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nellesnightstand1's review
4.0
Quick hot read! Their friction and chemistry was on fire! From colf fish to true love, this one was fast!! But it wpas a satisfying read.
fromtheshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.25
nellesnightstand's review
4.0
Quick hot read! Their friction and chemistry was on fire! From colf fish to true love, this one was fast!! But it wpas a satisfying read.
blessedbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
Lia Riley does it again. Another spicy romance with the Hellions, this time involving the head coach, Tor Gunnar. Neve Angel is a sports journalist and a thorn in Tor's side until an air hockey game changes things. A slow burn built up into a smoldering romance. I can't wait to read the next one.
denizyildiz's review
3.0
3.5Stars
Head Coach was a fun read. I enjoyed it very much.
Lots of things to like. A fun cute & fluffy with some great chemistry thrown in.
I like this installment in the series much better than Mister Hockey.
The romance was just like in the first book a bit cliche and very vanilla.
But very enjoyable.
In this installment Riley went much more into the character building. Which is why I like Head Coach better than Mister Hockey.
We get to see old character, which was awesome. I was looking forward to reading Tor's story after MH, and I wasn't disappointed by his POV. While I found Nev at times exasperating, I did really connect with her.
My favorite part however were the group scenes. I loved the support cast and the interaction between friends and foe alike. Interesting dynamics set up two strong & flawed characters. Very well done!
Why only 3.5 Stars?
Well, there is the vanilla romance. But more than, that it's boasting a lot of rom-com cliches.
And then there is the plot. It's kinda predictable. I don't mind that so much. But there was this build-up, to poof being solved so conveniently. I mean way to conveniently.
While there is a thread going through and they are clearly set one after the other. The books work as standalone. Let me tell you however: read them both. They are a wonderful weekend treat!
I shall be trying to be patient until March 2018, because I can't wait to read the next instalment. It will be interesting for sure!
Head Coach was a fun read. I enjoyed it very much.
Lots of things to like. A fun cute & fluffy with some great chemistry thrown in.
I like this installment in the series much better than Mister Hockey.
The romance was just like in the first book a bit cliche and very vanilla.
But very enjoyable.
In this installment Riley went much more into the character building. Which is why I like Head Coach better than Mister Hockey.
We get to see old character, which was awesome. I was looking forward to reading Tor's story after MH, and I wasn't disappointed by his POV. While I found Nev at times exasperating, I did really connect with her.
My favorite part however were the group scenes. I loved the support cast and the interaction between friends and foe alike. Interesting dynamics set up two strong & flawed characters. Very well done!
Why only 3.5 Stars?
Well, there is the vanilla romance. But more than, that it's boasting a lot of rom-com cliches.
And then there is the plot. It's kinda predictable. I don't mind that so much. But there was this build-up, to poof being solved so conveniently. I mean way to conveniently.
While there is a thread going through and they are clearly set one after the other. The books work as standalone. Let me tell you however: read them both. They are a wonderful weekend treat!
I shall be trying to be patient until March 2018, because I can't wait to read the next instalment. It will be interesting for sure!
jlboro's review
4.0
Such a strong follow-up to Mister Hockey! I loved that this was the coach and he was older, don’t see that as much. Neve is spectacular and the two of them are just perfect for each other. This was equally laugh out loud and I was busting up throughout.
Again, this book could have been longer to flesh things out more and an outdoor mishap scene was pretty cringe-worthy and didn’t seem necessary. And for how much we heard about Neve’s dress when we bought it, I’m pretty disappointed she didn’t have more of a Cinderella moment, I feel like Neve earned more spotlight and feel a little cheated.
But overall, I want more Hellions.
Again, this book could have been longer to flesh things out more and an outdoor mishap scene was pretty cringe-worthy and didn’t seem necessary. And for how much we heard about Neve’s dress when we bought it, I’m pretty disappointed she didn’t have more of a Cinderella moment, I feel like Neve earned more spotlight and feel a little cheated.
But overall, I want more Hellions.
beckymmoe's review
4.0
I. Loved. This. Book!
It feels like a betrayal to say this, but Neve and Tor's story might even top Breezy and Jed's. The enemies-to-lovers element (with a hint of You've Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner vibes make this one so much fun to read--I can't tell you how many bits I read out loud to Mini Moe #2 (I had a captive audience while reading much of it--she was driving me around for half of the day). And the way Tor interacted with his ten-year-old daughter, Olive? Heart. Melting.
The conflict here was a believable one--a sports reporter and the coach of her favorite hockey team, the guy her editor loves for her to skewer in articles such as "The Five Worst Coaches in the NHL," complicated by the fact that his best friend and the former captain is living with Neve's sister--and for the most part, they handled things like grown-ups, which was nice. There were a few things that I would have liked expanded on (the way their main conflict is resolved literally comes out of the blue--was she working on that prior? Or did it seriously fall into her lap the way it seems in the book?) but overall this was just a really fun read, even if it was sadly lacking in hockey (I don't even want to say why, for fear of a real-life repeat of that nightmare scenario).
Head Coach works just fine as a standalone--even though the hero and heroine of book one ([b:Mister Hockey|32711194|Mister Hockey (Hellions Angels, #1)|Lia Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492618887s/32711194.jpg|53290937]) are in this book a few times, they're usually kissing. (You'll probably be tempted to find out how they got together, though, so I highly recommend reading their book to find out.) The next in the series, [b:Virgin Territory|35665820|Virgin Territory (Hellions Angels, #3)|Lia Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503086494s/35665820.jpg|57126167]. doesn't come out until March, so you've got plenty of time! ;)
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
It feels like a betrayal to say this, but Neve and Tor's story might even top Breezy and Jed's. The enemies-to-lovers element (with a hint of You've Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner vibes make this one so much fun to read--I can't tell you how many bits I read out loud to Mini Moe #2 (I had a captive audience while reading much of it--she was driving me around for half of the day). And the way Tor interacted with his ten-year-old daughter, Olive? Heart. Melting.
The conflict here was a believable one--a sports reporter and the coach of her favorite hockey team, the guy her editor loves for her to skewer in articles such as "The Five Worst Coaches in the NHL," complicated by the fact that his best friend and the former captain is living with Neve's sister--and for the most part, they handled things like grown-ups, which was nice. There were a few things that I would have liked expanded on (the way their main conflict is resolved literally comes out of the blue--was she working on that prior? Or did it seriously fall into her lap the way it seems in the book?) but overall this was just a really fun read, even if it was sadly lacking in hockey (I don't even want to say why, for fear of a real-life repeat of that nightmare scenario).
Head Coach works just fine as a standalone--even though the hero and heroine of book one ([b:Mister Hockey|32711194|Mister Hockey (Hellions Angels, #1)|Lia Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492618887s/32711194.jpg|53290937]) are in this book a few times, they're usually kissing. (You'll probably be tempted to find out how they got together, though, so I highly recommend reading their book to find out.) The next in the series, [b:Virgin Territory|35665820|Virgin Territory (Hellions Angels, #3)|Lia Riley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503086494s/35665820.jpg|57126167]. doesn't come out until March, so you've got plenty of time! ;)
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
afoolsingenuity's review
4.0
I enjoyed the first book in this series, Mister Hockey, but I only read that so I could get started on this romance and oh boy was this one good.
I adored Tor Gunnar from the start. There is something about a gruff older man in a book which I am a sucker for every time and Tor ticked all of my boxes. He was sweet and charming, and a big fan of puns, but that was hidden under a layer of straight faces, seriousness, and sharp remarks which were designed to push folks away.
Even in Mister Hockey, I could tell that sparks were going to fly between him and Neve Angel. Neve comes across as a determined strong woman who knows what she wants and has the confidence to go after it. In reality, she is shy and self-conscious, and like most women has an army of doubts and insecurities she hasn't given voice to. She may get under Tor's skin and appear to have her shit together but in reality, she is winging it and as much as she can get under Tor's skin, he can also get under hers and give rise to all of her doubts without ever realising it.
The pair together are a bundle of snark, banter and insecurities with a whole bunch of sexual tension thrown in there for good luck. These two were always going to have a brilliantly fun book and that is exactly what Head Coach is. I actually didn't even bother reading the summary for this one before buying but I knew it was going to be good. Every page was a joy and I did get a little nervous that the pair might not use their words enough leading to misunderstandings which can always frustrate me (why do romance characters not realise that communication is the key to any good relationship?) but whilst there were misunderstandings they were never the reason for the struggle in the growing relationship between Neve and Tor, instead it was life and jobs and normal everyday things and I loved that. Sometimes a girl does not want to read about overblown relationship drama and would rather see real people figuring out how to make their relationship work in the real world.
This book worked for me in many ways and I totally cannot wait to read the next book in the series. They just keep getting better.
I adored Tor Gunnar from the start. There is something about a gruff older man in a book which I am a sucker for every time and Tor ticked all of my boxes. He was sweet and charming, and a big fan of puns, but that was hidden under a layer of straight faces, seriousness, and sharp remarks which were designed to push folks away.
Even in Mister Hockey, I could tell that sparks were going to fly between him and Neve Angel. Neve comes across as a determined strong woman who knows what she wants and has the confidence to go after it. In reality, she is shy and self-conscious, and like most women has an army of doubts and insecurities she hasn't given voice to. She may get under Tor's skin and appear to have her shit together but in reality, she is winging it and as much as she can get under Tor's skin, he can also get under hers and give rise to all of her doubts without ever realising it.
The pair together are a bundle of snark, banter and insecurities with a whole bunch of sexual tension thrown in there for good luck. These two were always going to have a brilliantly fun book and that is exactly what Head Coach is. I actually didn't even bother reading the summary for this one before buying but I knew it was going to be good. Every page was a joy and I did get a little nervous that the pair might not use their words enough leading to misunderstandings which can always frustrate me (why do romance characters not realise that communication is the key to any good relationship?) but whilst there were misunderstandings they were never the reason for the struggle in the growing relationship between Neve and Tor, instead it was life and jobs and normal everyday things and I loved that. Sometimes a girl does not want to read about overblown relationship drama and would rather see real people figuring out how to make their relationship work in the real world.
This book worked for me in many ways and I totally cannot wait to read the next book in the series. They just keep getting better.
samwlabb's review
4.0
From page one, this book was so much fun. It's quite short, so it moves at a quick clip, but it worked really well. I am especially fond of low drama romances, and that is what I got here. Just enough drama to keep it interesting, but not distract from the awesome connection and chemistry between the hero and the heroine. And the last two chapters!!!
I l-o-v-e hockey romances, and am always looking for new series to add to my TBR. I had never read a Lia Riley book, but from page one, this book was so much fun, that I actually bought the first book in the series, and added the third to my wish list.
Pro: A fun and fantastic enemies-to-lovers story. Tor saw the media as the enemy, and Neve was always there to get her story. The two verbally sparred like gladiators, which was fun to watch, but even better was seeing all that hate turn to love.
•Pro: This was low drama. The major source of strife was Neve being a hockey reporter and Tor being the coach of the local team, and that was enough for drama for me.
•Pro: These were two passionate people and when they were together, there weren't just sparks, there was fire.
•Pro: There was a lot more to Tor than the angry vibes he gave off. I loved the way Riley slowly unwrapped him for us, revealing these wonderful things about him, bit by bit. He was a loving brother, doting father, committed co-parent, with a hidden sense of humor and a little bit of baggage too, which resulted in one great hero.
•Pro: Neve was a little spitfire, and she was lugging about some serious baggage too. I loved when Tor was able to help her unload some of that, and made her see what he saw when he looked at her.
•Con: I wish the book had been a bit longer, because I wanted more Tor and Neve, but I also would have liked a little more from the ending. It was an good ending, in that I know where this couple is going, and it was quite fun, but it was a little abrupt.
•Pro: This book was fun, fun, fun! I just kept grinning the whole time I read this book. Seriously, people were staring, because I just could not stop smiling.
•Pro: The wedding weekend was so brilliantly done. Riley found this perfect balance of comedy, angst, and heat, and I loved every second of it.
Overall: A fun, sexy, sweet enemies-to-lovers romance, which left me smiling from ear to ear.
*I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
I l-o-v-e hockey romances, and am always looking for new series to add to my TBR. I had never read a Lia Riley book, but from page one, this book was so much fun, that I actually bought the first book in the series, and added the third to my wish list.
Pro: A fun and fantastic enemies-to-lovers story. Tor saw the media as the enemy, and Neve was always there to get her story. The two verbally sparred like gladiators, which was fun to watch, but even better was seeing all that hate turn to love.
•Pro: This was low drama. The major source of strife was Neve being a hockey reporter and Tor being the coach of the local team, and that was enough for drama for me.
•Pro: These were two passionate people and when they were together, there weren't just sparks, there was fire.
•Pro: There was a lot more to Tor than the angry vibes he gave off. I loved the way Riley slowly unwrapped him for us, revealing these wonderful things about him, bit by bit. He was a loving brother, doting father, committed co-parent, with a hidden sense of humor and a little bit of baggage too, which resulted in one great hero.
•Pro: Neve was a little spitfire, and she was lugging about some serious baggage too. I loved when Tor was able to help her unload some of that, and made her see what he saw when he looked at her.
•Con: I wish the book had been a bit longer, because I wanted more Tor and Neve, but I also would have liked a little more from the ending. It was an good ending, in that I know where this couple is going, and it was quite fun, but it was a little abrupt.
•Pro: This book was fun, fun, fun! I just kept grinning the whole time I read this book. Seriously, people were staring, because I just could not stop smiling.
•Pro: The wedding weekend was so brilliantly done. Riley found this perfect balance of comedy, angst, and heat, and I loved every second of it.
Overall: A fun, sexy, sweet enemies-to-lovers romance, which left me smiling from ear to ear.
*I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS