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A review by bjehl2
Saved by Love by Toni Aleo
4.0
Saved by Love is the 7th book in the Bellevue Bullies series. It was an emotional ride from start to finish and was an enjoyable story.
Evan is an athletic training student at Bellevue University. After retiring from the NHL and leaving his twin brother behind, he has to learn to be on his own. However, is his anxiety actually as well managed as he needs it to be? What happens when the stressors of life come back and he begins to struggle again?
Callie is a champion gymnast who is not necessarily looking for romantic love. She has the family she always dreamed of as a child and has been able to find true happiness with them. Now, she is finding her footing as an adult. What happens when the new athletic training student sparks her interest? How will she handle the two most important men in her life when they start butting heads? Will she be able to support herself and Evan?
While this book can technically be read as a standalone, it is definitely better to be read after you have read the Ice Cats and Assassins series. The background information presented in these series help to ground the current story.
As a psychologist and someone who deals with my own mental health challenges, I appreciated this book. However, while trying to break down stereotypes about autism the author really perpetuated them. I think that more care in the writing of mental health conditions can be a bit more nuanced. For example, someone having anxiety or autism is just one part of a person's identity, but it often overtakes the characters. The same can be said for many body diverse characters. People are so much more than a mental health condition or their body size. This is why I took a star off of my rating.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I was happy to see the continuation of the Bullies' universe.
Evan is an athletic training student at Bellevue University. After retiring from the NHL and leaving his twin brother behind, he has to learn to be on his own. However, is his anxiety actually as well managed as he needs it to be? What happens when the stressors of life come back and he begins to struggle again?
Callie is a champion gymnast who is not necessarily looking for romantic love. She has the family she always dreamed of as a child and has been able to find true happiness with them. Now, she is finding her footing as an adult. What happens when the new athletic training student sparks her interest? How will she handle the two most important men in her life when they start butting heads? Will she be able to support herself and Evan?
While this book can technically be read as a standalone, it is definitely better to be read after you have read the Ice Cats and Assassins series. The background information presented in these series help to ground the current story.
As a psychologist and someone who deals with my own mental health challenges, I appreciated this book. However, while trying to break down stereotypes about autism the author really perpetuated them. I think that more care in the writing of mental health conditions can be a bit more nuanced. For example, someone having anxiety or autism is just one part of a person's identity, but it often overtakes the characters. The same can be said for many body diverse characters. People are so much more than a mental health condition or their body size. This is why I took a star off of my rating.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I was happy to see the continuation of the Bullies' universe.