Crashing the Net by Jami Davenport
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Having read Crashing the Boards and seeing how Cooper and Izzy met, I was excited to be able to queue Crashing the Net
up on my Kindle and begin it immediately. I have to give Ms. Davenport her due for introducing scenarios within this book that I don’t typically encounter in a sports romance. They not only kept the book from being formulaic, but also kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, and glued to my Kindle. I’m accustomed to my pulse racing while reading this genre because testosterone fueled athletes tend to engage in some rather aggressive sex scenes – and Cooper did not disappoint – but I am not used to my pulse racing in fear for the characters’ welfare, anger on their behalf, or concern that they’re not going to get the happy ending. One of the many things I enjoyed about Crashing the Net was that the author was able to fully develop Cooper and Izzy’s characters – despite them breaking up within the first few pages of the book. As their stories unfold, we learn that both have baggage from their past and it’s caused them both to be so fearful of getting hurt that they’ve held back emotionally, including within their fledgling relationship with one another. While pride and trust issues prevent them from trying to repair their rift, the arrival of Cooper’s nephew Riley gives Cooper the opening he needs to get Izzy back into his life. I loved how feisty Izzy was and that she refused to fawn all over Cooper. She had no problem calling him out on his actions, especially those regarding Riley. Even though Cooper kept reminding himself that he wanted to settle down with a woman like his mother (quiet and agreeable yet strong), it was Izzy’s independence and feistiness that drew him to her. That she matched him sexually was icing on the cake for Cooper and the reader because those two are hot enough to melt ice.
Oddly enough, their on-again, off-again relationship status didn’t drive me bonkers. For this particular couple, it works. I’m not sure if it was because circumstances kept them in one another’s life and thus on friendly terms that caused it to work, or if it was because their breakups didn’t feel like one of them was being overly dramatic about a situation, or what. Or maybe it was because when push came to shove and one of them really needed the other, they were there. The introduction of new characters and the continued development of Cooper’s teammates provide a plethora of candidates for future installments in the Game On In Seattle series and I am hoping that Cedric will be featured sooner rather than later. But regardless of who the next book is about, I know I’ll be reading it because Ms. Davenport has secured her spot on my must-read author list.
Check out the Crashing the Net Blog Tour post on Wicked Reads.
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is a sweet and sexy novella which introduces fans of the Seattle Sockeyes to the team captain Cooper Black. We get a quick glimpse into the locker room as the players learn the news about the team’s sale and impending move to Seattle. If you’ve already read Skating on Thin Ice, as I have, you are familiar with a few of the characters and this will feel like a quick trip to the past because the scenes in this novella occurred at the same time. But rather than a rehashing of the same events, Crashing the Boards shows readers the night that Cooper and Izzy met. Because the bulk of the story occurs during the party, the connection is quick and the attraction electric. This is not an insta-love situation but rather a boy-meets-girl, boy-feels-tricked-by-girl, and boy-decides-he-wants-to-date girl story. Quite simply, it is the tale of their first meeting with a steamy encounter designed to whet your appetite. I read this in preparation for Crashing the Net and now I cannot wait to see where Izzy and Cooper’s relationship goes. Thank goodness my Kindle is all queued up for the rest of their story. 
