From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comes a brand new stand-alone friends to lovers sports romance. A spin-off from the Only One series

 

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Blurb

Chase
Everyone expected me to play hockey.
I was good at it, but I was better at being a doctor.
So I hung up the skates and joined Doctors without Borders
But there is no place like home, so now I’m back.
And instead of being on the ice, I’m behind the bench as the team physician.
After years of playing cat and mouse, it’s time to admit it.
She’s mine.

Julia 
Working as a social worker was a dream come true.
It wasn’t easy, and it has made me shut off my heart to love.
No commitment. No strings. No promises.
Until one fateful night changed everything.
He was there for me like no other one.
The biggest thing is I let him.
Maybe he was just made for me!

 

 

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Review

“I’ve never in my life felt this feeling … I’ve never in my life wanted anything more than for her to be mine.”

5 stars!

A gorgeous friends-to-lovers romance that is emotional, playful, sweet, sexy, and full of chemistry, this is a fantastic read that had me glued to my kindle, and I loved it!

This book is a standalone, and is actually the start of a new series. However, it has very close ties to Madison’s interconnected hockey series (Something So, This Is, Only One – more directly from Only One), and there’s a lot of character crossover. You can read this on its own, just be aware that if you haven’t read the earlier books, you won’t know all of the side characters and how they all inter-relate (and they all do, because this is a close-knit bunch!).

Chase Grant is the son of Matthew and Karrie (from Something So Perfect – his siblings also have books in the Only One series). He is a doctor, previously with Doctors Without Borders, but now works as the doctor on the Dallas hockey team (keeping it all in the family), as well as picking up a few shifts in the ER. Julia is the Social Worker twin sister of Jillian, who is married to Chase’s cousin, Michael (Michael and Jillian’s story is Only One Mistake), and she has been accepted into huge family group by her sister’s new in-laws, sharing a particularly special bond with Michael’s father, Max, who has pretty much adopted her as one of his own. Chase and Julia have been friends for years, and while they both acknowledge that there is an underlying attraction between them, knowing how intertwined their lives are, they figured it was best to stay friends and not risk ruining their friendship with a romance that may now work out.

Now, their worlds crash together when Julia’s job as a Social Worker brings her in to Chase’s Emergency Department in the midst of a tragedy. He is there for her at her lowest, and it brings about a shift in their relationship when super protective Chase becomes Julia’s rock. He is a fiercely protective alpha (just like the rest of the men in his family), there for Julia in all the ways, and she trusts him in return, allowing herself to be truly open with him, letting him see her and support her at her most vulnerable. And with the two of them becoming closer than ever before, things begin to change.

We’ve been friends for forever. We’ve been each other’s wingman when we would go on vacation. We’ve been playing this cat-and-mouse game from day one. We’ve never crossed over that line, but the line is becoming very blurred on my side. Not only is it blurred, it is starting to erase and it feels like I am seeing everything for the first time.

I love, love, love this relationship! They are close, but not too close, so there is still an element of ‘getting to know you’, but on a deeper level. The story moves at a great pace, but somehow this still feels like a slow burn, and I was bursting with anticipation watching these two completely accept their growing feelings for each other, and follow their hearts.

There is no story, the words replay in my head, making me wonder when it fucking changed. There is a story, my head screams, we just don’t know it yet.

They have such a beautiful connection, and there are some truly beautiful moments between them that had me swooning madly. We get to watch them fall in love bit by bit, and when things finally happen between them, it’s natural, functional, honest and sizzlingly passionate. They are SO hot together, and all that they are feeling for each other makes it all the more intense.

This thing between us is forever. She’s my forever.
I haven’t kissed her yet, and yet I know.

There’s a dramatic storyline that brings the feels and makes the whole thing more emotional. Watching Julia deal with it all is heartwrenching, but Chase is devoted, supporting her through everything, and it becomes the catalyst that brings them together and provides plenty of opportunities for Chase to go all protective alpha, and I loved it!

Scenes with the family bring wonderful lightness to the drama of the story, and once again those interactions are absolute gold! Matthew and Max are in peak form as always, and with all of the siblings, cousins and partners rallying around Chase and Julia as they find their way together, there’s so many opportunities for those fabulous dynamics to come into play.

“Julia.” My father looks at her. “Honey, we take care of our women.”
“And when they don’t listen, we kidnap them,” Max says to my father.
“I didn’t kidnap her.” He smirks. I tied her to the bed with handcuffs.” Michael and Dylan roll their lips, trying not to laugh. “She loved every minute of that.”
“Yup,” Wilson says, “time for me to go.” He shakes his head. “I never want to hear that my in-laws use handcuffs.”
“You think that is hard?” Cooper says, getting up. “Those are my parents.” He looks at our dad. “Never repeat that to anyone at any time. Ever.”

I loved being back with this group so much, but Chase and Julia truly shine in their story, and I loved watching them finally come together.

This is such a gorgeous read. I love these characters, I felt everything right along with them, and their love story absolutely owned my heart.

5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Made For

 

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About the Author

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

 

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