Center Ice: Boston Rebels, Book 1 (Unabridged‪)‬

I listened to the audiobook. I'd give the narration by Teddy Hamilton and Andi Arndt five stars. They both did a great job adding more to the story.

The story itself could be read as a stand alone, but it seemed more like it was a later book in a series that I wasn't familiar with. I can see now that it's related to the Frozen Hearts series, also by Julia Connor. I haven't read that one to know how much overlap there is, but I'm wondering if it's more of a continuation of that series. I would give the story without the narration 4 stars.

I received a copy of the audiobook at my request, and the options here are my own.

This is a fantastic second chance sports romance novel and I am not sure how it is my first Julia Connors book, but it certainly won’t be my last because she is on my radar now. The story not only grabbed my attention right from the start and captivated it straight to the end, but tugged at my heartstrings the entire time, too. Drew, a professional hockey player, and because of his mother’s declining health, being traded to his hometown team could not come at a better time. He was not expecting to run into his tutor from college, one he had a fling with, but that was not the only surprise. Aubrey, a single mom of a five-year-old boy, Graham, never mentioned who the father was because she never thought she would see him again. But now he was back in Boston and her brother had a hand in bringing him here. She called Drew when she first learned of her pregnancy, but he never answered her call or returned her call either. Aubrey followed Drew’s career, and she is not sure how he is going to fit in to her and her son’s lives. Drew is not the same person she heard about in the media, and he is trying to be a better person and curb his fighting ways. He also has a lot more on his plate, trying to play his best on the ice so he could stay with the team and taking care of his mom, but he would never walk away from his son and he soon realizes that he does not want to walk away from Aubrey either, if only she would let him in. The chemistry between these two was undeniable and smoking hot. I loved all the layers of the story and how it all played out with a perfect balance of drama, angst, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. The writing, plot and world building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. Julia Connors, thank you for this fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Andi Arndt and Teddy Hamilton did a fabulous job bringing these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that was fitting. I loved how they took each role and made it their own, sounding believable and just as I imagined the characters to sound. Hamilton was perfectly swoon worthy as Drew, grasping every aspect of his personality, including caring side and his struggles. Arndt did the same as Aubrey, showcasing her strength and fierceness. Both were just as amazing performing the roles of the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and head your feeling each one. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their performance elevates the already fantastic story to another level. Thank you for another fabulous listen.

Center Ice was a cute second-chance, secret baby romance from a new-to-me author.

Five years ago, before Drew got drafted to the NHL and moved away, he had a fling with his college math tutor, Audrey. Now he's back in town... and discovers that he has a young son. While this story was enjoyable, albeit predictable, I felt like there was more smut than substance. I wanted to see more between Drew, Audrey and Graham than I did. I felt I was *told* more than I was *shown* -- and this book had a great premise and a lot of promise, so I was a bit disappointed.

But... I listened to this on audio, so I got to hear my fave, Teddy Hamilton, along with Andi Arndt. And I will listen to Teddy read anything.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.