Jensen Monroe is a unicorn. As handsome as any model, as polite as can be, a goalie of unmatched skill, and the best friend anyone could ask for. But he longs for a particular special someone to make his life complete. He’s been in love with Wren since he was a teenager, but as his best friend’s sister, she’s always been off-limits.Wren Lemiere has prided herself on being a love ’em and leave ’em … leave ’em girl her whole life. She’s all about equal opportunity in the battle of the sexes. Why should guys like her brother and his best friends get to be the only ones allowed to play the dating game? One wrong move, however, and she finds herself in violation of her own rules.
In need of a fake husband and baby daddy for her unexpected bundle of joy, Wren finally accepts Jensen is the logical one to ask for help. Except he has a counteroffer…one with so many strings attached, they may just find themselves wrapped up in ties that bind. Forever.
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I think this was my favourite read in his series. Jensen is a real gentleman and all round nice guy. He has been in love with Wren for years, but never felt he could pursue her. Fate drops a fake marriage proposal in his lap and he is determined to win forever with Wren.
I love how there is a lot of on ice hockey action as well as romance.
Read: 1/25/18
In the Crease was the twelfth book in Toni Aleo’s Assassins NHL series.
Jensen Monroe was the star goalie for the Nashville Assassins. Not only was he gorgeous but he was loved by everyone. He was the quintessential good all around guy. He had loved his best friend’s sister since childhood, but they had never been anything except close friends. He had never pursued anything different out of loyalty to her family and also because she had never shown any interest.
Wren Lemiere was the team’s therapist. She had a brother in the NHL on an opposing team and his two best friends, her quasi-brother’s, were part of her Assassin’s team. She was always close to the guys and was the female version of a player. She never got close to anyone and only looked for sex buddies. She crushed on Jensen but that’s all it was – an appreciation for his looks and who he was as a person. When life brought her an unexpected surprise and she needed a huge favor, she turned to Jensen, thus the start of the plot.
In the Crease was written with a dual POV. Typical for Aleo, it was well written with a solid storyline that provided depth and dimension. Aleo also dove into the secondary characters that we’ve grown to love over the series, providing a secondary plot which brought even more depth to the storyline.
Additionally, Aleo was creative and did the reverse approach for the premise of the story versus the standard approach. She wrote the story from a sightly different angle than it’s typically written.
As to the characters, I loved Jensen. How could I not? I do wish he had just a little more backbone, but I loved him anyway. However, I really disliked Wren. And the more the story progressed, the more I disliked her. In the end, I never really connected with her. To me, she remained cold, whiny, unemotional and clueless – none of which endeared me to her. At the end, I was beginning to see some redeeming qualities, but I preferred more sooner. Aleo wrote her well, I just didn’t like her.
With that said, Aleo wrote another successful addition to the series with In the Crease. The book itself was a 5 star, the heroine was a 3 (my taste only), so I have rated it as a 4 star overall. I’m now headed off to read Two Man Advantage, a spin off novel, which highlights Wells Lemiere, Wren’s brother. We got a teaser throughout this book and I can’t wait.
I knew I was going to fall in love with Jensen and Wren. This story was so entertaining to me and kept me riveted to my book – wanting to ignore my entire life so that I could float along in theirs. This is another great addition to the series – I love how each book just builds on the momentum of the previous one. The writing style speaks to me and the characters are so well written that I feel like I know them in real life. This series has spun off into a couple of additional ones – so if you are enjoying this one, you might want to check them out.
Overall – this is a great book to add to your collection of this series.
Happy Reading…enjoy!
I can’t think of any Toni Aleo book that I haven’t loved and In The Crease is no exception! Wren and Jensen have the whole friends-to-lovers plot going on which turns their marriage of convenience into something way more. Wren has a lot of insecurities about relationships and I loved watching Jensen break down her barriers. While she is relatable, at times I wanted to shake Wren and say “Just accept Jensen’s love!” Jensen is truly an amazing hero. He loves Wren completely and totally and is willing to help her for a chance a future together even though he knows it might not work out. I adored their relationship dynamic! I can’t wait for whatever Toni Aleo writes next!
And the FIRST PLACE goes to…..
JENSEN CADE MONROE
from Nashville Assassins
Dear Shea,
I am so sorry but after 11 books, Jensen knocked you out of first place. But no worries you are still in 2nd place. Sorry, not sorry
I am a huge Toni Aleo and ‘Assassins’ fan. I read all the books in the series at least twice and some of them way more than two times I was hooked since the beginning of the series and Shea was always my favorite hero, till I get to meet with Jensen. ‘In the Crease’ is the 12th book of the series and it is everything you want in a romance; sexy, sweet, heartwarming and amazingly perfect.
Wren Lemiere is smart, funny and independent woman. All her life, her relationship philosophy was ‘love them and leave them’ and I believe her insecurities, fears and trust issues were the reasons that lie behind this philosophy. She has a great job and the inheritance she will be getting from her grandfather that will set her and her brother Wells for life. But when she finds out she is pregnant and her baby daddy wants nothing to do with her or the baby, her life turns upside down. Her biggest problem is if she has a child out of wedlock, she will lose her inheritance. Now her only option is to find a fake husband, who will attend her brother’s wedding and stay with her till the baby is born. After considering all her options, including hiring an escort :), she decides to ask Jensen, a.k.a. Jenny, who’s always been there for her. Jensen, who is her brother’s best friend that she grew up together, is the goalie of Nashville Assassins. He is loyal, handsome, polite, and kindhearted. He has been in love with Wren since he was a teenager, but never had a chance to open up to her because timing was never right. When Wren asks Jenny to be her fake husband and baby daddy, Jenny sees this as the opportunity he was waiting for a long time. Because Wren’s terms aren’t what he wants, he makes her a counteroffer. Unlike Wren, Jensen wants a chance to make this marriage work and he wants to be a real father for the baby. When Wren accepts Jensen’s offer, his ‘make Wren fall in love in 6 months’ plan starts. Witnessing Wren’s growth through the story, overcoming her insecurities, fears and trust issues by the help of Jensen’s unconditional love was beautiful. OMG! Jensen is one of a kind; he is a ‘unicorn’ just like synopsis says. Jensen helps Wren to see her worthiness, strength and shows that it is possible to love and trust someone. Jensen also has his own insecurities and seeing him struggling with those was heartbreaking. Their connection and growth of their love and relationship was sweet, funny, and heartwarming.
‘In the Crease’ is sweet, captivating, funny, emotional, and sizzling hot read that can be read in one sitting. ‘Assassins’ being my favorite sports romance series, I hope Toni Aleo keeps writing the series If you enjoy sport romance and looking for something new, I definitely recommend you to read the series.
Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Already did
Would I read future books by this author: Definitely.
P.S. At the end of the 11th book, ‘Delayed Call’, I was hoping the next book will be Jensen & Wren’ or Wells & Matty’s story and I got my wish on both accounts because next book is ‘Two Man Advantage’, which is Wells & Matty’s story and I cannot wait to read it
The review was originally posted on: http://miabookaddict.com/
I can’t begin to tell you what an absolute loving and beautiful book. I felt so much for Wren and Jensen f*cking Monroe. Both of them touched my heart and I cried, held my breathe, and cheered until the end. Toni Aleo is one of my favorite authors and I have read all her books. Wren made me so mad that she wouldn’t believe Jensen really loved her, I just wanted to wrap my arms around her to tell her she is beautiful and loved by everyone in her family and friends. I’m torn now on who I love more Shea or Jensen. Jensen is so sweet, giving, and lovable hockey player who has been in love with Wren forever. It takes Wren awhile to realize how much he is in love with her. See how engrossed in this book I am..(LOL) Toni writes with so much feelings about her characters that her readers feel these are actual real life people. She brings her characters alive in the books, and that’s why we love reading her books. If you have not read Toni Aleo, please try them. This is a book from the Assassins series but you could still read this first, but I would recommend going to the first book Taking Shots that started my love affair with hockey romances and Toni Aleo books.
Love, love, love Toni Aleo books! In the Crease totally had me wrapped into the story a few chapters in. Highly recommend this story!
4.25 stars–IN THE CREASE is the twelfth installment in Toni Aleo’s contemporary, adult ASSASSINS erotic, hockey, romance series focusing on the men and women of the NHL’s professional hockey team the Nashville Assassins. This is Assassin’s goalie Jensen Monroe, and team psychiatrist Wren Lemiere’s story line. IN THE CREASE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Jensen and Wren) IN THE CREASE is a friends to lovers, best friend’s little sister trope that follows in Wrens’ discovery of an unplanned pregnancy, and the subsequent rejection by the baby’s father. Needing a fake husband and baby daddy for more reasons than she could count, Wren approaches her brother’s best friend Jensen Monroe, a man who has loved Wren for most of his life. What ensues is the building romance between Jensen and Wren, and the fall out when the secrets Wren keeps close to her heart are revealed for everyone to see.
Wren Lemiere struggles with major issues of low self-esteem; her baby daddy’s rejection hits too close to home, and with her brother’s upcoming wedding Wren is desperate to find someone who is willing to play along. Wren’s reputation as a love-em and leave-em kind of girl is a reflection of her upbringing-a childhood mired in jealousy and perceived rejection from the people she loved. Jensen Monroe has been in love with Wren Lemiere for as long as he can remember. As a young, billeted hockey player, Jensen’s found himself fantasizing about his teammate’s sister- a young woman who, to the present day, remained oblivious to Jensen’s love and attraction.
The relationship between Jensen and Wren struggles in the face of unrequited love; Jensen’s willingness to risk his heart and his soul for a woman who refuses to accept anything permanent including a potential future with our leading hero, is heartbreaking and emotional. Wren’s issues of low self-esteem have fractured any semblance of personal worth, and in this our heroine believes she is unworthy of love and affection, including the love of the family in which she grew up. There were plenty of tear-inducing triggers. Some readers may take offense to our heroine’s attitude and unwillingness to give love a chance but Wren battles with her heart as the pain of previous hurt and rejection come full circle both at home and in her personal life.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Wren’s brother Wells and his boyfriend Alex, Vaughn Johanssen and Brie Soladad (Delayed Call #11), Wren and Wells’ parents Winston and Elaine Lemiere, as well as Jensen’s mother and father Emma and Antoine Monroe, and Assassin’s owner Elli Adler, Wren’s former best friend Shanna, and her brother Bradley Washington, and Jensen’s ex Ophelia.
The world building looks at the friendships and love between members of the Nashville Assassins; the family dynamics behind the scenes, and the struggles for one woman to be recognized for who and what she is. Hockey takes a backseat to our leading couple.
IN THE CREASE is an emotional story line; a heartbreaking tale about one man who loves unconditionally, and one woman who believes she is unworthy of love. The premise is energetic and entertaining; the characters are colorful, passionate and dynamic; the romance is seductive and intense. IN THE CREASE is a roller-coaster of emotions; a spirited and inspiring story with a happily ever after.
Toni Aleo has done it again! This book is 5 Stars of beautiful all encompassing love. It is a reminder of what Toni does best – write real and honest love stories.
This book brought me back to the beginning of the Assassins series with its slow burn and build up. The story has a little bit of everything… it is emotional and slightly angsty, it is powerful and romantic, and at times sinfully dirty.
Jensen has to be one of my favorite of Toni’s Assassins… he is everything a woman wants in man. He is kind, generous, romantic, beautiful, take-charge and dirty. His heart is by far the largest of all the Assassins. I would love to spend more time with him.
Wren… what can I say about her? I feel such a kinship to her. There were times I was reading this and I was like “how did Toni get in my head?” Wren is real and true… she is a strong and independent woman with real feelings, emotions, needs and problems. Don’t get me wrong,l she does alot of stupid things. But don’t we all.
At the end of the day this is a story about to people, two very real people who make mistakes. This is love story that truly transcends time and place. It’s a beautiful story of life and love and perseverance and trust!