Each book in this series keeps getting better. Nick was a self proclaimed loner. He lived with a lot of guilt and felt like anyone he cared about he let down. When he meets Jodie, he is attracted to her but she irritates him with how much she talks.
Jodie is a single mom (her decision) to an absolutely adorable two year old little girl. She picked up and moved so she could be closer to her best friend/business partner. She is headstrong and doesn’t really like Nick when she first meets him.
This book was wonderful at expressing feelings of guilt, talking about the affects of depression, forgiveness and how to move past heartache and loss to open yourself up to the possibility of love, even if you don’t think you deserve or want it.

Big Stick is the seventh in the Aces Hockey series, and although it runs somewhat concurrently with book #6, it can easily be read as a standalone. Jamieson is one of my go-to authors for sports (hockey) romance and Big Stick doesn't disappoint.

Jodie is a single mother who is making the move from NYC to Chicago, needs to find a place to live and has a tendency to talk somewhat excessively. Nick has an empty guest house and a penchant for being alone. Put the two together and sparks eventually fly. And boy, do they fly!

I love a good jerk-redemption story, but in reality, Nick wasn't a jerk. He was really just a big, grumpy teddy bear dealing with some heavy emotional baggage. And let’s be honest - there aren't many things quite as sweet as a big, hulking guy interacting with an adorable little kid.

I don't know if there are more books planned in this series, but I certainly hope so!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

This is my second book by Kelly and I loved this one possibly more than the first. A stick isn’t the only big thing about this book... the characters personalities are a definite contender. Everything from the characters to the storyline were wonderfully written and engaging. I definitely enjoyed it! Can’t wait to read more.

4.5 Stars
I loved this book so much. It was packed with so much emotion. The story itself was beautiful.I really loved Nick and Jodie together. They complimented each other so well. Jodie and Zyana are just so perfect for Nick. They are exactly the people Nick needs in his life. The scenes with Nick and Zyana melted my heart. Nick comes off very gruff in the beginning, but hang in there with him because he will be winning you over in no time. I just gobbled up this book. It literally was hard to put down. It's one you should definitely read because it has the perfect combination of heat, heart, and humor.

Like most people, I have certain tropes that give me the most enjoyable reading time. Single mom is not one of them. But Big Stick had me at hockey. I will read most any trope when it is set in a hockey atmosphere. The single mom aspect was my least favorite part of the story, but it was obviously necessary to drive the plot. It took me a bit to get in to the story. Nick is major broody and I was glad to get his POV, so I could warm up to him and his way of thinking. I really liked the somewhat forced proximity of living on the same property and the snowstorm was a winner to move their relationship along. This is my first Aces Hockey book and I think it might have been even better to know some of the backstory on the team. But, it can be read easily without that knowledge, because I was not lost. The story stood on its own. After finishing the book, I felt satisfied and liked the story. It seemed well thought out with quite a bit of details to keep the reader in the moment. I liked the right amount of dialogue and the heat level of the sexy times. Thank you Netgalley for providing a copy for me to read.

This is the next book in the Chicago Aces hockey and it’s as good as every one that precedes it! Kelly Jamieson has never let me down and she doesn’t this time either!

Combine an independent single mom with a cute two year old and a grumpy but hot hockey player and things happen! Jodie has relocated to the city when her business partner and friend falls in love and marries another player. But she knows that she has to find her own place because the newlyweds need their privacy.

Nick is tired of the puck bunny scene and wants to spend his time remodeling and furnishing the house he bought. He’s not real happy to be asked to let Jodie live in his carriage house but with no reason to say no, he lets her move in. He just wants to make it clear that they need to leave him alone because he doesn’t like kids.

Of course the author delivers the requisite HEA and she does it with style! Loved this one as I have all the ones in the series.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was promised or received for this review.

I loved Jodie and Nick! Jodie moves to Chicago to be near her friend and business partner, Kendra. She is staying with them during a party. Nick plays hockey with Max, Kendra’s husband. She ends up moving into his coach house with her two year old daughter, Zyana. Nick does not like people or kids. Will these two change his mind? 4 stars

Nick is focused on his career as a hockey player first and renovating his home second. He is a loner who keeps his secrets and his pasts buried deep within and doesn’t allow anyone too close. He enjoys his friends, but he has no interest in love or relationships as they only bring pain.

Jodie has never experienced love first hand until she chose to become a single mother by choice and her two year old daughter Zyana is the light of her life. She has recently moved to Chicago to be near her business partner and best friend who happens to be the fiancée of a teammate of Nick’s.

Finding accommodation for her and her daughter is not as easy as she had thought. When her friends arrange for her to stay in Nick’s guesthouse she agrees but only until she can find her own place. Their landlord/tenant relationship becomes complicated when Nick who never wanted a relationship or children and Jodie who thought she would never need anyone but her daughter, start to like having each other around. There is no denying the chemistry between them but are they willing to open up their hearts and let each other in?

This is a hot and heartwarming story as two people find what they didn’t know they were looking for in each other. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

4.5
Favorite Aces novel to date!
I absolutely adored this romance between Nick and Jodie. There were twists and turns with bumps and bruises, but I saw each character grow in their own way, some more than others, and it was a beautiful thing. This book kept me entertained from page one.
My heart broke for Nick’s situation and it felt very personal, like I was the one living it. The emotion in this book was fantastic.
It had moments that were predictable, and some where I had to go back and reread because I thought I misunderstood something, but overall, this book has definitely been my favorite Aces Novel and I highly recommend it.

This was my first read by Kelly Jamieson and it will definitely not be my last. I am a sucker for single parent romances and thrown in a sport I love, hockey, and that was the icing on the cake.

Big Stick, is a standalone in the Aces Hockey series. I have not read any of the other books in the series and was not at all lost or confused while reading this one.

Nick is my kind of book boyfriend! He is alpha, stubborn, and a self proclaimed people hater. Watching him break down for Jodie and Zyana, Jodie’s 2 year old daughter, was extremely swoony and I couldn’t get enough of it. Jodie is strong, independent, and it’s hard for her to lean on someone else. I loved watching Jodie and Nick maneuver around their growing feelings for each other and also deal with things that have happened in their pasts. Sure, they both make mistakes along the way but my favorite part was that they were grown up enough to talk about things without a whole bucket load of extra drama.

If you love romances, single parents, and sports romances, pick this one up!

I will be going back and reading the previous books in the series. I want to know more about Nick’s other teammates that I met in this installment. I will also be checking out the next book in this series, Game On once it releases.

Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.

Wow! An amazing book. Extremely entertaining, captivating, and interesting read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong and intriguing characters. I want to read more from this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Big Stick
By: Kelly Jamieson

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Will she show him it’s ok to be LOVED?

Reading Nick and Jodie’s story starts strong and never lets up. In this true love story you discover if the right person crosses your path at some point you’ll need to stop fighting ghosts or original plans and just let go. If someone is fighting for you maybe let them see you not what the world sees.
I am a huge fan of this author. She writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. Some are quick witted story lines that are so perfect and lets you believe you have a front row seat. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

Authors Blurb: Big move . . . Jodie’s motto is “Don’t wait for the perfect moment—take the moment and make it perfect.” And that’s just what she decides to do when she moves to Chicago with her two-year-old daughter. Now all Jodie needs is a place to live, and her best friend’s boyfriend has just the answer.

Big stick . . . Nick Balachov has zero interest in socializing, partying, or flirting right now. It’s not that he doesn’t like women. He loves them. It’s just that hockey, casual hookups, and hanging out at home are enough for him these days. Now Nick has a big problem—because the woman living in his empty coach house is a major distraction.

Big deal? The more Nick tries to keep his distance, the more Jodie needs him—around the house, that is. First he helps with the snowstorm, then the power outage. Nick even finds himself trying to impress her little girl. What the hell is wrong with him? Jodie represents everything Nick doesn’t want. But maybe she’s just what he needs. . . .

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to
This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

Hockey romances are a firm fav for me to read, theres something about the big brawny players who literally balance on a Knife(well a skates) edge that makes me sigh and squee on all levels. Having not read Kelly Jamieson before I wasn’t sure what to expect would her players be rough and tumble with a heart of gold or players every inch of the word until the right girl came along to bring them to their knees.

A big teddy bear once you get past his tough exterior, it would take a special woman to crack through Nick’s hard case to the gooey centre it hid, little did he realise that it would actually be a chatterbox and her mini me that would break though. Sex toy designer Jodie has packed up her life, business and daughter to start over again with her best friend and business partner little did she realise that finding a place to live within her budget would be the most difficult part of her move, from their first meeting the sparks flew between Nick and Jodie.

With hot scenes, cute characters, and my favourite type of romance hero Big Stick was always going to be an enjoyable read for me the question would be not if I enjoyed it but how much I would enjoy it. So the things i liked, i loved broody Nick, i loved the cutie that was Zynna, I didn’t quite feel the connection with Jodie im not sure why but i failed to relate. When doing my post read research I was shocked to discover this was the 7th in the Aces series sometimes when a book is that far in a series they don’t work as standalone that was not the case for Big Stick it worked well as a stand-alone read.

I read this while simultaneously watching Jurassic World...which has nothing to do with the book, but made for an interesting experience XD

Regardless, I liked this. It was cute and steamy at the same time, and I will be picking up the rest of the series. I liked the characters, even if the beginning was a little awkwardly paced.

Buy this book!

Jodie moved to Chicago with her daughter Zyana to be closer to her business partner and best friend Kendra (covered in Slap Shot) designing and manufacturing sex toys for women. After staying with Max and Kendra, she decided that she needed to find a place to stay so Kendra and Max would have their place to themselves. Max’s teammate Nick Balachov had a coach house that he had fixed up that was sitting empty that he offered to rent.

Nick and Jodie are really opposite types of people. Nick didn’t want to ever marry nor have children after his upbringing and losing his brother 3 year prior. Kendra was more social but she as really protective of Zyana being a single mother.

I loved the book and I’ve already bought the next book in the series. Each book in the Aces Hockey series adds to the feeling of community and family between all the characters in the books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Even though book is not my normal fare – steamy, sexy talk, and lots of f-bombs, I enjoyed reading this romance. Three years after his brother died, Nick only has hockey, renovating his home and refinishing furniture in his life. When Jodie and her two year old daughter, Zyanna, move into his coach house, his life will change. The well written developed characters and a good story make this book. Nick feels like he doesn’t deserve his place on his hockey team or a family after his brother died. Jodie and her daughter have recently moved to the Chicago area to be closer to her business partner. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This book is a fun read and a guilty pleasure.

Nick is an interesting person, he is always closed off and not very friendly except to a few of his fellow teammates and their significant others but there is something about him that lets you know that he's a tortured soul with a heart of gold, and in this book we find out just how true that is.

Big Stick is the seventh book in the Aces Hockey Series and although it can definitely be read as a standalone I feel you will get more out of it if you at least read SLAP SHOT which is about Jodie's best friend, Kendra, and Nicks friend and teammate, Max, this is where we are introduced to Jodie. Jodie is a single mother of the cutest little girl, Zyana, and they have recently relocated to Chicago from New York in order to continue the sex toy business Jodie and Kendra started together and be close to her best friend. Many people wouldn't just pick up and leave a place they are living in just to be close to a friend especially when they can continue to run their business from the two different states but Jodie doesn't have any family and quite honestly she was probably reluctant to let go of the only person she cared about. You have to admit that's pretty bally's and I give her a lot of credit for doing that.

This story runs parallel to PLAYING HURT so if you have read Chase and Jordyn's story you will see some overlapping and get a sense of Déjà vu but although the timing is the same the interactions are a little different. I really enjoyed watching Nick loose his rough and tough exterior when it came to Jodie and Zyana, there is some angst but nothing over the top. This was a really good addition to the series, I not only recommend this book to readers that enjoy sports romances but I recommend the entire series. Happy Reading!!!

Big Stick is the first book I have read by this author and I really liked it. I loved Jodie and Nick. They were great! Zyana was so cute! Will be checking out the previous books!

Nick has been in pain for a long time now, just goes through the motions of life. He lives to play hockey. He doesn't do relationships, they're not for him. He knows that and wants nothing to do with them.

Then he sees her at a party and she makes him laugh. When her and her daughter end up staying in his guest house they become closer. He still wants to hold her at arms length. Her daughter is so precious and he tells Jodie that he doesn't like kids.

As time goes on and the closer they get, Jodie comes to find out that he's been lying about not liking kids. He's awesome with her daughter but he doesn't want the responsibility of having someone depend on him.

What he's gone through has changed him and she just wants to make it all better. Will he be able to let her in all the way? Will she be able to let him into her and her daughters lives? Fear is holding them back will they be strong enough to overcome it?

Nick Balachov is a loner by nature although he truly enjoys the comeraderie of his teammates. But parties are not his thing . . . especially at this time of year when he feels the loss of his brother more than ever. When he passes out in the spare room at his friend’s birthday party and wakes up to the gorgeous yet overly chatty woman who tried to flirt with him earlier in the evening, he realizes he may have to rethink his position.

Staying with her friend and business partner after a move to Chicago, single mom Jodie needs a place to leave. When her friends suggest staying at Nick’s coach house, she balks at the idea . . .after all, he saw her naked before rushing out of the spare room he didn’t realize she was staying in. But, when she can’t seem to find an affordable apartment in a safe neighborhood, she reluctantly agrees.

As circumstances continue to throw them together, Jodie can’t help but to develop feelings for the gruff and broody hockey player who always seems to be there when she and her daughter need him most. And, the more that Nick tries to keep his distance from Jodie and Zyana, the more he’s drawn to the then both.

Once Nick and Jodie give in, their romance burns hot enough to melt the Chicago snow, but happy ever afters are never easy to come by. Even though she enjoys sex and being in a relationship, Jodie isn’t willing to compromise for less than she and her daughter deserve. And while he may feel drawn to Jodie and Zyana, they represent everything that terrifies Nick and makes him feel unworthy of being good enough for them.

When push comes to shove, will their personal baggage pull them apart or will their newfound feelings be enough to change their ways of thinking so they all get the happy ever after they deserve?

Big Stick was my first book in the Aces Hockey series, and I have to say that I am hooked! I really loved how Kelly Jamieson took the time to really create characters with lots of depth and emotion as well as gave them well developed back stories to make this feel like so much more than a typical sports romance.

Nick is the complete opposite of the quintessential cocky sports star, and I loved how broody and emotional he was . . .especially knowing why he was that way. It made watching him give in to his feelings for both Jodie and Zyana and start to enjoy life with them even that much sweeter.

Jodie is a fabulous character as well. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. Yet she is also caring and empathetic and doesn’t let her need for independence freeze out her need for relationships, both romantic and platonic. I love how she chose to be a single mom and created her own family knowing the difficulties she would face.

Together, this couple is just really enjoyable to watch slowly fall into one another. It was a real thrill to watch their story unfold! 4.5 stars.