Overtime by Toni Aleo

Series: Assassins Series #7

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Down and out with an injury keeping him away from the game, Assassins’ defenseman Jordie Thomas lives for the blades of his skates on the ice and the feeling of oblivion off it. With no choice but to heal, he’s forced away from the sport that runs through his veins. With everything at stake and darkness setting in, he quickly finds himself spiraling even further out of control. As his life begins to come crashing down around him and his contract with the Nashville Assassins on the line, he’s given an ultimatum. Ready or not, Jordie is forced to face his past, the fears that consume him, and the one woman he let walk away.

Kacey King had her professional dreams come true, yet her heart was battered and broken. With an Olympic gold medal around her neck, she’s ready to look forward to the future but without the one man she wanted in it. She’s missing the key pieces of her heart she left months ago with the only person who was capable of destroying it, causing her to falter in all her plans to move on.

>In the game of life, there are winners and losers, and neither Jordie nor Kacey want to be on the losing bench. If only Jordie could convince Kacey he’s a changed man and that he wants her right by his side as his MVP for the biggest and best parts of a life they build together. With emotions running high and the game on the line, can two proud people find happiness with each other, or will their hearts and souls be left in the cold? Will they see that sometimes having someone by your side who knows the good, bad, and broken is better than going it alone and losing everything through the back of the net? They are out of time on the game clock and fighting for the win of their lives.

But overtime was made for an Assassin like Jordie.

Toni Aleo is the author of the Nasvhille Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, Falling for the Backup, and Blue Lines.

When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she’s probably going to her husband’s and son’s hockey games and her daughter’s dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel.

She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children, and a bulldog. Read more about Toni here.

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Michel’s Review

I am a huge fan of the Assassin Series by Toni Aleo.  This series features a professional hockey team with charismatic players that touch your heart.  Overtime is the seventh book in this series and it is another record breaking goal.

I have to say that Overtime was a hard book for me.  It deals with alcoholism.  Having come from a home affected by this disease I could easily relate to the recovery process and the ongoing battles.

Jordie Thomas has been out of the season due to an injury.  Hockey is his entire life or so he thinks.  Jordie uses his sport as a way of coping with his messed up life.  He came from a pretty horrific abusive background.  He was grossly neglected.  He has a lot of demons that haunt him.  Another way Jordie has learned to cope is with liquor, partying, and sex.  But this time around his drinking and partying has gotten out of control.  His position on the team is at risk unless he gets help.  He is forced to go to rehab.  He is forced to face his demons.  He is forced to face himself.  He is forced to admit that he is an alcoholic. He has to make amends and admit he is in deeply love with a woman that he carelessly hurt.

Jordie has realized what he lost when he carelessly let Kacey King go.  He convinced himself that he should not be messing around with his best friend’s little sister.  He has convinced himself that he isn’t good enough for Kacey.  Deep down he loves her with his entire heart and soul.

Once Jordie goes through rehab and faced his demons he realizes that he needs to get Kacey back in his life.  He wants to be a better man for her.  He wants to love her with his entire being.  He wants her to be his future.  He will have to prove he is worthy of this woman.

The meat of this story is Jordie’s journey.  Admitting to being an alcoholic is the hardest step.  Learning to forgive himself and accept his mistakes is hard.  As we all know there are 12 Steps to becoming sober.  It was heartbreaking and uplifting witnessing Jordie go through this journey.  He had a very solid support system along the way.   His sincerity was commendable.

Kacey on the other hand was a hard pill to swallow.  She came across as a needy, immature, and self centered woman.  She was so wrapped up in how Jordie hurt her that she forgot what made her fall in love with him.  Once she found out Jordie was on the road to recovery she was not as supportive as she should of been.  She was very insecure and insanely jealous.  That is the last thing a recovering alcoholic needs.  I felt like she needed therapy herself.  She definitely needed to be in the Al-anon program in order to support Jordie the way he needed to.

I wish we could of seen more of their previous relationship to understand their deep love for one another.  I had a hard time grasping their love.  This book was very focused on the issues and I felt the couple lost some of their magical chemistry we look for in romance. The deal breaker that kept me from giving this a five star review was Kacey.  She was just too much.

Toni Aleo tackled a very difficult subject and made it real in this book.  I have to commend her with delivery of this story.