My name’s Max Hall, and I need to f***. As a pro hockey player who’s been away from the game for over a year, my libido has picked one hell of an inconvenient time to come roaring back to life. After my wife died from a rare form of cancer, sex was the last thing on my mind. Same with hockey, the other love of my life. Now, after fifteen months of eating too much, drinking too much, and generally … much, and generally just feeling sorry for myself, I’m facing a steep uphill battle to get my ass in shape and play my way back onto the Chicago Aces.
So I’m not looking for a relationship. Just sex. Yeah, I know how that makes me sound. But the truth is, I’ll never love another woman the way I loved my wife. When I meet a sexy bridesmaid at my teammate’s wedding, I decide to scratch that itch. A fling with Kendra Armstrong in her posh hotel room could be just what the trainer ordered.
Not only is Kendra smokin’ hot, she’s dynamite in bed—one of the perks of being a sex toy designer. Since she lives in New York anyway, we agree to keep things casual, no strings attached. The arrangement is perfect . . . until one of us falls in love. And it’s not me.
Kelly Jamieson’s USA Today bestselling Aces Hockey series can be read together or separately:
MAJOR MISCONDUCT
OFF LIMITS
ICING
TOP SHELF
BACK CHECK
SLAP SHOT
PLAYING HURT
BIG STICK
Don’t miss any of Kelly’s alluring reads:
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
Praise for Slap Shot
“In her fifth full-length Aces Hockey romance, Jamieson lets fans into the mind of the Aces’ most brooding player, rounding out a supporting character with some impressive results.”—RT Book Reviews
“This story of healing is touching and the intensity of the sensual encounters swoonworthy.”—Publishers Weekly
“Another unputdownable read; Kelly Jamieson scores again with Slap Shot.”—New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett
“Kelly Jamieson delivers another winner! Slap Shot gave me all the feels, and Max Hall is a hero to cheer for.”—Stacey Kennedy, USA Today bestselling author of the Dirty Little Secrets series
This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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I love Kelly’s books and this series.
Enjoy all the books in this series, but this one took longer to get into due to the drama surrounding the main characters previous relationship
This is an emotional addition to the Aces series and tells Max’s story. We have been hearing about Max in previous books and had a glimpse into his backstory but now we get to know him. He has survived the worst couple years of his life. First his wife is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer and he gives up hockey to spend her last days with her and then he is in such a deep depression he cannot bare to be around anyone. Now he is ready to get back to hockey and he has enlisted the help of a trainer and getting into to shape and even though the workouts are brutal he is alive. At Lovey and Duper’s wedding he catches the eye of one of the bridesmaids and his libido wakes up too. Kendra Armstrong is Lovey and Army’s cousin but she doesn’t know Max but she likes what she sees and doesn’t hesitate to invite him back to her hotel room. That night may not turn out as planned but they make up for it and settle into a “sex only” arrangement until that doesn’t work any longer. Hockey Dude and Spice Girl…love the nicknames but the real kicker is the emotional level of this story. It was not only heartwarming but witty and fun. Great read!
Slap Shot is a sexy, sweet hockey romance. We’ve met Max Hall in previous Aces stories. He’s the man whose wife was dying cancer. Here in Slap Shot, she’s been gone for over a year and Max is finally coming back to life. He’s determined to make it back onto the team, and his libido has finally awakened, thanks to meeting a hot, sweet bridesmaid at the wedding, one who’s as interested in a one night stand as he is. But, first he has to make sure she knows it’s a one time thing, not leading to a relationship, not leading to anything but some hopefully hot sex. Kendra is completely on the same page. For one, she lives in New York so she’s not looking to start something with a guy who lives in Chicago. For another, she’s totally open with and very much aware of her sexuality and what she wants. She should be – she’s a designer of sex toys for women.
From the very first page I was very taken with Kendra’s character. She’s the antithesis of most heroines today. She’s smart, she’s sweet, she completely owns her sexuality, she’s non-judgemental, and she’s no doormat. She accepts Max 100%, even knowing he only wants sex from her. She doesn’t judge him, she doesn’t ask for more from him, she doesn’t whine to him or about him. She does nothing but care for him, in and out of bed. I appreciated how she dealt with his grieving, and how he refused to let go and move on. She never once pushed him, lashed out at him, even though at times he definitely would have deserved it.
Even though I didn’t really connect with or like Max, I absolutely adored Kendra. She’s the main reason I can wholeheartedly give Slap Shot 4 bright, sexy stars. She elevated Slap Shot from what otherwise would have been a fairly typical, standard issue sports romance, into something more. Something a little out of the norm. Something sexier. Something sweeter. Something all around better.
This was quite an emotional read. If you have been reading the series you will know Max Hall’s past and how sad it was. Now he is trying to get back into hockey and is driven and determined. At Duper’s wedding he gets together with Kendra for some steamy times. Of course thats all it’s meant to be…… but the universe has other plans.
Lovely characters, nice character development and great secondary characters.
Max Hall is working on getting himself back in the game. He took time off after his wife passed away and came to terms with the next chapter in his life, the one thing he had not done though is been with another woman. Then he sees Kendra Armstrong and something stirs in him that has been dormant for a long time. They agree to one night, which leads to two but they both agree that it is strictly sex. They don’t expect to see one another again but fate plays a different role and they find themselves seeing each other and beginning a relationship of sorts. The only problem is they both live in different states and both are focused on their careers. Can they build a new life together or are they doomed to fail with the distance between them?
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I felt that Max was so believable as a character, his emotions are on his sleeve and he is inspirational with trying to move on and get back his place on the hockey team. Kendra is a woman who owns it, I really enjoyed her confident attitude. Wonderful story.
This is my favorite book, so far, in this series. We met Max Hall, “Hallsy”, in the prior books. His story was tragic, he had just gotten married when his you wife was diagnosed with a incurable cancer. He left hockey to be with her in her last days. It is sixteen months later and he is trying to get back in shape to start playing for the Aces again. His libido has also kicked back in at his teammate’s wedding and he ends up hooking up with one of the bridesmaids, Kendra Armstrong. What starts as a one night stand, morphs into a long distance fling. Of course they promise to keep feelings out of it, but that doesn’t work. Throw in serious guilt and mourning on Hallsy’s part and you have the makings of a great romance.
Max Hall is a hockey player and lost his wife to cancer, not looking for anyone or anything he is finally decided to come back to hockey after being away for a year. Now being at a wedding he finds himself drawn towards a beautiful woman. Kendra Armstrong is one of the bridesmaids at the wedding and keeps noticing this man sitting by himself. Deciding to go talk and ask for a dance Max begins to open up to her and when she asks him to go with her up to her room he agrees. The story does not go where I thought it would. Instead of falls asleep and the next morning embarrassed, she is not. He later finds out that she owns a sex toy company and is impressed by her confidence. When they later decide to spend more time together they realize they have more things to work out than just distance. He is in Chicago, and her in New York. Max still must work on himself if he wants to be with her. A very good story and a story that is more than just sex or just hockey. But about two people trying to be as they say one person or a couple and the hurdles that are in front of them. A very good book. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at http://www.1rad-readerreviews.com
It’s wedding time for Marc Dupuis and Lovey so everyone has gathered for the nuptials. Including Kendra Armstrong who is Lovey and Army’s cousin, she is a therapist and a entrepreneur in New York, she has never met Max but after one look she is intrigued and since the attraction is mutual they head to her room for a hookup.
Things are hot and heavy for Max and Kendra so they decide to do a sex only relationship, is that really a relationship?, while she is in town. Since he is still grieving for his wife that passed over a year ago and Kendra lives in New York Max thinks this is perfect for them.
I put off reading Max’s book for a while because I really expected some gut wrenching crying jags due to his backstory (the loss of his wife) but that wasn’t the case and honestly I don’t know if I’m sad about that or relieved.
The intimate scenes were plentiful and hot, there was chemistry but it wasn’t the all consuming type and I think it’s because Max kept downplaying his feelings for Kendra.
While Slap Shot can be read as a standalone I would highly recommend reading this series in the order of release since the characters flow throughout each of the books.
Happy Reading!!!
I adored this story. Ms. Jamieson captures the struggle, and grief one goes through after a loss.
I’ve been preparing myself for Hallsy’s book for some time now. I was ready to cry my eyes out. While Slap Shot has become my favorite of the series so far, the story was so much different then I thought it was going to be. Yes, there were some parts where I got choked up but nothing ugly cry worthy like I had assumed….and that’s ok because it fit the direction of the story. Slap Shot follows Max through his journey back to the Aces. After almost 18 months away from hockey, he is determined to let nothing stand in his way. Both Max and Kendra are broken in their own ways. After one night together, they agree to a no strings, long distance fling. I really liked how the characters kept in touch, it made the relationship believable. Even being miles apart, they really got to know each other. I loved watching these two fall in love and Max rising above his grief.
Max Hall has just survived the worst year of his life, losing his wife and giving up hockey damn near killed him, but now he is finally ready to put it all behind him and start fresh. It’s been a long time since he has enjoyed the company of a woman, honestly he isn’t so sure he can handle it, but his body is demanding he find a way to deal. When he catches a glimpse of a beautiful bridesmaid on the dance floor, something inside him shifts, and for the first time in a long time he wants to share his bed with a woman, so he digs deep, musters up some charm and tries his best to lure her in. Surprisingly she returns his interest and offers him a night of strings-free fun, but the question is once he has a taste will one night be enough?
To say that Kendra Armstrong’s luck with finding a good man is terrible is a complete understatement, every time she thinks she has found a good one, he shows his true colors and breaks her heart, so she has decided to keep things string-free from here on out. It’s not like she has time for a serious relationship these days anyway, then she meets hockey star Max Hall and suddenly a string-free relationship doesn’t seem like enough for her. He is charming, sweet, and knows how to keep a woman satisfied behind closed doors, but he doesn’t do serious…. now she has to decide rather she can keep these unexpected feelings of hers under-wraps or tell him and risk losing him altogether!
Slap Shot is a story of second chances, hope, and finding yourself again after loss, with a lot of delicious sexy times mixed in here and there!! I loved my time with Kendra and Max, they started off as a unlikely couple, but with time, (and a lot of hooking up), they realized they had a whole lot more there then just a simple friends with benefits relationship. And it turned out to be quite the beautiful thing to watch unfold, of course there were lots of bumps along the way, but I think that is what gave it such a realistic feel for me, and made is so plausible. I have been waiting for the opportunity to get better acquainted with Max, and after reading his story I have to say he might just be my favorite player from the team yet, he was sweet, sexy, and definitely worth the wait!! Highly recommend this one, Max is certain to leave you with smile… and a permanent blush!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
Great story
Kelly Jamieson’s Aces Hockey series has the Aces hockey team falling one by one, not on the ice but along the way to finding their HEA. In Slap Shot, the fifth book of the series, it is now Max’s turn, but things are not going to be easy for this hockey player. It’s emotional, funny, and contains explosive chemistry between Max and Kendra, who have to figure out if staying friends with benefits is realistic.
Max Hall had it all. He played for the Aces Hockey team, was married to the woman of his dreams and flat out loving life. Then life threw a puck that curved the other way. When his wife passes from cancer Max is lost. Taking time off from his career to care for his dying wife left Max at a standstill. Tryouts for the new season are coming up and Max finds himself out of shape. Starting a new workout is a step in the right direction to make it back on the team, but leaves Max still feeling lonely.
While attending a friend’s wedding, Max meets Kendra. Neither are looking for anything but a good time. Especially Kendra who has dealt with her share of failed relationships. She just wants to let off some steam in the bedroom.
The idea is to meet up for some explosive sex for one night only. Fate has a different plan for them and they find themselves running into each other repeatedly. Eventually feelings get involved. Can Max move on from the passing of his wife and see what is in front of him before it’s too late?
I cried a little. I laughed. I enjoyed this book. Dealing with grief is never easy, but Ms. Jamieson did an amazing job at expressing Max’s feelings very well. So well that you feel his pain too. A 4 Star read.
What is it about hockey players that is so damn hot???
Max is a widower who tragically lost his wife to a rare form cancer. He’s been out of the game taking care of his wife and then in mourning for the last season and a half. His single-minded goal is to get himself back in shape so he can make the team during training camp. Meeting Kendra at a teammates wedding, was not in his plans, but could help scratch a certain itch, wink wink, nudge nudge.
Although this is book #5 of the Aces Hockey series, Slap Shot easily reads as a standalone. I’ve only read the first two books in this series yet I didn’t feel as if I were missing out on anything vital to the story. Supporting characters from the earlier books play a role, but not so much that you HAVE to have read their stories to follow along.
A lot hot and a little angsty, this is a great read. It’s not so angsty that you’ll have a book hangover, but it does have all the feels. Max and Kendra have AMAZING chemistry and the angst isn’t overblown just for the sake of adding drama to the book. Thankfully, I’ve not lost a partner to a terminal illness, but I think that Jamieson does an artful job of capturing and expressing what the surviving partner might go through and feel – especially vis a vis a new relationship.
*ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*