When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier’s car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.
Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can’t wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe’s mother. Oh, and they’re engaged.
Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister.
Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston—but not inside his bedroom. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more…
PJ's Thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about this one. I'll start with the positives. Sig and Chloe have off the charts chemistry and their initial meeting had me eagerly anticipating their story. I love their banter, their spice, and their growing affection for one another. I like how Sig takes her under his wing and helps her find her footing and independence away from her mother's control. And I love how Chloe blossoms.
Sig and Chloe both have complicated family relationships and more than a little emotional baggage. I appreciated the impact those relationships had on the characters but also that Bailey kept the vibe of the book fun and fast moving. There are times (many times) when Chloe seems impossibly young and naive. There are good reasons for that. It also makes her growth arc that much more significant.
The part of the story that just doesn't ring true for me is the stepsibling obstacle to their romance. Sig and Chloe have just met as adults. His father (with whom he barely has a relationship) and her mother have also recently met and announce their engagement the same day Sig and Chloe meet. We're supposed to believe that will make a relationship between Sig and Chloe taboo? It feels silly to me and not a reasonable or realistic obstacle. Others may disagree but for me there are plenty of layers to wade through in this relationship without it.
Aside from the step-sibling issue, this is a fun, fast, enjoyable story with sparkling banter, great hockey brotherhood, significant character growth, and a sweet - and spicy - romance.
I do not think it sounds realistic that adult step - siblings would find a problem with developing a relationship. But, I am also aware that different parts of the country and different cultures might have an issue with it. Shoot fire- there was an Academy Award winning actress who married a former step- son. This really sounds like a fun story. Thanks for the review.
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