ROOKIE MOVE

Hockey forward Leo Trevi is picked up by the newest NHL franchise, the Brooklyn Bruisers, but he’s not sure his skating talent will mean much considering that the team’s publicist is the woman who broke his heart and the coach is her disapproving father.

After a tragedy her senior year of high school, Georgia Worthington broke up with Leo, the boy she loved, on graduation day and never looked back. Now 24, she has her dream job as senior publicist for the Bruisers, and she wants nothing more than to hold onto it. Her reputation as an ice queen doesn’t bother her—she’s not interested in the players, hot as they may be. She’s been lukewarm toward men for years and, though she won’t admit it, has never really gotten over Leo. So when her father is named the team's head coach and Leo is signed, things get complicated. Leo makes it clear early on that he’s still interested, and her dad makes it clear that he has a grudge against her ex, which makes no sense since Leo was her rock and a true champion when the unthinkable happened all those years ago. Unfortunately, Leo and Georgia’s attraction becomes team news, and not only does it fuel her father’s animosity toward Leo, it also potentially threatens her job, since a publicist should never bethe news. Plus, Leo and Georgia have never dealt with the issues that drove them apart in the first place, which left Leo confused and Georgia guilty. And then there’s the pesky trade deadline, which is always a threat if the coach is determined to get rid of you. The sexual and emotional tension between Georgia and Leo is taut, while their complicated past and present conflicts are potent and heart-wrenching.

Bowen shines in a new hockey series that successfully spins off her highly popular new-adult Ivy Years titles.