Review: Lincoln

LINCOLN by Alisa Jean

Fiction, Sport (Hockey) Romance, Level 4 Heat

4****

Blurb: L.A. Quakes’ fans stomped their feet to cheers of “Caveman!” when I made incredible saves in the crease, leading the team to two Stanley Cup victories. I thought I could go on forever, but at thirty-six, the clock’s counting down even for Lincoln Cavanaugh. Social media and fan sites are filled with rumors of me being traded. Or worse. My future looks as uncertain as a loose puck on the ice. My fate rests in the hands of Catherine Bishop, daughter of the team’s owner and a power to be reckoned with. And what fine hands they are, along with everything else about her. A chance encounter leads to sparks between us, but is falling in love with this incredible woman worth the risk? Because with her by my side, I’m once again an unstoppable force between the pipes, and victories pile up like never before. However, our love is a ticking time bomb because Catherine has dreams of making history as the first female and person of color to own an NHL team. Sleeping with a player would make that all go up in smoke. I fear when the truth comes out, it will be the final buzzer for us.

Thoughts: I can honestly say I’ve never read a romance like this before. Not knowing anything at all about hockey, I was afraid I wouldn’t “get” it, but that wasn’t true. Yes, there is a lot of hockey jargon, but you don’t need to know the game to understand what’s going on. It’s the romance between Lincoln and Catherine that is the main focus of the story. And that is amazing. There is emotion, betrayal, forgiveness, love, and hot sex that make this romance worthwhile. Oh, and a HEA that satisfies.

I loved the characters of Linc and Catherine. They were very well done and the world building gave me enough information about the game without knocking me over the head with details. Plus, you get to read about all the background that fans don’t see — like what the owners have to take into consideration for their teams, and team camaraderie whether on or off the ice.

All in all, this was a different type of romance for me to read, but an enjoyable one with a satisfying ending. Recommended.