Hot Shot

Minnesota Raiders #1

by Pippa Green, Eden Dunn

When my sister told me she had hired a new nanny by the name of Esther to watch my rambunctious kids, I expected an elderly grandmother type. I was completely wrong.

Utterly wrong.

Esther Richardson might have been a child prodigy violin virtuoso in her youth, but right now she's making waffles like a master and completely showing me up in every way possible. She's also walking around in sexy outfits and making my life miserable.

As captain of the Minnesota Raiders professional hockey team, I'm all business. I'm Puck Daddy on the ice. At home, I'm trying to keep my hands off of Esther-and failing. I haven't had feelings like these for a woman since my wife died. Esther is my kids' nanny. It's wrong to want her this badly. Isn't it? I no longer know. One thing's for sure: I want out of the Single Dad Hockey Players Club.

Can I convince Esther to give me a chance? To give us a chance to see where this goes?

Hot Shot is Book 1 in the Minnesota Raiders series.

Genres: Sports, Sports Romance, Hockey, Romance, Contemporary, Hockey Romance, Celebrity

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2022

Reviews

[Allison6876 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall an enjoyable story if you can overlook the fact that it appears that the authors have never even watched a hockey game on tv. This has become a real issue for me - this trend of authors writing sports romances either having no knowledge of the sport and/or appearing to have no access to the internet to do even minimal research about the sport purely to capitalize on a trend. NHL hockey is played in an arena not a stadium (except for special event games once or twice a season which the NHL calls the Winter Classic) baseball and football are played in stadiums. There is no general admission seating in any NHL arena (some, like the MN Wild, do standing room along top of the lower bowl when everything else is sold out.) Luxury suites are not next to the ice (which they could find out by looking at a seating chart on any any facility or team's website.) Hockey players do not wear "mitts" they wear gloves. He didn't get "hit into the edge of the ice," he was checked into the boards. Look on a team's website at the schedule to assist you with the timeline within the book. Highly unlikely that a player would go to the arena at 4am since most NHL games are at night and even for a day game that seems excessively early. Most professional athletes have clauses in their contracts forbidiing them from taking part in risky activities like shark diving, sky diving etc (mentioned as things the H enjoys) at a minimum during the season and sometimes at all. You would not be enjoying an outdoor pool at what seems to be several weeks into the hockey season in MN - too cold. There were a number of continuity problems with the story. I don't understand why/how this can happen in such a short book - was there no editor? I would respectfully suggest attending a NHL game or at least watching one on tv, reading Hockey for Dummies and using the internet. The NHL and each team have websites which are full of information about the league. If you don't care about the hockey element its an ok read but for me the hockey elements of the story were overall so inaccurate they kept jerking me out of the story.

[JudyAnnLovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I love in a romance read:
*hot single dads
*forbidden relationships
*hockey players

Hot Shot has all three and it was glorious!

Grant and Esther are on fire, as was my kindle. I enjoyed their love story so much and fell in love with Pippa Green. I look forward to reading more about these sexy-single-daddy-hockey-players and the women they fall for!

I’m giving Hot Shot the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

[Paige]

DNF at 4%

I like single parent romances, and even widow/er romances. But this is already shaping up to be “love triangle with dead wife,” which I’m just not interested in.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A hockey romance with not so much in hockey accuracy but more than that it didn’t make sense by the time I got to the end. Grant is a widow with three kids and his sister Sophia decides he needs a live in nanny.
Esther was a child prodigy Violinist who decides to leave the
Symphony due to her cheating, controlling boyfriend who is in the same Symphony.
First of all, Esther’s reasoning for being a nanny was a little creepy, also she apparently caused a scene when she left the boyfriend and the Symphony although we never really know what happened, wouldn’t have been an issue except
it was alluded to more than once. I was under the impression she was a victim of abuse and looked to hide but that wasn’t the case. She’s an only child and her parents only cared for her when it came to the Violin. So become a Nanny to “feel” what it’s like to be in a real family. Ooo Kaaay.
Grant for his part is just as confusing. And how ANYONE would believe that one date would make everyone think that they were an item was ridiculous, especially since they are not seen in public together until much later. Don’t get me started on his surprise for her, it was soo far fetched I couldn’t fathom the possibility. Too many other characters thrown in that had issues and a past that just made me realize I was missing something, especially since this was Book one of seven. An all around head scratcher

[Alicia]

This obviously follows on from a previous series, because there are a lot of characters and references to past events that I had no idea about. Especially the Single Dad Hockey Players Club, which is meant to play a big part. There’s no explanation or background given, and the name is mentioned three times and never really given any more details.
It’s quite repetitive in places, and I did find the cringe factor to be exceptionally high whenever they were getting smexy. I know he was a single dad “Puck Daddy” character, but acting like a dad in the bedroom is just ew for me.
It’s very insta love, and you never really feel the connection between them because they never have a freaking conversation. And I did not like Grant. He was an "I’ll tell you nothing and show you nothing and expect you to know everything" type of character, and he put in zero effort with anything in his life.
The book doesn’t make a whole lot of sense overall, and was just very meh.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good hockey romance. I stumbled upon this title and was intrigued. I am so glad I took a chance and read this. Esther and Grant were the most unexpected of couples but together they worked perfectly. The chemistry between these two was astounding. I really loved them together.

I am desperate for the rest of The MN Raider's HEA! These are giants that are going to full hard.

I really loved that the author did not rely on standard storyline tools like miscommunication and a third act breakup. I can not recommend this book enough!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grant was too Moody for my tastes. I loved Esther and thought her story was nicely developed. Hockey references were not correct sometimes in the story. I tried to overlook.

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brea Viragh has written a 5-star book. This is the story of Esther and Grant. Grant's sister Sophie has hired a nanny for his three kids. Sophie has watched them for the last three years since his wife dies. Now she is moving in with her boyfriend Lucky. Lucky is a teammate of Grant's. Grant is the captain of the Minnesota Raiders Hockey team. Esther was a Violinist and she walked away from that life. She is now a nanny. When she shows up at Grant's he is shocked to find he is attracted to her. He has not had these feelings since his late wife. He feels like he would be cheating on her. Things heat up between Esther and Grant and they sleep together one time and Esther tells him that it can't happen again. A few weeks after she has been working for Grant, she gets a call from her ex-boyfriend Tyler. He wants to meet with her and discuss something. She knows she shouldn't but she goes to meet him. When she gets to the restaurant, she sees Tyler and her parents at the table. Tyler's news is that the Symphony wants her back and so does he. He asks her to marry him. She is so shocked that he would pull this. She tells him that there was no way that she would marry him so he needed to put the ring away. It made her sick to look at it. Tyler lied to the press and said that he and Esther were engaged. This is the story that was in the paper the next morning. Grant hears this on the news and he is mad. When he gets home, he lets Esther have it for not telling him that she was engaged. She tells him that she isn't engaged and that her lawyers were working on getting the story removed. Grant comes up with a plan to put Tyler in his place over Esther. He tells her that they go out on a date together. The date is for the symphony gala. Tyler and her parents will both be there. Her parents give her a hard time over being with Grant and say a few nasty things about him. When the event is over, they go and have a late dinner. Tyler shows up and starts making a scene. Esther tells him that they are done and will never be getting back together and told him to leave. Tyler started to berate Esther and that is when Grant told him that he was asked to leave. Tyler said a few things about Esther and Grant and Grant just gave back but with a little more, making Tyler mad. After The gala, things between Esther and Grant change. He comes home late, won't look at her in the eye, and doesn't want to be around her. She is doing the dishes when Grant's son, Ryan asks "What's wrong with Daddy?" She tells him that she wished she knew and asked him what he thought was wrong? He tells her he thinks that Grant is seeing Mira again. This hurts Esther and she talks to Ryan for a little more, all the while her heart is breaking. A few days later, Grant corners her in the pool house and dragged her against him like she was the air he needed. Looking at her... Looking at her like he loved her. Like he saw her for who she was and not who he wanted her to be. This was impossible, considering his recent mood change. She thought for sure he was done with her in every way that mattered. "I've got an away game in Chicago, playing the Blackhawks, and I want you to come with me," he said. She is shocked and pushed away from him and sent him a look over her shoulder. A look leaving no doubt how she felt. "Are you serious?" Of course, I'm serious. I wouldn't ask otherwise." She tells him that he has never asked before. He said just because he never asked didn't mean he never would. I'd like for you to be there. She asked, "Who is going to watch the kids?" "The kids are coming too. We'll get a suite with a kitchen, really fo all out. Ah. He needed the nanny along to watch the kids since he would be busy with the team. The nanny that's me, she reminds herself. Think of it as a little vacation for the five of us. It will be fun. The five of us. she mulled the words. How odd. She finally got her wish and their fling was officially over almost as quickly as it had began. She would be going in an official and paid capacity. He put her in her place with a few innocuous words. She asked, "When do we leave?" "Tomorrow," he said. She looked at the time and said it is tomorrow or today, it's one o'clock. We’ll have to get up early to pack and catch the flight with the team.
. Did the kids know we were going on an impromptu vacation? Or was this going to be as much of a surprise for them as it had been for me? The rest of the team met us at the airport and a private flight transported the lot of us to Chicago for the game. I wasn’t sure what to say to Grant if anything. Much easier, I decided, to focus entirely on Candace and Georgie, and Ryan. They needed me. They were my responsibility. It was my job. Things at the game did not go well for Esther. Brittany had her say about things between her and Grant and when she was talking to Sophie about Grant, she asked about Grant and Mira. Sophie said she did not know since Grant didn't discuss those things with her. Back in the hotel suite the next morning, Grant might as well have had a black cloud hanging above his head. Candace suggested we go out for a sightseeing tour and I was happy to oblige her. Anything to getaway. Esther tried again and asked Grant "Are you sure you don't want to go for a walk with us?" He shrugged. Said nothing outside of a grunt. Okay, now he didn’t even want to talk to me. They finally got home two days later and Eather was relieved. At least there she could retreat to the pool house and put some distance between Grumpy Grant and her.“I’ll start making dinner in a couple of hours,” Eather said to him on their way through the front door. It was her last attempt at trying to carry on as if everything was normal. Another dismissal, another brush-off, and she was going to give up. She thinks it is time to look for another job if Grant is going into a relationship with Mira. She knows she can't keep nanning for him if that is the case. “Chicken parmigiana okay with you?” “I was actually thinking I’d take a few hours to myself in the pool house. Unwind a little. Give you one-on-one time with the kids.” Grant nodded once, saying nothing. He didn’t stop me. Instead, he took his phone out of his pocket and turned away from me. He was always on the phone these days. Texting with Mira more than likely. Well, I thought, my receding footsteps echoing. Okay then. Message received. Once in the pool house, she thought that she and Grant had made progress on a life together. She might have told him no at first but fate had a way of throwing them together time and time again. For what? she thought. For her heart to be broken again. Time to accept the facts and move on. Time to start seriously looking for new employment. Esther thought she couldn't have gotten the call at a worst time. She already had so much going on and no time to think of anything else. She didn't have a spare moment to go and check out the school where the director wanted to install a music program. She wanted to sponsor a program where kids that couldn't afford it could take music lessons for free. She gets into her car and starts toward her meeting. She nearly takes the car off the side of the road when she hears someone say "You're driving too fast." She looks back and sees Candace in the back seat. “Candace! Do you want to explain what you’re doing here instead of being in school?” She told her that she didn't feel like going to school. Candace asked where she was going? Esther said that she was going to talk to someone about installing a music program in a school. By the time that they got home, Esther had Candace laughing at one of her jokes. Esther decided she was going to let Sophie know she was leaving since she was the one to hire her. She wasn't just going to walk out on Grant and the kids. The thought of leaving had my heart clenching until the pain became an ache I could not ignore. Sitting there staring out at the pool and its sparkling blue water, I realized…somewhere along the way, I’d lost my own sparkle. I hadn’t really had a break from work in, well, forever. I had been kept in constant movement from age six. Esther glanced around the little pool house she claimed as her own. A safe haven much like the apartment she'd given up to take this job. Ryan appeared in my doorway with a smile on his sweet face. No knock. He burst right in like he owned the place. Which in a way I supposed he did. “Hey kiddo, what’s up?” “Are you busy, Esther?” She tells him no. Can you come with me? he asked. Curious. “What’s up?” He gave his head a small shake. “It's show, not tell. That’s what my dad said.” His dad? I had less time for and far less inclination to see his dad, but I’d told Ryan I’d go with him. I was committed. He led her toward the basement and she didn't like going down there since it was where the gym was and felt like Grant's domain. she did not know what to expect but it wasn't what she saw. What she saw was a brand new music studio complete with soundproof walls. The room was everything that she could have wanted. Grant and the girls were on the other side of the glass wall and Ryan told her they built it for her. He asked if she liked it.
Will Grant be able to get Esther to stay with them?

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted a mediocre, easy read as a buffer between two books from authors I really like that I have been looking forward to for ages. This certainly gave me the appetite to read something well-written. Poorly paced, incoherent plot, gross obsessing by Gray* about his sister's sex life and gives a very strong impression that the author has never watched a game of hockey. Or met children, for that matter.

*Gray? Grant? Graham? Didn't really care enough to pay attention.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of the Minnesota Raiders series and the main characters are Esther Richardson and Grant Wright. Esther has been interviewed by Grant’s sister Sophie, for the position of nanny to his three children, Candace, Georgia and Ryan, a position Sophie had helped him with ever since his wife died some five years ago. But now Sophie is involved with Lucky, a fellow player on the professional NHL (National Hockey League) team, the Minnesota Raiders, of which Grant is the captain. She has moved in with Lucky and whilst she can do the odd bit of babysitting, whilst studying, she is no longer sharing a house with Grant and around 24/7. Grant had no input into who his sister hired, knowing she would have done a good job. He has begun to realise he can’t cope all on his own and the new season starts in a couple of weeks, so something had to be sorted and fast. When Esther turns up at his front door, he is completely speechless and attracted beyond anything he can compare, to the woman who is definitely not an old biddy, like Mrs Doubtfire! Esther has no idea who he is, nor what he actually does for a living, but seeing him in the flesh, gets all of her body on a quiver. She has been doing a few nanny jobs, looking for the feeling of family she never had when she was growing up. She is a violin prodigy and played concerts from a very young age and her parents left her to travel the world with a manager and entourage, but never bothered to speak to her or even visit, saying it would just make her homesickness worse!
Her ex-fiancé played in the city orchestra with her and was a firm favourite of her parents and when she had a blowout after finding him cheating, she left the orchestra and her professional music career to one side! Music is still a huge part of her life, but the company refused to let her have any choice in the music she performed and she was left stuck in a straitlaced classical music box, with her ex Tyler wanting to control a lot of her life. He has refused to believe she doesn’t want to get married to him still and he is deluded enough to believe she misses him and can’t wait to get back together! Grant and Esther are drawn to each other and soon end up in bed together, but both decide it isn’t very professional and it could only be a one off. Young Ryan is an absolute sweetheart and is drawn to Esther from the first day, but his two older sisters have a little bit more trouble allowing her to break through their outer shells, having lost their mother and now their aunt Sophie as well. Esther observes all the family interactions and also the open door for all his hockey teammates, a completely different atmosphere than her own upbringing. She may have a trust fund and not really have to work, but does so whilst trying to figure out what she will do in the future. They seem like complete opposites, neither having been a part of the other’s world, but there is a deep and loving connection between them.
Grant wants out of the Single Dad Hockey Players Club, with his fellow single dads on the team often bringing the kids to his house and they all live in the same gated community, to allow their kids to grow up together and have ready made friends around, especially when the team is off playing matches in other cities. Esther slots right into his kids life and has already taken a part of his heart, he never thought he would be able to give after his wife died. When her ex-Tyler wants to meet up for lunch, Esther goes hoping to make it clear that she will not be coming back to him, but she is left feeling utterly betrayed with his actions and the comments from the surprise visitors, he has brought along got the lunch meeting. When Grant hears about this, he is willing to act as her fake boyfriend, to get her ex and others who should have listened to her side of the story and take into account her feelings, not try to control and railroad her into a decision and life she no longer wants! Grant almost loses his chance with Esther, when he concentrates too much on something he wants to do, leaving her finding him aloof and trying to avoid her all the time. It is for a good reason and the two are meant to be together, but both must be willing to give the other the chance for love and a relationship for real. Working as a nanny is a stop gap job, while she works out how to do the music she wants and to help those less fortunate, and a relationship with her boss isn’t a very professional way to go about it. Grant loves his kids and his position in charge of his team, being lucky enough to have two big families and lots of love in his life. A love story with opposites being attracted to each other and hurdles to be overcome, but with a chance of a HEA ending if they will only allow themselves to take that next step and chance for love. A really nicely told tale with well fleshed out characters and some lovely visions of family life and the chaos that can surround it, but in a good way, as opposed to the sterile and controlling life Esther had before. I really look forward to reading more of this series and hope to see these characters in the mix, for the next stories as well. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Katherine Rohrbacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

First up in the series is Hot Shot. The story of Hot Shot follows Minnesota Raider Team Captain Grant Wright. He is a widower, having lost his young wife to cancer after the birth of their third child. And he, along with several of his teammate, is part of what is jokingly called the Single Dad Hockey Players Club. Thanks to the events in the prequel, Grant finds himself in need of a nanny. With the help of his sister (also his previous nanny), he finds himself sharing his home with Ester Richardson, possibly the first person in a long time who has no idea who he is. That refreshing note aside, he finds himself annoyingly attracted to the young woman looking after his children. That leads to a few awkward situations and the nickname Grumpy Grant. Ultimately both Grant and Ester learn to confide in one another and work together for Grant's kids and their relationship. 

My Take

I thoroughly enjoyed the series. Pippa Green delves into deeper topics (boss vs. employee relationships, single parenthood, interfering parental units, etc.). But, the stories still manage to be fun and have a nice flow. The characters are easy to relate to, even if you're not a super fan of hockey. For a hockey romance series, there is a surprising lack of hockey.

I did have a complaint, and it mostly takes place in Snap Shot. The manufactured drama is a little unbelievable. You have Mitch and Morgan; they are on opposite sides of their drama, and there is a very "easy" solution to the problem that neither of them brings up. I'm not going to spoil it, but it did take me out of the story. The conflict really should have been figured out midway through the story. There is a fine line an author has to flirt with when writing a series. They need to have a new drama for each book. But, the longer the series goes, the harder they have to work to manufacture that drama. I'll be interested to read the next book when it is released.

Another observation I had - and this extends to other stories that I've read - is that family and friends in romance novels are super pushy. Now, I'm familiar with passive-aggression, and I recognize that messed-up family dynamics lead to more drama. But man, sometimes, I want to smack friends and family for not being supportive. I couldn't imagine if I fell in love with a friend of one of my brothers that they would act like that was the worst thing in the world. It's a familiar trope to have a sister fall for their brother's best friend (or a brother fall for a sister's best friend). But, if it is not well written, it can come across as hypocritical - notably, when the story revolves around a younger sister. In this series, you have two different brothers who are opposed to their sisters dating their best friends. He's good enough to be your best friend but not to date your sister. To me, it is irritating (almost as annoying as Grammarly). That may be the feminist in me.

Would I Recommend?

Yes, if you're looking for a sports romance series, I highly recommend the Minnesota Raiders series (there is even a new book dropping on February 22, 2022). Sure, you can read each story on its own but, I don't recommend it. All of the story's build on each other, particularly the prequel and the first three stories.

Overall I give each book 4.5/5 stars. I like the stories but, sometimes the manufactured drama pulls you out of the story.

If you found my review at all helpful or enjoyable, please feel free to check me out on my blog: Gypsy Reading.

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nanny Esther had no idea, what was waiting for her behind, door number one. You see, Esther herself had grown up with, a nanny by her side, her whole life. Not only did her family, come from old money, but she was, also a child prodigy. She is a violin virtuoso, she started playing at five, at Carnegie Hall and, attended, Juilliard. Then, what seems to appear out of nowhere she quits the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra.

She had no intentions of, ever returning in big part, to her ex-Tyler, first chair, viola. So, she caused a scene on her departure. She was tired of being used by people like her parents, Tyler, and even the philharmonic. All wanting a piece of her, and, to show her off. When she decided to become a nanny she had very good reasons for doing the work. All very legit and so sad in a lot of ways too.

Sophie is the one, that did the interviews because her, brother like usual is away, too focused on hockey. More than, he should be. Since she would be moving out, to be living with his good friend, and teammate. She feels, she owes him. Once she meets, Esther she knows for sure, that she is the right woman, for the job. Now, Sophie had forwarded Esther’s résumé, to Grant, for him to look over, and, the contract to be signed. He did sign and return. Come, Monday she is starting.

When she arrives his head is firing off bottle rockets. Why? He was expecting Mrs. Doubtfire and Ms. Sexpot is standing there. The first woman since his wife, Rachel, passed, that made his Johnson rise to attention. Because of his odd facial expression, she starts to back up thinking she got the wrong address. That's when it dawns on her, he didn't read the contract or résumé. When his youngest gets past him he snaps out of it and invites her in.

Luckily, Sophie had given her a rundown on the reception she could or would receive from the girl and maybe Grant. And boy was she right in the first five minutes. There will be more angst to come from those who did see coming too far in advance. A good read for sure. The surprise from Grant at the end was amazing. I kind of figured he was up to something, but hey bud you did well.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Grant, the team captain of the Minnesota Raiders and Esther, the violin prodigy turned nanny. He's a definite alpha male and she has lots of baggage in her rearview mirror. They each were head-strong and tried to fight their attraction, but how could they? It's a steamy romance novel!!! The kids were great, especially the charming little three year old, Ryan. He was so cute! The dialogue was witty, full of fun, and filled with lots of camaraderie with the members of the Single Dad Hockey Players Club. Hot Shot is a wonderful beginning to this new sports romance series co-written by a couple of my favorite authors and I look forward to the rest of the players getting their own stories!

[Hanna Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book number of the Minnesota Raiders series and focuses on Grant and Esther. Grant has been trying to raise his kids with the help of his sister since his wife died. When his sister decides to move out she arranges for a nanny to help out. Grant is shocked to see that he is attracted to Esther. The feeling is definitely mutual but they are both carrying around a lot of baggage from the past that gets in the way of their relationship. This was an overall good story, there was just a lot of push and pull between the characters that develops mainly due to lack of communication and misunderstandings. But thankfully they figure things out in the end. I look forward to the rest of the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[casvec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Shot is a fast story that will pull at your heart and have you melting in your seat. Grant is a single father and the captain of the Minnesota Raiders, who finds himself in a bind after his sister is no longer able to help with his kids. Esther left her previous life behind her and jumped at the chance to be Grant's nanny. When the meet, there is an instant pull, but their past keep findings its way into the present making the future unclear.

The push and pull of Grant and Esther's journey makes for a great story to get lost in, the miscommunication, self doubt and past pain will have you not wanting to put the book down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephanie Bolen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Ester

Grant on the other hand made me consult my husband. How would you react if you had no claim on me and found out that I was taken in a news paper? He rolled his eyes, of course, and I explained my book. He told me put down the stupid and go to bed. And the end was just weird. Don't know that all would be forgiven and forgotten.
The plot is simple and low stakes. The world is hockey and hot single dads. The characters are frustrating, Ester is so good and Grant is so awful that I can't give it a three star. The pacing is a lot of drag out at the end. The writing is decent. So, just for Grant I'd give it a pass. Now Alexi and Dom might be something, but then again they might be awful too.

[Bernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoying this series. The characters are strong and likeable. Grady, single widowed father of 3, NHL team captain. Juggling with his family and work life balance.
Ester, hired nanny, knows nothing about NHL or the team, nor her employer. Secret of her own as a concert virtuoso and child prodigy, having left the orchestra after dresting a scene.
There are obstacles in the road, much to come to terms with and better communication on both sides would reduce the issues.
Loved the restaurant and theatre scenes, but would have liked this to have been extended into public media following engagement and rubbing certain people up the wrong road, but understandable that there was no such measures.

[Kimberly Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Grant is the hot shot ice hockey player with a grumpy disposition. He was in need if a nanny for his 3 kids, so his sister hired one for him. He thinks she is a older woman so when ge opens the door to find a good looking young woman standing there he is quite shocked.
Ester walked away from her career in the orchestra because music just wasn't making her happy any more, and also she broke up with her boyfriend who was also in the orchestra. All she ever wanted was to be part of a loving family, so she took up nannying.
Grant hasn't felt feelings like he feels for Ester for any body but his late wife, but he knows she is truly something special.

[Alex E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esther is a nanny that has just been hired by Grant's sister to take care of his 3 kids. Grant is a widower and captain of the Minnesota Raiders hockey team. There is instant chemistry but the stakes are high, because of their professional relationship. Esther also has a lot of background history and is not just a nanny. There is some angst because of her past and some miscommunication but thankfully all of this is pointed out and in the end the couple has a HEA.
Both characters are easily likeable, strong, confident and not arrogant or cocky and their intimate scenes are full of passion.Dual POV, standalone but with characters that will appear in the next books.

[Fantasy Book Review Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

grumpy sunshine all the way

He’s a grumpy single dad. She’s a sunshine musician.

I cannot get over how cute this couple is. From the start of the book, their first meeting, I knew I would have a stupid grin on my face the entire time. They tried to resist each other, they had ups and downs but they are just perfect for each other. Grant has trouble showing his feelings and Esther has trouble opening up.

The author was able to grab me from the first chapter and create a world that I needed to know more about. I’m invested in these hockey players and their stories. I love that we get “sport lite” and don’t have to understand the gam toy enjoy the world that is created.

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-Stars for book 1 of The Minnesota Raiders series
While I normally love the sports romance genre this one seemed to move slow for me. Also, I felt the ending was abrupt, it almost felt like a cliffhanger so be warned. With that being said, it is hard to pass up the alpha males on the ice with a heart of gold at home and with their kids. Even though this one was hard for me to write a review, I still would recommend reading this one for yourself. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention I can't wait for more books in this series and from this duo of authors.
Even though I did receive an advanced review copy of this book, I am voluntarily leaving my own unsolicited, voluntary opinion with this review.

[Diane McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun romance!

Classical musician Esther Richardson was taking a break from playing music by working as a nanny while she figured out if she wanted to continue in classical music. Esther was hired by hockey player Grant Wright’s sister to take care of his children because the season was starting without him meeting her.

Surprise! Esther was younger than he expected and knew nothing about hockey but with opposites attract type of romance that was just fun to read and enjoyable because Esther wasn’t overwhelmed by the everything and the romance drove the story.

[booklover0228 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!

Grant was a single Dad who needed a nanny. His sister was the one who decided who it was going to be. Grant thought she was going to be an older lady since her name was kind of old fashion. When he opened the door he thought the women had the wrong address. She finally told him she was Esther the new nanny. His first thought was “I need to keep my hands and thoughts to myself”
After trying to stay away from each other, they figured it was better to follow their hearts which they did.

[BusyM3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to this new series Minnesota Raiders. This is the story of Grant a single dad who is the Captain of the Minnesota Raiders. Esther is hired to look after his kids, but Grant has a hard time not crossing the line with her. The story will hold your attention, the characters are engaging and fit well together. Looking forward to read more in this series.

I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aswathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear when I read this story I thought I am starting from second part of the series because there ought to be a part for Sophie and Lucky. There should be an epic romance that can revel anything else. I am surprised to know this was infact the real start of the series. It was sweet and little over the top romance. But hey ! Who can really breakdown the real intensity of romance right... !! Liked it.. it was predictable plot and no surprises lurking around. A pleasant read.

[Lorraine Kaplan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant & Esther

Grant is the Captain of the Minnesota Raiders. Esther is his new nanny who was hired by his sister. Grant was expecting a much older woman judging from the old fashioned name. She is a child prodigy and a violin virtuoso who walked away from her career due to certain circumstances. Their attraction was immediate but they took a while to act on it. Really enjoyed their slow burn to love story.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it but it ended too soon

What a great story with wonderful characters and some cute kids thrown into the mix. Their chemistry was off the charts, and they had some very 🔥 scenes too, fanning myself just remembering them. Her family was toxic as was her ex, so I totally get why we she left them all in her dust. They didn’t deserve her.

But my god, the ending, not cool. I need more.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take the risk, the reward is worth it!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author; however, I believe she now publishes under Eden Dunn. I really enjoyed the storyline and the characters (especially Grant’s adorable kids), they drew me in from the start. My only complaint was that I felt the ending was rushed, I would have loved to see more of Esther and Grant’s journey after their misunderstanding was worked out.

[Brooke Clanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family

I believe I'm really going to like this series! I love how these completely opposite people found each other and totally click together! I love that even as opposite as they are they both want the same thing...a normal family life! Especially with their hectic professional life.

[Helena Mendes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a good read, it tells the love story between Esther and Grant, it is very heartwarming, steamy and with little angst. The kids and other characters are just great, I enjoyed it a lot.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.