Game Changer
Bomb Squad Series – Book 3
By Melissa Cutler
Synopsis
Welcome to Destiny Falls, New York, home of Bomb Squad–an ice hockey team full of rugged military heroes. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has the team captain packing his bags for greener pastures, but saying good-bye to the woman who’d captured his heart is easier said than done…
After being wounded in combat, Brandon Theroux lives every day like it’s his last. He never could have imagined that the sleek mechanics of his prosthetic leg would open so many doors, including minor celebrity status as a fitness model and a well-earned reputation as a rakish playboy. The only door it hasn’t opened is the one to Harper Johnson’s bedroom.
Harper has too much self-respect to join the ranks of Brandon’s “carpe diem” conquests, but when she needs someone to keep the peace in the tavern she owns, Brandon offers his help–as long as she agrees to a very tempting trade. It isn’t long before the two realize that a deal struck between friends who can’t keep their hands off each other has the potential to be a whole lot hotter than either of them is prepared to handle…
Tracey’s Review
Harper Johnson and Brandon Theroux have what you might call a ‘complicated’ relationship. Harper, local bar owner, and Brandon, decorated war veteran and captain of the local hockey team, have spent years dancing around each other, constantly fanning the flame of their attraction to each other. When life-changing events arise in each of their lives, will the spark grow or quietly go out?
I started reading this book and I could NOT put it down. Melissa Cutler has taken a very real, very sobering subject, and woven it into a story about love, passion, and finding that person inside yourself that you’re truly destined to be. I absolutely felt that the ‘heavy’ subject matter only made Harper and Brandon and their relationship more real. They are working through things that many of us face, and their long journey to a place of self-acceptance, finding their bliss, and opening themselves to the reality that has been a long time coming is well worth the read. I am a sucker for a friends to lovers read, and when there is enough angst and growth to make it a little harder to get to that place, even better. The chemistry between Harper and Brandon is white-hot, but it’s the evolution of their relationship, the blossoming of a true friendship, that had my heart. And, I’m not gonna lie, the sexy time here, oh, my goodness, break out the fan! Saying that the love scenes are steamy is not doing this book justice, and Brandon might just be one of my new favorite BBFs. I loved seeing his growth as he realizes what will truly make him happy. And Harper’s strength, her journey to a place of true peace, is so uplifting, and a lesson in a follow-your-bliss, take no prisoners approach to life. The addition of a quirky, loveable, unique cast of supporting characters make for a group of folks that seem like a lot of fun to be around, and make me eager to read more about them all.
Game Changer is a book with plenty of heart, passion, and soul, and turned out to be a gem of a read that I couldn’t recommend more. I easily give it 5 stars, and look forward to reading more books by Melissa Cutler.
***ARC Received from Penguin Group via NetGalley for an honest review***
Michel’s Review
I absolutely love the Bomb Squad series. This series not only gives the reader a sizzling hot romance, it also gives the reader a deep and meaningful story that is realistic. It touches on many emotions and insecurities that we all possess. It taps into their greatest fears as well as their greatest triumphs. This series features the wounded heroes that sacrificed a part of themselves for our country. Now they are home and learning to live with their losses. They are trying to make a new “normal” in their lives. They are trying to put the war in the past and move forward. Each character has a story that is going to win the readers over.
Game Changer is a friends to lovers kind of romance. Both Harper and Brandon fought hard to overcome their issues. Their love for one another was astounding.
Once again Melissa Cutler has delivered another fantastic book!
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The Bomb Squad Series
Risky Business – Book 1
Welcome to Destiny Falls, New York, home of Bomb Squad–an ice hockey team full of rugged military heroes. But the season’s biggest match-up isn’t on the ice as one of their own prepares to go head to head with his new boss…
Allison Whitely’s ex left her with a mountain of debt and Cloud Nine, a struggling boat rental business. With zero job skills, her only hope of getting back in the black lies in a brooding ex-soldier who has her seeing red…
Theo Lacroix’s teammates are counting on their star player to help them win an upcoming high profile hockey game. But when a sexy tornado of a woman sweeps into Destiny Falls and expects him to help her with Cloud Nine, Theo is tempted to skate away from it all.
Theo vowed never again to be someone’s knight in shining armor, but his feelings–and desire–for Allison are becoming harder to ignore. He longs to save her, but to win Allison’s love, he’ll have to throw out his old playbook and take the ultimate risk…playing from the heart.
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes
Undefeated – Book 2
Welcome to Destiny Falls, New York, home of Bomb Squad—an ice hockey team full of rugged military heroes. The team’s battling a losing streak, but the season’s biggest game changer is one player’s second chance with the one who got away…
Yoga instructor Marlena Brodie is always up for a challenge, and her new job of snapping Bomb Squad out of their rut is definitely that, even though it means being in close contact with Liam McAllister, her high school crush gone bad. She can feel the damage pouring off of him—but also a wild and sexy strength that calls to her.
The Army turned Liam McAllister into a man, but as a combat medic, he saw far too much to ever be whole again. He’s not interested in the civilian world beyond his job as a carpenter, but he never stopped wondering what might have been with Marlena—and it isn’t long before she’s crashed through his carefully constructed walls. He longs for a new beginning with her, but to be the man she deserves, he’ll have to step out of his defensive zone and score the most important play of his life…
Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes
Game Changer – Book 3
Welcome to Destiny Falls, New York, home of Bomb Squad–an ice hockey team full of rugged military heroes. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has the team captain packing his bags for greener pastures, but saying good-bye to the woman who’d captured his heart is easier said than done…
After being wounded in combat, Brandon Theroux lives every day like it’s his last. He never could have imagined that the sleek mechanics of his prosthetic leg would open so many doors, including minor celebrity status as a fitness model and a well-earned reputation as a rakish playboy. The only door it hasn’t opened is the one to Harper Johnson’s bedroom.
Harper has too much self-respect to join the ranks of Brandon’s “carpe diem” conquests, but when she needs someone to keep the peace in the tavern she owns, Brandon offers his help–as long as she agrees to a very tempting trade. It isn’t long before the two realize that a deal struck between friends who can’t keep their hands off each other has the potential to be a whole lot hotter than either of them is prepared to handle…
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Author Bio:
Melissa Cutler knows she has the best job in the world, dividing her time between her dual passions for writing sexy contemporary romances and edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense for Harlequin, Penguin, and Kensington Books.
She was struck at an early age by an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she’s not globetrotting, she’s enjoying Southern California’s flip-flop wearing weather and wrangling two rambunctious kids.
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