Blocked

Dover’s middling second Breakaway hockey contemporary (after Hard Stick), which features the alternating voices of a hunky, hot-tempered goalie and a feisty nurse, gets off to a slow start. Dallas Easton, star of the Charlotte Strikers, tries to pick up a charming young woman at a party, only to be decked by her boyfriend. Fortunately, ER nurse Callie Davis is there to help until the paramedics arrive. Hers is the last face he sees before his lights go out. Once Dallas comes to, he decides Callie’s the only woman for him. Too coincidentally, one of Callie’s three brothers is a Strikers teammate, but he knows Dallas is a playboy and vows to keep him from breaking her heart. Dover throws out a few silly roadblocks before Dallas inevitably wins Callie over. This tale is predictable and unchallenging, but it will hold some charm for romance fans who enjoy fluffier stories. Agent: Marisa A. Corvisiero, Corvisiero Literary. (Nov.)