A brooding hockey hunk learns to embrace life—and love—from a single mom who takes the world one puck at a time. “Kelly Jamieson is my go-to author for hockey romance.”—USA Today bestselling author Jami Davenport 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 … 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. . . .
Praise for Big Stick
“Oh, the feels! Big Stick is a sexy romance that will leave readers begging for the next in the series. Kelly Jamieson has me hooked.”—Tracy Goodwin, internationally bestselling author of Ice Hot: A New York Nighthawks Novel
“Kelly Jamieson’s characters fly off the page. I wouldn’t kick grumbly hockey-hottie Nick out of bed—even if he did pass out on accident. One-click Nick and Jodie. You won’t be disappointed.”—Tricia Lynne, author of Moonlight & Whiskey
“I enjoyed the plot. The hockey scenes are well written. It was easy to visualize what was happening on the ice. Big Stick was a perfect addition to the Aces Hockey series.”—Diane’s Book Blog (five stars)
USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson’s epic Wynn Hockey series can be read together or separately:
PLAY TO WIN
IN IT TO WIN IT
WIN BIG
FOR THE WIN
Don’t miss any of Kelly’s captivating reads:
The Aces Hockey series: MAJOR MISCONDUCT • OFF LIMITS • ICING • TOP SHELF • BACK CHECK • SLAP SHOT • PLAYING HURT • BIG STICK • GAME ON
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
This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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Yay we are back with the Chicago Aces! I love this series so much. It has been full of so many lovable yet sometimes offbeat characters and Nick Balachov is no exception. He may be a gorgeous, sexy and talented hockey player, but he is such a closed off grouch and pretty much not someone you’d want to get to know better after meeting him just once. Case in point with Jodie, who was really taken aback by him at first. Once you find out why he is the way he is, it certainly makes perfect sense. Lucky for him circumstances force him to see things differently.
When Jodie and her adorable little girl Zyana end up being very close neighbors, they open Nick’s eyes up to a world he never knew nor did he ever think he would want or have. I love watching them get to know each other and Nick actually come back to life thanks to Jodie (and Zee). This was such a sweet story topped with lots of love and some hot steam and I totally enjoyed watching them fall in love and become a family.
Oh! I want my very own hockey player and his name shall be Nick! Loved this whole story with ups, downs and all the feels.
Nick is a bit damaged along with misconceptions, but oh so hunky and truly sweet underneath.
Jodie really is so perfect for him, along with her precious daughter, Zyana.
Beautifully written and realistic it gave me happy tears at the end!
Received an ARC thru Netgalley / Loveswept and giving an honest review.
4.5 Stars for Big Stick which is book 7 in the Aces Hockey Series but everyone of this series can easily be read as stand-alone books. I love hockey and I love this series and I was excited to be back in Chicago with the Aces and I was not disappointed Kelly Jamieson delivered once again.
Jodie is a business owner and single mum she has just moved to Chicago with her best friend who also happens to be her business partner, life is moving in the right direction but that’s about to change when she meets a hulk of a hockey player who is a teammate of her best friends man. Jodie needs a place to live and she ends up renting Nick’s guest house, things don’t start well for this couple but the more time they spend together the more they realise they have feelings for each other.
This book has all the feels you could ever want in a romance, it has its ups and downs, it has many obstacles to cross before you get a HEA and it has the most adorable little girl who has some brilliant one liners. A great addition to one of my favourite series.
4 Star Review of Big Stick (Aces Hockey #7) by Kelly Jamieson
This is book 7 in the Aces hockey series and can be read as a standalone. Kelly Jamieson has done a great job with this series and this is Nick Balachov and Jodie’s story.
When Jodie moves to Chicago she and her daughter need a place to stay, which is where Nick enters the picture when he lets them stay in his Coach house. All Nick wants to do is concentrate on hockey and have an occasional hook up. The last thing he wants is to be seriously attracted to any woman, least of all single mum Jodie and her gorgeous 2 year old daughter Zyana.
Nick has had a hard life with means he has closed himself off to those around him whilst Jodie is his opposite and seizes the moment. Initially they clash but as circumstance and fate continue to bring them together they slowly ease into a friendship with potential for so much more.
The chemistry between them is intense and Nick’s affection and behaviour towards Zyana is heart warming. I really loved that Jodie knew what or who she wanted and wasn’t afraid to move forward, her protectiveness towards her daughter was inspiring.
The writing was strong and kept my attention and there were plenty of hot and passionate scenes.
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.
Nick and Jodie
Neither one is looking for love . Nick is a loner, hockey player and kind of a hermit unless he is on the ice. He had such a rough childhood and with no family left he thinks this is what his life will be.
Jodie is a successful business woman, single mom by choice and tough as nails but she hopes that one day she can find someone to share with besides her beautiful daughter. She at the age of 12 grew up in foster care and realized quick to only rely on herself. When they meet yes there is a physical attraction but he is too brooding and crouchy and she is too chatty and strong willed but they soon realize that each has so much more!
Great story!!!
~~Michele McMullen~~
BIG STICK is a sexy romance that will leave readers begging for more. I am a huge sucker for sports romance stories and this one did not disappoint. If you love sports romances just as much as me as well as second chance ones, you will love this one.
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!
What else is there to say but FABULOUS!!! I seriously LOVE Kelly Jamieson and all of her books, but the Aces Hockey has a special place in my heart. The Nick, Jodie and Zee are amazing characters, and the buildup of passion, lust and finally love is just perfect. You get it all in this book, ups, downs, and ups again… LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
Kelly Jamieson is my go-to author for yummy hockey romance books. Her stories have equal elements of humor and angst and are a delight to read. There’s always something special about her characters, some issue they need to overcome and their soulmate arrives in timely manner to help them resolve their lives. The women are strong and spunky characters that add life and heart to the sport story. Meanwhile, we get many games of hockey with commentary like no other author can.
Nick is a loner. He only has his teammates as friends, and he neither needs nor wants any others. He tolerates the girlfriends/wives and tries his utmost to be polite and friendly to them. In this one instance, he goes to a party held by Hallsy. Hallsy is the one who lost a wife to cancer and then found love again. His story was epic! In this one party there were three pregnant woman, so imagine the horror for Nick. He also doesn’t want a girlfriend nor kid, so not his scene. He got drunk and kept escaping from this one woman who was very nosy and annoying. Finally he escapes to a room and lies down for a nap. Then wakes up to a scream and sees a naked woman in front. It was the annoying woman!
Jodie is Kendra’s best friend and business partner. When Kendra hooked up with Hallsy and moved from New York to Chicago, she convinced Kendra to move their business also, and now Jodie is finding her way around Chicago. They have a sex toys manufacturing firm and they talk sex all the time. Poor Nick is in for a reckoning!
Jodie has a little two-year old precious girl. Nick has a coach house on the grounds of his mansion. Jodie hasn’t found an apartment for her and her daughter. Kendra and Hallsy just moved together and have many hours of sex suspended due to the presence of said best friend and her daughter. So Hallsy convinces Nick to rent the little house to Jodie and the rest is history.
Beneath that grumpy exterior is a kind and generous man. When he finds Jodie and Zyana having problems during a blizzard, he comes to the rescue. He’s considerate and attentive, and when he finds that Zyana loves hockey, he even gets her a mini hockey set and plays with her. Little by little his grumpiness dissolves and out came the gentle giant with a golden heart. The grumpy exterior comes out at times, forcing Jodie to deal with his back and forth attitude.
This is a heartwarming story about lonely people who find someone they can trust in. It takes a lot of working and overcoming issues and the help of a great circle of friends. It was great to visit old friends, like Duper, Army, Jared and Hallsy and see them with their families.
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.
Kelly Jamieson has just released the 8th book in her Aces Hockey Series. Each book is a stand-alone book at one of the Chicago Aces NHL players but, believe me, you will want to read the entire series. I know that I do even after jumping in at book eight and you don’t even need to be a hockey fan to enjoy it!
The moment Nick and Jodie meet it is not love or lust as first sight, oh yeah they both acknowledge their mutual physical attraction, it is hate. She talks too much and he is a crusty grouch. Nick is determined to be a life-long bachelor. Everything he has ever been responsible for has slipped through his hands. His parents died just when he made it to the NHL and he was never able to give provide for them like he planned. Then his little brother Alex, the more talented hockey player, commits suicide after a bout with head injuries and depression. He has his teammates. He has his house that he’s remodeling and furniture that he’s refinishing. He doesn’t need anything especially a woman talks incessantly and has a kid. Jodie is an engineer and partner is a thriving sex toy company who has just moved her business to Chicago to be with her best friend and business partner, Kendra. Jodie is a smart, determined woman who is raising her daughter alone and kicking ass in the business world. She doesn’t need anything especially a giant, asshole of man who hates kids. Nick and Jodie are thrown together by their best friends, Max and Kendra. Jodie and her daughter need a place to live and Nick has an empty coach house.
Kelly Jamieson has created two beautiful characters in Nick and Jodie. They are damaged souls who put on good faces but struggle behind closed doors. The hate each other but there is something drawing them together. Can they let go and learn to trust or will they just walk away? I give this book 4 out of 5 propellers. Believe me when I say that you will not be disappointed!
Beautiful cover. Heartwarming story. Jodie and Nick are polar opposites temperamentally but are physically attracted to each other. Circumstances throw them together because they belong to the same close knit group of friends. As they share close living quarters and spend more time together things progress to the bedroom where there is overwhelming heat. Her daughter Zyana is incredibly adorable and is responsible for some of the funniest moments in the story. There is a great mix of humor, wit, and steam to make the this an amazing book to snuggle up to.
There’s something about hockey players that adds another level of swoon to their hero status. But Nick takes the cake as he is the grumpiest hero I’ve ever read…AND I LOVE HIM FOR IT! Nick is anti-social, except for his small group of friends, brash but knows when to stay quiet, and prefers the company of his home improvement tools to others, including women. But after a few years of his solitude and the upcoming anniversary of his brother’s death, Nick decides to spend more time with friends and to try and socialize. In walks mouthy and sassy Jodie. She talks constantly and he can’t help but stare at her perfect mouth. He’s annoyed by her….but he kind of likes it. When Jodie needs a place to stay, Nick’s friends offer up his coach house. Now Jodie comes with strings in addition to her extrovert attitude….she’s also got an adorable daughter. Nick doesn’t do well with kids, or so he thought. He needs to dedicate his time to his hockey career and not caring for two new people in his life.
Jodie took a huge leap; she’s moved to Chicago to build her sex toy business with her best friend. Out on your own with a new business is had enough but mix in the fact that Jodie is a single mom and this girl is on a POWER TRIP. She mixes both sides of herself perfectly; business mom to the max. But living in the coach house of her best friend’s boyfriend’s teammate (whew!) isn’t a cakewalk. He’s grouchy and surly, and frankly he doesn’t seem to like her. But he keeps finding reasons to come over and when he does, he stares longingly at her. He’s hot and the more time they spend together, the more Nick begins to open up to her.
As Nick reveals more about his past and his personal motivations, Jodie sees a whole new side to the grumpy hockey player who prefers his solicitude. He’s laughing and taking care of her and her daughter. Jodie could see a happily ever after happening for them/ But soon the pressure of Nick’s career mixed with his pain of his brother’s loss become to much to bear and threaten top break them apart. This may be a sports romance but is also a story about finding happiness, love, and family. Its about finding your own self worth and knowing you’re worthy of that HEA despite circumstances around you. Its slow burn meets odd friendships in this hot new romance!
This was the first book I’ve read by Kelly Jamieson and I will definitely be going back and reading the rest of the books in this series. I loved Big Stick and loved Nick and Jodie.
Jodie has just moved to Chicago. As a single mom and new business owner she doesn’t have a lot of time for herself. So when her friend invites her to a party, even though she thought she would have nothing in common with the people hanging there, she went.
Nick likes hanging out with his friends but he just hasn’t been feeling very social, especially since it’s getting near that time of year when his life started to fall apart. So he goes to the party… but keeps to himself. Or at least tries to. But there is a woman there that intrigues him and also annoys the crap out of him. She’s pretty but boy she talks a lot and she likes to call him out too… yeah no thanks.
Nick later finds out that Jodie and her daughter are new to town and they are looking for a place to live… he just so happens to have a coach house that’s empty and so he agrees to let her live there until she can find a better place to stay. What he didn’t expect was for Jodie to break down all the barriers he’s been building over the past few years. There is a draw between the two of them that they just can’t resist. But Nick knows he can’t be the man that Jodie and her daughter need. Or can he?
Jodie’s daughter Zyana steals the show. She is adorable and melts your heart with the way she brings Nick into their world. I loved that Jodie was a strong female who took life by the horns. And even though at time was vulnerable she wasn’t weak. Nick was the perfect blend of Alpha Male and a Douchebag with a heart. (LOL) He could rub you the wrong way but you saw the good in him, especially when he was around Zyana.
Such a good read and can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series
This book was sweet and charming that had me hooked. Two people not looking for love who keep getting thrown together and can’t resist the chemistry forever.
Jodie is starting over in Chicago with her daughter and she ends up finding herself getting closer to Nick than she ever expected. Nick has been isolating himself from everyone. Hockey and the occasional hookup is more than enough for him but Jodie and her daughter seem to be worming themselves into him and he can’t stop them.
I loved the banter, the chemistry, the daughter who is sweet as all get out and so much more in this story. It is worth the time to check out for sure.
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.*
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.
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 isn’t a people person and has no interest in partying and socializing like his teammates. He enjoys his solitude and working on fixing up his home after a hard day on the ice.
Jodie is a single mother that believes in taking the bull by the horns and going for what you want in life. After moving to Chicago to help her best friend run their business, Jodie finds herself in a bind when she is unable to find a safe and affordable place for she and her daughter, Zyana, to live.
After agreeing to rent his coach house to Jodie, Nick finds himself being drawn to the beautiful and talkative woman. She has a way of bringing out the good in him and rekindling feelings that he thought were lost forever. Will Jodie be able to work her way into Nick’s heart and bring him back to life? Or will he push her away and return to his solitude with a broken heart?
(I received an ARC of Big Stick from Kelly Jamieson in exchange for my honest review.)
Big Stick is a sweet hockey romance about a man that has learned not to form emotional bonds with anyone unless he wants to get hurt. Nick has suffered a lot in his past and guards his heart, until Jodie comes into his life unexpectedly. Together they find a happiness that they both weren’t expecting. If you are a hockey fan, you will love this passion filled story!