Mr. Trick Play (The Playmakers Book 1)

Hockey romance fans, this one is for you! Rookie Luka has finally made it to the NHL and cannot wait to make his mark. While Luka can make friends and have a good relationship with everyone, things are different when he meets his new captain, no-nonsense veteran defenseman Reid. Risk-averse Reid is not impressed by Luka’s more flashy style of play. So, Luka embarks on a mission to make Reid like him – with surprising results. As Luka and Reid spend time together, their perception of each other changes. While they have very different personalities, they both want to win. But they their strategy to win is very different, with Luka taking risks with trick plays and Reid taking the safer play route. These opposite personalities find that by working together, each provides something the other needs. Reid coaches Luka to not rely on flashy moves and to be more disciplined. Luka helps Reid recognize that there is a time and place to try some unexpected moves on the ice - and in his personal life as well. Both men are looking for that special someone to make their lives complete. With help from family and friends, can Luka and Reid turn their attraction into a lifetime of happiness? I really liked the main and supporting characters and read this book in one sitting. Take a chance and read it – you will not be disappointed!

It was sweet and I loved the characters. Only reason for 4 stars is the ending was very sudden and felt like you skipped about three chapters.

Great start to the new series. This was a fun, fast, light-hearted read. Becca Jackson made it easy to get invested in these characters (both main and side) and their story. It was low on the angst, full of hockey action, with the perfect amount of sweetness and spice. I was definitely smiling almost the entire time i was reading this book. The hockey play portions of the book were so well written, exciting, and easy to visualize. I'm not going to lie a lot of the time those go ever my head, so it was nice that i got to enjoy those parts, too. You could feel the instant attraction and friction between Luka and Reid right away, which made for excellent banter and tension but kept things light and low on the angst. I really enjoyed their grumpy + sunshine dynamic they were so sweet and hot together, and the spice was spicing. “Then you'd better keep watching because I’ll have you screaming my name with the rest of them by the time the season is over.” "Look out, Reid Raines, because you’re about to get Luka love-bombed." Tropes: MM Hockey Grumpy + Sunshine Age-gap 29/22 Found Family Teammates Forced proximity Dual POV Thank you, GRR and Becca Jackson, for the opportunity to read this book.

Luka has finally made his NHL dreams come true and he can’t wait to get started. And while he has always found a way to get along with everyone he meets, he can’t say the same for his new no-nonsense captain, Reid. Reid likes to play by the book and while Luka loves to try trick plays, Reid isn’t exactly having it. So Luka plans to do whatever he can to make Reid like him. But things take a surprising turn the more they spend time together, turns out there may be some feelings brewing between them and it is only a matter of time before their relationship shifts into something a lot better than just captain and rookie. A really fun story! These two are the opposite in a lot of ways but it’s a good thing for them because it draws out something the other really needs. For Luka, it’s being a bit more responsible on the ice rather than just strictly looking to go for flashy plays. And for Reid, it’s learning to let go a bit and having a life outside of the rink and raising his brothers. They both deserve someone to be there for them always and I really loved watching their relationship grow! This looks to be the start of a great series and I can’t wait for the next one!

4.25*s Reid had adulthood thrust on him at an early age when he got guardianship of his brothers after his parents died. Juggling his family with his career, and now being captain of his team, has made him a little more … staid and straight laced. He tends to be a bit of a rule follower. Kinda the opposite of the team’s new rookie who tends to put on a bit of a show, giving the crowd something extra to cheer about. Their differences definitely don’t do much to damper their attraction to each other tho. An attraction that they maybe shouldn’t indulge in … but can’t ignore. There’s not a lot of angst to their story, despite their situation. We spend some time with them early on as they get to know each other and Luka tries to find his place on his new team. Once they decide to explore their feelings they just have to figure out how that will work. I’ve read a few of Jackson’s books and all of them have been kinda fluffy & feel good. Low angst with lots of sweetness & feels and Mr. Trick Play definitely fits in that category. Perfect for when you want to snuggle in and get a word based hug :) **I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**