Slap Shot: Aces Hockey, Book 5

Jamieson’s fifth Aces Hockey sports contemporary (after Back Check), written entirely from the hero’s point of view, combines a poignant exploration of grief with unabashed enjoyment of sex. Chicago-based hockey player Max Hall, mourning his wife’s death, finds himself in a precarious spot: he wants to get laid but isn’t ready for a relationship. While attending a teammate’s wedding, Max has a mutually satisfying encounter with like-minded New Yorker Kendra Armstrong. Max cannot get Kendra’s alluring smile out of his head, and they find they enjoy each other inside and outside the bedroom. They enjoy planned and unplanned encounters complete with snappy dialogue, sexually charged repartee, and tender moments, but turbulent emotions result in uncaring behavior. Max’s self-examination about his relationships demonstrates the difficulty of healing and the awkwardness of moving on. This story of healing is touching and the intensity of the sensual encounters swoonworthy. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect. (Oct.)