I’ve had such a lucky streak lately with small town contemporaries and sports romances. (I’ve also been very lucky with Jill Shalvis books.) I’ve been glomming them up left and right and feeling very satisfied. Recently I was in the mood for an alpha hero so I was browsing around on Goodreads and spotted a few comments about the alpha hero in Time Out by Jill Shalvis. Since it features an NHL coach who returns to his small hometown and falls for the girl who had a teenage crush on him, I promptly did a virtual sprint toward my Kindle and fired it up.
Rainey works with disadvantaged kids at her home-town rec center. Many of the families there have been affected by wild fires and have lost everything and the rec center is an important part of the kid’s lives. Rainey is very dedicated to her work with the kids and to her community. But funding is short and since the community is already strained, it’s difficult finding volunteers to help out with coaching sports teams etc.
Mark is an NHL coach who’s team was recently defeated in the finals for the Stanley Cup. He should be on vacation but some of his players were involved in a bar fight with the opposing team that created a PR nightmare, and so he is spending his off-time babysitting the players who were involved, doing community service and trying to keep them from being suspended for their bad behavior. Mark’s brother runs the rec center where Rainey works and has invited Mark and the hockey players to spend the summer coaching the kids sports teams and to help out with community service.
Mark and Rainey have a little history. An embarrassing history for Rainey. She had a massive crush on Mark who is four years older than her. On her 16th birthday, she decided it was time to reveal her feelings for Mark…and a little something more if you know what I mean. But her plans went all wrong when she interrupted Mark in the middle of an intimate moment with someone else and she was totally humiliated. Since Mark was 20 and she was only 16 he had always considered Rainey as off-limits. Definitely very cute and sexy…but off limits. He liked her and looked out for her but nothing more and that is about as far as their relationship ever went. They’ve seen each other a few times over the years, but Rainey has kept an emotional distance. But when Mark arrives in town this time, sparks fly immediately and their relationship is on the verge of change.
Time Out really satisfied my recent “romance alpha male” craving . Mark is so very alpha in a make-me-shiver sort of way. Rainey is independent, loyal to those she loves and although her heart is vulnerable when it comes to Mark, she doesn’t hesitate to stand up to the alpha male that commands respect everywhere he goes. Sometimes I’m not sure why certain characters will catch my attention more than others, especially when there is nothing really outstandingly unique about them, at least in the world of romance heroines and heroes. I’ve read the hometown golden boy who left town and made himself a huge success story before. I’ve also read the independent, humble hometown girl who dedicates her time to making a difference, story. But for me, it wasn’t their circumstances that made a difference this time. It was pure chemistry, and I don’t mean just the romantic chemistry between Mark and Rainey. Sometimes, there is just character charisma that jumps out and rocks my reader boat and that is the case here. I just really liked both of these characters and their chemistry really worked for me. I believed in their romance, the sex was hot, the humor was light, and their happily ever after was very satisfying.
I’m already a Shalvis fan and so I totally expected to enjoy Time Out. I’m happy to say my lucky Shalvis streak still stands. Time Out was a winner for me.
Rating: B+
Time Out by Jill Shalvis
February 21st 2012 by Harlequin
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About Sophia (FV)
Sounds great! I’ve heard a lot of good things about this specific book from my blog friends. I will definitely have to get it now!
It’s very steamy and the romance was great. I think you’ll like it.
Bells told me Mark reminded her of one of our favorite gladiators on Spartacus. She had me sold with that but your review seals the deal, lol.
Thanks, Sophia, because I’ve been in the same mood! I also sprinted to my kindle (wasn’t far) and so will have done my aerobics for the day too
Yeah, mine’s never far away either. That’s why it was a virtual sprint. I look better sprinting in my mind. LOL
This one totally worked for me too! I was already an established Shalvis fan, but hadn’t read any of her Blaze books before now.
I’m pretty sure this is the first Blaze I’ve read by Shalvis as well. Verra steamy!!
Glad you liked it so much, I still have to start reading her books. Looking forward to Animal attraction and it’s twin.
I’m listening to Animal Attraction right now on audio. It’s pretty good although the narrator is not my favorite.
I loved this book! Like you, I found Mark’s super-alphaness very sexy and appealing. Shalvis has a way of writing romance (super sexy with humor and heart) that never fails to draw me in. Love her books!
Yes. This exactly!!
This sounds great. I haven’t read this author before. So why only a B+?
P.S. Do you think this author would be my style?
Well, I guess I’m a little stingy with my “A” grades.
This romance worked well for me but as I said, it didn’t bring anything new. But on my scale, a B+ is pretty darn good.
No, no, you’re right, a B+ is still an awesome grade. Heck, I’m of the mind that a C+ is still good. I was just curious if there was a specific detriment you forgot to mention or if it just wasn’t quite A worthy, even though you thought it was great.