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Big Stick (Big Stick, #1)
by R.C. StephensPublished by Entangled Publishing LLC on September 17, 2018
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 226
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Hockey is my life. And it's a great one. There's an endless line of women, and I get to hang with my best friend Oli. Everything is perfect until she shows up. Oli's twin sister, Flynn... hates my guts. I don't blame her. I'm part of one of the worst nights of her life.
Now she's next door and seeing her every day is killing me slowly. I wonder if we can ever get back to being friends. The way she looks at me sometimes, well, let's just say my hockey stick isn't the only thing that's feeling hard these days.
But if she finds out the secrets I'm keeping, forgiveness will be the last thing on her mind.
I’m in my Hockey Romance Era again after watching the Off-Campus show on Amazon Prime. Now I’m scanning my TBR for more hockey romances and came upon Big Stick by R.C. Stephens, an ebook I’ve had since 2018. This was my first time reading this author, and if there is one thing I love reading is hockey romance stories with one of my favorite tropes, the second-chance romance.
I do want to mention that this book didn’t have much hockey; it’s only referenced that the MMC, Myles, and his best friend, Flynn’s twin brother, are players. The real focus is on Flynn and Myles’ second-chance/friends-to-lovers romance. The story is told from both Flynn and Myles’ points of view, which is something I always enjoy in romance novels.
Unfortunately, the storyline was repetitive and didn’t grip my attention as I expected. I also didn’t care for the FMC, Flynn, even though I initially felt for her because of what she goes through in the beginning of the book, and I find out what happened to her parents. The main issue I had with her was the whole reason she was upset with the MMC, Myles, and why they had a falling out. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this was what drove me not to like her character, especially when Myles told her the truth of what happened, and then she got even more upset.
Then, the push and pull between Flynn and Myles was prominent. Flynn still had feelings for Myles but was hesitant to act on them due to what happened with her parents. Myles, on the other hand, was determined to win her back and reveal the truth to her, despite the consequences. I liked his persistence and how he handled situations, especially when it was mentioned he was a player, supposedly, and then there are women who try to create drama. He really only had eyes for Flynn when she came back into his life.
What truly stood out were the secondary characters, Oli (Flynn’s twin brother) and Sloane (her friend who watched out for her); they injected a more interesting story, and I can’t wait to read their book. Yes, I definitely plan on reading the second book, even though I only gave this book 2.5-stars. This was the first book I read by R.C. Stephens, and I have a feeling the next book will definitely be a favorite.
Standalone or Part of Series: Interconnected Standalone in the Big Stick Series.
Would I recommend this book? While it wasn’t a standout for me, other readers may enjoy Big Stick by R.C. Stephens if you like Second Chance Romance stories between two friends who have a long history and shared feelings, but need to work through some issues.
What to Expect:
🏒Sports/Hockey Romance
🏒Brother’s Best Friend
🏒Friends to Lovers
🏒Second Chance
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