Breakaway
Pilots Hockey, #4
Pilots Hockey, #4
by Sophia Henry
Published by: Random House: Flirt
Publication date: September 5th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports
Published by: Random House: Flirt
Publication date: September 5th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports
In a standalone hockey
romance that tugs at readers’ heartstrings, a broken ex-pro learns to live and
love again—all thanks to the complicated, wonderful nurse who gives him a
second chance.
BLURB
Brianna Collins needs to break
away from her overbearing family. Her parents expect her to “fix” her brother
after a series of concussions derailed his hockey career. Unfortunately, no
doctor will give him clearance to play, and she’s finished with being the
person they rely on to perform a miracle that will never happen. For Bree, a
six-month nursing assignment at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the
perfect escape.
Luke Daniels, former forward for
the NHL’s Charlotte Aviators, has spent close to a year rehabbing a
career-threatening injury—and distracting himself however he can. Worlds
collide when Luke realizes that the girl from his latest one-night-stand
happens to be the new nurse at the hospital where he volunteers in the
pediatric unit. What’s more, Bree’s the only person who makes him excited about
life again.
Despite her initial reservations,
Luke can’t help pursuing sweet, beautiful Bree. Then he realizes it was her
brother whose career he ended with an accidental hit, and he falls back on the
thing that’s always helped suppress his demons: alcohol. But if Luke doesn’t
kick his old habits, he just may lose the one thing he loves more than hockey.
Don’t miss any of Sophia
Henry’s exhilarating Pilots Hockey novels:
DELAYED PENALTY | POWER PLAY | INTERFERENCE | UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT | BREAKAWAY
DELAYED PENALTY | POWER PLAY | INTERFERENCE | UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT | BREAKAWAY
Praise for Sophia Henry
“Sophia Henry’s hockey novels are fun and flirty, warm and sweet, with relatable heroines and swoon-worthy hockey heroes. They’ll bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.”—USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson
“Sophia Henry’s hockey novels are fun and flirty, warm and sweet, with relatable heroines and swoon-worthy hockey heroes. They’ll bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart.”—USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson
Buy Links:
Amazon / B & N / iBooks / Kobo / Books-A-Million / Google Play
EXCERPT:
BREE
“What
are we toasting?” I ask Luke as we inch closer to our friends.
“It’s
not an occasion. The Russians toast to everything. Gribsy brushed his teeth
this morning! Hey!” Luke lifts an invisible glass. “Varenkov blinked. Hey!”
I
giggle. “Life is meant to be celebrated.”
“She’s
exactly right,” Aleksandr says, handing me a shot of clear liquid, which I
assume, without trying to sound stereotypical, is vodka, given the present
company. “But the toast is always the same. “Za zdaróvye! Which means—”
“To
your health,” I finish.
Luke
flinches at my words as if they’re offensive, but Aleksandr’s eyes widen and
his lips pull into a smile.
“You
speak Russian?” Aleksandr asks, in English, thankfully.
“No,
but one of my father’s best friends is Russian, so I’ve heard the toast
before.”
No
reason to mention that I had broken up with Arkady Stepurin, the son of dad’s
aforementioned best friend, a few weeks before making the decision to become a
traveling nurse and get the hell out of California. It’s much simpler to
reference dad’s connection instead.
Despite
coming up through the USA hockey system, and playing in the NCAA after that,
Dad has friends in every league and every country. He and former Anaheim
defenseman (now assistant coach) Igor Stepurin became close quickly. Igor played
with the Ducks his entire career and Dad knew guys on the team. Those
connections, along with their mutual interests in outdoor activities like
hiking and water sports, created a friendship that’s still going strong.
As
their bromance blossomed, Mom and Anna, Igor’s wife, were thrown together
whether they liked it or not. But Mom is an opportunist—in the best way
possible—and she roped Anna into being the “face” of multiple Healthy Girl
advertising campaigns. That business relationship helped seal their friendship.
When we moved to our current house, Igor and Anna bought the place next door
the day it went on the market. The Stepurin family and ours are intertwined in
so many ways.
Which
made leaving town an absolute necessity after finding out Arkady had cheated on
me when he traveled to play at away games. It’s not like I was head over heels
in love—or all that surprised—but no girl ever likes to be used, and having
been together two years, ours had been my longest relationship. Betrayal is
going to hurt no matter what, but—to add another layer to the almost incestuous
relationship—Arkady is also my brother Mason’s best friend.
In
hindsight, I never should’ve gotten involved with someone who was so tied to
our family. But how could I not? Falling for the literal boy next door is
straight out of a romance novel. Though I’ve used the last few years to focus
on my career, I’ll be the first to admit I want the love story someday.
But
not with a hockey player. I’d sworn them off after Arkady.
Dad
and Mason gave me an insider’s eye into the mindset and priorities of a
professional athlete. His career—and quest for being the best—comes before
everything else. And if a woman wants to be with him, she has to want to be
there for the ride. She has to understand that he will be gone most of the
time. He will have complete focus on the game, a borderline cockiness, and the
selfishness—maybe even loneliness—that comes with that profession.
That’s
not the life I want. I want someone who can have a career, but always put our
relationship first. A job should be the means to have the kind of life you
want, not what you put ahead of everything and everyone. It may be my own
selfishness shining through. I have dreams and I don’t want to sacrifice those
for someone else. In my ideal relationship, we should be able to grow and
pursue our life goals together.
I
totally understand why mom didn’t want to be a hockey wife.
Buy Links:
Amazon / B & N / iBooks / Kobo / Books-A-Million / Google Play
Author Info
Award-Winning
Author, Sophia Henry, is a proud Detroit native who fell in love with reading,
writing and hockey all before she became a teenager. She did not, however, fall
in love with snow. So after graduating with an English degree from Central
Michigan University, she moved to the warmth of North Carolina for the
remainder of her winters.
She
spends her days writing books featuring hot, hockey-playing heroes. When she’s
not writing, she’s chasing her two high-energy sons, watching her beloved
Detroit Red Wings, and rocking out at concerts.
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