Reviewed by Karen Lee
Saying Claire has not had the best childhood is an
understatement. Her mother was a drug addicted, stripper who only kept her
daughter around as leverage to get money from her uncle, Phillip. So when her
mother ended up dead, Claire moved in with her uncle and his girlfriend, now
fiancé Reese and they became her parents. Although she pushed them away with
her actions and words, they always came back, fought back to show her they
would not leave her and would love her unconditionally. For the first time in her
life, someone loved her, expecting nothing in return and she loved them back. Claire
is now a sophomore in college and dreams of having a career as a choreographer.
Having already won several awards, she is working hard and studying relentlessly
to make this dream come true.
Jude Sinclair has hockey in his blood. As soon as he and his
brothers were able to skate, they were playing hockey and college is the next
step to the ultimate goal. THE NHL. Now everyone has that dream, that someday
they will go pro, but Jude has the talent to achieve just that, and will
probably be doing so at the end of this academic school year. It will just be a
matter of which city he ends up in to play and live out his dream.
When Claire encounters the self-confident captain of the
hockey team, Jude Sinclair, she is more than just leery of his interest in her.
His reputation is well known and he has trouble written all over him. However
the attraction is undeniable. His cocky attitude and persistence to talk to her
is endearing and she relents and goes on a date with him, and then another. The
chemistry they have is undeniable, but is the heat sustainable? Will it burn
out and what they are experiencing, is it just lust or really love. Only time
will help them figure it out, if she is truly his game changer and he is
someone she can trust to love her, unconditionally.
OMG, I F’loved this book. This is the first book I have read
about the Nashville Assassins, but it won’t be my last. That being said, I
believe some of the characters are in other books but this can definitely be
read as a standalone. I loved Jude and his cocky attitude, Claire and her
snarky quips , and the love Reese and Phillip showed Claire. This review could
be pages long, yeah it is that good,
that I could go on and on about it.
There are smiles and tears and everything in between and when Phillip
and Jude finally meet on the ice that was by far, my favorite scene. I will
smile every time I hear the song Rude. Great job, again Toni Aleo, worthy of
the Stanley Cup ;)! *****5
stars*****
