READ-2-REVEIW - CONTEMPORARY - A SCORING CHANCE (Portland Timberwolves, #1) by AJ Alexander

  Just one smile from her sets my entire world ablaze.

A Scoring Chance, an all-new small town, interracial, hockey romance from USA Today bestselling author AJ Alexander is now available!

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After a devastating knee injury puts my professional hockey career on ice, I find myself in the last place I want to be—back in my small hometown, coaching peewee hockey. I’m determined to focus on my comeback—until Ramona King shows up at my first practice.

Just one smile from her sets my entire world ablaze. I want to know everything about her. But there’s a problem. She’s the mother of one of my players and my sister-from-another-mister’s best friend, making her completely off-limits.

I should focus on getting back to my team. I should remember I have no time for anything besides hockey. But the more time I spend with Ramona and her son, the more the lines between what I should do and what I want start to blur.

Hockey has always been my life, but now, all I know for certain is the one thing I won’t do is walk away from her.

 

THE BOOK JUNKIE READS . . . REVIEW OF . . . A SCORING CHANCE (Portland Timberwolves, #1) . . .  Off the Ice and Onto the Heart: A Must-Read Forbidden Hockey Romance!

AJ Alexander hits the back of the net with A SCORING CHANCE, an all-new, deeply satisfying small-town, interracial hockey romance and the start of the Portland Timberwolves series! As a huge hockey fan, I loved diving into this world.

Cooper hendricks, a professional hockey player, is grounded after a devastating knee injury, forcing him back to his small hometown to coach peewee hockey. He's determined to focus on his comeback, but fate has other plans in the form of Ramona King.

“Just one smile from her sets my entire world ablaze.”

Ramona is the mother of one of his players and, complicating things further, she's his "sister-from-another-mister's" best friend, making her completely off-limits. The internal conflict is amazing! He should focus on his career, and he should keep his distance, but the more time he spends with Ramona and her son, the more those lines blur.

I especially love how AJ Alexander crafts real-life couples and mixes cultures in her stories. This connection felt authentic and grounded, adding wonderful depth to the drama. The journey from "off-limits" to undeniable is intense and heart-melting. He realizes that while hockey has always been his life, the one thing he won't walk away from is Ramona.

If you love the forbidden romance trope, emotional depth, and watching a professional athlete find love and new purpose in a small town, then A SCORING CHANCE is the perfect game-winner!

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZPymtJ 

Add A Scoring Chance to Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ascagr  

For more information about AJ Alexander and her books, visit her website: 

https://www.authorajalexander.com

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READ-2-REVEIW - CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE - HIGH DENSITY (High Mountain Trackers: HMT 2G, #3) by Freya Barker

High Density
High Mountain Trackers HMT 2G, #3
by Freya Barker 
Release Date: February 17th 2025 
Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Since taking over the veterinary clinic in Libby, Montana last year, Janey Richards has been burning the candle at both ends. She’s grateful she is busy, but there has barely been any time to build a life outside of work. To help pay down her debt faster, she agrees to take on responsibility for the livestock at Libby’s annual rodeo, but perhaps she should’ve thought twice about the added stress. Although, her personal life is definitely looking up.  

JD Watike never thought he’d end up following in his father’s footsteps, but he’s found his stride these past six years as a member of the High Mountain Trackers team. He enjoys the simplicity of small-town living, which has only gotten more interesting since Doc Richards appeared on the scene. Spending most of the past year patiently observing from a distance, the time feels right for him to make his move. Or at least to clear up some misunderstandings. 

The opportunity presents itself sooner than expected, when the pretty veterinarian stumbles onto some serious criminal activity at the Libby Roundup, and a young woman disappears from the grounds, he has plenty of cause to stay glued to her side.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO 

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . HIGH DENSITY (High Mountain Trackers: HMT 2G, #3) . . .  Danger at the Rodeo: A Gritty, Slow-Burn Trackers Romance!

Freya Barker once again immerses us in the world of the High Mountain Trackers with HIGH DENSITY, a stellar addition to the HMT 2G series! As a huge fan of this series, getting back to Libby, Montana, and these protective heroes was a thrill.

This story focuses on the incredibly dedicated vet, Janey Richards. She's been "burning the candle at both ends" since taking over the clinic, but her dedication lands her right in the middle of a high-stakes investigation. She takes on the livestock at the Libby's annual rodeo, and in doing so, stumbles onto serious criminal activity, leading to a woman's disappearance. The added stress is immediate, and the danger is palpable!

Enter JD Watike, a member of the High Mountain Trackers team. JD has spent the better part of the last year patiently observing the pretty veterinarian from a distance. The time is finally right for him to make his move, and Janey's accidental involvement with the criminal element gives him the perfect, compelling reason to stay glued to her side.

This is classic Freya Barker: a gritty, suspenseful plot blended with a satisfying slow-burn romance. The protective alpha and the busy, resilient heroine must navigate their complicated feelings while evading real danger. If you love a hero who knows what he wants and a heroine who needs protection more than she thinks, this romantic suspense is a HIGH-IMPACT must-read!

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy. Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We've Read All Year Award for "Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Purchase/Pre Order the rest of the series!!

AMAZON

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READ-2-REVIERW - CONTEMPORARY - PLAYING MR. PERFECT (The Bradens at Ridgeport) by Melissa Foster

 Playing Mr. Perfect

The Bradens at Ridgeport, #1

Melissa Foster

February 12th 2025

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Quarterback Clay "Mr. Perfect" Braden is determined to show sexy scientist Pepper Montgomery the benefits of hands-on research in PLAYING MR. PERFECT, the first book in the Bradens at Ridgeport series.

Loaded with heat, humor, and heart, this steamy, small-town, opposites-attract standalone romance is unputdownable. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happily ever after that will leave you breathless.

What happens in Paris, stays in Paris, right?

Oh, Pepper. If only...

Okay, I admit it.

Sleeping with the NFL quarterback who the media has dubbed Mr. Perfect might not have been the smartest move, but I’m in the City of Love, I’d had a few drinks, and was jacked up on giddy girl talk and hopeful hearts—two things I never buy into—and I threw caution to the wind.

I want to sneak out before he wakes up, but when I open my eyes, he’s already up.

In more ways than one.

Convincing the ridiculously cocky (pun intended) man that I’m not the woman he slept with last night is awkward.

Actually, he makes it impossible.

The thing is, I don’t even know who that woman was.

And now he’s determined to find out.

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . PLAYING MR. PERFECT (The Bradens at Ridgeport, #1) . . . NFL Heat Meets Scientific Chemistry in Ridgeport!

Melissa Foster kicks off her brand-new Bradens at Ridgeport series with a touchdown! Playing Mr. Perfect is a masterclass in the "opposites-attract" trope, blending high-octane NFL glamour with the quirky, intellectual world of a brilliant scientist. If you’re looking for a story loaded with heat, humor, and that signature Braden heart, Clay and Pepper are about to become your new favorite obsession.

What Happens in Paris… Doesn't Stay There!

The story ignites in the City of Love, where Pepper Montgomery, a logical scientist who usually avoids "giddy girl talk," throws caution to the wind for one unforgettable night with a handsome stranger. Little did she know her mystery man was Clay Braden, the NFL’s "Mr. Perfect" quarterback.

The morning-after tension is absolute gold. Pepper tries to convince the "ridiculously cocky" Clay that she isn't the woman he shared a bed with, but Clay isn't a man who misses a target. He’s determined to prove that their chemistry wasn't just a fluke of the Parisian air, but the start of something life-changing.

Clay Braden is everything we love in a Melissa Foster hero: successful, confident, and fiercely persistent. Watching him use his "Mr. Perfect" charms to dismantle Pepper’s scientific defenses is incredibly entertaining. This book perfectly balances the steamy, "hands-on" research with the cozy, meddling, and supportive atmosphere of the Ridgeport community. It’s a world where family bonds are the ultimate playbook, and love is the only game that truly matters.

The "Opposites" Dynamic: A cocky star athlete and a brilliant, skeptical scientist make for sparks that fly off the page.

Humor & Heat: The banter is sharp, the "pun intended" moments are hilarious, and the steam factor is dialed all the way up.

No Games: Like all Braden stories, you get a fiercely loyal hero, no cheating, and no cliffhangers—just a breathless happily ever after.

Found Family: Ridgeport feels like a place you want to move to, filled with the deep connections and community support that are Melissa Foster’s trademark.

My Final Verdict

Playing Mr. Perfect is an unputdownable, feel-good romance that proves even the most logical hearts can’t calculate the power of true love. It’s sexy, sweet, and serves as the perfect introduction to the Ridgeport Bradens. If you want a story that combines big-city fame with small-town soul, Clay and Pepper’s journey is a total winner!

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