Rating: 4 out of 5.

Book 5 of this series features photographer Rylee and NHL player Zander. They have a rocky first meet, a less than stellar second meet, and a scorching hot third meet. Too bad Rylee doesn’t seem to remember any of them. Rylee is a photographer for a sports magazine. She lives in Nashville but is assigned to feature the Stanley Cup winning Night Hawks in Denver. She’s friends with the wives of a couple players and is offered an apartment in Denver to stay at during her assignment. Problem is, Zander’s building is undergoing renovations and he’s got to move out during it. He’s offered the same apartment until the repairs are done. The couple’s fourth meeting is the most awkward of all.

Rylee is one fiery chick and is kind of a hot head which instantly sets Zander off. He can’t tell if he’s annoyed or turned on by her lively nature. Rylee thinks Zander hit it and quit it during their third encounter (he didn’t) and has had it out for Zander ever since. There’s no denying the chemistry between the two and they are both surprised when they become jealous while believing the other is dating someone. Their texts and banter is very cute and will make you smile. There is a lot of miscommunication in this story, which is something I normally dislike immensely in a story, but the author does it right here so it doesn’t bother me as much.

Rylee has a painful family history which affects her ability to trust in relationships and fuels her tendency to lash out when she feels she’s been wronged. When events culminate into the ultimate conflict between the couple, I loved that Zander recognized she needed to face her problems and work them out herself if they were ever going to have a future. Zander is the perfect book boyfriend. He wants a real relationship. He’s family focused and isn’t a player. He’s sweet, thoughtful and caring. Why oh why can’t reality mimic fiction? ha ha

I love this series. If you like sweet, steamy sports romance books with humor and found family vibes, you should definitely check it out. Each book is a stand alone and can be read separately and out of order, but you may understand all of the relationships and characters more if you read them in order.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.