Falling for the Backup by Toni Aleo Review

Falling for the Backup is actually a novella to the series. It follows Jordan Ryan after he is healed from his injury, the only problem is that the goalie brought to the Assassin while his was injured is a ninja goalie and Jordan Ryan is too good to be the backup (and I don't mean that in a full of himself way, he is a great goalie as well). Oh and random side note, I always liked this cover, just saying. 

Blurb: 
After serving as a dutiful bridesmaid in the wedding from hell, Aynslee Shaw just wants to slink home to Nashville and forget the whole trip. That is, until the hottest guy she’s ever seen is seated next to her on the flight and dazzles her with his easy laugh and killer smile. But just when she thinks things are getting good, he vanishes, leaving Aynslee wondering, was that guy the one? And did she just let him slip through her fingers? 

Former superstar goalie Jordan Ryan is back on the ice—finally. After a crippling knee injury that had him wondering if he’d ever play pro hockey again, he’s got his full attention on rebuilding his career. So a pretty—okay, beautiful—girl on a plane shouldn’t be a distraction. But Jordan is very, very distracted. And when Aynslee crosses his path again, he’s not sure any job in the world is worth missing his second chance with a woman like her. 

My Review: 4.5-5 Stars
Aynslee Shaw moved to Nashville to start a new life/job after a break up. While flying back home to Nashville after being a bridesmaid in a wedding from hell, she meets Jordan Ryan and his sexy smile and laugh completely charm her.

Jordan Ryan was the Assassins starting goalie, until he got hurt. To make matters worse, the goalie that they brought up to cover for him while he was injured turned out to be a really great goalie. So now that he has recovered from his injury he has to play backup to the new rockstar goalie. In addition to losing his starters spot, he has also lost a lot of his self esteem since his girlfriend left him while he was injured. Aynslee and Jordan feel an instant connection, but Jordan's self esteem issues (and another reason that is a total spoiler so I won't say) stop him from doing anything about their attraction.  

Aynslee thinks that she may have let the one get away and Jordan can't stop thinking about the woman he met on the plane. When they happen to meet up again they both have to decide if some things are more important than a job. 

Falling for the Backup is a novella in the Assassin Series by Toni Aleo. I can't say enough about how much I love Ms Toni's writing. She brings passion, humor and sassiness to her writing in basically perfect amounts. This book didn't have as much conflict as her other books, but being as it is shorter it works out just fine. I don't always like novellas because they can be rushed, but this one didn't seem to be rushed. They had lust at first sight and of course they have their HEA, but it wasn't like some books where they meet and two days later they are in love. They had ups and downs in their relationships just like everyone else. All in all it was a perfect companion to the rest of the Assassin series. 

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About the Author:

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, Falling for the Backup, and Blue Lines. When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel. She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog. Read more about Toni here.

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