Game Breaker

A Timely Sports Romance *I received an ARC in exchange for posting my honest review* The first chapter absolutely gripped me. Catherine Gayle is so good at highlighting the emotions her characters struggle with and the reader can feel it run through them. This is such a timely romance in which the characters face outside criticism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and physical pain. The negative circumstances contrast beautifully with the support, friendship, and love the characters also experience. That said, with all the outside stressors the couple got lost a little at first for me. I was immediately hooked, but slow to keep reading (well slow, compared to the way I typically devour this author's books). I wanted to feel a stronger love connection between them, or more compelled to see them come together. I was more interested in their individual stories than their journey as a couple. However, in the second half, things begin happening rapid fire. Emotions are high, and the challenges perfectly highlight the relationships among friends, family, teammates, and especially the burgeoning love between Nate and Anne. I really liked how Anne's career gave us intimate glimpses into the other couples and families in the Storm family. Of course, the reader also gets introduced to new characters and storylines. Finally, I'm once again in awe of the seamless way this author provides in depth hockey information and game scenes for fans of the sport, while not losing sight of the underlying personal and romance stories that appeal to a wide range of readers. This series is great, and each story is markedly different than the next to keep me coming back for more.

The latest in the Portland Storm series does not disappoint. In typical Catherine Gayle fashion, we have strong chemistry, well developed and interesting main characters, funny moments with secondary characters, including kids and pets (dogs, in this case) who are more than just plot devices, and an insightful and moving treatment of challenging issues in our world. Oh, and hockey, and sexytimes. I may have left some things out of my list, because Catherine Gayle’s books have it all, and Ghost Dance is no exception. This is the story of Nate (“Ghost”) and Anne, who we first met in a prior book and who have been flirting with one another For. Ever. Just as they should be getting together, controversy off the ice becomes controversy on the ice, and Nate and Anne’s romance becomes complicated. I don’t really want to give away the plot, but I will say that Catherine Gayle’s treatment of racial tensions and violence is beautifully done, and that there is a crucial chapter that had me first crying, then cheering. Many romance books have a “conflict” involving a female character’s career, wherein it would destroy her career to be involved with the hero, but her hormones overrule her brain and the hero tells her it will be fine and he’ll take care of her, and presto change-o, suddenly the heroine’s career doesn’t matter. I HATE THAT. This book contains that same conflict, but Catherine Gayle handles it respectfully, as does Nate, and the resolution is both satisfying and realistic. The last thing I want to mention here is that Catherine Gayle has done a brilliant job creating a world for her Portland Storm characters, and it feels like coming home for a long-time fan to read one of these books. Ghost Dance gives us glimpses of characters from past books, with corresponding updates on their lives; Catherine Gayle uses the web show Anne produces to seamlessly blend in the entire Portland Storm family without it feeling forced. At the same time, the focus on Nate is a focus on a somewhat younger and definitely newer player than past books have featured, and the book allows us to get to know more of the younger players better—which appropriately whets one’s appetite for the next two books in the series. This book should not be missed, whether you are a Portland Storm fan already or not. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading Game Breaker by Catherine Gayle. I've been hooked on this series right from the beginning, gobbling up each book as soon as I can get my hands on them and this one was no different. I especially enjoyed the current events aspect of this story line and Catherine did an excellent job with giving us thought provoking topics while still capturing the essence of all the characters we've come to love along the way. I loved touching on the "human aspect" of what these athletes deal with every day versus just spotlighting the fame and glory. I respect that she fills her books with real life struggles and she writes characters that you can't help but cheer for along the way. This story introduced us to some potential new story lines - fingers crossed that maybe Luke will get a happily ever after in the future. People who have enjoyed the other books in this series would be crazy to pass this one up. For those who have not read the earlier books, it stands alone as a great afternoon read. Although, I guarantee once you start, you will go back and want to read the others. I would gladly recommend this book to anyone young adult on up, it's a fast read with a great message! Happy Reading