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Sunday, June 9, 2024

ARC Review: Restraint (Stingrays Hockey #1)

Restraint (Stingrays Hockey #1)

Mari Carr

Blurb:

Girlfriend…without benefits?

Hometown hockey hero, Blake has life completely figured out. He’s footloose and fancy free with the world’s coolest job and an endless parade of puck bunnies ready to help him celebrate his victories. The status quo is working for him, so why does he agree to co-parent a stray puppy with his too-serious, workaholic neighbor, Erika? And why is he so annoyed when she suddenly starts dating some tool named Doug? And why can’t he stop finding excuses to see her and touch her and kiss her and… She’s not his girlfriend, right?

Erika has enough on her plate as an ER doctor without adding any more stress to her life. So adopting a dog with Blake, the fun-loving, never-take-anything-serious, commitment-phobe across the hall is a stupid idea, right? Of course, she also probably shouldn’t be his plus-one for charity galas either. Or seeking comfort from him during a thunderstorm. Or kissing his five-for-fighting boo-boos better. Or letting him teach her how to “reduce stress” with her personal toy collection. After all, he’s not her boyfriend. Is he?

So what happens when two people reluctant to commit find love where they least expect it… Right across the hall.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 


Review:

I always love when a favorite author gives me a new series, I can sink my teeth into, and Mari has definitely done that with this first story about a sexy Hocky player and the gorgeous no-nonsense neighbor that steal his heart. The humor, passion, and beauty that drives this romance will keep you not only laughing but wondering if these two so difference characters can come to understand that they are truly made for one another. Mari Carr is one of those authors that loves to have readers on the edge of their seats, wondering if they are going to get that HEA or not, right up until the very end, but that tension and anticipation is what makes it great. I loved every moment of this story from the tears to the growth of two people that truly come to learn so much about themselves as they open their eye and their hearts to the perfect mate that was right in front of them all along. Because sometimes we find our mates in the most unlikely of places and realizing it is the hard part of the equation.

Blake Wright is a hockey hottie, with no interest in settling for one woman in his bed when he can enjoy all the flavors of the rainbow, so to speak.  But he enjoys spending time with his neighbor, uptight ER doctor Erika Nelson, one of those women that is definitely looking for a forever kind of guy. While she is hot, he knows that there is no way that he can give her what she needs, but the more time he spends with her, teasing her about her atrocious dates, and rescuing her, the more he feels a deeper connection to her.  Erika has been attracted to the sexy hockey player next door since she moved in, but she isn’t a one-night stand kind of woman, and she won’t be just another notch on his headboard, but when they rescue a puppy and become coparents, they are soon spending so much time together that resisting him his futile.  Maybe giving in to their attraction, just for a little while won’t destroy their friendship, after all they are adults and can handle a fling without losing their heads and hearts, can’t they? Because two people that so obviously want two different things out of life can’t have a future together, unless they were wrong about what they need—and maybe they just need one another.

I cannot tell you how much I loved these two characters, especially Erika. Blake was your typical bachelor playboy, with some redeeming qualities that come to light as he learns more about his own wants from life and opens his heart to Erika.  He’s obviously exquisitely handsome, a little dangerous, a little reckless, and alpha, but he’s also caring, sweet, and loving to those that he lets into his inner circle.  Once he began to see Erika as his friend, he took time to make sure she always has what she needs to make life easier, improve her life, even when they are just friends, before they began their relationship. He understands the value of friendship and caring, even though he didn’t realize how important that was as a foundation for the relationship he was building with Erika. Once his eyes were opened to the fact that he had been in love with Erika for a long time, admitting it to himself, he becomes and even better guy.  And lets just put out there that this guy is obsessed and sweet as hell with a cute little chihuahua puppy—doesn’t get much cuter than that. Erika on the other hand is one of those women that we all want to be.  She’s a badass at her job, brave enough to be friends with a group of sexy hickey player, keeping them in line and not falling prey to their charms, despite them being beyond HOTT.  She is smart, sweet, caring, and just the whole package, even though she seems to not understand the idea of dating, since she has been in a relationship without the good stuff for far too long. She is also smart and snarky enough to keep you laughing with she is playing with Blake, while so many doctor heroines are very staid and serious, which gives her another layer of cool.

Mari Carr’s new series about a kick-ass team of hockey players is shaping up to be awesome.  Restraint kicks off with a bang as two people that never imagined they would ever move out of the friend-zone find love together—and adopt a furbaby. Playboy Blake learns that love can come in all forms, even from the friendship of a woman that he never imagined would steal his heart.  He is the perfect character to show us all that sometimes all it takes for these guys to grow up is the love and dedication of the right woman. Erika never imagines that the best friend she ever had would be the man who steal her heart, but he slowly wears her down and proves to her that their relationship is worth risking it all for, and that they can have so much more together if they both just open their hearts. I loved every word of this story, the passion was an undercurrent even when they were both pretending it was “just friends”, but once they admitted it was more, watch out because the fire was unleashed.  I am dying for more of these hot hockey guys and look forward to seeing the woman that bring them down. Mari has struck gold again with the Stingrays Hockey series for sure.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

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