This 18 book collection by some of the most amazing authors was such a treat to read!  I loved the humor, heat, and you betcha - even the hockey that was represented in each story.  I have 2 book reviews that I am sharing from this collection for you below.

A Second Shot by Shannon Stacey:

Heartwarming and truly charming, this short and sweet story has us on our toes as we read about a couple who should be together, but have been apart.  Great read of sexy and fun. 

A Wolfe Brothers Christmas by Jami Davenport:

Little bit of suspense mixed in with a sweet holiday story that brings a lot of sexy charm to the table.  If you loved her men in their previous stories - you are going to be glad you grabbed this little bit of heaven.  I do recommend that you read the Game On In Seattle series first, however, to avoid spoilers.  Believe me this is worth it!  

Each short story included gives a unique and truly hockey flavored look at romance.  What I enjoyed most was that it gave me a chance to relax and enjoy love in my favorite sport.  I give this book a 4/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review only.

This review is for MR. NOVEMBER (Vancouver Vice #4) by Melanie Ting. I haven’t had the opportunity to read the rest of the books yet.  I have skimmed through the other books; they look promising, and I am looking forward to reading them.

I follow Melanie Ting’s Vancouver Vice Series and was eager to read the next book in the series.  I was not disappointed.  This story was adorable.  I love both cats and hockey so MR. NOVEMBER gave me my fix of both. 

AHL enforcer Marty Devonshire is asked to pose for a team charity calendar promoting a local cat shelter. While there, he meets volunteer Elaine Salang and Knightley the Cat; both changing his life.  This contemporary sports romance takes place in Vancouver, Canada. 

I really enjoyed the characters.  Marty is super sweet.  He is tough on the ice and shy off of it.  I love how his team mates band together to try to help Marty gain the confidence to pursue Elaine.  Although it was clearly all Knightley the cats doing.  I love that Marty adopts Knightley and that they both have a scar on their face.  They make very compatible companions.  Elaine is a caring heroine.  She is smart and hard working.  She has a great family.  I can understand why she was hesitant about Marty, and I’m glad she gave it another chance.  The couple and cat are great together. 

At first, I wasn’t crazy about Marty’s roommate, Jonesy, but he ends up being a good guy.  I was happy that Amanda Richardson from AN IRRESISTIBLE FORCE played a role in this story.  I like that her cat was brought up.  I appreciated that Eric Fairburn from book one, THE TAO OF HOCKEY, gave Marty some sound advice.  I also, love the tip-in hockey scenes with Eric.

The story was well-written and believable.  It had a sweet ending. MR. NOVEMBER is an excellent addition to the Vancouver Vice Series. 

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

Melanie Ting scores with An Irresistible Force the second book in the Vancouver Vice Series.  After the President/GM of the Vancouver Vice AHL hockey team temporarily steps down, Amanda Richardson returns home to help run the family business.  The Vancouver Millionaires NHL hockey team offer the Vice the assistance recently retired hockey star, Chris Luczak, to help with their operations.  It just so happens, that Chris was Amanda’s teenage crush.  This contemporary sports romance is suitable for new adult and adult audiences.

Amanda is an admiral character.  She moves back home from Toronto to temporarily help with the family business.  I love that Amanda is down to Earth despite coming from a family with a lot of money.  She is a protective and strong individual who does what she feels is right, even if she needs to go against a family member to do it.  I respect that she takes on a difficult task.  I like Chris.  His entire life has been about hockey.  An injury forced him to retire early.  He is struggling to find a new path.  He is a good man. He truly wanted to help hockey operations with the Vice.  I love that Amanda had a crush on Chris when she was younger. The two have great chemistry.  I like how their relationship progressed throughout the novel.

I love that April Cho from the Hockey is my Boyfriend Series made an appearance in this story.  It was clever how she was tied into the narrative.

I enjoyed the plot.  It was an interesting look at AHL/NHL hockey operation relationships.  The story also held meaningful incites on work culture and the need to change non-healthy environments.  I like that Amanda and Chris went to some of the games.  The hockey scenes were expertly described.  The story was very believable and relevant.  The characters were likeable and well-developed.  The writing was exceptional and flowed well.  An Irresistible Force is an excellent addition to the Vancouver Vice Series.  I cannot wait for the next book in the series.  This is a wonderful series for anyone the enjoys sports romances that actually contain sports passages and not just romance.

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

The Tao of Hockey by Melanie Ting is a contemporary hockey romance that takes place in Vancouver Canada and is suitable for a new adult and adult audience.  Eric Fairburn had a promising career ahead of him after being selected in the first round of the NHL draft. His dreams are shattered after a car accident.   The book takes place five years later from Eric’s point of view. Eric is given an opportunity to try out for the worst team in the AHL, the Vancouver Vice.  In order to make his dreams a reality he needs to clean up his act and convince the coach that seems not to like him to select him for the team.

Melanie Ting scores with the Tao of Hockey.  As in all her books, it is obvious, she knows her stuff when it comes to hockey.  I loved all the philosophical aspect of this story. There are many interesting conversations between the players and fascinating viewpoints about the sport. I also loved that Eric is so into clean eating, yoga, and a healthy lifestyle.  In the last year, my twelve-year-old son has been big on only eating things that are good for him to help him improve as a hockey player.  The results have been noticeable, so I appreciated Eric’s eating choices.  Eric is a refreshing hero.  He has made mistakes and doing everything in his power to become a better hockey player to achieve his goal. I adored Eric’s relationship with, Josie.  She is an extraordinary individual who is perfect for him and vice versa.  I love that she is a challenge and calls him out on stuff.  The Tao of Hockey is a great onset to the Vancouver Vice Series.  I will definitely want to continue this series.  This is the perfect book for people that enjoy contemporary sports romances. 

Complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Kelly Tanaka and Phil Davidson are best friends.  The kind that have known one another for years.  They go to school together, play on the same hockey team, and hang out all the time.  Until Phil kiss her.....

Kelly and Phil spend some time apart and explore other options and people.  He has many girlfriends and gets a rep for being a player since he cannot have the one he wants.  She ends up dating a guy she would otherwise call a tool.

Phil is still serious about wanting to try dating with Kelly.  They both have separate plans for after high school and the relationship has an end date.  Will that help or hurt the relationship?  Phil and Kelly seem to be able to be friends no matter what.  They can work through just about anything together.

Phil realizes too late he is in love with her.  It kills him not to tell her and now he wants a future he did not know he wanted.  Can he tell her without killing what they have?  Can he let her go when the time comes?

Kelly is just realizing her feelings for Phil when it is time to break up and go to college away from him.  Can she follow through and leave him behind?  Can she leave her heart somewhere she will not be?

Such an amazing story about true friendship and heartwarming love that sneaks up on you!  I love this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series.  I give this story a 5/5 Kitty's Paws UP!  

***This ARC copy was free from Netgalley.com and its publisher, for review purposes.