Maybe This Time by Jennifer Snow Pages: 336
Published by Forever on November 29th 2016
Series: Colorado Ice #2
Genres: adult, contemporary, Romance, Sports Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
Starting over means a second chance . . .
Abigail Jansen is done with hockey . . . and hockey players.
After leaving her two-timing NHL-star husband, Abby decides to start over in her hometown of Glenwood Falls, Colorado. There she doesn't have to deal with people gossiping behind her back or hear the word "hockey"---until her daughter tries out for the junior hockey team. Now Abby has to face her fears . . . and coach Jackson Westmore. He's tall, dark, handsome---and happens to hate her.
All through high school, talented hockey player Jackson Westmore had a crush on Abby, but he would never make a move on his best friend's girl. He gave her the cold shoulder out of self-preservation and worked out his frustrations on the ice. So when Abby returns, newly divorced and still sexy as hell, Jackson knows he's in trouble. Now even the best defensive skills might not keep him from losing his heart . . .
***
The Colorado Ice series
Maybe This Kiss
Maybe This Time
Maybe This Love
Maybe This Summer
Maybe This Christmas
Maybe this time is the second book in the Colorado Ice series by Jennifer Snow. The Colorado Ice series is an adult contemporary sports romance. This is the first book I read in this series, and while it can be read as a standalone and I had no problem following along, I do think this would be best enjoyed in order. Maybe this Time is a book that has elements outside of my comfort zone, but I am so so glad I decided to read it. I knew I would love the hockey player aspect of the story, but divorce and bitter divorcees are not really something I gravitate towards in my romances. Maybe that is rude of me, (which I don’t mean it to be!) it is just not something I can really relate to and it brings a whole separate set of baggage that I don’t really have the experience to connect with the characters. But I do love a sports romance and I love a sweet second chance romance so I wanted to give Maybe this Time a try. And it was a really good book.
Abby and Jackson go back to high school, and I am a sucker for a high school crush all grown up. Especially when they grow up to be hockey players. There is always an extra cute element when it is the guy that had the crush on the girl (is that weird? Am I the only one that feels that way?) This book pits the D-bag ex hockey player against the super sweet nice guy hockey player, and I couldn’t have been more pleased that the nice guy won. I loved Jackson. And I loved how much of a sweetheart he is.
Maybe this Time is a super cute second chance romance that will have you itching to go to a hockey game and will have you smiling, I really liked this one.
“Incredible.”
She sighed. “Okay, yes, incredible, but also…”
“Passionate.”
“Can you let me finish?”
He smiled. “Fine, but first…” Taking her face in his hands he lowered his lips to hers. The surprise look in her eyes should have given him cause to reconsider, but the hell with it. It didn’t matter that he knew he’d crossed a line and he’d broken some sort of bro code; for the first time in his life, he was ready to go after what he wanted. And after the night they shared, he knew she wanted him to.
She closed her eyes and fell into him, and he deepened the kiss, savoring the taste of her peppermint lip gloss and sliding his fingers through her soft hair. Her hands were pressed against his chest, but she wasn’t pushing him away. Instead, they clutched the fabric of his T-shirt, drawing him even closer.
When he reluctantly broke away a moment later, he was happy to see Abby was as out of breath as he was. “Okay, now you can talk.”
“I don’t remember what I was going to say.” She sighed, resting her forehead against his chest. “What are we doing?”
He leaned back and, placing a finger under her chin, forced her gaze to his. “I’m doing what I should have done a long time ago. Abby, I know I should keep holding back how I feel for you because of Dean, but the truth is, that friendship isn’t worth giving up this chance with you. I’m not even sure I know my friend anymore, after how he treated you and Dani.”
“Jackson, I just got divorced. I’m not ready for…this. Whatever this is. I’m sorry my kissing you and…other things have been misleading, but I’m not sure I can do a relationship right now. Dani and I are starting over and rebuilding a life here.”
He nodded. “I’m not asking for anything except a chance. I know you’ve been through a lot. I know you may still…have feelings for Dean,” he said through clenched teeth. The idea that he might always have to compete for her full affections made him even more determined to prove that he was the right one for her. Had always been the right one.
She shook her head and started to say something, but he placed a finger to her lips.
“And that’s okay. I just want a chance to prove to you I would never hurt you the way he did. I don’t care how long it takes. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere, Abby. My love is not going anywhere.”
She swallowed hard and her eyes widened at his words. “I can’t promise I’ll ever be ready,” she whispered.
“I’ll keep waiting,” he said firmly. Then he smiled. “On one condition.”
She frowned. “Which is?”
“You and Dani come to the fall fair this weekend with Taylor and me.”
“No.”
“It won’t be a date,” he said quickly. “Just two friends hanging out.”
She sighed again. “I think we skipped over ‘friends,’ don’t you?” she asked.
“Well, then friends shouldn’t be that difficult,” he countered. He wasn’t about to let her push him away. Not when he was finally ready to show her how much he cared about her.
“Fine. But I don’t think friends sit on the same side of the table, so get over there,” she said, trying to nudge him out of the booth.
He stayed exactly where he was. “This friend does.”
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About Jennifer Snow
Jennifer Snow lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her husband and son. She writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance stories set everywhere from small towns to big cities. After stating in her high school yearbook bio that she wanted to be an author, she set off on the winding, twisting road to make her dream a reality. She is a member of RWA, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, the Canadian Authors Association, and the Film and Visual Arts Association in Edmonton. She has published over ten novels and novellas with many more on the way.
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