Hockey Heat and Heart: 4-Star Review of Center Ice by Julia Connors (Boston Rebels #1)

Center Ice by Julia Connors
Published by Julia Connors on January 19, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Sports, Fiction / Sports, Fiction / Women
Pages: 438
Format: eBook
Source: KindleUnlimited
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I've always been a wild card - the first to start a fight on the ice, and the life of the party off it - but appearances can be deceiving.

Being traded to the Boston Rebels could not have come at a better time. With serious family obligations to fulfill and a contract renewal with a new hockey team on the line, I have no time for anything else. I return to Boston knowing I need to buckle down and focus on what really matters.

But the first night I'm back in town, I come face to face with Audrey, my college calculus tutor. We had a brief fling right before I was drafted into the NHL. Now, her five year old son is standing by her side, and I don't need a tutor to do that kind of math.

Audrey insists she doesn't want me involved in Graham's life unless I can commit to being a dad. With everything else going on, this is the worst possible timing.

But every minute I spend with Graham and Audrey feels exactly right, and I'm left questioning everything I thought I wanted.

Because now my goals are shifting, and getting what I really want might come at the expense of the game I've given my entire life to.

4-star book review: Center Ice by Julia Connors skates a satisfying line between hockey heat and heartfelt second chances. A single mom, a grumpy-sunshine dynamic, and a secret-baby twist keep the emotions high and the chemistry hotter.

Why it works: The team backdrop adds momentum, and the parenting beats feel real.

Verdict: A fun series opener for sports-romance fans who love found family on and off the ice. Keywords: Julia Connors, Center Ice review, hockey romance, single mom, grumpy x sunshine.