Deirdre Martin's New York Blades
I am not a big fan of watching sports. I just like to know that my team has won. So it is rather unexpected that one of my absolute favorite series to read is one that revolves around a fictional hockey team, the New York Blades.
The first in the series is Body Check. Unfortunately, I haven't read it yet. I am terrible about going backwards in a series, (but I do own it). This story's heroine is friends with the heroine from the second story, and the hero is with the Blades.
I started reading the books with her second title, Fair Play (Please see my review!). I absolutely fell in love with Ms. Martin's writing. The heroine, Theresa Falconetti, has three qualities which she firmly does not want in a boyfriend - for him to be Italian, from Brooklyn, or a professional athlete. Being Italian herself, she definitely doesn't have anything against Italians, it's just that she wants something different for her future. Michael Dante embodies all three. Fair Play was laugh out loud funny, especially as Michael tries to disprove her prejudices and show that they could be good together. It also made me want to cry as Theresa had to overcome obstacles in her way. I loved the Dante family, and was thrilled when the next story she wrote was about Michael's cousin, Gemma Dante.
In Total Rush (Please see my review!), Gemma falls in love with a New York Firefighter. They are as different as can be, and Gemma's own family can't completely accept that she was a witch. She doesn't believe that Sean Kennealy will be able to accept her either. To give the family credit though, they love her, and want what they believe is best for her. Although neither of them are directly involved with the Blades, the team is still part of the story.
The Penalty Box (Please see my review!) brought back the smart mouthed Paul van Dorn we had met previously and makes him a sympathetic hero - a feat I still marvel at. Paul's career had ended prematurely, and he had returned home and runs a tavern - The Penalty Box. Katie Fisher is home as well, but has no plans of staying, and absolutely no intention of getting involved with Paul. Having met that jerk Paul earlier, I was rather hesitant when starting The Penalty Box, but shortly after starting it, I had fallen in love with him.
I'm not sure if Same Rink, Next Year (Please see my review!) can technically be considered part of this series. It does involve a hockey player, but it is set in Chicago, and he plays for Buffalo. David Hewson would come to Chicago once a year during the season. During that stay, he and Tierney O'Conner, who worked at the hotel where the team stayed, would have one night of passion. This year, though, a blizzard strands them both at the hotel, and everything changes.
I loved the title for Chasing Stanley (Please see my review!), as it is a play on words. Jason Mitchell is chasing two Stanleys. One is his dog, who needs emergency obedience training. The other is that he is a member of the Blades, and they are chasing the Stanley Cup. Delilah Gould comes to Jason's rescue as to Stanley the dog. I really enjoyed Chasing Stanley because we were back on the ice.
Just a Taste (Please see my review!) is the most recent release. In Fair Play, we had met Michael's brother, Anthony, and even seen him fall in love. Now, however, he is a widow content to run the restaurant he and his brother own. Vivi Robitaille is a new French chef who has moved into the neighborhood to open her own bistro.
I'm thrilled to say that, per her website, Deirdre Martin will be having another story out this year, Power Play. It is expected to release in October. You have just enough time to catch up on the New York Blades stories before its release!
Please check out my Deirdre Martin's Profile Page for additional information.
Welcome
I truly enjoy sharing my love of reading. This site was started to allow me to share some of my favorite books. I hope that if you look around and find that you agree with some of my selections (see my reviews), that you will return and hopefully find new authors. I plan on having periodic "Recommended Reads" lists that will include books I recommend, as well as suggestions by visitors to this site. I will also keep you up-to-date on different upcoming events, special offers, etc.
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