Synopsis
Years ago, Aurora Evans met a teenage Canadian hockey player at the Mall of America. When pro hockey player and recent widower Mike Martin walks into the dance studio where Aurora teaches, he’s feeling overwhelmed with the fact that his wife may not have been exactly who he thought she was and the logistics of going back to work. As one of the few people his angry, heartbroken daughter connects with, Aurora agrees to be a pseudo nanny to help him navigate the upcoming school year and hockey season. To his surprise, she turns out to be the perfect balm for him as well. Aurora gets him. The real him underneath his pro jersey. And yet, he still finds himself holding back, unable to fully trust again—especially when he finds out the secret Aurora’s been hiding from him.
Thoughts
The premise sounded fun, the cover was adorable, but this story fell short. Having grown up close to the Canadian border, I thought this book might be extra entertaining for me. However, I felt like there were excessive traumas baked into this story. From a widower fighting for custody of his deceptive dead wife’s grieving child who is not biologically his, to a woman with anxiety who is also recovering from an eating disorder… It was a lot to take in and left me wanting more meet cute and less sadness. As the romance formula goes, the main characters got their HEA, but a good balance was never struck for me.
★★★
Question
How long has it been since your last trip to a mall?