Member Reviews

elly Jamieson is one of those authors that I reach for automatically. Her latest book offering, For the Win, is a meaningful sports romance. This is the fourth book from the Wynn Hockey series and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Arya Ross has relocated to sunny California to start a new life. She is a talented yoga instructor and she is beginning to make a name for herself within the community. In fact, the local NHL organization has hired her to help the team with their flexibility. Due to an incident from her recent past, Arya is petrified to be in a relationship. Then professional hockey player Harrison Wynn takes one of her classes, and overtime, Arya begins to trust her instincts once again.

Harrison has just been called up from the farm team. Due to his father's legacy, he has to work twice as hard to prove to himself and others he is capable of playing at the highest level. Arya is a delightful distraction, making it a bit difficult to remain focused. Furthermore, his father's declining health is always on his mind. Luckily Harrison is able to rise to the occasion.

I liked this very steamy story. Getting to know both Arya and Harrison was both fun and heartbreaking. I especially enjoyed all the intense hockey action. Overall, a solid read.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

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Harrison is one of the veterans on the farm team and he knows that if he doesn’t crack the NHL lineup soon then it won’t happen. He is determined to make the most of what could be his last opportunity but between family pressures and the woman he can’t seem to forget that is easier said than done.

Ayra is a yoga instructor who isn’t interested in a relationship and doesn’t trust her judgment when it comes to men. When Harrison attends her class he always manages to add some fun and although she originally resists she is drawn to him in a way that she can’t deny.

Both Harrison and Ayra are affected by their pasts in different ways as Harrison is afraid he doesn’t measure up so he doesn’t always try while Ayra’s past has made her cautious and the only way they can have a future together is if they are willing to open up their hearts and lives to each other.

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I love the Wynn Family and get so excited each time a new book hits my eReader. We got a little sneak peek into who Harrison was going a little gaga over at the end of Win Big.

This book was a heartfelt and heartbreaking story at times. Harrison is going through a wave of emotions and with his pursuit of Arya, he's putting himself out there for the first time in a long time. Arya has her own issues and is afraid to take the steps to go out with the charming Harrison. She's afraid to tell him of her past but knows that he just might be the guy to help her overcome her fears if only she could trust in herself. 

We get lots of the Wynn Family in For the Win and I think Harrison is my favorite Wynn to date. I really love this series and highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a great family saga along with a huge dose of hockey.

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I think that this is my favourite of the series so far.  Arya is something of a dichotomy of a character - strong and centered, and yet also vulnerable and lacking confidence in certain ways.  And from a reader's perspective, it makes her so much more engaging.  

As a counterpoint to her, there is Harrison.  A cocky, funny hottie.  And yet, also with his own vulnerabilities.

These two together are terrific, and so is the book.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

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I have been waiting for Harrison and Arya to get together for a couple of books now, and I am thrilled that we finally have their story.
Arya is a much more complex character than I had initially thought she was going to be, but we all have a past and it is what makes us the person we are right now so I wasn't surprised to learn about certain aspects of her background. I will say though she is one heck of a strong person and I don't mean that just because she can do all of those crazy yoga poses on a paddle-board.

Harrison Wynn is fun loving and carefree, well for the most part anyway. I love his good nature and pure heart. He and Arya are like Yin and Yang, they fit together perfectly and balance one another.

I have been enjoying this series and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys the Sports Romance trope. I would suggest you read the books in the order they have been released because there is family drama that plays out throughout each of the books and it's best followed in order rather than in bits and pieces.

Happy Reading!!!

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Both Harrison and Arya are dealing with their own problems and trying to put their past behind them so they're alike in so many ways. But Arya has trust issues and we find out she has good reason. Harrison is persistent though and has his own goals he is working towards. It was fun getting to see these two work towards their own goals while trying not to give in to each other. I like the family aspect as well even when they have their own issues. I ended up sitting through the whole book to be able to read it in one sitting. It's that good.

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Great love stories have one thing in common: the author’s exquisite ability at storytelling. “FOR THE WIN” transforms from a simple love story to one hat enraptures readers with it’s emotion, conviction, and vitality. Beautifully written this book is a insta-must read, and one you won’t be able to put down.

This is Harrison Wynn “Harry” and Arya Ross’s story. And what a story it is. Harry falls in love at first sight with the beautiful yoga instructor, and Arya falls for him too, when the handsome hockey player/yoga student accidentally dumps her into the ocean during her paddle board yoga class.

Harry is struggling, trying to prove he has what it takes to be in the NHL. Trying to live up to his hockey hero father. He wants to make his father proud. He wants to have it all. And he wants it all with Arya. These two sizzle with their scorching-hot, mind scrambling kisses and sizzling chemistry. Arya, is charmed by the sexy, irresistible Harry but she keeps pulling back, reluctant and secretly worried about all of his attention due to something in her past. But with Harry’s love and his intensity to win her over. Will she give in and trust Harry with her secret and her self doubt? Will she be able to put her past behind her, for a future with Harry?

But this story is so much more than a love story. It the continued story about the Wynn Family, and their struggle as a large dysfunctional, but caring family, as they deal with the recent devastating diagnosis of patriarch Bob Wynn. Heartwarming and touching as progress is made towards family reconciliation, as understanding, love and compassion unite them. So anxious to see what the next book in this series holds.

Received an early copy in exchange for an honest review

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3.5 stars

This is the 4th installment of the Hockey series revolving around the Wynn family. Harrison is a character we have seen before, but really get to know him here.

I enjoyed getting to know Harrison and Arya. Both are engaging characters that have struggles and baggage. I appreciated how they were both trying to deal with those issues even when it caused them to butt heads periodically.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I struggled with it too. While Harrison and Arya are the main romantic characters, the larger Wynn family and the related dynamics seemed to play a larger role here than I remember from some of the other books, especially given Harrison’s place in the family. The piece I really struggled with was the very end - actually the last sentence of the book. I think it’s the set up for book #5, but it was so out of left field that it was jarring and distracted from the warm and fuzzy feelings I had going on.

This is supposed to be a stand alone work, and technically it is. Ms Jamieson does an excellent job of weaving pertinent details into the story, but I feel like the secondary cast here makes it too large to truly be a stand-alone. There are just too many details to keep track of if you have not read at least one of the previous books.

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The Wynn Hockey series has been one great book after another. Telling the story of the dysfunctional Wynn family and their two hockey teams, each book has focused on one family member with an over arching theme of the senior Bob Wynn’s health issues and claims that he defrauded his two oldest sons from his first marriage. This story features Harrison Wynn, who is the son of Bob Wynn and his second wife. Although he’s playing currently in the NHL, there’s no guarantee he will stay there if he doesn’t pick up his game.
Harrison has fallen for Arya, a yoga instructor his sister introduced him to. Harrison goes in hard trying to impress Arya and get her to go out with him. Unfortunately for him, Arya’s past makes this the worst possible approach. For a good part of the story he makes blunders because she doesn’t tell him her history. There is a lot of apologizing in this book, which is to be expected when lovers aren’t honest with each other. These two are hot for each other but insecurities get in the way.
I really enjoyed the way the author blended the storylines of Harrison‘s family issues, Arya’s fears, and the whole issue of Harrison‘s hockey career. And of course, some seriously sexy scenes make an appearance.
Arya’s yoga career opens the door for a lot of humorous episodes including an inconvenient gas attack. The humor is balanced with the seriousness of the senior Wynn’s health issues.
The ending totally hooks you for the next book in a good way!

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I was excited to see the new book in the Wynn Hockey series. Harrison and Arya were sweet characters but their story felt very choppy. Almost as if some of the chapters had been added in after the fact instead of flowing smoothly. Also, the lack of communication that cause the "issues" between Harrison and Arya made me feel like the tension was just manufactured and something that could have been resolved much easier so we could have more of their love story and HEA. I wanted more of their love story to play out instead of the ending being about the begining of someone else's story.

I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own.

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Kelly Jamieson is on a winning streak with book four in the Wynn Hockey series, For the Win. This is Harrison Wynn’s and Arya Ross’ story. I was looking forward to their book. I was not disappointed. Harrison plays left wing. He was recently called up from the AHL to play for the California Condors. Arya is a yoga instructor. She teaches a stand-up paddle board yoga class where she met Harrison in a prior book. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for adult readers.

Harrison is a likable character. He was dealing with a lot of stress in this story. He had a two-way contract, so he was going back and forth between the AHL and NHL. He had the pressure of living up to his father’s name as a hockey player. Top that off with his family dealing with the possibility that his dad has Alzheimer’s. When Harrison met Arya, it was love at first site. Unfortunately, Arya had a horrible experience that left her not wanting to date. He sets out with numerous creative ways to win her over. This book had me laughing and crying.

Kelly Jamieson continues to do a spectacular job with this series. The characters are well-developed and grow. The Books build on each other. They are skillfully written and hard to put down. I’m looking forward to Jackson’s and Molly’s story next. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

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On the positive, I appreciated the author having knowledge of hockey and yoga and being able to incorporate that in many scenes. Sports romances (specifically hockey and football) are some of my favorites to read. That being said, I did find myself skimming through a lot of the technical hockey stuff, especially toward the end. It felt a little /too/ much by that point.

I also didn't find the conversation to be very... organic, I guess is the term I'm looking for? It felt really choppy and awkward a lot of the time.

I realize this is the 4th(?) book of a series and the first I've read, so there are a whole cabinet of characters that have already had their stories and who I am just meeting for the first time. So the very beginning of this was hella confusing for me when everyone was being introduced. To be fair, there /are/ a lot of characters with very complicated relations to one another. That was more of a me problem, but it did hinder me through a fair portion of the book. Thankfully, Arya is also a newcomer to the scene and there are several opportunities for clarification and reiteration.

I was very curious and interested in learning about Arya's past. Though one of my biggest annoyances with stories like this is the lack of communication that leads to gross misunderstanding that results in the main couple being needlessly torn apart. I really think Harrison learning early on the reason behind Arya's triggers (or at least by the halfway point) could have opened it up for a bit more action in the second half with her ex maybe coming back to shake things up. Honestly, I was bored through the latter half which was probably why I skimmed as much as I did. I even considered just putting it down at one point and marking it as a DNF. But I owed it to the publisher and author to finish it for an honest review.

I don't want to end on a slew of negative comments so I have to say that two of my favorite moments were when Arya gets trapped in the bathroom and crawls out the window. Been there. Also, when she mistakes Harrison's twin for him. Honestly, I was glad that misunderstanding was not dragged out for any length of time and cleared up quickly. It turned it into a humorous moment rather than a plot device to cause more drama.

Overall, I thank the publisher for granting me early access to give this series a shot, but I don't think it's one for me.

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This is the 4th novel in this amazing series and is Harrison and Arya’s story. This is a beautifully written story which has great family dynamics, and is a fun, entertaining and heart-warming sports romance which had me totally captivated throughout this addictive and riveting page turner. I highly recommend for all.

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Harrison feels he has big shoes to fill being a Wynn, especially the son of a hockey legend, being back and forth between the farm team and the Condors Harrison isn't sure he can. With the family worried about their father's health and the playoffs coming into play it's not the time for a relationship but when you meet the one everything's out the door. Arya has good reasons to be relationship shy, or dating shy for that matter and when a big goofy guy begins monkey shining in her yoga class she has no idea how to take this attraction she wasn't ready for. Getting over the past wasn't coming easy and Harrison's attention was making her feelings all muddled. Great read with humor, steaminess, feels and great characters!

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I really enjoyed For the Win. It's just a fun and entertaining read.

Arya and Harrison are both likable characters and felt like they supported each other in healthy and loving ways. Even though Arya is very hesitant to get involved with Harrison, I could understand why she was careful. I also liked how Harrison was full speed ahead from the time he met her but still respected her boundaries.

It was also nice to see the characters from the earlier books. I like book series with a solid background story arc and this series delivers that really well.

I enjoyed the journey that Arya and Harrison went on to their HEA and would recommend this book and series highly to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

I received an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

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Wynn series continues with family’s funny, always happy guy Harrison’s story. I love this series and can’t get enough of it. I am dying to know how the family drama going to end and if the family dynamics will continue to change. With each book something reveals and I love and hate the suspense :)

Harrison plays for Condors’ farm team but because of his contract he keeps going back and forth between Condors and the farm team. He is supportive, funny, loyal and super cute. When he is called up to Condors, this time he wants to stay on the team but he is his worst enemy. He believes everyone expects him to live up to his hockey legacy dad and puts too much pressure on himself, his self doubt keeps getting in the way of his success . Also, his plan on focusing just hockey goes down the drain the moment, team’s new yoga instructor make an appearance in the training room. Arya Ross is working hard to adapt new city and her new life. Leaving everything behind and moving to CA was a huge step for her. She has to many struggles to get over but she is doing her best. She loves teaching yoga and her classes getting popular, with the new addition of a professional hockey team as a client she is super happy and excited. Harrison has a huge crush since the first time he sees Arya and he decides she becoming their yoga instructor is a good opportunity for him to pursue her. However, because of what Arya been through, she doesn’t trust her judgement when it comes to men and lasting she is looking forward is to get involve with someone. Of course Harrison makes it super hard to say no. Thanks to Harrison’s tenacious behavior, they start spending time together which helps Arya slowly start trusting and opening up. However, both Arya’s past issues and Harrison’s insecurities takes them to a bumpy ride. It was inspiring to see them overcome their struggles.

I love and really enjoyed to see how Kelly Jamieson expresses the importance of the family since the beginning of the series. I am really curious about Asher’s story, I really want to understand why he didn’t want to play professional hockey. Was it because he really didn’t want to or because he thought he wasn’t good enough to compete with the family legacy? But I think I need to wait a bit to get that story. From how this book ended, I think Jackson is the next Wynn, we will be reading about. Also, I am really curious about some of the Condors players like Archie and Bergie, do you guys think maybe Kelly Jamieson will make a surprise and start a new series for Condors?

For the Win was a sweet, inspiring, funny and emotional read that I couldn’t put down until I was done with it and I went back and re-read it again :) I cannot wait to read the next book of the series.

Would I recommend this book: Yes
Would I re-read this book: Yes
Would I read future books by this author: Yes

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Wow! This story has it all..

Harrison meets Arya when he does water Yoga with his sister as a joke. Arya catches his eye though and wants to get to know her more. Arya hasn't had an easy life and she can't put herself out there the way Harrison wants.. She does like him though and when she starts letting the walls down things happen that make her put them right back up again. Will Harrison show her he can be trusted and he is one of the good guys?

This story is very touching and I loved how you see their relationship grow

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**Possible Trigger warnings: This book discusses a stalking/physical assault of a character and the patriarch of the Wynn family is formally diagnosed and is rapidly declining from Alzheimer’s disease.

** Reviewer’s note: I’ve enjoyed Kelly Jamieson’s Wynn Hockey series from the start and while I did enjoy this book, I had a hard time reading parts of it. I lost my dad to Alzheimer’s mentally 6 years ago and physically 2 ½ years ago so watching a character slip into the decline of this disease is hard for me. Let me state that Ms. Jamieson does a great job of describing the incidents that can and do occur with Alzheimer’s patients as well as the reactions of how loved ones feel and deal with the effects of this horrible disease. I know there will be people who argue that things like this don’t belong in romance books, but I disagree even when it is hard for me to read it at times. If we want romance books to be realistic, then we have to be willing to accept that things like a parent having Alzheimer’s or cancer is a fact of life, it happens and when a parent is diagnosed it changes their children’s world no matter how old they are. I also want to state that this part of the book had no bearing on my star rating of this book, because Ms. Jamison handled it with respect and courtesy for those of us who have lived through it.

For The Win by Kelly Jamieson is an emotional journey on so many levels. As always this author brings hockey alive in the pages of this book as both Wynn family owned teams approach playoff season, but on top of that she expertly brings the zen feeling of practicing yoga to life as well.
Harrison has never quite found his place in his hockey career, bouncing between the AHL and NHL he’s been a stable player, good in his own right, but not spectacular. Harrison seems like a goofball, always joking around and never taking life seriously, but it becomes clear in this book that his outward appearance is covering up his inferiority complex. Harrison has always looked up to his father and wanted nothing more that to live up to his father’s legacy as a hockey legend. With his father dying, Harrison feels even more pressure to make his dad proud and the stress is getting to him. After a couple of disastrous sessions of standup paddleboard yoga where he makes an a$$ of himself in front of Arya, the instructor he is drawn to, he decides to go to the studio where she teaches because he knows he wants her in his life despite everything else going on in it.
Following a relationship gone bad, Arya moved from North Dakota to California to get away and restart her life. He college friend and now roommate Taj has been there for her and has helped her get her growing yoga business off the ground. She couldn’t help but notice the big guy who has come to two of her SUP yoga classes with one of her regular students and despite the fact he’s a bit disruptive he makes her smile and feel a bit lighter, but she also doesn’t trust her judgment. When he shows up at the studio where she teaches classes, her anxiety kicks in but when he confesses that the yoga is helping him through some stress, she gives him the benefit of the doubt.
Harrison and Arya complimented each other very well; he helped her take steps outside her comfort zone by showing over and over he was an easy going guy and while at times he pushed a little, he also seemed to realize when he needed to back off; she centered him, her calm demeanor and reserved nature seemed to help him see beyond his own problems and made him want to be a better man (although to be honest he was a good man anyway he just needed a bit of polish). I loved how open and honest Harrison was with Arya so I was a bit disappointed when she held something really important back from him, something she saw fit to share with pretty much virtual strangers but not with the man she’d become intimate with.
At times there was a very heavy feel to this story, a lot going on outside of the romance/relationship aspect of this book and I felt it took a bit of focus away from Harrison and Arya, however I still enjoyed this story immensely.
Packed with emotion and two people who grew and changed throughout, For The Win was an outstanding addition to the Wynn Hockey series.

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A sexy hockey player with a gentle soul! With the fourth book in her always exciting Wynn Hockey series, Kelly Jamieson brings us Harrison's story and it more than satisfies!

Harrison is sweet, sexy and just downright nice. He just wants to live up to his family hockey dynasty name and play for the NHL, but his luck keeps leaving him on the farm team time and again. Maybe this time will be the ticket to the life he's always dreamed of. He just needs to keep his head in the game and off of the yoga instructor who he knows is "the one" from the first time he lays eyes on her.

Arya is an easy character to get behind. She's trying to live her best life as she heals from a past trauma and tries not to let it continue to control her, but it's hard to know who to trust. This hockey guy seems nice ... but can she trust her own judgement anymore?

I highly recommend this book and the entire series. It's not only high impact hockey, but heartfelt romance and a bit of ongoing family saga along the way. I'm really enjoying it and looking forward to the next book!

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Kelly J does it again with another winning story from the Wynn Hockey Series. I have been hooked since book one with the large Wynn family, all the drama, a stellar cast of characters you will absolutely love and the world of hockey. Doesn't get much better than that. This is Harrison and Arya's story.
Harrison has had a thing for Arya since the first time he met her at one of her paddle boarding yoga classes and unceremoniously dumps her into the water. Harrison is called up from the farm team to fill in for an injured player, the team is trying to work it's way into the play offs. Harrison has trouble dealing with his perceived lack of not measuring up to his siblings but the biggest is his cup winning father. The family is currently facing some unknown but suspected health issues of the patriarch as well. This gives us a great glimpse into the family dynamics once again, along with a great visit with the cast from the previous books. Arya is beginning life over, living with a traumatic past and trying very hard to find her footing with the help of her roommate who is keenly aware of her past. When she's brought in to work with the team as a yoga instructor to help the players combat injuries and work with what they have, her exposure to Harrison grows. She is attracted to him as well and I really got a charge out of watching Harrison taking her on dates and inserting himself into her life, all in a good way. The story takes us along not only with these two, but through family meetings and then waiting for the diagnosis that is suspected, yet to be confirmed until it is. (My only peeve in the book, which I don't usually point things out is Harrison's constant dialogue of "my father is dying." ) While we are left with that, the door opens for other family members to come into play and I suspect we'll be seeing them in the future.
Solid plot, well woven and fully developed characters along with a fair amount of steam this book is another winner from Kelly and I anxiously await the next in the series.
4.5 stars

arc from Net Galley and Publisher for an honest review

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