Mike Stewart is a bad boy.Sleeping around. Boozing. Fighting with teammates. Name a bad behavior and he’s done it—done it so well, in fact, that he almost tanked his career as a starting defensemen for the NHL’s San Francisco Gold. But Mike is done with all that. He’s starting with a fresh foot forward and putting his past behind him. That is, until his past quite literally reappears before his … reappears before his eyes.
Sara Jetty is just as beautiful as she was a decade before, but Mike hasn’t seen her since she left for the biggest winter international competition and scored a gold medal in women’s figure skating. Now something has put shadows in her eyes, a familiar type of hurt he is all too well versed in. This Sara wants nothing to do with him. Their easy friendship is gone and in its place is a hardened woman who’s nothing like the girl from his past.
Still, Mike hasn’t become a top defensemen in the NHL by being afraid of hard work, and he isn’t about to let Sara push him away. Come hell or high water, he’s going to crack her tough outer shell and find the sweet, innocent woman he’s lusted after and loved, in equal measure, for more than ten years.
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Backhand is a well written, sweet hockey romance that is also a second chance and a friends to lovers story. Mike is a professional hockey player for the San Francisco Gold. Sara is a disgraced Olympian who is Mike’s friend from their teenage years. When they run into each other years later it’s as if they hadn’t been separated for so long. It won’t be easy going for them, though because Sara is so scared of being hurt again that Mike will have a lot of work ahead of him in order to break down her walls.
I love Mike and Sara together. They have a sweet, easy going vibe that only people who’ve known each other for awhile have. Add to that that Mike is so sweet and determined not to let Sara get away from him again, and he woos her gently with all the knowledge of her that he remembers. I felt so much for Sara, she’s had a rough time of it, with her family, friends, and the public turning against her without even giving her a chance to explain or defend herself. Thank God for Mike, and his teammates, they saved her, in more ways than one.
I’m really looking forward to more from this series, and from Elise Faber. She’s fast becoming a favorite author of mine.
Finally read this and loved it! Full review to come.
Fabulous Sports Romance & Audible Listen Captivating & Heartfelt!
Backhand
Gold Hockey, Book 2
By: Elise Faber
Narrated by: Lacy Laurel, Gregory Salinas
Elise Faber delivers another great story in her “Gold Hockey” series, this is the second book and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. Each book features a different player but characters from earlier books make appearances. This book is Mike Stewart’s story, he is a defenseman for NHL’s San Fransisco Gold. He is first introduced in the first book and I must admit he first came off as a major jerk, thankfully he redeems himself later on in that book. He was having personal issues and had a lot going on and we learn more about it in this book. Sara Jetty, a medaled figure skater and the person who Mike Stewart was once good friends with, they fell out of touch, he went on to play hockey and she went off to train and compete in the Olympics. Fate brings them back together, one day Mike stumbled upon her while she sketching her drawings. She tried blowing him off, not wanting any part of her past in her life, she had her reasons why. But Mike does not give up easily or on her. The two connect again, learn what has been going on, Mike was surprised to learn what he did. I loved how everything plays out in this book, it is cleverly plotted with plenty of drama, some angst, twists and turns, heartfelt moments and a hot romance. It was great to catch up with some of the characters from the first book, also great to see how well the team is doing and the great camaraderie they built amongst themselves. Yay, WTG SF Gold! Elise Faber, thank you for another fantastic story.
I listened to the Audible edition, Lacy Laurel and Gregory Salinas are talented narrators and voice artists. They continue to bring these characters to life giving each their own voice and personality. Their portrayal of the characters is spot on, they sound as you picture them to sound. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another fabulous listen
Thank you @AudiobookObsession #AudiobookObsession #AudiobookObsessionReviewer
I think what really hooked me in this story is the realistic approach to sports that Elise Faber wrote. This story had a little feel of “The Cutting Edge”. Mike is a troubled hockey player, but he is ready to get serious and turn things around. When his friend returns home from chasing her Olympic dreams, Mike takes notice. Sara has changed. Their friendship is not what it once was and Sara is colder. Mike has to fight to get Sara. This struggle is felt throughout the story. It was hard to imagine them ever getting together. Sara really was stone cold and hard to break, even hard to like. I felt pity for Mike and hoped he would get his girl, eventually. This struggle, kept me guessing and hooked on this story. I look forward to the next in the series.
Lacy Laurel and Gregory Salinas worked great together. They brought Mike and Sara to life. Lacy narrated Sara exactly as I imagined her. That coldness that Sara had, Lacy brought it out to the extreme. Gregory brought Mike to life. Gregory really made me feel for Mike through his narration. He was able to bring out all the emotions and make me feel them along with Mike.
You don’t have to read Blocked before Backhand, however since the characters feature prominently in both stories it would be better to read them in order.
The set up to the story seemed to have a lot of holes in the back story, but it had an interesting twist at the end and I liked it. I thought it was strange that Mike was a good guy growing up but spent 10 years being a jerk and not having any idea what had happened to a close friend before suddenly deciding to turn over a new leaf. If you set all of that aside though, I did like the story.
Lacy Laurel and Gregory Salinas did a solid job with the narration.
#AudiobookObsession
Sara and Mike were childhood friends. Both would go to the ice rink daily. Mike for hockey, Sarah for ice skating. Both achieved their goals , Sarah an Olympic Skater and Mike plays professional hockey. Until a scandal forced Sarah from the Olympics. 10 years later, he saw Sara. Mike could never forget the young happy girl he was with daily. But she was different now from the young girl he knew and loved. What happened to her? Lacy Laurel and Gregory Salinas show the love and emotions in this story. I enjoyed listening to this story.
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Backhand
Gold Hockey, Book 2
By: Elise Faber
Narrated by: Lacy Laurel, Gregory Salinas
Backhand is all you can want in a second chance sports romance. Elise Faber’s second book in the Gold Hockey series, we are given Mike and Sara. We had met Mike in book 1, the bad boy, but in this story, we are seeing his transformation. We do like it when the men find their way and mature. Sara is an Olympic ice skater accused of cheating. Whether or not guilty or innocent, this has tarnished her career and she can no longer skate. Luckily she has other talents as well. Mike and Sara were friends when they were younger, and this translates through to their new budding relationship. I love when there is some history, it really adds a layer to the characters. These two do have some chemistry, but I did find it hard at times to feel it. Mike is very likeable, tries really hard and I found it easy to fall for him. My frustration was with Sara, as her character is a little colder. OK, so a lot colder, more reserved, hesitant. But with that being said, I think that is what made the story so good. Relationships aren’t easy, and I struggled right along with these two as they tried to find their way. The ending is what caught me though. That layer of suspense, the thrills always get me and my heart beat, and Elise definitely was making mine go. It’s a great listen, we get to engage with other characters we know and we grow right along with the team.
The narration is what really brings it all to life for me, and this team is amazing.Lacy Laurel and Gregory Salinas have their own chemistry and it comes right through their narration. They have similar styles and I find listening to them exciting and fun. I can’t wait to grab book 3 and keep going with this series!
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Wonderful read. I was hooked from the very first chapter and couldn’t put it down until I finished the entire book. The characters are so easy to get attached to and crave a happy ending for. Love this series and I can’t wait till March for Mandy’s story in Boarding.
Very good read! I love Hockey Players!