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Portland Icehawks #1
Rebounding
Meet the newest expansion team--The Portland Icehawks. They're a group of guys with chips on their shoulders out to make their former teams regret letting them go. They won't stop until they win it all, but what they haven't counted on is love being part of that equation.
As a thirty-five-year-old hockey player, I've learned a hard lesson in loyalty. I was supposed to be a lifer for the Chicago Tigers, but the team left me out in the cold, choosing to protect younger players in the expansion draft. The next thing I know, I'm in a strange city with a fledgling team, and my estranged wife has served me with divorce papers. Not the best way to start a new chapter in my career.
As the team struggles to find its identity and win games, I struggle with my role as team captain, proving I'm not too old to play at a high level, and getting beyond my failed marriage. All this is complicated by an undeniable attraction to the owner's granddaughter. As the team racks up the losses, I seek solace with the one woman whose very presence could destroy what's left of my career.
Sometimes love is comfortable and subtle. Other times it hits you with the force of a puck to the jaw. I've never experienced the latter until now, and I can't stay away regardless of the consequences.
As a thirty-five-year-old hockey player, I've learned a hard lesson in loyalty. I was supposed to be a lifer for the Chicago Tigers, but the team left me out in the cold, choosing to protect younger players in the expansion draft. The next thing I know, I'm in a strange city with a fledgling team, and my estranged wife has served me with divorce papers. Not the best way to start a new chapter in my career.
As the team struggles to find its identity and win games, I struggle with my role as team captain, proving I'm not too old to play at a high level, and getting beyond my failed marriage. All this is complicated by an undeniable attraction to the owner's granddaughter. As the team racks up the losses, I seek solace with the one woman whose very presence could destroy what's left of my career.
Sometimes love is comfortable and subtle. Other times it hits you with the force of a puck to the jaw. I've never experienced the latter until now, and I can't stay away regardless of the consequences.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2022
211 people are currently reading
1556 people want to read
About the author
Jami Davenport
99 books1,171 followersSubscribe to my newsletter to receive a free novel and be notified of new releases, special sales, and contests: https://geni.us/JamiDavenportNews
USA Today bestselling author Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary, new adult, and sports romances, including Gone Missing, Seattle Sockeyes, and The Scoring Series.
Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Army Ranger-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland drool monster, and a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat.
Jami worked in IT for years and is also a former high school business teacher but recently achieved a life-long dream of being a full-time author. A horse lover since birth, Jami showed dressage horses for over thirty years. Now she gardens and goes glamping, along with other travelling adventures. She's a lifetime Seahawks and Mariners fan, and has season tickets to the Seattle Kraken hockey team. She still misses her SuperSonics.
An avid boater, Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting in her books. In her opinion, it's the most beautiful place on earth.
USA Today bestselling author Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary, new adult, and sports romances, including Gone Missing, Seattle Sockeyes, and The Scoring Series.
Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Army Ranger-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland drool monster, and a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat.
Jami worked in IT for years and is also a former high school business teacher but recently achieved a life-long dream of being a full-time author. A horse lover since birth, Jami showed dressage horses for over thirty years. Now she gardens and goes glamping, along with other travelling adventures. She's a lifetime Seahawks and Mariners fan, and has season tickets to the Seattle Kraken hockey team. She still misses her SuperSonics.
An avid boater, Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting in her books. In her opinion, it's the most beautiful place on earth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
May 7, 2024
Rebounding is the first book in a new hockey series by Jami Davenport.
I've really enjoyed to read it, the author perfectly explained all the hardles of starting a new hockey team, in a new town, and with players that have never played together keeping it real, without becoming boring or loosing the thread of the history.
Dash was chosen at the expansion draft for the Portland Icehawks, he is not too happy to go play for a new hockey team at his age, but this is one of the rules of the sport he plays. Everly is the owner's granddaughter, she has to prove at her family to be reliable working at the coffee shop at the Icehawks practice facility in order to get her trust fund. They meet at the coffee shop and they begin a nice friendship, but when their feelings become deeper are they willing to put their futures at risk?
Everly and Dash weren't looking for a releationship but they instantly feel connected, they like to talk about coffee and to be there when the other has a problem, and their attraction is so strong they can't stay away from each other for too long.
I'm in love with this couple and I didn't want the book to end but I've read it too quickly, and now I'm so tempted to make a reread.
December 22, 2025
I really tried but it was just so boring. Like I was literally bored to tears. I like books that I can get lost in and this one just felt like reading a really bad script. Honestly the only reason I didn’t DNF this was because of my reading challenge and I need to finish more books to be honest, but it was a real struggle to even finish.
March 4, 2023
DNF Struggle Bus
I tried so hard to finish this book. I really did. But I just couldn't.
This is the definition of fast fiction. A decent plot, and the beginnings of interesting characters, but the process is so rushed that there isn't time or effort given to fleshing it all out.
Without the chapter titles and a few differences in word choices, Dash and Evelyn's voices are indistinguishable. They're both very bland, stock characters with a lack of true personality. He's a Captain American, golden boy, and she's your typical sweet, passive klutz.
The book is riddled with simple grammatical errors, passive voice, and so much telling. The descriptions and idioms are basic and overused. The whole thing is just missing that magic spark. It's sooooo frustrating! Because it has such potential to be good! But it just isn't.
The worst part is I'm super intrigued by the prospect of Briggs and Michella, but with the lackluster storytelling and prose, I won't torture myself.
The best part is the hockey and attention to detail when it comes to expansion teams. But the story is also bogged down by the repetitive narration in regards to the struggles of the team. We don't need to be told a thousand times they are having a hard time gelling as a new team. Just show us, and show us the progress being made.
I'm shocked to see this isn't Jami Davenport's first book. Or even her tenth. She has 61 titles! Which brings me back to my point that this is just fast fiction. There's no polish, no heart, no personality. It's just meh.
I tried so hard to finish this book. I really did. But I just couldn't.
This is the definition of fast fiction. A decent plot, and the beginnings of interesting characters, but the process is so rushed that there isn't time or effort given to fleshing it all out.
Without the chapter titles and a few differences in word choices, Dash and Evelyn's voices are indistinguishable. They're both very bland, stock characters with a lack of true personality. He's a Captain American, golden boy, and she's your typical sweet, passive klutz.
The book is riddled with simple grammatical errors, passive voice, and so much telling. The descriptions and idioms are basic and overused. The whole thing is just missing that magic spark. It's sooooo frustrating! Because it has such potential to be good! But it just isn't.
The worst part is I'm super intrigued by the prospect of Briggs and Michella, but with the lackluster storytelling and prose, I won't torture myself.
The best part is the hockey and attention to detail when it comes to expansion teams. But the story is also bogged down by the repetitive narration in regards to the struggles of the team. We don't need to be told a thousand times they are having a hard time gelling as a new team. Just show us, and show us the progress being made.
I'm shocked to see this isn't Jami Davenport's first book. Or even her tenth. She has 61 titles! Which brings me back to my point that this is just fast fiction. There's no polish, no heart, no personality. It's just meh.
June 21, 2022
This is the first book in the new hockey franchise of the Portland Icehawks. To say most of these players were upset to be taken away from their teams that many had played for years is an understatement. When any new team starts from scratch there are a lot of bumps to go through. The team made Dash the captain as he had been on his team in Chicago. Of course you always have at least one troublemaker which is Briggs on their team. Dash was going through a lot himself, but he was a good person and wanted to help all the guys and give them guidance. It was interesting reading about a startup hockey team. Then there was Everly. I loved her and all her quirkiness. Her grandfather and father I was not too crazy about. Even though she was almost thirty, I couldn’t believe how they told her what to do. They may have been the richest people in Portland, but they sure didn’t have a lot of compassion for Everly. I was so glad to see her make something of the coffee shop that only the team and workers had access to. I think Everly and Dash formed a good friendship over their love of coffee. Her controlling grandfather explicitly told her she could not get involved with a player. I loved Dash and Everly together and how they helped each other. I loved the book and strongly encourage you to read it. I was given a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.
March 23, 2023
I grabbed this as a quick, fun read and didn't expect any huge or complex pieces. The team building added an interesting aspect to the story and it was nice seeing the characters working together to overcome their feelings regarding their sudden move.
Other than a surprising number of grammatical errors (tense issues, using "a" instead of "an") I didn't notice anything huge. It was extra wordy in areas so honestly even though it wasn't super long at 267 pages, it definitely could have been shorter.
I'm not a fan how the author uses language sometimes. When she writes general sections she'll still use words like fam and sibs or she'll write something like, "The team had practiced at the arena this a.m." instead of just saying morning.
I don't know anything about the drafting process for sports, but I would hope your agent and/or team would tell you before the draft actually happens that you were traded. The part at the beginning where he just gets over no one telling him he was even up for trade didn't add much to the story. I also was a bit surprised that he had nothing to say about his wife cheating on him with a team mate.
When going over the business plan to sell the special coffee blends Dash tells Everly she's doing a great job with the shop and building her customer base. The shop is in the team-only section of the arena. Unless the players/personnel bring in their own coffee on their way in or on break, where else are they supposed to go? What kind of base is she actually building with a captive audience? It isn't like she is attracting in crowds of loyal customers off the street.
I didn't like her family jumping on her coffee idea after she was successful. She already had the funding and the blend was selling out faster than they could produce, it would have been nice to have her stick to her guns and decline her family's involvement. The sex in the locker room was also an odd choice - he forgot his key and they "couldn't wait"?
I love a good change of heart and families/characters working things out, but her whole family doing a complete 180 over a family dinner when they haven't listened to anything for years was crazy.
Other than a surprising number of grammatical errors (tense issues, using "a" instead of "an") I didn't notice anything huge. It was extra wordy in areas so honestly even though it wasn't super long at 267 pages, it definitely could have been shorter.
I'm not a fan how the author uses language sometimes. When she writes general sections she'll still use words like fam and sibs or she'll write something like, "The team had practiced at the arena this a.m." instead of just saying morning.
I don't know anything about the drafting process for sports, but I would hope your agent and/or team would tell you before the draft actually happens that you were traded. The part at the beginning where he just gets over no one telling him he was even up for trade didn't add much to the story. I also was a bit surprised that he had nothing to say about his wife cheating on him with a team mate.
When going over the business plan to sell the special coffee blends Dash tells Everly she's doing a great job with the shop and building her customer base. The shop is in the team-only section of the arena. Unless the players/personnel bring in their own coffee on their way in or on break, where else are they supposed to go? What kind of base is she actually building with a captive audience? It isn't like she is attracting in crowds of loyal customers off the street.
I didn't like her family jumping on her coffee idea after she was successful. She already had the funding and the blend was selling out faster than they could produce, it would have been nice to have her stick to her guns and decline her family's involvement. The sex in the locker room was also an odd choice - he forgot his key and they "couldn't wait"?
I love a good change of heart and families/characters working things out, but her whole family doing a complete 180 over a family dinner when they haven't listened to anything for years was crazy.
June 22, 2022
What a great start to Jami Davenport’s newest hockey series, “Portland Icehawks”. “Rebounding” is a fun and flirty romance that brought all the emotions of starting over in your career and in life.
The Icehawks are the NHL’s newest expansion team. Dash has just been traded in the expansion draft from his current team in Chicago. Trades are apart of the hockey life and while he was expecting his wife to come, she drops the bomb that she wants a divorce. When Dash meets Everly, she’s a breath of fresh air for him. She’s fun, knows her coffee and loves to help others. But a small problem, she’s the owner’s granddaughter.
I loved that we have a whole new series about an expansion team. Reading about them being built up from the basics and working on being a team. Dash is absolutely delicious and I loved him right from the start. He’s 35 which can be old for a hockey player but he still has a lot to give. Even if he didn’t want to be traded, he made the best of the situation. An instant leader for the new team. Everly’s spirit and caring personality was perfect. The unofficial black sheep of her family, she wanted to help others first. These two had a sweet and fun meet cute which put a big smile on my face. We get tidbits of the rest of the players and I can’t wait for their stories.
The Icehawks are the NHL’s newest expansion team. Dash has just been traded in the expansion draft from his current team in Chicago. Trades are apart of the hockey life and while he was expecting his wife to come, she drops the bomb that she wants a divorce. When Dash meets Everly, she’s a breath of fresh air for him. She’s fun, knows her coffee and loves to help others. But a small problem, she’s the owner’s granddaughter.
I loved that we have a whole new series about an expansion team. Reading about them being built up from the basics and working on being a team. Dash is absolutely delicious and I loved him right from the start. He’s 35 which can be old for a hockey player but he still has a lot to give. Even if he didn’t want to be traded, he made the best of the situation. An instant leader for the new team. Everly’s spirit and caring personality was perfect. The unofficial black sheep of her family, she wanted to help others first. These two had a sweet and fun meet cute which put a big smile on my face. We get tidbits of the rest of the players and I can’t wait for their stories.
June 23, 2022
What a fantastic start to the new Portland Icehawks Series and if Dash and Everly’s story is anything to go by Jami Davenport will certainly have another hit series on her hands !!!
No one on the team is happy being traded to Portland and right from the start this team is bumping heads as they try to gel in ultra quick time. Dash is the man the team has put their faith in to lead and help with the bonding for the difficult season ahead. Putting his broken marriage behind him, moving to a new town the last thing on his mind is a new relationship but love sometimes happens when we least expect it and he certainly wasn’t expecting Everly to come bouncing into his life.
Everly is trying to make a life without her families input but everything she try’s seems to fail and she has been offered one last lifeline by them by running the coffee shop at the Portland Icehawks, the team her family own. She will get her trust fund to do with as she likes as long as she makes a success of the business and stay away from the players. What she didn’t expect was for Dash to come crashing into her life so can this couple overcome her families rules and regulations, will Dash find himself traded before he gets a chance and will love win in the end. One click to find out.
This book was not only a joy to read it has also opened the door for some wonderful stories from the rest of Dash’s teammates on the new Portland Icehawks expansion team. I loved everything about this couple and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this teams journeys work out. A perfect start to a new series with plenty of love and just the right amount of drama. I highly recommend Rebounding to all sports romance lovers.
No one on the team is happy being traded to Portland and right from the start this team is bumping heads as they try to gel in ultra quick time. Dash is the man the team has put their faith in to lead and help with the bonding for the difficult season ahead. Putting his broken marriage behind him, moving to a new town the last thing on his mind is a new relationship but love sometimes happens when we least expect it and he certainly wasn’t expecting Everly to come bouncing into his life.
Everly is trying to make a life without her families input but everything she try’s seems to fail and she has been offered one last lifeline by them by running the coffee shop at the Portland Icehawks, the team her family own. She will get her trust fund to do with as she likes as long as she makes a success of the business and stay away from the players. What she didn’t expect was for Dash to come crashing into her life so can this couple overcome her families rules and regulations, will Dash find himself traded before he gets a chance and will love win in the end. One click to find out.
This book was not only a joy to read it has also opened the door for some wonderful stories from the rest of Dash’s teammates on the new Portland Icehawks expansion team. I loved everything about this couple and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this teams journeys work out. A perfect start to a new series with plenty of love and just the right amount of drama. I highly recommend Rebounding to all sports romance lovers.
June 23, 2022
This is the first book in a brand new series about a new team and by new team I mean one just starting out. Its a bunch of misfit hockey players in Portland, Oregon who end up on the same hockey team.
This first book stars Dash, who is a divorced long time player who is the first Captain of the team. He is really great guy and when he meets Everly who runs the team coffee shop well lets say the attraction is mutual.
However, Everly is the granddaughter of the teams owner and she is the black sheep of her family. Among the stars in her family she is the misfit. When she needs a job, her family lets her run a team owned coffee shop but they make her swear to never get involved with a coach or hockey player. So when she meets Dash and likes him so much, they can never be more than friends.
This story centers on a very forbidden romance between Dash and Everly. Both Everly and Dash were awesome characters with huge hearts who life has not been kind to. I loved watching them become friends and be supportive of each other despite their forbidden romance.
This is really great start to a new hockey series and its really different than the multitude of hockey romances out there. I loved the story because it was so different and I loved Everly and Dash and was rooting for them throughout the book.
I received a complimentary early release copy of this e-book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This first book stars Dash, who is a divorced long time player who is the first Captain of the team. He is really great guy and when he meets Everly who runs the team coffee shop well lets say the attraction is mutual.
However, Everly is the granddaughter of the teams owner and she is the black sheep of her family. Among the stars in her family she is the misfit. When she needs a job, her family lets her run a team owned coffee shop but they make her swear to never get involved with a coach or hockey player. So when she meets Dash and likes him so much, they can never be more than friends.
This story centers on a very forbidden romance between Dash and Everly. Both Everly and Dash were awesome characters with huge hearts who life has not been kind to. I loved watching them become friends and be supportive of each other despite their forbidden romance.
This is really great start to a new hockey series and its really different than the multitude of hockey romances out there. I loved the story because it was so different and I loved Everly and Dash and was rooting for them throughout the book.
I received a complimentary early release copy of this e-book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 22, 2022
Being traded to the brand new expansion team, The Portland Icehawks at 35 was a shock. Dash Bates had played in Chicago his entire career. Even more of a shock was his wife of 10 years announcing that she wasn’t going with him and wanted a divorce. He’d had his suspicions that she was having an affair, but the real shock was that it was with his linemate and best friend!
So, yeah he’d go to Portland! Like he had a choice?
But, it just might be the best thing that ever happened to him!
This is the first book in the Portland Icehawks series by Jami Davenport and its a great opening shot! Filled with heat, steamy live scenes, lots of hockey action, and an abundance of new book boyfriends!
Definitely deserving of the five stars I’m giving it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A ONE CLICK
FOR SURE!
So, yeah he’d go to Portland! Like he had a choice?
But, it just might be the best thing that ever happened to him!
This is the first book in the Portland Icehawks series by Jami Davenport and its a great opening shot! Filled with heat, steamy live scenes, lots of hockey action, and an abundance of new book boyfriends!
Definitely deserving of the five stars I’m giving it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A ONE CLICK
FOR SURE!
June 23, 2022
This story is a great start to a new series! Hot hockey guy Dash, and then you have Everly, the black sheep of her family who can't seem to do anything good enough for her family. I enjoyed their story so much! 5 hot hockey stars for this one!
Dash was left unprotected in the expansion draft, and picked up by the new team, the Portland Icehawks, and he's not happy about it. He played his whole career with Chicago and he can't believe they just left him out to dry. New city, new teammates doesn't make for a fun time, until he meets Everly on draft day. There is just something about her that attracts him to her, and he wants to find out more about her.
Everly has always been the disappointment in her family. She just wants her inheritance so she can do what she truly wants to do, but her family doesn't believe in her. When she meets Dash, she's instantly attracted to him, but her grandfather and father put restrictions on her working in the team coffee store, so she has to keep her distance from him, but will they be able to do that?
Loved this new story in the new series, and I can't wait to learn more about the other players on the team!
Dash was left unprotected in the expansion draft, and picked up by the new team, the Portland Icehawks, and he's not happy about it. He played his whole career with Chicago and he can't believe they just left him out to dry. New city, new teammates doesn't make for a fun time, until he meets Everly on draft day. There is just something about her that attracts him to her, and he wants to find out more about her.
Everly has always been the disappointment in her family. She just wants her inheritance so she can do what she truly wants to do, but her family doesn't believe in her. When she meets Dash, she's instantly attracted to him, but her grandfather and father put restrictions on her working in the team coffee store, so she has to keep her distance from him, but will they be able to do that?
Loved this new story in the new series, and I can't wait to learn more about the other players on the team!
June 22, 2022
4 1/2 STARS!
Heartfelt and addictive! A brand new hockey franchise is hitting the streets with the kick off of the Portland Icehawks series from Jami Davenport and it did not disappoint! The main characters are sincere and really easy to like, and the reveal of the team makes for a drama filled set up to the series. I loved Dash and Everly, but felt like the ending was really abrupt. I'm looking forward to more to come in the series!
Dashel is picking up the pieces of the life he left behind in Chicago and never expects an instant connection to a new acquaintance as soon as he hits Portland.
Everly is the misfit of the family and trying her best to turn over a new leaf ... but falling for a player after knowing the ground rules isn't exactly getting off to a great start.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a hockey romance with sweet and sexy romance as the backdrop as teammates bring the drama around every corner.
Heartfelt and addictive! A brand new hockey franchise is hitting the streets with the kick off of the Portland Icehawks series from Jami Davenport and it did not disappoint! The main characters are sincere and really easy to like, and the reveal of the team makes for a drama filled set up to the series. I loved Dash and Everly, but felt like the ending was really abrupt. I'm looking forward to more to come in the series!
Dashel is picking up the pieces of the life he left behind in Chicago and never expects an instant connection to a new acquaintance as soon as he hits Portland.
Everly is the misfit of the family and trying her best to turn over a new leaf ... but falling for a player after knowing the ground rules isn't exactly getting off to a great start.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a hockey romance with sweet and sexy romance as the backdrop as teammates bring the drama around every corner.
June 24, 2022
4.5 Rebounding Stars🌟
Rebounding is the first book in a new series by Jami and it really was very intriguing🤩 Dash is snapped up by a newly minted team for Portland and finds himself leaving the only team he’s ever played for in Chicago. Suffice to say he feels as though he needs a fresh start and meets Everly…aka the Hot Mess😉
Everly is low key and low maintenance but she feels as though bad luck follows her everywhere. When she meets Dash and they both realise they love coffee as much as the other…they agree to be friends however both realise soon thereafter that their chemistry might get them in trouble😢
I really enjoyed the new dynamics and I really want to get to know more about this new team❣️I received an advanced copy and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️
Rebounding is the first book in a new series by Jami and it really was very intriguing🤩 Dash is snapped up by a newly minted team for Portland and finds himself leaving the only team he’s ever played for in Chicago. Suffice to say he feels as though he needs a fresh start and meets Everly…aka the Hot Mess😉
Everly is low key and low maintenance but she feels as though bad luck follows her everywhere. When she meets Dash and they both realise they love coffee as much as the other…they agree to be friends however both realise soon thereafter that their chemistry might get them in trouble😢
I really enjoyed the new dynamics and I really want to get to know more about this new team❣️I received an advanced copy and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️
June 23, 2022
Dash finds himself facing an uncertain future as not only did the team he gave his heart and soul to leave him unprotected, but he found out his wife had betrayed him as well. He heads to Portland looking for a fresh start, but Everly was a surprise he wasn’t expecting.
Everly has always felt like an outsider when it comes to her family, and she is well aware of dictate of her grandfather that she keeps her distance from the hockey players on the team he owns and that includes Dash.
Dash and Everly are perfect for each other despite the challenges they have to face as they take us on a journey filled with humor, romance and all the feels.
Everly has always felt like an outsider when it comes to her family, and she is well aware of dictate of her grandfather that she keeps her distance from the hockey players on the team he owns and that includes Dash.
Dash and Everly are perfect for each other despite the challenges they have to face as they take us on a journey filled with humor, romance and all the feels.
June 22, 2022
Wow! What a great new Hockey series! Portland Icehawks is going to be a great series! I loved Dash and Everly’s story! Dash was starting on a new expansion team trying to mesh with the other players. Evenly is the misfit of her family. They put her in charge of the coffee shop in the Icehawks arena. Falling for a player was a no no. As soon as Dash and Everly met they were instantly attracted to each other. What started out as a friendship turned into so much more. They tried to resist until they couldn’t. How were they going to handle their relationship? Rebounding is a fantastic Hockey romance! It was well written, fun, story with witty banter, family drama, romance, emotions and love. I loved it and so look forward to reading more Icehawks stories!
June 22, 2022
Sweetness drowning in spice. Rebounding bring the senses to life. Davenport turns love on it's axis with an intensity that is hard to resist. From emotional turbulence to instant attraction, Everly and Dash are an explosion that rocks the foundations of the soul.
June 30, 2022
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's a good thing Rebounding is an easy read because I hated to have to put it down. I never knew just what way events were going to turn. Jami had me going through multiple scenarios until the last two chapters. They say home is where the heart is, but what if your heart is in two places...with the job you love and that chase for The Stanley Cup or the girl who stole the rest of your heart. When team captain, Dash, meets the Icehawks barista and family screwup, Everly, their attraction to each other is instantaneous. Their growing friendship needs to stay just that. As their will power weaken their actions could risk not only her job and trust fund, but also his spot on the team.
It's a good thing Rebounding is an easy read because I hated to have to put it down. I never knew just what way events were going to turn. Jami had me going through multiple scenarios until the last two chapters. They say home is where the heart is, but what if your heart is in two places...with the job you love and that chase for The Stanley Cup or the girl who stole the rest of your heart. When team captain, Dash, meets the Icehawks barista and family screwup, Everly, their attraction to each other is instantaneous. Their growing friendship needs to stay just that. As their will power weaken their actions could risk not only her job and trust fund, but also his spot on the team.
July 7, 2022
Rebounding was the first book in the Portland Icehawks series by Jami Davenport.
The series was built around an NHL expansion team the drafted players that weren’t protected by their previous team. The city was supportive but the players were struggling.
Dashel “Dash” Bates was the veteran captain who thought he would be with Chicago his entire career. He was now starting a new chapter not only with a new team and a new city, but he was now newly divorced. At thirty seven, this was not where he thought he’d be right now.
Everly Barlowe was the granddaughter to the Portland Icehawks owner. She was a creative personality thrust into a business oriented family, the black sheep of the family. She ran the team coffee shop as a one man team with the hopes from her family that she won’t mess it up.
I enjoyed both Dash and Everly. I also enjoyed the mechanics of an expansion team, especially since we just had one in real life. This fictional team had a record similar to the real life team’s inaugural season but hopefully the dynamics were much better in real life. I enjoyed the storyline, although as a huge hockey fan, I must admit it was a bit depressing. As to the writing, I enjoyed the characters and the back story. Davenport also did a great job introducing the characters for the series. I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes us next, and hopefully we’ll get Briggs soon. In the meantime, Grady is up next in Defending.
The series was built around an NHL expansion team the drafted players that weren’t protected by their previous team. The city was supportive but the players were struggling.
Dashel “Dash” Bates was the veteran captain who thought he would be with Chicago his entire career. He was now starting a new chapter not only with a new team and a new city, but he was now newly divorced. At thirty seven, this was not where he thought he’d be right now.
Everly Barlowe was the granddaughter to the Portland Icehawks owner. She was a creative personality thrust into a business oriented family, the black sheep of the family. She ran the team coffee shop as a one man team with the hopes from her family that she won’t mess it up.
I enjoyed both Dash and Everly. I also enjoyed the mechanics of an expansion team, especially since we just had one in real life. This fictional team had a record similar to the real life team’s inaugural season but hopefully the dynamics were much better in real life. I enjoyed the storyline, although as a huge hockey fan, I must admit it was a bit depressing. As to the writing, I enjoyed the characters and the back story. Davenport also did a great job introducing the characters for the series. I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes us next, and hopefully we’ll get Briggs soon. In the meantime, Grady is up next in Defending.
June 25, 2022
The Portland Icehawks’ inaugural season kicks off in this first book. An entirely new cast of characters are introduced - hockey players, team owners, and their friends. This book is entertaining, both flirty fun and emotionally gritty.
Everly Barlowe is a 29 year old who hasn’t found herself yet. Her successful and powerful family see her as less than capable and expect her to fail at whatever she tries. The dynamic and dysfunction in this family is both sad and utterly frustrating. They annihilate her self confidence and pretty much tell her what she is going to do.
Dashes Bates’ world is rocked when he learns via a social media post that his NHL team isn’t going to protect him in the expansion draft and he will be drafted by the new Portland team. When he gets home his wife tells him she’s not going to Portland, she wants a divorce, and admits to an on-going affair with his best friend and teammate. Ouch!
These two wounded characters develop a platonic relationship over coffee. Everly is running the coffee bar at the Icehawks practice arena and Dash is looking for good coffee and to talk to someone. Both are surprised by their attraction to each other, and agree to resist their feelings. They both struggle with their decision to remain just friends…until they no longer have the willpower to resist.
The ramifications of their relationship becoming known to her family or his teammates are dire, so they attempt to keep their involvement a secret. These characters are put through an emotional rollercoaster due to the interference and meddling of others.
This first book in the series introduces several possible storylines and some mysteries about the backstory for several of the players, and Everly’s besties and siblings. This book isn’t a fluffy sports romance - the storyline has substance and the characters have the opportunity to develop.
I received a free ARC from the author and Elle Woods PR, and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.
Everly Barlowe is a 29 year old who hasn’t found herself yet. Her successful and powerful family see her as less than capable and expect her to fail at whatever she tries. The dynamic and dysfunction in this family is both sad and utterly frustrating. They annihilate her self confidence and pretty much tell her what she is going to do.
Dashes Bates’ world is rocked when he learns via a social media post that his NHL team isn’t going to protect him in the expansion draft and he will be drafted by the new Portland team. When he gets home his wife tells him she’s not going to Portland, she wants a divorce, and admits to an on-going affair with his best friend and teammate. Ouch!
These two wounded characters develop a platonic relationship over coffee. Everly is running the coffee bar at the Icehawks practice arena and Dash is looking for good coffee and to talk to someone. Both are surprised by their attraction to each other, and agree to resist their feelings. They both struggle with their decision to remain just friends…until they no longer have the willpower to resist.
The ramifications of their relationship becoming known to her family or his teammates are dire, so they attempt to keep their involvement a secret. These characters are put through an emotional rollercoaster due to the interference and meddling of others.
This first book in the series introduces several possible storylines and some mysteries about the backstory for several of the players, and Everly’s besties and siblings. This book isn’t a fluffy sports romance - the storyline has substance and the characters have the opportunity to develop.
I received a free ARC from the author and Elle Woods PR, and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.
June 27, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ Angsty hockey romance
I absolutely love everything hockey romance and Jamie provides another story to support my addiction.
Jamie is going for the long play in this new series with a start-up franchise. She is not making a rainbows and unicorns story for the new Portland hockey expansion team, the Ice Hawks. This team is going to have to fight for every win. The players drafted to the Ice Hawks struggle with feelings of being undesired by their last team, since they were left unprotected for draft. Jamie words give life to the emotional struggles of Dash adjusting to the new team and town, and how Everly became his place of solace. For Everly, her struggles to find her place in the world and acceptance by her family really struck a chord with me. Overall the realism of hockey story background and romance between Dash and Everly made this my favorite story by Jamie Davenport.
In Reboundung, Dash is on the older side for a hockey player, was captain for his last team and had felt his team finally has a chance to win the Cup. He was that dependable teammate that never made waves, led by example and worked hard at staying in top
form never thinking his team would let him be traded to the new expansion team, the Ice Hawks. Icing on the cake, his wife served him with divorce papers.
Everly was that child that never seemed to finish anything. Going from one project to another, always one step from disaster, or so her family thought. Her family is not just any family, they were rich and one of the original families of Portland. Now the proud owners of the expansion team, making the hometown dream come true. Her family was giving her ‘one last chance’ not screw up. She had to get this right to make her own dreams come true. Meeting Dash was putting everything at risk, violating the no fraternization policy.
Dash was always trying to do the right thing for the team and Everly. He realizes almost too late that this might not be possible.
I absolutely love everything hockey romance and Jamie provides another story to support my addiction.
Jamie is going for the long play in this new series with a start-up franchise. She is not making a rainbows and unicorns story for the new Portland hockey expansion team, the Ice Hawks. This team is going to have to fight for every win. The players drafted to the Ice Hawks struggle with feelings of being undesired by their last team, since they were left unprotected for draft. Jamie words give life to the emotional struggles of Dash adjusting to the new team and town, and how Everly became his place of solace. For Everly, her struggles to find her place in the world and acceptance by her family really struck a chord with me. Overall the realism of hockey story background and romance between Dash and Everly made this my favorite story by Jamie Davenport.
In Reboundung, Dash is on the older side for a hockey player, was captain for his last team and had felt his team finally has a chance to win the Cup. He was that dependable teammate that never made waves, led by example and worked hard at staying in top
form never thinking his team would let him be traded to the new expansion team, the Ice Hawks. Icing on the cake, his wife served him with divorce papers.
Everly was that child that never seemed to finish anything. Going from one project to another, always one step from disaster, or so her family thought. Her family is not just any family, they were rich and one of the original families of Portland. Now the proud owners of the expansion team, making the hometown dream come true. Her family was giving her ‘one last chance’ not screw up. She had to get this right to make her own dreams come true. Meeting Dash was putting everything at risk, violating the no fraternization policy.
Dash was always trying to do the right thing for the team and Everly. He realizes almost too late that this might not be possible.
June 27, 2022
I'm always happy when Jami Davenport starts a new series and this one looks to be a winner (although the team probably won't be...) When Dash is left unprotected by the Chicago Tigers after 13 years of playing for them, he is a tad disgruntled to be going to the Portland Icehawks. Hearing about it on social media doesn't make the situation any easier. But such is the NFL so off he goes to Portland. His wife, however, doesn't go with him.
Everly is the black sheep of her wealthy family-the one that owns the Icehawks. Not that she is a bad person, just a ditzy person who isn't laser focused on her career like everyone else in her family. Her latest lost job results in her being sucked into the Icehawks machine. At least she gets to work in the coffee shop which is something she does well at. It's also her last chance to prove she can manage a thriving business and access her trust fund to start an art gallery for street people.
Dash and Everly meet when she has a little snafu with his jersey at a presser and then again when she has a little mishap at the shop and two people sort of stranded by life form a friendship.
I liked the progression of the romance which has to go slow because of who they are and a rule that Everly can't fraternize or lose her trust. It makes the eventual love affair that much more satisfying.
I also liked that Ms. Davenport made it real about a bunch of pro hockey players being thrown together and struggling to find their groove. This is not the romance version of Miracle on Ice and that is reality. Some guys click with each other and some don't, some look for the bright side and some are just big bags of pissed off. It makes me anticipate future books to see where she will go with the different players.
Everly has a little more success with her career so all is not lost in this book. This is a great romance, two fun characters and a team of cranky hockey pros t0 look forward to reading about!
Everly is the black sheep of her wealthy family-the one that owns the Icehawks. Not that she is a bad person, just a ditzy person who isn't laser focused on her career like everyone else in her family. Her latest lost job results in her being sucked into the Icehawks machine. At least she gets to work in the coffee shop which is something she does well at. It's also her last chance to prove she can manage a thriving business and access her trust fund to start an art gallery for street people.
Dash and Everly meet when she has a little snafu with his jersey at a presser and then again when she has a little mishap at the shop and two people sort of stranded by life form a friendship.
I liked the progression of the romance which has to go slow because of who they are and a rule that Everly can't fraternize or lose her trust. It makes the eventual love affair that much more satisfying.
I also liked that Ms. Davenport made it real about a bunch of pro hockey players being thrown together and struggling to find their groove. This is not the romance version of Miracle on Ice and that is reality. Some guys click with each other and some don't, some look for the bright side and some are just big bags of pissed off. It makes me anticipate future books to see where she will go with the different players.
Everly has a little more success with her career so all is not lost in this book. This is a great romance, two fun characters and a team of cranky hockey pros t0 look forward to reading about!
June 23, 2022
Portland what do you mean I’m going to go play hockey for the Portland Icehawks? I’m suppose to be a Chicago Tigers player for life!!! That’s what ran through Dash Bates when he found out his team had left him wide open in the expansion draft. He figured play with them a year and then he and his wife could come back maybe. Yeah well the team wasn’t the only one who left him, his wife had filed for divorce as she was moving in with another man. A man that he thought was his best friend and teammate. So maybe Portland wouldn’t be so bad after all. Especially since he found the two best things possible, good coffee and a beautiful lady.
Everly Barlowe was different, she never imagined she would be placed in this situation in her life. If she wanted to receive her trust that would allow her to start her own charity for homeless people, she had to work for the family’s new project, an NHL hockey team. It couldn’t be that bad could it. Yup it was, her first job was a disaster so they decided she needed to be the sole person running the team coffee shop. There was just one major condition….she could not date or be involved with any of the players. If it happened she would lose it all.
There was no doubting the connection between Everly and Dash from the first moment they met. They tried to be just friends and help each other out but that didn’t work out so well. Now the question was going to be are they going to throw it all away or take the chance and hope that no one found out they were together.
This is a new series and it started off with a bang!! Its cute, its sexy, it has hockey, it has coffee so how can you lose out on reading it! Add it to your to be read list and you won’t be disappointed. Davenport has definitely written another winner. Can’t wait to see where this goes because there are some other connections that are happening.
June 28, 2022
Dash was supposed to end his professional hockey career with the only team he has ever played for, the Chicago Tigers, but they chose to protect younger players in the expansion draft. After learning he will be picked by the Portland Icehawks, Dash learns his wife wants a divorce and has been sleeping with his best friend on the Tigers. Everly is a hot mess who is a very loving, caring person with a big heart who wants to use her trust fund to help homeless people display their art. Everly's family gives her an ultimatum: she would be solely in charge of the hockey team's coffee shop and not date any of the hockey players on the team. If Everly breaks the rules, she risks losing her trust fund. Dash struggles with his role as captain as the team struggles to win games and gel together. Dash and Everly form a friendship and are each others sounding boards while they struggle with the white hot chemistry that sizzles between them. Dash and Everly give into their attraction with the intention of keeping their relationship secret until the season is over. Can Dash and Everly keep their relationship a secret? Who outs Everly and Dash to her family? Will Dash make the ultimate sacrifice for Everly? Will Everly finally stand up to her family and demand the respect she deserves? Will Everly's ideas for team coffee blends be a hit or a miss? I loved Rebounding by Jami Davenport! Dash and Everly are a great couple with scorching hot chemistry. I love Dash and Everly's friends and can't wait to learn more about them. I would definitely recommend getting Rebounding. I received an ARC copy of this book, and I am leaving my honest review.
June 23, 2022
I have fallen in love with my new fav hockey team, the misfits of the Portland Icehawks, and there was no better way to start this series than with the first Captain of the team 35-year-old Dash, Jam Davenport went straight to perfection when she paired him with Everly, she maybe the owners daughter but this story will be like no other you have read with this scenario because Everly is most definitely the misfit of the family but Dash sees something in her that they don't, but unfortunately for this pair, it is going to be a very ice chipped ring for them, even though the connection is really strong and the slow build heat played out brilliantly, both are having to prove themselves, both can do without the added the attraction and pull to each, but these two slightly broken people are perfect for each other.
What ia great introduction to the team, this is a really mixed bag of guys, from the moody to the happy to the downright distributive but already, this author has started to sew the invisible bonding thread that hopefully, over the series will see this time becoming the family that even though they don't know it they so desperately need.
What ia great introduction to the team, this is a really mixed bag of guys, from the moody to the happy to the downright distributive but already, this author has started to sew the invisible bonding thread that hopefully, over the series will see this time becoming the family that even though they don't know it they so desperately need.
June 29, 2022
After playing for years with Chicago Dash is traded to the new expansion team in Portland. He is the oldest guy on the team and is taunted for being washed up. He becomes Captain because of his skills as a leader. He is a pretty laid back kind of guy but knows how to get his point across.
In walks Everly, the owners granddaughter that has a series of bad luck stories and mishaps. She runs the coffee shop in the practice facility and begins having a thriving business with coffee and coffee bean blends named for the stars.
Dash and Everly hit it off but there are a few obstacles sitting in their way. The new team, her family and a few other things. In the end it all works out of course and Everly finally stands up to her family. Dash is willing to give her up so she can do good with her trust fund.
As always if you have read Jami's other books you will love this beginning to a new series. I cannot wait for the next one!
In walks Everly, the owners granddaughter that has a series of bad luck stories and mishaps. She runs the coffee shop in the practice facility and begins having a thriving business with coffee and coffee bean blends named for the stars.
Dash and Everly hit it off but there are a few obstacles sitting in their way. The new team, her family and a few other things. In the end it all works out of course and Everly finally stands up to her family. Dash is willing to give her up so she can do good with her trust fund.
As always if you have read Jami's other books you will love this beginning to a new series. I cannot wait for the next one!
June 25, 2022
Wow! First book in a new series and it was amazing.
Everly is the granddaughter of the Portland Icehawks' owner. She is pretty much the screw up of the family as nothing she does is ever right or good enough for them. When she meets Dash during the player introductions to the city she is smitten but she even screws that up. Dash can't get her out of his head but he knows he needs to focus on this team and building a foundation.
Can these two find a way to each other without losing everything?
Can't wait to read the next stories as they unfold. This isn't you typical all is great romance and new hockey team building. They have struggles they have issues but in the end will they work them all out?
Everly is the granddaughter of the Portland Icehawks' owner. She is pretty much the screw up of the family as nothing she does is ever right or good enough for them. When she meets Dash during the player introductions to the city she is smitten but she even screws that up. Dash can't get her out of his head but he knows he needs to focus on this team and building a foundation.
Can these two find a way to each other without losing everything?
Can't wait to read the next stories as they unfold. This isn't you typical all is great romance and new hockey team building. They have struggles they have issues but in the end will they work them all out?
June 26, 2022
What a great start to a new hockey series by Jami Davenport. Rebounding is about the new expansion team coming to Seattle and we get to meet the nicest of men in Dash Bates, not happy he was sent to Seattle but trying to make the best of it. When he walks into the coffee shop for the team he meets the klutzy but cute and sassy Everly Barlowe.
Everly is everything her family is not but she will always try to prove to them that she isn’t always a hot mess. She’s caring and loving of her friends and family but when she meets Dash she can’t help feel the pull he has on her and she’s willing to disappoint her family for her own happiness.
Dash and Everly maybe the first couple we meet in this new series but what a great start they are. I’m looking forward to more to come and see whose story is next.
Everly is everything her family is not but she will always try to prove to them that she isn’t always a hot mess. She’s caring and loving of her friends and family but when she meets Dash she can’t help feel the pull he has on her and she’s willing to disappoint her family for her own happiness.
Dash and Everly maybe the first couple we meet in this new series but what a great start they are. I’m looking forward to more to come and see whose story is next.
June 27, 2022
What do I love more than a Jami Davenport book? A new series written by Jami Davenport! Everly attracts bad luck so much that people call her klutzy. I hate the way her grandpa and dad treat her. She vows to show them that she is a Barlowe through and through no matter what. Joining a new team is hard especially when it is a brand new team altogether. Dash is determined to help the team become more cohesive. He wants to show everyone he really deserves the C on his sweater. Everly and Dash's relationship is not a good idea for both of their careers, but their chemistry cannot be denied. This is a more sweet and less angnsty story than most of the others that Jami has written. Looking forward to Brigg's story the most. I would love to know his whole story.
June 29, 2022
*I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review*
Meet the newest expansion team in hockey--The Portland Icehawks. They're a group of guys with chips on their shoulders out to make their former teams regret letting them go. They won't be stopped until they win it all. What they haven’t counted on is love being part of that equation.
Jami Davenport's Rebounding is a chance for Dash Bates who is a divorced aging hockey star and Everly Barlowe the klutzy granddaughter of the owner of the Portland Icehawks. This is such a refreshing book in that the characters decide to become friends and business partners to grow the team Coffee Shop and the sale of their specialized blends of coffee.
The characters are well developed, and the story plot is one that is not overly complex. If you are a fan of hockey romances or romances in general, then you will enjoy this book.
Meet the newest expansion team in hockey--The Portland Icehawks. They're a group of guys with chips on their shoulders out to make their former teams regret letting them go. They won't be stopped until they win it all. What they haven’t counted on is love being part of that equation.
Jami Davenport's Rebounding is a chance for Dash Bates who is a divorced aging hockey star and Everly Barlowe the klutzy granddaughter of the owner of the Portland Icehawks. This is such a refreshing book in that the characters decide to become friends and business partners to grow the team Coffee Shop and the sale of their specialized blends of coffee.
The characters are well developed, and the story plot is one that is not overly complex. If you are a fan of hockey romances or romances in general, then you will enjoy this book.
July 1, 2022
Skated to victory in this new hockey romance series
Everly, the family klutz, lives up to her reputation by handing Dash, the Portland Icehawk’s center, the wrong jersey at the expansion team announcement. As the story progresses the awkward encounters continue, their easiness with each other can confuse, and they may have to pay the piper when the time comes due. Jami Davenport skated to victory in this new hockey romance series. There is forbidden attraction, foreshadowing of books to come, and character tension on the team driving the plot of this introductory book. Leaving the reader wanting to dive right into the next one right away.
I received a free copy of the book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
Everly, the family klutz, lives up to her reputation by handing Dash, the Portland Icehawk’s center, the wrong jersey at the expansion team announcement. As the story progresses the awkward encounters continue, their easiness with each other can confuse, and they may have to pay the piper when the time comes due. Jami Davenport skated to victory in this new hockey romance series. There is forbidden attraction, foreshadowing of books to come, and character tension on the team driving the plot of this introductory book. Leaving the reader wanting to dive right into the next one right away.
I received a free copy of the book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
June 26, 2022
Another outstanding read in this new series of Jami Davenport. Dash is drafted to the new expansion team in Portland. He’s played his entire career in Chicago. Not only is he on a team of players who do not want to be there but his wife of 10 years has asked him for a divorce. Everly is the granddaughter of the team’s owner who is the black sheep of the family. They have put her in charge of the coffee shop in the training facility. And Rule Number One no fraternizing with the staff or players in order to receive her trust fund. I’ve read most of Jami’s books and loved every one of them. Can’t wait for her next one.
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