ARC Review: ‘Rowdy Hearts’ by Stephanie Julian
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Rowdy Hearts
by Stephanie JulianPublished by Moonlit Night Publishing on July 18, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 280
Source: the author
Audience: 18+/Adult
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When a big-city girl falls into the arms of a small-town hockey god, does he get to keep her?
I’m Rowdy, and yeah, I lived up to the name. I’m the captain of the St. David Devils, the worst team of misfits in pro hockey and the most fun you’ll have on ice. We thrive on chaos.
Lately though, being the town’s favorite son has become a burden. I’m restless and bored. I want more and a job offer at another team is tempting. But I can’t imagine ever leaving my hometown.
Until Tressy stumbles into our local bar, dressed in a Cinderella gown and carrying her sweet little girl. She falls into my arms, looks into my eyes and steals my heart. She needs help, but she’s not used to asking for it. She’s beautiful, fiercely independent and hiding something.
Luckily for her, St. David is the perfect place to lay low. And now I have the time to prove she can trust me. And to prove that the heat between us is real. I just have to convince Tressy to embrace the crazy…
Rowdy Hearts by Stephanie Julian is an adorable, steamy, small-town hockey romance that actually includes hockey. So, if you are a hockey fan, like I am, you’ll enjoy reading this book, especially if you miss watching hockey in person or on the TV screen. Don’t worry; it has a romantic storyline, too, and you’ll fall head over heels for the hockey player who is a big softy when it comes to the FMC and her daughter.
Stephanie Julian introduces not only the main characters in Rowdy Hearts but also all the other characters/people who live in the small town of St. David. This is definitely an accurate portrayal of a small town because everyone came together to help the FMC, Tressy, and her daughter, Krista. Tressy was just trying to escape the big city with no destination in mind until she ended up with a flat tire in St. David, where the residents treated her and her daughter as family, not caring why she was running in the first place or if she had a secret.
I loved the cinnamon roll hockey player Rowdy Reston and how he took an immediate liking to both Tressy and her daughter, Krista. He was determined to have Tressy stay in St. David, and he didn’t care if she harbored a secret because he just wanted to keep her and her daughter safe.
Tressy was from a big city and wasn’t used to the hospitality of a small town, so I understood her hesitation about trusting anyone. I would have been the same way, especially when you have a daughter to think about. I loved how she started to open up towards the end of the book and found love and family in St. David. I didn’t think Tressy’s secret was a big deal, but once it was revealed, I understood why she was holding it.
If you enjoy instant attraction love storylines between a big-city heroine and a small-town hockey player, then this book is right up your alley. It also has a small-town feel, in which all the characters are like family. I can’t wait to read more from this small-town and the characters that Stephanie Julian introduced.
Trope(s)/Element(s):
🏒Sports/Hockey Romance
🏒Small-Town Romance
🏒Opposite’s Attract – City Girl and Small Town Hockey Player
🏒Instant Love
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.
About Stephanie Julian
Stephanie Julian is a USA Today and New York Time best-selling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. She writes stories with sultry heat and sweet heart.
She is the author of the best-selling Salon Games and Indecent series. INVITE ME IN (previously published as BY PRIVATE INVITATION) was an RT Magazine Top Pick. AN INDECENT PROPOSITION was named by BookBub as one of the 20 Best Erotic Books.
Stephanie is happily married to a Springsteen fanatic and the mother of two hairy sons.
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My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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