January TBR Challenge: Categories
Logan was a successful pro hockey player until an accident on the ice cost him an eye and his career. He made plenty of money while playing so since his forced retirement he's been spending most of his time drinking and feeling sorry for himself. The one thing he's absolutely sure he doesn't want to do is coach hockey.
Cat inherited a minor league hockey team from her recently deceased brother. Cat knows nothing about hockey, but she's trying to make the best of it. She feels that she owes it to her brother to look after his beloved team and her sister-in-law, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. She also basically has nowhere else to go. She doesn't have many job skills and she's been struggling to take care of herself and her son since her ex-husband left the country with his secretary and all their money. The only idea she has for saving the financially troubled team involves getting Logan to become the new coach, and he turns her down flat when she offers him the job.
A book about two people with such serious problems sounds like it would be a downer, but it wasn't. Logan & Cat's problems are difficult, but neither one spends an undo amount of time wallowing. Logan allows himself to be drawn out of his alcoholic stupor without too much fuss. Cat works hard at solving her problems without playing the martyr. It's easy to root for them to get together. The obstacle to their HEA is basically a communication issue. It felt real to me and didn't veer into the dreaded Big Misunderstanding.
There were a few things about the book that didn't work for me. For example, Cat has a plan to raise money for the team using a bachelor auction. That sort of thing is fine for a charity but the team is a business. In real life I think that might be a little too close to prostitution for the IRS' comfort. Still, I liked the characters and liked the book overall.
Grade: B
The challenge was to read one category novel, but I decided to use it as an opportunity to read more. I haven't been reading many categories recently so I have quite a few on my TBR. I managed to cross a total of 9 off the list.
Shadow Hawk by Jill Shalvis
Strong Medicine by Olivia Gates
Guarding Jane Doe by Harper Allen
Mistletoe and Murder by Jenna Ryan
Flashpoint, Flashback and All He Wants for Christmas by Jill Shalvis
Taylor's Temptation by Suzanne Brockmann
His Secret Past by Ellen Hartman
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