Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 rounded UP! Michael Reiner, Communication King! This book needed some more edits, but despite that I loved Michael and Naomi and appreciated the development of the other characters around them… it was subtle but it made me excited to see where this series leads.
Jaqueline Snowe is becoming one of my favorite authors. I discovered her earlier this year and I am now going down the rabbit hole of her works, seeing the web of books that all lead one into the other.
I first started reading the Central State Football collection and loved it. I was then given the opportunity to read the first book in the Central State Hockey series, [b:Through the Ice|213234866|Through the Ice (Central State Hockey #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1719007617l/213234866._SY75_.jpg|219459129] as an ARC copy earlier this summer. There we met Coach Reiner and Assistant Coach JD, as well as being briefly introduced to Cal Holt. Both Coaches seemed really cool with the team and with Theo. Now that I have read [b:The Puck Drop|58432423|The Puck Drop (Central State, #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628656102l/58432423._SY75_.jpg|91695232], I have properly been introduced to Michael Reiner and I am meeting JD, however, as soon as I finished this book, I went digging and I realized that we actually meet JD (Jonah) and Michael's sister, Ryann, in [b:Holdout|56574147|Holdout (Moo U, #4)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609945050l/56574147._SY75_.jpg|87496607]. If you are reading this review and want to get the timeline correct for this series, stop everything and go read these books in order. It will help clarify some details, at least in this book.
With that said, let me start with my review of [b:The Puck Drop|58432423|The Puck Drop (Central State, #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628656102l/58432423._SY75_.jpg|91695232]. I loved Michael and Naomi as a couple. It was an "easy" relationship. Not easy exactly; they both have their issues and traumas, but their easy connection reminded me of Theo and Audrey in [b:Through the Ice|213234866|Through the Ice (Central State Hockey #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1719007617l/213234866._SY75_.jpg|219459129]. Michael and Naomi had a random encounter where there was an initial attraction but they were quickly informed that the stranger they had just met would actually be their project partner with the Central University hockey team. They become fast friends where conversation, banter, and flirting come easy. However, the attraction between them is too strong and they eventually turn their friendship to friends-with-benefits. You know, friends that hook up but don't develop any feelings; however, they are exclusive to each other. Really? Doesn't the word friends already imply feelings on some level for the other person? And if you are exclusively hooking up, then what is the difference with a relationship besides the expectations you set for the other person?
Anyways, Michael is at Central State University for grad school in sports business management. I think that is what the degree is called. He went to Moo University for undergrad school. Yeah, that's the name of the school. He moved to Illinois and Central State to get away from some traumatic memories from back home in Vermont while he was going to Moo U. However, he constantly talks about his sister Ryann, her boyfriend Jonah, and his old hockey teammates as well as his parents, who passed away 4 years prior in a car accident. I was slightly confused at this point because Moo U? Really? At first, I thought it was a joke name, and I didn't realize that it was the actual name of his previous school. I also didn't realize why hockey was no longer part of his future until I realized that he wasn't good enough to be drafted to the NHL or the AHL, and he was no longer able to play on a "professional" level. He also kept reminiscing about his friends and how he was a leader on the team and believed that sportsmanship and teammates needed to bond. This is when I realized there is a series called Moo U by various authors, and Ryann and Jonah's story is in [b:Holdout|56574147|Holdout (Moo U, #4)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609945050l/56574147._SY75_.jpg|87496607], which is where we will probably see most of Michael, although I am sure we get to know him throughout the entire series. Those have now been added to my TBR. Anyways, Michael is now at Central State and is shadowing the hockey coach there, Coach Simpson, as part of his grad program. As he can't be on the ice playing, he would like to be off the ice, teaching and coaching other people about the game. His old teammates think he has the perfect personality for the gig and Michael would be happy to just keep hockey in his life in some way.
Naomi Fletcher-Simpson is a junior at Central State and is studying statistical analysis or something like that. There is an internship she would like to apply for that will take place during the summer between her junior and senior year and, to apply for the job, she wants to do a project throughout her junior year regarding statistic analysis for hockey. Her father happens to be Coach Simpson, and agrees to give her the internship job with the team for her class project. Naomi actually doesn't use her father's last name, Simpson, but her twin sister, Cami does. The school knows they are twins and that she is the "nerdy" one while her sister is the charismatic, wild, pretty, and fun one. Naomi and Cami's relationship is strained for multiple reasons, mainly because of past boyfriends and jealousy but it is actually a lack of proper communication. Naomi and her father also have a strained relationship. Hockey was the cause of Naomi and Cami's parents' divorce and is the reason why Coach Simpson doesn't know how to have a relationship with his daughters outside of sports, something that Naomi does not excel at. Therefore, Naomi has to navigate and work on her relationship with her father and her sister, because, after years of distance, she has a warped perception of her self-worth and being second choice.
Halfway through the season, Michael and Naomi's friends-with-benefits situation evolves into a full relationship, where they are both willing to take a chance on each other. However, Michael is offered an opportunity immediately after taking the leap, and Naomi is left feeling like a second choice. Before Michael has the opportunity to constantly abandon her, Naomi decides to break-off the relationship without giving Michael the benefit of the doubt. Now Naomi needs to decide if she is going to confront her issues and learn to trust the person who has proven all year that he is there for her or if she is going to let her past experiences deprive her of what her heart wants.
Michael is so open and straightforward. He has learned that you can't stay quiet in life or you may miss out on what makes you happy. I love his character and I'm happy I got to know his origin story after meeting him in [b:Through the Ice|213234866|Through the Ice (Central State Hockey #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1719007617l/213234866._SY75_.jpg|219459129]
I first started reading the Central State Football collection and loved it. I was then given the opportunity to read the first book in the Central State Hockey series, [b:Through the Ice|213234866|Through the Ice (Central State Hockey #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1719007617l/213234866._SY75_.jpg|219459129] as an ARC copy earlier this summer. There we met Coach Reiner and Assistant Coach JD, as well as being briefly introduced to Cal Holt. Both Coaches seemed really cool with the team and with Theo. Now that I have read [b:The Puck Drop|58432423|The Puck Drop (Central State, #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628656102l/58432423._SY75_.jpg|91695232], I have properly been introduced to Michael Reiner and I am meeting JD, however, as soon as I finished this book, I went digging and I realized that we actually meet JD (Jonah) and Michael's sister, Ryann, in [b:Holdout|56574147|Holdout (Moo U, #4)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609945050l/56574147._SY75_.jpg|87496607]. If you are reading this review and want to get the timeline correct for this series, stop everything and go read these books in order. It will help clarify some details, at least in this book.
With that said, let me start with my review of [b:The Puck Drop|58432423|The Puck Drop (Central State, #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628656102l/58432423._SY75_.jpg|91695232]. I loved Michael and Naomi as a couple. It was an "easy" relationship. Not easy exactly; they both have their issues and traumas, but their easy connection reminded me of Theo and Audrey in [b:Through the Ice|213234866|Through the Ice (Central State Hockey #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1719007617l/213234866._SY75_.jpg|219459129]. Michael and Naomi had a random encounter where there was an initial attraction but they were quickly informed that the stranger they had just met would actually be their project partner with the Central University hockey team. They become fast friends where conversation, banter, and flirting come easy. However, the attraction between them is too strong and they eventually turn their friendship to friends-with-benefits. You know, friends that hook up but don't develop any feelings; however, they are exclusive to each other. Really? Doesn't the word friends already imply feelings on some level for the other person? And if you are exclusively hooking up, then what is the difference with a relationship besides the expectations you set for the other person?
Anyways, Michael is at Central State University for grad school in sports business management. I think that is what the degree is called. He went to Moo University for undergrad school. Yeah, that's the name of the school. He moved to Illinois and Central State to get away from some traumatic memories from back home in Vermont while he was going to Moo U. However, he constantly talks about his sister Ryann, her boyfriend Jonah, and his old hockey teammates as well as his parents, who passed away 4 years prior in a car accident. I was slightly confused at this point because Moo U? Really? At first, I thought it was a joke name, and I didn't realize that it was the actual name of his previous school. I also didn't realize why hockey was no longer part of his future until I realized that he wasn't good enough to be drafted to the NHL or the AHL, and he was no longer able to play on a "professional" level. He also kept reminiscing about his friends and how he was a leader on the team and believed that sportsmanship and teammates needed to bond. This is when I realized there is a series called Moo U by various authors, and Ryann and Jonah's story is in [b:Holdout|56574147|Holdout (Moo U, #4)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609945050l/56574147._SY75_.jpg|87496607], which is where we will probably see most of Michael, although I am sure we get to know him throughout the entire series. Those have now been added to my TBR. Anyways, Michael is now at Central State and is shadowing the hockey coach there, Coach Simpson, as part of his grad program. As he can't be on the ice playing, he would like to be off the ice, teaching and coaching other people about the game. His old teammates think he has the perfect personality for the gig and Michael would be happy to just keep hockey in his life in some way.
Naomi Fletcher-Simpson is a junior at Central State and is studying statistical analysis or something like that. There is an internship she would like to apply for that will take place during the summer between her junior and senior year and, to apply for the job, she wants to do a project throughout her junior year regarding statistic analysis for hockey. Her father happens to be Coach Simpson, and agrees to give her the internship job with the team for her class project. Naomi actually doesn't use her father's last name, Simpson, but her twin sister, Cami does. The school knows they are twins and that she is the "nerdy" one while her sister is the charismatic, wild, pretty, and fun one. Naomi and Cami's relationship is strained for multiple reasons, mainly because of past boyfriends and jealousy but it is actually a lack of proper communication. Naomi and her father also have a strained relationship. Hockey was the cause of Naomi and Cami's parents' divorce and is the reason why Coach Simpson doesn't know how to have a relationship with his daughters outside of sports, something that Naomi does not excel at. Therefore, Naomi has to navigate and work on her relationship with her father and her sister, because, after years of distance, she has a warped perception of her self-worth and being second choice.
Halfway through the season, Michael and Naomi's friends-with-benefits situation evolves into a full relationship, where they are both willing to take a chance on each other. However, Michael is offered an opportunity immediately after taking the leap, and Naomi is left feeling like a second choice. Before Michael has the opportunity to constantly abandon her, Naomi decides to break-off the relationship without giving Michael the benefit of the doubt. Now Naomi needs to decide if she is going to confront her issues and learn to trust the person who has proven all year that he is there for her or if she is going to let her past experiences deprive her of what her heart wants.
Michael is so open and straightforward. He has learned that you can't stay quiet in life or you may miss out on what makes you happy. I love his character and I'm happy I got to know his origin story after meeting him in [b:Through the Ice|213234866|Through the Ice (Central State Hockey #1)|Jaqueline Snowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1719007617l/213234866._SY75_.jpg|219459129]
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not for me- I damn near hated the FMC from page one. Nope.
4.5⭐|2🌶|10%🌶frequency
It's the first book I read by Jaqueline but there will be more soon.
I loved Michael and Naomi. They are so cute. But they have a lot of problems in their lives 😔 Naomi with her family problems. Her mother who doesn't want contact with her. Her father who ignores her most of the time. And her sister... TWIN sister, yeah she is quite a character, uff. Not a fan of her (not at first at least). And Michael? God, I felt so extremely sorry for him. He lost everything 😭 He is such a wonderful man. He is so sensitive. And with all his grief, it really broke my 💔 At least he has his sister. Unfortunately, she is far away. I would have loved to see more of them together. And because I can (and have) I'll read her book next. I only have this one book in this other series, but it doesn't matter. I need her story 😁 But I'll also read the other books in this (Central State) series soon, too.
Even though I hate reading such sad stories. I love reading them 🙈 Do you know what I mean? It's so sad, but you know there will be a HEA at the end and that makes it so wonderful 🩷
Even though it's a hockey romance, because Michael is an intern for the coach, there isn't really much playtime in it. Just so, if you necessarily need that, you would be disappointed. But for everyone else, who doesn't, I'm sure you will love it 😊
Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.loves.spicy.books/
It's the first book I read by Jaqueline but there will be more soon.
I loved Michael and Naomi. They are so cute. But they have a lot of problems in their lives 😔 Naomi with her family problems. Her mother who doesn't want contact with her. Her father who ignores her most of the time. And her sister... TWIN sister, yeah she is quite a character, uff. Not a fan of her (not at first at least). And Michael? God, I felt so extremely sorry for him. He lost everything 😭 He is such a wonderful man. He is so sensitive. And with all his grief, it really broke my 💔 At least he has his sister. Unfortunately, she is far away. I would have loved to see more of them together. And because I can (and have) I'll read her book next. I only have this one book in this other series, but it doesn't matter. I need her story 😁 But I'll also read the other books in this (Central State) series soon, too.
Even though I hate reading such sad stories. I love reading them 🙈 Do you know what I mean? It's so sad, but you know there will be a HEA at the end and that makes it so wonderful 🩷
Even though it's a hockey romance, because Michael is an intern for the coach, there isn't really much playtime in it. Just so, if you necessarily need that, you would be disappointed. But for everyone else, who doesn't, I'm sure you will love it 😊
Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.loves.spicy.books/
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
All 2.5 stars are for Michael. This felt like kinda immature maybe? That's the best way to describe how it came off.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Giving Wattpad— love a hockey romance but isn’t wasn’t it.