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hazelgirl21's review
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Infertility, Death of parent, and Vomit
thatbookishbrunette21's review
4.0
I loved this addition to the Chicago Blaze series. Alexei and Grayson were both great, complex characters who were truly relatable and I enjoyed getting to know them and watching their relationship develop as they move from therapist/patient to romantic partners. The connection between them was undeniable and evident from the start and only strengthened as they both opened up to each other.
This was a slow burn romance with a touch of the forbidden given the therapist/patient start to their relationship and while this does not necessarily seem like one that would work, Brenda Rothert handled it respectfully, tastefully, and with sensitivity.
I do wish we could have spent more time with Alexei and Grayson once they got together but otherwise I really enjoyed this book. This was a heartfelt, humorous and passionate story that I definitely recommend. Although it can be read as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading the other books in this series as they are just as great.
This was a slow burn romance with a touch of the forbidden given the therapist/patient start to their relationship and while this does not necessarily seem like one that would work, Brenda Rothert handled it respectfully, tastefully, and with sensitivity.
I do wish we could have spent more time with Alexei and Grayson once they got together but otherwise I really enjoyed this book. This was a heartfelt, humorous and passionate story that I definitely recommend. Although it can be read as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading the other books in this series as they are just as great.
bjehl2's review
4.0
I gave this 4 stars because while he may have needed to wait 9 months for a relationship she needed to wait 2 years. She definitely would have lost her license to practice.
tita_noir's review
1.0
Felt very insubstantial. The romance was perfunctory. The hero's issues felt glossed over. The entire pace of the book felt fast forwarded. Overall this is pretty forgettable.
catwithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Ich liebe diese Reihe einfach.
Nicht nur unterhaltsam und humorvoll. Sondern auch vielseitig was die Charaktere angeht.
Ich mochte die Thematik hier. Ein ernstes Thema und trotzdem ist die Lockerheit nicht verloren gegangen.
Alexei und Graysen mochte ich beide von der ersten Sekunde an. Alexei ist so ganz anders als ich dachte. Ich hatte einen typischen Draufgänger mit jede Menge Sprüche erwartet, aber auch wenn er versucht hat seinen Charme spielen zu lassen, ist es ihm nicht geglückt.
Graysen habe ich als sehr sympathisch und empathisch empfunden. Sie hat immer genau die richtigen Worte gehabt.
Natürlich dürfen Alexeis Teamkamerade nicht fehlen und ich habe mir das Lachen nicht verkneifen können. Die Teamkameraden sind allesamt unterhaltsam und deren Frauen peppen das Ganze einfach toll auf.
Ich hoffe noch auf weitere Teile.
Nicht nur unterhaltsam und humorvoll. Sondern auch vielseitig was die Charaktere angeht.
Ich mochte die Thematik hier. Ein ernstes Thema und trotzdem ist die Lockerheit nicht verloren gegangen.
Alexei und Graysen mochte ich beide von der ersten Sekunde an. Alexei ist so ganz anders als ich dachte. Ich hatte einen typischen Draufgänger mit jede Menge Sprüche erwartet, aber auch wenn er versucht hat seinen Charme spielen zu lassen, ist es ihm nicht geglückt.
Graysen habe ich als sehr sympathisch und empathisch empfunden. Sie hat immer genau die richtigen Worte gehabt.
Natürlich dürfen Alexeis Teamkamerade nicht fehlen und ich habe mir das Lachen nicht verkneifen können. Die Teamkameraden sind allesamt unterhaltsam und deren Frauen peppen das Ganze einfach toll auf.
Ich hoffe noch auf weitere Teile.
redhairedashreads's review
3.0
When Alexei wakes up in the hospital after a DUI car crash he is given an ultimatum - get sober or get packed for the minor leagues. Rehab ends up being a lot harder than he expected and makes him realize the truth about himself, he is an alcoholic. It helps that his therapist is beautiful and he can’t stop thinking about her.
Alexei is Anton’s brother and has been in trouble from the beginning. He parties hard, slacks off, and doesn’t realize how his life was spiraling out of control. Going to rehab opens his eyes to how addicted he really is and how much it has affected his life. I liked Alexei but even though we got a lot of emotion from him he never really clicked for me, which was a little disappointing.
Graysen was an interesting woman. She had a troubled childhood and used it to fuel her need to help people. She is a control freak who has problems opening up to Alexei, especially because he is an alcoholic. I liked her but I feel that we didn’t get enough of her side of the story for me to truly fall in love with her. I was really expecting to learn more about her once they became a couple but that didn’t happen. Also there was never any outcome from her mother visiting her. She made that out to be a big deal and yet nothing came out of it, so that felt like an unfinished piece of the story.
Overall, this was still a good story and a good addition to the series. I just didn’t connect to these two as well as I have with previous couples. I still liked them both but wish we had more development with them as a couple, instead of all the time skips.
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Alexei is Anton’s brother and has been in trouble from the beginning. He parties hard, slacks off, and doesn’t realize how his life was spiraling out of control. Going to rehab opens his eyes to how addicted he really is and how much it has affected his life. I liked Alexei but even though we got a lot of emotion from him he never really clicked for me, which was a little disappointing.
Graysen was an interesting woman. She had a troubled childhood and used it to fuel her need to help people. She is a control freak who has problems opening up to Alexei, especially because he is an alcoholic. I liked her but I feel that we didn’t get enough of her side of the story for me to truly fall in love with her. I was really expecting to learn more about her once they became a couple but that didn’t happen. Also there was never any outcome from her mother visiting her. She made that out to be a big deal and yet nothing came out of it, so that felt like an unfinished piece of the story.
Overall, this was still a good story and a good addition to the series. I just didn’t connect to these two as well as I have with previous couples. I still liked them both but wish we had more development with them as a couple, instead of all the time skips.
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
bookbae96's review
4.0
I knew going into this book that I would be meeting a man at a crossroads. Because Alexei Petrov has been the proverbial bad boy of hockey, leaving a trail of bad behavior that his brother and his team has had to clean up. But now it's time for him to deal with his demons. Forced to enter rehab or lose the opportunity to play hockey, Alexei is about the start down a road of both discovery and recovery.
Grayson Wells has her work cut out for her. Faced with a man that doesn't want to admit that he has a problem, and her own growing attraction to him, Grayson is walking a fine line between doing what she needs to and giving in to her feelings. Helping Alexei may well be one of the toughest jobs she's ever had.
Brenda Rothert handles the issues of addiction and the way that it affects not only the individual, but those that care for them, in a human and real way. While the relationship between Alexei and Grayson goes deeper than counselor and patient, the focus is on them getting Alexei to where he needs to be in his recovery, to an honesty and acceptance that will allow him to put his past to rest.
As with the rest of the books in the Chicago Blaze series, there is so much more than just a typical sports romance. Brenda continues to instill these stories with heart and soul, and I look forward to EASY, Erik's story. ❤️
megmcreads's review
2.0
The writing for this wasn't bad, hence the 2 stars, but the pacing was weird and the buildup just led to cheese... Too insta romance for me without a legit foundation!
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