Hockey with benefits. That was what Mara proposed, and I was down.
She said no feelings and she meant it.
Just benefits. No strings attached. Nothing else. Not even friendship.
College was her escape, including us.
I didn’t have time for a girlfriend.
I had classes, the team, my family, and the game.
It was all working too…
Until somewhere down the line, things got messy.
Until somehow we were dealing with threats, secrets, rivals, and so much more.
Until I began to want her in ways that weren’t part of the deal.
Our agreement didn’t just get checked into the wall, it got obliterated.
This is a standalone featuring characters from Crew and Fallen Crest but you don’t have to have read those. I haven’t completed either series and I loved this but if you’ve read Rich Prick (I have), you have inside information that makes this story even better. I have to say that the writing is amazing in every way. The author makes it look so easy because she ties these worlds together seamlessly, but the intricacies are astounding.
The characters are so complex, messy and real. I loved Mara and Cruz both, for different reasons. Neither was what I expected and they surprised me more than once. They both have heavy family baggage so this book deals with some serious issues and they’re handled beautifully, with so much care and consideration, the author should be proud. She’s a bona-fide badass in every sense of the world and my new girl crush. You just have to love Mara Daniels, she’s amazing. She’s strong and tough but when she finally lets her guard down, everything changes.
Cruz shot right to the top of the book boyfriend list. It’s been quite some time since anyone was added but he’s absolutely perfect for Mara in every way. He goes through life incredibly confident and self-assured, never showing his vulnerabilities to anyone else but Mara, even as he supports her through everything.
I loved everything about this story and though I didn’t see it coming in the other books, especially the way these worlds are interwoven through one another. It reminds me of the many books I love from Tijan like Ryan’s Bed, Enemies, The Not-Outcast, Canary and all the rest. They’re all so different but they all give us beautifully complex plots and fascinating, nuanced characters you can’t get out of your head.
