Undefeated

The Bomb Squad Series- Book 2

By Melissa Cutler

Synopsis

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…

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Michel’s Review

When I chose the ARC copy of Undefeated, I thought I was getting a light hearted sports romance with the typical story line. I love any kind of book that is based upon a hockey team and their players. What I didn’t count on was getting a deep, emotional book that dealt with some heavy issues. Needless to say, this book was a rewarding surprise. I enjoyed every single word, the complex characters, and the emotional angst they experienced.

Liam McAllister has come back from the war with a severe case of PTSD. He served as medic for three tours in Afghanistan. He is haunted by the memories of soldiers he couldn’t save, the soldiers that were maimed for life, and the atrocities committed against innocent civilians. He can’t get these horrific memories out of his head and it is affecting his life. He has become anti social, aggressive, withdrawn, and very uncomfortable around crowds. He is not assimilating back into civilian life very well. He is struggling to survive his daily life and routines. The one thing that is helping him is being a member of the Bomb Squad Hockey Team.

The Bomb Squad Hockey team is a recreational community team compiled of wounded veterans. Some are missing limbs, some are suffering from PTSD, and all of them have some kind of issue. Their former war experiences have bonded them together. They are more than teammates. They are brothers. Hockey is more than a sport for them. It is an outlet that allows them to vent their aggression, pent up hostilities, and antsy feelings on the ice rather than in their personal lives. It is their therapy.

Marlena Brodie is a yoga instructor. She is a very spiritual person. She understands PTSD because she suffers from her own version of it. She was attacked as a child. She has embraced the wholesome new age lifestyle as a means to dealing with her memories. When she meets Liam she recognizes a kindred soul. She understands him more than he understands himself. She can deal with his outbursts, bad attitude, and triggers. She truly sees the real man that he is beneath all of the pain and suffering. She stands by him and helps him deal with the emotional scars he carries.

Liam and Marlena are perfect for one another. Their relationship goes beyond the explosive sexual chemistry. They are both very aware of their own issues but also aware of each other’s pain. They have an unique understanding of each other. They lend each other their strengths. They support their weaknesses. They soothe the pain. They give each other the kind of love that heals the soul. They have learned to set aside their own issues and put the other ones needs first. That is the true meaning of love.

Melissa Cutler wrote a beautiful emotional story. Not only were the main characters compelling, the secondary characters each had a story. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. These wounded warrior hockey players have captured my heart.

The Bomb Squad Series

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.

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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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