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Stone Townsend is the center for the pro-hockey team in Charleston. There are just a few things he’s concerned with: bringing his large family together again, leading his new team to a championship, and doing a lot of scoring–on and off the ice. Which is why it was the worst time to get an injury under new team management and a new coach.

Natalie Novak owns a new sports academy that trains and rehabilitates athletes. She’s also a former prima ballerina and daughter of Charleston’s new hockey coach, though no one knows it. But there was a lot more going on behind her pretty costumes and flawless leaps, including being thrown into the spy world when she was dancing in London. She thought it would be simple enough to leap back out, but her past is about to find her.

All Stone cared about was getting back into skating shape for the tournament. But when the paradox of Natalie gets his attention, he realizes there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye–including someone who wants to kill her. With his heart and career in Natalie’s hands, he vows to protect her with his life.

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2023

180 people are currently reading
210 people want to read

About the author

Kathleen Brooks

122 books2,656 followers
Kathleen Brooks is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Kathleen's stories are romantic suspense featuring strong female heroines, humor, and happily-ever-afters. Her Bluegrass, Bluegrass Brothers®, Forever Bluegrass®, and Shadows Landing Series feature small-town charm with quirky characters while her Women of Power Series shows that behind every sexy billionaire is a man strong enough to love her! Then hang onto your seat for the wild and mysterious ride in the thrilling Web of Lies Series and a little magic in the Moonshine Hollow Series.

Kathleen is from Kentucky, where she graduated from Centre College and then later received her J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Kathleen still resides in Kentucky with her family and houseful of animals.


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Book Order:
(Bluegrass Series-complete series)
Bluegrass State of Mind
Risky Shot
Dead Heat

(Bluegrass Brothers Series®-complete series)
Bluegrass Undercover
Rising Storm
Secret Santa, A Bluegrass Series Novella
Acquiring Trouble
Relentless Pursuit
Secrets Collide
Final Vow
All Hung Up, Novella
Bluegrass Dawn, Novella
The Perfect Gift, Novella
The Keeneston Roses

(Forever Bluegrass Series®-complete series)
Forever Entangled
Forever Hidden
Forever Betrayed
Forever Driven
Forever Secret
Forever Surprised, Novella
Forever Concealed
Forever Devoted
Forever Hunted
Forever Guarded
Forever Notorious
Forever Ventured
Forever Freed
Forever Saved
Forever Bold
Forever Thrown
Forever Lies
Forever Protected
Forever Paired
Forever Connected
Forever Covert
Forever Burning
Forever Lasting
Forever Country
Forever Remembered

(Bluegrass Fire Series-ongoing)
Spark

(Shadows Landing-complete series)
Saving Shadows
Sunken Shadows
Lasting Shadows
Fierce Shadows
Broken Shadows
Framed Shadows
Endless Shadows
Fading Shadows
Damaged Shadows
Escaping Shadows

(Shadows Landing: The Townsends- ongoing series)
Face-Off
Targeted
Rescued
Heated
Escaped
Fractured
Claimed

(Paige Turner Bookworm Series- complete)
Adventures of a Bookworm
Misadventures of a Bookworm
The Adventurous Bookworm

(Moonshine Hollow- complete series)
Moonshine and Murder
Moonshine and Malice
Moonshine and Mayhem
Moonshine and Mischief
Moonshine and Menace
Moonshine and Masquarades

(Web of Lies- complete)
Whispered Lies
Rogue Lies
Shattered Lies

(Women of Powe-complete)
Chosen for Power
Built for Power
Fashioned for Power
Destined for Power

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5 stars
978 (70%)
4 stars
309 (22%)
3 stars
70 (5%)
2 stars
22 (1%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
Profile Image for Marie.
5,183 reviews52 followers
October 24, 2023
Stone is a big surprise

I am not sure who Stone surprises more when he falls hard and fast for Natalie, his family or himself. The second he sees her, he knows he has found his future. He loves her knowledge, her talent, her determination and yes her beauty, and I love that he doesn't hesitate to give her the respect that she deserves. He bows to her knowledge without question and reaps the benefits of not only an injury that heals to become stronger than before, but also of winning the heart of this amazing woman.
Stone is an amazing athlete, but he doesn't have the attitude most sports stars have, he takes the time to help younger team mates, assists Natalie in her classes, doesn't hesitate to help the community and is willing to don tights in front of hundreds to prove his love. Not what we expect of one of the dark and dangerous Townsend brothers!
They are a fantastic couple and we get to see a softer side to a number of the Townsend siblings in this book too. I look forward to Hunter's book and the huge amount of humble pie he is going to need to eat!
Profile Image for Ann.
2,120 reviews50 followers
November 24, 2024
3.0 stars. I was hopeful when this book caught my eye: new author, romantic suspense series, the main male character plays hockey, rave reviews here.

The story moves along at a good pace, but it gets wonky not too far in. First off, there's no real romance here. It's quickie insta love. Then wayyyy too many characters to keep up with. The Townsend family consists of 9 or 10 brothers/sisters, plus their significant others, friends, and the town characters. Locked in on the 2 main characters' names and just went with that.

What was a big turn-off was the episode where Stone goes to '"church". It's actually just a knitting club he goes to that meets in a church. Two elderly women run it. These old ladies are obsessed with knitted penises and selling them, or talking about penises, the size of, who had the nicest "pecker." Whose they'd seen and comparing, etc. OMG! Enough already! It wasn't funny, ran on far too long, and just wasn't necessary. These two old ladies show up again near the end at a hockey game again with the same talk. 🙄

The suspense element was ok, and this is a quick, easy read. Wished it had been a kindle unlimited choice.

Rave reviews here on Goodreads, but more of a mix over on Amazon.
132 reviews
October 25, 2023
A slap shot in the net!

For a start of a new series addition to the quirky town of Shadows Landing, this was a slap shot in the net. Stone Townsend is a swoon worthy character. Strong, tough, kind, funny, and loyal. Natalie is his perfect match and a perfect fit to the Townsend family.

While the storyline felt a little rushed to me, I couldn't put the book down. I laughed and cheered for the two main characters. It could be because, as an avid fan of all books from Kathleen Brooks, her books pull you in, give you a big hug, and give you an enjoyable escape to a well developed quirky town and the characters you wish you could really meet.

What makes these books so enjoyable is the connections and crossovers with her other series. These connections do not make each installment feel like you are required to read in succession from Ms. Brooks Bluegrass series, Web of Lies series, Women of Power series, and the original Shadows Landing series, but it does make each book a little more enjoyable because of the crossovers and connections. So, yes, each book can be enjoyed as a standalone, but really, it is a little more fun seeing characters from other books join the storyline... Making it feel like it is a small world you get to read about. I hope that made sense, but if you do take on the challenge to read all of Kathleen Brooks books and series, you will understand.
Profile Image for Olivia.
78 reviews2 followers
October 30, 2023
Another thrilling edge of your seat fast paced book from Kathleen Brooks! Couldn’t put it down yet again.
Profile Image for Shirley.
846 reviews
October 25, 2023
Another amazing read

Another amazing read by Kathleen. Wow Stone dropped like a stone in water after seeing Natalie their story was an amazing read as always from Kathleen. Can’t wait for the next Townsen brother to drop.
Profile Image for Brooke Clanton.
804 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2025
Spy games

Ahhhh! STONE! There aren't enough words to express how much I LOVE the Townsends! The way they love each other have the others' backs and yet still have time to annoy the other siblings as they try to run off the new love interests entering the family all combine to make one great read. Add in a turtle, Bubba, pirate ghosts, and apple pie, and I'll happily giggle my way through this series! I can't wait for the anticipation Olivia and Natalie have up their sleeves to keep these Townsend me in line!
Profile Image for Ashley.
2 reviews
May 31, 2025
Did AI write this book? Was it a first draft that got published? Was there not an editor? I just can’t fathom how this book from a bestselling author got published with so many grammatical errors and typos. The plot was also easy to guess from the very beginning. I will NOT be continuing the series - worst book I’ve read all year.
Profile Image for Kristine.
3,426 reviews52 followers
January 12, 2026
This is the first book in a new series that seems like it is an addition to an already existing world. Don't quote me on that because I haven't looked, but it sounded like there were already so many existing characters and couples. There was so much back story that it felt like there was a lot of information I was missing, but nothing that interfered with the storyline of this particular book.

In this book we meet MMC Stone who is the 2nd oldest child in a family of nine - The Townsends. Stone is a NHL player and moving to Shadows Landing to be with family. Apparently all of the Townsends have grown up and have successful careers but they've been scattered. Now, the family has decided to make an effort to live in the same place.

Our FMC is Natalie Novak - a retired ballerina who is the current owner of a sports rehabilitation academy....and she just so happens to be the hockey coach's daughter.

Does this story have a case of insta-love? Absolutely and without a doubt. But what I liked about it was that there wasn't any drama regarding the relationship itself. Yes, there is lots of action and drama, but that's surrounding the flash drive with the information of criminals that Natalie ends up with and not their relationship.

I also enjoyed seeing the family all come together to help with the problem that surfaces with Natalie. It was neat to see that all of the siblings have specialties or have spouses with specialties that end up becoming extremely helpful - i.e. attorney, special forces, FBI, sheriff, etc.

I enjoyed this book and I liked that it felt like there is a whole wide world that is still left to explore.
Profile Image for NotTheTea.
828 reviews41 followers
October 27, 2023
4.5⭐




🩰🏒I really really want to read this series chronologicaly. At least the ones I like. But new stories always pulls me more thn old ones and I hastily read them😑


🩰🏒I swear if Stone sleeps with Natalie and thn know about coach and her relationship and back up I'm gonna be mad.


🩰🏒Uhh....I didn't like the table turn. Why they had to orchestrated it like that? It's not like Hunter and Maggie's case who're just being an ass. Stone and Natalie are strangers.


🩰🏒I like how Natalie meshed with the Townsend gang, it's like she's one of them. No formalities or fresh attributes needed, she just casually bonded there. And I liked how everyone feared her bonding with Olivia who's always been my favorite.



🩰🏒Damon really intrigued me. There's something about him.....



🩰🏒Now that's a book I'm eagerly waiting for just like all the shadows landing residence. I can't wait to see Hunter's face when he realizes his dumbness. Sometimes I feel bad for him cause he's being deceived for so long and everyone is kinda laughing at him but thn I come with full vengeance cause his short sighted misogyny is the reason it's happening. He keeps badmouthing her just because the way she dresses. I hope she makes him work for it.



🩰🏒Uhh... Did they just stand there and listened to Nico parroting their family history?



🩰🏒0.299%, 0.7% what?!



🩰🏒The proposal scene was so ott.





🩰🏒I loved this book. The romance was not perfect to the T for my liking but this book was close.🏒🩰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Carmen Alicea.
871 reviews16 followers
October 25, 2023
I eagerly anticipated this book because I couldn't wait to find out where the author would take us. The Townsends are a strong, united, and fiercely protective family, and it was so enjoyable to read more about them.

Stone is the desirable athlete that all women desire. Despite his reputation as a player, he only needed the right woman to win his heart and make us swoon. Once he found his perfect match, things became heated with the incredible chemistry they shared.

Natalie is pursuing her dreams and starting anew in Charleston to be closer to her father. She's stunning, talented, and an inspiration to others. She knows what she wants and won't let anyone stand in her way. Her time with Stone shows her that having someone who loves you unconditionally is essential and that, with the right partner, you can have it all.

Author Kathleen Brooks is a magician who knows how to captivate and win your heart with her swoon-worthy stories that you'll love and keep wanting more of.
Profile Image for Bek ✨.
136 reviews4 followers
October 11, 2024
📚Review: Face-Off
I devoured the first installment in this spin-off series, and it completely hooked me from start to finish! Natalie and Stone’s chemistry is undeniable, making them an absolute delight to read about.

The twists and turns involving the antagonist kept me on the edge of my seat, constantly guessing what would happen next. It was also wonderful to see beloved characters make appearances throughout the story.

This book expertly balances new character development with nods to familiar favorites. I loved delving deeper into Stone’s backstory and the Townsend family history, all while still enjoying the quirky charm of Bubba’s alligator adventures, Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie’s famous apple pies, the knitting club, and Harper’s Bar.

This read is a perfect blend of humor, heart, and excitement - and the hockey games are just the beginning! Get ready for snarky chirping and non-stop laughter.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for JigsawGirl.
4,162 reviews
May 3, 2025
This was another lighthearted, humorous romantic suspense that occurred in Shadows Landing. I enjoyed the narration. I enjoyed the humor. The best part of the mystery suspense was when the residents of Shadows Landing and Keeneston got involved and brought the bad guys down.

I liked Stone and Natalie. I did miss Natalie learning from the ladies practice sessions. I love how the town comes together to support each other. I had forgotten how many brothers Olivia had. I'm looking forward to each of their stories

I think a reader would benefit from reading a couple of previous Shadows Landing books before tackling the Townsend gang. There are a number of characters and connections that could be confusing if a reader starts with Stone's book. On the other hand, the Shadow's Landing gang may be so interesting it will cause someone to start at the beginning anyway.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,081 reviews
November 3, 2023
This is book 1 in the Shadows Landing spin off. The Townsends which are Olivia's family. We already love Olivia so how cold we not love her family. Well based on how they acted in her and Grangers book pretty easily but we quickly fall in love with them. They are a tight knit group and are funny too. This book is Stone's book. Stone is the 2nd oldest and we are introduced to Natalie who is the coaches daughter but before he knew that, Stone was already hooked! In series past you would expect the town to be involved and there were but not in the way before. The characters along with Bubba were there and played parts but in a totally different way. This was a good read and I cannot wait until Hunter figures out about Maggie!
Profile Image for Michele A..
3,142 reviews16 followers
May 18, 2024
Okay so I went into this book without knowing anything about the Townsend family. Stone was a nice hockey player who was all about helping his family out. It is a large family and they all seem to look out for one another. His sister, Olivia, was made to seem like a scary person, but without any context, it came off kind of flat. Natalie was a good fit for Stone, but did kind of bumble her way through her issue with the people after her. Her father seemed like a nice enough person, but it was hard to believe no one saw what was really going on with the hockey team. I will say that I did enjoy the book, but it took me a while to finish it because parts of it were ho-hum. There were a few editorial issues as well which is surprising with a Kathleen Brook's novel.
226 reviews1 follower
October 28, 2023
Another fantastic read

The Townsends a new series by Kathleen. We now will start learning about Olivia’s brothers and oh boy can they get involved in some messes. This first one is about Stone, the hockey player and Natalie former dancer turned into an entrepreneur who runs a company that teaches both sports and dancing and helps with rehabilitation for those activities. At first Natalie believes Stone has a girlfriend as she seems to be attracted anyway. Read on and you will get caught up in all the interesting happenings in this book. Looking forward to the next Townsend book.
Profile Image for Mayas.
2,420 reviews48 followers
October 25, 2023
At first glance

I love the heck out of a good hockey romance. I swear when Kathleen introduced this book, I was skeptical. I digress to say I had the time of my life reading this book. We got hockey, we got turtles, we got trash talk, we got Cassidy, we got Sebastian, but most of all we got the BOSS known as Olivia. I swear she and Natalie had me cracking up. Hunter also added to the ribbing.

This book was so dog-on good. I was all over the place on who the bad guy was but was surprised by who was a narc. Pure Kathleen goodness.
Profile Image for Tracey Rosen.
42 reviews6 followers
October 25, 2023
Yes, yes, yes!

The first in this spin off series starts with a bang and I couldn’t get enough.
Natalie and Stone are adorable, twists and turns on the baddie kept you guessing, and the appearances of characters we already love were delightful.
It was great to delve more deeply into Stone and some of the Townsend family history, but we still had Bubba at alligator, apple pies from Miss Ruby & Miss Winnie, knitting club and Harper’s Bar.
So much fun and laughter - just wait for the hockey games and all the chirping!
Profile Image for Lujuna Brown-Jackson.
100 reviews
October 26, 2023
Another outstanding, entertaining, roller coaster ride with the people of Shadows Landing! I enjoyed this book from start to finish and was only disappointed that it came to an end. I could live in this town and laugh with these people all day long! (Talk about fun!) And, don't get me started on the ghost and the wildlife in the form of onery allegators! I even find I want to join a knitting club that makes such "special" items that make you laugh out loud and blush until you are red in the face. The only downside is waiting for the next installment.
Profile Image for Lisa Smith.
1,056 reviews
November 5, 2023
Wow that was exciting, stone andNatalie were perfect for each other from the start. Stone was a professional hockey player for the Charleston Pirates. He moved Shadow Landing to be closer to his family. His sister Olivia moved there so he and his brothers followed. Natalie was a ballerina, she was being extorted and needed to move her father out of Russia to be safe. Her father was a NHL coach getting him to US was safe. So she thought. People were after Natalie and her life and the people around her were in danger too. Suspenseful and exciting read.
Profile Image for Dawn Gee.
2,995 reviews12 followers
November 19, 2023
Wonderfully entertaining new spinoff

You don't have to read Shadows Landing series but it will give the stories of most of the rest of the people in that town. Stone is introduced in previous books but we get the real guy in this one. He finally finds a woman that intrigues him. Natalie is a retired ballerina and meets Stone as part of his hockey rehab. The sparks fly with these two. The characters are likeable and fun to read. Natalie is in danger and Shadows Landing comes out to help.
Profile Image for Carlise.
502 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2024
Loved it..

Stone and Natalie make an awesome couple. Loved how they took time with their relationship and we got to see it slowly build up. Love seeing the Townsend brothers grape and get a glimpse into their past and how it shaped their future.

As always, we got to see some of our favorite Shadows Landings folks, Gator, Ms. Ruby, Ms. Winnie, etc..it’s always refreshing to hear from them with their antics. In this story however, Hunter and Maggie had stolen the show..their story should be good.
755 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2023
Absolutely loved this book. I will say this didn't have as much of the bad guy stuff that some of the other books do, but still had bad guys and well, bad guys don't win. Great action, light suspense, romance, and a lot of humor with the various characters. A few moments of seeing previous characters pop in. Miss Winnie, Miss Tibbie, Dare, Turtle, Skeeter, Gator, Bubba...
Kathleen did it again! Winner of a book.
1,896 reviews5 followers
October 28, 2023
I loved this introductory book to the Townsends series. Faithful readers of Kathleen Brooks will recognize the Townsend family from the Shadows Landing series. It was so much fun getting to know Stone and spending more time with his large group of siblings. Natalie was fascinating and just as much fun. This author always uses intelligent and capable female characters and Natalie is no exception. There's so much humor in this book and the romance is heartwarming!
Profile Image for Suzi.
1,011 reviews1 follower
November 9, 2023
great

Natalie has started her rehab/training facility and it has gotten off to a good start. She is settling nicely especially having dad coaching the local hockey team. Stone ends up injured during a game and ends up with Nat as he physical therapist helping him get back in shape. They both find they are attracted to each other but Nat has to first deal with break ends and a possible hitman before she can fall in love with Stone.
106 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2023
Amazing start to the series

Wow! What an amazing start to this new series. Kathleen has done it again. I could not put this book down and never guessed who was behind Natalie's problem. I absolutely love Natalie and Stone. Olivia is the best and I cannot wait to see what the future brings for the Townsend family.
4 reviews
October 25, 2023
New series

Awesome start to the new branch. Loved it of course. Some of the crossover from Keeneston is always a treat. I own all the books, and have read them several times, but I'm sure it could be confusing to a new reader. If you like this one, read all Shadows Landing books, but even better is go to the beginning with Will and Kenna in Blue Grass State of Mind.
270 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2023
Great start to a new Branch of the Shadows Landing crew.

What a great story about Stone Townsend and his finding love. Prima Ballerina (retired Spy) Nat Novak comes to Charleston to set up a new Sports Training-Rehab facility that also trains ballet dancers. Sparks fly when Stone is injured and he is sent to N2 for rehab.
Lots of action, fun, intrigue, and love in this book!!!
Profile Image for Kathy Brickert.
3,478 reviews17 followers
October 25, 2023
Loved it!

Another great tale from Shadows Landing! This starts off the series about Olivia's brothers, the Townsends. Of course there are spies, security and Apple pie involved! And we see Bubba for a bit, but the great crew of Shadow s Landing can always be depended on to show up engel mass! Great read!
65 reviews1 follower
October 28, 2023
great book.

Stone and Natalie are great together. When Natalie is in danger all the Townsends step up to help. The description of each of the brothers let’s you know more about the family. Many of the Shadows Landing characters make an appearance. And as always there is a happy ending.
Profile Image for Sharon Rudolph.
2,138 reviews
October 29, 2023
Great book

Kathleen's books are amazing! They keep you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out who is causing all the mayhem! The characters and the family are wonderful!! The storyline grabs you from the very first page! I am so excited to read about all the Townsend siblings.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews

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