Kelly Jamieson

New to Kelly Jamieson, I have to applaud her ability to immerse the reader in the heat of the game and then seamlessly flip the script, placing you in the heart of her characters. A surprisingly unexpected mix of sweet and sorrow, Crossing the Line is more than your typical hockey romance - it's a testament to self-discovery, self-love, and the transformative power of acceptance from others.

Sleeping on her twin brother’s couch was never where Mabel expected her life to end up. She was show more happy-ish, with a job she loved and a man she thought she would marry. But that man turned out to be a narcissistic, manipulative monster who love-bombed her into blindness, taking over her entire life. When he gave her an ultimatum - to choose between him or her best friend - she realized it was time to cut her losses and walk away. Unfortunately, Julian doesn’t take rejection well. So now Mabel isn’t just crashing on a couch - she’s hiding, trying to recover from the wreckage of her shattered life. The last thing she needs while licking her wounds is an audience - especially from the one guy who spent most of their childhood avoiding her like she had a contagious disease. Sure, she’d been infatuated with Ben for years, but he’d made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her. That was then. This is now.

And now, who was Mabel kidding, Ben was still impossible to ignore. She can’t seem to stop her eyes from wandering his way, but she’s not foolish enough to risk her heart again. She’s focused on putting her life back together, and falling for Ben is not happening.

Ben, on the other hand, already has enough on his plate. He’s working hard to prove he deserves to be team captain, his coach is forcing him to be more outgoing (and he’d honestly rather play hockey naked than leave his introvert bubble), and he’s now the spokesperson for a charity. The last thing he needs is his best friend’s twin sister showing up out of nowhere and crashing on the couch. It’s easy to leave their past behind him… until Mabel starts creeping into his present - specifically his dreams and fantasies. But no matter how tempted he is, it can’t happen. She’s off-limits, and he’s determined to focus on becoming the leader his team and coach expect him to be.

Still, when Ben realizes he needs help breaking out of his shell, the solution seems obvious: ask Mabel to coach him on being more extroverted. It means spending time together, yes, but he’s convinced they can keep things professional, for the sake of his friendship with her brother Marek, and out of respect for Mabel’s recent messy breakup. They have to.

As a longtime fan of hockey romances, I truly enjoyed Mabel and Ben’s sweet, heartfelt story. Watching Mabel rediscover herself and witnessing Ben’s growth alongside his team was utterly satisfying. That said, I couldn’t help but feel the story was somewhat incomplete by the end. The narrative spends a lot of time on Ben’s desire to earn the captain position and his team’s quest to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but we’re never told what happens. Did they make it past the first round? How far did they go? While this lack of resolution might not bother readers more invested in the romantic arc, as a hockey fan, I wanted to know!

On a lighter note, I’m officially adding the word “pregret” to my vocabulary. That scene was pure gold - and even better was how it played out (no spoilers, but it’s worth the wait). As is typical with sports romances, the secondary characters were a riot. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Sarah Adams’s The Game Plan with all the team antics. The way they ripped on each other showed the strength of the team and their brotherhood as players, which set a solid foundation for a pivotal scene later in the book.

As for the overall story, I was genuinely surprised to learn that Kelly Jamieson has written over 50 novels and novellas. While I found this story entertaining, the writing occasionally felt underdeveloped - more novice than polished. One particular issue stood out: Jamieson’s tendency to repeat lines or ideas verbatim rather than rephrasing for emphasis. At first, I thought it was an oversight, but it happened multiple times, and each instance left me thinking, “Wait, didn’t she already say that?” Since this is an ARC, it may be something buffed out before publication, making it a moot point. If so, fantastic. If not, while it doesn’t hinder the story, self appointed members of the grammar police may take notice.

Beyond that, I had a larger issue with the lack of a trigger warning regarding the death of a child. While the event occurred off-screen, it significantly impacted the story’s tone. I understand how it was used to push Ben out of his comfort zone and highlight his empathy and compassion, but the entire subplot felt disconcerting. It disrupted the book's lighthearted feel, dropping a ten-pound weight into the narrative without much warning. While Jamieson eventually tied everything back into the narrative by showcasing the team’s camaraderie, their drive to win for their teammate, and the community's support, I can’t help but feel that, unless this is setting the stage for Alfie’s story, the same emotional depth could have been achieved in a less hard-hitting way.

As for the spicy scenes, they didn’t quite hit the mark. The focus seemed to be more on how Ben carried himself - i.e., his transition from quiet and reserved to more vocal, rather than on the actual physical connection. The build-up was more intense than the steamy scenes, making the almost moments hotter than the actual intimate connections, which fizzled rather than scorched.

Looking deeper, the story centers around three key themes: narcissism, introversion, and acceptance/teamwork. While Mabel’s experience in a toxic, narcissistic relationship is well-explored, some of the conversations about it felt overly long and unrealistic. That said, readers will walk away with an understanding of terms like love bombing, signs/red flags of narcissistic or manipulative behavior, and the reasons why someone might stay in such an unhealthy relationship. I would definitely give a standing ovation to how she highlights society's perspective on women in abusive relationships and the tendency to blame the victim - especially when the partner is emotionally and psychologically abusive, leaving scars that are harder to detect by the outside world. On the topic of introversion, while I appreciated the focus on Ben’s struggles, I felt disheartened by the implication that his introversion was a problem he needed to fix in order to succeed. Introversion exists on a spectrum, and not all introverts experience it as a hindrance the way Ben did. While Mabel’s constant reminders that there was nothing wrong with Ben helped balance this portrayal, the idea that introverts need external validation to be accepted rubbed me the wrong way. Still, I respect that this may have been Jamieson’s personal perspective as an introvert herself.

All that said, the introduction of the players - particularly Archie’s final comment - and the scenes involving Alfie hint at the potential for this to become a series. While my journey with The Storm ends here, I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy heartfelt twists on classic romance tropes. show less

Nobody beats Kelly Jamieson when it comes to hockey romance, and the third book in the Wynn Hockey series is no exception.

This book centers on Everly and Wyatt, two people struggling with how the events in their past have made a lasting impact on their lives. What I love most about this couple is that what they each think is their biggest weakness or greatest shame ends up being what makes them the strongest, most honorable, and beautiful. Watching them discover this about each other and show more themselves is everything I want in a romance; they become stronger as individuals and as a couple when they allow themselves to become vulnerable.

I also love how the family feud that's been an underlying thread in the first two books comes to a head in this one. There's progress made, and it adds so much more to the story having the richness of backstory and supporting characters. There are so many of them, but it never seems overwhelming or confusing.

My only complaint is that some of the scenes between Wyatt and Everly felt rushed. Some were so short that it felt more like notes on what should be achieved through a scene rather than fully fleshing it out. Even so, their relationship developed so well and organically, part of my complaint is that I just want to languish in their interactions. I didn't want it to end.

This is definitely a series worth reading, and each book in it is better than the last. show less

Play to Win is no cookie cutter romance. Lacey and Theo do have to tackle a few stereotypical fairytale aspects, but Jamieson packs in a bit of modern attitude to balance out some of the old. For instance, Theo has a knack for rescuing a damsel in distress, but he's no White Knight. Prince Charming wears glasses, loves numbers and is not afraid to show off his sensitive side. When Lacey finds herself in a bind, she refuses to be a victim and she finds her warrior in the most surprising of show more places. Play to Win fights it's way through the fantasy of who can be a hero and gives it a realistic shine. show less

Kassidy and Chris are successful, happily committed to each other, and still going at it like bunnies. You'd think there's nothing missing, but when an old friend of Chris's comes into town, bad boy image intact despite his million-dollar business ideas, and a little alcohol loosens their inhibitions and leads to a crowded night, it turns out good for everyone. But when it turns into a repeat event, things start to get interesting.

Kassidy begins to worry about how this looks, what this means show more and the boys, treading old planks, only worry that she worries. Until it comes out that Dag has been getting over Chris since the day he met him. And it's entirely possible that Chris also has ulterior motives for repeatedly jumping into beds beside his college buddy.

If they're honest though, there's a lot of stuff going on besides the pleasure. And while the graphic sex is hot, for those of you who look for that in a romance, the character development between these three was heartbreaking and really well done.

Kassidy realizes that she loves them both very much, and when she feels that she may be the problem in their relationship, she determines that she is willing to do anything for these two guys. I think the fact that she is the most faceted character, and really the linchpin in their relationship, makes for such a compelling read. She's a little blind where it counts though, but still picks up on things almost as fast as we do.

Kelly Jamieson has won me over with her too-perfect cast of characters finding trouble and love. They do the obligatory talk it over, but they don't talk it to death. There's conflict, mostly in the form of Kassidy's family, accidents and surprises, but it doesn't feel like last-minute additions.

I'm also thrilled to hear that Rule of Three will be getting a sequel where, I hope, we get a little more angst about this unconventional relationship, and some more surprises. That'll be along October 29th.

262pp. Samhain. 14 Feb 2012. show less