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.

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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.

  

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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.

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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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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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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. 

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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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Waiting on Wednesday-Clipped by Love by Toni Aleo

Clipped by Love by Toni Aleo

Contemporary Romance

Bellevue Bullies #2

Coming April 27th!

Things are heating up for the Sinclair boys! With one already in the NHL, Jayden Sinclair is hoping to be next!

This has been the toughest year of my life. I watched my brother go into the draft without me, my mom got divorced, and the weight of my family’s issues is heavy on my shoulders. I feel like it’s my job to fix everything while working my butt off in school and trying to make my game better. I have to go into the draft. It will give my family the support they need, and it will prove that I’m good enough. But to get there, I have to show I can be the best captain for the Bellevue Bullies. The spot is mine—no one can take it. First though, Jude is making me go on a brother’s weekend. Innocent enough, I guess…until I see her. She’s the biggest competitor I’ve ever faced. Not only for my spot but also my heart. It’s hard to ignore someone like Baylor Moore.

***

I don’t lose. I can’t. My dad has bred me to be the best in anything I do. I am driven, I am smart, and I am going to be the first woman in the National Hockey League. No two ways about it. I’ve worked too hard. I’ve been through too much not to have what I want. I know I can do it. I will make my dad proud, and no one will stand in the way of that. That is, until I let him in. He scares me. He makes me feel. And he could very well be the one person who can make me want more than just to win.

We both have the same goal. Victory. But how do you compete against the person you want to win? It’s not easy. Love isn’t something you can control. It isn’t like a puck that can be handled by a stick. No, it has a mind of its own and does what it wants.

Neither of us saw it coming, and we really don’t know if there is a way to score, especially when you’re being Clipped by Love.

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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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Trying to Score by Toni Aleo Review

Blurb: 

Fallon Parker’s dream has always been to turn her family’s wine company into a runaway success and eventually start a cellar of her own. Since graduating from college, she has worked relentlessly to make that dream a reality, especially after taking a chance on love—and losing. By the time Fallon becomes an official sponsor of the Nashville Assassins, she feels like all her hard work is finally paying off. And then the man who broke her heart skates back into her life.
 
On the ice, Lucas Brooks is the NHL’s leading scorer—at least when he’s not in the box. Off the ice, he’s a mess, with all his anger and misery bottled up inside. He threw away the most important person in his life and has regretted it ever since. But when Lucas returns to Nashville in a trade, he’s determined to convince Fallon that he’s a changed man. The attraction is still there. The tension is electrifying. But the odds are stacked against them—especially after Lucas finds out that Fallon has been keeping a devastating secret.

My Review: 4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the series, and I loved it almost as much as the first. Fallon needed to be smacked a few times but Lucas was great. It had romance, steamy love scenes and hockey, a perfect combination. You don't have to read the first book to follow the story in this one but Elli and Shea's story is great.

Fallon Parker is raising her son as a single mother in Nashville. Everything is going great; her sister is helping raise her son, her family's wine has basically become the official wine of Nashville's hockey team, the Assassins, life is pretty great. Then her ex/baby daddy, who doesn't know about their son, gets traded to the Assassins.

Lucas Brooks is glad to be in Nashville. He is playing for a team that has a chance to win the cup and he is close to his ex-girlfriend, who he never stopped loving. When they see each other again for the first time in 7 years sparks fly. Now Fallon has to decide if she can forget/forgive the past and Lucas has to decide if he can forgive her from keeping his son from him.

Really enjoyed the book. Ms. Toni writes in such away that you just want to kept reading. She is one of those authors who's words just suck you in and you can feel the emotions that the characters are going through, which in my opinion is a sign of a great author. I'm looking forward to the rest of the Assassins 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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Taking Shots by Toni Aleo- Review

I spent most of the weekend either cleaning or watching the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and anyone else who spent most of their time watching hockey, what did you think of the end of Game 2 between the Flames and Canucks?  I digress, but because of the hockey filled weekend for me, I just had to re-read Taking Shots by Toni Aleo. That is just how I work, I am watching hockey all the time right now, so I need to read it as well. Taking Shots is the first in the Assassin Series by Toni Aleo (and if you haven't read it and haven't figured out by this post, they are hockey books, not cold blooded assassins) and one of my favorites. I have  read this book so many times now, that I'm not even sure how many times I have read it. Out of all of Ms. Toni's books, I have only read two that I haven't read about a million times and it isn't because they are bad, it is because one is so good, but so heavy that I haven't been in the right mindset to read it again and the other I just haven't gotten around to reading it again even though I plan on it. But her Assassins' series and now her newer series The Bellevue Bullies have me completely hooked that I have been known to pick them back up every month or so. They are some of the books that I can read just about anytime/any mood. So, without further ado, Taking Shots by Toni Aleo... 

Blurb:
Elli Fisher has never thought she was good enough, let it be her job, her weight, her love life, nothing. That is until she meets Shea Adler. After doing a promotional shoot for the NHL team, the Assassins, she meets the hunky hockey player who shoots a puck, shattering her world.

Shea Adler was tired of the life he was living outside of the rink. The girls, the money blowing, the drinking, everything had to stop and it all did when he met Eleanor Fisher. He had never met anyone like her. She was feisty, witty, shy, and simply gorgeous. When he laid eyes on her, it was as if he was taking the hardest hit of his life into the boards, and he had to have her. Elli is a little skeptical of Shea, but he knows that they were meant to be together, and he needed her in his life. 

Can Elli throw her insecurities out the window and love Shea with everything inside of her, or will she let a past relationship, and her family ruin any chance of her being happy.

My Review: 4.5 Stars
Taking Shots by Toni Aleo is book 1 of the Assassins series and it's a great start. Eleanor "Elli" Fisher is a photographer with poor self esteem. Because of a horrible ex and a mostly crappy family, she doesn't think very highly of herself despite having a core group of friends that are always telling her how fabulous she is. Shea Adler is the hotshot captain for the Assassins hockey team. He is your stereotypical athlete, dates a lot, parties all the time and wastes money on whatever. That is until he meets Elli at the Assassins photo-shoot and suddenly all that stuff doesn't seem too important. Now he is has to get past all of Elli's issues and barriers around her heart to win the most important game of his life, the game of love and happiness. 

My Thoughts
Loved Shea, he was hot/adorably geeky. Sounds weird, I know, but when you read it you will understand. He puts his heart/feelings out there for Elli knowing that he might not get them back. He is an alpha male, but with Elli isn't afraid to show his feelings. 

"Because I've fallen in love with you, Elli, and I want to be with you, always." 

I mostly loved Elli. I wanted to shake her a few times for doubting herself and Shea so much, but she was a likable character who has fabulous taste in shoes.

The book was a fun read with humor, steamy and sweet romance and hockey, doesn't get much better than that.

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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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