Off the Ice: a sunshine/grump, forced proximity romance (Central State)

I enjoyed this book and I really liked both Cal and Elle’s characters- separately and together.Cal has suffered a heartbreaking tragedy losing his parents and Elle is trying to find her way out from her brother’s shadow and create her own dream.Enemies who have to work together and then become close friends, I loved how their relationship progressed and how they each showed they cared for the other. Elle brought so much light and joy to Cal’s life that had been missing for a long time. Cal protected and took care of Elle without being overbearing- his gestures were so sweet and their connection was strong from the beginning.There were a couple of times I felt the story could have progressed a little bit quicker, and the last 20% was probably my favourite part of the book, but overall this was a solid 3 stars for me.

Here, we have Elle the hopeless and adorable romantic and Cal the grumpy moody hockey player - there's a storyline for an hea if ever there was one....And it was a really good one!I enjoyed it, Elle is bubbly, over-talkative, a dreamer and one of the most authentication and adorable people ever!Cal is as I already said - grumpy and moody. But he's also just trying to get through life without getting hurt again. After loosing both his parents in a freak-accident, he's determined not to feel that loss again.It's sad, it's heartfelt and over all it was a really good read with plenty of fun, self-reflection, friendship, passion and finding yourself :)⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a fantastic read! Fiery, intensely sexy, and pretty emotional."Even if it breaks my heart, I want to feel like I'm one thousand percent someone's yes. Like, yes, I make their soul dance."Eleanor 'Elle' Van Helsing crushed on Cal Holt for years from afar, until he made one careless comment that turned her crush to disdain. From then on, she couldn't stand to be around him and avoided him whenever she could. When she scores herself a new job at a dive bar owned by his uncle, an unexpected circumstance has them partnering up to keep the bar going in his uncle's absence. Slowly, Elle begins to realise that there's much more than meets the eye to the grumpy, angry, unsociable hockey captain."She was a dream. Off-limits because I wasn't good enough for her, but a dream."Cal has a huge wall around his heart. He fears love, but Elle, the girl whose presence brings him peace, is an out-and-out romantic. They are too different to attempt anything more than friendship. As he holds fast to their growing, deepening friendship, he also fights his attraction to her because he can't imagine his life without her in it, yet he feels he can't offer her anything more."Her kiss destroyed the tiniest string of self-control I had left. I wanted all of her, all the time."Gah! I really loved this story. Cal broke my heart. He really felt that he didn't know how to love people and didn't even realise that he did so through his actions. He was emotionally stunted because his anger and his aloneness had kept people at bay, and he'd forgotten how to care for people because he couldn't voice his feelings. Elle, on the other hand, used her words to show her love. She was charming and had the kindest heart. Even though Cal hurt her, she refused to make him feel guilty about it because she understood where he was coming from. Cal's battle with himself over Elle was agony to witness. This girl was made for him and he was so stuck in his head that he almost missed his opportunity at something more with her. I loved Elle's bravery and honesty, which made for very happy and romantic ending. And, seriously, their first kiss? What a prelude to some hot and intense scenes! Loved it!

I enjoyed this as it was a bit different to some of the previous books in the series. This was set during summer break from college, so we don't have as much Hockey action, but we get to see more interactions between the 2 MCs. The storyline is a really sweet one even if both characters can be stubborn, its what makes them a great couple in the end and makes for a great read overall.

There is as much excitement and emotion happening of the ice as on it in the 4th book in the Central State hockey series, Cal and Elle's story was one of loss, of never giving up and eventually letting love in.Cal was drafted to NHL at 18 but has decided to stay on at college to get his degree, with the loss of his parents Cal has shut himself away emotionally, so when Elle the girl that he knows could be the only one to break down his walls starts to work at the bar his cousin owns he knows he is in big trouble. Elle can't believe the guy she crushed is now sitting in the bar she will be working in, that crush was short-lived after a brief encounter with him a year ago, Elle is the dreamer, an aspiring writer who believes in being swept off your feet with those swoon-worthy gestures, but is Cal the guy, in the end, to give her all that?I loved seeing this couple's story unfold, my heart broke for Cal because underneath the tough exterior he showed to the world was a heart of gold.

This is the 4th book in this incredible series, and this is Cal and Elle’s story. Elle needs a fresh start away from her home, and she finds a place to life, and a job in a dive bar near to where she stays. When the owned of the bar has a family emergency, his nephew Cal steps up to the plate to help. Elle used to have a crush on Cal until he ruined it, and now they are crossing paths, he is grumpy, and does not understand why she hates him. These two are complete opposites, but they complement each other perfectly. This is a well written story which is an enemies / lovers’ romance, with tension, challenges, family, friendships, emotions, and love, which leads to a poignant story.I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.