Bad boy goalie for the Boston Brawlers, Finnegan Reed needs to rehabilitate his image or be traded. So he goes along with the public relations plan. How bad can pretending to be engaged to a nerdy co-ed be?
Except the nerdy co-ed has a spine to go with her gentle soul and a weakness for margaritas and hockey players. Who knew?
But it's a dicey thing trying to pull off a lie when you're in the limelight and things could go from bad to worse unless they make the story stick with a convincing performance. All the way down to the details, like ... a wedding date or else?
He Has Game is a full length New Adult hockey romance set in the world of the Boston Brawlers Hockey team. You'll see players from other stories drop in for fun, but this book was written be read as a stand-alone. If you love bad boy hockey players, fake engagements and sizzling romance with all the feels right up to the satisfying happy ending, you'll love this story!
Finn and Vivvie’s love story was an unexpected one yet expected from the start. Finnegan Reed is the most eligible bachelor in Boston, with an ego to match and absolutely no time for feelings as he’s on a race to win the Stanley Cup with the Boston Brawlers. That is until Sherry Boylston lays her eyes (and hands) on him as her next young victim. When Finn insults Sherry with his rejection, she’s out for blood (or at least him off the team that her more than powerful husband, Edwin Boylston), has acquired with all his charity.
Vivian Frost is a quiet, nonchalant shy intern that is more than willing to help clear Finns name because she knows Sherry is not his type. Neither is she until Mary gives her a makeover that leaves Finn second guessing as to why he’s never noticed her until now.
Their story of a “fake engagement“ to prove that the most eligible bachelor is happily engaged and has put his past behind him, backfires on his shattered heart when he begins to feel emotions he never knew existed. The flirting and sexual innuendo between the two leaves the reader egging this more -than-made-for-each-other couple on! Queen pulls you in right from the start, leaving you on the edge of your seat upon every turn of the page. Make sure you have tissues on standby because there’s some intense emotional scenes but an ending to die for!
I loved this book! The story of Finn and Vivian is wonderful, heartwarming and full of all the things that make a book worth reading! After turning down a pass made by a very prominent woman, Finn’s career in Boston is now in jeopardy. To help his image, they decide he needs a fake fiance. Enter Vivian. She’s an intern for the team and offers to be his fiance. Having had a crush on him for some time, she is more than willing to play the part. They do their best to keep it fake but they end up developing feelings, though Finn won’t even admit it to himself. His mother and Vivian will work together to bring down the socialite that got Finn in this predicament in the first place and it will shake his faith in Vivian. When she takes ill during his last game of playoffs, he realizes just how much she means to him and how real their relationship really is. He will offer to make their engagement real and it will lead them to their happily ever after.
I read an ARC copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.
Finn plays for the Boston Brawlers Hockey Team and when he is accused of making a move on the CEO's wife which he didn't do they suggest that to save his reputation he needs to have a fake fiance but he is not happy about it but has no other option. Vivian offers to help Finn and he said okay and now they have to learn as much as they can about each other so no one suspect's anything. Will it all work out for them or will they both crash and burn. Omg I love this book and series so much with all its twists and turns and I can't wait to read the next book. This book is a real page turner and you have to keep turning to see what happens next. I recommend you read this book and series as Stephanie Queen is a brilliant author and writer and her books are definitely worth reading. I Voluntarily Reviewed an ARC Copy Of This Book.
I loved every minute of this bad boy fake fiancee sports romance that kept me glued to the book from the first word to the last, sitting on the edge of my seat and hanging onto every word. I really liked Finnegan Reed, bad boy goalie for the Boston Brawlers who needs to rehabilitate his image or be traded, and enjoyed his dynamic with the other characters, especially nerdy team intern Vivian Frost who volunteers to be his fake fiancee while the team tries to win the Stanley Cup. Ms. Queen knows how to weave an emotional, entertaining and steamy romance that moves seamlessly between Finn and Vivvie's POV and I can hardly wait for book four in this must-read series. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review. I also purchased a copy for my keeper library.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. This is the 3rd book in the Boston Brawlers Hockey romance series. Each book can be read as a standalone. This is a fake fiancee romance with a HEA ending. Finn learned from a young age that you can't trust woman. They will do anything to get what they want and a scorned woman is even worse. That's how he finds himself, the ultimate bachelor, engaged to be married. Vivvie is a quiet mousy girl that loves everything hockey. She has just landed her dream internship helping PR department of the Boston's Brawlers when an even bigger chance of a lifetime falls in her lap. Can she do it without getting her heart involved with her favorite player? This was a really good sweet romance that had me swooning. Can't wait to read more of these hockey hotties.
fun read, with entertaining banter and fun situations. Finn is put into a awkward position that calls for him to have a fake fiance, he likes the puck bunnies and has no plans for a relationship so when a fake fiance is called for he's clueless to whom he'd ask. In steps Vivian, the mouse of an intern. She's so totally not his thing...well, that's before the team's PR gets a hold of her, after her makeover his eyes are opened. He's got commitment issues, mom issues, boss issues and hands off issues and Vivvie's crush is coming to realization, well to a point. These Boston Brawlers are fun reads!
I really enjoyed reading this book. Finn and Vivvie are thrust into a fake fiancée relationship after he’s accused by the team owners wife of making inappropriate suggestions. It’s all a lie but in order to save his reputation, drastic steps need to be taken. The story delves into Finns background and his relationship with his mother, whom he has no time for. Vengeance is served and Finn is absolved but not before there is a little bit of a angst. Well written book with great characters.
I loved Finn & Viv's book. Good characters. It was a fun, entertaining read. Loving this series. I received a free copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
Stephanie Queen has a talent for spinning familiar tropes in creative ways that keep me involved in the story. Finn and Vivvie are a great ‘bad boy’ and ‘good girl’ pairing, brought together in a fake engagement arrangement to try and save him from a vendetta by a married woman whose advances he had spurned. They are both characters with powerful reasons for having developed their respective personalities.
I never give spoilers, but I will give a heads up that Finn recounts very disturbing behavior exhibited by his mother almost a decade ago that could potentially be triggering for some readers. It is powerful though, and a big part of the reason he is so emotionally distant from women. Vivvie is smart and sweet, and has an independent spirit. She goes after what she wants, whether that is having a college major that some people mock, or volunteering for the chance to play the fake fiancée of the athlete on whom she has a crush,
I enjoyed the story, and the interaction between the main characters. I actually wish we had seen even more interaction between them. The secondary characters were also vivid. I thought the ending was great, really a cinematic finish. I already pre-ordered the next in the series!
Untrusting and traumatized by his childhood, Finn won't let anyone close. When he gets in a bit of trouble, he'll have to appear to be mature and settled to avoid a trade. Willing to do anything to stay with his team, he agrees to act as the new intern's fiancee to give himself the respectability his image needs.
What happens when the line between fake and real begins to blur? He will have to face some hard truths about himself and let his emotions out to play.
While the villain in this piece is a bit over the top, Finn's inner turmoil and struggle to open himself up to someone else make for an interesting and enjoyable sports romance read. He's funny and kind when he allows himself to be, with a dash of conflicted, possessive alpha thrown in for good measure.
Four stars for this hockey romance.
This is an honest, voluntary review of an ARC of the story.
This was a great love story, it had intrigue, drama, angst, and passion. Finn was well known as THE bachelor of Boston and refused to even think of giving up that title until mousy little Vivian walked into his life and turned it upside down. In Vivvie’s defense she went into this doing her job...keep up appearances as Finn’s fiancé to dispel the bad publicity that was falsely reported about him. Sounds easy right? Well is was until it wasn’t anymore and Vivvie’s heart got involved.
So many aspects of this story were amazing but there were some things that were just bland. Mrs. Boylston for one...she needed to be knocked on her butt and I kind of wanted to throat punch her throughout this book.
Overall this was a really great story and I enjoyed reading it. I look forward to possibly reading more by this author.
Advanced copy received in exchange for an honest review
I’ve always been a sucker for the fake relationship theme. You just know that no matter how hard our leading couple are trying to resist each other, the chemistry is going to take over and things are going to get a lot more “real” than either of them were expecting. Finn and Vivvie are no exception to this. There’s some drama and angst in this book, but overall, it’s a remarkably sweet story. Vivian is a bit of a Pollyanna, and Finn is the king of jerk-like behavior, but it’s pretty clear that their relationship forces some growth on both of them. There are a couple of things that I would have like to see a more defined resolution to in the end, however, I’m really falling in love with this team and I can’t wait to read more. I received a complimentary copy of this book through Hidden Gems Books as part of the box set.
Finn is a bad boy. He has a way with women and he's a love 'em and leave 'em guy. Then a powerful woman wants him and he not only turns her down, he insults her. The woman and her even more powerful husband want him removed from the team, just as the team is about to end the season and begin playoffs.
Enter mousie Vivian who volunteers to be his fake fiance. As you might expect, both fall for each other but there's a lot going on in his private life, as well as his professional life.
I found the story of both characters fun to read. There are explicit sex scenes in this book, as in all of the books in this series. I recommend this book for a mature audience. If you enjoy hockey, this book is even more interesting.
For being a mild hockey fan I really enjoyed this book. Finn definitely fit the role of a hockey player from my limited experience😀, hunky somewhat arrogant and yet had a soft side. Considering his childhood, he has that buried but Vivvie brings that out in him. Having dealt with people from that type of background, I understand his actions and his reluctance to let anyone beyond the barrier he has built around his heart. Vivvie is a sweet girl with a bit of a wild side she did not know she had 😀. It was interesting to read the up and down and back and forth between all the characters in the book. I had some good chuckles and some emotional gulps. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a review.
Finn, the Goalie for the Boston Brawlers, runs afoul of one of the teams biggest donor. After he rebuffed the advances of the donor’s much younger wife, she accused Finn of inappropriate behavior and went after his job. With his career in jeopardy, Vivvie, the teams newest PR intern, agrees to become Finn’s fake fiance to help him salvage his career and improve his image. Even though their engagement starts out fake, they slowly develop feelings for each other. Finn and Vivvie have such a sweet relationship and after working through their insecurities and family issues, they wind up realizing that they belong together. Wonderful hockey romance!
He needs to clean up his image, she just needs to keep her heart out of it. Some things can't be faked. Will he realize what is in front of him before its to late?
Have to say I thought these two were a good fit. I loved how she put herself out there and was who she was. I didn't blame him for being scared, but loved seeing him slowly allowing himself to be healed. Good read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I read this book in a boxed set. Amazing storyline. Loved Vivvie and Finn. Lots of feels with a great dose of hot and sexy. Highly recommend. Can't wait for the next instalment in the Boston Brawlers.
I received a free ARC from Hidden Gems for the promise of an honest review.
It was good. Finn is emotional closed off hockey goalie. He is this way because of his mother who he is estranged from. Vivian is a soft spoken yet feisty intern for the Boston Brawlers. When Finn finds himself in need of public image makeover, Vivian volunteers to be play his fake fiancée. Being in close proximity, the line gets blurred.
Both Finnanf Vivian are likeable characters. The book is written well. It is a great sports romance. It was an easy enjoyable read.
Piss off someone in power? Make a scene just to show how reformed you are, once the powers to be are appeased you can go back to being yourself, right?
Vivian Frost was more than willing to help with this crazy fake engagement to help Finn stay in the good graces of the hockey world and help him reach his dream of the cup. The only problem was that she was sure she could keep her heart out of it, no matter how much she said she could. Everyone warned her and she thought she could fight it or at least hide it.
Finnegan Reed really didn’t need a false accusation or to have to “fix” something that he didn’t break. What he wanted was to be left alone to play his game, to live his life the way he wanted, to have ladies that knew the score, not the ones who were innocent. However to reach his dream of the cup, well he would do most anything to make that happen.
What happens when a hardened player and a “nice” girl team up to help reach the cup? Throw in a moneyed whore, a reformed mother and a controlling PR manager and anything is game.
Ms. Queen has brought the Boston Brawlers back to life in this work. She has succeed in bringing, hockey, romance, and some harder subjects (veterans, childhood cancer, child abuse, alcoholism, and bullying) together in an amazing story of rebuilding foundations that you didn’t even know were built on sand. This is part of her Boston Brawlers series but can be read as a stand alone and you would still love it. She does beautiful detail work on the nuances on characters. It does feel like it wraps up too quickly not allowing for a full evolution but there is a HEA and as always a desire to read more of her works.
Fake relationship? Sports romance? You can't combine two of my favourite romance tropes and expect me to do anything other than love it.
These are tropes we've seen many times before sooo what does this book do well that sets it apart?
Vivvie is a great character. She has career goals she is working very hard to achieve, despite being described as mousey she makes many brave decisions, she seems to be very comfortable with her life before she meets Finn - not needing a saviour. Vivvie volunteers to be in the fake relationship. I love the autonomy in that it is her choice.
Finn is presented as a bad boy, and we get a lot of background on how he got there.
The set up of why Finn needs a fake romance is so rich in it potential for drama and just builds from there.
On the list of things it does not do well: We have "She's All That"/"The Princess Diaries" style glasses scene. The mousey book worm girl changes her clothes and takes off her glasses (yes, she literally takes off her glasses) and is now hot enough to compete with supermodels. First - glasses can be very cute, second - I have trouble with the idea that a Victoria Secret body can be disguised under non designer clothes. Finn is attracted to her the very second he see's her post make over. Which I forgive because Vivvie had a crush on him before they met, so they end up on even ground with superficial crushes to start.
Vivvie is a quiet, shy young woman doing an internship in a PR department for a professional hockey team. She just happens to be in the room when a playboy Hockey player, Finn (whom she has a crush on) is given the ultimatum of having a fake marriage until the end of the season, or risk the chance of being traded to another team. Of course, since Finn is the type to love them and leave them, he doesn’t have anyone he can use as a fake fiancée. Vivvie speaks up and offers to be the fake fiancée (to her surprise). Finn thinks she looks mousey and is not his type at all. Little does he know that all it takes is a new wardrobe and a makeover for him to want her more than anything. Although in the beginning, because of his attitude, I did not want her to fall in love with him!
Finn had a rough childhood growing up. He felt his mom was always after the next best thing and was basically raised by his grandparents since his dad had passed away before he was born. However, when Finn is accused of making a pass at a very important stockholder in the company (which he didn’t do), his mom is one of his biggest supporters and helps to right the wrong.
This was a great read, and the second book in the series I have read ( I need to go back and read the 1st book now). I look forward to reading more by Stephanie Queen.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy through Hidden Gems ARCs for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Finn is a bit of a man whore bad boy but when a woman decides to take revenge on him for not sleeping with her, Finn is in danger of losing his job. On her first day of work Vivian volunteers to be Finn's fake fiance to help him out of his bind. Vivian is a great character because she is strong enough to put up with Finn's crap and still help him with his problem. The cast of characters around the rest of the story is fun and funny.
The author skipped over a couple of key issues in the story. For example, I really don't understand Finn's self hatred. I feel like that could have given the story a little more depth. I also thought that the lack of contact between Vivian and Finn during a big part of the story meant that they didn't have a chance to really get to know each other.
Overall the story made me smile and that's important in this sort of contemporary romance. I recommend this book to anyone that likes contemporary hockey theme love stories. If you like a story where the bad guy gets what's coming to them (I don't think that's a spoiler) then you might like this book.
Book 3: I liked this book enough to want to know how it ended. There were parts where I felt like it dragged a bit but I do love the fake engagement trope. It all happened to easy though and too quickly. I also didn’t like that she needed a makeover and new wardrobe for him to find her appealing. I did enjoy their chemistry and build up to love. The story could have been written a little better - there were moments that didn’t matter and then all of a sudden something would happen without a good segue. Overall, I enjoyed the book but would not read it again.
I received a free copy of the book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Finn has a reputation as a womanizer. When he turns down the wrong woman, he finds himself having to fake not just a relationship but an engagement to keep from getting traded. Vivvie is not what he expected and finds his past coming back to haunt him. These two have some serious chemistry. Can they outplay the spurned woman or will their game catch up with them. The story kept my attention til the end.
There are some stressors that can be triggered. Taking about past tribulations.
Vivvie and Finn, are brought together under, unusual circumstances. The funny thing is it’s, Vivvie’s first day at work with, the Boston Brawlers Hockey Team, as an intern. She will be working under, Mary Delaney, ‘Ballbuster’ in, the PR department.
Her first level ten, fire alarm case, ‘How to steer the heat off, Finn the goaltender, and all around, F-boy?’ When Finn shows up in, Mary’s office he doesn't know, how big the trouble, has gotten. He just thought, she told her husband he made a pass, which he didn't, and it was over. Especially, with everyone watching.
But, Sherry, and her, husband are good friends with, the owner. So, they are talking about, trading him. Now, when they are so close, to a Stanley Cup win. So, Mary needs a, PR win, to clean up his image. Vivvie, who, Finn didn't even realize, was in the room, pipes in. Fake fiance. When Finn, couldn't think of one woman, that would help him, Vivvie volunteers.
Of course, she doesn't tell, Mary she's fangirling over, Finn. This has, to be orchestrated just right with the, right back story, or it could all come, tumbling down. Sherry is a woman who knows what she wants and, is not afraid, to go after, it even if she has, to take people down, to get it. When Finn, is blunt with her about her being, too old it hurt her ego. So, he had to pay.
What is more interesting, is once she finds out he, is engaged. It is like she is vetting, his fiance. So, it is a good thing, Mary went, to great lengths, to think of all avenues, and all bios for, Vivvie. Because the woman is vicious. She is coming out after, Vivvie, full throttle. It was a good thing, Finn had the likes of, his mama in town. It took a like-minded woman, to beat, Sherry at her own game.
I like having the naive girl, and the nonchalant f-boy. You start, to see she's a little bit naughty, and he’s all, too nice, enough to melt you. Mary is, a trip. Put her together with, Caro, oh boy!