaps the author is waiting to resolve the murder within other books in the series. I, however, will not be reading further to find out. Overall, it’s a fairly short read. The romance was hot but the rest of the story was disappointing. I also expected more details into the team, the other players and seeing them play more on the ice. I do not recommend Exes and Goals.
Exes and Goals is available in paperback and eBook
July 22, 2025
This was a quick hockey read.
It is about Harper, who is coming from an abusive relationship, when she was hired by the Gulls to be their social media reporter. She is good at her job, bringing positive stories to her team.
Zachary Ryan is a new hire. He is running from a scandal that ruined his reputation in Canada. He falls for Harper, and he is very protective of her on and off the Ice. He almost instantly has fallen hard for her.
Before they even start dating, Ryan is protective of Harper against her ex, who seems to be stalking her. Her ex does not know how to let go and wants her back, even though he was abusive mentally and physically towards Harper. He thinks that even after the restraining order is lifted, he can have her back. But Ryan puts him in his place.
Following their love story is a good read. This story does have a lot of hockey information, so if you are not familiar with the game, you can understand what is going on since Heather goes into detail about the game, which was nice to learn about as someone who has no clue about hockey. It was more detailed than a superficial hockey book that skips over the information.
I say read it is worth it because it was a cute book. I enjoyed reading how he was able to defend her on and off the ice how he was willing to jeopardize his job for her because of his actions. It shows that he is not afraid to defend her. And it shows consequences that he faces even if they aren't serious. It is realistic to me. Neither were OTT, so I liked it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It is about Harper, who is coming from an abusive relationship, when she was hired by the Gulls to be their social media reporter. She is good at her job, bringing positive stories to her team.
Zachary Ryan is a new hire. He is running from a scandal that ruined his reputation in Canada. He falls for Harper, and he is very protective of her on and off the Ice. He almost instantly has fallen hard for her.
Before they even start dating, Ryan is protective of Harper against her ex, who seems to be stalking her. Her ex does not know how to let go and wants her back, even though he was abusive mentally and physically towards Harper. He thinks that even after the restraining order is lifted, he can have her back. But Ryan puts him in his place.
Following their love story is a good read. This story does have a lot of hockey information, so if you are not familiar with the game, you can understand what is going on since Heather goes into detail about the game, which was nice to learn about as someone who has no clue about hockey. It was more detailed than a superficial hockey book that skips over the information.
I say read it is worth it because it was a cute book. I enjoyed reading how he was able to defend her on and off the ice how he was willing to jeopardize his job for her because of his actions. It shows that he is not afraid to defend her. And it shows consequences that he faces even if they aren't serious. It is realistic to me. Neither were OTT, so I liked it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 6, 2024
Exes and Goals is 3.5 stars for me.
Sports romances, especially hockey ones, have been the hype of the last two years. For some reason, lately, I crave a lighthearted, fast-paced romance with a strong sports background. This combination of the excitement of hockey with a sizzling love story, a dash of drama, and a healthy dose of humor makes Exes and Goals an ideal choice for sports romances and new adult fiction.
The relationship between Harper and Zach has honest communication, even though they initially fight head-to-head. The banter between our two main characters is refreshing. Not having a third-act break-up is also something you don't see in romances, and it shows that you don't always need them.
I had some trouble with a couple of passages that repeated themselves. I also would have liked to see more of Harper's relationship with her grandmother and the friendship between Harper, Katella, and Seraphina because they grew up with their grandparents after their parents died.
Sports romances, especially hockey ones, have been the hype of the last two years. For some reason, lately, I crave a lighthearted, fast-paced romance with a strong sports background. This combination of the excitement of hockey with a sizzling love story, a dash of drama, and a healthy dose of humor makes Exes and Goals an ideal choice for sports romances and new adult fiction.
The relationship between Harper and Zach has honest communication, even though they initially fight head-to-head. The banter between our two main characters is refreshing. Not having a third-act break-up is also something you don't see in romances, and it shows that you don't always need them.
I had some trouble with a couple of passages that repeated themselves. I also would have liked to see more of Harper's relationship with her grandmother and the friendship between Harper, Katella, and Seraphina because they grew up with their grandparents after their parents died.
March 3, 2019
At several points, I almost returned this book without finishing it. It’s not the book’s fault, I just prefer a different style of writing. It may be that I’ve read so many first person narrated books in the past year that reading a third person narrative was awkward. It isn’t just that, though. There were other things that drove me crazy and almost got the this book returned at 83%. The entire time I was reading this book, I had an impression of reading a book meant for teenagers with sex thrown in.
I’m about to get slightly spoilery. You’ve been warned.
I had the thought multiple times that Harper was too stupid to live and she annoyed me. She had an abusive ex, yet opened the door multiple times without checking to see who was there. She allowed him to continue to manipulate her into a date? Come on. I read, with my jaw on the floor, as she slunk down in her seat as her new boyfriend is arrested for assaulting the evil ex and chose not to go to the police to defend the man she cares for. What?
I’m trying not to rant because I don’t want to tear this book apart. It’s fine. I think My tastes have changed and what I will tolerate has changed with them. The days when I would tolerate Sweet Valley High kinds of stuff is over.
I’m about to get slightly spoilery. You’ve been warned.
I had the thought multiple times that Harper was too stupid to live and she annoyed me. She had an abusive ex, yet opened the door multiple times without checking to see who was there. She allowed him to continue to manipulate her into a date? Come on. I read, with my jaw on the floor, as she slunk down in her seat as her new boyfriend is arrested for assaulting the evil ex and chose not to go to the police to defend the man she cares for. What?
I’m trying not to rant because I don’t want to tear this book apart. It’s fine. I think My tastes have changed and what I will tolerate has changed with them. The days when I would tolerate Sweet Valley High kinds of stuff is over.
February 26, 2019
Great Book 1, Exes and Goals, from the Slapshot Series
This was the first book I read from Heather Myers and I am hooked on the Slapshot Series, wanting to read more about these hot & sexy bad boys of hockey. The hockey world thinks Zach is a disloyal playboy. But, once he is settled in a new city & begins meshing with his new team, he begins to show another side of himself because it seems he has some kind of connection with Harper, his new team's social media blogger. As they begin to spend more time together, their chemistry starts to heat up but when Harper's past causes issues for the both of them, is their new connection strong enough to overcome her past? Definitely Recommend Exes & Goals, with Zach & Harper's journey! Who would want to miss reading about Zach, such a hot & sexy, yet, sweet & swoon-worthy bad boy of hockey! Great secondary characters to spark readers interest in reading more books in this series.
While I did receive a copy of this book to review via BookSprout, I also had purchased this book and am voluntarily leaving my voluntary opinion & review.
This was the first book I read from Heather Myers and I am hooked on the Slapshot Series, wanting to read more about these hot & sexy bad boys of hockey. The hockey world thinks Zach is a disloyal playboy. But, once he is settled in a new city & begins meshing with his new team, he begins to show another side of himself because it seems he has some kind of connection with Harper, his new team's social media blogger. As they begin to spend more time together, their chemistry starts to heat up but when Harper's past causes issues for the both of them, is their new connection strong enough to overcome her past? Definitely Recommend Exes & Goals, with Zach & Harper's journey! Who would want to miss reading about Zach, such a hot & sexy, yet, sweet & swoon-worthy bad boy of hockey! Great secondary characters to spark readers interest in reading more books in this series.
While I did receive a copy of this book to review via BookSprout, I also had purchased this book and am voluntarily leaving my voluntary opinion & review.
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