Empty Net, By Toni Aleo

In Toni Aleo’s third novel in her hot Assassins series, the chiseled men of this Nashville hockey team can make anything happen when they go all out for the women they want—even turn a one-night stand into a happily ever after.

Audrey Parker is up against the boards. She’s stuck in a job she hates and pining for a total jerk. Meanwhile, her sister Fallon is moving out and getting married to hockey star Lucas Brooks. Where is Audrey’s Prince Charming? Nothing she does has ever seemed to be good enough for any of the men in her life. Audrey’s about to hit rock bottom . . . until she wakes up next to Tate Odder.

The thrill of moving up from the minors to the Nashville Assassins was a welcome distraction. But not even becoming the first rookie goalie to tally three shutouts in the Stanley Cup finals alleviates the pain. With the loss of his parents and sister weighing as heavily on his soul as ever, Tate Odder can’t keep pretending he’s okay. That’s when he meets smart, sexy Audrey. Her gentle warmth and quirky sense of humor make him feel whole for the first time in too long. But to stay that way forever, Tate must find a way to accept his past and learn to live for love.

Review Time:

Sara's Review:

I have read the other books in Toni Aleo’s Assassin Series, and I think that “Empty Net” may be my favorite so far.  I’m not sure what it is about hockey players that makes them so appealing as romantic heroes, but day-um…Tate Odder is scrumptious. 

We are introduced to Audrey Parker in this book.  She’s in a relationship with a man who can’t fulfill her and frankly isn’t very nice.  I think a lot of women can identify with being in a toxic relationship.  She’s in a dead end job she hates and is basically just stuck in a rut.  Then she meets Tate.  Oh…Tate.

Tate has a lot of things going for him.  1) He’s apparently got the body of a Nordic God.  2) He’s Swedish.  This means he has an accent.  I have yet to meet a fictional accent I didn’t like. 3) Did I mention the God-like body? 4) He’s the best goalie in the NHL…how can cat-like reflexes that you know must translate to the bedroom be anything BUT sexy? 5) He’s mature, knows what he wants and is a little wounded by his past…so he’s complicated, but not so complicated that he pushes away love.  Helllooo!!!! 6) The aforementioned God-like body. 

Audrey and Tate meet, fall anonymously into bed together for a one nighter and then realize later that they are neighbors…and have mutual friends.  Tate wants a relationship, but Audrey thinks that she’s too old for him, as she’s 28 and he’s 21.  Still, he and his God-like body ardently pursue Audrey and love blossoms.  It’s sweet…and the sexy time does not disappoint.

One of the things I really love about Toni’s books is that her books are a complete and encompassing story.  She brings in characters that you’ve met before so you can get glimpses into the lives of previous characters, yet you can still read each book independently.  And her books are long, so you get a lot of bang for your buck. 

If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend you start.  This book is a rock-hard, Nordic God-like 4 stars!    

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Other books in the series:

In Toni Aleo’s exhilarating Loveswept debut, the first in a series featuring the hockey hunks of the Nashville Assassins, a reformed bad boy helps a charming, willful woman face off against the demons of her past.

No matter how hard she tries, Elleanor Fisher never thinks she’s good enough, from her job to her weight to her love life. After enduring years of abuse at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, Elli has been drifting through life in a daze. Until, that is, she meets Shea Adler on a promotional shoot for the NHL’s Nashville Assassins. Before Elli knows what’s happening, the gorgeous Shea breaks the ice and shatters her world.

A brilliant athlete inside the rink, Shea Adler is tired of the life he’s living outside of it: the women, the money, the drinking. But everything changes when he meets Elli. After laying eyes on this feisty, witty, beautiful woman, he feels like he’s just taken the hardest hit of his life. No matter how skeptical she is, Shea knows they are meant to be together—if only he can convince Elli to put her insecurities aside before she misses out on a shot at love.

$2.99 US Dollars on Amazon.

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In a captivating novel of second chances and healing hearts, the newest member of the Nashville Assassins pulls a power play to make things right with the one that got away.

Fallon Parker’s dream has always been to turn her family’s wine company into a runaway success and eventually start a cellar of her own. Since graduating from college, she has worked relentlessly to make that dream a reality, especially after taking a chance on love—and losing. By the time Fallon becomes an official sponsor of the Nashville Assassins, she feels like all her hard work is finally paying off. And then the man who broke her heart skates back into her life.

On the ice, Lucas Brooks is the NHL’s leading scorer—at least when he’s not in the box. Off the ice, he’s a mess, with all his anger and misery bottled up inside. He threw away the most important person in his life and has regretted it ever since. But when Lucas returns to Nashville in a trade, he’s determined to convince Fallon that he’s a changed man. The attraction is still there. The tension is electrifying. But the odds are stacked against them—especially after Lucas finds out that Fallon has been keeping a devastating secret.

Currently $2.99 US Dollars on Amazon.

Click the Cover to get your own copy!