4.5 stars
It’s been decades since blackmail
forced Troy Callahan to retire from playing professional hockey, and he’s built
a successful career behind the bench. When he’s offered the opportunity to
coach the Asheville Ravens—the most hated team in the ECHL—he’s convinced that
his no-nonsense attitude is just what the team needs to put their focus back on
hockey. But Troy is disheartened when he finds out the Ravens have signed Shane
North, a player known for his aggression—especially when Shane’s rough good
looks have Troy thinking inappropriate thoughts about a player, even if he’s
set to retire at the end of the season.
Shane’s career in the majors never quite took off. Wanting to quit on his own terms, Shane agrees to a one-year contract with the Ravens and finds himself playing for a coach who thinks he’s an aging goon, and with a team that doesn’t trust him, Troy, or each other. Despite his determination not to get involved, Shane unwillingly becomes part of the team… and is just as unwillingly drawn to the gruff, out-and-proud coach. As the Ravens struggle to build a new identity, Shane and Troy succumb to the passion that might cost them everything.
Shane’s career in the majors never quite took off. Wanting to quit on his own terms, Shane agrees to a one-year contract with the Ravens and finds himself playing for a coach who thinks he’s an aging goon, and with a team that doesn’t trust him, Troy, or each other. Despite his determination not to get involved, Shane unwillingly becomes part of the team… and is just as unwillingly drawn to the gruff, out-and-proud coach. As the Ravens struggle to build a new identity, Shane and Troy succumb to the passion that might cost them everything.
We love us some sports romances, and this much anticipated #5 in the
Scoring Chances series does NOT disappoint, sexy hockey players make for sexy
times.
Coach Troy Callahan is taking a chance and accepted a coaching position
with the much maligned Asheville Ravens.
The team is reeling from the abuse of their last coach, and he needs a
new start as well. But when the GM
offers a 1-year contract to an aging hockey player the attraction between the
two of them is a distraction that Troy doesn’t need. But Shane is still in the
closet, and is looking for a quiet place to retire from hockey.
This is book #5 in the Scoring Chances series, and although we get to
see some our favorite hockey players and coaches, this is not a continuation of
a story. But what it does share with the
other books in the series is the sexy, hot delicious hockey players. The chemistry that Avon Gale creates between
her characters is hot, and Troy and Shane are molten fire. You can feel the chemistry between these two
men, and when they finally come together, it is molten! And as they are a bit
older men, the angst is low low low, thank goodness. They both know what they want and don’t make
excuses for the pull between them.
There is lots happening in Coach’s Challenge, the sport-romance aside,
it is a bit of a May-December, with a forbidden coach-player love affair, yet
it all works so well. Avon Gale is a
master story-teller, her words flow and spectacular writing adds so much to this
story. We didn’t roll our eyes, skim or guffaw
even once. It is an easy story to read,
and that is not always an easy feat to accomplish.
So let’s talk about Shane and Troy.
They are fun, flirty, and sexy. There
is an easy banter between the men that adds a layer of humor to their relationship;
it isn’t just about the forbidden sex, but you see their relationship
developing. But woohoo, the between-the-sheets
action is red-hot, and the sexual tension is scorching, they can’t keep their
hands off each other. One thing we did
miss was a bit more intimacy, they are playful and sexy, but we wished we had a
few more tender words between these men.
Yes, Coach’s Challenge is #5 in the series that keep s getting better
and better. This is a sport-romance that
works on so many levels and is a MUST read!
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