Now or Never by Victoria Denault
Series: San Francisco Thunder #4
Publisher: Forever Yours (Grand Central Publishing)
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
Date Read: January 2, 2019
Length: 288 pages
Source: NetGalley
★★★★☆
From the bestselling author of the Hometown Players series comes a sexy romance about a bad boy hockey player who wants a second chance to win the heart of his high school crush.
All Winnie Braddock wants is a quiet place to be alone and time to heal her battered heart. But the refuge she’d hoped for in her family’s summer cottage is destroyed when she gets there to find Holden Hendricks literally camped out in the driveway. He made her life hell when they were kids, and despite what he says, it doesn’t look like much has changed. She doesn’t care if her brother hired Holden to renovate the house this winter; she wants him gone.
You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take. Holden knows that hockey saying all too well. After all, he could have gone pro if he hadn’t messed up so much as a kid. But now he’s desperate to prove he’s changed for the better, especially to Winnie Braddock. As the two work together to fix the cottage piece by piece, they realize that perhaps they can give each other the new beginning they’ve both been waiting for-if they’re just willing to take the shot.
I thought that this book was really well done. This is the fourth book in the San Francisco Thunder series but it would work as a stand-alone story. I jumped into this series on the second book and have enjoyed the books that I have read so I was really looking forward to starting this book. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop. These characters made me feel things and I really couldn’t wait to see how everything would work out for them. I had a great time reading this book.
Winnie is at a low point when this book starts. Her father has just passed away from a long term illness and she is having a very hard time moving on like the rest of her family. She decides that it is past time to break things off with her long term boyfriend and she just wants to be left alone to try to recover. She does not expect Holden and his camper to invade her space and peace while he renovates the family cabin.
I loved these two characters. Winnie’s pain was so raw and it felt really authentic to me. I understood her need to grieve in her own way even if it didn’t always seem to be the healthiest choice. Holden just wanted to get a fresh start. He did a lot of things as a teenager that he isn’t proud of but he is working hard to be a good man. I felt so bad for him as the entire town seemed to only want to judge him for who he was in the past. As Holden’s past was revealed, his story broke my heart and I wanted to see him get his second chance.
I thought that Winnie and Holden were perfect together. They seemed to just know what each other needed and their chemistry was off the charts. They both had a few doubts at times but as they grew to know each other and started ignoring others, their relationship blossomed. There were quite a few heart-melting scenes that I found really well written.
I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really solid romance between two characters working to put the pieces of their lives back together. I thought that Winnie’s grief over the loss of her father was quite powerful and very well written. I can’t wait to read more from Victoria Denault soon!
I received a digital review copy of this book from Forever Yours (Grand Central Publishing) via Net Galley.
About the AuthorVictoria Denault loves long walks on the beach, cinnamon dolce lattes and writing angst-filled romance. She lives in L.A. but grew up in Montreal, which is why she is fluent in English, French and hockey.
Woot sports romance! Yes I like it. Even if they renovate a cabin
I would have like a bit more hockey in this one but it was good overall.
I loved this whole series, and Holden was such a good hero. I love to root for someone as they climb back from the bottom.
I loved Holden! Now I just need to get back to read the first book in the series.
Love the sound of this. Capturing the pain of losing someone takes skill and it sounds like the author did a good job.
She really did a great job with it, Nadene!
It sounds like a really good series there!
I have enjoyed it, Melliane!
Ohh why haven't I discovered these books yet? I'm all about sports romance series so sign me up!
I think you would like this one, Joy!
The way you describe the authentic feelings and this pairs' need to heal does sound like a wonderful romance.
It really was, Sophia Rose.
I haven't dipped into the hockey romance pool much. It's big in MN too. Everywhere I lived for 30 years had a hockey rink on the same block or one over. Wonderful review. Anne – Books of My Heart
I do tend to pick up hockey romances. The hockey is usually just a tiny part of the story though.
This sounds like a romance I'd enjoy! Never heard of this series or the author, but I'm off to check it out. Great review, Carole!
I have had a great time with this series, Rachel. I hope you get a chance to read it.
I like a series where the books can also be read as stand alones. This sounds really good. Thanks for your review, Carole:)
It was really well done, Laura!
It sounds like this one is a really nice romance and that the characters work well together as a pair too. I haven't heard of this series but I am glad you enjoy it ^.^
I just loved these characters!
Whoa…I'm still drinking my morning coffee, but that woke me up.
sherry @ fundinmental
Hopefully it was a good wake up, Sherry!