Happy Release Day Excerpt & Review : Playmaker (Moo U #8) by Sierra Hill

 

 

PLAYMAKER by SIERRA HILL

Release Date: June 7, 2021

Moo U Hockey
Cover Design: Christine Coffey

There’s no faking it in love or hockey...

Transferring to a new school under false pretenses is harder than I expected, especially when my cocky new housemate, Callan Thomas, annoys me at every pass. He’s treated like a god and revered by everyone on campus. Too bad he made me feel like a rejected fool the first night we met.

But that doesn’t stop me from accepting his offer to become his fake girlfriend, because he has skills that I need. Only Callan can help me improve my game and make the USA women’s hockey team.

I try to keep despising him, but he keeps proving my first impression was wrong. And the more time I spend with him, the more complex my feelings become. I need to tell him the truth about who I really am before anyone finds out and things go too far.

Problem is, I think they already have...

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Excerpt

It’s like the cap has been unscrewed from a bottle of soda, because inside me the fizz and excitement of talking with this beautiful and captivating girl bubbles through my blood.

I offer my hand between us. “People call me Church. What’s your name?”

She raises her eyes to me, extending her arm to place her warm hand inside my palm, where I gently cup it in mine. She’s soft and warm and I know her prickly attitude is a defense meant to throw me off.

“I’m Aria. And Is Church your last name?”

I tip my head to the side, cocking an eyebrow. “You’ve never heard of me?”

Most people at the school know who I am. Hockey is a big deal around these parts and the Moo U hockey team is royalty. Unless she’s new or a freshman, she’d certainly know who I am. And based on the statement on her tank top, she knows hockey.

By deduction, that must mean she’s new or lying, but I can’t figure out her angle or what she’d gain.

She could just be messing with me as a joke. Maybe she was sent by one of the guys to prank me.

Aria shakes her head, some of her golden-spun hair spilling over her shoulder.

“I’m new to Burlington University this semester. In fact, I just arrived today.”

I laugh. “Well, welcome. And please don’t take this the wrong way, but I need to introduce you to one of the campus colloquialisms. Nobody calls it Burlington University. We refer to it as Moo U.”

She nods curiously, considering the validity of my suggestion, but then seems to think twice about it. “You’re serious? Moo U? Huh. Weird.”

I let out a hearty laugh and raise my hands in surrender. “I swear. Ask anyone. The school is well-known for its agricultural studies. We are in Vermont cow country. Surrounded by dairy farms and apple orchards.”

“Okay, if you say so, Church,” she says drolly, a hint of a smile around her full lips. “So, are you going to tell me why everyone calls you Church?”

I run a hand down my short beard, a reminder I still need to shave it off before the semester starts.

“Well, as you may have guessed, I’m a hockey player. Starting center. And the name was established when I played in juniors, when a kid said playing against me was just liking going to church.” I slap my hands together in a prayer position, giving her my best impression of a dutiful churchgoer. “Because when my opponents faceoff against me, they kneel and pray.”

She laughs in a fit of hysterics at this. Like seriously, full-on belly laugh, clutching at her stomach and throwing her head forward to her knees.

And I realize I think I’ve met my match.

How utterly inconvenient.

 

What I thought about Playmaker

Aria is a transfer student to Moo U and she's excited to get on the ice and play with the women's team. Her end-game is the USA Olympic Team, but with her family scandal she doesn't know if that will impact her chances. So she's using her mother's maiden name so she's not associated with her father's scandal. She meets Church/Callan at a her first party when he steps in and saves her from the advances of a drunken teammate. There's definite sparks from the start between them.

Callan is a cocky hockey player (is there any other?) and he's sworn off women after a situation that keeps following him around. Aria almost makes him break his no woman rule, and things get way more complicated when they discover they are actually roommates. But there is still a spark between them and when Aria needs help with her hockey skills and Church needs help with his situation, a deal is struck between them.

There's plenty of spark between Aria and Callan and I immediately loved these two together. It does take some time for them to really get together and they also develop a friendship, which I liked about this story. I did think there were some additional factors, such as Aria's anxiety issues that didn't add anything to the story besides giving them an excuse to get physical. I didn't think the story needed that.

The unresolved conflict they must deal with toward the end of the story is predictable and easily addressed with communication and some honesty. I was glad the author did not drag this out, and I loved how Callan responded to some real talk from Aria's friend Sophie.

Overall, I really liked this story. It's a quick and easy read, with a nice dose of hockey action.

 And there's more out today from Moo U! 

Snowballed by Melanie Ting

Release Date: June 7, 2021
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Moo U Hockey
Cover Design: Christine Coffey

She needs Prince Farming . . . but she got me instead.

Sure, life’s been easy for me. Growing up in an oceanside house in SoCal, playing top-level college hockey, driving a luxury car with a generous allowance—sounds like the dream, right? Turns out what I didn’t have was freedom. And when I decided to transfer to Moo U for my last year of hockey, my controlling father cut me off. 

No money, no car, no friends. I’m just another student struggling to make ends meet. The only place I can afford to live is the Meyers’ farm, where I’ll work in exchange for room and board. Farm work is so exhausting that I don’t even have time to wallow in the crappy turn my life has taken. Zoe Meyers is a hot blonde Amazon with all the energy of a chipmunk on crack. And her positivity is making me realize how lucky I really am, even though I’m broke. Too bad she’s not impressed by a guy who can’t figure out which end of a goat to milk.

Because suddenly I want to impress her. I want to do a lot more with her too . . . if I can get her out of the barn and into my arms.

GOALKEEPER by Andi Burns

Release Date: June 7, 2021
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Moo U Hockey
Cover Design: Christine Coffey

Winning games has always been his focus, but will winning her heart become the ultimate goal?

Everyone at Moo U knows the party doesn’t start until Paige Underwood arrives. Not only is she beautiful, she’s fun and charming too. Guys want to date her, and girls want to be her best friend. All Paige wants is to have a good time and make videos for her beauty channel--and maybe get that girl down the hall to do her eyeliner correctly. Is that too much to ask? 

According to her parents, yes. They’ve said the party’s over and that it’s time to get focused.

Spencer Briggs knows all about focus. He’s had one goal since he set foot on the ice as a kid: make it to the NHL. After years of hard work and endless practice, he’s the starting goalie for Moo U and mere steps away from his dream. He can’t afford distractions, and isn’t interested in relationships. And he definitely can’t afford to flirt back with the gorgeous girl in his lit class. 

He needs to stay serious. She needs to get serious. But now serious sparks are flying . . .