I love the Aces series and was looking forward to reading this book. It is good and I especially loved Jodie and her strong nature. I also liked Nick too once he loosened up! My only criticism is the plot lacked excitement. It felt like it followed the same plot line as many of the other Aces books. I'm hoping the next is more intriguing.

Nick and Jodie are so cute together but since Nick doesn't want kids and Jodie is a single mother they may be doomed before they get a chance to explore the possibilities. Okay. so Big Stick was such a fun read. I loved how NIck responded to Jodie's daughter and his reaction when she was sick was so touching and sweet. Awesome story with lots so sizzle and a happen ending that will melt your heart.

This is my first book by Kelly Jamieson and I’m happy to say that it won’t be my last. It was easy to read and I liked both Nick and Jodie. Who doesn’t like a guy that comes through even though he’s had a rough time and doesn’t feel that he’s earned the right to be happy. I liked Jodie a lot. I liked that she didn’t play games and how she loved her daughter. And, of course, being a hockey player doesn’t hurt!

Without giving the storyline away, the underlying topic that the author is championing is commendable.

While the beginning of the story seems too much like a “telling” rather than “showing” writing style, and certain character points are repeated too often, once the story reaches about the two-thirds mark, the style decidedly changed and engages the reader more fully. While Jodie seems comfortable in who she is and the choices she has made throughout the story, it is Nick who has the most growing and healing to do. And it is in the latter part of the story that we see this taking place which, in the end, makes this a good story!


Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Loveswept for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

i enjoyed this book but not as much as the others in the series. the hero and heroine didn't really seem to connect with each other for me. and i don't like how he had a savior complex doing everything for her and her daughter. as always, i liked the teammates and the group interaction

I really enjoyed this book by kelly jamieson, I got this ARC from netgalley. I have read one of kelly’s Books before this and she does not disappoint

I loved how out going Jodie was and how much of a loner nick was, the development of their relationship made me want to keep reading more ...

Watching nick and his emotions progress from his feelings with Jodie to his interactions with zyanna .... it’s hard not to fall in love with this couple... this book had all the heat you would expect from kelly.

I loved this book!

This book another in the series has Jodie moving to Chicago after her partner got married to another hockey player on the team, that story was a few books back. Now Jodie along with her two year old daughter is looking to move out of the apartment she has been living in with the married couple. Before any of that happens she meets mister personality Nick Balachov, who also plays for the team and has shown up to the party. She notices after a while that he is outside while everyone else is inside. Speaking to him she understands because he is an ass, jerk, and rude just to name a few. When she can’t find a place Hallsy, Nick’s teammate asks if Jodie and her daughter could move into his carriage house in the back since it has been vacant for three years. First Nick says no but then he agrees and slowly finds himself liking having someone to talk to. He is still a jerk at times but when a winter storm comes in and shuts everything down he takes in both Jodie and her daughter to his big house. This is where he begins to open up about his past and they begin to get to know each other. Just when everything is going good. He gets freaked out when watching Zyana, Jodie’s daughter. He doesn’t want to run from the two of them but for him that is all he knows. Can his friends bring him back and will she take him back? Read this wonderful story and find out. A very good book.

This book was actually pretty decent though. The heroine is a single mom by choice and she owns a sex toy company. The hero plays hockey is kind of a jerk. She needs a place to stay and ends up staying in the hero’s guest house. So it is kind of forced proximity when Jodie and Nick have to spend time together.

Even though this is a hockey book and I forgot I read it, once it popped back in my brain I remembered that Jamieson does a good job at making things just a little different or unusual. For example, the hero isn’t on the first line in hockey. He is part of the second squad. So he’s not a starter on the team. He is a solid player, but he isn’t the star. I like that. Not every professional athlete is “THE STAR” so this was refreshing. Jamieson frequently deals with heavier topics and in this book touched on mental illness and suicide. So if those are things that don’t work for you, this book is not for you. This was an enjoyable read and I recommend it for someone who enjoys hockey romance and looking for a quick read.

Grade: B

3.75 stars.
Kelly Jamieson writes such feel-good stories, they are usually fairly sweet, tender and more than a little heartwarming.
I especially like her hockey romances. They are entertaining, with character and charm not unlike her heroes and heroines.
There is often some drama but no major angst.

It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did, I loved the slow burn romance between Jodie and Nick.
I simply adored Jodie. I liked the fact that she was an independent but also kindhearted woman. She had really wanted to have a child and so bravely decided to go it alone and become a single mom. Zyana her daughter is super cute.
Jodie is definitely a woman that isn't afraid to pursue what she wants in life.
Nick (our hockey player hero) also had no problem worming his way into my affections as the slightly gruff loner with a sad past.

This was a sweet and lighthearted romance, not my favorite by this author but still a good read and very representative of her writing style.
This book is part of a series but can certainly be read as a standalone.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Kelly didn't dissapoint with this book. Steamy sex, hot athletes and a bit of drama are all front and center in the continuation of the Aces series. Keep 'em coming Kelly!

*I received this book free from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via NetGalley.*

Nick likes his solitude. Nothing gives him more happiness than being home with his peace and quiet. However, everything changes when his life gets shook up a little.

Jodie wants to make life wonderful for her daughter, but getting settled after the big move hasn't been all that fun. She's staying with her best friend and feels like she's imposing on her and her boyfriend so house hunting she goes, only to end up discouraged at the prospects within her price range.

Nick has an empty guest house. Jodie needs a place to stay. They're both put in a spot where neither can say no.

It doesn't take long for kid hating Nick to fall in love with two-year-old, Zyana, and Jodie shortly after. However, the ghosts of his past keep him from making any commitments. He doesn't want anyone to depend on him and risk letting them down again.

Big Stick is an adorable and steamy romance. What starts out as just a little adult fun quickly entangles their hearts. And the ending...oh so sweet! I love the Aces Hockey series! Each book pulls you in and the characters completely captivate you.

****3.5 Stars****
I fell in love with Jodie and her daughter but what sealed the deal for me on this book was Nick....swoon, starry eyed, drool. Nick...the stoic, unsocial hockey player that is dealing with his grief as best as he can....enter Jodie and pretty soon Nick realizes that there is more to life than fixing up his house and hockey.
Have never read Kelly Jamison before but I was able to follow the story very well (considering that this is book #7 in a series). Now I can't wait to pick the rest of the books up!

4 Stars from Renee!
⭐⭐⭐⭐

This story has laughs, secrets, and heartbreak.

Before reading this story please read the below books first
Major Misconduct (Aces Hockey #1)
Off Limits (Aces Hockey, #1.5)
Icing (Aces Hockey #2)
Top Shelf (Aces Hockey, #3)
Back Check (Aces Hockey, #4)
Slap Shot (Aces Hockey #5)
Playing Hurt (Aces Hockey #6)

This is Jodie and Nick’s story. Nick sticks to himself but when he is forced to hang out with the team at a party he meets Jodie. He is grumpy and kind of a jerk to Jodie, but she takes it in stride. She knows that she is different, and she is fine with that. She does not need a man to help her or make her family better. When she needs a place to stay his teammates offer up Nick’s coach house. Nick does not need distractions. But seeing Jodie and her daughter make him want more out of life. But does he deserve more? After all the pain of his past can he really think he deserves more then what he has? Can he make Jodie happy? Or is he just bring her more pain by all the hot and cold? Can these two figure out what they want before they lose each other?

I loved these characters and also the side characters. I felt I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

Hard fought often reluctant romance that builds up between a hard working single Mom and complicated Hockey player not looking to settle down.

Ends in a HEA

Loved this story and the unconventional way that the heroine became a mom, it was refreshing and definitely entertaining to see these two amazing characters together

Jodie is a single mother and she is in a bind. She is staying with her best friend and business partner, but she is newly married, and being that they can't keep their hands off each other she needs to find her own place for her and her daughter.

When all the places she looks at is either too expensive or too creepy, her friend offers up a solution. One of her husbands teammates has a coach house that is sitting empty. Problem is that teammate has seen her naked by accident and is a player in more ways than one. But she is in a jam so she takes it. A snow storm and other happy accidents throw them together, even though he says he hates kids, and people he seems to always be there to lend a hand. Nick has lost in his life and his gruff exterior pushes a lot of people away but for some reason Jodie and her daughter make their way past his tough shell.

This Aces Hockey story is a standout. I love that Nick is such a gruff and standoffish guy. I absolutely adore that Jodie has such strength and independence that she has her own business, takes her future into her own hands and decides to have a child on her own. Zyana is a joy. I love that Jodie moves her daughter and herself to be near her business partner. I like the foundation that is laid by Jodie renting her little house from Nick. I like the slow boil of the relationship between them. The words flow, the story moves logically. I enjoyed this very much. Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy.

Jodie and her precocious two-year old daughter have recently picked up and moved to Chicago so Jodie and her business partner Kendra can advance their business. Finding an affordable place to live shouldn’t be as challenging as it’s been and accepting the invitation to move into the coach house owned by her partner’s boyfriend’s teammate probably isn’t the best decision but at this point her options are limited.

Nick likes his solitude and shouldn’t be so intrigued by his new tenant and her daughter, especially since he claims he doesn’t like kids. He doesn’t understand why she’s taking up so much real estate in his thoughts. Having someone else depend on him, makes Nick reinforce the walls he’s built.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I can say it will definitely not be my last. I loved it and couldn’t wait to see how it was tied up. The story hooked me from the first page.

The heroine was affable and easily relatable. Her innate ability to be a loving mother is one of her best qualities. Nick and his reluctance to develop new relationships is due to his scarred past. I loved both of these characters and was rooting for them from the beginning.

I will definitely be picking up the rest of the books in this series.

I’ll admit to liking Nick a little more than Jodie, but together I loved them both, The story had a great mix of romance, sex, and hockey!

I was very happy to have the chance to read another book with a toddler so soon. Zyana was a cute kid even if I couldn't remember it at all. I am not familiar with the name, but after some research, I found that it means "a gift from Heaven" and I ended up liking it. She is a big part of the book and she is not forgotten halfway through the story. She and her mama are bringing Nick to his knees and he couldn't be happier by the end of the book. Nick lost Aleks 3 years ago and his death made him not only sad and grieving but also not to want to have a family and feel bad for being alive and having a good career. He is not in the right frame of mind, but he manages. He and Jodie don't have the best first meeting and they don't exactly like each other, but she needs somewhere to live and he has plenty of space available so they are "forced" to live close to each other and of course the girls win him over and soften his heart one little step at the time.

Big stick is not my favorite book in the series, but it wasn't bad. Just not as good as the previous books. It had its charm and it was easy to read, but I didn't feel as connected as I should have been and I am not sure if that is because there was something going on with the writing or the pressure I felt with the ticking clock and my reading list. Overall the book was good and I feel like you should get the chance to read Nick, Jodie and Zyana's story.