REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: ONE MORE SHOT by Victoria Denault

Posted June 5, 2015 by MeliMel in Book Love, Giveaways, Guest Posts & Reviews, Home, Meli Mel Review, Release Blitz / 0 Comments

One-More-Shot-Release-Week-Blitz

ONE MORE SHOT by Victoria Denault

June 2, 2015

Forever Yours E-Book

Hometown Players: Book 1

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Blurb

They say you only get one shot at making your dreams come true. Jordan is determined to take two.
Drafted by the NHL at eighteen, Jordan Garrison was headed for fame, and there was only one person he wanted to share it with-Jessie Caplan. He was crazy in love with her, and had finally told her so. They shared an amazing night . . . and then everything fell apart.

Jessie tries not to think about the night she gave herself to Jordan-or how he broke her heart. She tries not to think about it, but she does. Especially now, when she’s staring into his sky-blue eyes for the first time in six years. After so much time and torment, she can’t tell if she loves him or hates him. But Jordan has learned enough to know a connection like theirs is rare. He was lucky to find Jessie once. No way will he lose her again.

Review

♥♥♥ 3.5 STARS ♥♥♥

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‘And then I do it, without the slightest hesitation or apprehension–I kiss my best friend.
And he kisses me back.’

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Jordan Garrison met Jessie Caplan when she moved into town while they were both eight years old. There was something about Jessie that he liked, so from that moment on he knew they were going to be great friends. As the years went on, the closer they became. They were each other’s best friend, the person they could confide in. But as they turned into young adults, their feelings started to change to something more. Unfortunately, neither was willing to admit it because they didn’t want to ruin their friendship, so they ended up dating other people. But one night things change. Jordan finally confesses he loves her. They share one night together and it seems things are going to go where they always wanted it to go. But due to a miscommunication, it all ends causing them both a lot of hurt, and to not see or talk to each other until six years later.

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“I was trying to numb the pain. Because it never left. I never stopped missing you. I never stopped needing you. There was a constant ache in my chest for you. I tried to convince myself it was anger, but it was love. And no one could fix it. You’re the only one who can fix it.”

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Jordan Garrison was drafted by NHL when he was eighteen years old. He thought he finally had it all, but when Jessie leaves to study in a college in Arizona, he is crestfallen. I was quite upset that neither of these two characters were willing to talk it out when this whole situation happened, but they were young, so I understood why they both didn’t really do anything. I wasn’t sure how I was going to like the six year time gap, but it wasn’t too bad. By this time, they are both twenty four years old. Jordan has a reputation for sleeping around, a lot. He doesn’t want anything serious because he isn’t willing to let anyone in that can cause him the same hurt Jessie did all those years ago. No matter what he did to try to get over her, he never truly did.

Jessie Caplan was left heart broken when she decided she needed to leave to Arizona. But, she swore to herself she would try to move on from Jordan. Years later, she is living in Seattle doing what she loves as an intern physical therapist. She got some horrible news that had her rushing back home for a funeral. What she didn’t expect was that Jordan would be there to offer his support. I was so excited about this part because of how much time had passed by. But I became quite frustrated because Jessie still didn’t let Jordan explain what happened on that night. I love myself some angst, but there was so much drama between them. I disliked how they didn’t seem to want to try to get back together even when they still loved each other. They made so many immature mistakes, I just wanted to lock them in a room together until they finally talked.

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‘There he is. Everything I have ever wanted. And all he wants is me.’

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Eventually things turned around and they finally had that talk that should have been done sooner. I was very happy when they cleared the air and they got together again. I enjoyed the story and the writing style. I just would have liked them to have been together a little bit sooner. I liked many of the secondary characters that were funny and great, although I am still quite unsure about Jessie’s sister Callie. Although, I did appreciate that each sister had their own voice and didn’t seem alike in personality. I also really liked those flashbacks that we get in the book that show how Jessie and Jordan grew up together while falling in love. The ending was very sweet and romantic, I really loved it. Overall, I think it was a good debut novel by this author. I am very curious about Rose’s book next.


View all my reviews

excerpt

Outside I’m greeted with a crisp, sunny fall afternoon. It’s not raining, which in Seattle is always a plus. When I was traded to the Seattle Winterhawks last season, I wasn’t all that thrilled about living so far from home. At least when I played in Quebec City, it was only an eight-hour drive from my hometown in Maine. But Seattle is fun, my team has been great and the fans here are a small but passionate bunch. I’m happy now professionally. At least I was until I broke my left ankle. Hockey is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with my life. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been great at and the one thing I have never screwed up. This is the first injury in my professional career. It’s a big one, and I couldn’t be handling it worse if I tried.

As I drive to the rink I call my brother, Devin.

“Hey, Jordan,” he says easily, answering on the second ring. “What’s up?”

“Lily Caplan died.”

“I know.” Devin sounds stunned for a minute. “Mom told Ashleigh.”

“She wants me to go home for the funeral,” I respond as I pull my SUV off the I-5 and down the familiar downtown Seattle streets to the hockey arena.

“Makes sense,” he says.

“How does it make sense?” I demand. I was calling him for support—so he could help me brainstorm excuses for not showing up. “Mrs. Caplan hated me. She hated all of us. She thought we were—and I quote—‘derelict hockey punks.’ ”

“She’s dead,” Devin reminds me snarkily as I slow at a stop sign and lean my head against the leather headrest. “This isn’t about her. It’s about supporting your best friend.”

“Ex–best friend,” I retort. “We haven’t talked in years.”

“And whose fault is that?” Devin mutters almost under his breath—almost inaudibly—but I hear it and it pisses me off.

“She left town, remember? Why does everyone blame that on me?”

I wave my players’ pass at the security guard at the gate to player parking. He’s obviously a little surprised to see me on a day off, but he raises the gate without question. “I should be concentrating on getting my leg healed. My family should be supporting that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Devin counters, and the sarcasm rings loud and clear through the Bluetooth. “Is your leg going to stop healing just because it’s in Maine instead of Seattle?”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“Love you too, bro.” He laughs, enjoying this way too much if you ask me. But when the laughter dies he grows serious. “Look, Jordy. I would be there if I could and so would Luc. The Caplan girls are family. We’ve all given you and Jessie enough time to figure out how to be grown-ups, yet you can’t seem to do it. So I’m telling you be a grown-up and go and support her.”

“Fine. I’ll go if the coach lets me.”
“He’ll let you.”
“Shut up.”
“Shutting up,” Devin promises, and then the line goes dead.

I sigh loudly, get out of the car and slam the door. Hopefully Devin is wrong and Coach Sweetzer has some reason he needs me here. Because as painful and frustrating as it was to be here dealing with my injury and not being able to play hockey, seeing Jessie Caplan again would be worse—much worse.

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GIVEAWAY

(1) e-book copy of ONE MORE SHOT by Victoria Denault
https://js.gleam.io/e.js

About Author

VictoriaDenault_Mary Costa Photography

Victoria Denault loves long walks on the beach, cinnamon dolce lattes and writing angst-filled romance. She lives in LA but grew up in Montreal, which is why she is fluent in English, French and hockey.

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