Title: Hot and Cold: A College Hockey Romance
Author: Tara September
Genre: Hockey Romance, Campus Romance, Grumpy Sunshine Romance, New Adult Romance
Book Blurb:
In the game of love, who will melt first?
LUKE:
No one seems to comprehend the pressures of playing for an NCAA college hockey team and being in the pre-med program. With the NHL draft and graduation looming, I can’t handle any distractions in my life. Discipline and focus are my two best friends.
The absolute last thing I need my senior year is to be roped into some campus social media project with a sexy junior who changes majors more times than she does clothes. Yet here I am, posing for a calendar I had no intention of participating in, attending parties, and making out, among other things, in public. And yeah, if I’m smiling the whole way, it must be because I’ve finally cracked. That’s the only explanation why I’ve let Jax sashay her way into my every thought. Puck me!
My world has been irrevocably turned upside down once already, and I won’t let it happen again—even if it means becoming the “Ice Man” that everyone calls me.
JAX:
It might have taken me three years to decide on a major, but I’ve got it all figured out now, and I’m going to win a coveted communications internship too. I just need the grumpy hockey captain to relax a bit and help me help his team. So what if I know diddly about the game and that he won’t even let me past the front door? I’ve got this! And if I’m shivering at his touch, it’s because he’s so cold, not because he makes me hot.
Nope, despite the rumors circulating on campus, we’re only spending every waking minute together because of my assignment, that’s all. Although, maybe we’re dating? I don’t know, but I plan to find out! Because it’s starting to feel real, especially his kisses. Yup, I’m totally pucked!
My Review:
He’s called Ice Man, but Jax is about to melt his defences. Hot and Cold is a hilarious, heartwarming campus hockey romance. Tara September combines several popular tropes and creates a college romance impossible to resist. How can you not fall in love with this book when the hero utters this romantic line:
“No wonder you’re pretty as a peach and as shocking as Mardi Gras.” ~ Luke to Jax
Let’s start with the characters. Luke is a college hockey player who’s focused on graduating and going pro. He’s strait-laced and very grumpy. When he meets Jax, he can’t quite believe his eyes. She’s adorable and full of sunshine. They’re forced to work together and before he knows what’s happened, he’s fallen for her. I love this kind of hero because he’s 100% real. Luke is the definition of a book boyfriend and swoon-worthy.
Jax is a lovable heroine who is smart, funny, and can stand up for herself. She’s dedicated and willing to try new things. She’s a breath of fresh air for frosty hockey star Luke. She is also caught by surprise when love enters her heart. Her thoughts and feelings are splashed across the pages.
The rest of the characters are well-written. They fill in the plot and create natural tension for this couple.
This is book three in Tara September’s Lessons in Love series. I have to give the author props for continuity. I’ve read the previous two books. All three books take place at the same time. It would be understandable for the author to slip and drop the ball on the continuity. Book one was published two years ago. The continuity is flawless and impressive. Well done!
The romance features some fun tropes: hockey romance, grumpy/sunshine romance, shared bed, opposites attract romance, and more. The meet cute is absolutely hysterical. I swooned so many times.
If you love campus romance, hockey romance, grumpy/sunshine romance, or just romance in general, you’ll fall in love with Hot and Cold.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Buy it Now:
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN7N2S38
Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CN7N2S38
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CN7N2S38
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/books/hot-and-cold-a-college-hockey-romance-lesson-in-love-by-tara-september
Author Biography:
Bestselling, multi-award-winning romance author of steamy & sassy Contemporary and New Adult stories that will leave you "grinning like a Cheshire Cat." Residing in NYC and Southwest Florida, Tara holds a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and is the proud mom to twin boys and four writing distractions, I mean cats.
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Reviewed by: Nancy