Seattle Sockeyes Hockey (Game On in Seattle Book 1)

Ethan has finally realized his dream of bringing the NHL to Seattle, and he can't wait to start looking at the details of the team more closely. Luckily, he has Lauren, Assistant Director of Player Personnel to help him gather the information he wants. It also doesn't hurt that there is quite a bit of chemistry between the two. The problem: Ethan can't tell Lauren he is the new team owner due to a gag order from the league. Lauren has been lied to before; once she finds out she has been deceived, will she forgive him?

This was a great start to a series! I felt as though I was in from the beginning with the "new" team and the characters were great. Ethan and Lauren are both driven, yet torn in how to continue with each other, and I appreciated that Ms. Davenport had their relationship develop at a normal pace rather than the instantaneous head-over-heels, love-at-first-sight that tends to be prevalent in current romance. To me, that build up is what made the story so believable--of course we know there is a reveal followed by an HEA, but at the same time the suspense comes from not knowing when/how things are going to be fixed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

When Ethan Parker buys a struggling hockey team and plans to move it to Seattle, a gag order preventing him from discussing the change in ownership until after the playoffs means he has to get creative if he wants to learn more about the inner workings of the organization. Pretending to represent a potential buyer seems to be the best solution, and it certainly gets him an insider's look, but his attraction to the assistant personnel director may be more of a challenge than he can beat.

But... "Should of…" Not have. Of.
Really?
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say about an editing job that fails at second grade English.

The Verdict: It's not uncommon for one of the main characters in a romance novel to be keeping a big secret, but usually it's for entirely selfish or stupid reasons. So it's great to read a story where the plot twists around a bit of deception that actually makes total sense.

Lauren isn't taken seriously by the team owners or good old boys management staff, and while she may have a decent job title, her job amounts to little more than glorified secretary. It doesn't help that her father is one of the many men in hockey that overlooks her contributions. So when she hears that the owners are selling, she's got her fingers crossed that the change will bring new opportunities for both her and the team. And that's where Lauren deviates from what I thought would be a typical romance novel heroine. While she couldn't exactly keep away from Ethan — and really, who would want her to? — she knew her own worth, both in work and in love, and she wasn't going to let misplaced loyalties or a bunch of chauvinists keep her from succeeding. She may not have wanted the team to move cities, but she knew better than to let herself be manipulated into something that wasn't best for anyone.

Now, I have to say that Ethan got on my nerves a little at first. While I liked him, he was awfully sure of himself, and when it came to light that he'd fairly recently been involved with an employee — hence his hesitation in giving into his attraction to Lauren — I had a hard time reconciling him with who I knew would emerge for the happily ever after. However, I loved that he kept his true involvement with the team hidden from Lauren because he was legally bound to, not because he had the typical screwy idea that she wouldn't understand or would otherwise turn away if she knew the truth. It's strange how uncommon that is. Normally whoever's keeping the big secret is ruled by pride or arrogance or something else that really doesn't matter all that much, but in Ethan's case, he really didn't have much of a choice.

The romance was also paced very well, with just enough hesitation (for good reason) from both characters and just enough chemistry to make sure they gave in soon enough. It balanced out the overconfidence Ethan initially showed and added a bit more depth to the characters and the story. All in all, Skating on Thin Ice, is a classic romance story line injected with a bit more realism, providing exactly what one might expect from a romance novel while ditching a lot of the usual cliches and formulaic character mistakes.

***FicCentral received this book from Tasty Book Tours for free in exchange for an honest review. Even so, we're far too opinionated to let a freebie influence our thoughts or the contents of the reviews we post here.

I received a Complimentary Reviewer's copy of Skating on Thin Ice for an honest review.
The first in the Game On series Skating on Thin Ice sets the back story and new foundation of the Seattle Sockeyes hockey team.
Originally the Sockeyes were the Giants, a failing hockey team but with hidden potential and a less than quality support network.
Ethan Parker is a passionate hockey fan and has the means and connections to resurrect this hockey team from the quagmire in which it finds itself, but not without some challenges.
One of the redeeming aspects of the Giants team is Lauren Schneider and her forward thinking and innovative take on all things hockey.
Skating on Thin Ice follows the push and pull of the business enterprise of a team take over as well as the relationships forged during this time. In all things complex, pride is often a casualty.

I loved the start of this series. The characters were well thought out and they meshed well together. The players personalities and the hidden secrets made the story that much more entertaining.
Ethan has a secret he just can't divulge, even though in his heart he wants to. Lauren has trust issues that Ethan can't get past in the beginning. I loved their chemistry and loyalty to one another, even if that loyalty couldn't be hammered out until near the end. I'm excited for the upcoming events of this series!!

Skating on Thin Ice is all about fighting for what you believe in. On and off the ice. Ethan and Lauren are both very passionate about hockey. Ethan wanting to move the team to Seattle. And Lauren wanting to save the FL team. Their passion for hockey brings them together in an unlikely team. A great story with great characters full of passion and heart. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

Ethan and Lauren shared a passion for hockey. They also had a passion for each other but needed to learn to trust because they've been burned in the past. That passion for hockey brings them together to become the King and Queen of hockey. Awesome book.

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/
I received a copy of this book to write an honest review for Cocktails and Books.
Jami Davenport writes an exciting hockey romance with sizzling chemistry and just the right amount of tension. Ethan Williams has always been obsessed with hockey and his dream has been to buy a professional hockey team. Ethan comes to gather information about the Giants a professional hockey team while they are in the playoffs and he’s keeping his real identity a secret from everyone. While he’s there, Ethan doesn’t count on meeting Lauren. Lauren is assigned to help Ethan and answer any questions he may have about the team. Lauren loves hockey and knows everything about it. She works in a clerical position for the Giants and is hard working, independent and speaks her mind. She finds it frustrating working in this male dominated world because she isn’t taken her seriously. Ethan admires everything about Lauren and he can’t stop thinking about her. She knows hockey plus she is sexy as hell. They work closely together and although Lauren doesn’t trust Ethan, she is attracted to him. Ethan knows he should keep things professional and impersonal but he has a hard time fighting his growing attraction to Lauren.
Even though Ethan is wealthy, he is a nice guy. He always tries to do the right thing and is never condescending. He is hardworking, fair, and nice to everyone. No one on the Giants team trusts Ethan, but they grudgingly start to respect him. I especially like how Ethan treats Lauren, he never tries to take advantage of her and he is impressed with her knowledge about hockey.
This is the first book in the Game On in Settle series. I enjoyed everything about this story, the writing, characters and the passion between Ethan and Lauren. Jami Davenports writes an intoxicating story with realistic characters who are struggling to do the right thing under tough circumstances. I like both Ethan and Lauren and wanted them to work through their problems so they could find a way to be together.

Jami Davenport is a new author to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It grabbed me from the beginning to the end. Ethan and Lauren's chemistry is palpable, but can they survive the secret once it is revealed? You can feel the emotions in this book between the characters. I also enjoyed the hockey!! I hope you enjoy this book as well as I have.

Ethan has finally realized his dream of bringing the NHL to Seattle, and he can't wait to start looking at the details of the team more closely. Luckily, he has Lauren, Assistant Director of Player Personnel to help him gather the information he wants. It also doesn't hurt that there is quite a bit of chemistry between the two. The problem: Ethan can't tell Lauren he is the new team owner due to a gag order from the league. Lauren has been lied to before; once she finds out she has been deceived, will she forgive him?

This was a great start to a series! I felt as though I was in from the beginning with the "new" team and the characters were great. Ethan and Lauren are both driven, yet torn in how to continue with each other, and I appreciated that Ms. Davenport had their relationship develop at a normal pace rather than the instantaneous head-over-heels, love-at-first-sight that tends to be prevalent in current romance. To me, that build up is what made the story so believable--of course we know there is a reveal followed by an HEA, but at the same time the suspense comes from not knowing when/how things are going to be fixed.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

When Ethan Parker buys a struggling hockey team and plans to move it to Seattle, a gag order preventing him from discussing the change in ownership until after the playoffs means he has to get creative if he wants to learn more about the inner workings of the organization. Pretending to represent a potential buyer seems to be the best solution, and it certainly gets him an insider's look, but his attraction to the assistant personnel director may be more of a challenge than he can beat.

But... "Should of…" Not have. Of.
Really?
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say about an editing job that fails at second grade English.

The Verdict: It's not uncommon for one of the main characters in a romance novel to be keeping a big secret, but usually it's for entirely selfish or stupid reasons. So it's great to read a story where the plot twists around a bit of deception that actually makes total sense.

Lauren isn't taken seriously by the team owners or good old boys management staff, and while she may have a decent job title, her job amounts to little more than glorified secretary. It doesn't help that her father is one of the many men in hockey that overlooks her contributions. So when she hears that the owners are selling, she's got her fingers crossed that the change will bring new opportunities for both her and the team. And that's where Lauren deviates from what I thought would be a typical romance novel heroine. While she couldn't exactly keep away from Ethan — and really, who would want her to? — she knew her own worth, both in work and in love, and she wasn't going to let misplaced loyalties or a bunch of chauvinists keep her from succeeding. She may not have wanted the team to move cities, but she knew better than to let herself be manipulated into something that wasn't best for anyone.

Now, I have to say that Ethan got on my nerves a little at first. While I liked him, he was awfully sure of himself, and when it came to light that he'd fairly recently been involved with an employee — hence his hesitation in giving into his attraction to Lauren — I had a hard time reconciling him with who I knew would emerge for the happily ever after. However, I loved that he kept his true involvement with the team hidden from Lauren because he was legally bound to, not because he had the typical screwy idea that she wouldn't understand or would otherwise turn away if she knew the truth. It's strange how uncommon that is. Normally whoever's keeping the big secret is ruled by pride or arrogance or something else that really doesn't matter all that much, but in Ethan's case, he really didn't have much of a choice.

The romance was also paced very well, with just enough hesitation (for good reason) from both characters and just enough chemistry to make sure they gave in soon enough. It balanced out the overconfidence Ethan initially showed and added a bit more depth to the characters and the story. All in all, Skating on Thin Ice, is a classic romance story line injected with a bit more realism, providing exactly what one might expect from a romance novel while ditching a lot of the usual cliches and formulaic character mistakes.

***FicCentral received this book from Tasty Book Tours for free in exchange for an honest review. Even so, we're far too opinionated to let a freebie influence our thoughts or the contents of the reviews we post here.

I received a Complimentary Reviewer's copy of Skating on Thin Ice for an honest review.
The first in the Game On series Skating on Thin Ice sets the back story and new foundation of the Seattle Sockeyes hockey team.
Originally the Sockeyes were the Giants, a failing hockey team but with hidden potential and a less than quality support network.
Ethan Parker is a passionate hockey fan and has the means and connections to resurrect this hockey team from the quagmire in which it finds itself, but not without some challenges.
One of the redeeming aspects of the Giants team is Lauren Schneider and her forward thinking and innovative take on all things hockey.
Skating on Thin Ice follows the push and pull of the business enterprise of a team take over as well as the relationships forged during this time. In all things complex, pride is often a casualty.

I loved the start of this series. The characters were well thought out and they meshed well together. The players personalities and the hidden secrets made the story that much more entertaining.
Ethan has a secret he just can't divulge, even though in his heart he wants to. Lauren has trust issues that Ethan can't get past in the beginning. I loved their chemistry and loyalty to one another, even if that loyalty couldn't be hammered out until near the end. I'm excited for the upcoming events of this series!!

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/
I received a copy of this book to write an honest review for Cocktails and Books.
Jami Davenport writes an exciting hockey romance with sizzling chemistry and just the right amount of tension. Ethan Williams has always been obsessed with hockey and his dream has been to buy a professional hockey team. Ethan comes to gather information about the Giants a professional hockey team while they are in the playoffs and he’s keeping his real identity a secret from everyone. While he’s there, Ethan doesn’t count on meeting Lauren. Lauren is assigned to help Ethan and answer any questions he may have about the team. Lauren loves hockey and knows everything about it. She works in a clerical position for the Giants and is hard working, independent and speaks her mind. She finds it frustrating working in this male dominated world because she isn’t taken her seriously. Ethan admires everything about Lauren and he can’t stop thinking about her. She knows hockey plus she is sexy as hell. They work closely together and although Lauren doesn’t trust Ethan, she is attracted to him. Ethan knows he should keep things professional and impersonal but he has a hard time fighting his growing attraction to Lauren.
Even though Ethan is wealthy, he is a nice guy. He always tries to do the right thing and is never condescending. He is hardworking, fair, and nice to everyone. No one on the Giants team trusts Ethan, but they grudgingly start to respect him. I especially like how Ethan treats Lauren, he never tries to take advantage of her and he is impressed with her knowledge about hockey.
This is the first book in the Game On in Settle series. I enjoyed everything about this story, the writing, characters and the passion between Ethan and Lauren. Jami Davenports writes an intoxicating story with realistic characters who are struggling to do the right thing under tough circumstances. I like both Ethan and Lauren and wanted them to work through their problems so they could find a way to be together.

Skating on Thin Ice is all about fighting for what you believe in. On and off the ice. Ethan and Lauren are both very passionate about hockey. Ethan wanting to move the team to Seattle. And Lauren wanting to save the FL team. Their passion for hockey brings them together in an unlikely team. A great story with great characters full of passion and heart. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

Ethan and Lauren shared a passion for hockey. They also had a passion for each other but needed to learn to trust because they've been burned in the past. That passion for hockey brings them together to become the King and Queen of hockey. Awesome book.

Jami has an awesome writing style, and got me hooked on this series. This is the first in a great sports series. Ethan and Lauren build up a great thing in Seattle, and if you like sports romances, this is the book /the series for you!