Slap Shot by Kelly Jamieson is a good fit for those seeking an emotional, fast-paced romance that explores themes of love, loss, and second chances, with a strong focus on the protagonist's personal growth and development.

I liked this book. I am not into hockey and usually steer clear from these book but Kelly Jamieson really writes about hockey players in a way that I enjoy. One thing that was funny about this book is Max's team mate Army was way more protective over Kendra who is his cousin than he was over his sister. I really like Kendra as a character and Max was just perfect for her. Would recommend this one.

Max Hall is working on getting himself back in the game. He took time off after his wife passed away and came to terms with the next chapter in his life, the one thing he had not done though is been with another woman. Then he sees Kendra Armstrong and something stirs in him that has been dormant for a long time. They agree to one night, which leads to two but they both agree that it is strictly sex. They don't expect to see one another again but fate plays a different role and they find themselves seeing each other and beginning a relationship of sorts. The only problem is they both live in different states and both are focused on their careers. Can they build a new life together or are they doomed to fail with the distance between them?

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I felt that Max was so believable as a character, his emotions are on his sleeve and he is inspirational with trying to move on and get back his place on the hockey team. Kendra is a woman who owns it, I really enjoyed her confident attitude. Wonderful story.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one. Way to go Kelly!!

I love sex positive heroines and sex toy designer Kendra is one of the best. Max has been broken by the loss of his wife and is in need of a one night stand. It's satisfying to watch their casual relationship slowly transform into one of love.

I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every book in Kelly Jamieson’s Chicago Aces series, but Slap Shot has a bit of an added bonus and two of her characters from her New Adult Bayard Hockey series make cameo appearances giving readers a bit of a look at what the future of the Aces might look like. Slap Shot takes a realistic look at grief and Ms. Jamieson does a fantastic job as a young widower tries to get back to his life in all ways; trying to regain his spot on his team by working hard, moving forward without forgetting his past, making mistakes, accepting happiness, and yes…falling in love again. At times heart breaking, at times frustrating, at times joyful, and at times sexy this was a book full of hope and new beginnings and my favorite book in this series to date.

Fifteen months after Max Hall’s wife passed away from a rare form of cancer, and following a bout of depression, and the inability to care about anything in his life including hockey Max is working with a new trainer and is determined to be in the best shape he can by training camp. At one of his teammates wedding’s Max suddenly finds him interested in sex again, something that hasn’t happened in a very long time, but the bride’s cousin Kendra Armstrong catches his eye despite the fact she is nothing like his usual type and perhaps that’s exactly what he needs.

I appreciated that upfront these two both wanted sex, period. They talked and given they live in different states and both are dedicated to their careers they were mature enough to agree to enjoy each other’s bodies fully and say good-bye. But, one night turns into two and then a weekend they don’t plan, and before long they have friends with benefits type of arrangement going on and soon were sharing their personal histories and their current lives. Given that Kendra was a therapist turned sex toy designer and company owner she was very in tune with her sexuality and astute in understanding Max’s grief and his dedication to getting healthy and earning his place back on his team. I like that she treated him like a man, she didn’t try to “fix” him, she didn’t offer platitudes but did try and help him when he asked or seemed to be struggling. While Kendra was smart and self sufficient she had some baggage that made her a bit vulnerable. I loved that Max was interested in her business, that he appreciated her drive, and that he was protective of her when it came to dealing with her family. While the parameters of their relationship changed over time, they never really discussed it leading to quite a bit of upheaval. I couldn’t help but respect the fact that despite being at odds, they both truly wanted what was best for one another proving they were both in deeper than they even intended to be.

One thing I really loved was watching Max push himself to the limit to get healthy and back to his team. I especially loved the scenes with the young players from Bayard College and those with his current teammates who more than wanted to see him healthy and happy again. It is this camaraderie that makes these books so special and entertaining.

Pack full of emotion, an outstanding plot, and characters that worm their way into your heart, Kelly Jamieson’s Slap Shot is exactly what I look for in a romance and 5 stars of perfection.

It's wedding time for Marc Dupuis and Lovey so everyone has gathered for the nuptials. Including Kendra Armstrong who is Lovey and Army's cousin, she is a therapist and a entrepreneur in New York, she has never met Max but after one look she is intrigued and since the attraction is mutual they head to her room for a hookup.

Things are hot and heavy for Max and Kendra so they decide to do a sex only relationship, is that really a relationship?, while she is in town. Since he is still grieving for his wife that passed over a year ago and Kendra lives in New York Max thinks this is perfect for them.

I put off reading Max’s book for a while because I really expected some gut wrenching crying jags due to his backstory (the loss of his wife) but that wasn’t the case and honestly I don’t know if I’m sad about that or relieved.

The intimate scenes were plentiful and hot, there was chemistry but it wasn't the all consuming type and I think it's because Max kept downplaying his feelings for Kendra.

While Slap Shot can be read as a standalone I would highly recommend reading this series in the order of release since the characters flow throughout each of the books.

Happy Reading!!!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I have tried to read this book at least ten times. It has all the things that I love. Hockey, hot guys, steamy romance, but I just could not get into it.

As a fan of several other college-set hockey NA series I’m not sure why I’ve never tried yours. Though Slap Shot isn’t college-set, I believe the Aces series is related to the Bayard College series, at least tangentially.

Max Hall and Kendra Armstrong meet at a wedding; he’s a teammate of the groom on the Chicago Aces pro hockey team, and she’s a cousin of the bride. They are attracted to each other immediately and end up spending the night together (though technically no sex happens until the next day; a tipsy Max passes out before anything can happen that night). Neither wants a relationship – for one thing, he’s in Chicago and she’s in New York; for another, both are focused on their careers. But they somehow keep meeting up and having hot sex and eventually they agree to a long-distance friends-with-benefits relationship.

The story is told from Max’s POV, which is unusual enough that I had a little trouble getting used to it. I’m much more used to alternating h/h POVs at this point. Max is coming off a year-plus out of hockey, for a very traumatic reason: his wife fell ill and died of a rare form of cancer. Max is just now coming back to life (before Kendra, he hadn’t had sex with another woman since before his marriage), and his main goal is to make the Aces for the upcoming season. He’s keenly aware that he’s not young anymore (well, young in hockey years; he’s 29) and he’s doing everything he can to get in shape (his diet and exercise regime is described in more detail than I really needed).

We only see Kendra from Max’s POV: what she tells Max or what he hears about her from his teammate, who is also her cousin (the bride from the opening being the sister of this teammate). She has a psychology degree but no longer practices; instead she owns a sex-toy company with a friend. She stopped working with patients because she became too frustrated by her inability to fix peoples’ problems through psychology, so she’s focused on helping women have better sex lives (and she takes it seriously, which I liked; her job is not played for laughs for the most part or treated lasciviously). Kendra has a terrible relationship with her narcissistic mother and has had made poor choices in previous romantic relationships, going for guys she wanted to “fix” (that psychology degree rearing its head).

I really liked Kendra – I liked her healthy, modern attitude towards sex and her ownership of her sexuality. I would’ve liked to get her POV because I think she was actually a more complex and interesting character than Max was. Max was chiefly focused on 1) making the team and 2) feeling that he can never love again because his wife died.

I won’t say that I’ve *never* read a romance novel written solely from the male POV; I’m sure there have been a few in the thousands of romances I’ve read over the past 25 years. But I’d say they have been very rare, and none spring to mind immediately. (To be totally technically accurate, Slap Shot does include the heroine’s POV briefly in the epilogue.) Max was likable, but again, not necessarily the most interesting character to inhabit the mind of for the whole book. He veered between being very “stereotypical guy” (there was way more musing about the state of his dick and balls than I wanted or needed to read) and being oddly observant of decor and the other characters’ fashion choices. Usually those sorts of observations are just background detail in a romance, but again, when the romance is solely told from the male POV, and the male doesn’t seem like he’d use the word “bodice” or notice (in detail) what his lady friend’s business partner is wearing, they feel a little jarring.

Max also came off as a bit unsophisticated of a thinker sometimes. He seems to really believe that there’s a possibility his dead wife is up in heaven crying because he’s sleeping with another woman. That struck me as…weird, and almost childlike. I mean, I know he feels guilty, he’s projecting, etc. – but you’re a grown man and your view of heaven seems to be your loved one sitting around on a cloud pretty much how they were in life, with human thoughts and jealousies, along with with the harp and halo?

Slap Shot is a very simple, straightforward romance. There’s little conflict – you know there will be a showdown over Max’s putative inability to love again at some point, and there is, but of course the outcome is never in doubt. Other than that, he’s trying to make the team, and he finds himself in the position of warily introducing Kendra to the people in his life (his parents, his wife’s family) while still trying on some level to keep their relationship in its little compartment.

I did like that Max really seemed to *like* Kendra, and while there felt like at times an excessive focus on sex and sex scenes (yes, I’ve become one of those readers), their friendship clearly developed along with their romance. Since it was a long-distance relationship, the two would Skype or text about their days and including those little details made the romance feel more real (those sorts of details aren’t something you see developed often in romances, which is why I appreciated it).

I finished Slap Shot a few weeks ago, and I notice I gave it a C+ in my log. In retrospect, that seems rather low. I do think the book suffered from only having Max’s POV, and story lacked a bit in depth and conflict. But I feel it’s worthy of a solid B-.

This author's voice/writing style doesn't work for me. I have tried numerous books and I have found many hockey romances that work for me, so I know the sport romance side of it isn't a "new" thing for me - but I don't really connect with this author's style.

The depth really isn't there for me and when I try to look deeper into the storyline, I'm just not feeling it. I like being able to sink into a book, to get lost in the words, and be able to fall in love with the characters, and on these books I just couldn't.

This book didn't honestly do anything groundbreaking, but it got a high score for something a lot of people probably wouldn't even notice or care about.

The non-ableism of someone with a mental illness.

The writing is great, I liked the romance even if it felt a little awkward at times. What can I say, I love the broken boys.

This was a fun quick read and it's been on my Netgalley shelf for way too long. I'll definitely be going back and reading more books in the series.

A wedding, a hockey player and a woman who makes sex toys. - it's not what you think.

Max has put love on hold after the loss of his wife, will he find a way to open up and love again? This story will squeeze your heart when it comes to second chances finding a happy-ever-after.

I am always up for a hockey romance and this was no exception.

Kelly Jamieson's Aces Series is the perfect mix of independent, beautiful, sassy girls, and talented, troubled, and dangerously hot hockey players. It has enough hockey in it to turn even the most layman of readers into fans. In Slap Shot, widower Max Hall isn't ready to date or to have a new relationship in his life. However, he is more than ready to have a one night stand. After putting his career on hold, Hallsy cared for his dying wife 'til her last breath. Losing her was a hit. After months depressed and away from the game he loved, Hallsy is working hard to make back into the team. With a tough work out routine, rigid diet, and focus he knows he can do it. Making the team, that was all Max thought about, until Kendra. It should have been just sex - a one-night thing. But Kendra is bright and hot and she makes Max laugh. She makes him happy and the way she looks at him, makes him feel ten feet tall. Since Kendra lives in NY and he is in Chicago, a long-distance friends with benefits type situation seemed like a really good idea. No emotions, just really hot sex. Until feelings crept in and everything changed. Max is never going to fall in love again, but what happens if Kendra falls? Slap Shot brings back all the players from the previous books in the series. The sex is scorching hot. The banter is comical. And the HEA is sweet.

SLAP SHOT - Kelly Jamieson

#5 in the Aces Hockey romance series

EMOTIONAL IN A GOOD WAY - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Max Hall is finally ready to come back to hockey after the death of his wife. So he's working hard to get his body back into shape so he'll be ready for training camp. But when he meets his teammate's cousin, he realizes he's also ready to get back into the bedroom, keeping emotions out of it.

Writing - 4 stars - As always, and especially with this series, Jamieson gets my attention right from the first page. Since we're getting to know the players much better now after several books in this series, she can toss us right into the action and heat things up immediately. I'd say, though, that this book was perhaps too focused on the sex and not so much on the relationship. I understand that Hallsy has been shutting down his feelings and acts pretty unemotional, but I wondered throughout the book when he would finally recognize that fact. I think Jamieson might have waited just a little bit too long to get him to that point.

Characters - 4 stars - She has built a strong group of characters that are all part of the successful Aces franchise--all sexy, hot, professional, and caring men. Max Hall is stronger than most, having survived the death of his wife last year. Now that he's back, he's gun-shy about relationships and is determined to focus on hockey and nothing else. Except his body, of course, thinks otherwise. And Kendra is warm and understanding, and the perfect support system for him. Jamieson actually focused solely on Max, so we didn't really get to know Kendra as much as I would have liked to. We never really see into her head--the entire book is seen through Max's eyes. Not a bad thing, but perhaps lacked a bit of empathy from her point of view.

Title - 4 stars - Great title since it's a hockey term, of course. And Max needs to get a slap/shot to his emotions to get them working again, and Kendra definitely delivers.

Cover - 4 stars - Since my imagination "saw" a man much like the cover model as Max, this cover works for me.

Overall - 4 stars - A very good addition to this series. Max has been sort of a shadow figure through the series because of his leaving the team and caring for his wife for several months. Now that we get a closer look at him, it's good to see that he's a strong and integral member of the team, but he's very emotionally shut-down at the moment and needs a lot of caring and support. While getting his body in shape will certainly help, he craves the love of a woman, even if his brain rejects the idea of "betrayal" to his wife. As always, I enjoyed revisiting with characters from previous book, and I look forward to continuing with this series sooner rather than later.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

So I've been binging the Aces series and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Max's book considering that his wife died like, three weeks ago in my world. That said, the way that Kelly explained how Max was feeling and how much time had passed really helped me get past that. When he meets Kendra at a wedding, he just needs to get back on the horse (if you know what I mean). As they build this long distance affair, they promise each other that feelings won't be an issue. But we all know what that means, right? Before long, they're falling for each other. But Max doesn't want to fall. He wants to get back on the team and honor his late wife.

Kelly has written a great story for Max. It has heart (and a hell of a lot of heat) and you get to catch up with some old friends. I like her writing because you really get to know the characters and you find yourself rooting for them, both on the ice and in their relationships. Another great Aces read!

After more than a year away from hock, Max Hall is trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. The death of his wife put his career on hold and made him feel like he would never find love again. How could he, he would never love anyone as much as he did her.

Kendra Armstrong is a smart and sexy woman. Right now, she is focused on running her company. She is not looking for a serious relationship.

While attending a wedding for a teammate, Max was looking for a night of sex. Along comes Kendra, both soon find that they are looking for the same thing. Neither wanting a serious relationship, they agree to make their relationship all about sex. They are perfectly happy with the current status of their relationship until Max starts wanting more than just a sexual relationship.

Slap shot is a fast read. Smart and funny with a touch of romance and a little hockey mixed into the story. I'm looking forward to more from Kelly Jamieson.

Soo good! I loved every word. Kelly's books are always great, and with this one, I became an even bigger fan.

At her cousin's wedding, Kendra finds herself attracted to one of the groom's friends. Being that he lives in Chicago and her in New York, she doesn't think anything serious can come of their encounter.

Max, still struggling with his wife's death, finds himself feeling guilty over his attraction to another girl. He can't deny the chemistry between them; however, his guild keeps him from moving on. It isn't until he's faced with losing her that he has to decide what he wants...

I've enjoyed all of the books in this series and this was no exception. Although a stand alone, there are characters from previous books mentioned. It was well written and an enjoyable read. A great sports romance novel!

Really enjoying this series! Max has had a hard time after his wife was sick and passed away. Now getting back into not only the dating game, but back in the hockey game takes some work! Really enjoyed reading this book, and finding your way back to something real and happy.

Well... don't I feel like a heel?

Not only have I had this book for approximately 7.345678 kagrillon years, but to add insult to injury, I didn't particularly like it.



So let me keep this short. Because I'm an asshole.

I had trouble getting into this mostly because of the prose. It's stuffed to the gills with interior decorating, menus of what Max can eat on his super strict training diet and his exercise regimen. And him constantly bitching about said exercise regimen.



The whole story is told from Max's perspective except the epilogue and there were some... questionable things that went through his head. There were also some eyebrow raising events that transpired. Things that I questioned whether or not a professional athlete would engage in. Things that made me go...



He meets Kendra at a wedding and they quickly make their way to her hotel room. After deciding they have oodles of chemistry they start a "no strings" sexual relationship. Because he can never love again after losing his wife to cancer a little over a year ago. Predictably, one of them becomes attached.

There is a lot of sex. Some of it was spicy but after a certain point it became a rinse and repeat sitch. I started skimming the sex scenes. Her being a sex toy maker and him supposedly being sexually adventurous had me hoping for more spice. Those hopes never came to fruition.

Kendra is a nice girl and Max is a nice guy but neither of them are dynamic characters, nor was their romance. I could've done with a lot less of Max's denial antics. I appreciate that he didn't want to disrespect his wife but after you realize you're lying to yourself AND that you're being an asshole to your for all intents and purposes girlfriend...



I typically enjoy sports romance but this takes place during the offseason after Max took off a significant amount of time. He's out of shape but determined to make the starting roster of the Chicago Aces again so most of the story revolves around him training to achieve that goal rather than sports or team dynamics, which is what I crave from a sports romance.

Jamieson seems to strive for realism in her books and Slap Shot fits that bill. I appreciate that these characters and their journey were relatable but I needed a little more pizazz to make me really invest in their journey.

If any of the above appeals to you, Slap Shot is a book you will enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own and YMMV.

A copy was provided by NetGalley.