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A review by stucknbooks14
Scored by Lili Valente
3.0
Trigger Warnings include:
cheating, alcoholism, questionable child neglect/abuse
Nothing makes me sadder than not loving a book I thought would tick all my boxes. Evie is tasked with doing art therapy for her brother’s best friend’s hockey team. (Who by the way, are not a good time. And I didn’t like spending time with them.) Ian is the nicest, calmest member of his team. Even when he’s being protective, he’s calm. Which nearly makes Evie (and me) melt on site. I should also make note that Ian has a girlfriend, who is just as awful to be around as his teammates. Her brother is overbearing, thinking he has the right to control her life, including her sex life. And he only continues to become more overbearing, and outright disrespectful. Thankfully, that’s something Ian doesn’t allow. Evie lets everyone walk all over her, again, something Ian doesn’t allow. When he steps in to protect and care for her, he suddenly becomes a member of her friend group…and gives them relationship advice and sex lessons? An early 30’s something famous hockey player spending his free time doing what? Evie has always loved herself as is, but now suddenly she decides she needs to change everything about herself to appease the world. (Again, something Ian does not condone.) I was a fan of Evie and Ian together, their comfort and vulnerability with each other. But that was about it. I wasn’t a fan of the world around them. I guess as the first in the series, it’s a great series builder. But I gotta be honest, at no point did I want to learn more about a side character.
8/10 Dirty Birdy
4/10 Age Gap
7/10 Brother’s BFF
6/10 Slow Burn
9/10 Sports Romance
4/10 Workplace
cheating, alcoholism, questionable child neglect/abuse
Nothing makes me sadder than not loving a book I thought would tick all my boxes. Evie is tasked with doing art therapy for her brother’s best friend’s hockey team. (Who by the way, are not a good time. And I didn’t like spending time with them.) Ian is the nicest, calmest member of his team. Even when he’s being protective, he’s calm. Which nearly makes Evie (and me) melt on site. I should also make note that Ian has a girlfriend, who is just as awful to be around as his teammates. Her brother is overbearing, thinking he has the right to control her life, including her sex life. And he only continues to become more overbearing, and outright disrespectful. Thankfully, that’s something Ian doesn’t allow. Evie lets everyone walk all over her, again, something Ian doesn’t allow. When he steps in to protect and care for her, he suddenly becomes a member of her friend group…and gives them relationship advice and sex lessons? An early 30’s something famous hockey player spending his free time doing what? Evie has always loved herself as is, but now suddenly she decides she needs to change everything about herself to appease the world. (Again, something Ian does not condone.) I was a fan of Evie and Ian together, their comfort and vulnerability with each other. But that was about it. I wasn’t a fan of the world around them. I guess as the first in the series, it’s a great series builder. But I gotta be honest, at no point did I want to learn more about a side character.
8/10 Dirty Birdy
4/10 Age Gap
7/10 Brother’s BFF
6/10 Slow Burn
9/10 Sports Romance
4/10 Workplace