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Chinooks Hockey Team #1
Simply Irresistible
Georgeanne Howard leaves her fiancé at the altar when she realizes she can't marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, no matter how rich he is. Hockey superstar John Kowalsky unknowingly helps her escape, and only when it's too late does he realize that he's absconded with his boss's bride. This bad boy isn't looking to be anybody's savior but his own. Still, a long night stretches ahead of them—a night too sultry to resist temptation.
Seven years later, Georgeanne and John meet again. She is on her way to becoming Seattle's domestic darling and he is past his hellraising days. Shocked to learn that he has a daughter, John's determined to be part of her life. Georgeanne has loved John since the moment she jumped into his car, but will he risk the wrath of his boss, and one final chance at glory, to prove that this time his love will be everlasting?
Seven years later, Georgeanne and John meet again. She is on her way to becoming Seattle's domestic darling and he is past his hellraising days. Shocked to learn that he has a daughter, John's determined to be part of her life. Georgeanne has loved John since the moment she jumped into his car, but will he risk the wrath of his boss, and one final chance at glory, to prove that this time his love will be everlasting?
375 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Rachel Gibson
69 books5,301 followersRachel Gibson is a New York times and USAToday bestselling author of 22 books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 909 reviews
November 19, 2010
3.5 STARS
I must admit I was a bit disappointed with this one. Let me explain why. First we had this lame beginning that made me hate the hero for being this number one jerk and then we were presented to a very naive and shallow heroine which only wanted to get married with a rich guy to survive.
I started reading the book thinking I would not like it at all, but then .... surprise... it got so much better! The heroine after getting the lowest she could go in life, decided to start making things right: gets a job and can finally say she's proud with what she became. The hero finally stops drinking (he really had reasons for drinking, not blaming him for it) and became a really interesting character to read about. Then they FINALLY start to get along again which made me the happiest girl alive.
By this point I was thinking this would be an amazing read! But then they fight again... for the most insignificant thing (which could have been easily resolved the very same day if they had wanted)and stay fighting and apart from almost all the book.
That's what bothered me the most. I would have given this book 4,even 5 stars, but I just can't do that when the main characters fight until the 93% of the book (literally) and then magically realized they love each other and wanna be together! I like progressive romances, which I can relate to real life. I don't know, it just didn't make sense for me in that aspect. But the book had some amazing parts.
I must admit I was a bit disappointed with this one. Let me explain why. First we had this lame beginning that made me hate the hero for being this number one jerk and then we were presented to a very naive and shallow heroine which only wanted to get married with a rich guy to survive.
I started reading the book thinking I would not like it at all, but then .... surprise... it got so much better! The heroine after getting the lowest she could go in life, decided to start making things right: gets a job and can finally say she's proud with what she became. The hero finally stops drinking (he really had reasons for drinking, not blaming him for it) and became a really interesting character to read about. Then they FINALLY start to get along again which made me the happiest girl alive.
By this point I was thinking this would be an amazing read! But then they fight again... for the most insignificant thing (which could have been easily resolved the very same day if they had wanted)and stay fighting and apart from almost all the book.
That's what bothered me the most. I would have given this book 4,even 5 stars, but I just can't do that when the main characters fight until the 93% of the book (literally) and then magically realized they love each other and wanna be together! I like progressive romances, which I can relate to real life. I don't know, it just didn't make sense for me in that aspect. But the book had some amazing parts.
July 30, 2020
3.75 Stars
If you’ve read and liked Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s books, particularly her hockey romance series then this series is most likely going to appeal to you. If books had twin siblings this would be it. The same style, the same kind of characters and the same issues really..
Just like SEP’s books, this was entertaining. The writing was witty and catchy and the characters were very.. old school?! There is plenty of “in your face sexism” and the male characters are really hard to like because their values don’t really make them the poster boys for gender equality if anything their contributions would be detrimental.
Specifically speaking, I liked Georgie, the female MC. She was so lost, so sad, so lonely and I think the author did a great job at painting her pain all the while making her personality bubbly, strong and charming. The scene where she was at the airport and she was having a sort of out of body experience while reality came crashing down on her .. it made me really sad for her, I mean really. We often read about loneliness in books but there was such a visceral thing about the desperation of hitting rock bottom, finding hope (however silly and unrealistic it was) and then going back to zero.. She made a controversial decision later on which was arguably selfish but I understood where she came from. Hiding a child’s paternity is not something I like to read about because I find it morally reprehensible unless there is a serious reason for it, but as I said, I understood her and to be honest John, the male MC wasn’t really the poster boy for great decisions and morality.
Hmm, what else can I add? The male MC was okay, I suppose. I mean, he was a typical jock with a tragic event in his past who has just recovered from a chronic case of bad decision making. Sober and no longer marrying strippers whose name he can’t remember, he wants to become father of the year and is excited at the prospect of having a child so I liked that aspect of his personality.
What really ruined my enjoyment was the secondary story which didn’t take much space in the book but did a lot of damage. The story is about Mae, Georgie’s best friend and business partner. She was a pixie with an attitude who caught the eye of another hockey player who pursued her relentlessly, like she was so precious and unique.. I started off impartial when it came to her character but when she started saying that she couldn’t tell Georgie that she pretty much only slept with married men (because it was, easy, no strings attached sex) due to the fact that her friend was a quote “prude”, I felt like throwing up. Apparently if you disapprove of women who sleep exclusively with married men because it’s just easy sex, then you’re a prude.. Then there comes a point in Mae’s story where she rejects Hugh over and over after he practically begs her to go out with him and she rationalises it by saying that she may be sleeping with married men but even she has standards. Say what?!? Apparently she had a no jocks standard. I mean, yeah I get it, if he’s single, handsome, interested and successful, he’s a no -go but add a wife to the mix and the boy is golden right?! Wtf did I just read?!
Anyway, that was just me ranting at the ridiculousness of it all. But like I said, the main story was entertaining and I seriously enjoyed it.
If you’ve read and liked Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s books, particularly her hockey romance series then this series is most likely going to appeal to you. If books had twin siblings this would be it. The same style, the same kind of characters and the same issues really..
Just like SEP’s books, this was entertaining. The writing was witty and catchy and the characters were very.. old school?! There is plenty of “in your face sexism” and the male characters are really hard to like because their values don’t really make them the poster boys for gender equality if anything their contributions would be detrimental.
Specifically speaking, I liked Georgie, the female MC. She was so lost, so sad, so lonely and I think the author did a great job at painting her pain all the while making her personality bubbly, strong and charming. The scene where she was at the airport and she was having a sort of out of body experience while reality came crashing down on her .. it made me really sad for her, I mean really. We often read about loneliness in books but there was such a visceral thing about the desperation of hitting rock bottom, finding hope (however silly and unrealistic it was) and then going back to zero.. She made a controversial decision later on which was arguably selfish but I understood where she came from. Hiding a child’s paternity is not something I like to read about because I find it morally reprehensible unless there is a serious reason for it, but as I said, I understood her and to be honest John, the male MC wasn’t really the poster boy for great decisions and morality.
Hmm, what else can I add? The male MC was okay, I suppose. I mean, he was a typical jock with a tragic event in his past who has just recovered from a chronic case of bad decision making. Sober and no longer marrying strippers whose name he can’t remember, he wants to become father of the year and is excited at the prospect of having a child so I liked that aspect of his personality.
What really ruined my enjoyment was the secondary story which didn’t take much space in the book but did a lot of damage. The story is about Mae, Georgie’s best friend and business partner. She was a pixie with an attitude who caught the eye of another hockey player who pursued her relentlessly, like she was so precious and unique.. I started off impartial when it came to her character but when she started saying that she couldn’t tell Georgie that she pretty much only slept with married men (because it was, easy, no strings attached sex) due to the fact that her friend was a quote “prude”, I felt like throwing up. Apparently if you disapprove of women who sleep exclusively with married men because it’s just easy sex, then you’re a prude.. Then there comes a point in Mae’s story where she rejects Hugh over and over after he practically begs her to go out with him and she rationalises it by saying that she may be sleeping with married men but even she has standards. Say what?!? Apparently she had a no jocks standard. I mean, yeah I get it, if he’s single, handsome, interested and successful, he’s a no -go but add a wife to the mix and the boy is golden right?! Wtf did I just read?!
Anyway, that was just me ranting at the ridiculousness of it all. But like I said, the main story was entertaining and I seriously enjoyed it.
February 6, 2021
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I went through a chick-lit phrase during my first two years of college, during which time I devoured any book I could find as long as it had a pink cover. One of these books was called LOLA CARLYLE REVEALS ALL by Rachel Gibson. I barely remember what the book was about, only that the experience of reading it was surreal...and not necessarily in a good way.
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE is also surreal...and not necessarily in a good way. It actually kind of reminds me of IT HAD TO BE YOU by Susan Elizabeth Phillips in many ways, which was another sports themed chick-lit/romance crossover book from the 1990s that I read recently and had issues with.
Our heroine, Georgeanne, is a Texas belle engaged to be married to the manager of the Chinooks hockey team. No longer content to be a trophy wife to an older man, however, she jilts him at the altar and convinces a man from the wedding to spirit her away in his car. That man is John, a player on said manager's hockey team. As soon as he realizes who he has in the car, he begins freaking out, but Georgeanne browbeats him into letting her stay at his place.
Spoiler alert: they boink.
Georgeanne falls for him immediately, and is hurt when the next day after The Boink, he puts her in a car with a plane ticket back to Texas. Georgeanne doesn't want to go back to Texas, though, and stays in Washington instead. Where she gets a job working as a caterer. And, oh, yes, is pregnant.
Spoiler alert: She neglects to inform the father.
This is where I began to feel trepidation, because I do not enjoy the secret baby trope at all.
But hey, that's okay. Maybe this will be the time that I will be proven wrong.
Spoiler alert: Nope.
Georgeanne doesn't bother telling John that he has a daughter (Lexie). He gets to find out by pure coincidence. This starts a long chain of fighting that will last until the last fifty pages of the book. Custody. Whether or not they find each other attractive. Whether or not they're allowed to find other people attractive. More custody fighting. Lawyers. Whether or not their kid can have a dog.
Spoiler alert: Some people are born to dogs. Others have dogs thrust upon them.
There is so much fighting, most of it about Lexie. And while I can't really understand personally how difficult custody is, I can certainly understand the reasons behind why this is such an emotionally charged issue. That said, I felt like Georgeanne was incredibly unfair to John about his daughter, especially when she pretty much refused to let him pay for insurance and tuition out of spite. That felt so selfish, like she was taking her own feelings of insecurity and her desire to be independent out on her daughter.
For the most part, I liked the scenes of John interacting with his daughter except for one, when he says she looks like a slut. "He stared at his little girl, looking like a tart in heavy makeup..." (40%). That line just felt so unnecessary, and I couldn't like him as much after reading that.
Georgeanne's relationship with her daughter was way worse, because of how she was projecting all her insecurities in front of her daughter. For example, she is constantly calling herself fat in front of her daughter (and other people). Georgeanne is 5'10" and weighs 140 pounds (and she's curvy, because you will hear numerous times about how large her fabulous boobs and butt are). Considering how curvy Georgeanne is, that is actually quite skinny. I am 5'10" and I weigh bit more than 140 pounds. I, too, am curvy - but I'm also in ok shape, and despite my weight, would not call myself fat. So it was annoying to me to keep seeing these measurements bandied about and hear about how fat Georgeanne is, especially when it was clear that she was doing it in front of an impressionable child.
Even though John and Lexie were cute together, he's definitely borderline-alphahole with everyone else, talking about how he doesn't sleep with "skinny" women (oh boy, more body shaming), doesn't find "skinny" women attractive, that he's at least partially only interested in Georgeanne because of her body, etc. He also threatens to beat up other men, and uses "retarded," "pussy," and "sissy."
He wasn't as bad as Hugh, though - the secondary love interest for Georgeanne's friend, Mae, who acts like an aggressive pickup artist. Even Mae herself admits that the reason she went out with him in the first place was exhaustion from too many no's.
From a technical note, there was some odd formatting going on in this e-book (I have the Kindle version). There are no breaks between POV swaps, which interrupts continuity, and sometimes the same thing happens with dialogue tags. One person will be talking, there will be a description of something going on in the background, and in the same paragraph, Gibson would have someone else talking. This could make it difficult to figure out who was saying what at times.
Also, typos and random hyphens. The funniest one I saw was a misspelling of Georgeanne's name on p. 274: "Georgeajine."
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE is dated, and I would say that for me at least, it doesn't stand the test of time. Not even ironically. As with IT HAD TO BE YOU, there were just too many issues with the book that kept me from enjoying it fully, even if it was almost compulsively readable, and it didn't help that there wasn't a single character in here who really spoke to me. I appreciated Georgeanne's struggle as a single mom and how she had dyslexia, and I thought Mae's drag queen friends were cool (although the story about her brother was sad), and I liked John's interactions with his kid. It just wasn't enough for them to feel developed and interesting.
Points for hilariously dated 90s references, like the Macarena, jelly shoes, and Bob Ross.
1.5 to 2 stars
April 23, 2022
After reading SEP's Chicago Stars series back to back, this one paled in comparison. Maybe reading this while I was still high on Dean Robillard's charm was a bad idea. There really was nothing memorable about this lackluster romance. Both the leads sucked. The heroine's bestfriend was a homewrecking trashbag, who got an unbelievable and totally undeserved happy ending. The plot was formulaic and nothing interesting was happening. Atleast the kid wasn't a brat. Her chatter was the only tolerable thing about this book.
January 20, 2021
"Dit verhaal was net wat ik nodig had om even goed te ontspannen. Een dik verdiende 4 sterren en het tweede deel uit deze reeks zal ik zeker nog dit jaar lezen!"
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2021...
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2021...
November 13, 2011
Although this book was not perfect, something about it made it very, very hard to put down. Maybe it was the sports (hockey) theme--which I thought came across as very authentic (the author must be a fan with all the name-dropping she did), or maybe it was the soap opera-ish plot that spanned 7 years and reminded me a little bit of Lisa Kleypas's Sugar Daddy, or maybe it was the snappy/sexy/funny dialogue and the love/hate relationship between the H/h...
I didn't always like the hero (sexy hockey star John "The Wall" Kowalsky) who was often rude, crude, and disrespectful towards the heroine--voluptuous Seattle-by-way-of-Texas caterer Georgeanne Howard. And I didn't always like "Georgie", who started out as sort of a dependant, flighty, "bimbo" character looking for a man to take care of her. But Georgie was young (22) when she first met John (after she ran out on her future husband-to-be on her wedding day), spent one wild night with John that ended up changing her life, but managed to grow and mature in this story and admirably turned herself into an independent woman.
John...
John matured too, and wasn't quite the lout he was in the beginning of the book (although he still had some ass**** moments with Georgie). These two had the whole lust/hate thing going on through most of the book.. .they had combustible physical chemistry (plenty of steamy hot scenes in this one), but they weren't that good at communicating outside the bedroom. I was never fully convinced that John had the ability to fall in love with any woman, and when he finally (out of the blue) claimed to love Georgie near the end of the book I can't say that I 100% bought it.
What I loved most about this book were the scenes between John and his adorable little 6 year-old daughter Lexie. He was just wonderful with her, and some of the scenes between him and Lexie brought tears to my eyes (the lost fish scene) or made me laugh out loud (playing Barbies together). There's something about a man who obviously loves his child... I had no doubts that John was just wild about his daughter. If only I was as convinced that his relationship with Georgie was more than just uncontrollable lust.
Despite my doubts about John and Georgie, I still enjoyed reading this page-turner and loved the author's writing style (plenty of details and back story for the characters and lots of humor). I'm looking forward to continuing with this series and I'm dying to read the next book (See Jane Score)---if only I could find it in the TBR pile! 4 1/2 stars
I didn't always like the hero (sexy hockey star John "The Wall" Kowalsky) who was often rude, crude, and disrespectful towards the heroine--voluptuous Seattle-by-way-of-Texas caterer Georgeanne Howard. And I didn't always like "Georgie", who started out as sort of a dependant, flighty, "bimbo" character looking for a man to take care of her. But Georgie was young (22) when she first met John (after she ran out on her future husband-to-be on her wedding day), spent one wild night with John that ended up changing her life, but managed to grow and mature in this story and admirably turned herself into an independent woman.
John...
John matured too, and wasn't quite the lout he was in the beginning of the book (although he still had some ass**** moments with Georgie). These two had the whole lust/hate thing going on through most of the book.. .they had combustible physical chemistry (plenty of steamy hot scenes in this one), but they weren't that good at communicating outside the bedroom. I was never fully convinced that John had the ability to fall in love with any woman, and when he finally (out of the blue) claimed to love Georgie near the end of the book I can't say that I 100% bought it.
What I loved most about this book were the scenes between John and his adorable little 6 year-old daughter Lexie. He was just wonderful with her, and some of the scenes between him and Lexie brought tears to my eyes (the lost fish scene) or made me laugh out loud (playing Barbies together). There's something about a man who obviously loves his child... I had no doubts that John was just wild about his daughter. If only I was as convinced that his relationship with Georgie was more than just uncontrollable lust.
Despite my doubts about John and Georgie, I still enjoyed reading this page-turner and loved the author's writing style (plenty of details and back story for the characters and lots of humor). I'm looking forward to continuing with this series and I'm dying to read the next book (See Jane Score)---if only I could find it in the TBR pile! 4 1/2 stars
February 9, 2018
Re-read for me. Enjoyed it the second time around - hadn't really remembered the story from the first time reading it.
I wonder do kids these days listen to the "old songs"?
Definitely a vibe of SEP. Not sure what the writing timeline is between Gibson and SEP but some similarities, in a good way.
I wonder do kids these days listen to the "old songs"?
Every southern girl dreamed of being a beauty queen, and with very little effort, he'd made her feel like Miss Texas.
Definitely a vibe of SEP. Not sure what the writing timeline is between Gibson and SEP but some similarities, in a good way.
June 24, 2018
Me ha gustado mucho, es el primer libro que leo de Rachel Gibson y ha sido un muy primer encuentro, es una historia divertido, que te engancha desde la primera página, no pude parar de leer hasta que lo terminé
Tiene un estilo muy parecido a los libros de SEP, por ejemplo el tipo de protagonistas femeninas de fama dudosa pero cuando las vas conociendo son muy adorables y son de esas chicas que hacen cosas buenas que parecen malas y con hombre un poco machistas, no sé si esto se deba a que están escritos en los 90´s.
La única pega que le pongo a este libro son algunas actitudes del protagonista que parecía que todo lo que hacía estaba bien y nunca se disculpaba, de ahí en fuera lo disfruté mucho.
Tiene un estilo muy parecido a los libros de SEP, por ejemplo el tipo de protagonistas femeninas de fama dudosa pero cuando las vas conociendo son muy adorables y son de esas chicas que hacen cosas buenas que parecen malas y con hombre un poco machistas, no sé si esto se deba a que están escritos en los 90´s.
La única pega que le pongo a este libro son algunas actitudes del protagonista que parecía que todo lo que hacía estaba bien y nunca se disculpaba, de ahí en fuera lo disfruté mucho.
November 6, 2017
Loved this one! New author, new series, yay! It was a little dated, but then again, so am I.
June 25, 2015
I've always been a sucker for single moms in my romances. Don't know why, I'm not a single mom and I hate children. Whatever, call it a guilty pleasure, but there's something with single motherhood that tugs at my dark heart's heartstrings.
I've yet to see how I feel about single dad romances, but those seem to be awfully scarce. The same goes with sports romance where the girl is a very accomplished athlete and the boy is a baker or a geek or a broke artist. Or how about a romantic suspense novel where the heroine is a cop, detective, or an FBI agent and the hero is a victim or a witness. You get the picture.
Anyway, I'm getting off my point here. I'm saying by some unknown force of the universe I'm bound to like a romantic novel where the heroine is a single mom.
Even when the heroine is a dimwit and has a penchant for masochism, because that's the only way I can explain why she keeps taking back that jerk of a hero. The guy keeps hurting and insulting her and she just puts it out for him as a reward, so he can throw it in her face the next time they fight. Why would you wanna be with someone like that? Why would you want your child to be around someone like that?
Maybe it would've been easier to forget his disrespectful manner if there was some real chemistry going on between them. Lol no. Even if they put my sheets on fire I'm not one of those who forgive and forget disrespect. That, I'm taking very personally.
So disrespectful, crude, domineering SoB for a hero.
Yeah, real catch there.
And an idiotic doormat of a heroine with daddy issues so obvious she might as well be holding a blinking neon sing over her head.
Totally relatable.
In all fairness, I liked how Georgeanne at least managed to make a name for herself and how she's an owner of a successful business that provides for her and her daughter. That's the only thing I liked in this book.
If you're into single mom stories, read any other before this one. If you're into sports romance, start from any other book except this one. Because no matter what the tittle says, it is simply resistible.
I've yet to see how I feel about single dad romances, but those seem to be awfully scarce. The same goes with sports romance where the girl is a very accomplished athlete and the boy is a baker or a geek or a broke artist. Or how about a romantic suspense novel where the heroine is a cop, detective, or an FBI agent and the hero is a victim or a witness. You get the picture.
Anyway, I'm getting off my point here. I'm saying by some unknown force of the universe I'm bound to like a romantic novel where the heroine is a single mom.
Even when the heroine is a dimwit and has a penchant for masochism, because that's the only way I can explain why she keeps taking back that jerk of a hero. The guy keeps hurting and insulting her and she just puts it out for him as a reward, so he can throw it in her face the next time they fight. Why would you wanna be with someone like that? Why would you want your child to be around someone like that?
Maybe it would've been easier to forget his disrespectful manner if there was some real chemistry going on between them. Lol no. Even if they put my sheets on fire I'm not one of those who forgive and forget disrespect. That, I'm taking very personally.
So disrespectful, crude, domineering SoB for a hero.
Yeah, real catch there.
And an idiotic doormat of a heroine with daddy issues so obvious she might as well be holding a blinking neon sing over her head.
Totally relatable.
In all fairness, I liked how Georgeanne at least managed to make a name for herself and how she's an owner of a successful business that provides for her and her daughter. That's the only thing I liked in this book.
If you're into single mom stories, read any other before this one. If you're into sports romance, start from any other book except this one. Because no matter what the tittle says, it is simply resistible.
January 4, 2017
It's hard to believe that this is Gibson's first book. It's outstanding, with strong characters, memorable plot, and excellent pacing. And a rich tapestry of background characters, as well.
If there's anything amateur about it, it was in starting the story with Georgeanne being diagnosed with a "brain disorder" at a young age (we later learn this is dyslexia). The damage of being labelled as stupid so young has its inevitable effect, but we didn't really need to be there at the diagnosis or hear what the evaluating doctor said to get the impact Gibson needed, I don't think. The narrative picks up years later with Georgeanne running from her wedding to a much older man. By this time, she is a professionally charming (in the sense of having graduated from charm schools provided by her Grandmother) and when John first meets her she's desperate and trained to think of men as the way to security. This is exactly as disastrous as you'd think, not helped by John being more than a little callous. This opening could have been off-putting, but there's enough of a glimpse into the people they'll become to keep you interested and I enjoyed their interactions. Her desperation and his need for intimacy interacted poorly, even as it was something they both needed at the time.
Where Gibson really shines in this story is investing Georgeanne with all the charm her background indicates. She has that Southern charm with a gift for gab that could have been off-putting or distracting if not handled right. I really liked how expressive she was and how that contrasted with John's rather taciturn nature. And I liked how his initial annoyance when they first met mellows into an appreciation for her conversational skill when the re-meet later on. Equally engaging is Georgeanne's daughter, Lexie. Six year-olds are tough to get right and I thought Gibson did a great job making her demanding and engaging and willful and easily distracted without being merely a convenient driver of plot. Best of all was how her interactions with John humanized him and let him reevaluate his priorities in ways he needed to digest. And I find few things as engaging as a big, tough manly man sitting down and playing Barbies just because it's what his daughter wants to do. It's his interactions with Lexie that let me see Georgeanne's attraction for him in more than just physical desire and her old need to put herself under the protection of someone strong.
I can't quite bring myself to round up to five stars if only because I so often found Georgeanne's actions a bit hard to predict. She falls in love with John awful fast in both the past and present and is a bit too willing to let sex be the answer when their relationship needed emotional engagement. She's so assured in every other aspect of her life by the time they re-engage that it felt out of place having her communication fail in such an important aspect of her life. Everything else holds together so well that this contrast felt a bit like it was a genre/author expectation in order to draw the conflict out longer.
A note about Steamy: This had two explicit sex scenes and lands in the middle of my steam tolerance. There are other flirty bits, but another thing Gibson does well is depict the difficulty of working around a toddler when you want some time/space alone.
If there's anything amateur about it, it was in starting the story with Georgeanne being diagnosed with a "brain disorder" at a young age (we later learn this is dyslexia). The damage of being labelled as stupid so young has its inevitable effect, but we didn't really need to be there at the diagnosis or hear what the evaluating doctor said to get the impact Gibson needed, I don't think. The narrative picks up years later with Georgeanne running from her wedding to a much older man. By this time, she is a professionally charming (in the sense of having graduated from charm schools provided by her Grandmother) and when John first meets her she's desperate and trained to think of men as the way to security. This is exactly as disastrous as you'd think, not helped by John being more than a little callous. This opening could have been off-putting, but there's enough of a glimpse into the people they'll become to keep you interested and I enjoyed their interactions. Her desperation and his need for intimacy interacted poorly, even as it was something they both needed at the time.
Where Gibson really shines in this story is investing Georgeanne with all the charm her background indicates. She has that Southern charm with a gift for gab that could have been off-putting or distracting if not handled right. I really liked how expressive she was and how that contrasted with John's rather taciturn nature. And I liked how his initial annoyance when they first met mellows into an appreciation for her conversational skill when the re-meet later on. Equally engaging is Georgeanne's daughter, Lexie. Six year-olds are tough to get right and I thought Gibson did a great job making her demanding and engaging and willful and easily distracted without being merely a convenient driver of plot. Best of all was how her interactions with John humanized him and let him reevaluate his priorities in ways he needed to digest. And I find few things as engaging as a big, tough manly man sitting down and playing Barbies just because it's what his daughter wants to do. It's his interactions with Lexie that let me see Georgeanne's attraction for him in more than just physical desire and her old need to put herself under the protection of someone strong.
I can't quite bring myself to round up to five stars if only because I so often found Georgeanne's actions a bit hard to predict. She falls in love with John awful fast in both the past and present and is a bit too willing to let sex be the answer when their relationship needed emotional engagement. She's so assured in every other aspect of her life by the time they re-engage that it felt out of place having her communication fail in such an important aspect of her life. Everything else holds together so well that this contrast felt a bit like it was a genre/author expectation in order to draw the conflict out longer.
A note about Steamy: This had two explicit sex scenes and lands in the middle of my steam tolerance. There are other flirty bits, but another thing Gibson does well is depict the difficulty of working around a toddler when you want some time/space alone.
November 17, 2017
You know what? I really enjoyed this one. I haven’t read a contemporary sports romance book in a very long time. The heroine and hero were great and little Lexie was adorable.
Georgie was sweet but she was no push over. And John could be quite an ass but lovable nonetheless. I loved the chemistry between these two.
Great story line too!
I loved that this book turned back the clock for me. It is nice to read through old fashioned sex scenes every now and again. ❤
July 17, 2016
En realidad un 4'5, es difícil que un libro sea perfecto, y aunque tenga sus costillas, en general es un libro que he disfrutado y me ha encantado desde la primera página.
Es el primer libro que leo de Rachel Gibson y he quedado muy satisfecha. Es un libro rápido de leer que engancha en seguida, una historia original con unos protagonistas muy humanos, él es un hombre solitario y con miedo a amar, y ella es una chica deseosa de amar y ser correspondida. Todo ello aderezado con la dulzura y estridencia de su hija Lexie, que ha servido de unión entre los protagonistas.
Son una fan y fiel admiradora de SEP y sus "Chicago Stars", pero sin duda, el equipo de hockey de los Chinooks son la competencia perfecta, por lo menos en éste primer número. Me he quedado con ganas de más.
Es el primer libro que leo de Rachel Gibson y he quedado muy satisfecha. Es un libro rápido de leer que engancha en seguida, una historia original con unos protagonistas muy humanos, él es un hombre solitario y con miedo a amar, y ella es una chica deseosa de amar y ser correspondida. Todo ello aderezado con la dulzura y estridencia de su hija Lexie, que ha servido de unión entre los protagonistas.
Son una fan y fiel admiradora de SEP y sus "Chicago Stars", pero sin duda, el equipo de hockey de los Chinooks son la competencia perfecta, por lo menos en éste primer número. Me he quedado con ganas de más.
June 15, 2019
Starting this series after reading the sports romance series by Karla Sorenson where the heroes were not manwhores was a definite shock to my system.
So I'm doing this in 2 parts
At the beginning
We meet young Georgie who's struggling in school and is dyslexic, at that time she's made to feel dumb and her only hope in life is to marry a rich man. Her grandmother even sent her to charm school to achieve this goal.
Then all grown up Georgie is running out on her wedding day, she meets a guy and asks for his help. This Georgie comes across as a clueless, flirtatious bimbo. In the blink of an eye Georgie and the man who turns out to be a hockey player for her abandoned groom, are having sex. Next day he drops her off at the airport with a plane ticket for her trouble.
John plays hockey for the Chinooks ,when he realises that his rescued woman is none other than his boss' fiancee he tries to resist the attraction between them but he can't so they give in but while Georgie was falling just a little for John, good ole John dropped her at the airport and turned his back. Before Georgie John married his first wife only because she was pregnant, when the baby was born premature and died he wanted out of his marriage, he had affairs thinking his wife would leave....she killed herself instead. John then spent his time drinking, playing hockey and hooking up with women until marriage number 2 to which was a drunken debacle to non other than a stripper. Said marriage only lasted a few hours. After that John went back to his old ways......then he met Georgie, hooked up with her ditched her and..........yup you guessed it......went back to his old ways. Such a prize John was.
Present day
Georgie had John's baby and has managed to make a good life for herself with the help of her friend Mae. She never told John about his daughter and when she runs into him unexpectedly and he finds out he has a daughter she's surprised to realize that John is willing to fight her for time with his child.
John is now 35 and tired of his old ways(finally!!!!) and he's been thinking of having children,when he realizes Georgie had his daughter he sets out to be a part of the child's life.
John was awesome as a dad,he really tried his best and it's clear he fell for his beautiful, precocious little girl. The romance between him and Georgie was no way close to believable. They wanted each other, but we're told they didn't like each other much. They argued heatedly and the only thing that worked with them was the sex. Georgie was actually dating an older gentleman when John came back into her life. As a matter of fact good old Georgie had sex with John while dating her guy. She actually thought about marrying Charles but in the end said no. After lots of back and forth imagine my surprise when John decides he loves Georgie and...........😮 She loves him too!!! What the...????
When Georgie's once fiance threatens John to stay away from the woman who ditched him at the altar John comes up with a way to keep his woman and his team. The lovebirds get married a short while later and scoot off into the sunset.
There's a secondary romance in here too, Georgie's friend Mae finds her hea with a friend of John's. Mae is the quintessential slutty best friend. She wasn't just promiscuous she also had no problems sleeping with married men. Good ole Mae........ eventually Mae leaves other women's husband's alone and she too scoots off into the sunset with her hockey playing Beau.... Can you feel the love???????
2* for little Lexie, she was just a peach.
Everyone else?????🖕
So I'm doing this in 2 parts
At the beginning
We meet young Georgie who's struggling in school and is dyslexic, at that time she's made to feel dumb and her only hope in life is to marry a rich man. Her grandmother even sent her to charm school to achieve this goal.
Then all grown up Georgie is running out on her wedding day, she meets a guy and asks for his help. This Georgie comes across as a clueless, flirtatious bimbo. In the blink of an eye Georgie and the man who turns out to be a hockey player for her abandoned groom, are having sex. Next day he drops her off at the airport with a plane ticket for her trouble.
John plays hockey for the Chinooks ,when he realises that his rescued woman is none other than his boss' fiancee he tries to resist the attraction between them but he can't so they give in but while Georgie was falling just a little for John, good ole John dropped her at the airport and turned his back. Before Georgie John married his first wife only because she was pregnant, when the baby was born premature and died he wanted out of his marriage, he had affairs thinking his wife would leave....she killed herself instead. John then spent his time drinking, playing hockey and hooking up with women until marriage number 2 to which was a drunken debacle to non other than a stripper. Said marriage only lasted a few hours. After that John went back to his old ways......then he met Georgie, hooked up with her ditched her and..........yup you guessed it......went back to his old ways. Such a prize John was.
Present day
Georgie had John's baby and has managed to make a good life for herself with the help of her friend Mae. She never told John about his daughter and when she runs into him unexpectedly and he finds out he has a daughter she's surprised to realize that John is willing to fight her for time with his child.
John is now 35 and tired of his old ways(finally!!!!) and he's been thinking of having children,when he realizes Georgie had his daughter he sets out to be a part of the child's life.
John was awesome as a dad,he really tried his best and it's clear he fell for his beautiful, precocious little girl. The romance between him and Georgie was no way close to believable. They wanted each other, but we're told they didn't like each other much. They argued heatedly and the only thing that worked with them was the sex. Georgie was actually dating an older gentleman when John came back into her life. As a matter of fact good old Georgie had sex with John while dating her guy. She actually thought about marrying Charles but in the end said no. After lots of back and forth imagine my surprise when John decides he loves Georgie and...........😮 She loves him too!!! What the...????
When Georgie's once fiance threatens John to stay away from the woman who ditched him at the altar John comes up with a way to keep his woman and his team. The lovebirds get married a short while later and scoot off into the sunset.
There's a secondary romance in here too, Georgie's friend Mae finds her hea with a friend of John's. Mae is the quintessential slutty best friend. She wasn't just promiscuous she also had no problems sleeping with married men. Good ole Mae........ eventually Mae leaves other women's husband's alone and she too scoots off into the sunset with her hockey playing Beau.... Can you feel the love???????
2* for little Lexie, she was just a peach.
Everyone else?????🖕
July 21, 2019
#retorita3 #ritagibson
No sé por qué no empecé esta serie antes y eso que la tengo anotada para leer desde hace siglos. Gracias al #retorita por fin la he empezado y tengo que decir que me ha encantado.
Me gusta mucho como escribe la autora, se lee en nada, ( Aunque yo haya tardado tres semanas) jajajajaja es que no he parado ni un día, una historia muy Bonita y entretenida y que engancha.
Me recuerda mucho a Susan elizabeth phillips. Tanto por sus personajes como la historia. Ha tenido momentos divertidos, momentos tristes y otros que te sacan de tus casillas por que a veces los protagonistas se portaban como críos. En cuanto pueda seguire leyendo los demás libros de la serie.
No sé por qué no empecé esta serie antes y eso que la tengo anotada para leer desde hace siglos. Gracias al #retorita por fin la he empezado y tengo que decir que me ha encantado.
Me gusta mucho como escribe la autora, se lee en nada, ( Aunque yo haya tardado tres semanas) jajajajaja es que no he parado ni un día, una historia muy Bonita y entretenida y que engancha.
Me recuerda mucho a Susan elizabeth phillips. Tanto por sus personajes como la historia. Ha tenido momentos divertidos, momentos tristes y otros que te sacan de tus casillas por que a veces los protagonistas se portaban como críos. En cuanto pueda seguire leyendo los demás libros de la serie.
March 2, 2020
3,5 / 5
Yeni kitap kargosu beklerken eskilere daldım yine 😊
Yeni kitap kargosu beklerken eskilere daldım yine 😊
July 6, 2019
Entretenido, muy decente pare ser un primer libro y poco más. Lo mejor: esa niña desternillante y la pareja secundaria, que me ha hecho mucha más gracia que la principal, cuyo amor me ha costado creer. Es la cuarta novela que leo de esta autora, que muchas comparan con SEP (a la que declaro mi amor eterno), y no puedo decir que esté decepcionada, pero sus historias no me acaban de llegar ni de enamorar. Y eso que esta tenía buenos mimbres: prota deportista, pasados duros, pistos everywhere, peeeeero no.
#RitaGibson #RetoRita3
#Popsugar2019. Reto 12: Un libro debut
#RitaGibson #RetoRita3
#Popsugar2019. Reto 12: Un libro debut
![Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1448463806i/5557851._CR0,13,200,200_.jpg)
April 12, 2014
Re-read 04/11/2014
Overall Rating = 4 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 4 / 4 / 4 = 4 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4 Stars
Character Development = 3.5 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4 Stars
Ending = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$3.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Moderate
400 pages
Note: I don't change my original rating [in this case 3.5 Stars -- now 4 Stars], but this will give you and idea of my thoughts for the second read two years after the first and how much mood plays into your [my] enjoyment.
This is a go to author for me. I've read all her books. I decided I need a break from my "so so" reads lately and picked this one up again. I'm glad I did. I am reminded just how much I like this author. She grabs you immediately and keeps you engaged to the end. Perfect for my mood.
This is a mainstream pub. You can tell there was some cutting done to make it fit a format. I wonder what the book looked like and what parts of the story were cut. I would have loved to have seen what she had originally.
An auto-buy FAVORITE author for me. Pick any of her books and you'll have a nice read.
Happy Reading!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
03/12/2012
Woo Hoo -- finally available for my NOOK!!
**********************************************
3.5 Stars
This was Rachel Gibson's first book and she hit the jackpot using a sports theme; an NHL Hockey team/player. But, have to tell you, the amount of hockey in this book could have fit in a thimble. So, I was a bit disappointed.
I thought the subject matter was almost too deep for this "light" tale. It felt like the author was a bit rushed to get things finished and only scratched the surface of the issues introduced; suicide, dyslexia, unmarried pregnancy, homosexuality. Really too bad because had she gone a bit deeper and let the story play out a bit better, this could have been a really brilliant read. I liked the way she wove all the topics into a nice story.
Overall, I appreciated this was her first book. The characters were good, not great, but good. The story was enjoyable, although rushed, and she seriously rushed the ending. I've read books 4 through 6 in this series, and they are much more polished, and seem to include more hockey in the story.
Just a note ... venting a bit:
I've been reading quite a few self-pub'd books lately and the one thing I really, seriously like about this path for publishing; the length of books. The author, if they work it right, has the flexibility to let a good story play out. They can introduce a difficult topic and have the time to do it justice. When Simply Irresistible was written, serial romances were falling out of popularity, and the "short", cute chick-lit books were the rage. Some pubs haven't gotten past this format, and have also added the challenge; complex topics, fun, but keep it short and sweet. Doing this, the book suffers and therefore the author's talent suffers. Just my opinion.
I did enjoy this book and will read all this series and others by this author.
I seriously appreciate the republication in the eBook format. I really try not to read another format anymore and have been waiting for these. THANK YOU!
Happy Reading!
Overall Rating = 4 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 4 / 4 / 4 = 4 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4 Stars
Character Development = 3.5 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4 Stars
Ending = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [$3.99 on Amazon]
Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Moderate
400 pages
Note: I don't change my original rating [in this case 3.5 Stars -- now 4 Stars], but this will give you and idea of my thoughts for the second read two years after the first and how much mood plays into your [my] enjoyment.
This is a go to author for me. I've read all her books. I decided I need a break from my "so so" reads lately and picked this one up again. I'm glad I did. I am reminded just how much I like this author. She grabs you immediately and keeps you engaged to the end. Perfect for my mood.
This is a mainstream pub. You can tell there was some cutting done to make it fit a format. I wonder what the book looked like and what parts of the story were cut. I would have loved to have seen what she had originally.
An auto-buy FAVORITE author for me. Pick any of her books and you'll have a nice read.
Happy Reading!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
03/12/2012
Woo Hoo -- finally available for my NOOK!!
**********************************************
3.5 Stars
This was Rachel Gibson's first book and she hit the jackpot using a sports theme; an NHL Hockey team/player. But, have to tell you, the amount of hockey in this book could have fit in a thimble. So, I was a bit disappointed.
I thought the subject matter was almost too deep for this "light" tale. It felt like the author was a bit rushed to get things finished and only scratched the surface of the issues introduced; suicide, dyslexia, unmarried pregnancy, homosexuality. Really too bad because had she gone a bit deeper and let the story play out a bit better, this could have been a really brilliant read. I liked the way she wove all the topics into a nice story.
Overall, I appreciated this was her first book. The characters were good, not great, but good. The story was enjoyable, although rushed, and she seriously rushed the ending. I've read books 4 through 6 in this series, and they are much more polished, and seem to include more hockey in the story.
Just a note ... venting a bit:
I've been reading quite a few self-pub'd books lately and the one thing I really, seriously like about this path for publishing; the length of books. The author, if they work it right, has the flexibility to let a good story play out. They can introduce a difficult topic and have the time to do it justice. When Simply Irresistible was written, serial romances were falling out of popularity, and the "short", cute chick-lit books were the rage. Some pubs haven't gotten past this format, and have also added the challenge; complex topics, fun, but keep it short and sweet. Doing this, the book suffers and therefore the author's talent suffers. Just my opinion.
I did enjoy this book and will read all this series and others by this author.
I seriously appreciate the republication in the eBook format. I really try not to read another format anymore and have been waiting for these. THANK YOU!
Happy Reading!
October 6, 2009
Georgeanne Howard is about to marry one of the richest men in the US. Except he is old enough to be her grandfather. Bolting from the church, she catches a ride from the extremely sexy John Kowalsky. John is a star hockey player for the team owned by Georgie's disappointed husband to was going to be. With no family and no-where to go, she figures she can hide out at John's for a couple of days. But personal chemistry gets in the way. Since John doesn't want to risk his career and is battling his own personal demons, things don't work out after the first night and they part ways. Seven years later they meet again. John is shocked to find Georgie in town. He's really shocked to meet his daughter. Is there an HEA? Can they get over the personal hurdles they both keep throwing in front of themselves?
OK, so the couple spend most of the book fighting. If I were John, I'd be a heck of a lot more pissed than he was. How can a woman not tell the father about his child? Especially when he's financially sound, easy to find, and available. I spent half the book disliking Georgie for that reason alone. I spent the other half thinking John were an ass. Even with that, I still liked the book and the story. No mystery. No who is she going to end up with? But the characters were engaging enough that it was still a good read.
OK, so the couple spend most of the book fighting. If I were John, I'd be a heck of a lot more pissed than he was. How can a woman not tell the father about his child? Especially when he's financially sound, easy to find, and available. I spent half the book disliking Georgie for that reason alone. I spent the other half thinking John were an ass. Even with that, I still liked the book and the story. No mystery. No who is she going to end up with? But the characters were engaging enough that it was still a good read.
December 29, 2013
I'm very surprised! I was expecting a sugary, sweet concoction. I was expecting something light and was afraid of chick-lit.
What I got instead was a very emotional, tear-jerking and mature read! I was honestly VERY surprised. I actually cried a lot in the first third of the book. I empathized with the heroine on a startling level. And even later on, I rooted for her and her happiness.
This is the first time I read this author and the first time I read a sports-related CR. I loved both!
GeorgeAnne Howard was a woman that grew up believing she wasn't worth more than her good looks. Being dyslexic, she was labelled as a child with 'brain dysfunction' and encouraged to attend charm school and forego scholastic endeavors.
John was a man dealing with skeletons in his closet. When he first meets Georgie, he's attracted to her but distant and hurtful. He was a real asshole at times. This continued for a good chunk of the book. The realtionship between him and Georgie was very push-and-pull. He gives then takes back. She gives and then regrets it. I finally understood John as the book progressed. He suffered from the same affliction as Georgie: FEAR OF PAIN AND HURT.
The first half of the book deals with her reluctance to follow through with a marriage to a man old enough to be her grandfather. She escapes her own wedding, leaving the owner of the Chinook Hockey team at the alter. Her escapee? John Kowalsky. He helps her bail and over the course of one night things happen between them.
But Georgie soon finds herself alone, with no money or a place to go. An add in a newspaper changes her life, as well as that one night with John.
Fast forward several years later and she's a different woman. A chance meeting at an event Georgie is catering finds her staring up into the eyes of the man that changed her life forever. What ensues was a very emotional and beautiful tale of second chances and new beginnings.
This was a great book that made me weep, laugh, gasp and ultimately swoon. It had the perfect blend of wonderful story, great characters and a steamy romance. There was a secondary storyline involving Georgie's BFF, Mae and one of John's teammates. It was sweet and just as engaging. I am definitely continuing with this series and this author!
What I got instead was a very emotional, tear-jerking and mature read! I was honestly VERY surprised. I actually cried a lot in the first third of the book. I empathized with the heroine on a startling level. And even later on, I rooted for her and her happiness.
This is the first time I read this author and the first time I read a sports-related CR. I loved both!
GeorgeAnne Howard was a woman that grew up believing she wasn't worth more than her good looks. Being dyslexic, she was labelled as a child with 'brain dysfunction' and encouraged to attend charm school and forego scholastic endeavors.
John was a man dealing with skeletons in his closet. When he first meets Georgie, he's attracted to her but distant and hurtful. He was a real asshole at times. This continued for a good chunk of the book. The realtionship between him and Georgie was very push-and-pull. He gives then takes back. She gives and then regrets it. I finally understood John as the book progressed. He suffered from the same affliction as Georgie: FEAR OF PAIN AND HURT.
The first half of the book deals with her reluctance to follow through with a marriage to a man old enough to be her grandfather. She escapes her own wedding, leaving the owner of the Chinook Hockey team at the alter. Her escapee? John Kowalsky. He helps her bail and over the course of one night things happen between them.
But Georgie soon finds herself alone, with no money or a place to go. An add in a newspaper changes her life, as well as that one night with John.
Fast forward several years later and she's a different woman. A chance meeting at an event Georgie is catering finds her staring up into the eyes of the man that changed her life forever. What ensues was a very emotional and beautiful tale of second chances and new beginnings.
This was a great book that made me weep, laugh, gasp and ultimately swoon. It had the perfect blend of wonderful story, great characters and a steamy romance. There was a secondary storyline involving Georgie's BFF, Mae and one of John's teammates. It was sweet and just as engaging. I am definitely continuing with this series and this author!
November 12, 2016
Simply Irresistible
3.5 Stars
Escaping her wedding to a much older man, Georgeanne Howard runs into hockey star John Kowalsky, who reluctantly and unknowingly, helps his boss's bride make her getaway. Seven years after sharing an unforgettable night together, Georgie and John meet again, but this time the sparks are flying for a completely different reason as Georgie has been keeping a life altering secret. Can these two overcome their anger and resentment to find happiness together?
Despite the fact that neither the hero nor the heroine are particularly likeable characters, their romance works for some reason. Perhaps it is because they deserve each other.
John is a self-absorbed narcissist with an ego the size of a Mack truck, and Georgie is a selfish and manipulative shrew. Their behavior toward one another is simply appalling with both acting in spiteful and vindictive ways. Nevertheless, the intensity of their chemistry somehow compensates for it all, which is a sign of Gibson's skillful plotting and immersive writing style.
The secondary romance between Mae and Hugh is much more engaging, and there are some wonderfully sweet and funny moments between John and his daughter. Thankfully, the sporting elements play only a minor role and the story does not get bogged down with the tedium of boring sport descriptions.
All in all, a light and sexy read, but beware the obnoxious characters.
3.5 Stars
Escaping her wedding to a much older man, Georgeanne Howard runs into hockey star John Kowalsky, who reluctantly and unknowingly, helps his boss's bride make her getaway. Seven years after sharing an unforgettable night together, Georgie and John meet again, but this time the sparks are flying for a completely different reason as Georgie has been keeping a life altering secret. Can these two overcome their anger and resentment to find happiness together?
Despite the fact that neither the hero nor the heroine are particularly likeable characters, their romance works for some reason. Perhaps it is because they deserve each other.
John is a self-absorbed narcissist with an ego the size of a Mack truck, and Georgie is a selfish and manipulative shrew. Their behavior toward one another is simply appalling with both acting in spiteful and vindictive ways. Nevertheless, the intensity of their chemistry somehow compensates for it all, which is a sign of Gibson's skillful plotting and immersive writing style.
The secondary romance between Mae and Hugh is much more engaging, and there are some wonderfully sweet and funny moments between John and his daughter. Thankfully, the sporting elements play only a minor role and the story does not get bogged down with the tedium of boring sport descriptions.
All in all, a light and sexy read, but beware the obnoxious characters.
May 13, 2017
Georgeanne Howard has no money, no friends to call, and only the clothes on her back. She hitches a ride with professional hockey player John Kowalsky who is surprised to find out he has picked up his boss's runaway bride. After spending a memorable night together, Georgie and John meet again seven years later. This time John discovers that Georgie has been keeping a secret from him...a daughter she never told him about.
This is the first book in Rachel Gibson's Chinooks Hockey Team series. I had a problem with both John and Georgeanne in this story. I wanted to like them, but neither are particularly likeable. They do have a lot of chemistry though, which makes the romance a little more believable. My favorite character was six year old Lexie. The scenes of her and John getting to know each other are priceless. Overall, the book is just OK. Thankfully the series gets better. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
This is the first book in Rachel Gibson's Chinooks Hockey Team series. I had a problem with both John and Georgeanne in this story. I wanted to like them, but neither are particularly likeable. They do have a lot of chemistry though, which makes the romance a little more believable. My favorite character was six year old Lexie. The scenes of her and John getting to know each other are priceless. Overall, the book is just OK. Thankfully the series gets better. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
December 22, 2017
Entretenido. Ha sido una lectura agradable pero sin mucho más. He acabado un poco harta de las escandalosas tetas de Georgie y de los "Jesús" que iba soltando John a cada rato. Lo mejor, la relación con la niña, Lexie. Y el final que también me pareció bonito.
February 1, 2021
So I have come to a conclusion about my preferences when it comes to books and that is I prefer to have decent writing over Characters doing exactly what you would like or for a book to include your favorite trope. In the past few weeks I have picked up books that have my favorite tropes, promise good grovel or have that bad boy element you might be in the mood for but then the writing is crap and you just loose the will to read about these characters. So in light of all the above I will out right acknowledge that the characters in Simply Irresistible are flawed, there is a lot of dated narrow minded jokes and views in the book and there were details I might not have always needed. The writing was solid, it was laugh out loud funny in places and John was a jerk, a complete jerk then Georgie did a really bad thing in keeping their daughter a secret for 7 years. But I really enjoyed their journey and the story telling. Loved John and Lexi she totally had him wrapped!
Could John have learned more.....yes
Could Georgie have reflected more on bad choices...yes
Rachel Gibson creates really fantastic chemistry and their arguments made you want to hit them over the head but I was completely hooked from their first meeting and was delighted with their HEA!
Could John have learned more.....yes
Could Georgie have reflected more on bad choices...yes
Rachel Gibson creates really fantastic chemistry and their arguments made you want to hit them over the head but I was completely hooked from their first meeting and was delighted with their HEA!
May 26, 2018
Tam da ihtiyacım olan kitapmış. Son zamanlar da böyle çerezlik diyebileceğim aşk kitaplarına maalesef rastlayamıyorum. Bu yüzden okuduğum kitapların arasına bu seriyi sıkıştırarak doğru karar vermişim.
Keyfimi yerine getirdi ya gerisi boş.
Severek okudum.
March 10, 2023
Cute romance about a beautiful, sexy runaway bride and the hunky hockey player who unwittily rescues her. The audio by Kathleen Early was wonderful.
Georgeanne Howard has had a rough life. She never knew who her father was. Her mother left her with her grandmother as an infant. She also has a learning disability. The one thing going for her is a killer body, a beautiful face and a winning personality. But the only thing she wants is a home of her own. She agrees to marry an older, very rich, man. Then, she changes her mind and runs from the wedding - straight into the arms of hot, buff hockey player, John Kowalsky. When John catches a runaway bride he had no idea the runaway was running away from his boss. One hot night later John leaves her at the Seattle airport with a one-way ticket to Dallas. But there was nothing for Georgeanne in Dallas, so she decides to stay in Seattle.
Over the years Georgeanne has become a successful event planner and caterer and the mother of a wonderful little girl. John's little girl. Georgeanne fell in love with John when he rescued her, but John just doesn't want to do the forever thing again, but Lexie is a different story. He loves her and wants nothing more than to be her father.
Georgeanne Howard has had a rough life. She never knew who her father was. Her mother left her with her grandmother as an infant. She also has a learning disability. The one thing going for her is a killer body, a beautiful face and a winning personality. But the only thing she wants is a home of her own. She agrees to marry an older, very rich, man. Then, she changes her mind and runs from the wedding - straight into the arms of hot, buff hockey player, John Kowalsky. When John catches a runaway bride he had no idea the runaway was running away from his boss. One hot night later John leaves her at the Seattle airport with a one-way ticket to Dallas. But there was nothing for Georgeanne in Dallas, so she decides to stay in Seattle.
Over the years Georgeanne has become a successful event planner and caterer and the mother of a wonderful little girl. John's little girl. Georgeanne fell in love with John when he rescued her, but John just doesn't want to do the forever thing again, but Lexie is a different story. He loves her and wants nothing more than to be her father.
February 12, 2018
4 Stars
So, I was reading my feed and noticed a friend just finished this book, well I've been in a major book slump and wanted to change up my usual and thought I give this book a looksie. So I read the blurb, it intrigued me and I decided to jump over to Amazon and see how much it was. Well, to my surprise I already owned this book, I got it on November 2, 2012. Yep, I've had this baby for over 6 years, I guess I need to go through my kindle and see what I have on it more frequently.
Now to the book itself, it was a delightful book that I very much enjoyed. The constant misuse of hyphens aside, the characters were all so likeable and story line was engaging and so easy to slip into, I gobbled up this book. I'm so glad I decided to look into this one and to already have it was like a little gift to myself.
So, I was reading my feed and noticed a friend just finished this book, well I've been in a major book slump and wanted to change up my usual and thought I give this book a looksie. So I read the blurb, it intrigued me and I decided to jump over to Amazon and see how much it was. Well, to my surprise I already owned this book, I got it on November 2, 2012. Yep, I've had this baby for over 6 years, I guess I need to go through my kindle and see what I have on it more frequently.
Now to the book itself, it was a delightful book that I very much enjoyed. The constant misuse of hyphens aside, the characters were all so likeable and story line was engaging and so easy to slip into, I gobbled up this book. I'm so glad I decided to look into this one and to already have it was like a little gift to myself.
July 4, 2017
My first RG book, and I decided to start from the very beginning of the Chinooks series, and now I have to read them all, right away! In fact, I plan to read all her books very soon! I love sports romances, I think it started with SEP's Chicago Stars series, but this is my first Hockey one, and I love it! This was her first book ever published I think, and it does have a few quirks that I think could have been a little better, or some smoothing out with the flow in some parts, but overall they were very easy for me to overlook because I really liked everything else going on.
A few things I'd have liked to seen:
* Instead of going all the way back to 1976, and then to 1989, maybe smacking them together somehow, as in a flashback or a memory. I think it would have accomplished the same thing in fewer pages and been a little less heartbreaking. The way it is now I start out feeling sorry for Georgie, it's just personal, but I don't like to start out pitying my main characters. Also, we meet Mae for a brief second in the 1989 flashback, I know Ray died before that, but I wish we could have met him too, just for a brief second too, maybe in the 1976 flashback, who knows?
* I liked John, really I did, but he didn't seem quite there for me. I was looking for a little more to him throughout the book. Not until he was holding on with baited breath wanting Lexie to call him Daddy did I really feel anything but simple interest in him. But after that, not much again until he called Georgie/Lexie from Detroit did I really feel any emotion or depth from him. I don't know if that was the purpose, if he was sort of a shell since Toby's death, and only came alive with Lexie and Georgie, but I wanted him to be a little more . . . something. I can't put my finger on it, I'll have to think about it for a while.
* In the 1989 flashback, maybe just a little more time, like finding out she was pregant, how the first days in the catering business went, that sort of thing, but not having it didn't detract from the book, I'm just curious like that!
* A slightly longer and more informative epilogue would have been nice. I can really do without the short and sweet ones, that don't really impart any new info. We all knew they'd get married, okay, we didn't know they'd honeymoon in Hawaii, but give me a bigger glimpse into their everyday life, and take me a little further out than a month, I'd like at least 6 months or so.
* The whole resolution with Virgil at the end seemed a little anti-climatic, but John is going to make him pay for a good second-line enforcer (whatever that is!), so I guess it's not all bad!
Overall, this was great! RG has a great writing style, quirky characters (who wouldn't love a 6-year old who slathers herself in goop!) and even though I wasn't crazy about the premise (hidden baby) I think it was really well done and I'm sure I will enjoy the rest of her books immensely, I can already tell! I'll be beginning the next one relatively soon!
A few things I'd have liked to seen:
* Instead of going all the way back to 1976, and then to 1989, maybe smacking them together somehow, as in a flashback or a memory. I think it would have accomplished the same thing in fewer pages and been a little less heartbreaking. The way it is now I start out feeling sorry for Georgie, it's just personal, but I don't like to start out pitying my main characters. Also, we meet Mae for a brief second in the 1989 flashback, I know Ray died before that, but I wish we could have met him too, just for a brief second too, maybe in the 1976 flashback, who knows?
* I liked John, really I did, but he didn't seem quite there for me. I was looking for a little more to him throughout the book. Not until he was holding on with baited breath wanting Lexie to call him Daddy did I really feel anything but simple interest in him. But after that, not much again until he called Georgie/Lexie from Detroit did I really feel any emotion or depth from him. I don't know if that was the purpose, if he was sort of a shell since Toby's death, and only came alive with Lexie and Georgie, but I wanted him to be a little more . . . something. I can't put my finger on it, I'll have to think about it for a while.
* In the 1989 flashback, maybe just a little more time, like finding out she was pregant, how the first days in the catering business went, that sort of thing, but not having it didn't detract from the book, I'm just curious like that!
* A slightly longer and more informative epilogue would have been nice. I can really do without the short and sweet ones, that don't really impart any new info. We all knew they'd get married, okay, we didn't know they'd honeymoon in Hawaii, but give me a bigger glimpse into their everyday life, and take me a little further out than a month, I'd like at least 6 months or so.
* The whole resolution with Virgil at the end seemed a little anti-climatic, but John is going to make him pay for a good second-line enforcer (whatever that is!), so I guess it's not all bad!
Overall, this was great! RG has a great writing style, quirky characters (who wouldn't love a 6-year old who slathers herself in goop!) and even though I wasn't crazy about the premise (hidden baby) I think it was really well done and I'm sure I will enjoy the rest of her books immensely, I can already tell! I'll be beginning the next one relatively soon!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2016
I originally read this book in 2013 and loved it. I did a re-read today and it was just as good the second time around. I love a story!
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