I love this series. This was the first one to get me interested in Sports Romance novels. I love the Pilots Hockey players. They all have issues but we can't help love them. In my opinion give all the books in the series at 5 star rating!!!!

Reading Order:
1) Delayed Penalty
2) Power Play
3) Interference
4) Unsportsmanlike Conduct
5) Breakaway

I'm usually a big fan of sports romances but something about this one didn't click for me. It was an okay read but certainly not my favorite book.

I actually didnt love the plotline in this book. Ive read a few things by this author and this wasnt my favorite nor my least. It could have been better. I thank Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bree and Luke have a total meet cute at a bar crawl. And slowly develop into much more as the book develops. Great character depth that Henry is known for in her Pilot Hockey series. She takes two broken people and weaves their lives together in a great story.

I guess you need to read the other books in the series for this story to work. It felt like it was missing a lot of context.

Luke. Just simply and wonderfully, Luke. Brianna was amazing and just what he needed, but his journey, mixed with his high swoon factor, made this book as special as it was!

Needed a break with a light and fluffy romance. Sometimes I wonder if the eARCs I receive from NetGalley are first drafts before editing -- there were parts of this book where exposition seemed very out of place, or background information shared twice (but presented as the first time revelation, and even a major reveal of character background was shared twice (and the second time freaked the hero out, when the first time it was mentioned he didn't even seem to pick up on it).

My own background in oncology nursing led to many eyerolls given what was written as far as the heroine being an oncology travel nurse. (note please -- there are no 10 hour hospital shifts; you get 8s or 12s, can pick an additional 4 hrs, for a max of 16 hrs on). But I did my best to ignore that and just focus on the plausibility of the story.

It was a quick read, but I never really connected with either hero or heroine. Hero comes across as cranky, whinny, spoiled jock much of the time; heroine is just "eh" and two-dimensional. This may be a result of the Personal Issues each come into the story with are kept secret even from the reader until the end of the book. For a book written in first person POV for each, it's a bit annoying, and if anything present the characters of being unaware or unable to face their own shortcomings/problems. The supposed "insta-lust" between the two never hit me, and I never felt that attraction that led them to the initial one-night stand. Which made it a bit harder to buy into the development of their sex-buddies to dating relationship.

Every supposed conflict that came up, including the so-called big one that threatened to derail the relationship seemed beyond contrived. They were mainly small things that were suddenly seen as OMG THIS IS HUGE AND A DANGER SIGN. So not much on the tension building.

Should be noted that the book is part of a series dealing with the love lives of various hockey players, and though characters from other books in the series show up, the book reads easily as a stand-alone.

It certainly served its purpose as a quick and easy light read and nice distraction for the couple nights when I picked it up. It just could have used some more appealing characters who were well fleshed out, and a better way of providing tension to the relationship.

I received an e-galley of this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review. The opinions expressed herein are my own.  I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for their generosity in feeding my brain! :)

After a couple of pretty hardcore Scandi-noir books it was a pleasure to pick up Breakaway by Sophia Henry. Although it is book number five in the Pilots Hockey series it wouldn’t be a problem to read this as a standalone novel.

Luke Daniels, the former star forward for the NHL’s Charlotte Aviators, has spent close to a year rehabbing a career-threatening injury. Coping with the loss of his career is hitting him hard and he has been taking his pleasures wherever he can.

Brianna Collins is new in town. Desperately needing to break away from her overbearing family, a six-month nursing assignment at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the perfect escape. Bree comes from a Hockey family and her parents expect her to be able to “fix” her brother after a series of concussions derailed his hockey career. Unfortunately, no doctor will give him clearance to play, and Bree needs to escape the guilt of not being able to help.

When Luke and Bree get together sparks begin to fly and although Luke only wanted a one night stand he finds himself trying to persuade Bree that they might have a future together.

When you pick up a Sophia Henry hockey novel you know you are getting a bit of class. Henry writes passionately and intelligently about the game and the characters involved and you get a red hot romance to see you through the dark winter nights!

Supplied by Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

Luke has been through a lot and it takes him a while to realize that it is best if he doesn't go back to playing Hockey. He spends time with a wonderful young man, at the hospital where Brianna is working for a short time. It was nice to see if they are able to heal each other.

Most Sports Romance books we read tell about a guy who is at the beginning, middle, or end of their career, being a playboy, and suddenly finding the girl who becomes The One. Some talk about having an injury that they overcome to keep playing. But not many talk about how a young guy gets an injury that ends his chosen career. Sophia Henry has given us a story about that last guy, and the girl he finds, and the journey he has to take to come to terms with what he’s going to do next. That aspect is what resonated the most with me in this book, more so than the romance. Although the romance part is great, the journey our hero takes (to accept his new lot in life) makes this book so much better.

3.5 Stars
This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it. I didn’t realize going into it that it was book 5 in the series. I was able to follow along and enjoy the story. Thankfully these books can be read as standalones.

After reading the blurb for this book I had to get my hands on it. This is a steamy romance I couldn’t put down. Luke is an ex hockey player who becomes a coach after an accident. Bree works in healthcare and was just placed in a hospital in North Carolina.

There are some twists I didn’t see coming. This book dealt with some heavy topics and you could relate to the characters. After reading this book I want to go back and read the first ones from this series. If your looking for a romance that isn’t perfect and the characters have things they are trying to escape this is the book for you.

Bree and Luke find each other when neither of them is looking for a forever kind of relationship. However, as a hook-up leads to more, the way they connect on so many levels is undeniable. There is also an overwhelming amount of understanding and comfort that they find as they unladen their life's concerns to each other.

It's a romance brimming with hot sexy times, but also moments of sincere friendship and support. It was just what I needed.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The story opens with Luke Daniels taking a hit and afterwards not being able to feel anything in his right arm. After some time because he can’t hold his hockey stick he goes to a doctor and finds out what the problem is. He ends up going to quite a few doctors and gets the same answers. Having the surgery that they all said he needed he still thinks he will be getting back out onto the ice but that is a no go. The team offers him another job in the organization instead. Brianna Collins is a Nurse who is in Carolina for a few months to get away from her family. Working in the oncology department she takes the opportunity to go out in the new town when she meets Luke and this begins their time together. This was just to be fun nothing serious but the longer they stay together the more they become attached. Especially after Luke has been volunteering in the unit because of a child of a former teammate. This and finding out that her brother is the hockey player that he took out in juniors will make or break their relationship if they want one. A good story.

This is the story of Luke and Bree. Luke an ex-hockey player due to a career ending injury ends up being a Coach. He meets Bree who is a nurse while volunteering at the hospital she works at. They end up hooking up and being freinds with benefits that ends up revealing that they have more feelings for each other than they originally thought. There are quite a bit of obstacles in their way, one being that when Luke was actively playing hockey he was the one that caused the career ending injury to Bree's brother. I could not really get into this one, like I did with Kristen and Pavel's story. I found it to be a bit repetitive and it took me way longer than it should to finish. Sometimes just being honest and up front in the beginning is a lot better than all the second guessing. The ending was also a bit abrupt. All in all not a bad read. 3 stars.

This was a hot book. These two characters were great together. This book I would read again. This book has drama and romance and sex.

Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. The story was well written and executed. The characters were enjoyable. I do enjoy sports romances but this wasn't a favorite, I didn't find it terribly unique from others but most new adult romances are generic. I'm on the fence about reading more in this series but I would suggest picking it up and giving this author a try, especially if you're just starting out reading new adult romances.

Breakaway wasn't exactly what I was expecting (I don't think I read the blurb too closely--or maybe at all? I just saw "Pilots Hockey, #5" and got grabby hands)--there wasn't too much hockey here, though both MCs have had some connection to it their whole lives--but I still ended up liking it a whole lot. Neither Bree nor Luke are looking for a relationship, and in fact they spend a good half the book as you-know-what buddies and are more than okay with that, but of course that eventually morphs into something else--this time for him before it does for her, which was a refreshing change.

I really liked Bree and Luke together and was rooting for them from the first page (not to mention from the cover, though I don't know who that guy is, because you sure as heck couldn't put that hair into a ponytail...) though it did feel a bit at the end like things were resolved a bit too easily, especially with the family issues they both had. Still, the actual ending was very sweet. Previous series characters make brief appearances in the book--mostly in the beginning--which was fun for those who have read their books but shouldn't cause a problem at all for those who haven't.

Now all we have to do is wait for book #6... :)

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

What a great book!!

This is Luke and Bree's story.

Luke Daniels plays for the NHL Hockey The Charlotte Aviators, that is until he gets so badly injured that he has to give up his position as Captain on the team and retire. He doesn't handle the news well and lives in denial for over a year, thinking that if he works hard in rehab building up his strength in his shoulder, his doctor will sign off, and allow him to play again. The problem is if he plays again and and gets hit again, he could end up paralyzed for life. The Aviators don't want to lose him, so they offer him a position as a recruiter for potential players heading for the NHL and soon-to-be Aviators. He has the skills and knowledge to set these newbies on the right path.

Bree Collins is a pediatric nurse specializing in oncology patients. She left her home in Anaheim, CA for Charlotte, NC for a traveling nurse position that lasts 6 months in each city. She had to get away from the stress and pressure of home, it had become too much to handle. Her brother, Mason, was a junior hockey player when he was 17 years old and when he stopped playing hockey. He had suffered from one too many concussions, yet he insisted that he was fine to play when he wasn't. His last hit to the head, was the end of his career. For the last seven years, his parents and his sister have babied him and catered to his every whim while he parked himself in front of the TV. Bree had spent over a year researching and talking to every doctor possible that she knew about the possibility of her brother ever playing again because her parents expected her to do so. They were too involved with their own lives and careers to do so. Each and every doctor said the same thing, and her brother went into a deeper depression. He doesn't work and mooches off his parents' generosity. He's the favorite child that they brag about, what "could" have been, while Bree works with cancer children and never hears anything about her achievements. She had finally had enough and moved away.

When she goes out with a coworker for the annual St. Patrick's Day bar crawl, she meets a few of the Aviators and their significant others. One of the players immediately grabs her attention, Luke Daniels. The two of them hit it off and flirt like crazy, so much so that Bree ends up in his bed later that night. But when he realizes that she is too drunk, he refuses to do anything but fall asleep with her. The following morning is another story.

When Luke sees her a few days later working at the same hospital that he volunteers at after she's been ignoring his calls, he confronts her. He had realized before he saw her that he wanted more than one night; she on the other hand didn't jump for joy like other women normally do. She's only interested in the physical aspect.

Can Luke change her mind?? She makes him happy in ways he's never been before. Can he convince her to take a chance on him and stay in Charlotte?

Read on!!

Breakaway
Sophia Henry
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Excellent read!! I completely fell in love with this authors writing style. She had me hooked from page 1. This was so much more than a typical sports romance. There were even parts that had me tearing up and I barely ever cry over a book.

"Be the kind of person your kids will respect when they’re old enough to form a real opinion of you."

I would totally suggest this book for everyone on my friends/followers list. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more by Sophia Henry.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Another hockey story by Sophia Henry which will tug at your heartstrings. Brianna moves to get away from familial pressure, but what are the odds she ends up meeting Luke Daniels, a former hockey player? Their time together is threatened by Luke’s Achilles heel, alcohol. Don’t miss this book! You won’t be able to put it down!