Blurb:
He can block
every shot on the ice…except the one straight to his heart.
Victor Reed has
crushed opponents on the ice for over a decade—but nothing knocks the grumpy,
foul-mouthed defenseman off his game like being forced to share his off-season
home with his four-year-old whirlwind niece, Pip…and her maddeningly cheerful
nanny.
Belle is all
sunshine and sparkles, the kind of woman who hums while she folds laundry and
believes every problem can be solved with kindness. Victor’s convinced she was
sent to torment him—until she downloads a dating app and starts lining up dates
with men who are absolutely wrong for her.
He’s not jealous.
Definitely not.
He’s
just…protective. And if he “accidentally” scares off a few of her suitors?
Well, someone has to keep her safe.
But when Belle’s
big heart starts drifting out of his orbit, Victor is forced to face the truth:
the Baltimore Stingrays’ resident beast has fallen for his beauty. And if he
doesn’t change his game fast, he might lose the only woman who’s ever made his
house—and his life—feel like home.
Themes: Contemporary, Sports
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Sexy,
grumpy beast meets his match in a sweet, sparkly princess of a woman when two
longtime friendly acquaintances are forced into VERY close quarters and have to
find a way to cope with their new feelings. Mari Carr is one of my favorite
authors and when she takes on a trope like grumpy-sunshine or beauty and beast
you can bet it will be written to perfection, especially when she throws them
together, and adds a sprinkle of a couple of others just for spice. In this latest
story in the Stingrays Hockey Series, Carr reminds us that sometimes your
perfect match has been right in front of your eyes all along, even to the point
that others knew you belonged together when you didn’t. I loved watching Belle
and Victor stumble around one another, specially making mistakes and learning
that their attraction went much deeper than either of them were prepared for as
they came to terms with the truth. And of
course, there was the other little person in the story that led to way too many
laughs and I can honestly say I have never read a better written child
character than Pip, because I actually liked her character and didn’t
find myself skipping over the scenes with her in them. I am very much looking forward to the next
story and HOPE that it is Vivian’s turn to fall in love with a hot hockey god,
even if it brings out the beast in Victor all over again! Bring on book #6
Mari.
Victor
Reed has always been the kind of guy that leads any group in cursing and
grumpiness, but when he is now one of the two main caregivers for his beloved
niece for a summer, he has to clean up his act.
His niece also comes with a woman that drives him insane, her nanny the
innocent and distracting Belle, and the more time he is around the woman the
more he questions his ability to keep her at arm’s length. Belle has had a crush on Victor for a while
and the longer she is around him the more she is determined to put herself out there,
leading her to throw herself into the dating game. Victor knows he should leave “the nanny”
alone, Belle soon becomes so much more and when he loses control and kisses her
there is no going back—for either one of them. As their summer comes to a
close, they both have to decide if what they have been building is a lasting
relationship or they will go back to just being friends now that Victor’s
sister is returning, because once a Beast claims his woman, she will never Reclaim
her heart.
I
loved every moment of this hilarious, sensual, sweet, and romantic story,
filled with emotional angst, two characters that have too long denied their
emotions, and a little girl that unknowingly brings them together. Victor was
the perfect combination of sweet and grumpy as we see him showing his love for
the woman in his world, but more importantly he never fails to be there for the
people that count on him. He is the kind
of guy that will stand up against the world when you need him to stand by your
side and I loved that he was that for his friends and family, showing us that
he is meant to be the perfect match for Belle. Belle herself is a little bit
timid in the beginning, using the app dating as a way to try to convince
herself that her feelings for Victor weren’t as serious as they were, but the
obvious chemistry between them when they finally have their first kiss shows us
that was a total laugh. I loved the connection between them and watching it
grow was even more fun, but the best thing was watching them interacting with
Pip and Vivian, showing that they truly were a loving family all the way
through.
Reclaim
was the perfect combination of a romantic love story, a family connection, and
reminder that friends are sometimes just as much family as our blood. Victor and Vivian’s bond was beautiful to
see, and you could see that they had enveloped Belle in their familial bond,
long before Victor started to fall for her (and WELL before he ever admitted
his feelings), showing Pip that love comes in all forms and expressions. Victor
is the kind of man you want to always have at your side, stealing your heart, and
definitely in your bed, because he can master any role and do it with strength
and honor. Belle has her own ability to always show those around her kindness
and love, even when they are making her angry, that we should all strive to
offer to others. She has had a hard road
to travel in life, but never gave up, and never quit striving for more in life
and when she finally found the family where she was destined to be she
continued to work to always be grateful and thankful for her luck. The passion
and heat between Bell and her beast (sorry couldn’t help it just once more)
was undeniable once they both admitted their feelings and came to terms with
their needs for one another. I am dying
to see more of them in the next book, which I hope to be Vivian’s as she maybe
gets to find love with her own hot hockey player, giving us something fun to
watch when Victor loses his mind. If you are looking for a sexy, sweet, and
fabulous book to occupy a rainy May weekend, I highly suggest Reclaim (and you
know the WHOLE series) by Mari Carr.
*eARC provided by author for the
purpose of an honest and unbiased review.
No compensation was provided.
