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Savannah Heat #11
Théo: A Crack in the Ice
I never knew a person could hurt so much.
My wife died, and my little girl needed me. I did the only thing I could. I retired early from the Los Angeles NHL team. L.A. is where I'd met my wife, where my daughter was born, and where my career ended.
Sarah died a year ago, and my house was full of haunting memories. My mother-in-law is becoming a problem. She never approved of the way Sarah and I were raising our daughter. Cicely and I had more heated arguments than civil conversations.
I was just going through the motions with the rest of my life, well, except with Rosie. She was the light in my world. I had no regrets about retiring to take care of her full-time. I was tired of L.A. and how everybody stepped on each other to get ahead. I didn't want Rosalie, my beautiful three-year-old little girl, to grow up here. We needed a fresh start. But I hadn’t figured out how to move on.
Then my old friend, Jakob Baumgartner from the Savanah Heat, called. We grew up together, playing in the same hockey clubs in Europe. We'd become close friends and had always stayed in touch. He was at Sarah's funeral. One of the few people who actually cared about her and about Rosie and me. He didn't come because he felt obligated or because he wanted to be seen by the cameras that robbed us of our privacy.
Since then, he called me religiously to make sure Rosie and I were okay. I could talk to him about anything. I knew he'd never judge me. Then he called with a solution. A solution I didn’t know if I was ready for.
The Heat needed a center because their captain had retired at the last minute. Their GM had a family emergency and wouldn’t be coming back. Jude, their captain, was offered the job. He was at that age when most hockey players retired. He was Jakob’s brother-in-law and my buddy said that Jude wanted to stay closer to his family. Not as much traveling and a chance to shape the future of the team. Great opportunity. Jakob talked to the team owner, Jude, the new GM, and their coach, and he told me they wanted me to play for them. They agreed to let Jakob talk to me first. I’d have a one year contract and could decide at the end of the season if it was working out for me and if I wanted to stay. I had two days to decide. It was only three weeks before the preseason started and a lot would have to happen to get me into playing shape. Thank God I’d stuck to my workout and running routine. Kept me sane when I felt like everything was hopeless. I’d also have to move across the country with a toddler.
Did I even want to play again? The wave of emotions rolling through me were complicated, but the chance to make a fresh start was what we needed.
I told him I'd do it if he could help me find an amazing nanny. I wouldn't leave Rosie with just anyone. He told me he already had that covered.
Sneaky bastard. He'd set me up anticipating any excuses I might come up with and then found a solution.
I felt like I was on the precipice of something life-changing and once I made the choice, I wouldn't be able to turn back. In the end, it was a simple decision. I wanted more for Rosie and me.
Bring it, Savannah!
My wife died, and my little girl needed me. I did the only thing I could. I retired early from the Los Angeles NHL team. L.A. is where I'd met my wife, where my daughter was born, and where my career ended.
Sarah died a year ago, and my house was full of haunting memories. My mother-in-law is becoming a problem. She never approved of the way Sarah and I were raising our daughter. Cicely and I had more heated arguments than civil conversations.
I was just going through the motions with the rest of my life, well, except with Rosie. She was the light in my world. I had no regrets about retiring to take care of her full-time. I was tired of L.A. and how everybody stepped on each other to get ahead. I didn't want Rosalie, my beautiful three-year-old little girl, to grow up here. We needed a fresh start. But I hadn’t figured out how to move on.
Then my old friend, Jakob Baumgartner from the Savanah Heat, called. We grew up together, playing in the same hockey clubs in Europe. We'd become close friends and had always stayed in touch. He was at Sarah's funeral. One of the few people who actually cared about her and about Rosie and me. He didn't come because he felt obligated or because he wanted to be seen by the cameras that robbed us of our privacy.
Since then, he called me religiously to make sure Rosie and I were okay. I could talk to him about anything. I knew he'd never judge me. Then he called with a solution. A solution I didn’t know if I was ready for.
The Heat needed a center because their captain had retired at the last minute. Their GM had a family emergency and wouldn’t be coming back. Jude, their captain, was offered the job. He was at that age when most hockey players retired. He was Jakob’s brother-in-law and my buddy said that Jude wanted to stay closer to his family. Not as much traveling and a chance to shape the future of the team. Great opportunity. Jakob talked to the team owner, Jude, the new GM, and their coach, and he told me they wanted me to play for them. They agreed to let Jakob talk to me first. I’d have a one year contract and could decide at the end of the season if it was working out for me and if I wanted to stay. I had two days to decide. It was only three weeks before the preseason started and a lot would have to happen to get me into playing shape. Thank God I’d stuck to my workout and running routine. Kept me sane when I felt like everything was hopeless. I’d also have to move across the country with a toddler.
Did I even want to play again? The wave of emotions rolling through me were complicated, but the chance to make a fresh start was what we needed.
I told him I'd do it if he could help me find an amazing nanny. I wouldn't leave Rosie with just anyone. He told me he already had that covered.
Sneaky bastard. He'd set me up anticipating any excuses I might come up with and then found a solution.
I felt like I was on the precipice of something life-changing and once I made the choice, I wouldn't be able to turn back. In the end, it was a simple decision. I wanted more for Rosie and me.
Bring it, Savannah!
611 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2022
30 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Jessica McBrayer
41 books96 followersJessica McBrayer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. She enjoys reading voraciously as well as writing and is often daydreaming about her next book. A die-hard San Jose Sharks fan, you can find her during hockey season wearing her favorite player’s name on the back of her jersey and yelling at the TV. She never wants to find out what the world would be like without hockey in it.
You can connect with Jessica by emailing jessica@jessicamcbrayer.com
***Join Jessica's Bookinistas Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/56862...
*Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessica.mcbrayer *
*Follow Jessica on Facebook @JessicaMcBrayerAuthor *
Be sure to visit www.jessicamcbrayer.com for info on new releases, bonus material and inside information on characters from Jessica’s books.
Don’t miss Jessica’s next book, Jude Sweet Fire - the first book in her new series, Savannah Heat, a hockey romance series chock-full of hunky men, the women that steal their hearts, and all the best feels.
You can connect with Jessica by emailing jessica@jessicamcbrayer.com
***Join Jessica's Bookinistas Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/56862...
*Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessica.mcbrayer *
*Follow Jessica on Facebook @JessicaMcBrayerAuthor *
Be sure to visit www.jessicamcbrayer.com for info on new releases, bonus material and inside information on characters from Jessica’s books.
Don’t miss Jessica’s next book, Jude Sweet Fire - the first book in her new series, Savannah Heat, a hockey romance series chock-full of hunky men, the women that steal their hearts, and all the best feels.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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December 23, 2025I read about 30 pages before deciding to read book 10 and then came back to this two days later.
Did you know Newark’s Branch Brook Park has the largest collection of cherry blossom trees than any other place in the United States?” - 'than any other place' is not necessary and does not make sense. Simply '...in the United States' is sufficient.
By page 22, which is actually chapter one, page one, readers are told that Theo's daughter is three years-old, that his wife died one year ago, and that she only got one year with their daughter. The timeline does not add up. Either his daughter is two, his wife died two years ago, or she got two years with their daughter.
Maeve, their daughter, who was playing with a baby doll a few feet away. - omit the word 'who.' Or add a suffix to this sentence. It reads incomplete.
"...Please come in out of the rain..." "...I was at my son’s soccer game and there weren’t any bleachers. We both ended up a mess." - how would having bleachers prevented 'a mess?'
Did you know Newark’s Branch Brook Park has the largest collection of cherry blossom trees than any other place in the United States?” - 'than any other place' is not necessary and does not make sense. Simply '...in the United States' is sufficient.
By page 22, which is actually chapter one, page one, readers are told that Theo's daughter is three years-old, that his wife died one year ago, and that she only got one year with their daughter. The timeline does not add up. Either his daughter is two, his wife died two years ago, or she got two years with their daughter.
Maeve, their daughter, who was playing with a baby doll a few feet away. - omit the word 'who.' Or add a suffix to this sentence. It reads incomplete.
"...Please come in out of the rain..." "...I was at my son’s soccer game and there weren’t any bleachers. We both ended up a mess." - how would having bleachers prevented 'a mess?'
September 20, 2022
Good book for many reasons
I am actually not a hockey fan, just a hockey romance fan. What makes Theo a 5 star read to me might not be the same to someone else. As a general observation, the writing really solid. This is an author that knows her craft.
As far as the story goes, this isn’t a typical nanny romance because Nathalie is a talented woman in addition to being loving and kind. The story appealed to me as a teacher and was well researched and smartly written. Rosalie was what I live in a single dad romance - a sweet playful little girl whose dad is turned inside out over.
Theo had so much pain yet did everything to make life for his special little girl what she needed. He was a fierce protector, and a Frenchman to boot!
If that isn’t enough, there is an intriguing and at times frightening side plot with Theo’s ex-mother in law. The excellent writing shows up in this part of the story because there is actual surprise at the plot twists with the MIL.
But the best part of the writing was a heartfelt, slow burn romance with a nice dose of steam. When Theo was happy, we felt it. When he hurt Nathalie’s feelings, we felt it. When he feared for Nathalie and Rosalie’s safety we felt it. Now I have to go read the other books in the series, because the men and women we got to meet in this story have stories I want to know, too.
I am actually not a hockey fan, just a hockey romance fan. What makes Theo a 5 star read to me might not be the same to someone else. As a general observation, the writing really solid. This is an author that knows her craft.
As far as the story goes, this isn’t a typical nanny romance because Nathalie is a talented woman in addition to being loving and kind. The story appealed to me as a teacher and was well researched and smartly written. Rosalie was what I live in a single dad romance - a sweet playful little girl whose dad is turned inside out over.
Theo had so much pain yet did everything to make life for his special little girl what she needed. He was a fierce protector, and a Frenchman to boot!
If that isn’t enough, there is an intriguing and at times frightening side plot with Theo’s ex-mother in law. The excellent writing shows up in this part of the story because there is actual surprise at the plot twists with the MIL.
But the best part of the writing was a heartfelt, slow burn romance with a nice dose of steam. When Theo was happy, we felt it. When he hurt Nathalie’s feelings, we felt it. When he feared for Nathalie and Rosalie’s safety we felt it. Now I have to go read the other books in the series, because the men and women we got to meet in this story have stories I want to know, too.
September 24, 2022
He’s a single dad to a beautiful little girl. Having been diagnosed as on the autism spectrum, Theo spends all his time with hi daughter. And he has nothing but free time since his early retirement from the NHL Los Angeles hockey team when his wife died suddenly. When out of the blue an old friend who now plays for the Savannah Heat contacts asking him to join their team. He agrees only if he can find a suitable nanny.
The Savannah team sends him Nathalie, a beautiful doctoral candidate specializing in special education. Perfect!
So he packs up and moves to South Carolina.
A wonderfully told story of the struggles of doing your best to raise and mentor a special needs child while getting past a spouses death and learning to live again.
Lots of fun, wonderful characters, and hockey make this book A MUST READ!
The Savannah team sends him Nathalie, a beautiful doctoral candidate specializing in special education. Perfect!
So he packs up and moves to South Carolina.
A wonderfully told story of the struggles of doing your best to raise and mentor a special needs child while getting past a spouses death and learning to live again.
Lots of fun, wonderful characters, and hockey make this book A MUST READ!
January 8, 2023
couldn’t finish it
This book was so boring…I felt like I read a bad dissertation on children on the spectrum….again a BAD one. This is an actual line from the book “I’m always amazed that animal sounds are a universal language.”…the thought of a “genius”.
This book was so boring…I felt like I read a bad dissertation on children on the spectrum….again a BAD one. This is an actual line from the book “I’m always amazed that animal sounds are a universal language.”…the thought of a “genius”.
September 13, 2022
Good
The fact is the factors to be the same as to get is the factors of the game and not
The fact is the factors to be the same as to get is the factors of the game and not
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews