Second Shot with #76

Piper Rayne

Apr 2022 · Hockey Hotties Book 5 · Piper Rayne, Inc.

About this ebook

My mom always said you don’t get a second shot at making a first impression. I’ve remembered that my entire career. Especially since I’m one of the few black men who play professional hockey. 

 

I’m calculated and respectful in the way I speak to my coaches, the owners, and the media. I’ve never taken a risk… until her.

 

I could blame it on the fact that for once I pushed away the pressure of my career for the ocean waves, the sand, and good times with my new teammates. But those are excuses because the minute I saw her at the airport, something lit up inside me and the best week of my life was spent with her in my bed. 

 

After our week in paradise, we said goodbye, exchanged phone numbers and both assumed that unless one of us was flying through the other’s city on the opposite side of the country, our vacation fling was over. 

 

Then one night after practice I see her. She’s here. In my city. Telling me she moved here for a job. If that’s not fate tell me what is.

 

I’ve never wanted a second shot more than I do this time, but she’s determined to leave what we were on the island we left behind.

 

Ratings and reviews

Rounded to 3.5 Stars. Second Shot with #76 is the fifth book in the Hockey Hotties series. This series is steamy and full of hot hockey players that are falling into coupledom. The books can be read as stand-alones but they are better if read in order. I was looking forward to this book, but I must admit it is not my favorite one of the series. I didn’t feel as connected to the main characters as I did in the previous ones and the storyline had some twists that I did not like. I loved the second chance Corey and Ande got when they found each other again after their vacation fling. They had a strong connection between them, but I didn’t like the villain that was part of the twist or who she was. I also don’t feel like Corey and Ande’s issue really got resolved, it just got pushed to the side. Overall, I love the series and was happy to see all the players and their families again. The connection between the team is strong and they have formed their own little family, so I hope the next book doesn’t ruin that. I am looking forward to Kane’s book and seeing how his new job works out. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the fifth book in the series. We got a little taste of Cory and Ande in the novella Tropical Hat Trick. Now we get the rest of their journey. I've been intrigued by the rookie Cory. One scene that stood out to me was when Cory met a little boy who really looked up to him because Cory is biracial playing a sport that is not common for Black players. It was a really sweet touching scene. I did like Ande and Cory together. They're getting a second chance at what could have been. They have quite the journey. I loved Ande's friend Trevor. He was just plain awesome! This book definitely had a different feel to it for me then the previous books in the series. Like always I love this bunch and I love the team camaraderie. They are what draws me back each time. I can't wait for the next book in the series after the little tease we got at the end of this one. It's going to be so good!

Second Shot with #76 has all of the things you would want out of a romance! It's fun, full of emotion and the friendship between Cory, Warner and Kane is the best! Cory Freeman is a rookie for the Florida Fury and like many rookies, he's loving life and living it up to the fullest extent. While at one of his teammates weddings, he had a week long fling with Ande and while it was only supposed to be that week, he can't stop thinking about her. Knowing they don't live in the same location, he doesn't reach out to her. Much to Cory's surprise, he learns that Ande is now living in the same town with him and he had no idea. She's recently moved to town for a new job and while she still thinks about Cory as well, she doesn't trust him enough to want to date him. Unfortunately his playboy ways have made headlines and that's not what she wants. Things get even more complicated between Cory and Ande once they reconnect. Will they be able to figure out a way to make it past one bombshell that is dropped or will the second chance they both want be blown to smithereens? I enjoyed both Cory and Ande, and I loved the bromance between Cory, Warner and Kane. So great! The one thing that did bug me a bit was the advice that Ande took from someone in the book (I don't want to spoil anything!) on how to handle being hurt by Cory. It seemed below Ande's character. I understand she was being influenced, but I still didn't love that part. Overall though, these two characters were great and I'm glad they got their second chance!

About the author

Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they're married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they're both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!