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Jealous boyfriends and glitzy parties can be a recipe for disaster. When gorgeous yet controlling Cooper interrupts a party Izzy was paid to crash and almost ruins her career as a professional party crasher, Izzy kicks him to the curb. She learned early in life not to count on anyone, and she will not relinquish her independence, not even to a sexy-as-sin pro athlete who can melt her with one wink.
As the Sockeyes hockey team opens their inaugural season in Seattle, Cooper finds himself minus a girlfriend and plus a surly teenage nephew. Cooper doesn't want to be a surrogate dad, but he doesn't want to play in Seattle, and he doesn't want to be alone. He misses Izzy, but seeing her with other men at parties turns him every shade of green. Regardless, he wants her back, and he's willing to change, if only she'll give him a second chance. Aware of her precarious finances, Cooper makes an offer she can't refuse by hiring her to be responsible for his nephew when he's traveling for the team.
Fearing Cooper isn't capable of changing his control freak ways, Izzy resists his efforts to turn their financial arrangement into a personal relationship. He needs a sweet, docile girlfriend, and Izzy cannot be that woman. Yet, when tragedy strikes, Izzy is there when Cooper needs her the most, and love has a way of getting what it wants, no matter the circumstances.
Excerpt:
“What are you doing here?” Izzy hissed, ever mindful their voices could carry down the hallway to anyone loitering about the ballroom entrance.
“Looking for you,” Cooper growled right back while his gaze raked up and down her body clad in a form-fitting little black dress which revealed a tasteful amount of cleavage and bare thighs.
“Cooper, I told you I had to work tonight.”
He scowled and stepped toward her, backing her up until she hit the wall behind her. He put his big hands on either side of her face and leaned in. “I don’t like you hanging out with all these wealthy businessmen and athletes who’re salivating after you like tomcats on the prowl.”
“You are a wealthy athlete,” she reminded.
“Exactly,” he responded with a grimace.
“It’s just a job.” She stared up into his stormy blue eyes, forcing herself to stay on task and not get lost in those passionate depths.
“I have more than enough money to support you while you go back to school. You don’t need to do this job.”
“I love my job.” Izzy shook her head. She would never be dependent on anyone. After all, when you couldn’t trust your own parents to provide the bare minimum basics of food and shelter, why would you set yourself up to depend on anyone else?
“I don’t.” He glared down at her, his strong jaw set and his kissable mouth drawn in a firm line. If she kissed him right now, he’d forget about everything and the situation would be defused. Until next time. She gathered her strength and did what she had to do. For herself, her sanity, and her business.
“You, buster—” she jabbed her finger in his hard chest. “Do not get a vote.”
He ground his jaw. She cringed at the thought of what that’d do to his implants if he kept it up.
“Cooper, please—”
“This isn’t working. I can’t live like this, not knowing where you are and what you’re doing.”
“You know where I am. I tell you what parties we’re crashing.”
“Yeah, but I worry about you.” Concern softened the anger in his eyes, but judging by his clenched fists, it still bubbled beneath the surface even as he fought to control it.
“There’s nothing to worry about.” Izzy sighed. She wouldn’t quit this job. Number one, she loved it. Number two, it supported her three younger sisters and their college tuition's. Number three, Cooper would not take away her ability to control her present or future.
“You don’t know these people.”
“I don’t have to know them. It’s not like I’m going to establish a relationship with any of them.”
“You did with me.” He pointed out the fact that they’d met at a party her company, the Party Crashers, had been hired to crash over a month ago.
“That was the only time that happened.” She lifted her head and glared at him. “Is that what this is all about? You don’t trust me?”
A muscle ticked in Cooper’s square, stubbled jaw, and his face hardened to stone. That was all the answer she needed.
Review:
There is nothing I love more than an alpha male- add a big bad professional hockey player and this book is the stuff those dreams are made of! We met Cooper & Izzy in the novella Crashing the Boards and while you don't HAVE to read it before Crashing the Net, I recommend it! It is great short read and really gets you invested in Cooper & Izzy's story. Crashing the Net starts off where Crashing the Boards ended. Cooper and Izzy are a couple and Izzy's party crashing business is growing, thanks to her luck with the Seattle Sockeyes, but things aren't completely sunshine and roses. Cooper isn't comfortable with her career. She's had enough of his alpha male possessiveness and the two part ways. Enter Cooper's nephew, the son of his estranged sister that he never knew existed. He needs someone to help him and he knows Izzy is the perfect person for the job even if he has to swallow some of his pride and ask for help. To be honest, I didn't find Cooper that likable at first. He's hot- oh yes, and while I love a domineering hero, he came across as very self-centered. I grew to love him as the story progressed, as details from his past were revealed and the reason why he is the man he is became more clear. Izzy is the responsible one, she has taken care of her sisters, put their needs before her own, but now as they are starting to become more independent and she feels as if she is losing control of her life. Her past has taught her to to rely on herself. They say opposites attract, but I think in the case of Izzy and Cooper these two like-minded souls were on a crash course for each other from the very beginning. Izzy is the perfect match for Cooper, while he may thing he needs a docile submissive female, what he really needs is someone who isn't afraid to tell him exactly what she thinks. These two burn up the pages and I found myself holding my breath for their happily ever after!
Crashing the Net is a sexy fun story with a great plot twist and I enjoyed this book very much. I gave this book 5 Starts and it is a MUST read for fans of sports romance. In fact I suggest that you add the entire Seattle Sockeyes series to your must read list!
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Author Info:
USA Today Bestselling Author Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary and sports romances, including her new indie endeavors: the Game On in Seattle Series and the Madrona Island Series. Jami lives on a small farm near the Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber-husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a price disguised as an orange tabby cat, and an opinionated Hanoverian mare. She works in computer support in her day job and juggles too many balls, but she wouldn't have it any other way.
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Note: I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review Crashing the Net and for participating in my blog tour.
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