Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Face Off

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Face Off by Chelsea Curto

5 reviews

kristanjenkins's review against another edition

5.0

funny hopeful inspiring 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

Content Warnings

havenotreadinyears's review against another edition

4.0

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Loved the fact that the FMC is a hockey player too. It also worked out with the mixed team, wasn't sure about that but I really liked her friendships with the other players. Also the way misogyny and sexism was talked about, mostly in the first half. The second half we lost some of that for more spicy scenes. I wish we would've kept it like in the first half. Maybe show another interview (there must've been plenty as the first female Player in the NHL). Or a scene with little girls that are fans and possibly also play a sport?

I really enjoyed the Stars and will continue reading. However I'm not sure if I'll read Liam and Piper's book because that storyline just feels like it's been told enough times. If there was disability, neurodiversity or queer rep, sure. But like this I think I might head straight to book 3.

Content Warnings

honeybluecaving624's review against another edition

4.5

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: Yes

At long last, I finally finished this book! Also, quick to note that the version I have is 430 pages, not 450.

Face Off by Chelsea Curto is the first book in the DC Star series that follows Emerson "Emmy" Hartwell, who ends up getting into the DC Stars, an NHL pro hockey team that hasn't been doing that well and have a losing streak.

From there, she meets Maverick Miller, the captain of the team who is also quite the playboy. The two don't get along that well, and even Maverick thought that Emerson was a guy and not a woman that plays hockey.

Emmy was picked for the DC team not as a "diversity hire", but due to her impressive skills on the ice, and it does show.

Things change between Maverick and Emmy on one hotel night, when the two decide to hookup, and it leads to them getting into a with benefits relationship, and so they keep it all under wraps from the team and plan to keep things as normal when on the ice.

So, that's the general gist. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the story.

I've tried plenty of different hockey romances before, which I either found to be okay or just disappointing. But this one just flat out connected with me in terms of both Maverick and Emmy, from their characters to the relationship in the story.

I was literally rooting for them during the entire book! Oh, and there's also no third act breakup between them.

I also loved the group chat and the connection that the D.C Stars form with Emmy in the book (Coach Brody, Ethan, Riley, Grant, Hudson, Seymour), and there are a few cameos from Curto's others series (Dallas, Reid, Maven).

The whole questions thing that Emmy and Maverick had in the book was quite the insight too and getting to know one another. Like, finding out about Emmy and her past, with her mother not being into her doing hockey, but her father approving. And Maverick being from foster care.

Maverick is also obsessed with Emmy, and it does them some time for them both to realize that they do love one another.

Of course, there is trouble abound when Emmy's ex, Cole, arrives, and Maverick does take him down to the point where he gets punished for it. And Emmy didn't mind.

I also loved how the moments in the book such as the guys taking Lexi's Pilates class together, or Maverick and Emmy bringing her father over to see her play.

The last bit got to me, with Emmy being traded out to go to Toronto and play for them, and in the end, Maverick does tell Emmy about the whole thing, and that he'll still see her, and also admits that he loves her (thanks to the boys helping him out with it).

In the end, a year has gone by and Emmy is now going to be with the Baltimore Crabs (she isn't on the DC Stars team anymore, and has done her time with the Toronto Stingrays), plus, Maverick proposes to Emmy and she accepts it.

Oh, and there are also the hints throughout the book regarding other characters and future stories (Coach Saunders, Lexi, Piper and Liam).

And that makes me excited for the next books in the series! Which seems to consist of Liam, Hudson, and Brody Saunders all getting books!

Oh, and I forgot to mention. Regarding the sex scenes in Face Off? They were steamy alright 😍😳

In general, I'm giving the book a 4.5 stars. The only issue I did have is that there were some moments that essentially felt static as I was reading, but I still enjoyed it overall!

And with that, I'm excited to check out the next book, being Piper and Liam's story!

Content Warnings