BOOKWORM REVIEW: Second Shot with #76 by Piper Rayne

April 20, 2022

BOOKWORM REVIEW: Second Shot with #76 by Piper Rayne

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

STEAM: 🔥🔥.5

First of all, I love this series. The characters are all charismatic and fun, and I have enjoyed every step of the way. This read did not quite hit the same note as the previous books.

Second Shot with #76 follows Cory and Ande. If you've read Tropical Hat Trick, you have been introduced to them and how they met and went on a brief fling before Ande ghosted Cory. Now she has moved to Florida and much closer to Cory. Will her past keep her feelings for Cory at bay?

I liked Cory and Ande. Like the other Hockey Hotties characters, they are charming and endearing. I really like how being a newbie -- a Black newbie at that -- in the NHL is being tackled in this book, and we get to follow how Cory navigates around that. I love his camaraderie with his teammates and how he endears himself to fans. While humoring the puck bunnies was a bit cringy, I do get how someone new would struggle with turning fans down without angering them.

I can totally relate to Ande's hesitation about jumping into a serious relationship, especially with how her ex completely burned her trust. I think up until the middle of the book, she was dealing with addressing her trust issues and reconnecting with Cory just fine.

That said, it was when her sister came into the picture that I felt the story came off the rails a bit. I get the need for drama, but the way her sibling impacted her journey to rebuild trust in relationships did not felt right for me and completely changed the chemistry between Cory and Ande. It is also unfortunate because the spicy moments came right after this transition, so while they were hot in themselves, the vibe felt off.

Do I still recommend this book and this series? Absolutely. If nothing else, we get to see some of our favorite characters come together and be their charismatic selves. I love the mini-epilogues, so to speak, about the other couples happening as Cory and Ande navigate their love story. We also get a glimpse of the love-hate tension between Kane and Jana, which is the next one in the series. I can already tell that it is going to be enemies-to-lovers delicious.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Piper Rayne and Valentine PR for providing an ARC. **

ABOUT THE BOOK

My mom always said you don't get a second shot at making a first impression. I've remembered that my entire career. Especially since I'm one of the few black men who play professional hockey.

I'm calculated and respectful in the way I speak to my coaches, the owners, and the media. I've never taken a risk... until her.

I could blame it on the fact that for once I pushed away the pressure of my career for the ocean waves, the sand, and good times with my new teammates. But those are excuses because the minute I saw her at the airport, something lit up inside me and the best week of my life was spent with her in my bed.

After our week in paradise, we said goodbye, exchanged phone numbers and both assumed that unless one of us was flying through the other's city on the opposite side of the country, our vacation fling was over.

Then one night after practice I see her. She's here. In my city. Telling me she moved here for a job. If that's not fate tell me what is.

I've never wanted a second shot more than I do this time, but she's determined to leave what we were on the island we left behind.

Get Your Copy
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2W7UguO
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3sDw9An
Nook: https://bit.ly/3z1lOQZ
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3D37IBi
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2UygK7X
Audible: Coming Soon!

Add to Goodreads → https://bit.ly/2W31il4