Playmaker by L.P. Dover is a good fit for readers looking for a fast-paced, lighthearted romance with a focus on unexpected connections and the unpredictable world of sports.

He knows every play in the book. But she’s calling the shots.

I’m Maddox Ledger, all-star winger and the reason the Charlotte Strikers killed it in the playoffs. Yeah, the tabloids like to call me arrogant. A real hothead. All I see is a guy who plays to win. Wreaking havoc on the ice, breaking a few hearts—that’s all just part of the game. And I’m sure as hell not sitting on the bench.

When my teammate asks me to be in his wedding party, I can’t refuse—but that’s the only way you’ll see me walk down the aisle. Commitment is for suckers. Lucky for me, the bridesmaid I’m paired with is the definition of eye candy. Lacey Easton is totally irresistible . . . and weirdly familiar. A glimpse of bare shoulder takes me back to a steamy Vegas night I can’t forget. One I’m eager to repeat.

Suddenly our one-night stand is turning into the sequel . . . and so much more. Still, Lacey’s keeping secrets. She doesn’t trust me. And maybe I deserve it. But there’s no chance I’m letting her get away—or letting another guy take what is mine. This time, I’m playing for keeps.

Edge of love, dangling Lacey and Maddox's love story in front of us. Great read, awesome storyline.

PLAYMAKER - L.P. Dover

#3 in the Breakaway sports romance series

A SECOND CHANCE - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - After a quiet quickie wedding in Vegas two years ago, Maddox and Lacey randomly meet again when Lacey's brother and Maddox end up on the same professional hockey team. Both are pretending that they don't remember each other or the situation, but Maddox is tired of pretending and wants to rekindle what they had.

Writing - 4 stars - Dover is settling into a familiar style with this third book in the series. Her male characters are strong alphas, although they are tempered somewhat at this point. And her female leads are strong, professional women with appealing personalities.

Characters - 4 stars - Although I do have a few reservations about the violence of the main male characters, I recognize that they are in a brutal sport where violence is accepted along with skating and shooting skills. I suppose that much of what Maddox says is trash talk, but telling rivals that he is going "to kill you" or "break your legs" is just over-the-top, in my opinion. But I did like Maddox, for the most part. He is loving and gentle with Lacey (and Callie, for that matter), and he clearly cares about her. I also liked that he was willing to open his mind about his father, despite their rocky history. Lacey is admirable for having kept her focus and gotten through medical school. I just couldn't believe that someone strong enough to become a doctor would be so vulnerable that she ran away rather than dealing with Maddox's bachelor personality. Then she believed the tabloids, which surprised me since she'd grown up around her brother and should have known that much of that is not true. These characters, though, were pleasant and appealing despite these minor frustrations.

Title - 4 stars - The title fits with the other one-word titles in this series, and it obviously refers to Maddox's role on the ice as well as his bachelor lifestyle.

Cover - 4.5 stars - Very good-looking guy wearing his hat backwards (which apparently was a turn-on for Lacey when they had their fling in Vegas. Nothing wrong with great abs on a cover to draw the eye!

Overall - 4 stars - Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read. There were a couple of frustrations with the main characters, but I did enjoy them and was rooting for their success. It was great to revisit with characters from the two previous books in this series, and I look forward to learning more about Justin in the next book.

I loved this one! Maddox is a force on the ice and off the ice he has a reputation as a ladies man but that is all show since he has not been with anyone since he was married in Vegas a couple years ago and then his wife left him the morning after. He has not set eyes on her until she shows up and he discovers she is the sister of one of his teammates and his cousin's friend and her boyfriend's sister. He plays like he doesn't recognize her until they are ready to accompany each other down the aisle at her brother's wedding. Surprise, he wants his wife back and he is not taking prisoners. Lacey has finally finished her medical school training and is in residency in New York City and doesn't have time for all this but when Maddox disappears she is the one to go find him and rescue him she does and herself too when they discover the chemistry between them is still so strong. Will they be able to make the long distance work or will it get even better and easier once Lacey moves to North Carolina? These two strong willed people are determined to get their happy one way or another.

This story was sweet and heartbreaking and frustrating and infuriating all at once. Multiple times I wanted smack Lacey for her selfish hard-headed ways and then I wanted to smack Maddox for his stupidity! There were a lot of emotions rolling around here. And that’s the thrill of the emotional rollercoaster that I love!
4 stars.

While the book held my interest, it was not surprising in how it ended. You could tell right away that they were going to end up together. The part that kept my attention was how they made the long distance secret work for their situation. If there hadn't been the long distance, I think the book would have ended many chapters before it did. While the story was well written, and the characters were likable, I feel the book drug on for longer than necessary.

sports romances usually make me swoon but this one never left me feeling much. maybe Im just the wrong reader. was entertained and writing was solid but was just ok.

This is a beautiful second chace story that will surprise and engage you from beginning to end. Maddox was sweet and proved himself over and over again. I loved this book.

This book was really good. I stayed up all night reading this book because I couldn't put it down. I love books with Hockey players in them. There is something about their strong but sometimes soft side that always draws me in. Maddox and Lacey's second chance love story was sweet and sometimes drama filled.

This writing in this book started out very disjointed. It made it hard to grasp the storyline in the beginning, but then it smoothed out and reading became pleasant. In summary, a hockey player marries a medicine student in Vegas, they spend two weeks in a sex haze, then she disappears on him, taking their wedding bands and the license. She stays away for two years, living in New York, as she does her medicine residence. It’s not made clear in the beginning why they met in Vegas. This story is like a continuation from a previous book.

Maddox is a very talented hockey player. Too bad he’s such a douche, not many people stand him. He has issues with his father who demands he be the best player in the league and constantly criticizes him, never finding favor with his efforts. This is why he’s such a douche.

After Lacey disappeared on him, he hired a PI and he found out that she’s Dallas Easton’s sister. Maddox and Dallas are team mates but don’t get along. Since Maddox’s cousin Callie is marrying Dallas, they are starting to play nice. Maddox decides that when Lacey comes to the wedding, they will have their reunion, with hopes to start living their married life. This is another instance of disjointed plot. He fell in love with Lacey and when she disappears, he hires a PI, finds out where she is, and proceeds to go out with gorgeous women, hoping to make her jealous and come back to confront him. HUH?

I got a little confused with the book because everyone is a brother or a cousin of one or the other character, and I lost track. Anyway, Lacey does come back and Maddox demands answers. They decide to give their marriage a try but keeping it secret from the others in case it doesn’t work. Needless to say, they face many obstacles, starting with Lacey’s best friend who happens to be a man, and the women who pursue Maddox, hoping to get his attention.

The book was entertaining and the characters were great. Maddox starts as a douche but evolves into a sensitive, caring guy. I loved Lacey and Maddox as a couple, even if some parts of the book weren’t convincing.

To be honest this was just an okay read for me. I loved the concept of the story but at times I was frustrated with the characters. Lacey had a lot of insecurities and Maddox could be an idiot at times. When Maddox wasn’t being dumb he had sweet moments. And they were definitely sexy together. It was enjoyable but just fell a little flat for me.

In the Playmaker by L.P. Dover, I liked Maddox so much. He was incredibly sweet and really would do anything to be with Lacey. Lacey had me a little on edge because she was so insecure. But in the end she won me over. This really is a great story and is a standalone but it will be so much better if you've read Blocked first. Thank you for sharing.

This is the third book in the Breakaway series and the third I've read. I've enjoyed each and every one of them!

Maddox and Lacey's story is part second chance romance and part hidden identity. Lacey was keeping secrets, and rather than both of them deal with their issues they go years without addressing the elephant in the room... It's not often you see a marriage play out this way. I have to say, watching them reconnect makes all the crazy worth it. They both warm my heart. I'd read this one again in a second.

I am not a huge fan of second chance story, but this one I liked.
Maddox gets a second chance with Lacey. But with his player ways will he get Lacey to trust him again? Lacey has to decide if being venerable and putting her heart on the line is worth it, if she does not she could miss the best thing to happen to her.
I really like L.P’s writing style.

Thanks NetGalley

Playmaker is a second chance at love story. It's part of The Breakaway Series by LP Dover, and it stands alone as well. Though I liked the premise and the novel is entertaining, I was not engaged by the heroine. Her go to reaction is to run, and it happened a little too often for my taste. I wanted growth from her sooner. There is passion and humor in the story, most of the characters are quite strong and likeable, and the dialogue is first rate. If you're looking for a sports themed romance (yes there's a satisfactory happily ever after) this series is overall quite a good choice.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really liked the book. Although I have a few books by this author, this is the first one I’ve read. In this book we meet Maddox who plays for the Strikers hockey team. We learn that a couple years earlier he met and married Lacey in Las Vegas. The morning after she sneaks out of their room, taking the marriage license and rings. He hires a PI to track her down and realizes she told him a fake name, that she is actually the sister of his hockey teammate that hates him. He sees her again and both pretend not to recognize the other. Her brother marries Maddox’s cousin and both are in the wedding. Maddox wants to work it out and Lacey finally agrees. They keep everything a secret through most of the book. Lacey is in her residency in NYC and Maddox and crew live in NC. The book was steamy in places and had a good plot. I give it 5 stars. I will now be reading more of this author.

I love a good second change romance and this book definitely did not disappoint! This is going to be the third book in the Breakaway Hockey Series. I absolutely loved Maddox and Lacey! You definitely learn a new side of Maddox. They have a history and watching them reconnect makes this book worth it! This book is heartwarming with a little bit of drama! You saw glimpses of Maddox and Lacey in previous books and knew they had some sort of connection, them receiving their own book was icing on the cake! I received this for an honest review from Netgalley.

Playmaker is the third book in the Breakaway series. The story is a second chance love story, and it has some drama, surprises and sexy hockey players. It liked the whole family dynamics, it only adds to the story. The characters Maddox and Lacey were so good together. I liked them. Great hockey series, and I can't wait to the next book in this series.

This story gave me so many feels!!! There were just so many emotions all the time. This is so much more then your typical second chance romance book. There is a twist that will make you need to keep reading to find out when it will become public knowledge. And my goodness it is good.

This is a very well written book with so few errors that it is not noticeable at all. You will not only enjoy reading it, but you will want to read it again and recommend it to your friends.

I had this one on my 'to be read' shelf for awhile now. I started it a few months ago but it wasn't clicking, so I put it down and just picked it back up. The premise, in general, is an interesting one and sets the stage for an engaging read. While the hero seemed sincere, albeit a little man dumb, the heroine was the weak link for me. She continuously ran and the whole runner act got real old. Also, in my opinion, if you trust the man make it work. If not, ease on down the road and be done with it already.

If you stick with it until the end, things all work out and the heroine seems to surrender her cross trainers. You really just have to figure out if a wishy-washy heroine who wants to hide her marriage for months and instead sneak around with and torture her husband is what you're in the mood for.

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