I am not too much of a hockey fan so I was glad that the hockey references were kept to a minimum, and most of the story was focused on Mike and Sara’s history and relationship. Their story was so sweet that they met and liked each other when they were teens but Mike felt he needed to stay away from her to keep her from his messy family issues. There were times that I really wanted to smack Mike when he pulled away from Sara and didn’t even realize that what he was doing was hurting her.

Loved that Brit and Stefan were such an important part of the story, especially Brit’s suggestions for wooing Sara, that was just too funny! There were so many great characters in the book - Mitch, who encouraged her to sell her art, Monique, who was a new friend, Brit, great goalie for the team and good friend, and Devon, who was important to her security.

It was great that Mike was not intimidated by the media frenzy that was involved with his dating Sara, and he just kept going with his life. Sara was better about not running away from her issues and facing them.

Did not see the person behind the scandal – wow! That came out of the blue for me, but I did not understand why the person tried to abduct her, wish there was a better explanation on that but maybe there was no good explanation? I was glad that Monique did not listen and went ahead and had it investigated. I guess I am just a different personality, if I could prove that I was framed, I would be doing it!!
There was the perfect mix of romance and intrigue and the book kept me captivated and I had a hard time putting it down! I wanted to know more about who was the culprit and see their HEA.

Great love story between two professional (well, one current and the other former) athletes! Sara is strong and resilient, dealing with unimaginable issues from her past. She hasn't seen Mike in 10 years - so much has happened to Sara in that time. She's not the carefree person she was when she and Mike were friends then.

Mike has been the "bad boy" of the NHL's Gold team. Until he sees Sara again. Until he sees the sadness in her eyes and wants to find out why. Until he decides he wants her in his life regardless of what has happened in those 10 years. But will the past foreshadow their future together?

First time I've read this author but it will not be the last - I'm looking forward to the next story in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Tulip Publishing for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

I couldn't get enough of this book. A very enjoyable read from start to finish.

Great second chance romance! I like seeing the history between the two characters become the sounding point for starting again. Mike and Sara seem to really care for each other. The author was able to bring to light the frenzy around popular athletes and the media.

My first read from this author but I was impressed with the writing.

I absolutely loved this book! Mike is the bad boy hockey player and Sara is trying to hide from her painful past. When they bump into each other one night Mike tries to reconnect while Sara tries to run away. This is a great story of how a chance encounter can bring two people back together. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. Would totally recommend this book and author. Also sorry for late review been in hospital and trying to catch but your book got me through my stay so many thanks 😊 Left review on Amazon.uk

Backhand is a well written, sweet hockey romance that is also a second chance and a friends to lovers story. Mike is a professional hockey player for the San Francisco Gold. Sara is a disgraced Olympian who is Mike's friend from their teenage years. When they run into each other years later it's as if they hadn't been separated for so long. It won't be easy going for them, though because Sara is so scared of being hurt again that Mike will have a lot of work ahead of him in order to break down her walls.

I love Mike and Sara together. They have a sweet, easy going vibe that only people who've known each other for awhile have. Add to that that Mike is so sweet and determined not to let Sara get away from him again, and he woos her gently with all the knowledge of her that he remembers. I felt so much for Sara, she's had a rough time of it, with her family, friends, and the public turning against her without even giving her a chance to explain or defend herself. Thank God for Mike, and his teammates, they saved her, in more ways than one.

I'm really looking forward to more from this series, and from Elise Faber. She's fast becoming a favorite author of mine.

2 stars for Backhand, book 2 of the Gold Hockey series.
I struggled with this book and ended up skimming the last quarter, mainly because I wasn't invested much in either of the main characters. I wish that the author had given us more of their backstory, so that their instant love connection was more believable. Instead, we meet them in the middle of the night and they share this odd moment where she sketches him for a LONG period of time, and then he suddenly recognizes her... we find out later that he has been in love with her since they were kids. But he didn't recognize her right away? Um, what? Yeah, that just didn't work for me at all.
This story just didn't feel real enough for me, so I never fully bought into their love story, or the way the characters interacted with each other. Such a shame for a decent premise.

My first book by Elise Faber and I have to say I LOVED it! It was way more than I was expecting. The characters were great and the story had me held the whole way. I didn't see the ending coming either with who the culprit turned out to be. This was a page turner that I didn't like having to put down. I will definitely be reading more of Elise's work.