Single dad and star defenseman Matt LaRue lives for his kids and hockey. He’s had one failed marriage and doesn’t have any interest in going through that hell again. As conservative as they come, he can’t comprehend his unexplainable attraction to a free-spirited female who changes hair color more often than his boys create new excuses to avoid doing their homework.Violet Strider is fleeing the … fleeing the past. She has a new start, new identity, and is hiding a big secret. Matt and Vi are a classic case of opposites attract, but neither expects the attraction to extend beyond a few hot trysts, especially Vi. Only her heart isn’t listening, and her head is following her heart down a path of no return. As Vi grows closer to Matt and his boys, she fears her secret could rip them apart.
Relationships are built on trust, and Vi’s house of cards is about to take a tumble. Can Vi confront her past and finally put it behind her, while earning Matt’s forgiveness?
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Seattle Sockeyes Hockey books are some of my favorite hockey romances. Pick them up for a great read.
Great book
Great read, I really enjoyed this book.
Great book. Definitely would recommend this book and the series.
Defenseman Matt LaRue has his life in order. His boys and hockey are his focus in life. After a failed marriage that had his gold digging wife and mother of his children simply walking away, he’s done with relationships until he finds a good, conservative woman who will not only be the perfect wife but also an amazing mother for his rambunctious children.
Violet Strider appears to be a free spirit. She has left an unsavory past behind and now spends her days putting herself through school as an exotic dancer and acting as an activist for any cause she feels is worthy. She’s the complete opposite of everything Matt wants in life, so why is it he can’t stop thinking about her. It doesn’t help that Vi also wants Matt . . . and let’s him know that every time she sees him.
When Matt and Vi finally decide to give in to their attraction for one night, neither expects to want more than a few nights of hot sex. Yet, both start wanting and needing more from one another . . .especially when Matt’s mom lets him know she can no longer care for his boys full time and Vi ends up being coerced into helping out as a temporary nanny. Both decide they want more and Matt is more than willing to accept Vi’s quirkiness, however she knows he won’t ever be able to accept her past, especially if it affects his custody of his boys.
I love a great opposite attracts storyline and Jami Davenport scored big with Penalty Play. Matt and Vi couldn’t be at more opposite ends of the spectrum with how they live their lives, yet their attraction draws them together like magnets. I loved watching Matt have to compromise on what he thinks he wants. It was also fun to watch Vi learn to handle Matt’s boys who love giving her a run for her money by testing limits she didn’t even know she had. As they grow closer and closer together, Vi’s secrets start to play a bigger and bigger role. Without spoiling the plot, watching Matt come to grips with the woman Vi truly is was simply amazing! I totally fell in love with his character more and more as the story progressed.
This book has some sexy and steamy scenes as well as some heartwarming family moments. It’s a fantastic opposites attract book with the added bonus of a hot single dad who just happens to be a pro-athlete and a sassy and free spirited woman with a heart of gold. 4.5 stars!
5 star Review Penalty Play: Seattle Sockeyes Hockey (Game On In Seattle #9) by Jami Davenport
This is book 9 in the series and another winner for Jami Davenport in my humble opinion. This is the story of single dad and star defenceman Matt LaRue and free spirited Violet Strider.
Where do I start? This book had me hooked from the very first page. I absolutely loved Matt and Vi, two complete opposites on the surface but oh how they melded together. Matt is a totally conservative man, with a failed marriage behind him, his only focus is his two young boys and being the best dad that he can to them; Vi is hiding a past full of secrets. Neither of them expect their smoking hot “dates” to lead any further but oh how wrong they are.
From the star of Penalty Play I wanted these two to get together and remain that way, so much so I had everything crossed that Matt would forgive Vi when her world starts crashing down around her, but can Matt trust Vi?
Can they each work through the troubles of their pasts and in doing so find a love that is strong enough to face any test? Can Vi earn back Matt’s trust or is she fated to lose the man and his sons that she has come to love so deeply?
The chemistry between Matt and Violet is scorching and despite being such opposites they really do gel together. This was one of those books that I simply didn’t want to put down.
I love that Ms.Davenport’s characters are not perfect, they are flawed and the situations they find themselves in are easy to relate too, her characters are strong and her stories well written. Although it is book 9 in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone.
Matt LaRue is about as straight laced as they come, he has certain expectations for how his life should be and he doesn’t do anything that’s deemed risky or wild… it just isn’t his style. But then free spirited Violet Strider comes around and suddenly “wild” has a whole new appeal, she is his complete opposite and he shouldn’t find her attractive since everything about her is everything he is not… but he does and it’s unsettling as hell. The moment she bounds into his world and starts shaking things up he is ready to send her packing, but then they share a kiss and it shakes him to his core… he has to have more no matter how wrong it may seem!!
The moment Violet Strider’s eyes land on Mr. Uptight, Matt LaRue, she can’t help but be taken with him, there is something about him that draws her in and makes her want to taste every delectable inch of him… even if he annoys the crap out of her. He is her total opposite, he has certain expectations for his life, the women he dates and Vi doesn’t seem to see where she fits into any part of it… but damn if she doesn’t want to in some way, shape or form! He is beyond gorgeous and wants to explore whatever is brewing between them, but Vi doesn’t do relationships, their too risky, so they agree on a little strings free fun… but she soon begins to wonder if that will ever be enough!!
Penalty Play is a sexy and heartwarming opposites attract love story that is sure to score a special place in the hearts of romance readers, and leave them craving more! The instant I met these two I found myself growing quite attached to them and hoped they would be able to overcome their differences and make a love connection. I also enjoyed meeting Matt’s boys, you couldn’t help but feel for them and the situation they were in, they had plenty of love around them, but they also craved to have a little motherly love too, and thankfully they found that in Vi. This was one of those story lines that you couldn’t help but get invested in, there was so much at stake and so much to love about it.. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it tugged on my heartstrings, and had me swooning throughout!! Highly recommend you pick this one up, I guarantee you will not be disappointed with what you find!!
Jami Davenport once again delivered another entertaining read in her Game on in Seattle series. I have read a few of these books, finding these books a bit late, and I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. This one had my heart in my throat throughout the whole thing. Matt and Vi couldn’t look or act more differently and you would think that there would be no way they could find a common ground but sometimes opposites attract.
Matt is a wanting to find himself a proper woman after marrying someone that couldn’t be more wrong for him. Vi couldn’t be more different than what he is looking for in a woman. She is tatted, free spirited and so much more. She has secrets that she keeps from everyone. Things get complicated for these two and I was completely engrossed. The fact that Matt is wanting to put an end to it and that Vi’s heart is getting more involved left my heart in my throat. Add in the outside sources that want to keep them apart and the secrets she is hiding and I couldn’t put this book down.
I highly recommend this book. If you haven’t read any in this series before you can still enjoy this book. As it can be read as a standalone. I can’t wait to get my hands on Jami’s next book!!
Book 9 in the Game On in Seattle Series but as every book in this series is about a different player each can be read as standalones, you would think it’s impossible for each book to be better than the last well not so for Jami Davenport for me Penalty Play is the best book I have read by her, I was hooked from the first page and there was no stopping until I had read the final page. Matt is a straight laced hot hockey player who also happens to be a single dad and his life revolves around his two little boys, Vi is the tattooed free spirit with purple hair but as they say Opposites Attract and that’s excatly what happens here. The chemistry between them is sizzling and what starts off as enemies with benefits turns into so much more, this isn’t just a story it’s a journey and it’s about two people falling in love and learning that the past can’t dictate the future sometimes you need to let it go and open up to others. Matt’s two little boys had some really funny one liners and the antics they got up to make this book just perfect, a beautifully written love story that’s centred around family values, can’t wait for the next in this series.
Opposites attract always makes for a fun read and this one is loaded with fun. The sparks fly between Matt and Vi in more ways than one. Their personalities clash like oil and water, but the sexual chemistry between this pair is steaming hot. The book is well-written and the banter between Vi and Matt is nothing short of hilarious. With an arrangement that is sure to be more complicated than it sounds, a couple of adorable, health-food rebelling boys, and plenty of steamy fun, plus Vi’s secrets that she’d like to keep buried to add just the right amount of angst, this one is a winner.
This was my first read by Jami Davenport, and the perfect combination of wit and sexy has won this reader over.
Reinvention
Vi has tried to do better, she loves to dance and trying to pa for college when it’s hard to find a good job after spending time in jail for something her sister did. Matt was raising his two boys alone with his mother’s help but he really needs a nanny. He likes Vi but he thinks her look is a little off.
Enjoyed it!
Too long, not one of her best. I still recommend this one because I like her writing.
Love the authors books
This book had everything a good book needs. The characters, how they interacted, background, and all the other things a great story needs.
Great read; enjoyed the characters and storyline
I was yanked out of the story when the author has the hockey player digging the tips of his skates in move. Hockey skates have a smooth tip, they get traction by pushing with the side edge of the blades which are hollow ground to create two edges for lightning turns and stops with rapid directional changes. She was describing figure skates. Author, do your research. Other than that, the beginning was good…then it started to drag.
Good book — demonstrates that opposites do attract
I love this series. Anything with macho guys and sports, to die for! The women characters are so realistic. The angst and banter between the characters is delightful. Enjoyable reads. Looking forward to reading the entire series.
Another great read from Jami Davenport!