Maybe This Love
Colorado Ice, Book #2
By Jennifer Snow
ISBN: 9781455594870
Author’s Website: http://www.jennifersnowauthor.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary: 
Hockey player Ben Westmore has some serious skills—on and off the ice—and he’s not above indulging in the many perks of NHL stardom. When a night in Vegas ends in disaster, he realizes two things: 1) it’s time to lie low for a while, and 2) he needs a lawyer—fast. But the smoking-hot woman who walks into his office immediately tests all his good intentions.
Olivia Davis doesn’t need anyone derailing her career—or her dreams of starting a family—least of all a skirt-chasing player like Ben. But soon he’s unleashing a full-court press to convince her that he’s the real deal. She’s slowly falling for his sweet, rugged charm, but with so much on the line, Olivia has to decide whether Ben can truly change—or if he’s just playing the game.
Review:
Maybe This Love is a charming and entertaining story which had me so engaged that I read the whole book in one day. I just could not stop; it was that good. The writing was engaging, characters vibrant and relatable and who doesn’t love a story about the Stanley Cup finals, eh!
This second book in the Colorado Ice series begins just before the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begin. Ben Westmore (captain of the Colorado Avalanche hockey team) is preparing for the series of his life. It is actually his third run at the cup and he must bring it home this time as he may not have another chance. Ben is a playboy off the ice and his actions this past New Year’s Eve have come back to haunt him. New Year’s Eve his ex-girlfriend (Janelle) gets engaged on television (Ben proposed to Janelle previously but she chose work over Ben). In an effort to forget, Ben gets drunk, hooks up with a woman he does not know (Kristina Sullivan) and gets married. Now to get himself out of this pickle.
Olivia Davis is opposing counsel in the divorce proceedings against Ben Westmore. Olivia has slowly built a reputation for getting the job done for her clients, with the professional athlete dead-beat soon-to-be ex-husband usually paying big time. Olivia is also a single, 36-year-old woman with a goal of becoming a mother, having a baby. Unfortunately, “her passion for her career as a top divorce attorney had left little time for her to have on the traditional way.” She feels that time is running out and she has not met her “Mr. Perfect”. So, Olivia is starting the process of having a family. While she lives in Denver, she travels to Glenwood Falls where the fertility treatment center is located.
What was predictable was that Ben and Olivia would be attracted to each other. After all, being attracted to your clients soon to be ex-husband certainly would be inconvenient (and a possible conflict of interest?). And speaking of inconvenient, this is NOT the time when Ben should be intrigued by a woman….he has a Stanley Cup to bring home after all. He does not need his focus elsewhere.
I do love the way Ben stepped up and wanted to be there for Olivia in her quest for a family of her own. Though I suspect, he would have rather worked through the process the traditional way as opposed to in-vitro. Ben buying a jersey was so sweet and of course, picking up the dress Olivia had purchased from Ben’s sister’s newly opened store and then delivering both to Olivia was so heartfelt.
There are many missteps throughout this budding, forbidden (for a time) relationship. Some hilarious and some very relatable. As Ben and Olivia work towards each other, I had hope that it would work out. I still believe that every good relationship is founded on trust and honesty. So when full disclosure is not forthcoming, you just know there will be a blip in the relationship. Hopefully they can work through it?
The cast of supporting characters are plentiful and not without their own quirky qualities that make you love them! I loved Ben’s mom, Beverly Westmore. She is definitely a pistol who speaks her own mind. The instant bond and camaraderie with Olivia at the fundraising dinner for the Colorado Center for Children was priceless.
When the relationship ran into difficulties, Ben pulled at my heartstrings while he was trying to win back Olivia:
“Please. Give me a chance to prove that I can be the person you believed I was and a good father to this child, a good husband to you.”
“You’re the first woman to be in here…but even if you weren’t, you’d still be far more beautiful than even my best dreams.” Her forehead wrinkled. “You’ve never had anyone else in here?” “No.” He and Janelle had shared one of the other bedrooms in the house, but not this one, not this bed. This was his bedroom, the one he’d moved into after Janelle left. And he’d never brought another woman back to his place before. It was too personal, too committal. Yet, he hadn’t thought twice about bringing Olivia there.”
In contrast to many romances I have read, this novel seemed to have added depth, which really added to my enjoyment of the book. And let us not forget the hunky hockey players…that never hurts as well!
Having now read and been captivated by Maybe This Love, in the Colorado Ice series by Jennifer Snow, I can hardly wait for the next book in the series, Maybe This Summer.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
