Monday, September 10, 2012

Empty Net by Toni Aleo ~ Review


Source:  Received eBook from the author

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Adult Contemporary Romance 

From goodreads:

Definition of an Empty Net: When a team pulls the goalie for an extra attacker, desperately seeking a goal.

Audrey Parker was in a horrible place.
She hated her job, her sister was getting married and moving out, but worst of all, she was in love with a total jerk. No matter what she did, every guy she met hurt her. All she wanted was her happily ever after. Her Prince Charming. Her Lucas Brooks! She didn’t know how to change her life but she knew she needed too.
Feeling like she was about to hit rock bottom, Audrey wakes up next to Tate Odder.

Tate Odder had lost everything.
After being brought up from the Assassins’ farm team, the Florida Rays to the Nashville Assassins, Tate hopes he’ll forget everything he has lost. He doesn’t. Each day gets harder to live in a place he doesn’t know. Even being the first rookie goalie to shut out an opposing team three times during the Lord Stanley Cup Finals, he still felt empty. With the loss of his parents and sister still heavy on his heart, Tate isn’t sure how to live like everything is okay.

But when he wakes up beside Audrey Parker, things start to change. She turns his life upside down with her kooky sense of humor and her bright clothing. She is intelligent and beautiful, and for once, he doesn’t feel empty.
Will Audrey be the person to fill the holes in Tate’s heart, making him whole again?
Or will another player ruin everything, leaving him feeling forever like an empty net?


My thoughts:




3 stars - Tate & Audrey are made for each other 

I love the idea of this series.  Hockey players and strong women figuring things out together.  

Audrey is a strong women that can't seem to let go of a creep of a boyfriend.  Her struggle spoke to that part of me that hates for things to change.  It seems easier to go along with bad if the alternative is horrible.  That's the situation that Audrey finds herself in.  Repeatedly going back to a bad relationship felt better to her than be alone.  I felt for her but I also wanted to shake her especially when Tate became part of the situation.  He very much wanted to be with her and he was such a better choice than....well I refuse to say his name in this review because I disliked him that much.  We shall refer to him as the boyfriend who should not be named (BWSNBN).  

I'm happy to name Tate though.  He rocked.  I loved his strength and perseverance.  He's young but he's lived a lot in his 21 years.  His determination is a reflection of that.  I loved how he had some struggles that made him oh so real.  I loved how he got lost in his music.  I loved how he prepared for a hockey game.  I loved how fiercely he loved Audrey.  I loved the passion between them.

The story itself was complex.  It could have almost been two books.  I will admit that I became frustrated with Audrey at times.  I wanted to kick her in the butt every time she spoke to BWSNBN and every time she pushed Tate away because he was too young.  I wish that part of the story had moved a little faster.  Once I got through it the story picked up and I enjoyed it a lot more.

I haven't read the first two books in this series but I would love to go back and do so.  The whole cast of characters are great and I'd love to get some of the earlier ones better.

If you like the smexy side of romance, then this is one you may want to check out.



8 comments:

  1. This series sounds good. I haven't read any of the books, but I like the idea of it. Fantastic review hon!

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  2. Wow!! I've read only the first one because lots of people recommended it to me and I was really excited.. but I didn't like it much. I hate stories with girls with low self esteem. I can't stand it. And poor guy I felt bad for him. He didn't deserve all that.

    Great review Valerie! :) ;)

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  3. Great review - especially like the BWSNBN part :) LOL.

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  4. I've been seeing this series EVERYWHERE dude! This is actually the first "less than SUPER GUSHY" review I've read!

    Maybe I'll start with book 1 and go from there! I've been in an adult mood lately!! Lol

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  5. LOL. boyfriend who won't be named...awesome.

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  6. Ugh! I hated BWSNBN. What a horrible, horrible creep. I think we felt exactly the same about Empty Net. Great review, #BookTwin

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  7. Ok...I totally agree with BWSNBN! URGH I totally see why you feel that way about Audrey. I got frustrated with her too at times. Tate is fab. Love him. I do think you should read the first two though. I probably would have had a different perspective if this was the first book I read in the series. LOL

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  8. BTW, glad I FINALLY made it on here today! I was sad that I couldn't get on earlier. :(

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