G. K. Brady

If you’ve already read or listened to the engaging, swoon-worthy Playmakers series by author G. K. Brady, you know who Marty and Claudia are: the perfect Colorado Blizzard coach with the wonderful wife and terrific kids, the happily married couple who can’t keep their eyes and hands off each other even if they are now almost “oldsters.” But there’s a heart-stopping, heart-breaking, heart-warming story about how they became that contented couple, and Line Change is it. (If you haven’t listened to the series yet, get going, start anywhere. The beginning is the best but all the stories will bewitch you.)

The story starts with the mother of “what-if’s.” If any teeny, tiny thing had gone differently that first night . . . but it didn’t. Marty and childhood best friend Zach are at college on hockey scholarships. Claudia is also on a scholarship to become a teacher. The boys meet Claudia and her best friend Meghan one night at a local hangout. Claudia is stunning so both he and Zach notice her, but Marty’s reaction the first time he sets his eyes on Claudia is like a Shakespeare love sonnet: her smile, her eyes, everything about her is sunshine, flowers, sunbeams. He’s enchanted, overcome with wonder. He can barely look at her or croak out a word. Which doesn’t bode well for the college-boy bet Zach talked him into about who would end up with Claudia. Meghan and Zach are too similar and don’t hit it off. Claudia misinterprets Marty’s inability to function around her as interest in Meghan, so shifts her attention to Zach. What if? What if?? What if??? Even though little what if’s will pop into Claudia’s head for a long time, Zach says Claudia is the one for him and Marty is too good a friend to Zach to let his true feelings show.

A bittersweet byproduct of Zach and Claudia together is the development of a deep, true friendship between her and Marty. She trusts him, feels comfortable and safe. They spend a lot of time together and he is just happy to be near her. She makes him feel so alive, even if she is unattainable.

Although Marty and Zach have been best friends since childhood, they are opposites. Zach is that guy everybody notices – handsome, charming, talented, bigger than life. You want to be in his circle and it’s not until you’re there that you realize there’s not much behind that façade. Not much truthfulness or sincerity or honesty. But the charm almost always allows him to talk his way out of it. Marty is also handsome, charming, and talented but he’s not bigger than life. Instead, he’s solid and steadfast. He’s the guy you don’t notice until one day you think, “Where has he been hiding all this time?” And with Marty you get an overabundance of truthfulness, sincerity and honesty.

Zach is an incredible hockey player, making it to the NHL in record time while Marty struggles. It’s soon obvious to everyone except Claudia with her he-swears-he-loves-me blinders on and Marty with his I-owe-my-best-bud-from-childhood-the-benefit-of-the-doubt denial firmly in place, that Zach is overindulging himself in every aspect of his life. Claudia’s blinders shift a tiny bit to the side and she makes Marty promise he will tell her if Zach every actually strays instead of just skating on the edge. When Zach in fact does the unthinkable on the eve of his wedding, Marty is torn: stand by his childhood best friend who insists it will never happen again, or tell his best friend, the woman he loves, and put her through needless misery if in fact Zach is sincere. So Marty makes his choice, and it’s the wrong one because most things don’t stay hidden forever. When Zach is still Zach and Claudia finds out about the past and that Marty and others knew, she shuts him completely out of her life. So not only is Claudia heartbroken and humiliated anyway, but Marty has also lost his best friend.

Years pass, life goes on. Marty is a successful coach. And one day, when he has to take one of his players to the hospital, the unbelievable miracle happens: that blond nurse turns around and it’s Claudia. There are those sonnets again. Marty is literally speechless.

At this point in the story, just go and get yourself a cup of coffee, a box of tissues, and some ice for when you need to cool down. If you haven’t already been trying to listen to Line Change straight through you definitely aren’t going to take your earbuds out now. You’re in this until the end. Not kidding. Listening to the back and forth, the regrets, the apologies, the uncertainty, the hope . . . will this second chance live up to the dreams? Are there too many scars for it to survive?

Every Playmakers Series story I read becomes my current favorite. I love all the guys – Beckett, Gage, TJ, Mac, Blake, they’re all big tough guys with gushy hearts. Marty was just the coach to respect and admire. But now - Line Change is going to be my all-time favorite and Marty is #1. His heart is so true to Claudia, his devotion so strong and complete, apparent in every word he utters and every action he takes, even when he messes up. This is second chance romance at its best. Author G. K. Brady does a fantastic job of portraying the angst, the conflict, the emotions, the tension that even though it says “hockey romance” right in the title and you’re pretty sure of where it’s going, you can’t help but worry, want to shout at the characters to get things right. A very satisfying story and a welcome addition to the series that fills in the blanks about a special couple.

Thanks to Home Cooked Books and the author for providing an advance listening copy of Line Change. The narrators are amazing and listening is the best way to savor this story. Ryan Lee Dunlap IS Marty; the warmth, the frustration, the sorrow, the love and the absolute wonder and joy when he thinks Claudia may someday be his. He always gives such a marvelous performance that I know in advance I’ll love any audiobook he narrates. Aubrey Vincent perfectly captures Claudia’s fear and disappointment and anger, horror and humiliation when she finally sees the true Zach, as well as the wonder and relief when she and Marty meet again. Wonderful book, wonderful narrators, highly recommend. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (mehr)

Okay, I admit it. I am in love with author G. K. Brady’s hockey romance series and with every single one of those hockey players. Read just one, and you’ll agree with me. And also, believe me when I say you won’t be able to stop at just one.

T. J. Shanstrom is an enforcer, that really big guy who shakes things up on the ice, who knocks opposing players down, plows over them, takes them out. He’d like to expand his role and actually make plays, but he’s been put into the enforcer role and he’s good at it. He was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes from the Colorado Blizzard, and things are going okay. Okay, that is, until his coach sends him the word to take out Kevin May and things go horribly wrong. Kevin hits his head on the ice and goes into a coma, and it’s T. J. who is blamed. And suspended through the rest of the season and the playoffs. Neither his coach nor anyone in management comes to his defense and says this play was ordered, nor does anyone notice that Kevin hit his head when other players fell on him, not when T. J. knocked him down. T. J. is hung out to dry. Fans hate him, his teammates shun him, his lukewarm relationship with his girlfriend erodes further.

As if that’s not bad enough, T. J. is summarily traded back to the Blizzard. Which, by the way, is where Kevin is in a rehab facility in Denver. Gage Nelson is traded along with T. J. and Gage is the only one of his teammates who will stand up for him. Fans everywhere seem to hate him, and the Blizzard players shun him, too. Bright spot: Coach Marty LeBrun (the best coach in the world, just saying) recognizes that T. J. could potentially expand his game beyond strictly enforcer and has him working on that, along with many, many, many, many charitable projects, since he still can’t play in games.

Bigger bright spot: When T. J. goes to the hospital to see how Kevin is doing (no-no from his lawyer, of course) he sees a woman in the parking lot. Cue the halo of sunshine around her and the orchestra playing.

Dimmer switch on the big bright spot: The woman is Natalie, Kevin May’s girlfriend. Oh, oh. Kevin and Natalie were just at the beginning of their relationship when he was hurt; she hadn’t moved into considering it serious but now?? What’s the protocol here? How can she just dump him, but how can she stay and further a relationship that was so new?

Natalie Foster is not a weak, weepy, whiny, wilting woman by any means, but she has had some tough breaks. And trying to navigate a barely started relationship with Kevin after his injury is just one of them. Not quite sure how she feels about Kevin long-term and having his ex-wife in her face just piles on to the emotions she’s already dealing with about her job change, failed former relationship, shaky finances. She doesn’t know who T. J. is, and at first he has no clue she’s Kevin’s (kind of) girlfriend. He just sees a woman having car trouble, who seems upset, sad, uncertain. A woman who draws him to her like a magnet. He doesn’t think she can’t take care of herself, but everything about her just seems to shout, “HELP!” and his Sir Galahad comes out. Once he learns who she is, he blames himself for ruining “the life she would have had with Kevin” and determines to do everything he can to help her – while hiding who he is, of course. How could that ever go wrong, hmm?

This is going to be fun, isn’t it? Except keeping secrets really never works out that well. T. J. almost instantly falls in love with Natalie; he just can’t help himself but he also can’t seem to find the perfect time to tell her the truth. She’s drawn to him as well but feels guilty about it, and while she keeps guessing the details wrong she senses he’s hiding something. So along with the fun there is probably going to be a lot of hurt and anger and confusion mixed in for a while.

Third Man In is amazing. Serious topics, hard times, difficult issues. But throw in a dog T. J. adopts so he can hire Natalie to watch it so she’ll have steady income. Add that he impulsively names the dog Ford because he panicked when asked and he just happened to look at a passing car and you won’t be able to stop laughing. Throw in how sweet he can be in his attempts to take care of her and sharing childhood secrets he’d never revealed before and you’ll be loudly sighing and patting your heart. Add in his connection to a local amateur sports team made up of disabled men and you’ll be grabbing for the tissues. Paige and Beckett are back, Coach LeBrun and Claudia are there, and Gage Nelson is someone you’ll want to know more about. What’s up with that quiet guy who keeps to himself? What’s he holding in? The story is funny and sweet but the thread as T. J. continues to try to clear his name will rile you up. Kevin’s story is sad yet heartwarming. There are some steamy bits you won’t want to miss, either and you might need a little fan for those.

I received an advance listening copy of Third Man In from Home Cooked Books. Listening instead of reading these stories is the icing (pun, sorry) on the cake. Tor Thom is a favorite narrator, with a giant voice so deep, gruff, gravelly, and sexily commanding that I always forget – and am delighted to be reminded – how sweet, lost, hurt and uncertain he can also be. He is the perfect T. J. Shanstrom and just brings him to life. Whitton Frank immerses you into all of Natalie’s emotions: sassy, sweet, smart, fearless but scared, and falling, falling, falling for T. J. I really did love this story; it just took me away to the world of hockey, the good and the bad, and submerged me into a sweet, sometimes hilarious, love story voiced by outstanding narrators. Listen to Third Man In. Listen to the series. You’ll love it. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (mehr)

G. K. Brady’s Playmaker Series gets off to a spectacular start with Taming Beckett. It’s sweet and spicy, serious and frivolous, heartbreaking and romantic. Characters with depth: history and backstories and experiences that have shaped them into who they are today, but maybe they don’t want to be that person anymore. Witty dialogue, great word-building and enough will-they-won’t-they that will make you keep those earbuds in your ears until you find out.

Beckett Miller is your classic bad boy. Talented athlete, devastatingly good looking and rich enough to get anything he wants and to get away with anything. Until now. He’s disregarded rules and customs and just plain good behavior one time too many, and his hockey career is hanging by a thread. He’s become arrogant and reckless, and all those adoring women just want what his money can buy. And he’s bought a lot: cars, jewelry, clothes, houses, businesses – and a lot of drugs and a lot of parties. It all comes crashing down at once. A woman he’s with overdoses and almost dies. The business and financial managers he trusts have stolen from him. Yes, it’s his own fault. He should have paid attention. He should have cleaned up his act a long time ago. But for all his big body and big smile and big personality, there is also a vulnerability about him. Right away we want to see things work out for him. After he mends his ways, of course.

Paige Anderson is not just a realtor; she has ideas and vision, her goal for her company is to develop properties, repair and restore homes so they sell, so everyone involved in the transactions is happy. She’s married, but what was once a close, loving relationship with a man a few years older who adored her has become distant and cold. Adrian travels for work more than he’s home. When he is home he has little time for her, no cuddle time, and criticizes her hair, her body, ridicules her efforts and belittles her business. Any confidence she feels at work does not extend to her marriage. She just assumes it’s all her fault and she needs to fix it, but she’s blindsided by the revelation that Adrian is cheating and has been for quite a while.

Two very unhappy people, Beckett and Paige. Different circumstances, different reasons but the future doesn’t look bright for either of them. Well, turns out Beckett and Paige knew each other in college, and Fate has decided to bring them together again. The first scene where they reconnect is hilarious, even if Beckett doesn’t even recognize her. The moment these two are thrown together again the story takes off and never slows down. There is instant chemistry but just as much resistance, caution, uncertainty and fear. Beckett is dragging a lot of baggage around and isn’t sure he can ever be the kind of man he should be. He lost his mother at a young age and blames himself. He doesn’t think his mother would be proud of what he’s done, who he’s become but he is lost. Paige’s free-spirited, unreliable mother has always been reluctant to discuss her father, says he was never in the picture and didn’t want to be. Couple that with Paige’s betrayal by her husband and her brain will not allow trust to enter where Beckett is concerned.

But as readers and listeners we know better, don’t we? They are adorable together. How different might things have been if she had agreed to go out with him in college? We’ll never know, but now she does agree to sell his house and they end up spending a lot of time with each other. As friends of course. Listening to old classic 60s and 70s songs, watching sports and movies “together” on their phones when he’s on the road, and talking, talking, talking, talking. There’s a lot happening, including surprises and complications, mistrust, heartbreak, a lot of humor and some moments so, so sweet that your hand will immediately fly over your heart.

Thanks to author G. K. Brady for providing an audiobook of Taming Beckett. I enjoyed it so much; you can read any of wonderful books in the series in any order, but going back to the beginning is how you should do it. The narration was perfect: pacing, voices, immerses you into the story. Taming Beckett has a very satisfying ending, an excellent epilogue, and sets up characters and events you can’t wait to see more of in the prequel and all the rest of the books in the series. Get started now. You’ll love it. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (mehr)

Twisted Wrister is the 7th book in The Playmakers series by G. K. Brady. I listened to No Touch Zone, book 6, not long ago, and I can see now that I need to go back and read or listen to this terrific series from the beginning. Brady is one of those authors that makes you ask, “Why haven’t I read (or listened to) everything in this series, in fact, why haven’t I read everything by this author?? Characters are introduced and reappear – to the reader’s delight – in subsequent books until you have one big happy hockey family. The books are fun and light and silly and sexy. But that’s not all. Difficult situations, serious subjects, heavy emotions are tackled in an oh-so-relatable way.

Twisted Wrister is amazing and perfect for an audiobook. I started listening and couldn’t make myself remove my earbuds. I just had to know what would happen next, just how much more misunderstanding and grief Blake and Michaela would have to go through, if and when their happily-ever-after would show up, how many more ridiculously funny encounters they would have – and, yes, I couldn’t wait for more scorching hot steamy stuff. Bring earbuds, tissues and a fan when you start listening.

Blake Barrett will break your heart. He’s the guy every mother wants her daughter to marry. (Stunningly) good looking, sincere, just the right amount of nerdy, thoughtful, serious but fun. Okay, fine, even though he’s not a player he has been known to succumb to the charms of the occasional Puck Bunny, but down deep he’s a lonely guy trying to do his best at a job he loves, to take care of his very dysfunctional family, and to support his long-time best friend who suddenly seems to have let hockey stardom go right to his head. Blake is such a good guy. So loyal it makes your heart hurt, and so willing to share: his time, his money, his concern – and those fascinating little bits of trivia he never seems to run out of.

Michaela Wagner puts on a good face – and a good pair of glasses – but there’s a lot of insecurity there and a lot she feels she has to prove. Abruptly dumped by the guy she thought was ‘the one’ she decided being a lawyer will be her life, her whole life. Can’t get hurt if you don’t put yourself out there and you can’t advance at the firm if you don’t put in the time. She’s straightforward, honest, hard-working, and blindsided by those with less lofty morals and motives. Wary of being burned again but there’s something about Blake. Can he be real, really care as much as he says? She’s falling and falling hard. She keeps telling herself she’ll just enjoy the fun while it lasts (and boy oh boy is it ever fun), but her heart is hoping for more, much more.

The narration is perfect. The pacing, the tone, the emotions, all there and just right. Scott Rose was a new-to-me narrator and made Blake feel real and believable, just vulnerable enough, sincere, strong and uncertain at the same time, oh-so-sexy and a man wholeheartedly in love. Samantha Brentmoor is a familiar voice and a go-to because I know her performance will be superb. The scene where Blake and Michaela meet is laugh-out-loud funny and made for audio; it showcases just how satisfyingly well these two narrators blended together to become Blake and Michaela.

Thanks to Home Cooked Books and the author for providing an audiobook of Twisted Wrister. It was delightful with just the right amount of serious. I recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (mehr)