Some parts were 2 stars and some 4 stars. This felt very scattered with injured in some way former military members playing for a hockey team (Bomb Squad) who win a chance for an exhibition game against Russians. The hero is Theo, French Canadian who lives with TBI (traumatic brain injury), and he has been running and trying to buy a boat rental business.
Heroine is Allison who has filed for divorce, is pregnant, and husband just got busted for embezzlement. Boat rental business is only thing free from embezzlement so she shows up to run it. 

They clash!

It was a little cringe at times with "he's mean to her because he likes her" but the author would also throw in things like hero thinking "No means no" and other very clear great boundary lines. He's gruff but also very shout-y with some anger management issues, he never crossed a line for me but at the same time, he's lucky his butt is in fictionland.
There's a big cast of characters that are obviously going to get their own books and the author did a good job drawing you into their stories. 

Just a ton of working parts to this, it makes it feel very scattered and a good amount of storylines end up feeling useless. Maybe first in series syndrome or maybe we should have just had military dudes and left the hockey out (I can't believe I said that but really all you get is some menacing on ice looks from hero). 

I did enjoy how the heroine's baby felt like a purse or accessory in the way she was included in the story, lol.

Will be reading the next in the series because there was some humor, great female relationships, and main couple interaction that was enjoyable. Hopefully, the next one doesn't feel so scattered and be more focused.

He wasn’t going to stand on the dock embracing his boss while they had a philosophical discussion on the Darwinian importance of fear.

Hot on the Hunt
by Melissa Cutler
Book 3 (final) of ICE: Black Ops Defenders

I'll be honest and admit that I was worried this last book wouldn't end the series as fabulously as the other two books had been.  Hot on the Hunt involves a premise that I found a little iffy to follow because of all the backstory about the betrayals and secrets and all that jazz.

And so when I started reading it, I went in with a little bit of trepidation.  Because how was a relationship supposed to blossom from a couple who are furious with each other with so much hurt and betrayal between them?  With Alicia willing to believe that John had planned her execution?  With John furious about the lack of faith his teammates had in him?

With a woman so hellbent on vengeance that she would break federal laws by breaking a convict out of high-max prison just so she could kill him?

All of the events from the beginning were a little frustratingly chaotic in how everything was already out of control from the start.  How was our couple supposed to come back from everything they ended up doing just to survive?  And how was so much hatred supposed to just dissolve between the two of them when they were so willing to believe the worst of each other?

Everything DID come together eventually, and as events began to unfold, I sort of stopped wondering and just enjoyed the ride.  Sure, the beginning was a little frustrating, what with our two main characters jumping to conclusions on the drop of the dime, but it was also framed within a lot of action and movement, so the story propelled itself forward quite nicely.

To be honest, this is probably my least favorite of the three ICE books--although with super secret agent secretary Avery Meadows headlining the second book, it's kind of hard to beat.

All-in-all, the pieces of the story came together and an ending presented itself.  I kept wondering if the ex-crew would show up in this book, in all their glory.  I continued to wonder how John and Alicia were going to get themselves out of their mess, aside from skipping the country as their only viable option.

And while all of my questions were not really answered--the ending of the book felt a little unresolved and open-ended--there was still a patented Happily Ever After™, and some hope on the horizon.

Hot on the Hunt was a pretty explosive ending for the ICE series, with a lot of high stakes, and some feels that sneaked into the equation.

I was properly entertained, although I'm not entirely sure that this series was really all that memorable.


***

Roll #26: (See also:  Roll #26 Decision)
This book is set on the Virgin Islands; also has the ocean on the cover.

Page Count:  281
Cash Award:  $6.00

Updated Bank Balance:  $159.

Secret Agent Secretary
by Melissa Cutler
Book 2 of ICE: Black Ops Defenders

I think I liked this second ICE book more than the first.  The heroine, Avery Meadows, was all sorts of geeky fun, what with her overactive imagination about what super secret agents do, admitting that maybe she's watched and/or read one too many spy novels.  But that doesn't negate the fact that she's pretty cool and quick on her feet in explosive situations.

Much like the first book, however, there's a lot of forward movement, and a lot of excitement, so you don't really get much time to stop and dwell on any of the events.  So, to be honest, aside from waxing poetic about how much I loved Avery and her quirky, all-things-secret-agent-obsessed nerdy personality, there's not much else to say.

Main scenes that I found fun and that stood out the most were:

1)  Avery's construction of a paperclip chain in order to zip up her super expensive bright pink dress, and then being unable to unhook said paperclip chain from her dress zipper, so she just stuffs it down the back of her dress.  I also found the very first scene of her turning in circles trying zip up her dress from behind kind of amusing as well; this before she finally came up with the paperclip chain.

And all of this was done at the ICE office.

2)  Avery playing with Ryan's whip, playfully whapping him in the chest why they chat about being a secret agent; this taking place moments after they detain two thugs.  Then she claims the whip for her own.  The whip thing is actually a lot less kinky than it sounds.

3)  The two of them groping a Remington XM2010 sniper rifle.  Okay, this scene was super hot... even if I have no idea what kind of firearm that is.


Believe me, Avery does a lot of things that are both cringe-worthy, in a nerdy way, and also super awesome... in a nerdy way.  She was the life of this book.

Ryan was great as the standard broody alpha male.  He had his moments that endeared him to me, but, to be honest, he didn't stand out like super spy Avery Meadows did!


***

Booklikes-opoly

Roll #23:
BL Task #1 says:  "Let a BL friend choose your next book!"

Page Count:  248
Cash Award:  $6.00

Updated Bank Balance:  $131

Skye Martinez longed for the days of her early 20's where she was wild and carefree. Now approaching 30 she is trying to settle down, take over the family's cleaning business, find a good Catholic man to marry and start a family.

When Skye becomes overwhelmed at work at the Briscoe Ranch Resort, she decides she needs a break and wants to go for a horse ride in the dark the think. What she doesn't expect is to find a gorgeous, sexy man in the horse barn.

Gentry Wells is a big time country star who is staying at the ranch for his music producers daughter's wedding where he is to perform. Gentry's last album tanked and he has one last chance to make a great album. Wanting to escape from the crowds, Gentry heads to barn...a place he always feels at peace.

When Skye and Gentry first see each other it's fireworks! They are both attracted to each other. Skye loves his bad boy vibes and he loves that she doesn't know who he is. Skye convinces Gentry to go out for a late night horse ride and that's when the magic starts.

The next day when Skye and Gentry are stealing some moments together they find Natalie and her fiance, Toby all upset. It seems the couple didn't want this big production wedding that their parents forcing on them. Together with Skye and Gentry they hatch a plan for the couple to elope off to Nashville. Skye's having a great time being fun and carefree with Gentry, especially when he convinces her to come to Nashville with Natalie and Toby for one last fun and wild weekend before she has to be serious and settle down.

I just loved the wedding at the Dolly Parton chapel! Too funny! After the wedding, Gentry shows Skye a great time in Nashville. It was a blast all what they did. These two really were combustible! But, all good things must come to end and they both needed to get back to their real lives.

What neither of them expected was that they just couldn't get the other too far removed from their every thought. After some great soul searching, and even some craziness from her mom's love spell, these two finally find their way back to each other. Of course just when things are going great....BAM!...disaster strikes. It was a long road for these two to finally get to their happy ending but it was really worth the trip. I just adored these two characters. They both had a fun, wild side that needed to be found every now and then and then together they found the life that they both really wanted.