Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover Series: Second Chances, #7
Published by Loveswept Publication Date: June 28th 2016
Pages: 244
Also in this series: All They Ever Wanted, Catching Summer, Intended for Bristol
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The Carolina Cougars keep fighting for love as the Second Chances series from bestselling author L. P. Dover continues! In Defending Hayden, a damaged football star teams up with the only woman who can take the pain away. No one’s tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin. But when a fatal car accident claims the life of his girlfriend, Derek finds himself caught in a destructive spiral of drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex. But not even a string of one-night stands can ease the hurt. Football is all he has left. Then fate leads him back to the scene of the crash, and into the arms of a kind, gorgeous woman who sees past his façade to the man he once was . . . and can be again. When a chance roadside encounter brings Derek into her life, veterinarian Hayden Hunter isn’t fooled by his bad attitude: All bark and no bite, he’s hiding a wounded heart beneath that gruff demeanor. And Hayden wants to be the one to kiss it all better. Soon they both find that a dose of passion is potent medicine. But when a hidden enemy lashes out at Hayden, Derek steps up to do what he does best: put his body on the line in the name of love.
I have enjoyed reading all of the books in L. P. Dover’s Second Chances series and I was eagerly anticipating Defending Hayden, the newest addition to the series. This is an enchanting story about two people who have been hurt but are willing to open their hearts and fall in love again.
Derek is a professional football player with the Carolina Cougars and he has gone through some tough times. He lost his girlfriend and unborn child during a senseless automobile accident and has had a difficult time getting over it and moving on. After months of drinking too much and countless encounters with anonymous women, he finally cleans up his act and that is when he meets Hayden Hunter.
Derek and Hayden are easy to like. They are perfect for each other and have lots of chemistry together. Derek is a good guy and I was glad he was given a second chance to find happiness. Hayden is a dedicated veterinarian; she is smart, confident and fun to be around and perfect for Derek.
I enjoyed this sweet story and the endearing characters. Hayden’s best friend Michael was funny and always there when Hayden needed him. All the guys on the football team are like family. They care about each other and also love to give each other a hard time and I was laughing at their antics. There is also some mystery included in the story when it is discovered someone is tampering with the animals in the veterinary clinic.
