Firebird by Jennifer Loring Published by Limitless Publishing Publication Date: October 10th 2015
Pages: 444
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Stephanie Hartwell is a journalist chasing the story of her career…
When superstar hockey player and notorious bad boy Aleksandr Volynsky is traded to the Seattle Earthquakes in a blockbuster deal, Stephanie demands the opportunity to prove herself by scoring an exclusive interview with a man with no love for the media…the same man she once thought, as a naïve teenager, she’d someday marry.
An Olympian and Stanley Cup Champion, Aleksandr has achieved every goal he’s ever set…
Now expected to carry a failing team on his shoulders, Aleksandr’s troubles deepen when he encounters Stephanie after a season-opening loss. His lifestyle of drinking and random hookups has been a futile attempt to forget the beautiful tomboy who stole his heart nine years ago. And worse, fame and fortune have made it impossible for him to trust anyone—especially Stephanie, who is engaged to another man.
Romance rekindles, but tragedy reveals Aleksandr’s dark side…
Being with Aleksandr in the first place jeopardizes Stephanie’s journalistic integrity and threatens her career, and when he spirals out of control, it reawakens fears from her own history, making her unable to commit to a future with him.
When Aleksandr discovers the truth behind his self-destructive behavior, will his newfound self-awareness be enough to convince Stephanie to give him one last chance…
Or will his revelation drive her away for good?
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from Manic Readers in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
I love a book that have positive message but also shows the truth of what people are dealing with in real life, especially when it comes to mental illness. Jennifer Loring does a great job with both.
Alexandr is the best hockey player in the world. At 25 he has it all, gold medals, a Stanley Cup multiple top awards in the NHL. He is also rich, stylish and can have any girl he wants. The problem is he just wants 1, Stephanie.
Stephanie and Alexandr knew each other 8 years earlier when Alexandr was an exchange student in the USA. They were each others first loves but lost contact when Alexandr left. Stephanie moved to Seattle to become a sports writer. She is now engaged and thinks she is happy. That is until she is assigned to write a story on Alexandr who has been just trade to the Seattle NHL team. This is the first time they have seen each other in 8 years and boy do the sparks fly. Alexandr does not hide the fact he still loves Stephanie and Stephanie cant resist since she feels the same. Things move very quickly between the 2 until a tragedy strikes that changes everything.
I don’t want to give to much away – I will say that as the main characters learn about themselves they find out what really drives them, especially Alexandr. The author does a fantastic job diving into what sometimes be a taboo subject – mental illness and really explores the negative stigma it can have. Alexandr who is from Russia has always been larger than life but that now changes. He needs to find himself in order to show Stephanie the right kind of love, the love that she deserves.
The writing is fantastic – it is written in dual POV’s which I love though the book does concentrate more on Alexandr and his journey. If I had 1 concern is that we didn’t go to far into what Stephanie goes through especially regarding her childhood.
If you are looking for a great story about real love with the hockey back drop (love it). This is a great book for you!
