AbbyI only have one love now—the home furnishings business I’m building into an empire. Maybe money and success can’t love me back, but they keep what’s left of my heart safe. One-night stands are my way of scratching the occasional itch I get for something more. And no one’s better for that than a sexy as sin hockey player I’ll never see again after one very hot night together.LucaI used to love … together.
Luca
I used to love two things: hockey and women. But now my nieces and nephew are my top priority, because I’m raising them after tragedy stole their parents. Somehow I balance single parenthood and my career as a forward for the Chicago Blaze. There’s no time for women, until I get knocked on my ass by Abby Daniels. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, but her devastating past may end us before we even get started.
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Luca is the second book in the Chicago Blaze hockey romance series. There are glimpses of Anton from book one and hints of players to be featured in future books, but don’t be afraid to read this as a standalone.
Luca is an amazing hero. He is young and has taken on the care of his brother’s children after they lost their parents.
“…I don’t know if I’m enough or if I’m doing a good job with the kids.”
Abby is a very successful entrepreneur. She fights her attraction to Luca a bit. She is up for a one night stand but is carrying around way too much baggage from the past to be ready to find happiness for the future.
“I’ve walked the darkest of paths life can send a person down, and I’m still here. I keep breathing and moving and functioning. Some days are easier than others.”
This story is fun and flirty with laugh out loud moments and some really fun locker room banter. But it is also a story that packs an emotional punch. I’m not afraid to admit that I cried both sad and happy tears with these characters.
“Do you like hockey?”
“I don’t know much about it, to be honest.”
“I could teach you a few things.” He winks at me, causing a flutter in my stomach.
“Oh yeah? Is this a setup for a joke about your stick?”
Luca’s eyes twinkle as he gives me a big smile. “Young lady, my stick is no joke. It’s very serious business.”
To be completely honest, I first picked up these books because of the covers… I mean H.O.T!! But these stories are SO good and deliver on ALL THE FEEL!
“I want to find a way for us to work. I’m a better man with you in my life.”
-5 Stars!-
I really enjoyed Luca’s book, his family and him have been through so much tragic events but he is staying strong and taking care of his nieces and nephew like no other. Abby is a strong willed person even if she thinks other wise, she also has been through quite a bit of tragedy and she has taken it and created something awesome out of it but she still struggles emotionally. Will these two come together and help each other heal or is the tragedy too much for them to take on a new relationship? Great read.
What an emotional ride. Brenda Rothert tells a story that will pull at your heart and take you through all the feels… Abby’s story will break your heart but when she and Luca are together the healing is something beautiful and touching to read. I loved reading about the relationship that develops between Abby and Luca’s nieces and nephew.
Overall I loved this story and can’t wait to read more of the Chicago Blaze Series.
4.5 of 5 Stars
Brenda Rothert’s LUCA is a game-winner. Hockey player, Luca Campbell and entrepreneur, Abby Daniels have a one-night-stand that turns into more. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for adult readers.
LUCA is a touching and heartwarming read. Brenda Rothert does an exceptional job with her character development. Abby is an admirable character. After losing her family, she throws herself into opening Cypress Lane, a successful home furnishing business. Luca is an amazing guy. He took custody of his nieces and nephew (Cora, Jake, and Emerson) after his brother and sister-in-law died. Along with the kids, they understand loss and are the perfect people to help heal each other. There are a lot of emotions and rebuilding that takes place.
I enjoyed the plot. There is a quote in this book that sums up the story seamlessly, “Sometimes, the curve balls life throws at you end up becoming home runs.” Yes, it is a baseball reference in a hockey romance, but it is accurate. LUCA is a worthy addition to the Chicago Blaze series. It is skillfully written and hard to put down. I recommend this story to people that enjoy touching sports romances. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
A fast paced HEA romance! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Abby and Luca a 2 people in 2 different cities who want nothing more than a fling with no feelings attached. But what happens when feeling start to surface? I love hockey series and this 2nd book of this new series by Brenda does not disappoint. These two will have you swooning!
Luca by Brenda Rothert was emotional, captivating and such a great read. Both of our main characters, Luca and Abby have been through so much. But Luca’s priority right now is raising his nieces and nephew and as a professional hockey player, that is not always easy. Abby just broke my heart. Her past was not an easy one and it was easier for her to put up a façade.
Luca stole my heart. The way he was with the kids was just so endearing. Abby was more reserved and kept a part of her hidden, but the pull to Luca was undeniable. Though their journey was not easy, it was worth it. I loved their chemistry and the interactions with the kids. I am really loving this series!
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
I Loved Luca and Abby. Luca is a professional hockey player for the Chicago Blaze. He is raising his late brothers three young children. He was so stinking cute with those kids. He treats them like they’re his world and I loved it. Definitely made me swoon. One night out at the bar he meets Abby. Abby is a workaholic who isn’t interested in a relationship, but she is interested in a hook up with the sexy man she meets while at the bar. I loved watching their story play out and I can’t wait to get the next book in the series. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a well written swoony love story.
Ilove Luca
Luca Campbell is EVERYTHING!!! He is a man who has such a huge heart. I love this about him. This story is so full of heart break. Luca losing his brother in Afghanistan, then his sister in-law to cancer. He is now raising his 2 nieces and Nephew ages 10, 8 and 6. AND he’ doing an amazing job.
Now we have Abby Barrett Daniels. She’s heartbroken as well. One tragic night and she looses her family in a freak accident. Abby has many walls built around her, so her heart doesn’t hurt again. But nothing is ever for sure.
Abby and Luca are a roller coaster. I will say there are alot more downs then ups. But if you want tp know what I honestly think? Brenda truly did an amazing job
First off make sure you have tissues when you read this book.
The heartbreak I had for these kids AND for Abby doesn’t even begin to cover how emotional this book is at times. How Luca can stay as strong as he has is just amazing and a true testament to the relationships he builds with the kids, Abby, friends and teammates.
I loved Anton but Luca is just as amazing maybe even more. I can’t wait to read more of this series.
I fell in love with Luca after meeting him in Anton’s book and knew that his story would tug at my heart strings, little did I know how much. The story of Luca’s becoming an over night parent to his nephew and nieces and the woman that he falls in love with will have you weeping gentle tears and smiling with joy as they all heal land become a family.
I have to say I actually get nervous when a book involves children because I have found too many authors are unrealistic in the expectations of a child’s age appropriate behavior or in the relationship that they hold with the parent. Book parents and children always make me feel like the worst mother on the planet, so it was really nice to see that even though the children in this book are awesome, they have age appropriate attitudes. They deal with their grief in ways that you would expect to see in a child, not an adult. It’s wonderful to see them being bright shining stars but also to see the hard moments and I think it is important to the entire story line that we get that. If Brenda had written these children any differently the story would not have felt authentic, so I greatly appreciate that from her.
Luca is just an amazing character all around. I loved the opening scene with him having a ‘spa day’ right before practice and the grief he gets from his team mates for his nail polish. It’s been a little over a year in the story since the kids came to live with him and while they have found their ‘groove’, I loved seeing him still struggling to live a life by his own terms and yet trying to be the very best ‘mom and dad’ that he can be. I loved that not once does he ever attempt to replace their lost parents, but instead tries to help them all find a new normal. There is a part in the book that (well honestly there were many, but this one sticks out) really touched my heart and that was when he thinks about how strong he seems to be on the outside, but it’s only becuase he cries in his room at night when he won’t be seen. We need that coming from our strong male heroes, we need it to be shown and said that being strong doesn’t mean you don’t cry. We accept that this is an accepted fact from women/moms, but the world needs to know that it’s okay for men/dads too, that they have feelings and they don’t have to hold them in ALL the time. It’s something we recognize should be accepted but we rarely ever see anyone put it out there and well, I truly loved having that moment in this book. Luca is honestly one of the easiest to connect with hero’s I have read in a long time. He has this quiet easy way about him, but you know underneath the surface all of his feelings run deep and he gives his all to every part of his life.
So right now as I have raved I know you are wondering, why not 5 stars then Malissa? Well, some of that had to do with the heroine. Here is the thing about Abby, I liked her….but I don’t really like her until the end and so much had gone on that by the time we got to the end I couldn’t love her the way that I did Luca. She is so closed off, and I get it, her trauma is beyond anything I can imagine and honestly she is a really great person when it comes down to it, but it takes so long for her to finally open up that we miss a lot of chances to love her. I just wish we could have gotten to the point of her opening up a little bit sooner so that we could have had more time to truly discover how amazing she is. In the end we get the real her but once that happens the book is over and I was left wishing for just a little more time with all of them. I am hopeful that we will see them all in future books though and that will give me that extra push I needed to fall madly in love with Abby, because deep down I know she is one heck of a character! Sidenote: I am going to need a story for her personal trainer, mmkay.
The two of them together are an absolutely wonderful couple. Their strength together is what makes this book as beautiful as it is, I adored the fact that while they have some communication issues (sigh, Abby) they are in general totally open with each other about their wants and needs. There are no games and annoying ‘high school’ behavior. They are adults and they act that way. Also, the steam factor….woah! Let me just reiterate that Luca has it ALL going on, ALL of it, haha!
Luca is a great addition to the Chicago Blaze series. It is a book that will tug at your heart, maybe cause a few teary eyes, so have tissue handy just in case, and leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling when you flip that last page. We’re two books in with right now only one more that I know of but I really am not ready for this series to end, so buy them, read them, review them so we can get Brenda to write more of them!
~ HAPPY READING ~
Wow wow wow!!!
This book is totally emotional, and it gutted me in a few scenes, where my tears were silently falling!! But it is sooo so good!
Abby and Luca meet in a bar and have a one night stand, which was so good, they repeated it every time when they were in the same city. No strings attached. So they said the chemistry between these 2 is !
But they both have their baggage, they need to get a handle on. Can they handle things together? That is the question! But read for yourself! This book is totally worth it. It’s a quick read, so interesting, I didn’t want to put it down.
This is the second book in this series, but can be read as a stand alone.
I kindly received an arc for an honest review!
This was an amazing 6 star story that sucked me in so deep in the heart of these AWSOME characters.
Abby is all about work. She’s a tough boss that doesn’t take incompetence very well. At first look and first meeting her, she’s an ice queen. Luca is an hockey player who is raising his 2 nieces and nephew. Abby and Luca meet an share passion. They only hook up with no strings attached. As they get to know each, Abby is really not who she seems.
Luca, Luca, Luca. I just adored that character. He was perfectly created for this type of storyline. I also like what the author has done with Abby’s. She has developed her to perfection and giving us a very troubled women who has suffered through so much.
Beautifully written story with an amazing storyline that made me feel so much. It was a whirlwind of emotions. I love stories with children, it just makes the stories so much sweeter. They were just adorable. Bottomline this an highly addictive and captivating story.
After suffering a devastating loss Abby has closed herself off from feeling, she has no desire to open her heart or life to anyone else. She prefers to be alone, in her little self-controlled bubble, where she can keep a handle on everything that enters. She gives everything she has to her work, sometimes to the point of complete exhaustion. Her trainer is always encouraging to work less and have a little fun, which she has serious doubts about. But then she meets a sexy stranger at the bar, and suddenly a little fun doesn’t sound so bad at all…
Luca doesn’t have time for relationships or love, between his career on the ice and caring for his nieces and nephews he has very little time left for anything else. But then he wanders into a bar one night, meets a woman with undeniable beauty, and she has an offer he can’t bring himself to refuse. What starts as one night of fun, quickly turns into something else entirely…
The instant Luca wandered onto the page I found myself completely enamored with him, every word he spoke, every movement he made, had me completely entranced. He had alpha-like tendencies, serious swagger, and often acted serious and in total control. But every now and then, a softer side that he reserved for his nieces and nephews would make an appearance, and that is the side that had my heart in trouble. Both of these characters carried so much hurt with them, it shaped the way they were living, only allowing them to live half a life. Once they met and chemistry took hold though you could see the healing start to take shape, and it was quite beautiful to watch unfold. I absolutely loved everything about this one, it’s words were beautifully penned, and it’s characters were mesmerizing, their story is one I won’t soon forget. Highly recommend!
I requested an advanced copy of this title and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
Once again Brenda nails it with the Chicago Blaze series!
Follow Luca, who’s left with the custody of his nieces and nephew after losing his brother and sister in law. He’s juggling pro hockey and raising kids on his own and doing a great job. When chance has him meeting Abby, who’s battling her own demons, and they just click. They agree to a friends with benefits relationship but can they keep it that way or will Luca break through and help her with her demons and get the girl that’s come to mean so much to him……
5 amazing hockey pucks for this one! I loved this book, can’t wait for the next one to come out! Grab this now!
I absolutely fell in love with Luca from the first moment with his purple glitter nail polish and love for his family. He has been through so much in such a short time but he is a remarkable man. Abby is struggling to make it through life but she is also a remarkable person. Together these two are steamy hot and perfect for the other. The both needed the other to find their missing piece in this thing called life.
I’m a sucker for hockey romances and Brenda didn’t disappoint. There’s just the right amount of action on the ice and off. The story is sweet and swoony and emotional and angsty all in one with some humor mixed in. Plus don’t forget the sexy hockey players.
Luca can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend you read Anton first. You’ll get sucked into this series and want more and more.
Abby and Luca, 2 different people, 2 different cities. Both not wanting a relationship just a hook up. No feelings involved, everything is working great until it’s not enough anymore.
These two will break your heart. I fell in love with Luca, he’s everything. He may have never been in love before or even wanted to be in a relationship, he wants more and will do everything to make it happen. He loves his nieces and nephew like their his own and just make you go awww.
These two will make your heart go pitter patter, have tears in your eyes and hope that they get their HEA.
When family circumstances change everything becomes difficult.
Luca has a career as a hockey player and to add to that is now raising his one nephew and two nieces , hockey and women were always his game but the women part has gone ..its now hockey and kids.
Abby an extremely strong woman from the outside but she has had tragedy that she tries to work through.
Luca and Abby meet in a bar they have a sexual attraction straight away ,it begins with no strings but this changes as there is a love growing .. This is a beautiful read about two strong people who work though difficulties to find a love they both see as secure.
A great five star read…
I can’t wait for book three..
I’m not sure I have the words to describe how much I loved this book but here goes……
Luca has found himself the soul guardian for his two nieces and one nephew in the most sad and unfortunate circumstances but he is determined to give these adorable children everything they need whilst juggling his NHL career. Abby is a woman who comes across as a strong personality who knows what she wants and it’s only as the story unfolds do we find out about her tragic past. If ever a couple are perfect for each other this couple are it, they had an uphill journey before they accepted their feelings for each other and together they just became stronger. The children had the best one liners even through their sadness. This book may be an emotional roller coaster but it’s a ride you will want to get on and never get off because this story will give you all the feels you would expect in a truly 5 star read. Book 2 in the Chicago Blaze but Luca can certainly be read as a stand-alone and all that’s left to say is THIS IS A MYST READ for every lover of romance . Can’t wait for book 3
This book was an absolute total emotional roller coaster! From the highest high of an immediate connection, to the lowest lows of sharing a past full of devastating hurts, this book had me smiling one minute, and crying my eyes out the next.
Abby is a strong woman, one who has built her own business from the ground up, but there is also a vulnerability to her, which she hides behind her work. She has a past that she shares with no one, and she holds herself apart from everyone. She is alone, and has no intentions of changing that.
Luca’s life is crazy busy, and he has little time to add anything to it. But a chance meeting on a night out with the guys leads him to an amazing woman. A single night together, that’s all that she wants, all that she can give. But he still hopes to hear from her again.
This book was one that will stick with me. The emotional upheaval experienced by the characters was heart wrenching, and left me in tears at times, but their story was one of harsh experiences and renewal, acceptance and moving past the hardships. This was an amazing read, one that I’d recommend to anyone!
Luca has everything you love and more! All the love and emotion that comes with love, loss and raising precocious children. Luca is a must read! Love, love, love this story!