Can an idealistic dog lover teach a jaded hockey player new tricks? “Kelly Jamieson is an auto-buy for me.”—Carly PhillipsLilly: My life is like the love child of a train wreck and a dumpster fire right now. I’ve been canned, my professional reputation is shredded, and now I’m walking dogs to make ends meet.But I still believe everything will work out. Somehow.Then a dog at the park attacks my … Somehow.
Then a dog at the park attacks my friend’s dog. At first, I’m ready to give the owner hell—but it turns out he’s in desperate need of doggie daycare. I figure, why not? I love dogs and I need the cash.
Too bad his cocky bad boy attitude annoys me. He’s too damn cute for his own good. And I’m not talking about the dog.
Easton: My coach is riding my ass and I’m not handling it well. When I’m saddled with an abandoned pooch, my teammate thinks a dog will keep my temper in check. I think I have enough problems already.
But when my new dog gets into a tussle that leads me to meet a smoking hot chick who knows how to handle the rascal, I start to think pet ownership isn’t all bad. At least it gives me an excuse to see Lilly again. . . .
Neither of us are interested in a relationship. First they steal your bed, then they steal your heart. And I’m not talking about the dog.
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
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I absolutely loved Lilly and Easton’s story! Lilly’s life is absolutely in turmoil when she meets Easton. It’s amazing how the love of a dog you didn’t even know you needed can change your life. It’s just an accident that brings Lilly and Easton together but soon they both realize that fate can’t be denied…or the amazing chemistry they share…or the obvious love of a cute dog named Otis.
(And someone should have definitely taken Easton’s coach out back and beaten him with a hockey skate…just saying.)
5 stars!!
Kelly Jamieson scored another game winning goal with her latest hockey romance. Lilly, Easton and Otis are a wonderful, laugh inspiring ‘family’ and I couldn’t get enough of them! Another, not to be missed start to the new Bears hockey series! Can’t wait to see who’s next!
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.
Romance, hockey and dogs. My trifecta! Unfortunately I had a difficult time getting into this story. I found the coach’s verbal abuse difficult to read. I also found the writing style did not keep my attention. There seemed to be too much information that was not necessary to carry the story. I don’t think this author is for me.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
Great combination of lighthearted sexy romance and serious contemporary issues. As a hockey fan, I appreciate the accuracy of the hockey scenes, and the inclusion of recent events/issues from the hockey world. I enjoyed reading about the antics of Lilly, Easton and Otis the dog. I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series.
This book didn’t have the same magic of this author’s other hockey stories, but it has a cute little dog that was everything! Easton was traded from the Warriors in Vancouver to the New York Bears hockey team. He has a tragic event in his past that has made him cynical and standoffish. And yet, hockey is his life and all he loves.
Until one day he’s arriving at his building and there’s a lady with a dog on a leash about to enter the elevator. She went in, the dog didn’t, and as the elevator started to rise, the dog would have choked if Easton hadn’t saved him. The lady panicked and left him with the dog, no name and no apartment number. You could say it was fate that a dog fell into his lap.
Although initially, Easton was reluctant to keep the dog, Otis (he named the dog after the elevator!) was so loving, amusing and entertaining, that he grew on Easton. He then proceeded to spoil the dog!
Later he met Lily who was walking a friend’s dog, the dogs got embroiled in a dog squabble and fate was sealed.
From a man who had no one, now he had a dog that was totally attached to him, and a gorgeous girl who was also getting attached to him. His problem is that he had suffered so much loss that he didn’t believe in the staying power of the things he loves, so he’s protecting himself.
Lily and Easton were dealing with issues at their place of work; Lily took legal action and Easton waffled about it. They are different in their attitudes, and hesitant about getting serious. Then only thing they were serious about was on loving Otis!
This was a fun and fast read, and needless to say, I loved Otis above other details. I found both characters charming, I loved that Lily was searching for a job that fulfilled her, and hated that Easton was suffering at his. I rooted for both and their HEA!
Lilly has lost just about everything and has resorted to walking dogs for a living when she meets a gorgeous hockey player who begs her to walk his newly acquired dog when he’s away on road trips during the season.
Easton knows he has anger issues, and it’s why he’s been traded. But he seems to be finding rapport with his team. He just needs to focus on his playing and leave everything else behind. Everything like the gorgeous dog walker he’s befriended. Everything like the loss he suffered years before. But somehow Lilly and her bright spirit have made it past his shields and into his heart. He doesn’t want a serious relationship, though, and apparently neither does she. So they’ll just be casual fwb. Right? Of course not…
This is such a sweet, heartfelt story. I especially liked Lilly and Otis the pup, and her positive, bright outlook on life. Easton was perfect for her with his sweet nature, even though he screwed up badly near the end. I know I can always rely on Kelly Jamieson to deliver a solid, sexy hockey romance, and she more than delivered with Must Love Dogs…and Hockey.
Hockey is all I’ve ever known. It’s my life and I love playing, however, our coach has been on my case lately and all I want to do is lash out at him. My anger is what got me traded here in the first place, I have to make sure I keep my cool. It’s not just me he’s yelling at, it’s all of us. When we lose a game, he throws clipboards at us, continuously yells, kicks equipment in the locker room, this is not the way you want to motivate any team! One of my teammates lives in the same building as I do. While we wait for the elevator, a woman gets in and she has a dog on a leash, except the doors close and the dog is on the outside. I jump to save the poor animal and between my friend and I we manage to take off his collar. Eventually she returns and says she can’t deal with taking care of the dog anymore and walks out! My friend and I look at each other, wondering what to do. I’m the one that eventually takes him up and figures this will all work out tomorrow when someone is missing a dog. Except no one does. For now he’s mine. Otis, as I now call him, tries to befriend another pup, except in his exuberance, the owner of that dog thinks they are fighting. Come to find out, she’s a dog walker and a beautiful one at that! I hire Lilly instantly, and explain my predicament. This is going to work out great, hopefully she’ll also go out with me.
When I run into Easton, his dog attacks the one I’m walking. Well, I do find out that Otis is just not trained and he was trying to be friendly. It’s a good thing this happened since I just lost my job and I’m having to resort to dog walking in order to pay my rent and eat. Until I can find another job in my field, hopefully I can expand my services and get more pups to take care of. I don’t want to mix business with pleasure, but it’s getting harder to say no every time Easton asks me out. I’ve never felt this chemistry with anyone else.
When we both agree to go with our feelings and not label it as a relationship, I’m sure it will all work out. Except feelings have a funny way of creeping in when you last expect them to.
I love anything that Kelly Jamieson write.
I received a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Must Love Dogs is a sweet and engaging hockey romance about Easton and Lilly. They have a chance meeting at a park and it changes their lives.
Easton is a professional hockey player and a nice guy. He is attracted to Lily but she has some reservations about Easton at first. I enjoyed all of Easton and Lily’s encounters together. They deserve to find happiness because after some bad luck in the past.
I love dogs and enjoyed this charming story involving cute dogs and charming hockey players. Kelly Jamieson knows how to write entertaining hockey stories about sexy hockey players.
Thanks to the author for providing a copy of this book via Bend and Snap. The opinions expressed are my own.
Lily is out of work and looking for income when she gets offered a lot of cash to take care of Otis, Easton’s dog. There some attraction between these two but Lily is hesitant and doesn’t want to get involved, thinking that she’d only get hurt and Easton is a client. However, chemistry takes over and these two finally decide to go out together.
The book really takes off when Lily and Easton start dating. Their relationship is really sweet and lovely. But there are a few issues to resolve, one of those being Easton’s reluctance to stand up to his abusive hockey coach. Easton is really a sweet man and I loved these two together.
Overall, a sweet hockey romance. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but it really shines when the main characters get together. There’s a few lessons to be learned, and Easton comes through like a champ.
Lilly feels like her life is falling apart. She has lost another job, and it has her feeling low about herself. Then she gets an additional dog walking client. He intrigues her, and she finds him incredibly attractive.
Easton is totally enamored with Lilly. Right from the moment they meet he cannot help but think she is so beautiful. She seems to love dogs, and is great with them. Since he finds himself unexpectedly the caregiver of a puppy he needs her help.
This story has such a great balance. I felt like it had a great base story. Was full of humor, angst, heat, and more. I had to read it all in one sitting, since I did not want to put it down. The characters are meant to be and it shows.
***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review by Netgalley and its publishers.
I really enjoyed this one. Not gonna lie I fell in love with the cover first. It’s hard to resist. Then I started the book and I couldn’t put it down. I really liked Lily and Easton. Easton’s back story is one that will hit you in the heart. It makes it all the more special when Otis comes into his life. I LOVED Otis! He’s so adorable. There is one character in here that I really, really disliked. I hated the way he treated his team. Karma was over due visiting him. I really liked that this book gave me the message of stand up for yourself and doing the right thing is rewarding even if we don’t see it at first. For Lily she thinks her future is bleak, but for a kind person like her fate has other plans. She may just find herself on the path she was truly meant to be on. This is a book you’re easily going to get lost in.
This book grabbed my heart and squeezed for SO many reasons. The first reason is that I had a dog named Otis, same as the dog in the book, and that right there sucked me in! But it was a fantastic book for all kinds of other reasons.
Easton’s back story was utterly heart-wrenching – especially given that I think Kelly took inspiration for his story from a real-life tragedy that happened in Canada’s junior hockey community a few years back. When that part of Easton’s story came out, I bawled almost uncontrollably. Lilly and Easton are both just amazing people. Lilly lost her previous job because she was a whistle-blower trying to do the right thing and the company retaliated by firing her. She’s a genuinely lovely person. I felt really connected to her character. Lilly recognizes that for most of her life she really did have things relatively easy. It made it hard for her to keep going when things STOPPED being easy, and she fell into a depression. I can absolutely relate to that.
The way the characters bond over Otis is so sweet. I’m a big believer that people can learn to love by spending time with animals. Easton had to learn how important Otis was to him, but in the end he did. Both characters are such strong, admirable people. They both commit to doing the right thing, even if it means risking a LOT. My ONE tiny complaint about this book is that I felt like the ending left us hanging – Lilly and Easton’s story gets resolved, but a new character is introduced and then it’s over!! So of course I had to go sniffing around online, and saw that Kelly has another book coming out in December – so I guess this is book 1 of a new series? Anyway, all in all I LOVED this book. A sweet, engaging story with impossible NOT to love characters. It was such a pleasure to read.
4 1/2 STARS!
An adorable meet cute leads to an emotional happily ever after! With the first book in a brand new Bears Hockey series Kelly Jamieson shines bright with witty dialogue, emotional depth and hockey with heart! I loved the set up and the connection between the two characters was quick to catch and hold my attention as they each deal with fallout of their past. I’m looking forward to watching the series progress!
Easton Miller is the sweetest. Sure, he’s a bit sure of himself and has a boat load of baggage, but he’s quick to connect with an adorable pooch needing a home and his attraction to Lilly is so endearing.
Lilly Evans is a fun character to watch develop. She has a lot of issues when it all starts out, but watching her step up and take control of her life is empowering.
I highly recommend this book to any hockey fans who enjoy a good bit of drama on top of the game action in their story. Can’t wait for more in the series!
Aces Hockey and Wynn Hockey series by Kelly Jamieson are some of my favorite hockey series so when I saw this was coming out, I jumped to the opportunity for the review. Funny thing is when I requested this book, I wasn’t aware this was a new series. I just saw Kelly Jamieson + Hockey on the cover and requested it 🙂 I am so glad that I did and now I have one more series to follow.
Easton Miller recently got traded to New York Bears. While he is getting used to a new city and team, his biggest problem is his abusive coach. Easton is not someone who will be okay with unfairness, racism, and verbal abuse. Unfortunately, he hit the jackpot with his new coach because he is all these and some more. Since hockey is the only thing that keeps Easton going, he tries his best not to react to his coach’s antics. But with each and every day it gets harder to manage his anger. So, one night when he saves a dog in his apartment building and the woman who was taking care of the dog abandons it. His teammate mentions having a dog might help with his anger management issues so he decides he can take care of the dog while trying to find its owner. But, yeap there is a huge but here… He has no clue how to take care of a dog and even though he did, his schedule doesn’t allow him to become a dog owner. No worries though, thanks to his luck starts he meets with his savior at the dog park. Lily Evans’s life is in turmoil to be exact I will give you guys how she described it. Her life is “the love child of a train wreck and a dumpster fire.” She is smart, strong, and righteous. She recently got fired from her job and thanks to her old employer bad mounting her, it is impossible for her to find a new job in the hospitality business, that is why she decides to establish her dog walking business and Easton is her almost first customer. At first, she has some reservations about him and doesn’t want to take the job but she doesn’t have many options. When she takes the job, everything will get a bit complicated for both of them. They both have bad experiences and insecurities which causes them to stay away from relationships or any emotional ties. Thanks to Otis, the Cupid, they will start a new journey that will help them to grow. Both of them have issues and I love that they are not perfect. They have flaws, insecurities, which makes them more relatable. Of course, their banter and chemistry was amazing 🙂
Must Love Dogs… and Hockey is a sweet, inspiring, emotional, and sizzling hot story. I enjoyed Easton and Lily’s story. Even though they were both scared and hurt, they did their best to support each other to overcome their fears and insecurities. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series which will be Easton’s ex-bestie Josh Heller’s story. You Had Me at Hockey will be releasing in December 2020.
Would I recommend this book: Yes
Would I re-read this book: Yes
Would I read future books by this author: Yes
I haven’t read many books from this author and when I have it’s been a bit hit and miss for me. However, I really enjoyed this. It is the start of a new series, so we’re introduced to a number of characters who are obviously going to go on to have their own books, but this is firmly about Lilly and Easton. I loved this couple. From starting out with Easton trying – unsuccessfully – to pick up Lilly, to an business/client relationship to friendship to more, this book paced nicely throughout. I always enjoy when a book includes perspectives from both sides and this book does it extremely well, giving insight into Lilly and Easton. I especially loved reading Easton’s typical guy thoughts, giving contrast to Lilly.
Must Love Dogs…and Hockey by Kelly Jamieson is a thoroughly enjoyable, quick and easy hockey romance read. I have to admit, the title alone was enough to get me to read it, blurb completely unnecessary! In fact, I went in blind and I absolutely loved it.
This book will leave you with a satisfied grin on your face whether it’s because of adorable Otis (the over exuberant puppy) or sexy (hockey) player Easton – Both will steal bits and pieces of your heart. You will also fall for strong and resilient Lilly who is not afraid to stand up for herself or what she believes in.
If you’re like me and love all things hockey romance, TBR this great little read and Enjoy!
I really enjoy Kelly Jamieson’s hockey books so I had big expectations for this new series and I was not disappointed!
Easton is a pro hockey player traded to the Bears because of his bad attitude with his previous team. Given the way his new coach treats the team, Easton has gone from the frying pan into the fire. When he rescues a dog, he finds himself needing help because of his crazy schedule.
Lilly’s life has imploded- she is fired from her latest lousy job she took after her previous employer fired her for being a whistle blower about their unscrupulous practices. While out walking a friend’s dog she meets Easton or rather his dog. He thinks she’s hot, she thinks he’s hot but is not interested.
Long story short, she ends up being a dog walker for Easton and some others.
What was interesting about this book was the unusual aspect of the hero being the one in an abusive situation albeit at work not a partner. Occurrences in his life had made him insecure about his future and willing to keep quiet. Lilly is the one who has paid for taking a stand while Easton is afraid to make waves and lose his hockey career. Given the news about sports and coaches, I’m sure this is not as unusual as it seems. Both of these people have family issues that have made them look at relationships very warily and which will impact their future together. It’s a romance so of course they get their HEA but they both have to put on their big person panties and see the other one’s viewpoint.
This book has hot sex, a bit of humor, and a lot of tugs to the heart. The ending is a great set up for a future book.a
Kelly Jamieson is an auto-buy author for me and this book is a perfect example of why! I love hockey romances and Kelly’s are the best. Must Love Dogs…and Hockey is a great start to her new Bears Hockey series and I cannot wait to see what’s next. I adored Easton and Lilly. Easton was a great guy even with the baggage he was carrying from his past. I loved how Lilly didn’t let anything get her down even though she had a rough go of it. This was a fun story and I definitely recommend it!
This is a fantastic hockey romance!
Lilly and Easton were great together! I loved little Otis! He was adorable! Easton rescues the little dog after an elevator incident and that’s how he met Lilly. She’s starting a dog walking business and Easton hires her. Their attraction was instant and their chemistry was amazing. What started out as a friendship turned into so much more! This hockey romance has the perfect of sweet, sexy, romance, love, laughter and a cute, adorable dog! Must Love Dogs…and Hockey was a fantastic start to the Bears Hockey series! I can’t wait for book 2!
Another sports romance series from one of my favorite authors! YAY!!
You see that cover? That cover is #winning exponentially! Want to know why? Because it tells the exact story. I am fully aware that this whole cover OCD I have is a me thing and most people don’t really even care at the level I do, but nothing scores more points with me than a cover that matches a story! Well done!
The thing that stood out the most to me about this story was how easy and light it all was. That’s not only refreshing but also necessary these days. The world is on fire and all I want is a little escape LOL This book is the perfect escape from the dumpster fire that is life right now. A slow burn, feel good, swoony romance that I hope will follow the same trends with upcoming books. It was sweet and sexy with just the right amount of heart and emotion!
Looking forward to Josh and Sara in December!!