Laces and Lace by Toni Aleo Review

So Laces and Lace by Toni Aleo, this book, it gets you in the feels. But before I get into that one I think we need to go back to their beginning. At about this time last year, Ms Toni and a few other authors published this great anthology called Seduced by the Game. It was comprised of 8 novellas and the proceeds went to Hockey Fights Cancer (yes they are all super cool for doing that). In this anthology there was Tangled in the Laces by Toni Aleo and here we meet Karson King and Lacey Martin. 

Tangled in the Laces Blurb: 
In Tangled in the Laces, Karson King is on the fast track to the NHL. Lacey Martin is coming back from a hard fight against cancer and is terrified of him but the attraction is too much to ignore. Soon their love is so intense, neither of them see the rest of their lives without the other. Will Karson prove that he will protect her heart at all costs, or will he leave Laceyto pick up the pieces of her life once again?

My Thoughts:
This novella was great. Lacey wants her life back after her battle with cancer, but has mental and physical scars from the fight. Karson is her brother's friend and relentless pursues her until she can't do anything but give into the attraction and chemistry she feels every time she is around him. Karson soothes the parts of her mind that thinks no man will ever find her attractive again after her battle with cancer. He is oh so loving, sweet and tender with her. Their relationship seems like there is no where for it to go but up. But then her father and brother have something different to say about that. It was a great novella that got me amped up to read Laces and Lace, I could hardly wait for it to come out after getting a preview of their story. So that leads us up to Laces and Lace. 

Blurb:
Nine years ago, things were perfect. Lacey and Karson had found their happily ever after in each other…or so they thought. How do two people who were meant to be move on from that once-in-a-lifetime love? 

Lacey has a strength inside her that comes alive with the things she’s most passionate about. She’s a fighter, a survivor, and has everything she’s ever wanted but the one thing that matters most—love. 

Karson is doing the one thing he loves most—playing hockey for the Assassins, yet he knows regret. He knows his life has been missing the one thing he walked away from so many years ago—Lacey. 

Nine years later, and neither has been able to succeed in moving on from what was, what could have been, and who each of their hearts still beats for. When a chance encounter during a fateful night has their paths crossing again, will the tether still attaching their souls allow them to face the past, present, and a possible future? 

Can two people with fate on their side find a way back to each other? Overcome all the obstacles in their way to finally live life together to the fullest? 

Or will they let those around them and the circumstances they face, along with questions and doubt, ruin a second chance at the life they both deserve? 

My Review: 5 Stars
OMG, this book, just this book. So nine years later, Karson and Lacey randomly run into each other again. Neither of them have ever really moved on after their college breakup. Karson can't get passed the one that he let get away, he wishes he could take back what he did, even knowing that if he had he more than likely wouldn't have the career that he loves. Lacey can't move on from the man that she thought loved her as much as she loved him. Their random encounter leads them to trying to see if they can fit back together again. They try to form a life together even with her father trying his best to keep them apart. They still have all this love for each other, but they have to fight to get back their trust in each other. 

I just loved this book. Karson regrets his actions with all his heart and would give anything just to get Lacey back. Lacey is a fighter when it comes to most things, but she is still fragile when it comes to the effects her cancer had on her heart and her body. This book got you in the feels, but it is also fun and sexy. Karson and Lacey just fit together, in the best way possible. I completely love the Assassin series and they just seem to keep on getting better and better. 

Amazon - B&N - Goodreads

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.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Breaking Away by Toni Aleo Review

Blurb: 
BREAKING AWAY is a story of loss, healing, and love… where unexpected turns and heartache lead to passion.

To Nashville Assassins’ leading scoring center Phillip Anderson, playing hockey has always been easy… as natural as breathing. His life is no different. That’s until his world is turned upside down by the death of his sister. While mourning his loss, Phillip has to find a way to make his very angry sixteen-year-old niece, Claire, happy. Now, as her guardian, he discovers the only thing that seems to heal her lonely heart is dance class. But what he didn’t count on was the attraction he’d feel towards her drop-dead sexy dance teacher.

For Reese Allen, dancing has always been part of her soul. After having her heart broken in New York, she comes home with the determination to make her dance studio one of the best in Tennessee and succeeds. When she sees Claire dance for the first time, she knows the girl is bound for greatness and takes the troubled teen under her wing. Using dance as therapy, she suddenly finds herself bound to the young woman… and her hot-as-sin uncle.

However, Phillip and Reese are happy in their single lives. It’s simple. They do what they want, who they want, and how they want, but from the moment they meet, the attraction is undeniable. Soon, they are more than willing to spend just one night tangled in the sheets. But, one night turns into two, and two turns into three, until they find themselves in a repeated dance of “One Last Time” that has the potential to be something more… if only Reese and Claire allow it.

Can Phillip find a way to thaw the hearts of both the women in his life, or will he be forever trying to break them away from their pasts? 

My Review: 5 Stars
Breaking Away is the 5th book in the Assassin Series by Toni Aleo and oh my goodness I couldn’t get enough of this book. Phillip and Reese have played small parts in the previous books (Phillip being the party guy that likes to annoy Shea and is Erik’s best friend and Reese being Piper’s taller, b*tchy twin sister), but this book is all about them (and Phillip’s niece, Claire). You find out why Reese is so “cold” and you find out that really she is a very passionate person (not just about Phillip). She loves her family and will do anything in her power to help them. She loves dance, doing it, choreographing it, and teaching it, everything about dance (minus the crazy dance parents). She uses her passion for dance to help Phillip’s niece heal.

Phillip, it turns out isn’t just a party guy, always up for a good time. He is a guy that had a rough start and he worked hard to get away from it, but in his getting away he left someone behind, his young niece Claire. Since Phillip’s sister died towards the end of Blue Lines his aunt was taking care of Claire, but then he finds out that things aren’t so great so he gets Claire and brings her back to Nashville with him. When things finally get too bad Claire ends up moving in with Harper (you get to see most of the characters at some point in this book) while Phillip is on the road with the Assassins. This is where Reese first sees Claire dances and in having Claire join her studio what brings Phillip and Reese together.

From here on out there is a LOT of sexy times but also moments of tenderness and heartache. Reese helps Phillip with his niece, being an ear when he needs it and giving advice when he asks. Overall it is a really great story of overcoming past hurts and trusting that not everyone will let you down. I loved the interaction between Phillip and his niece. He really loves her and wants to be there for her, but she has been through a lot and feels like he left her when he should have helped get her out. The relationship they develop is beautiful and it was beautifully written. I love the push and pull of Phillip and Reese’s relationship. Their chemistry is off the charts but they also can talk to each other (most of the time). They both love fiercely but because of past issues have a hard time accepting love. I will say this book is a little (or a lot if you do the math) sexier than the previous books in the series. I’m pretty sure if I was as busy as them I would be exhausted, all the time. But it was written in true Toni Aleo style with the right amount of sass, wit, fun, sexy and heartfelt emotions that I have come to expect from her books. She is an author that always makes me feel (and I felt my heart break a few times). If you have read her books previously and loved them, you will love this one. If you haven’t read any of Ms. Toni’s books I highly recommend you pick them up.

Amazon -  B&N - Goodreads

About the Author:

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nashville 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.

  

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Blue Lines by Toni Aleo Review

Blurb: 
Opposites do more than just attract in Toni Aleo’s latest Nashville Assassins novel about a very bad boy and the good girl he can’t resist.

The instant Piper Allen sees Erik Titov, she wants him—wants his rock-hard body, sure, but the strength and mystery that lies behind that superstar hockey jock demeanor, too. So when he sidles up to her at a bar and slinks his arm around her waist, she’s lost. What follows is the wildest night of her life . . . followed by inevitable heartbreak the next morning. And then, a few weeks later, a very big surprise: two blue lines on a pregnancy test.

Only a check to the head could make Erik fall for a nice girl like Piper. But since their crazy-sexy night together, he’s been trying to forget about her alluring body by falling into bed with every woman in Nashville, and it’s not working. So when Piper shows up at his house with a baby-bomb to drop, it doesn’t take much for Erik to suggest the nuclear option: marriage. While it’s supposed to be all for show, the second they say “I do,” the ice between them starts to melt into sizzling steam.

My Review: 4 Stars
I don't hide the fact that I LOVE Toni Aleo's Assassin series and I knew going into this book that I probably wouldn't like Erik (I was right... at least at first), but I didn't figure I would love this book as much as I did. Erik is kind of an a$$ through out the book, but when you find out why he is the way he is you can't help but feel for the guy and all that he went through. Piper is great. She does what she wants to do, despite her family's disapproval over how she lives/leads her life, but she is kind hearted and only wants to help the people she loves. The book has ups and downs and breaks your heart a few times, but overall it is another great book from Ms. Aleo.

Amazon - B&N -  Goodreads 

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.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

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. 

Amazon - B&N - Goodreads

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.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Empty Net by Toni Aleo Review

Blurb: 

Audrey Parker is up against the boards. She’s stuck in a job she hates and pining for a total jerk. Meanwhile, her sister Fallon is moving out and getting married to hockey star Lucas Brooks. Where is Audrey’s Prince Charming? Nothing she does has ever seemed to be good enough for any of the men in her life. Audrey’s about to hit rock bottom . . . until she wakes up next to Tate Odder.

The thrill of moving up from the minors to the Nashville Assassins was a welcome distraction. But not even becoming the first rookie goalie to tally three shutouts in the Stanley Cup finals alleviates the pain. With the loss of his parents and sister weighing as heavily on his soul as ever, Tate Odder can’t keep pretending he’s okay. That’s when he meets smart, sexy Audrey. Her gentle warmth and quirky sense of humor make him feel whole for the first time in too long. But to stay that way forever, Tate must find a way to accept his past and learn to live for love. 

My Review: 5 Stars

This is honestly my favorite in the Assassins series up to this point. 

Tate Odder may be young but he knows what he does and doesn't want in his life. He wants to be the number 1 goalie in the NHL, he wants his music and after one night together, he wants Aubrey Parker.

Aubrey Parker has a job she hates, horrible taste in men, and some envy for her sister who has finally got her HEA. She hits rock bottom at her sister's bachelorette party and wakes up the next morning with a stranger in bed next to her. But of course he doesn't stay a stranger for long when they realize that they are next door neighbors and Tate is basically best friends with her new brother-in-law. Aubrey is determined to stay just friends with Tate, but he is determined to show Aubrey that he can be her HEA.

My Thoughts
Like I said, this is my favorite in the series up to this point. Tate is hot, but he is also sweet and sensitive and broken. He keeps his word to Aubrey about being friends while at the same time slowly showing her that she is fabulous, beautiful and totally worthy of love. Aubrey has all sorts of insecurities, but she is fun. She loves her family and friends and will do anything for them. She also shows Tate that it is ok to move on from the past, that it is ok for him to be happy. The book is funny, cute, and OMG steamy. Loved this one and will continue to read the Assassins series. I love Ms. Aleo's writing, I experience the emotions with the characters and that doesn't happen too often. 

Amazon - B&N - Goodreads

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.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads