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A review by missdevo
Surprise for the Sniper: A Hockey Romance by Siena Trap
4.0
An emotional slow burn second chance story
Both of our main characters have had some rough times. Benji was abandoned by his father after the death of his mother, and Liv hid her teen pregnancy from everyone so that Benji could have his shot at escaping their small town through his talent playing hockey. Their emotional baggage stands between them when secrets get revealed in this slow burn spicy second chance romance.
I liked the fact that once everything is revealed, it wasn't instant forgiveness. The character journey of getting to that point was really well done. The Liv and Benji we meet in the beginning are not the same people at the end, and it all makes sense how he gets there. The healing isn't easy, but it's believable. There are times you want to smack Benji in the back of the head and tell him to get over himself.
I also want to acknowledge the body diversity portrayed in this book. In a lot of books I've read with "curvy" or "plus size" heroines, they are still described in ideals. Most often they are portrayed as blessed in the bra as an acceptable trade off for their size. As a plus size woman who is not built that way, to see something different was great. My blessings are similar to Liv's in the book, and I really appreciated seeing a character who isn't a Jessica Rabbit style of "curvy" with idealized larger shape still being seen as desirable.
Overall I enjoyed this read for the depth of the characters and overall plot and pacing. Thank you to the author for the ARC and chance to review.
Both of our main characters have had some rough times. Benji was abandoned by his father after the death of his mother, and Liv hid her teen pregnancy from everyone so that Benji could have his shot at escaping their small town through his talent playing hockey. Their emotional baggage stands between them when secrets get revealed in this slow burn spicy second chance romance.
I liked the fact that once everything is revealed, it wasn't instant forgiveness. The character journey of getting to that point was really well done. The Liv and Benji we meet in the beginning are not the same people at the end, and it all makes sense how he gets there. The healing isn't easy, but it's believable. There are times you want to smack Benji in the back of the head and tell him to get over himself.
I also want to acknowledge the body diversity portrayed in this book. In a lot of books I've read with "curvy" or "plus size" heroines, they are still described in ideals. Most often they are portrayed as blessed in the bra as an acceptable trade off for their size. As a plus size woman who is not built that way, to see something different was great. My blessings are similar to Liv's in the book, and I really appreciated seeing a character who isn't a Jessica Rabbit style of "curvy" with idealized larger shape still being seen as desirable.
Overall I enjoyed this read for the depth of the characters and overall plot and pacing. Thank you to the author for the ARC and chance to review.