6.20.2014 | Friday

On the Fly

category: Book Reviews
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On the Flytitle: On the Fly
author: Catherine Gayle
series: Portland Storm #2
published: 17 February 2014
publisher: Night Shift Publishing
genre(s): contemporary, romance, sports
pages: 270
source: book tour, publicist
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | BookBub | BookHype | Goodreads

rating: four-stars | series rating: five-stars
WARNING: This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.


the blurb

Injury after injury has put Brenden Campbell's NHL career on hold for years. Now he's playing for the Portland Storm and determined to make it stick. Few things in life drive him more than being told he can't have something he wants, and what he wants most is to prove he belongs. Brenden also wants Rachel Shaw, the cute, little redhead who just got hired as the general manager's new assistant. But then she went and made herself off-limits, telling him: "I don't date." Those three words pretty much guarantee that he'll do everything he can to change her mind. Rachel is changing things up on the fly for her family, moving them somewhere she can be the kind of mom her kids deserve. Allowing anyone else to be in their lives is out of the question, at least until her instincts get back on track. How else can she be sure who to steer the kids clear of? Right now she trusts no one, including herself, and especially not a man like Brenden Campbell. He's way too handsome and a little bit cocky. Falling for a guy like him is a mistake she can't afford to make twice.


my review

On the Fly is the second book in the Portland Storm and just as deeply intense and moving as the first.  The romance in these books is beautiful, made that much more beautiful in light of the pain and emotions of the rest of the story.  It  isn’t light and it isn’t fluffy.  But it is raw and real and even tortuously painful at times.  There were times, just like in the first story, that it brought me to tears.  The fact that there is hockey is just one more thing in its favor.

The characters in these books are really likable.  The last story focused on Dana and Eric, while this one focused on Dana’s brother Brenden and Rachel.  Brenden has been brought up to the majors and is fighting to keep his spot on the team.  Rachel is running from a past that has forever changed how she looks at other people, most especially men.  She has been let down and betrayed by just about everyone in her life and is left distrustful of everyone.

The romance that unfolds between Brenden and Rachel is a wee bit spicy, but is sweet to watch unfold.  Rachel’s pain is obvious and tangible, but it is Maddie that is at the center of the most beautiful moments in the book.  Jamie, another player on the team, is one of my favorites.  He is so completely sweet, kind and sweet to Dana in the last book and equally as amazing to Rachel, Maddie, and Tuck in this one.

Interestingly, there is another story line that was introduced and I am hoping that was a teaser to a new story in the Portland Storm series.

Things to love…

  • Jamie.  He is an incredible character and I am hoping one of the future books in the series focuses on him.
  • Tuck.  The kid is infectiously adorable and reminds me of my own little guy.
  • Maddie.  I wanted to dive into my Kindle and love on her.

Things I wanted more/less of…

  • Less insta-love.  No, it wasn’t really instant, but it sometimes felt too fast for the emotional situations.

I really enjoy this series.  I love the hockey, I love the emotional depth, I love the characters!

About Catherine Gayle

Catherine Gayle is a bestselling author of Regency-set historical romance and contemporary hockey romance with a New Adult feel. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.

Rating Report
plot
four-stars
characters
four-stars
writing
four-stars
pacing
four-stars
Overall: four-stars

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