A review by jamieb_19
Power Forward by Jodi Oliver

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

We went from being inseparable to becoming strangers, and sometimes you don’t truly know the significance of that loss until they’re standing right in front of you again. Like a mirage of someone you once knew.

It’s good to be back in the Chicago Thunder universe and I think this one may be my new favorite. Second chance love stories don’t always hit for me but I thought this one was done quite well. Even without the use of flashbacks, the connection Jackson and Hayden shared all those years ago shone through and I was very invested in them finding their way back together.

Hayden was a classic case of not judging a book by its cover. In any previous appearance, he was always the outgoing, charming one. But in this book, we learn the darkness he’s been wading through for several years now and that his carefree exterior was just a facade. I thought this aspect of the story was handled with great care and managed to address a serious topic properly without making the book feel too heavy. My heart went out to Hayden; he worked so hard to get where he was, but sometimes his brain still played nasty tricks on him. I was glad, once he reconnected with Jackson, that he finally had someone else in his corner to help him through it.

"If it isn’t obvious already, I’m kind of a mess for you, Jackson. I always have been.”

I’m also a total sucker for single dad romances and this one was full of all the things I love about the trope. Jackson was a great dad; he was overwhelmed and doing his best to keep it all together, but there was no doubt he loved his kids more than anything. And seeing Hayden re-enter his life and fall in love with Jackson’s kids, too, really warmed my heart.

Their reconciliation happened fairly early on, but they still had to work through some things before they could fully move forward. I thought the pace at which they redeveloped their relationship was perfect. It was a bit of a slow burn and was more about the emotional intimacy and reconnecting in a deeper way than it was about just jumping back into bed together. Once I got through the little patch of angst toward the end, the last few chapters were the absolute sweetest, and I finished with happy tears in my eyes.

And seeing all my favorite guys from the series and having lots of fun moments with the larger group was icing on the cake!

“I won’t fail you a second time, Jackson,” I whisper, carding my fingers through his hair. “I swear to you, I’ll be loving you every day for the rest of my life.”