Review: Boarded by Love by Toni Aleo

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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*****