Should Have Known by Evey Lyon is live!
The first book in Lake Spark Inn series, this is a spin-off, set within the author’s Lake Spark world, all set in the same small town, all with a hockey flavour, but easily read as standalones. This is a fun yet emotional enemies-to-lovers romance with long-distance angst and a sweet love story.
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Blurb
A hockey player writing you love letters? That’s what happens when the man who is my opposite insists that he’s the one for me.
Having a not-so-smooth check-in at a small town inn can be blamed on meeting Stone Madden, the cocky retired hockey star with a tight jawline. Apparently, he’s the man behind the writer I assumed was a recluse with whom I’m stuck on a writing retreat. We couldn’t be further apart, I write romance, and he writes about sports. At first sight, we both desire to make each day miserable due to our apparent lack of enthusiasm for one another. But it doesn’t take long to discover that we click with an inflammable instant attraction. The fire I thought I’d lost inside of me begins to return.
Because of him.
Together, we unlock the unexpected, a strong bond we don’t want to break after our retreat ends. And we don’t.
There may be distance on a map between us, but our emails and my visits to his quirky small town bring us even closer.
Stone entered my life as the key to healing my emotional wounds and giving me my love story. Eventually, something has to give, and my heart can’t handle the risk.
But Stone won’t give up, and in retrospect, the moment our eyes first connected is when I should have known…
Stone and Harlow bring the feels and steam in this he-falls-first and instalove romance. It is the first standalone book in the Lake Spark Inn series, which is part of the Lake Spark world where small-town romance has a hint of hockey.
Review
3 stars
The first book in Lake Spark Inn series, this is a spin-off, set within the author’s Lake Spark world, all set in the same small town, all with a hockey flavour, but easily read as standalones. This is a fun yet emotional enemies-to-lovers romance with long-distance angst and a sweet love story.
Harlow is a romance author heading to Lake Spark for a writer’s retreat. Stone is a retired hockey player (and brother to Vaughn, from Waiting to Play, Lake Spark Off-Season #3), part owner of the Lake Spark Inn, and also a writer attending the same retreat. From the moment they lay eyes on each other, they are snarky and bickering, but it doesn’t take long for things to shift, and then the sparks are really flying.
The attraction is fast and strong, and they’re both feeling it, but more than just mad lust, they are developing true feelings. Their time together is short, and when Harlow returns to life on the other side of the country, they stay in touch. Over emails and visits, they grow closer, they share their lives, and they effortlessly start a relationship which is fun, playful, and all kinds of intense, and they fall hard.
“You’re tearing down the boundaries I thought I had, and I’m not complaining. I want you to break more.”
I really enjoyed watching Stone and Harlow come together. Neither of them are looking for a relationship, and everything between them develops so naturally, and though they have fears and reservations, and vulnerabilities from the past, they just go with it. They do have hurdles to overcome, of course the distance, which is so hard, but there are more personal issues as well. It’s angsty and emotional at times, and my heart hurt for both of them, but they’re open and honest with each other as they figure it all out.
“I believe the future between us is what we’ve been waiting for. I just need you next to me to make that happen.”
Stone kinda stole my heart in this book. He’s a playful sweetheart with strong family ties, and though he’s never really had a serious relationship, he follows his heart and puts himself out there for Harlow, and it’s gorgeous to see. He’s also a sex god, with a bit of a dominant streak, which is hot as hell. I could feel the connection between the two of them, and though their story had its frustrations, I was happy to see them get their happy ending.
This is a sweet and easy story, and an enjoyable read.
3 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Lake Spark Inn
This is a spin-off of the Lake Spark and Lake Spark Off-Season series
Should Have Known (#1) (Stone & Harlow)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Should Have Run (#2) (Holden & Lexi)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Should Have Been (#3) (Nash & Summer)
Review
Buy: Universal | Apple | B&N
Amazon pre-order: Amazon (release 29 August)
About Evey Lyon
Evey loves to write heartwarming feel-good romance that may just make you blush. The pages of her books are filled with swoon, wit, and steamy moments. An American from the Midwest, she now lives in Europe where she drinks way too much coffee, types away on a laptop with music on repeat, and stares at her yoga mat that she should probably use again…
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