Overall Grade: B/B-
Tropes: pro hockey romance; troubled ex-; he falls first; cinnamon roll hero; found family; band of brothers
Rebecca Jenshak’s next story in her Wildcat Hockey series, In Your Wildest Dreams, is an apt reminder that a golden retriever/cinnamon roll hero who falls first is a pure delight. Jenshak’s newest book focuses on the difficulty of her hero, Ash Kelly, falling for her heroine, Bridget, first. Jenshak deftly takes her readers through Bridget’s story about relationship violence and a manipulative ex. She complicates it for Ash when she makes the ex-boyfriend, the newest assistant GM for Wildcat Hockey. This sets in motion a secreted relationship with tons of spicy. In fact, that’s the failsafe for In Your Wildest Dreams. Ash and Bridget are pure fire.
Where I think the story finds trouble is the machinations of the ex. Yes, Jenshak highlights the power of relationship abuse to keep a victim silent. Bridget’s eventual willpower and courage are commendable. However, throughout the story, I thought Ash’s inaction was a flaw. He has power through the entirety of the story, and it’s his agent and/or manager. Yes, Ash struggles with understanding his role on the team and the power of his generosity with his teammates. However, it was difficult to accept that he’d readily allow a new assistant GM to harm his professional life. With so many hockey books in the romance market, it’s difficult to accept this narrative flaw.
That being said, I did enjoy Ash and Bridget’s journey in In Your Wildest Dreams. It’s possible that I loved the band of brothers trope even more, as Rebecca Jenshak has crafted a hockey series that underlines the power of brotherhood.
In love and romance,
Professor A
Professor Romance 