Brie is a reporter for the Assassins hockey team. She loves her job, except for the one little nuisance hockey player who consistently ruins her interviews.

Vaughn is a star player for the Assassins, he loves his team, his friends, and his newly adopted dog. While he and Brie don't get along, they have something big in common that may change their view on one another.

I loved the back and forth between Brie and Vaughn in the beginning, they don't let one another get away with anything and it is very amusing.

Since this was the first book in the series I have read, I feel I would have more of an appreciation for all of the supporting characters if I was invested in the series previously. I liked the characters, although their conversations and nicknames came off as more of juvenile characters than how grown adults speak. While funny, the conversations tended to seem unrealistic as a result.

I absolutely loved Brie's brother and the entire storyline surrounding him. Very well done and a wonderful focus to have.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

4 Stars
If you want to read hot, smart hockey Romance books, You need to read Toni Aleo. She has brought complex people together, the setting of an A-One top team and then adds all the steam, romance and heart the readers wish for.
SCORE!
This latest entry is no different. Love the series.

From the opening chapter when Vaughn Johansson adopts a little three legged dog and names it Tricksie, I knew I was going to love this book. Vaughn is a pretty nice guy except for his behavior with sports reporter Brie Soledad. With her he is a prickly old bear and the tow seem to have no ability to be civil to each other. They are attracted to each other but fighting it all the way.
Brianna has a brother with Down Syndrome who also has cardiac issues. When he gets a wonderful opportunity to live in a community setting, Brie has a hard time letting him go. Finding out who the owner of the residence doesn't make it any easier.
Vaughn has lived his life as a seemingly free spirit with no worries in the world. In reality, he lost his brother and has made it his mission to create living environments for people with special needs that are as non-institutional as he can build them.
I loved the interplay between Vaughn and Brie, both the smack talk and the love talk. They have it bad for each other but their previous relationships keep messing things up and they can't seem to get past their own insecurities. When they do however, they burn up the pages!
The relationships of the secondary characters add so much to the book and one couple seems to be the set up for a future story. There is so much snarky humor in this book from the players and the various couples. It was a great read! I hated having it end.

4.5 Stars!

Over the past couple of years, sports romances have become increasingly popular. I have been fortunate to have read quite a few good ones, and Delayed Call by Toni Aleo is a book that I won't soon forget. An enemies to lovers romance intertwined with the sportsmanship of hockey, is a combustible combination. This is the eleventh book from the author's Assassins series, and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Vaughn Johansson is a superstar hockey player. He is best know for his talent on the ice, in addition to his womanizing ways. His ex-girlfriend's shiftiness resulted in his commitment free lifestyle, while his younger brother's Down's Syndrome and subsequent death, pushed him to share his good fortune with those in need. Vaughn is a good and generous person, albeit very cocky and arrogant.

Brie Soledad loves her job as the staff reporter for the Nashville Assassins. All the players and staff respect her, and in return, she reports from the heart. Brie recently lost her mother to cancer, and is still paying on the medical bills. Brie's adult brother has Down's Syndrome, and she is responsible for his round-the-clock care. Brie has a lot on her plate, and her beloved brother is her first priority.

The Assassins is what eventually brings Vaughn and Brie together romantically, however, Vaughn's baggage may end it before it even begins. They are a hot couple both in and out of the bedroom, and their sexy times are beyond steamy. Their banter is comical, clever, and sometimes hurtful, which only makes them more genuine. The secondary characters are quite interesting, and I look forward to reading more about them. Hopefully, Vaughn's best friends will get their own book. Overall, this is a solid read.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

This was such an enjoyable, engaging and entertaining story. I was literally hooked from start to finish. Both main characters were really fabulous, I loved their banter and sparring. Which from the start made it clear when they finally got together it was going to be hot and it really was. I also thought their relationship was very believable and natural and I would totally recommend this story to others.

Toni Aleo is one of my favorite authors of all time and she did not disappoint. Vaughan and Bri have such an amazing chemistry that flys off the pages. I can't wait for #12!

It's hard not to love Vaughn, he is a multifaceted hot hockey player. Brie has so much on your plate you expect her to fall over crying. And if course they about each other, cause the Sparks fly when they get around each other.
And Rodney, thank you Toni for your focus on adults with Down Syndrome. This was very touching and I was so glad to see you include this in the narrative.

I really enjoyed this new book in the series. I like how it explored the challenges of having a relative with down's syndrome. I thought it handled that subplot with real sensitivity. It was a bit odd to me that the heroine didn't really have friends.

This is my first book by this author and though I have never read this series before, it was wonderful and I was not lost at all. I LOVED Brie and Vaughn Johannson. This is a wonderful hate turning to love book.

B and V have a hate on for each other. He is this hot hockey player nd she is the teams reporter. So they get thrown together alot and I loved them hating each other. Brie is aso taking care of her brother who has Downs and I loved this aspect of the story. There were some big surprises in that area of the story and I am not spoiling it.

Eentually V and B discover they are attracted and I loved how Brie made V respect her and accept what she wanted out of relationship. V, at times drove me crazy because he really can't figure out what he want and how to get it. But I totally loved his craziness and his character. Definitely a fun read with characters I loved.

Love the Assassins Series! This book was great and had all things I love about this family of hockey.

Brie Soledad is sexy, sweet and has the weight of the world on her shoulders taking care of her brother with Downs while paying off her mother's medical debt -worrying she isn't doing enough or being enough all the while starving for love and attention.

Vaughn Johansson is the star and face of the Assassins. What most- well anyone - knows is Jojo-Joho- is really a humble, kind and altruistic man.

I loved the interaction of Brie and Vaughn and the build up that while Brie didn't know his secret identity, the reader did and anxiously waits the discovery.

This book was hot, sexy, but so compassionate that I cried several times. I love how Toni Aleo brings in the Adler family, as well as the other Assassins all the while enticing us with the next book.

As usual, Toni Aleo knocks it out of the park! This was a true enemies-to-lovers story with scorching tension and attraction between Vaughn and Brie. Honestly, every fight they had felt like foreplay! However, underneath the attraction, the trust between them took a while to grow. Vaughn had to overcome the losses and betrayals in his past. Brie had to learn to trust Vaughn and depend on him. Overall, an excellent story and a good introduction to new Assassins' players!

Toni Aleo has once again given us another 5 star read in her Assassins Series, Delayed Call is book 11 but you can read it as a standalone.
Vaughn Johansson star player with the Nashville Assassins and he knows it, he is cocky, brash and very talented, he lives life the way he wants too, romance is not for him.
Brie Soledad is the staff reporter for the Assassins and Vaughn never makes her job easy but that's not all,she is the sole provider for her adult brother who has Down syndrome, romance is not in her life plan. The sparks always fly between Brie and Vaughn and not always in a good way but both of them are hiding secrets and it's those secrets that bring them together.
This book brought out every emotion, I got angry, I laughed and I cried, it was read in one sitting and I have to say I think this is the best book in this series. Looking forward to more from The Nashville Assassins and Toni Aleo.

Insomnia Inducing

I’m functioning on minimal sleep today and Delayed Call is to blame. I absolutely ate up this book. The characters were likable- entertaining and lively. The story was comfortable but with enough deviations from stereotypical plot points to avoid monotony, and I laughed. I laughed so much.

Delayed Call is the 11th book in Aleo’s Assassins series but can be read as a standalone. I’ve only read one novel and a short by the author and I had no trouble following along with the characters or team dynamics. As a hockey fan, the book contained a solid amount of details to satisfy me but not so many that would deter a reader who isn’t into the sport. Beyond a sports romance, it’s also an enemies to lovers story. Of course that means conflict from the jump and this couple doesn’t disappoint with the disgruntled comments and volatile interactions. The pacing was steady for the most part. There were bursts of exciting moments as conflicts reached their peak, but there were also moments the pacing slowed as the main characters warred over how to handle situations and the budding romance. Though the stop and start of the relationship slowed the plot a little, it never felt like the story stalled out and the consistent character growth kept my attention.

I generally enjoy the damaged character angle because it allows for marked development throughout the storyline. Once the full backstories come out, Brie’s failure to trust and Vaughn’s refusal to commit makes sense. Yes, it’s frustrating, but the author never sweeps their issues under the rug or makes them magically disappear. The growth feels natural, hiccups and all. I really liked that the stereotypical plot points weren’t used to resolve the conflicts. It kept me engaged and invested in the characters. While I loved many aspects of Brie and Vaughn’s story, the dialogue was the clear winner for me. I am a sucker for good banter and Delayed Call had some of the best I’ve read in a long time, maybe ever. The characters all played off one another and I laughed frequently. The conversations flowed incredibly well- whether serious, playful, or squabbling- and it brought the story and characters to life.

I’m not normally a re-reader of books, even if I’ve enjoyed them, but Delayed Call is certainly worthy of that. This sports romance was very well-balanced. It had the full range of emotions, stellar main and secondary characters, plenty of steam, “aww” inducing sweet moments, a whopping dose of humor, and of course HOCKEY. If you’re in the need of a pick me up, this is the book to pick up.

OMG this is another amazing book by Toni Aleo. Vaughn and Brie just didn't see eye to eye. They fought about everything. This series and book is a must read. She amazes me with every book..

Toni Aleo has done it again! Another hat trick in the Assassin’s series. I fell in love with Vaughn Johansson, star player for the Assassins, in Chapter 1 when he adopts a 3-legged French bulldog and names her Tricksie. I fell in love with him again when we find out what he has been keeping from everyone except his best friends and what a kind, selfless and generous man he really is. He was easy to fall in love with over and over again for many reasons and yet at the same time easy to want to punch in the nuts as we see Brie wanting to do often. Once they stopped bickering long enough to cut through their sexual tension and actually be together, it is explosive!
Brie is a no nonsense, take no crap kind of woman. I just love her, she is so awesome!!
She sure had some colorful names for Vaughn before they got to know each other and even after. I was laughing a lot and really enjoyed their banter throughout the book. Brie and Vaughn together are hot, fun, flirty, sexy, funny and amazingly real. As a reporter for the team, she only knew what she thought she saw on the surface and she did not like him and did not hold that back at all. She finds out that there are so many more layers to him. Vaughn didn't think he had room for a relationship or if he could ever love again until Brie.
I just love how their relationship unfolds and where they end up! They rival for favorite Assassin couple with Shea & Ellie for sure and that is saying something.
Highly recommended read and a fantastic addition to one of my favorite series!!

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Reviews ill be up on Amazon, B&N, ibooks on release day.

When I requested this book, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Not only has it earned 5 solid stars, but also added a new automatic buy name to my must read authors list. Delayed Call is the first book I've read by Toni Aleo and even though it was the 11th book in her Assassin's series it was easily read as a stand-alone novel but also gave insight into other characters, who all were amazing. Cool thing about discovering this author now is that there are a ton of other books I get to read, but sucks because there are a lot to buy lol but if they're anything like this book it will totally be worth the money.
Brie was amazing, strong, independent and took no crap from Vaughn. but the true shinning star in the story was Vaughn. The level of cockyness jumped up just by him being him. And although she forgave some of the crap he dished out to her more than I felt she should have, seeing them come together was totally worth it. Rod was such a great character. I'm looking forward to reading Wrens story, and I hope that one is next because I'll be watching for it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.