When Zooey was a teenager she rebelled in all ways. The daughter of a minister, she liked to cross the line. Now, going through a hellish divorce, Zoey runs into the sisters of a childhood crush, Jude Braddock. Jude hearing about his sisters run in with Zoey, immediately flashes back to that one night… the problem is, Zoey is no longer the same girl and Jude is not the same boy.
Jude is a professional hockey player and gets all of the benefits that go along with that role. Tons of one night stands have given him a rotten reputation in the news. When he finds Zoey again, he spends hours of time trying to get her into bed. However, Zoey is going through a divorce, and while she is definitely attracted to Jude she is not going to break those vows before the papers are signed. Her dedication gives the two of them time to settle down and actually get to know each other again. Jude finds himself in a new role of supporter and friend. A role that does not come very easily to him.
I have to admit, I struggle with reading about sluts, whether they are male or female. Spending time in Jude’s head as he strategizes on how he wants to get Zoey in bed only annoyed me, but also being inside his head while he struggled with how to be a good friend to Zoey while she was fighting feelings of insecurity over her failed marriage, redeemed him a little. There was more to his storyline than just sex; trust issues with his teammates, sisters who were too much into his business, and his own feeling of low self esteem even though he was a pro hockey player. All of these things added to the story giving it more of a plot than he trying to sleep with Zoey, but unfortunately that was still the overriding theme.
Zoey was really forgiving of all of Jude’s sexual shenanigans and in fact was kind of turned on by his aggressiveness. Totally not my thing. I found myself overlooking and skimming through all of the sexy scenes trying to find heart. I did really like Zoey’s character. The contrast between a wild teen and a conservative adult who struggled with her identity and self esteem was interesting. The Jude who helped her find herself again, I liked. I just wish that we didn’t have to dig through so much of slutty Jude to find that guy. Zoey was the girl that got away for Jude, and the fact that she still meant so much to him after all of these years was sweet. Together as a couple, they did seem to bring out the best in each other and that was why I stuck with the book.
I do love sports romances and find it interesting that a lot of authors go the slutty male character route. Is that attractive to women? I guess? Maybe some women like the fantasy that a good woman can tame him? I like the fantasy of “this couple brings the best out in each other” and that’s why I gave it ❤️❤️❤️
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The Reading Chick 
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