Stay (WAGs, #2) by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy Series: WAGs #2
Published by Rennie Road Books on June 20th 2017
Pages: 291
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Can you fall in love with someone you've never even met?
Hailey Taylor Emery has a hunch that her favorite client at Fetch--an anonymous virtual assistant service--is actually hockey star Matt Eriksson.
Although it's against the rules for her to check his file, she's 95% sure she spends at least part of each day texting with her lifelong crush and catering to his every need. Still nursing a wounded heart thanks to her recent breakup, Hailey is perfectly content with some harmless online flirting...until she has to meet her client. Face to face. Cue: utter panic.
Matt Eriksson is no stranger to heartbreak. He's still not over the destruction of his marriage, and it sucks to be the only guy on the team who knows the truth--that hockey and long-term relationships are a toxic mix. He barely sees his kids, and dealing with his ex makes him feel insane. The only person in his life who seems to understand is someone who won't show her pretty face.
But it's nothing that a pair of fourth row hockey seats can't fix. Hailey can't resist the offer. Matt can't resist Hailey. Good thing he doesn't have to. Fire up the kiss cam!
Warning: Contains rabid hockey fans, misunderstood dick pics, hockey players at the opera and exploding ovaries.
The WAGs series revolves around characters finding love while navigating the world of professional hockey. Stay is the second standalone in this highly entertaining series, and it strikes all the right notes.
The fun premise and refreshing maturity of the characters make Stay a particularly enjoyable sports romance. While everyone else is in their early 20s, Matt and Hailey are pushing 30. They have thriving careers, but both are still coming to terms with their separate failed marriages. Hailey is a diehard hockey fan and co-owner of Fetch, an upscale virtual personal assistant service. Matt is a pro hockey player, father to young twin girls, and an anonymous Fetch customer.
I love how Matt and Hailey help each other regain their mojo. Their online chats are funny and flirty, and their connection in person is magnetic. It’s simple to love Hailey with her easygoing nature. Matt is a model father and ex-husband, despite his nagging ex-wife’s interference. His insecurities did start to grate on me, although I understood the root cause. Thank goodness Hailey has the patience of a saint or these two might have ridden the drama llama throughout the story.
I enjoy it when alpha males are reduced to mush by their little girls, and with Matt’s devotion to his daughters, you can expect aching ovaries. The camaraderie between Matt’s teammates, and Hailey’s interactions with her fellow WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) are especially amusing. Larger-than-life Blake is back with his crazy nicknames and infectious liveliness. There is plenty of lighthearted fun to keep you entertained throughout the story.
I’m hoping there are more WAGs books to come!
Recommended for fans of:
Sports romance
Hockey
Second chance romance
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**
About Elle Kennedy
A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
About Sarina Bowen
Sarina Bowen is the award-winning author of more than thirty contemporary novels. She has hit the USA Today bestseller’s list nineteen times and counting. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University.
Sarina is a New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country since the 1760s. Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. She lives with her family on a few wooded acres in New Hampshire.
Sarina’s books are published in over a dozen languages on five continents.
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