The so-bad-they’re-good alphas of hockey’s Chicago Aces are back in this emotionally charged novel of sex, love, and second chances from the bestselling author of Top Shelf and the Heller Brothers series. Tanner Bennet hates weddings. They just remind him that he simply isn’t cut out for any kind of healthy, committed relationship—never has been, never will be. After getting rejected by the girl … getting rejected by the girl he thought was “the one” all those years ago, he made a huge mistake and married the wrong person. Now that the divorced heartbreaker has reluctantly agreed to be a groomsman for one of his NHL teammates, the last thing he expects is a chance at redemption with the one that got away.
After Marc Dupuis of the Chicago Aces hires wedding planner Katelyn Medford, she discovers that her big break comes with a twist: a reunion with her college sweetheart. The way she dumped Tanner still haunts her. Eight years—and three broken engagements—later, Katelyn knows she’ll never have that kind of innocent, wide-eyed passion again. Still, she and Tanner soon generate enough body heat to burn up the sheets. And even with Tanner’s career with the Aces up in the air, Katelyn’s wondering whether the time is right to let him in for real.
Kelly Jamieson’s USA Today bestselling Aces Hockey series can be read together or separately:
MAJOR MISCONDUCT
OFF LIMITS
ICING
TOP SHELF
BACK CHECK
SLAP SHOT
PLAYING HURT
BIG STICK
Don’t miss any of Kelly’s alluring reads:
The Bayard Hockey series: SHUT OUT | CROSS CHECK
The Last Shot series: BODY SHOT | HOT SHOT | LONG SHOT
The standalone novel: DANCING IN THE RAIN
Praise for Back Check
“With Back Check, Kelly Jamieson has created a wonderful second-chance story. Her hockey series is one of the best out there, and I recommend giving it a try.”—Harlequin Junkie
“As soon as [Back Check] arrived for review, it went straight to the top of my reading pile! [Jamieson’s] characters are believable and the on-ice game action is very realistic.”—AngelNet Reviews
“I have to recommend this series if you’re into hockey romances, because it is a delight. I love the group of friends, their connections, the writing, the romance, the characters . . . everything! Give this a chance.”—My Tiny Obsessions
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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Back Check is a sexy, second chance hockey romance. Tanner and Katelyn were college sweethearts, but it ended badly when he left to go play pro hockey and she didn’t go with him. She had a very good reason for not going with him, but didn’t tell him that reason, not that he even gave her a chance to tell him, even if she had been able to tell him. It’s been eight long years since then, and neither has gotten over the other. Oh, they’ve tried: he’s gotten married (and divorced) to a gold digger. She’s been engaged three times and broken each engagement off when she realized she didn’t love them. And now, fate has taken them in hand and arranged for them to meet when Tanner’s fellow teammate, Marc, and his fiancée Lovey, lose their wedding planner and hire Katelyn to plan their upcoming wedding. Tanner is a groomsman and when he and Katelyn meet again, it’s a shock to their systems. They try to become friends again, for the sake of Marc and Lovey, but it doesn’t work. What does work is their insanely sexy chemistry, that quickly leads to them hopping back into the sheets.
As their relationship deepens, and feelings come back, it looks like they’re finally moving toward the happy ending they should have had eight years ago. But, Tanner may be traded soon, and with his scarred heart and fear of people leaving him, he breaks Katelyn’s heart again. I wanted to smack Tanner, then hug him, I admit, because inside he’s still the same boy who’s had his heart broken time and again by the people who are supposed to love him. So it’s made him lock up his heart and it causes him to make rash decisions that have unintended consequences. Thank God for Katelyn, and her strength, because she doesn’t disappear on Tanner, the way he expects her to, the way he expects everyone to.
I’ve really loved reading Kelly Jamieson’s hockey romances, all the characters are strong and sexy, and their emotional connections give depth to what otherwise could be just the same old sports romances. Back Check is like all her others, Tanner and Katelyn together are fire, with both emotional and physical chemistry.
I didn’t think it was possible but this series just keeps getting better! Tanner Bennett does not believe in love, in fact, he is thinks weddings are probably the worst things on earth and yet he is going to be a groomsman at Marc Dupuis’ wedding to Lovey Armstrong. Could it get any worse? Well…the new wedding planner is Katelyn Medford, the woman is left left in college when he was drafted and broke both of their hearts. This is a second chance love story that took my breath away with how well this was written. Can they make a go of it this time? Who will be the next to fall?
Even though this is #4 in the series, it can be read as a standalone but WHY oh WHY would you want to because each and every one is about a hunky hockey player and they are all GREAT!
Lovely second chance at love story. Tanner and Katelyn haven’t seen each other for eight years; their was heartbreak on both sides. Now that she is planning his friends wedding they get a chance to reconnect and realise they have unfinished business. They both have to find forgiveness and communication when they are faced with some of the same challenges.
Loved this one!!! Awesome chemistry between Tanner and Katelyn; so hot and passionate! Like the setup for this one; Katelyn is a wedding planner for hockey player Marc and his lady Lovey’s wedding, when she runs into one of their groomsmen, Tanner. Tanner and Katelyn loved each other in college, but hockey and some other things got in the way; they both were heartbroken. There was some bad blood between them, but these two are combustible together! A possible second chance is on the horizon, but there’s still some hockey business that is causing some issues. Both characters are wonderful! Such a good couple; wonderful deep connection between them. Loved the banter between all the guys on the hockey team, and it’s great how this sports romance actually has actual scenes dealing with the sport and not just the manwhoring ways of the players. Entertaining and fun! So sexy! Loved the whole thing!
Kelly Jamieson is another I discovered in the last couple of years via a recommendation from Kate Meader, so when this book popped on sale I grabbed it.
Tanner is a player for the Chicago Aces and standing up for one of his teammates in their wedding when he discovers that the wedding planner is his college girlfriend.
It was fun to see Tanner and Katelyn reconnect. I found myself liking both character and rooting for them. I appreciated the fact that the reconnection wasn’t easy for either and the ghosts of their previous relationship were dealt with before they moved forward.
Add in a good emotional arc and a stellar secondary cast and this is an enjoyable read. If you have followed the series, this is a great catch up with previous characters. There is enough background that this also works as standalone for readers just joining the series.
Another wonderful book in the series. I enjoy reading about all the sexy hockey players.
Love this series and all of her stuff!!
I’m a sucker for second chance romances and BACK CHECK did not disappoint. Tanner agrees to be a groomsman at his teammate Dupper’s upcoming wedding, despite the fact he thinks he’s a wedding jinx. Tanner comes face to face with the one that got away- Kaitlyn, the wedding planner. Kaitlyn and Tanner dated in college but broke up when he was drafted, and she couldn’t go with him. Both were broken hearted and lost, looking for something they couldn’t find while apart, though they tried. Now forced together they confront their past while trying to make a future together. That future is threatened when they find themselves in the same position they were eight years ago because of the chance that Tanner will be traded from the Ace’s. I loved Tanner and Kaitlyn together. I liked that they were both successful in their careers and acted like true adults. They were able to go about their business without being clingy and really valued the time they got to spend together. In addition to loving second chance romances I love a good epilogue and BACK CHECK delivered on both. Now I am excited to be able to read Max’s story in SLAP SHOT. I’ve been both dreading and looking forward to his story and hope that it’ll live up to the hype in my own mind.
Tanner Bennet is quite certain he is a jinx to marriages, every wedding he has been involved with has ended on unpleasant terms, and now that his best friend and team mate is requesting his presence in his he has his reservations about getting involved. He knows love isn’t in the cards for him, and he’d hate to see his bad luck with weddings and love rub off on his friends, but the happy couple isn’t letting him off so easy. So, he reluctantly admits defeat, and promises to show up to their party to get himself acquainted with the rest of the wedding party… and gets the surprise of his life! The woman that got away years ago is standing before him, and just so happens to be the happy couples wedding planner. Being this close to her again is going to be painful as hell, but he can’t let down his friends so he is just going to have to find a way to deal with it… maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, or maybe just maybe he’ll have a chance to make amends.
When Katelyn Medford gets the call that hockey star Marc Dupuis and his fiance are in need of her wedding planning services she is thrilled, but her excitement also comes with some reservations as she doesn’t have good luck with hockey players… well one in particular anyway, one that could possibly be involved with their wedding. She always thought Tanner Bennet was the one she was supposed to share her life with, but then hockey took him away from her, and their future went up in smoke. So seeing him again could be quite painful, and bring back feelings that she buried a long time ago, but she needs this job, so she is just going to have to find a way to deal with him being around… as hard as it maybe!
The second I read the synopsis for this one I knew it was one that I had to read, I am a sucker for hockey players and second chance love stories, so seeing that this one had both I knew there was no way I was passing up the opportunity and I am SO happy that I didn’t let this one get away… cause it was pretty damn amazing!! Katelyn and Tanner had love once, then life got in the way, and they assumed their time with one another was over, but fate stepped in and put them back in each others worlds and it didn’t take long for those long buried feelings to resurface. And along with those feelings came the passion and spark they once shared, which helped to create some very steamy little encounters that had me blushing more than once, and left me a little envious too!! I have to say this story definitely ranks high on my list of favorites, I mean what is not to love about a sexy and very determined hockey player that isn’t willing to let love pass him by a second time!
Highly recommend this one, Ms. Jamieson’s sexy little read is sure to steam up your tablet screen, and leave you in urgent need of a little time on the ice to cool yourself down!