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Seattle Scorpions #1
Boarded Hearts
My whole life I’ve come out on top.
One of the finest players ever to grace the NHL? Check.
Most prolific playboy with an enviable reputation between the sheets? Check.
Award for the cockiest athlete in America? Also check, and well deserved I’d say.
So why does my life feel anything but the perfect image I project?
And why won’t the one woman who came crashing into my life and knocked me on my six-foot four ass take me seriously?
She doesn’t even recognize me, let alone worship the ground I walk on.
I’m in uncharted territory, tearing up my rule book and unearthing buried demons in my pursuit of her affection.
I always get what I want in life but apparently Felicity Thompson didn’t get the memo. I want her in my bed, but all she offers me is her witty British tongue and no-nonsense attitude.
It isn’t supposed to be this way. She’s supposed to unravel for me. Yet the harder I pursue her, the more my own layers peel away.
Felicity Thompson is fast becoming not just what I want but the very woman I need in my life, and I’m terrified to admit that when it truly matters, I might not be coming out on top after all.
One of the finest players ever to grace the NHL? Check.
Most prolific playboy with an enviable reputation between the sheets? Check.
Award for the cockiest athlete in America? Also check, and well deserved I’d say.
So why does my life feel anything but the perfect image I project?
And why won’t the one woman who came crashing into my life and knocked me on my six-foot four ass take me seriously?
She doesn’t even recognize me, let alone worship the ground I walk on.
I’m in uncharted territory, tearing up my rule book and unearthing buried demons in my pursuit of her affection.
I always get what I want in life but apparently Felicity Thompson didn’t get the memo. I want her in my bed, but all she offers me is her witty British tongue and no-nonsense attitude.
It isn’t supposed to be this way. She’s supposed to unravel for me. Yet the harder I pursue her, the more my own layers peel away.
Felicity Thompson is fast becoming not just what I want but the very woman I need in my life, and I’m terrified to admit that when it truly matters, I might not be coming out on top after all.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2024
1,629 people are currently reading
14.2k people want to read
About the author
Ruth Stilling
9books512followersRuth Stilling is a lover of all things escapism and can be mostly found with her head buried in a spicy book, writing her latest romance novel or out in the open air and nature, away from the bustle of life. As clumsy as she is crazy, Ruth enjoys creating relatable, loveable, swoon-worthy and strong willed main characters who find their happy ending. That said, she prides herself on taking her readers on emotional rollercoasters and always recommends reading her books with tissues on hand to wipe away the tears of joy, laughter and sometimes heartache.
Ruth lives in Derbyshire, England with her own personal book boyfriend (lucky girl), her six year old son and her two feisty chihuahuas.
Keep up to date with Ruth's latest content and exciting projects by following her on social media: @authorruthstilling
Ruth lives in Derbyshire, England with her own personal book boyfriend (lucky girl), her six year old son and her two feisty chihuahuas.
Keep up to date with Ruth's latest content and exciting projects by following her on social media: @authorruthstilling
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 888 reviews
July 28, 2024
This book is now one of my favorite hockey romances! It’s about Jon, a former playboy hockey player who’s now ready for something real, and Felicity, a single mom who’s fresh out of a divorce and not looking for love. Jon falls for Felicity first and harder, but their relationship grows slowly and sweetly as he patiently waits for her.
It’s adorable how Jon shows he’s done with his playboy ways and is completely smitten with Felicity from the start. Felicity didn’t make it easy for him, which made it even more fun to watch.
The book also does a great job of showing Jon’s struggles with anxiety, which adds a real and heartfelt touch. Both Jon and Felicity faced their own struggles, but the way they supported each other made the story even more touching.
Overall, this book was a joy to read from start to finish, and I couldn’t recommend it more!
Read this if you like:
🏒 He Falls First and Hard
🏒 Single Mom
🏒 Touch Her and 💀
🏒 Banter and Swoon
🚨🚨 TW: Emotional abuse, gaslighting, anxiety, death of parents
It’s adorable how Jon shows he’s done with his playboy ways and is completely smitten with Felicity from the start. Felicity didn’t make it easy for him, which made it even more fun to watch.
The book also does a great job of showing Jon’s struggles with anxiety, which adds a real and heartfelt touch. Both Jon and Felicity faced their own struggles, but the way they supported each other made the story even more touching.
Overall, this book was a joy to read from start to finish, and I couldn’t recommend it more!
Read this if you like:
🏒 He Falls First and Hard
🏒 Single Mom
🏒 Touch Her and 💀
🏒 Banter and Swoon
🚨🚨 TW: Emotional abuse, gaslighting, anxiety, death of parents
May 9, 2024
4.75/5✨️ 2.5🌶
Happy Release Day and Congratulations to Ruth on her debut novel. 💖🏒
I have a new one for all my hockey girlies. I'm just OBSESSED with this book. This was the most refreshing hockey romance I have read in a while, since Unsteady! Ruth has brought us to Seattle with the Seattle Scorpions, and I felt like I was actually at the games.
When we first meet Felicity and Jon, these two fall into each other's lives, but they are both not seeking love; they each hold a past. Jon is known for being the all-American hockey player with a fboy persona. At 34, he's done it all; he has a seasoned career, but Jon has some struggles and he has tried to work through them. Nevertheless, we love a man who steps up to win over their girl. However, Felicity, who is on the verge of turning 40, after sending her children off to college, who recently ended a soul-crushing marriage. Even I detested her ex-husband, he's awful and left Felicity, understandably, with some serious dating reservations. Yet, these two seemed like a real-life couple to me as they discover the strength of genuine love in each other.
Jon may be known as the cocky team captain, but I loved meeting him on and off the ice. He was so delicious, flirty, and fun, he'll leave you melting. He's down bad for our girl. BAD! He is equal parts respectful, dirty, and he can cook. Jon holds a lot on himself; he's the caregiver and rock and he'll do anything in his power to help the people he loves. Felicity is all sass and sarcasm. She’s the woman who's lost pieces of herself over time. However, I want to highlight what a wonderful mother she was. I loved the relationship she held with each of her children. Yet, I thought it was uplifting and beautiful to watch Felicity spark her strength, sexuality, and dreams.
Jon and Felicity are something so special. I was giddy and so dang emotional with a slow burn that about did me in, that I ordered the physical copy immediately. I loved meeting the side characters and Jake, Felicity's son. Do you think you'd ever include him in the series, Ruth? I ran to sign up for Zach's book and am eager to read it; is it July yet?
Huge thank you to @authorruthstilling and @wordsmithpublicity for the ARC! 💖
Happy Release Day and Congratulations to Ruth on her debut novel. 💖🏒
I have a new one for all my hockey girlies. I'm just OBSESSED with this book. This was the most refreshing hockey romance I have read in a while, since Unsteady! Ruth has brought us to Seattle with the Seattle Scorpions, and I felt like I was actually at the games.
When we first meet Felicity and Jon, these two fall into each other's lives, but they are both not seeking love; they each hold a past. Jon is known for being the all-American hockey player with a fboy persona. At 34, he's done it all; he has a seasoned career, but Jon has some struggles and he has tried to work through them. Nevertheless, we love a man who steps up to win over their girl. However, Felicity, who is on the verge of turning 40, after sending her children off to college, who recently ended a soul-crushing marriage. Even I detested her ex-husband, he's awful and left Felicity, understandably, with some serious dating reservations. Yet, these two seemed like a real-life couple to me as they discover the strength of genuine love in each other.
Jon may be known as the cocky team captain, but I loved meeting him on and off the ice. He was so delicious, flirty, and fun, he'll leave you melting. He's down bad for our girl. BAD! He is equal parts respectful, dirty, and he can cook. Jon holds a lot on himself; he's the caregiver and rock and he'll do anything in his power to help the people he loves. Felicity is all sass and sarcasm. She’s the woman who's lost pieces of herself over time. However, I want to highlight what a wonderful mother she was. I loved the relationship she held with each of her children. Yet, I thought it was uplifting and beautiful to watch Felicity spark her strength, sexuality, and dreams.
Jon and Felicity are something so special. I was giddy and so dang emotional with a slow burn that about did me in, that I ordered the physical copy immediately. I loved meeting the side characters and Jake, Felicity's son. Do you think you'd ever include him in the series, Ruth? I ran to sign up for Zach's book and am eager to read it; is it July yet?
Huge thank you to @authorruthstilling and @wordsmithpublicity for the ARC! 💖
May 11, 2024
“I have no idea what I’m doing here, Felicity. I’ve got no experience with women other than how to please them in bed. I don’t know if I’m what you want, but I also don’t think I’m a bad bet. You rock my world, consume my thoughts, and make me feel like I can be a better person. It’s like you’re the antidote to my demons, and I’m hooked.�
✧𓈒⋆ 4 stars𓈒⋆✧
this was soooo cute! if you're looking for a something not overly dramatic this one is your choice. i started reading this book because my friend asked me to read it with her, she kept mentioning that this one is an older hockey romance with main character being more 34 and 39 and i was immediately on board, because i've never read an older hockey romance. more than that, it's a single mom, he fell first and harder, man obsessed type of romance, so i was in for a good time! and moreover, this is a debut novel! can you believe that? it was so good, i ate the whole story up without hesitations, it was very light and cute, it had everything i wished for a romance of that kind.
felicity and jon were very cute and lovable, their personalities were shining through the pages making them feel tangible and real. even though their connection was kind of instalust in the beginning and i'm not the biggest fan of it, in this book it worked pretty well knowing those characters and their backgrounds. through the whole book i was literally so invested in their relationship, basically screaming at my kindle because they took so much time to finally get together! it's kind of slowburn, but at the same time it's not? you'll get it when you read it cause i really don't want to spoil anything, this book was just good!
Before, I could counter my feelings with the belief that he was a shallow playboy, a star on the ice, and a good time between the sheets. But with every hour spent in his presence, layers are peeling away, revealing a man who both excites and terrifies my delicate and battered heart.
✧𓈒⋆ jon morgan 𓈒⋆✧
give me a man obsessed & reformed playboy tropes and i'll eat them up! at first i was very hesitant with him as jon was lusting over felicity from the moment he saw her and it bothered me a bit. he was acting somewhat creepy and his determination to get to her even by drawing the crowds attention to her, knowing that she's far from being in the public eye. i couldn't understand the basis of his obsession as at first it looked like he got interested because she said no to him, but then moving forward i understood where his obsession came from. he was so caring and protective of felicity, and his own storyline and mental health struggles really made me feel so seen. i love when the authors don't shy away from talking about mental health and how it's important to take care of it, how avoiding problems does not equal resolving them.
special place in my heart is reserved for jon's relationship with his brother and his family. he wanted to be close to them, he raised awareness of his brother's state, he was supporting them every step on a way. adam, jon's brother, is autistic and while this book is not solemnly focused on adam and his condition the relationship between morgan brothers plays a big role [even though i wanted to see more of their dynamic]. and also other characters like zach and jensen? love love love! the relationship between teammates is so supportive and family-like, even with not so many scenes together. especially, jon and zach's friendship � their brotherly-like bond is something else and i'n definitely going to be seated for zach's book.
“Everything about you is mind-blowing, Angel.� He brings his lips to my ear. “You are an amazing woman and a kick-ass mom—strong, powerful, and so fucking beautiful. It kills me to think he kept you from living out your dreams. Promise me you’ll always chase them from now on.�
✧𓈒⋆ felicity thompson 𓈒⋆✧
i love a strong female main character and felicity was definitely it for me. i loved how she was able to rebuild her life and re-invent herself after she spent almost twenty years in the awful marriage with pathetic narcissist. i hated her ex-husband and every time he was mentioned or he appeared in this book i wanted to scream and throw my kindle away. the way he treated felicity? jail time, please. he deserve far more that a punch, to be honest. still, even after basically starting her life from scratch without much support felicity was able to become independent and find her own calling in life. she was 39 years old and some people may feel that in 39 they can't start something new, that they are too old, but felicity? she wasn't thinking that she's too old, she finally got a second chance and she took it.
although i adored felicity's bond with her kids, i wanted to see more of her as a mom. if jack was kind of present in book, darcy was used as a plot device and it sucked. if the book is being advertised as single mom, i actually want to see a single mom. moreover, jon's relationship with both darcy and jack were not even mentioned, even though jon is jack's hockey hero, and we don't even know if darcy met him before the epilogue. i know that this book focused on the relationship between jon and felicity, but the outer factors like her kids should've taken the spotlight as well.
“Date me.�
“W-ɳ?�
“Date me, Angel. Let me show you how a man should be. Let me hold you, kiss you, take you out, and spoil you. Let me call you mine because, goddammit, I need to call you mine.�
✧𓈒⋆ jon & felicity 𓈒⋆✧
the cutest couple ever! their bond started as instalust, but in sometime it grew into something more, they actually wanted to get to know each other, to look behind the surface, to discover what's underneath the facade they both built around themselves. jon was so wipped from the very first moment and [even though sometimes it felt like a lot] his 'boy obsesses' tendencies were definitely something else. i loved how they motivated each other to be better, to chase their dreams, to always choose themselves. the way jon was there for felicity and never ever doubted her, he never questioned if she was sincere, he never even thought that there's anything she can't do. he made her chase her dreams, he made her believe in herself after he piece of shit ex-husband destroyed her self-esteem.
more than that, it was so beautiful to witness their evolution, how they went from strangers to friends to lovers. and the trust they had to talk about difficult things, to open up, to let the other person in � they are just it, you know?
“I-I. Fuck, Felicity. You are…you’re something else. Where the fuck have you been?�
“Just here and there, I guess.�
“In my fucking dreams more like.�
if you didn't guess already, i loved this book 🤭 it was so refreshing to read about emotionally mature characters and their journey of discovering themselves and realising that they deserve to be happy. i loved that this book was not a typical hockey romance with just-out-of-college or in-college settings, this book offers something different and new. it was so beautiful to read how felicity build herself back up and started to focus on herself and her own goals other than doing everything to please everybody. the same thing with jon, as this book focused on his mental health and how it affected his life. this story is so empowering and beautiful and i'm really so happy that my friend asked me to read it with her.
and oh, i'll definitely be coming back to read the next book hoping to see some glimpses of jon and felicity there as well 🤭
December 9, 2024
“𝐈’� 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮.�
If you love a hockey romance, then this book is for you🏒
This book read so well for a debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about both Jon & Felicity throughout☀�
Ruth did an amazing job at representing older characters in this book. Jon was 34 while Felicity was 39. I loved that both character were older than those in your typical romance book.💖
Jon Morgan was an absolute sweetheart🫶🏼. He went from the hockey playboy with no intentions of settling down to falling head over heels for Felicity. His character also matured a lot throughout this book too. I loved how deeply he cared for others & how sweet he was.
Felicity was super mum💪🏼 You could tell how deeply she loved her kids & how much she would sacrifice her own happiness for them. I loved seeing Felicity’s characters growth into becoming her own person after her divorce & finally being able to be happy again. You could feel her glowing with confidence while reading the book.
I need to give Adam his own paragraph! Firstly, I love that autism was represented in a book through his character. It’s not very often you see this in books. As a mum with a child who has learning difficulties it was heartwarming to see. Adam was such a sweet character & really gave the book a more beautiful touch.🥺
I love that Jon & Felicity both stood by each other during their lowest moments.
The spicy moments in this were great. I loved the confidence radiating from Felicity once she felt comfortable with Jon & how he never forced her to do anything she didn’t want to do.🌶�
The epilogue was super sweet! The nod to Felicity’s dad had me crying. 🌌
If you love a hockey romance, then this book is for you🏒
This book read so well for a debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about both Jon & Felicity throughout☀�
Ruth did an amazing job at representing older characters in this book. Jon was 34 while Felicity was 39. I loved that both character were older than those in your typical romance book.💖
Jon Morgan was an absolute sweetheart🫶🏼. He went from the hockey playboy with no intentions of settling down to falling head over heels for Felicity. His character also matured a lot throughout this book too. I loved how deeply he cared for others & how sweet he was.
Felicity was super mum💪🏼 You could tell how deeply she loved her kids & how much she would sacrifice her own happiness for them. I loved seeing Felicity’s characters growth into becoming her own person after her divorce & finally being able to be happy again. You could feel her glowing with confidence while reading the book.
I need to give Adam his own paragraph! Firstly, I love that autism was represented in a book through his character. It’s not very often you see this in books. As a mum with a child who has learning difficulties it was heartwarming to see. Adam was such a sweet character & really gave the book a more beautiful touch.🥺
I love that Jon & Felicity both stood by each other during their lowest moments.
The spicy moments in this were great. I loved the confidence radiating from Felicity once she felt comfortable with Jon & how he never forced her to do anything she didn’t want to do.🌶�
The epilogue was super sweet! The nod to Felicity’s dad had me crying. 🌌
July 25, 2024
So some things have been brought to my attention and I in good conscience cannot get behind this book anymore.
Unfortunately for me…plagiarism will never be okay and I’m upset with myself that I didn’t see before.
If you decide to read this one…I strongly suggest you read Jasper by Lulu Moore first and then read this. 😐
Unfortunately for me…plagiarism will never be okay and I’m upset with myself that I didn’t see before.
If you decide to read this one…I strongly suggest you read Jasper by Lulu Moore first and then read this. 😐
December 21, 2024
DNF: 18% (Page 56)
I'm just over the whole manwhore/ not like other girls and insta lust
I'm just over the whole manwhore/ not like other girls and insta lust
August 6, 2024
DNFed at 15%
The autistic character is there to be an inspiration. That tells me enough about this book and author
But in the first 15% the synopsis is proven to be wrong or at least badly written - the synopsis makes it seem as if the male love interest is a play boy but in the 3rd chapter we find out he wants a relationship and to settle down.
Also she isn’t hard to get she is going through a divorce??? Babes this book is bad and I have read 15% - do yourself a favour and don’t read this
The autistic character is there to be an inspiration. That tells me enough about this book and author
But in the first 15% the synopsis is proven to be wrong or at least badly written - the synopsis makes it seem as if the male love interest is a play boy but in the 3rd chapter we find out he wants a relationship and to settle down.
Also she isn’t hard to get she is going through a divorce??? Babes this book is bad and I have read 15% - do yourself a favour and don’t read this
May 14, 2024
This is not a bad book, but it read like every other KU book. Loads of spice. I didn’t really understand why felicity was a single mom if her kids were barely on page? They seemed like more of a nuance! I did really like Jon and the mental health representation.
March 25, 2024
How this is a debut novel, I will never understand! Ruth knocked it out of the park with Boarded Hearts (I’m mixing my sports metaphors here but the statement stands).
The novel follows playboy hockey superstar Jon Morgan who, at 34, is starting to question what he really wants out of life and if what he’s been doing is going to take him there. When he meets recently divorced Felicity, she about knocks him on his ass - quite literally. Their meet cute is adorable!
Felicity has finally found her way out of a loveless marriage to a controlling narcissist, and she’s ready to spread her wings. The last thing she wants is another relationship, but Jon is nothing like the man she is used to. Instead, she finds someone who sees all her good, all her strength, and wants her to be able to use those wings to fly like the angel she is in his mind.
Jon is truly the next book boyfriend to add to your roster - supportive, patient, protective, swoony, sexy (the spice is 😮�). Also, his relationship with his family is one of my favorite parts of the book. Felicity is quick witted and so easy to relate to. I love that we are getting MCs that are a little older (34/39) and in a unique time in their lives.
Ruth also does a fabulous job of setting up future books in the series! Jon’s teammates and Felicity’s best friend definitely all need books because I loved them all. I’m so excited to see where this series goes next!
The novel follows playboy hockey superstar Jon Morgan who, at 34, is starting to question what he really wants out of life and if what he’s been doing is going to take him there. When he meets recently divorced Felicity, she about knocks him on his ass - quite literally. Their meet cute is adorable!
Felicity has finally found her way out of a loveless marriage to a controlling narcissist, and she’s ready to spread her wings. The last thing she wants is another relationship, but Jon is nothing like the man she is used to. Instead, she finds someone who sees all her good, all her strength, and wants her to be able to use those wings to fly like the angel she is in his mind.
Jon is truly the next book boyfriend to add to your roster - supportive, patient, protective, swoony, sexy (the spice is 😮�). Also, his relationship with his family is one of my favorite parts of the book. Felicity is quick witted and so easy to relate to. I love that we are getting MCs that are a little older (34/39) and in a unique time in their lives.
Ruth also does a fabulous job of setting up future books in the series! Jon’s teammates and Felicity’s best friend definitely all need books because I loved them all. I’m so excited to see where this series goes next!
May 14, 2024
Sorry but I couldn't finish this I ended up reading until chapter 13 because it was too stupid and easy... It's too fantasy like for my liking. I felt cheated because the synopsis gave the idea that this was going to be a slow burn of him being obsessed with the female protagonist and her being hard to get therefore making him work for it but no.
I would have preferred of him being kind of like a retired Playboy. let's say the media still paints him as such but in reality he hasn't had hookups for over a year. But no. right at the start where his character is introduced we know that he is having thoughts about being with someone for life and he's kind of tired of the same old game but and here is the big BUT he still grabs a girl for the night when they go to a bar and hooks up with her so you're like your actions speaks louder than your words! It was contradicting to say the least .
Another thing that I wasn't a big fan of was him being madly obsessed with the female protagonist right after he meets her. I understand you can be attracted to someone but I needed more development it was like he jumped from 0° to a 360° from one second to the another .where is the storyline ?where is the character development? It was like one look at her was all it took for him to finally jump to the boat of relationships and love even though he never had one and up till that point he was still the same person as in still doing random hookups. It's so lame that after their first interaction he calls her my angel like what? What did he smoked?
I would have preferred of him being incredibly attracted to her and wanting to play the same old game but once she rejected him and doesn't show the same reaction as the usual girls he starts to obsess with her little by little, leaving his past behavior behind and then maybe he agrees of only being friends because of her being quite clear of not wanting to be another girl on his bedpost. but as his friend zone due to his past he now has to prove to her he changed for real and wants a real chance. I would have 💯 loved this..
Now let's talk of her character . I was so disappointed as i believed that she was going to be this strong confident intelligent sassy witty boss woman but it was the total opposite and it didn't make sense to me at all . how pathetic she was even though she was older than him ! like her age didn't match with her attitude.. she was married for God's sake she had two children you're going to tell me that she hasn't a little ounce of strongness and confidence and doesn't know how to handle herself with others and talk to men? Every time he's around she acts as a 18 year old girl with her first crush and I was expecting a bigger attitude I didn't expect this weaker persona who's shy and awkward and doesn't know how to express herself, and who is easily won over. I expected that he was going the first to fall rather than both of them wanting the same thing instantly . I was expecting a don't fuck with me attitude +i wasn't born yesterday attitude+ you have to work for it for you to get me attitude+you can look but you can't touch attitude but we got a plain puppy girl sorry woman.
So yeah those were the main reasons of why I couldn't keep on reading THIS. To summarize it was two childish too Disney like feeling... the development was nowhere to be found, the characters for me were plain and stupid like okay you can be attracted to someone but give me something else make me believe that the story could be somewhat possible, believable i dont want a daydream!
I honestly have a thousand more books to read than waste my time reading this one so yeah I don't recommend if you're like me and want more slow burn more banter more conflict in the way before they actually have something real.
if you want the easy breezy covergirl kind of story then go for it but if you're like me and you want more depth to it than a simple story/characters then grab something else right now 🙏
I would have preferred of him being kind of like a retired Playboy. let's say the media still paints him as such but in reality he hasn't had hookups for over a year. But no. right at the start where his character is introduced we know that he is having thoughts about being with someone for life and he's kind of tired of the same old game but and here is the big BUT he still grabs a girl for the night when they go to a bar and hooks up with her so you're like your actions speaks louder than your words! It was contradicting to say the least .
Another thing that I wasn't a big fan of was him being madly obsessed with the female protagonist right after he meets her. I understand you can be attracted to someone but I needed more development it was like he jumped from 0° to a 360° from one second to the another .where is the storyline ?where is the character development? It was like one look at her was all it took for him to finally jump to the boat of relationships and love even though he never had one and up till that point he was still the same person as in still doing random hookups. It's so lame that after their first interaction he calls her my angel like what? What did he smoked?
I would have preferred of him being incredibly attracted to her and wanting to play the same old game but once she rejected him and doesn't show the same reaction as the usual girls he starts to obsess with her little by little, leaving his past behavior behind and then maybe he agrees of only being friends because of her being quite clear of not wanting to be another girl on his bedpost. but as his friend zone due to his past he now has to prove to her he changed for real and wants a real chance. I would have 💯 loved this..
Now let's talk of her character . I was so disappointed as i believed that she was going to be this strong confident intelligent sassy witty boss woman but it was the total opposite and it didn't make sense to me at all . how pathetic she was even though she was older than him ! like her age didn't match with her attitude.. she was married for God's sake she had two children you're going to tell me that she hasn't a little ounce of strongness and confidence and doesn't know how to handle herself with others and talk to men? Every time he's around she acts as a 18 year old girl with her first crush and I was expecting a bigger attitude I didn't expect this weaker persona who's shy and awkward and doesn't know how to express herself, and who is easily won over. I expected that he was going the first to fall rather than both of them wanting the same thing instantly . I was expecting a don't fuck with me attitude +i wasn't born yesterday attitude+ you have to work for it for you to get me attitude+you can look but you can't touch attitude but we got a plain puppy girl sorry woman.
So yeah those were the main reasons of why I couldn't keep on reading THIS. To summarize it was two childish too Disney like feeling... the development was nowhere to be found, the characters for me were plain and stupid like okay you can be attracted to someone but give me something else make me believe that the story could be somewhat possible, believable i dont want a daydream!
I honestly have a thousand more books to read than waste my time reading this one so yeah I don't recommend if you're like me and want more slow burn more banter more conflict in the way before they actually have something real.
if you want the easy breezy covergirl kind of story then go for it but if you're like me and you want more depth to it than a simple story/characters then grab something else right now 🙏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 11, 2024theres just no way they are 39 and 34 i tried and failed to love this one bc its been on my tbr for a long time and the covers/premises of this series sound so good but they are so immature 😭 id let this and other things slide if they weren’t well into adulthood but enough is enough lol😭
April 20, 2024
Oh. My. Jon. 😭
This book is STUNNING. 🥹 Jon? Felicity? Adam? Ugh.
I cannot believe this is Ruth’s debut novel. It reads like a NYT best seller by a veteran author. I absolutely could not put this book down. Everything about it was perfect.
The character development? The plot? The HEA?
PERFECT. 💖
This book is STUNNING. 🥹 Jon? Felicity? Adam? Ugh.
I cannot believe this is Ruth’s debut novel. It reads like a NYT best seller by a veteran author. I absolutely could not put this book down. Everything about it was perfect.
The character development? The plot? The HEA?
PERFECT. 💖
May 19, 2024
Unfortunately this book fell flat for me.
I struggled to relate to either character and feel as though a lot of potential was missed with the story.
Tropes:
💕He falls first and hard
❤️ instant love for him
🌶️a lot of spice
💖 anxiety rep
👩❤️👨older couple (34 and 39) - reverse age gap
I struggled for the first 30% of this book, beginning to enjoy it but then sadly falling back off at the 70% mark when it just became spice and unnecessary drama.
I’m not entirely sure why the mc was made to be 39 when she acted like a 20 year old for most of the novel. The characters for me lacked character and personality which was a shame as they had a lot of potential.
Our main character leaves one repressive relationship for independence only to end up moving in with her new boyfriend 8 months later after 4ish weeks of dating. Jon and Felicity’s relationship is extremely fast-tracked. This made it unrealistic for me and made me unconvinced the pair would last (there is a lot of co-dependence in my opinion).
Thankyou to the author for an earc in exchange for an honest review.
I struggled to relate to either character and feel as though a lot of potential was missed with the story.
Tropes:
💕He falls first and hard
❤️ instant love for him
🌶️a lot of spice
💖 anxiety rep
👩❤️👨older couple (34 and 39) - reverse age gap
I struggled for the first 30% of this book, beginning to enjoy it but then sadly falling back off at the 70% mark when it just became spice and unnecessary drama.
I’m not entirely sure why the mc was made to be 39 when she acted like a 20 year old for most of the novel. The characters for me lacked character and personality which was a shame as they had a lot of potential.
Our main character leaves one repressive relationship for independence only to end up moving in with her new boyfriend 8 months later after 4ish weeks of dating. Jon and Felicity’s relationship is extremely fast-tracked. This made it unrealistic for me and made me unconvinced the pair would last (there is a lot of co-dependence in my opinion).
Thankyou to the author for an earc in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2024
✨ARC review�
Omg wow just wow 🤩🩷🥰
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
i’m a sucker for hockey romance, but oh my goodness this book I could not put it down and the characters are so lovable and relatable. I absolutely loved it. 🥰 i’m so excited for the next book to see the Zack story and how it will turn out.🤭
Some of the things that he does for her literally make my heart melt. I have no other words he is honestly to sweet🥺🩷
I loved how it had me in all my feelings. I was giggling blushing kicking my feet almost crying. I absolutely loved it and you need to read this book.🩷🏒⛸️🧊
Here is some of my favourite quotes.☁️🏒⛸️🧊🩷
“You aren’t just everything I want, felicity; you’re everything I need.�
“You’re it for me , Angel.Beyond you,there’s nothing else.�
“She’s shone her light into the darkest parts of my life and brings me peace.�
“I’d burn the f***ing world before I let anything happen to you.�
Omg wow just wow 🤩🩷🥰
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
i’m a sucker for hockey romance, but oh my goodness this book I could not put it down and the characters are so lovable and relatable. I absolutely loved it. 🥰 i’m so excited for the next book to see the Zack story and how it will turn out.🤭
Some of the things that he does for her literally make my heart melt. I have no other words he is honestly to sweet🥺🩷
I loved how it had me in all my feelings. I was giggling blushing kicking my feet almost crying. I absolutely loved it and you need to read this book.🩷🏒⛸️🧊
Here is some of my favourite quotes.☁️🏒⛸️🧊🩷
“You aren’t just everything I want, felicity; you’re everything I need.�
“You’re it for me , Angel.Beyond you,there’s nothing else.�
“She’s shone her light into the darkest parts of my life and brings me peace.�
“I’d burn the f***ing world before I let anything happen to you.�
May 18, 2024
Jon freaking Morgan yall!! This man is literally perfect in every single way!
Jon is a NHL player that is the resident "playboy" until her. Felicity. The "angel" that he literally runs into at the rink while she is picking up tickets for her son. Jon immediately is obsessed with her and once he sees her there is no other woman that matters.
However, Felicity is worried about jumping into another relationship after her divorce from her scumbag ex-husband. This story was so freaking heartwarming and emotional and I loved every bit of it.
Tropes
-reformed playboy x single mom
-he falls first and harder
-she's older
-anxiety rep (Jon)
4.5/5 stars
2/5 spice
Jon is a NHL player that is the resident "playboy" until her. Felicity. The "angel" that he literally runs into at the rink while she is picking up tickets for her son. Jon immediately is obsessed with her and once he sees her there is no other woman that matters.
However, Felicity is worried about jumping into another relationship after her divorce from her scumbag ex-husband. This story was so freaking heartwarming and emotional and I loved every bit of it.
Tropes
-reformed playboy x single mom
-he falls first and harder
-she's older
-anxiety rep (Jon)
4.5/5 stars
2/5 spice
May 15, 2024
I made it to 28% before I said nope.
In those 83 pages, I picked up parts of other books/series that this author recycled from. This author can say inspired all she wants, but let's call a spade a spade. It's stealing.
There is nothing original here.
Just because you can self-publish doesn't mean you should.
I am honestly getting worried about every ARC reader who had this. Not one of you thought, hmmmm, I've read this scene before in another book you've claimed to be obsessed with. Those poor authors who you claim to love and be loyal to, wait until they find out you've sold them out for a PR box.
In those 83 pages, I picked up parts of other books/series that this author recycled from. This author can say inspired all she wants, but let's call a spade a spade. It's stealing.
There is nothing original here.
Just because you can self-publish doesn't mean you should.
I am honestly getting worried about every ARC reader who had this. Not one of you thought, hmmmm, I've read this scene before in another book you've claimed to be obsessed with. Those poor authors who you claim to love and be loyal to, wait until they find out you've sold them out for a PR box.
May 15, 2024
DNF at 38%
I should have stopped reading this at 14% when Jon’s teammates referred to women as “it�, but I kept reading hoping that it would get better. It did not. There were so many cringey “bro� moments that I have zero desire to read books about any of the other players.
This was a mishmash of scenes from other hockey books plunked into a story with no cohesion. The characters were inconsistent and I could not get a clear read on their personalities. I did not buy the chemistry between Felicity and Jon at all.
Not for me.
I should have stopped reading this at 14% when Jon’s teammates referred to women as “it�, but I kept reading hoping that it would get better. It did not. There were so many cringey “bro� moments that I have zero desire to read books about any of the other players.
This was a mishmash of scenes from other hockey books plunked into a story with no cohesion. The characters were inconsistent and I could not get a clear read on their personalities. I did not buy the chemistry between Felicity and Jon at all.
Not for me.
September 8, 2024
DNF
Okay my first thought? Is the author English or American? Because I’ve never said or heard anyone call GCSE’s or A-Levels finals here. Final Exams maybe, but not flat out finals - unless it’s an area thing?
Secondly, Felicity is an angry bean.
Thirdly, I just couldn’t.
Usually, I love a dickwad partner who soon becomes the ex, while a swoony good guys swoops in to shower the fc with love and schmanzy pants times. Unfortunately Felicity traded one dipshit for another.
Felicity’s husband, who is portrayed as “the man of the house�, belittles Felicity because of her low income dream job that he deems pointless, because, wait for it, he earns over 8 times her salary! Well let me get giddy because seriously where do I find one of him? Side-note; why’s she even working? Girl put your feet up, buy a new dress, order a cocktail or two. Live the dream. ( Authors - just know your fc doesn’t always have to be a go getter in life for readers to like you.)
Anyway fast forward and she meets Jon, who’s a f¥ckboy, and has slept with everyone and their mum, and then some, BUT, wants to settle down because he has been raised to respect women. Really Jon? Because I call b¥llshit, especially when you’re chatting with your mates with this respectful line; “Hair color doesn’t matter when it’s wrapped around my fist,� Jon’s the big man around toen if you hadn’t of already guessed.
Anyway that’s as far as I got because Felicity grated on every spare nerve I had left this week.
Favourite Quote:
N/A
To Sum It Up:
I mean if you like your men respectful, let me introduce you to Jon.
Okay my first thought? Is the author English or American? Because I’ve never said or heard anyone call GCSE’s or A-Levels finals here. Final Exams maybe, but not flat out finals - unless it’s an area thing?
Secondly, Felicity is an angry bean.
Thirdly, I just couldn’t.
Usually, I love a dickwad partner who soon becomes the ex, while a swoony good guys swoops in to shower the fc with love and schmanzy pants times. Unfortunately Felicity traded one dipshit for another.
Felicity’s husband, who is portrayed as “the man of the house�, belittles Felicity because of her low income dream job that he deems pointless, because, wait for it, he earns over 8 times her salary! Well let me get giddy because seriously where do I find one of him? Side-note; why’s she even working? Girl put your feet up, buy a new dress, order a cocktail or two. Live the dream. ( Authors - just know your fc doesn’t always have to be a go getter in life for readers to like you.)
Anyway fast forward and she meets Jon, who’s a f¥ckboy, and has slept with everyone and their mum, and then some, BUT, wants to settle down because he has been raised to respect women. Really Jon? Because I call b¥llshit, especially when you’re chatting with your mates with this respectful line; “Hair color doesn’t matter when it’s wrapped around my fist,� Jon’s the big man around toen if you hadn’t of already guessed.
Anyway that’s as far as I got because Felicity grated on every spare nerve I had left this week.
Favourite Quote:
N/A
To Sum It Up:
I mean if you like your men respectful, let me introduce you to Jon.
May 11, 2024
My thoughts: What a delicious and delectable romance novel - I would like to thank @authorruthstilling and @wordsmithpublicity for the opportunity for being an ARC reader for this absolutely amazing tale.
Jon Morgan, welcome to the book boyfriend club, once dubbed “ice-hockeys biggest playboy�, Jon proved to every single reader the true meaning of “finding the one� and he became a magnificent head over heels gentleman, but remaining freaky in the sheets beyond belief 🤩
I absolutely adored Felicity and her determination to become a strong-willed professional woman, something Elliot (the 🍆head ex-husband) prevented her from doing. You could really sense her vulnerability and fragility, as she did her best to bubblewrap her heart to prevent anyone else coming in, and only Jon could break down her walls.
Ultimately this book is a big middle finger to the societal norms in life - that a woman should be happy living by the means of her husband, that an older woman simply wouldn’t be attractive to anyone her junior and that once a playboy always a playboy.
There were just so many incredible character developments as well as heartwarming side characters like Jack and Darcy, Zach, Jensen and Morgan’s family - especially Adam ♥️
I will definitely be waiting eagerly for the second instalment of this series and cannot wait to hear Zach’s story!!
Jon Morgan, welcome to the book boyfriend club, once dubbed “ice-hockeys biggest playboy�, Jon proved to every single reader the true meaning of “finding the one� and he became a magnificent head over heels gentleman, but remaining freaky in the sheets beyond belief 🤩
I absolutely adored Felicity and her determination to become a strong-willed professional woman, something Elliot (the 🍆head ex-husband) prevented her from doing. You could really sense her vulnerability and fragility, as she did her best to bubblewrap her heart to prevent anyone else coming in, and only Jon could break down her walls.
Ultimately this book is a big middle finger to the societal norms in life - that a woman should be happy living by the means of her husband, that an older woman simply wouldn’t be attractive to anyone her junior and that once a playboy always a playboy.
There were just so many incredible character developments as well as heartwarming side characters like Jack and Darcy, Zach, Jensen and Morgan’s family - especially Adam ♥️
I will definitely be waiting eagerly for the second instalment of this series and cannot wait to hear Zach’s story!!
May 21, 2024
I am so impressed that this is a debut novel.
It’s absolutely my favorite hockey romance now.
What I loved:
The ages 34/39
The friendships
All the hockey
Jon is the ultimate book boyfriend and we love him
No third act breakup but there is a little tension
I am really looking forward to reading what Ruth writes next!
It’s absolutely my favorite hockey romance now.
What I loved:
The ages 34/39
The friendships
All the hockey
Jon is the ultimate book boyfriend and we love him
No third act breakup but there is a little tension
I am really looking forward to reading what Ruth writes next!
February 4, 2025
»You rock my world, consume my thoughts, and make me feel like I can be a better person. It’s like you’re the antidote to my demons, and I’m hooked.«
� � � � �
� 𝑭𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝜗𝜚˚�
I loved her. She is kind, hard working and likeable. Felicity is a adult woman who knows not to take shit from bitches and fights for her love for Jon.
� 𝑱𝒐𝒏 ࣪⋆�
He may be one of my favorite hockey boys of all time! What a sweetheart! He is lovely and caring towards Felicity while knowing exactly what he wants: her.
� 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
I adored this book. This was exactly what I hoped for: a fun, fluffy romance with likeable characters and an entertaining plot. I enjoyed the fact that the drama in this book were about characters close to the main characters and not something like OWD or OMD. In this case Jon and Felicity were part of the drama but not the source of the drama, if you understand what I mean.
The writing style is fluent and easy to read. The pages just flew by and I had a lot of fun reading this book.
Felicity and Jon are perfect for each other. Both are super sweet towards each other and I liked their dynamic. It was an adult relationship without unnecessary drama which was refreshing and enjoyable. They are a good match and I liked following their story. I was surprised how many layers both of our main characters had and how much depth their character has.
There was a lot of hockey involved and I loved meeting their family and friends. Can we appreciate that the author created a healthy friendship between woman?!
Overall this was an amazing and entertaining read and I can‘t wait to dive into Zachs book.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes, go and read it!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ� � �
plot: 4/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ �
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, hockey romance, romcom, single mum, he falls first and harder, touch her and die, banter and swoon, reverse age gap, former nhl playboy, disability representation
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐲
ages: Felicity (39) and Jon (34)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
Grinder - Samantha Whiskey
The Deal - Elle Kennedy
The Pucking Wrong Number - C.R. Jane
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Boarded Hearts � � � � �
/review/show...
#2 Frozen Over � � � �
/review/show...
#3 Dead Rinker � � �
/review/show...
� � � � �
� 𝑭𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝜗𝜚˚�
I loved her. She is kind, hard working and likeable. Felicity is a adult woman who knows not to take shit from bitches and fights for her love for Jon.
� 𝑱𝒐𝒏 ࣪⋆�
He may be one of my favorite hockey boys of all time! What a sweetheart! He is lovely and caring towards Felicity while knowing exactly what he wants: her.
� 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
I adored this book. This was exactly what I hoped for: a fun, fluffy romance with likeable characters and an entertaining plot. I enjoyed the fact that the drama in this book were about characters close to the main characters and not something like OWD or OMD. In this case Jon and Felicity were part of the drama but not the source of the drama, if you understand what I mean.
The writing style is fluent and easy to read. The pages just flew by and I had a lot of fun reading this book.
Felicity and Jon are perfect for each other. Both are super sweet towards each other and I liked their dynamic. It was an adult relationship without unnecessary drama which was refreshing and enjoyable. They are a good match and I liked following their story. I was surprised how many layers both of our main characters had and how much depth their character has.
There was a lot of hockey involved and I loved meeting their family and friends. Can we appreciate that the author created a healthy friendship between woman?!
Overall this was an amazing and entertaining read and I can‘t wait to dive into Zachs book.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes, go and read it!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ� � �
plot: 4/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ �
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, hockey romance, romcom, single mum, he falls first and harder, touch her and die, banter and swoon, reverse age gap, former nhl playboy, disability representation
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐲
ages: Felicity (39) and Jon (34)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
Grinder - Samantha Whiskey
The Deal - Elle Kennedy
The Pucking Wrong Number - C.R. Jane
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Boarded Hearts � � � � �
/review/show...
#2 Frozen Over � � � �
/review/show...
#3 Dead Rinker � � �
/review/show...
June 17, 2024
This is probably one of the cutest romance books i have ever read.
We have
Single mom
Nhl playboy
Insta love
Reverse (small) age gap
Stupid ex
No 3rd act breakup
Slow burn
Perfect spice
Just stop. This was perfect. Thank you so much for the arc. I can't wait for Zachs book!
We have
Single mom
Nhl playboy
Insta love
Reverse (small) age gap
Stupid ex
No 3rd act breakup
Slow burn
Perfect spice
Just stop. This was perfect. Thank you so much for the arc. I can't wait for Zachs book!
May 8, 2024
Looking for a hockey romance with MCs in their mid to late 30s who are also relatable? Then this is the book for you!
Felicity's life is uprooted from her home country of England where she is now relocated to Seattle Washington, recently divorced from her ex-husband of nearly 20 years and now a single mom of two teenagers. Jon is the hockey captain who has quite the reputation both on and off the ice. He is known for his playboy ways until the day he meets Felicity. Felicity quickly becomes the one woman that Jon wants to exchange his playboy lifestyle for. But Felicity, is on this path of rediscovery, establishing her independence and is not looking for a relationship, let alone a relationship with the hot hockey player with the reputation of having a different woman in his bed each night. So the question is can Jon reform his playboy ways to win Felicity's heart?
📚 Book Tropes:
💖 Hockey Player MMC
💖 Single Mon
💖 Reformed Playboy
💖 Boy Obsessed
💖 Reverse Age Gap
💖 Mental Health Rep
💖 He Falls First and Hard
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️.5
💭 My Thoughts: Besties, what if I told you you could read a book where all of your favorite characteristics of your favorite book boyfriends were all rolled into one? If that’s a book that you would want to read I can’t wait for you to meet John Morgan. Jon Morgan literally embodies all of out favorite book boyfriend characteristics. He's sweet, wants to spoil our girl Felicity, he whispers filthy things and loves to eat ;) but he also has a very protective side as well, especially when it involved Felicity's ex-husband.
I’m not gonna lie, I truly loved this book because of how relatable both of the MCs were. I'm 36 and as much as I love to read about college kids falling in love, it's also nice to read about characters who are in the same phase of life as me struggling to find love or having some of the same life experiences. So with that being said, Boarded Hearts has MCs who are in their mid to late 30s and are experiences struggles that we can all relate to. Felicity is very relatable as she navigates her new life after divorce while seeking independence and finding out who she truly is. It’s also nice to see mental health representation in a male athlete. Jon battles some dark demons and the open conversation around his mental health, how he copes and the struggles he is trying to overcome is a nice element to the story.
At the end of the day. This is a super cute, fun and quick hockey romance read! For being a debut novel by Ruth Stilling, she killed it!
Thank you to Ruth Stilling and Wordsmith Publicity for allowing me to read BOARDED HEARTS as an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts, opinions and review!
Felicity's life is uprooted from her home country of England where she is now relocated to Seattle Washington, recently divorced from her ex-husband of nearly 20 years and now a single mom of two teenagers. Jon is the hockey captain who has quite the reputation both on and off the ice. He is known for his playboy ways until the day he meets Felicity. Felicity quickly becomes the one woman that Jon wants to exchange his playboy lifestyle for. But Felicity, is on this path of rediscovery, establishing her independence and is not looking for a relationship, let alone a relationship with the hot hockey player with the reputation of having a different woman in his bed each night. So the question is can Jon reform his playboy ways to win Felicity's heart?
📚 Book Tropes:
💖 Hockey Player MMC
💖 Single Mon
💖 Reformed Playboy
💖 Boy Obsessed
💖 Reverse Age Gap
💖 Mental Health Rep
💖 He Falls First and Hard
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️.5
💭 My Thoughts: Besties, what if I told you you could read a book where all of your favorite characteristics of your favorite book boyfriends were all rolled into one? If that’s a book that you would want to read I can’t wait for you to meet John Morgan. Jon Morgan literally embodies all of out favorite book boyfriend characteristics. He's sweet, wants to spoil our girl Felicity, he whispers filthy things and loves to eat ;) but he also has a very protective side as well, especially when it involved Felicity's ex-husband.
I’m not gonna lie, I truly loved this book because of how relatable both of the MCs were. I'm 36 and as much as I love to read about college kids falling in love, it's also nice to read about characters who are in the same phase of life as me struggling to find love or having some of the same life experiences. So with that being said, Boarded Hearts has MCs who are in their mid to late 30s and are experiences struggles that we can all relate to. Felicity is very relatable as she navigates her new life after divorce while seeking independence and finding out who she truly is. It’s also nice to see mental health representation in a male athlete. Jon battles some dark demons and the open conversation around his mental health, how he copes and the struggles he is trying to overcome is a nice element to the story.
At the end of the day. This is a super cute, fun and quick hockey romance read! For being a debut novel by Ruth Stilling, she killed it!
Thank you to Ruth Stilling and Wordsmith Publicity for allowing me to read BOARDED HEARTS as an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts, opinions and review!
August 19, 2024
I know they say not to judge a book by it's cover but I really can't resist these cartoon covers!! And wonderfully enough the cover was on par with the book. It was great. I enjoyed this intro to a new world and these characters. I liked the reverse age gap (I am on the hunt for more of these), the fact that Felicity had no idea who Jon was, the way that Jon helped her with her confidence without even knowing it was exactly what she needed in that time of her life. I also liked Felicity having older children. Most of the time when you read a single parent story it is with younger kids. The older kids gave it a little bit of a different dynamic. I also of course loved the he falls first and HARD coming from a reformed playboy was icing on the cake. UGH that just made me swoon.
Felicity has made some tough decisions. She decided after being married to the same person for forever to get a divorce and move across the world to support her son's dream of being a hockey player. Which is how she finds herself in Seattle where she has to learn how to be herself again. She has made some friends at the office but really hasn't dipped her toe into the dating pool again. All of that changes when she literally runs into Jon Morgan at the hockey arena when picking up tickets for her and her son. Of course she doesn't know who he is. She just knows he is hot and that she is flustered which is why she runs. But then she sees him at the game and he can't seem to keep his eyes off of her. And now she has found herself in this whirlwind where Jon is actively pursuing her to be in his life. Now he has a reputation she is learning. So she doesn't want to be just another girl. She holds him off. Decides they can be friends and that she will just have to ignore this growing attraction between them. But of course that only lasts for so long. He is treating her so differently from her ex husband. He is supportive of her and challenges her in a way that is invigorating. So she decides to go for it. What does she have to lose? She knows what her standards are. She just has to hold him to those. But then something tragic happens and their relationship is put to the test. She just has to show Jon that with the right people in your life, you can survive more than you think.
Jon is getting tired of the same old same old. He is sick of going out and having a different girl in his bed all the time. He finds himself wondering what it would be like to have someone who was always there cheering for you and challenging you. But he doesn't have the time to invest with his hockey schedule. He has also never found himself captivated by a woman until her. He doesn't catch her name but is entranced by her green eyes. He doesn't know if he will see her again but seeing as he saw her at the arena picking up tickets maybe he will see her at one of his games. And then he does. And he can't look away. He finds himself doing things he has never done before like taking time to get to know her. He finds himself wanting to prove he is better than the rumors about him. He finds himself wanting to be better because of her. She is playing hard to get. She tells him they can only be friends, but friends don't look at each other or kiss each other the way they have. He just has to wait her out. It will be worth it, and when things shift it is everything he thought and more. But then the worst case happens out on the ice in a game to one of his teammates that he takes HARD. He finds himself feeling the anxiety and depression he has worked so hard to stay ahead of take over. He is losing himself and knows he will lose Felicity too. No one wants to deal with someone in this state, but then she shocks him and shows him what true love is really all about.
I liked the mental health rep coming from the MMC not the FMC in this one. I would check the triggers here- there is gaslighting, emotional abuse and the death of parents (not depicted in the book). I thought Ruth did a great job dealing with all of these categories. Felicity's husband was awful and seeing how he was versus how Jon was so eye opening to Felicity. It was a growing moment in the best way. I loved how Felicity didn't turn tail during the kind of third act breakup. She stuck it out which was the harder decision to make in my opinion. I enjoyed meeting our future characters and can't WAIT to see what happens with Kate and Jensen (I know there is more than we think going on there). My heart broke for Zach, but I am pumped to meet Luna put him back together. This was a great intro to a series and debut novel!
Felicity has made some tough decisions. She decided after being married to the same person for forever to get a divorce and move across the world to support her son's dream of being a hockey player. Which is how she finds herself in Seattle where she has to learn how to be herself again. She has made some friends at the office but really hasn't dipped her toe into the dating pool again. All of that changes when she literally runs into Jon Morgan at the hockey arena when picking up tickets for her and her son. Of course she doesn't know who he is. She just knows he is hot and that she is flustered which is why she runs. But then she sees him at the game and he can't seem to keep his eyes off of her. And now she has found herself in this whirlwind where Jon is actively pursuing her to be in his life. Now he has a reputation she is learning. So she doesn't want to be just another girl. She holds him off. Decides they can be friends and that she will just have to ignore this growing attraction between them. But of course that only lasts for so long. He is treating her so differently from her ex husband. He is supportive of her and challenges her in a way that is invigorating. So she decides to go for it. What does she have to lose? She knows what her standards are. She just has to hold him to those. But then something tragic happens and their relationship is put to the test. She just has to show Jon that with the right people in your life, you can survive more than you think.
Jon is getting tired of the same old same old. He is sick of going out and having a different girl in his bed all the time. He finds himself wondering what it would be like to have someone who was always there cheering for you and challenging you. But he doesn't have the time to invest with his hockey schedule. He has also never found himself captivated by a woman until her. He doesn't catch her name but is entranced by her green eyes. He doesn't know if he will see her again but seeing as he saw her at the arena picking up tickets maybe he will see her at one of his games. And then he does. And he can't look away. He finds himself doing things he has never done before like taking time to get to know her. He finds himself wanting to prove he is better than the rumors about him. He finds himself wanting to be better because of her. She is playing hard to get. She tells him they can only be friends, but friends don't look at each other or kiss each other the way they have. He just has to wait her out. It will be worth it, and when things shift it is everything he thought and more. But then the worst case happens out on the ice in a game to one of his teammates that he takes HARD. He finds himself feeling the anxiety and depression he has worked so hard to stay ahead of take over. He is losing himself and knows he will lose Felicity too. No one wants to deal with someone in this state, but then she shocks him and shows him what true love is really all about.
I liked the mental health rep coming from the MMC not the FMC in this one. I would check the triggers here- there is gaslighting, emotional abuse and the death of parents (not depicted in the book). I thought Ruth did a great job dealing with all of these categories. Felicity's husband was awful and seeing how he was versus how Jon was so eye opening to Felicity. It was a growing moment in the best way. I loved how Felicity didn't turn tail during the kind of third act breakup. She stuck it out which was the harder decision to make in my opinion. I enjoyed meeting our future characters and can't WAIT to see what happens with Kate and Jensen (I know there is more than we think going on there). My heart broke for Zach, but I am pumped to meet Luna put him back together. This was a great intro to a series and debut novel!
May 17, 2024
I read this book after seeing the blurb, which sounded really similar to the first hockey romance I ever read- Jasper by Lulu Moore, which released at the end of 2020. It’s one of my favourite books so since then I’ve reread it numerous times, and I pretty much know it inside out!
Boarded hearts was a quick read, but I felt there were some fairly big plot holes, and so many similarities to Jasper that I just couldn’t get past. One or two would have felt like coincidence, but there were an awful lot more than that (I highlighted over 60), and a couple of similarities to another book by the same author. It felt very very heavily influenced by that author’s work.
Felicity is a single mom but we barely saw her with her kids (grown teenagers) and we were told she developed this lovely relationship with Jon’s brother Adam, but never really shown it.
I struggled to believe the chemistry and feelings between the 2 main characters- again there was lots of telling but not really showing.
I’m interested to see what direction book 2 takes, but don’t think it will be for me and hope it isn’t based on other existing books.
Boarded hearts was a quick read, but I felt there were some fairly big plot holes, and so many similarities to Jasper that I just couldn’t get past. One or two would have felt like coincidence, but there were an awful lot more than that (I highlighted over 60), and a couple of similarities to another book by the same author. It felt very very heavily influenced by that author’s work.
Felicity is a single mom but we barely saw her with her kids (grown teenagers) and we were told she developed this lovely relationship with Jon’s brother Adam, but never really shown it.
I struggled to believe the chemistry and feelings between the 2 main characters- again there was lots of telling but not really showing.
I’m interested to see what direction book 2 takes, but don’t think it will be for me and hope it isn’t based on other existing books.
June 4, 2024
This is just my subjective opinion, but this was super duper boring. Also, the characters didn't seem well drafted and had me constantly trying to remember how old they were supposed to be. I didn't understand the point of making her a parent as it didn't add anything to the story apart from giving a reason for the FMC to be at certain places during certain times. I can't recommend this, but if you try it, I hope you enjoy it more than I did. Happy reading.
May 15, 2024
This was very cute but I did wish the kids were in it more, even though they were basically grown, they were barely in it and I don’t see the point of making a character a single parent if the kids won’t be in it.
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🌶️🌶️/5
May 13, 2024
waited this whole book for either character to get a personality (they didn’t)
May 25, 2024
300 pages of nothing
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