It was a three-week fling. Nothing more than a couple of college kids having some fun, but then I did the stupid thing and fell for Jude Taylor quicker than he can score a goal on the ice. And after one beautiful night together, he left for the pros before I could make my first cup of coffee.I thought I’d put him behind me. I thought I’d moved on. Then he hobbles into my physical therapy office … therapy office and I realize how absolutely wrong I’ve been—there’s no getting over Jude Taylor.
But now things are complicated. Jude lives half a country away and his career is in direct opposition to my need for stability. Most of all, getting involved with him could mean losing my job and everything I’ve worked so hard for.
Jude doesn’t seem to mind one bit and he’s all in. He might be a patient in my office, but he’s no longer the patient guy I remember.
This time, he’s playing to win, and the prize he’s looking to score is me.
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Quietly emotional, sweetly sexy and fun story.
Playing To Win is the first book in the ‘Ice Kings’ series by Stacey Lynn. It’s a hockey romance if you haven’t guessed from the title, lol. This is Jude Taylor and Katie Carter’s story. Jude and Katie knew each other in college, they had one hot night together- then the next morning, he was gone.
Now, five years later, Jude is a right winger for the Carolina Ice Kings and has been seriously injured during a recent game. He’s sent to his hometown to recuperate and realizes he’s going to be doing his rehab at the place where Katie is a physical therapist.
It’s obvious from their first renewed interactions that there are feelings churning below the surface for both of them. Jude never forgot the girl he’d lost his heart to, and now that he’s found her again, he’s not willing to let go without a fight.
Katie knew Jude had stolen her heart in college, they’d only been together that one night, but it was a game-changer for her. She’s scared of what will happen to her if she lets her feelings have their way, but, she’s scared to blow Jude off as well.
Time is what’s needed and thankfully, with Jude on the injured list, it’s something they have in abundance. Their chemistry is undeniable, but watching their emotional bond grow was a treat too.
Some might say Katie gave in too easily, but Jude did an excellent job of explaining himself, and she was partly to blame as she cut off all contact with him the way she did. A lot of misunderstandings could have been saved had she not done so.
Jude is gorgeous, built and determined to win. He’s sweet and kind, and although he’d like to be the one in control, it’s Katie who holds the reins in their relationship, at least in the beginning. I loved reading this new series and I’m looking forward to book two, ‘Scoring Off The Ice’.
One-Click this icy gem today and enjoy!
4.5 Stars for Playing to Win book 1 in the new Ice Kings Series.
If this book is anything to go by Stacey Lynn will have a hit series on her hands because Jude and Katie’s second chance romance is a great start to her new Ice Kings Series.
Katie and Jude have history, their time together may have been short but that didn’t stop it leaving a lasting impression on them both and now five years on Jude heads home to get over a bad injury and at the local physical therapy office he comes face to face with the girl who haunts his dreams, what he doesn’t realise is the feelings he still has are mutual…..
Katie was convinced Jude was in her past and she was over him until he walks in for his first physio appointment, is the timing right this time around and will Katie risk her job by crossing the line and will she take another chance on the hot sexy hockey player who haunts her dreams……..
I loved everything about this and book it ticked all my boxes, I loved Jude and Katie and how they confronted their past and then moved on to their future, I loved the chemistry and the banter they shared and I loved all of the characters we got to meet in this first book, so I’m left looking forward to book 2 and wondering whose story will be next. Great start to a new series.
Hockey romance for the win! Kate and Jude knew each other once upon a time. Playing to Win finds them back in the same city where all the will they won’t they begin! This is a story about finding love after time gone by. Great book by Stacey Lynn.
Overall Grade:
Stacey Lynn’s Playing to Win is a story of second chances. It’s an admonishment to seek after love even when it’s scary and fraught with change. In a world when love seems lost at times, Stacey Lynn’s story hits the beats of our hearts that want and need love.
The story follows Jude and Katie. Jude is a professional NHL player who has become injured to the point of possible devastation to his career. In an effort to reset Jude’s mind, his manager sends him home to heal. Katie is a physical therapist who seeks after a life of stability due to a childhood of instability. As Jude begins his therapy post-surgery, he finds Katie, the girl who got away in college. Jude pursued Katie in college until one night she finally relented and they spent a night in bed. The next day, Jude was drafted into the NHL, and Katie ended any contact with him as it meant a possible life of uncertainty. Seeing Katie again sets a fire in Jude to pursue her and win her over again. His goal becomes building a life with her, even though he lives in another state. Will Katie accept Jude’s pursuit, or are these two doomed to living life separately?
There is quite a bit I liked about Lynn’s story: a hero who clearly adores the heroine and does everything to win her heart, a story that reminds us that second chances make some of the best romances, and a heroine who struggles in the beginning but quickly relents. These parts all conspire to create a story that is more about the falling into love and less about the separation of it. Quite honestly, the tension of Stacey Lynn’s story is easy. If you’re looking for a romance that will give you a little bit of strife, but mostly the sweet and steamy of it, then you should read Playing to Win.
Now, I struggled a bit with Playing to Win. There were times when I felt disconnected from its drama. As I stated above, this is a fairly easy story to read. You can get invested emotionally in it, but it tends to be a bit one-note. It never fully achieves the height of emotion that I tend to like in romance. This could come from Lynn’s crafting of Jude, her hero. He struggles with a possible end of his career (or at least, a change in it), but this resolves easily, which makes his emotional upheaval seem superfluous to the story. Instead, he should have undergone greater emotional turmoil. He acted more like a spoiled child than a hero with a major life challenge. Additionally, our heroine’s challenges with instability in life are resolved easily. This might please some readers, but it frustrated me because I wanted her to struggle a bit more over the possibility of Jude leaving. Instead, she accepts change more easily than someone who has fought for stability in her adulthood. Lastly, there are some places in the storytelling that lost its continuity. It made for moments of confusion.
However, all of that said, there is a stability to this romance that couldn’t exist if the hero, Jude, wasn’t a stalwart, caring, compassionate man. It’s his strength of character that guides the story, allowing the heroine, Katie, to fall in love with him. This is the strength of Lynn’s Playing to Win. Jude is definitely swoon-worthy and the best part of this book.
If you love a professional hockey player who is devastatingly in love with his heroine, then you’ll definitely love Stacey Lynn’s Playing to Win.
Sometimes I just want to read a good low angst, sexy book with characters I can root for – and this definitely satisfied that craving. It’s light, quick, and a lot less emotional than most second chance romances. In fact, the only thing that bumps this down to 4 stars for me is just how easily these two work out an issue that separated them for 5 years. Had there been a little more tension, a little more depth, I would’ve given this 5 stars without thinking twice.
The story follows Jude, a pro hockey player whose career is sidelined by an injury. Forced to lay low and do some rehab, Jude returns home and runs into the girl who got away. Back in college, Katie caught Jude’s eye and he spent weeks pursuing her, only to get called up to the majors the day after they finally got together. A misunderstanding broke them apart, but now that they’re going to be seeing each other on a regular basis, Jude sees this as his second chance to get his girl.
After reading the blurb, I expected this to go a little differently, but I’m actually pleased with the direction it took. These two didn’t have some sexy fling back in college; it just took weeks for Katie to give him a chance. While there’s plenty of heat once these two get back together (and so much chemistry), the emotional connection is the focus here. I loved Jude from the start – he has absolutely no hesitation once he sees Katie again. He’s all in right away, and that was so refreshing to read. It’s not often that I want my romance novels to be longer, but this could’ve benefited from a little more length and a slower build to give it a less insta-love feel. I’m of the opinion that if a simple conversation could’ve prevented 5 years of separation then that’s a problem in and of itself, but I did like that this wasn’t overwrought with angst. All in all, it’s a solid start to a new series and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next. I received an ARC via Social Butterfly PR and am voluntarily leaving a review of this sexy/sweet second chance romance.
Playing to Win by Stacey Lynn is an amazing start to the Ice Kings series. In this story, Carolina Ice Kings player, Jude Taylor, goes home to Chicago to rehab an ACL injury. While there he reconnects with the woman, he cannot forget, Kate Carter, who just happens to be working at his physical therapy office. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for adult readers.
I enjoyed Jude’s and Kate’s characters. They went to college together in Chicago where they are both from. Having been born and raised in Chicago, I appreciated this detail. They dated for a short period, and then Jude was called up to play for the Ice Kings. Kate blocked Jude’s phone number. Although only dating a short time neither one forgot the other. I love how they got their second chance. To top that off throw in the therapist/patient ethics issue and complications. Katie has some other matters to overcome due to how she was raised. Jude is worried about his career. Needless to say there is a lot going on with this story that makes it interesting from start to finish.
Stacey Lynn does an admirable job with this story. It is skillfully written and thought-provoking. The characters are dimensional and likeable. I’m looking forward to following this series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Great New Series!!!!
What a fabulous beginning to Stacey Lynn’s new series!
Jude and Katie thought they had lost their chance to be together, they thought the proverbial ship had sailed, until fate brings them back together. All it took was one look for both of them to know without a doubt that the feelings they thought they were having the first time around were real and still very much there.
Their story is sweet and sexy and all the things we want when reading romance. I loved it!
Playing to win by Stacey Lynn is bk 1 in the Ice Kings series. This is Kate and Jude’s story.
What a fantastic start to a new series- a sweet, yet a bit emotional read about 2nd chances. It has that touch of steamy heat with a touch of angst. This 2nd chance at love romance read has what the reader is looking for – emotional rollercoaster ride , a touch of angst, chemistry, heat, emotions, feels, romance , drama, (even sports), 2nd chance at love and that HEA. Kate and Jude are great main characters and the feels that they generate are amazing!! I loved the ending and can’t wait for book 2!
My Rating: 4.5 stars *******
I love a great second chance romance. Then you add in the sport Hockey and I’m all in. This was a great read. It was filled with just enough angst and great chemistry between Jude and Katie. This book had all the feels. I am looking forward to this new series by Stacey Lynn. I have a feeling it is going to be fun and sexy series.
4.5 stars
Kate loves her job as a physical therapist. The last thing she’s expecting is for professional hockey player Jude Taylor to come hobbling through the door. Kate and Jude share a past and there’s been a misunderstanding. Finally clearing the air, Kate finds herself wanting to help Jude even though she could be putting her job at risk. The same chemistry that they had between them is still there and Kate finds herself struggling to keep things professional. Of course Jude isn’t going to make it easy for her, he knows what he wants and that’s Kate.
I love a hockey romance and this one was an unexpected gem for me. I wasn’t expecting to love the characters and their story as much as I did. This was my first book by Ms Lynn and it definitely won’t be my last. I can’t wait to read more from this series. It’s off to a great start with Playing To Win.
Katie and Jude have a history, though it was brief, it was a time in both their lives that has stayed with them. Even after five years, they are both still thinking about each other. They live in different states, that is until Jude heads back to his home state and comes face to face with the woman he still thinks about.
I love a good second chance romance and add in hockey it is the perfect combination! Katie and Jude were both fantastic characters and had some amazing chemistry from the very start. Jude may be a giant hockey player, but he is protective, caring, loving and just a giant teddy bear. Katie is a hard worker, she can hold her ground against Jude.
This was a pretty quick read for me and I enjoyed every single moment of the story and Jude and Katie’s relationship. Plus, the two friends, Lizzie and Garrett, and Jude’s entire family were great secondary characters and added to the overall story.
For fans of hockey romances and or second chance romances this a MUST READ.
Nothing could have prepared Kate for the moment he wandered back into her life, the rush of feelings his presence brings, the hurt in her heart, or the weak feeling in her knees. Jude Taylor was and is the only man to every make her feel this way, their fling back in college lit something within her that hasn’t dimmed in all the years since. If it’s even possible he is more gorgeous now then he was back then, and definitely more dangerous for her heart too!
Her head keeps telling her not to get attached again, but her body is saying something else entirely. She knows his stay in Chicago is temporary, and getting sucked back into his world just isn’t an option. She has to stay strong, and keep him at a distance… easier said then done when the man your’re trying to avoid shows at your workplace everyday with temptation written all over him!
From the very first page Playing to Win had me completely addicted, the words took hold and I couldn’t escape. The emotion instantly rising to the surface, their chemistry stirring up heat, and their undeniable connection told me I was about to witness something truly special… and boy was I ever right! This second chance romance had all the feels, sexiness, and emotion I crave in a read and then some, it was outstanding on all fronts. I adored Kate and Jude, I loved watching them “fall” all over again, and find their way back to one another, it was such a beautiful story. I highly recommend you get your hands on this one, what you find between the pages is destined to warm your heart, and curl your toes!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
Playing to Win
Book 1 Ice Kings
Stacey Lynn
Playing to Win is a hockey second chance romance. It is a sweet, funny, and a feel good story!! Left me with a smile on my face!! Loved it!
“I don’t regret a single thing about giving up my life and following your dad. I loved him so much, there was no other choice but for me to help him make his dreams come true. And in return, he gave me mine.”
“His eyes and look and kisses are solely for me. And better than that, I know that his heart and soul and entire being beat solely for me because he makes it clear every day with how easily and passionately he loves me. Yeah. Life is good.”
Phenomenal read!! Absolutely can not wait for the next book in this spectacular series!!
Playing to Win is an amazing start to the Ice Kings series. You will just love Jude and Kate. Seriously this is an amazing second chance read and once you add in the love of hockey too it becomes a phenomenal read. I love the banter between Jude and Kate. You can feel there attraction still there from the start. I love how Kate make Jude work for things. You feel for Jude down with injury and trying to recover. Coming back home was the best thing for Jude and you will see why once you read. The chemistry is so hot between Jude and Kate. You will be smiling all the way through. I can’t wait for more of the Ice Kings series to come.