Series Review: Breakaway by L P Dover

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Hard Stick (from Goodreads):

He carries a big stick. And he’s not afraid to use it.

On the ice, I’m Kellan Carter, powerhouse enforcer for the Charlotte Strikers. Off the ice, I’m just a regular guy. The last thing I want is to get mobbed by a bunch of groupies who are only after me for my fame and money. My ideal woman knows how to enjoy a little good, clean fun—and maybe some not-so-clean fun too. That’s the kind of girl I’d never let go.

When Kristen Robinson, the gorgeous, down-to-earth bartender I’ve been crushing on, agrees to let me take her out, I’m thrilled. We have an amazing night together, culminating in the most electrifying kiss of my life—and that’s it. Kristen tells me we can’t see each other again, but I know that kiss meant as much to her as it did to me. What I don’t know is that Kristen has a dangerous secret. . . .

I’ve proved to Kristen that she can trust me with her body and her heart. But when her past comes back to haunt her, I need to prove that she can trust me with her life. And I might have to get my hands dirty after all.

Series: Breakaway

These books cross over with various other L P Dover novels

Author: L P Dover
# of Books: 4 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Hockey
Heat Rating: Hot
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: June 2017 – October 2018
Source & Format: Own–Kindle (Hard Stick, Blocked); Netgalley (Playmaker); ARC (Off the Ice)

Book #3 (*Playmaker)* was provided for review purposes.

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I’m a living embodiment of the Canadian stereotype that we ~~like~~ live hockey. While I might not watch the NHL every week, I watch every international tournament and won’t say no to watching a game in person.

So it’s no surprise my love of hockey has translated to my reading preferences as well. I’m a sucker for a hockey sports romance and when I read the synopsis for Playmaker, I just had to read it. When I discovered there were two other books (and they sounded good too!) I bought copies for my Kindle and dove right in!

The World:

I’ve never read an L P Dover novel before but she has a LOT of titles out there. If you are a fan of her work, I think you will enjoy some of the cameos that happen in Hard Stick (#1) from previous series. I love when authors integrate series together like this!

The Plot:

One thing I really liked about these series is that each book has a different take on the romance novel. It’s easy to do with series that are a collection of standalones but very few authors make each novel so different from each other; they usually stick to the same tone and tropes. However, this series has a different flavour to each novel. Hard Stick is a romantic suspense; Blocked is more your classic “off-limits” romance; and Playmaker is a second chance story. It just made everything seem unique and fresh when I picked up the next novel.

However, I did find that the same rushed plot was in all the novels (though not as much in Playmaker #3). Conflict is revolved with a snap of the fingers it seems and that stifled some of the character and plot development that could have occurred.

The Characters:

I liked the fact that all our leads have their own unique personalities. I didn’t feel like I was reading carbon copies throughout the series.

I have to give a shoutout to Maddox who is the lead in Playmaker (#3) because he has the best development of anyone in the series. I didn’t have the greatest impression of him in Hard Stick (#1) but he very quickly redeemed himself in Playmaker. I love a “bad-boy-gone-good” story and his was awesome.

The Romance:

I had the same issues with the romance as I did with the plot: it happens very quickly. All the relationships were very insta-love to me and seemed rushed. We don’t get to see that deeper connection with the characters and that stopped me from seeing these relationships as anything but lust-driven.