Title: Fair Play
Series: Hat Trick, #1
Author: Samantha Wayland
Genre: Contemporary/Hockey
Length: Novel (284 pages)
Publisher: Loch Awe Press (October 25th, 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5
Blurb: Savannah Morrison is the new athletic trainer for the Moncton Ice Cats, a professional hockey team in the wilds of New Brunswick. It’s a good thing she’s got plenty of knowledge and grit, because as the only female trainer in the league, she has to work twice as hard to win the players’ respect. The last thing on earth she would do is date one of them.
Twelve-year hockey veteran Garrick LeBlanc isn’t ready to hang up his skates, particularly since he hasn’t figured out what the hell he’s planning to do next. He needs the new trainer to keep him fit to play, and she’s got the skills to do it. Too bad, he lost his mind and hit on her the day they met. Now she hates his guts and he’s made an art of ignoring her.
When the team is put up for sale, Garrick and Savannah have to work together to save their jobs and their team. Somewhere along the way, they discover Garrick isn’t just a hockey player, Savannah isn’t only passionate about her work, and just maybe they’ve got more in common than they thought.
Contains brief M/M content. Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty more in Book 2. 🙂
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Fair-Play-Hat-Trick-Book-ebook/dp/B00G6624U6
Reviewer: GiGi
Review: I’m a huge hockey fan, so the action on the ice is what drew me to this series to start with. The heat is what kept me coming back for more! In the midst of hockey season and with the excitement of the Olympic hockey teams in peak fervor, I figured I better get this review done ASAP!
For the non-initiated in hockey A hat-trick refers to the achievement of a positive feat three times or more during a game, or other achievements based on threes aka, three goals in a row…and Samantha Wayland is well on her way to that! She has renewed my faith in M/F romance! Not to worry gay-rom readers, there is plenty of homoerotic content and there are M/M couples in the next part of this series.
Savannah Morrison is\not some simpering femme fatale in need of rescue, fawning over the men she works with. No, she is a kick-arse intelligent woman, dedicated to her career, and able to make smart decisions for herself, including the ability to defend herself with gumption and a roll of tape. After shooting down Garrick more than once, she finally starts to see him in a new light after giving their professional and then friendly relationship a chance.
Throughout this book, Savannah has to stand her ground as a female sports physical trainer working in one of the most testosterone infused male sports…hockey. She has to stand her ground and act professional while dealing with numerous come-ons and jerks who don’t take her seriously. When team member Bobby, the son of a rich local business (see mob) man starts to get aggressive and threatening, Garrick catches on, but learns not to go all cave man on Savannah, but lets her stand her own ground while protecting her from a distance.
Among all this activity, and the growing attraction to Garrick she tries to suppress, they find out the team is up for sale, and Bobby’s dad is trying to buy it. This all spells trouble, and new job-hunting for Savannah. The tough and most intriguing part of this book is that when things get hot between Savannah and Garrick (and oh, boy do they!) Savannah has real difficult decisions to make. Does she follow her dreams, her career goals or does she let her new relationship with Garrick keep her there. Or can she have both?
And as for Garrick, his love of hockey and his love of Savannah are tearing him in many directions. He knows his playing career is coming to an end, so now Garrick needs to think about what he is going to do in a future without hockey. Maybe he can save his team from a corrupt new buyer and plan for his future career, one with Savannah hundreds of miles away following her own goals.
Lots of action, drama and a bit of hockey tossed in. It’s fun to imagine pushing and pulling these professional athletes around to help their bodies heal and develop into the fine honed skating machines they are. And the sexual encounters…damn, I believe at one point I was even short of breath! Hot and heavy doesn’t begin to describe the amazingly written erotic scenes. This is part of a trilogy and the path is set for a bit of M/M in the next one so get Two Man Advantage queued up!
This is a great M/F read, with a dominant, strong female character that doesn’t belittle the alpha men at all! Both are strong, intelligent, complex, and sexy as hell! Yes, I believe you have a Hat Trick on your hands Samantha Wayland!