Buy:  Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback

---

---

Blurb

For Lawrence “Viper” Finkle, hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life. Since the first time he stepped onto the ice at just eight years old, he knew what he was meant to do, and he does it well. When his career takes an unexpected hit, and his relationship is pushed to the breaking point, he’s left sidelined and wondering what his future holds.

Just when he’s sure things can’t get any worse…they do.

Can Viper pull himself together in time to save his career, his girl, and his sanity? Or will he be permanently benched?

 

---

Review

“Fate didn’t ask permission and she didn’t give you warnings, but she had a way of balancing your life when you didn’t even know it needed to be balanced, and calming even the wildest of hearts.”

4.5 stars

Emotional, heartbreaking, sweet, romantic, and absolutely beautiful, this book is the continuation of Viper’s story from Cement Heart and I absolutely loved it!

Definitely not to be read as a standalone, this book picks up approximately 1 year after the end of Cement Heart, where we saw a huge shift in Viper’s life as he dealt with a devastating loss and found and fell in love with the woman of his dreams. Previously the NHL’s biggest manwhore, I loved watching the huge changes he underwent in that book, and this book continues on from that, showing me just what I wanted to see from the end of the last book – Viper and his girl happy, committed and madly in love.

Viper is living a life he never dreamed he would want, let alone have, and he is happy in a way he never knew he could be. But when life throws him an expected curveball, everything that he thought he was disappears. It’s the start of a spiral for him as he loses whatever control he thought he had, and is left questioning everything.

“He got on the plane for that road trip as one man, but came back as someone totally different.”

I won’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t read Cement Heart so just a warning that this review is going to be purposely vague.

Viper is such a wonderful hero. Arrogant, funny charming and sexy as all hell, but he’s an absolute sweetheart who loves deeply. After all that he went through in Cement Heart, my heart broke for him watching him go through even more heartache, but his journey is beautifully written

“I don’t know who I am anymore and I’m trying to figure it the fuck out the best way I know how.”

He has his flaws, and though his supreme assholery had me wanting to smack him, seeing his torment and then watching him start to understand and acknowledge the consequences of his actions was really beautifully written.

“No man ever lay on his death bed pissed off that he’d apologized too many times throughout his life, but plenty wish they’d apologized more.”

And as a romance lover, watching him fight like hell to claim back his life was swoony perfection!

And his heroine… well, I adore her! Compassionate and loving, she is incredibly strong, and I thought the way she handled everything was amazing. Her love for Viper comes through so strongly, as does her unwavering support for him, but she’s definitely not a doormat, and I thought she provided the perfect balance for him.

Fans of the Cranberry Inn series (which introduce Viper as a character – see details below) will be thrilled to know that there is lots of Brody and Kacie in the book, and I loved seeing not only where they are now as a family, but also watching them interact with Viper and his girl as they help them through their hard time. And of course Viper’s grandmother is still a big part of his life, and I thought every moment with her was just gold!

This is such a gorgeous story. Cement Heart showed us Viper getting his girl, this is the story of him keeping her. It was definitely heartbreaking at times, but the emotion was beautifully written and I felt every moment. And it was worth every bit of pain for the swoony happy ending, and double epilogue that finished off Viper’s story perfectly.

I loved it – 4.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided in exchange for an honest review

 

Cranberry Inn

 

Viper’s Heart Duet

Follows on from the Cranberry Inn series featuring side character, Viper

 

Even the Score

(Standalone – Andy’s book)
Review
Buy:  Kindle Ebook  |  Paperback

 

 

 

---

Giveaway

The author is giving away a SIGNED copy of the two Viper’s Heart books – Cement Heart and Wild Heart.

Enter Giveaway Here

US & Canada only

The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway

 

---

About the Author

Beth Ehemann lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her husband and four children. When she’s not sitting in front of her computer writing, or on Pinterest, she loves reading, photography, martinis and all things Chicago Cubs. She’s represented by Jessica Watterson of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

 

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Instagram  |  Website