Poke Check by R.J. Scott & V.L. Locey

Title: Poke Check

Series: Harrisburg Railers 04

Author: R.J. Scott & V.L. Locey

Genre: Contemporary, Sports

Length: Novella (178pgs)

ISBN: 9781785641138

Publisher: Love Lane Books (14th February 2018)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: One scorching summer in each other’s arms could never be enough.

Stanislav “Stan” Lyamin is happy playing for the Railers. The towering goalie is well-loved, respected, and making a home for himself even though that home only contains him, his cat, and his growing Pokemon trading card collection. Stan prefers it that way.

He’d given his heart to a man in a secret affair, and that man walked away, leaving Stan shattered. Now Erik is back in his life, and he has the same tumultuous effect he had on Stan’s heart as before. This time it’s not just a kissable mouth and sweet blond curls that Erik has brought to Harrisburg, there’s a soon-to-be ex-wife and a precious baby.

Despite the vow Stan made to hate Erik forever, he’s now finding it harder and harder to turn away.

Erik Gunnarsson’s dream had always been to play in the NHL, he just never imagined he’d land a contract with the Railers. Who would have thought that fate would put him on the same team as Stanislav Lyamin; the man whose heart he’d callously broken?

Secrets and lies had defined their summer relationship, and the choice that Erik made to end it all haunts him still. In the middle of a messy divorce and with a baby in tow, Erik finds himself back in Stan’s life. Now all he has to do is be the best dad he can be, prove to the team that he deserves the chance to stay on the roster and try his hardest to get Stan to forgive him.

Is it possible to persuade a man who hates you to give love a second chance?

Purchase Link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: This story is part of a series and I strongly recommend reading the entire series in order.

Whoo hoo! We finally have Stan’s story and it a true beauty!

As Erik Gunnarsson walks into the Harrisburg Railers changing rooms he’s filled with trepidation not because he is about to meet his new team mates, but because he’s about to come face to face with the man he walked away from after a whirlwind summer of love. Stan doesn’t want to see the man who took his heart and stomped on it, but as he doesn’t have a choice he sucks it up and decides to ignore the man, but when he meets Erik’s baby son Noah he can’t resist as the sweet little baby worms his way into his heart.

This is a wonderfully written story that tugs at your heart strings as Erik’s struggles to be a single parent and a hockey player on a strict budget and Stan has to struggle with his heart as he faces the man he loves again.

I loved this story, getting to see from Stan’s eyes and his unique thoughts was just amazing, he is such a down to earth loveable guy who adores his sister and mother. He just melts your heart so completely that he could kill someone in front of you and you’d just ‘aww’ him. Erik is amazing, he really is, he walked away from Stan with many regrets and paupered himself to have his son. He’s done everything he can to be the best dad he can be and now he’s in a new town living in a crappy apartment and struggling to balance his life as a dad with his life as a hockey player. Damn, you just want to take him home and mother the hell out of him and Noah.

This is a fantastic story where two characters are just perfect for each other; they are so well written that you can imagine actually meeting them in everyday life. Their story is just brilliant, their relationship woes are fully fleshed out giving you something to really invest in, Stan is a stubborn Russian while Erik is an easy going slightly stressed Swede each man has his own worries and together they strike sparks.

I recommend this to those who love sports stories, who adore hockey players, who melt at strong Russian’s with a soft centre, who adore Swede’s who would give up everything for a tiny baby, who love a tense and passionate reunion, and a wonderful happy ending.