Story 5 *, Emotion/Passion 4.5 *, Sizzle 4.25 *.
I love this author and don’t hesitate to push the one-click button when she has a new release.
This is the second of the Bayard College Hockey Series and it is Ella’s story. She is an emotional mess, failing her classes and known for being a party girl. She is just beginning to repair her relationship with her very BFF Skylar after a tumultuous year for both. Ella hasn’t been doing well academically or socially since the suicide of a close friend the year before.
Whenever she is with Skylar and her boyfriend, his teammate Ben is there and there is no love lost between Skylar and Ben. In fact, one might say they are enemies…except somehow, Ben’s eyes are always on Ella and she certainly keeps tabs on the quiet, snobby but hot and charismatic Ben. He is just so rude, calling her “Party Girl”. Their mutual attraction grows and each tries to ignore the other. It takes time for Ben to notice that Ella has changed and is now focused on studying and repairing relationships. Ella doesn’t trust Ben, or hardly anyone.
The reader is sucked in, captured by the story, and kept anxiously hopeful throughout that these two will pay attention to each other. Missed communications and perceptions create a bit of angst.
The author addresses some heavy topics of depression, slut-shaming, suicide and date-rape. These important issues for young people are integral to the story and sensitively managed. With this author, a satisfactory HEA is a guarantee! #MainelyStories #KellyJamieson #NetGalley #Loveswept

I think this was by far my favorite book from Jamieson. The subject matters that both of the main characters are so true to life. Jamieson did such a wonderful job of handling it. Even if you aren't a fan of hockey, this book is totally worth the read.

Note, I did receive an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the Bayard Hockey Series. Ben and Ella don’t like each other…he thinks she is a “party girl” and she thinks he is pretentious and pompous. Because their best friends are dating they begin to spend more time together. Gradually, they realize they can’t deny their chemistry…they become lovers and eventually friends. Both have issues that define their behavior and personalities which cause a few bumps in the road to their HEA. If you love hockey romances this the book for you. Kelly writes entertaining and sexy stories that are a fun read,.but they also deal with real life issues that will cause a variety of emotions.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3K2E7RGT7SZZH/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Favorite Quote:
“Good, baby?” I lick her throat. “Um . . . I think . . . I’m burning.” “Yeah . . . me too.” “No, I’m really burning.” Her hands come to my chest and push as she tries to shove me off her. “Jesus, Ben, my vagina is burning! Something’s wrong! Ow!” Stunned and dazed, I pull out and roll off her, blinking at her in confusion. What the fuck?


The heroine of this book, Ella spent her previous school year using partying and sex as a way to cope with her grief. It didn’t work well so now she is committed to being focused on her school work and being a better friend. She supposedly hates Ben, out hero. She finds him pompous.

This is supposed to be a enemies/haters to lovers type of trope, but I didn’t feel that ever hated each other. I never picked up on true hate, definitely some dislike/misunderstanding of the other, but not hate. Ella’s supposed hate for Ben was because he was came off as pompous and too put together. Ben supposed hate for Ella was because she was a party girl. There was an instance where he may have insinuated that she was a slut, but he never outright called her a slut. There were not several instances/examples of why these two should hate each other, so I never bought into that.

Ben is one of the big stars of the hockey team, very smart, and very handsome- obviously. Ben is actually quite nice. He came from a tough background and was using college as a opportunity to start fresh. I actually liked him a lot. He is also pretty open with his feelings, which is refreshing, especially in New Adult.

Ella and Ben have some chemistry so they decide to do the whole, I am in no position to be in a relationship, let’s just have sex relationship. Quickly it develops to more and Ella and Ben enter boyfriend/girlfriend status. It felt different that when Ben asked Ella, she didn’t protest. Only weird insomuch as she was really adamant when they first hooked up that she couldn’t do more.

I have enjoyed several of this author’s books. She frequently incorporates topics that don’t come up in other books like, rape culture/awareness, slut shaming, suicide, filicide, severe depression. Sometimes it is really well integrated in the story, examples- No Obligation Required and Shut Out which I reviewed last year. This time around it felt a little bulky and took up too much page time. In Shut Out the hero was previously and falsely accused of rape. This book is the second in the series, new couple, but they navigate through some slut shaming issues along with the heroine recovering from the loss of a friend who completed suicide (off page). The slut shaming conversation between the men felt a little forced and like it was there to inform me the reader and not a natural conversation between the readers. And while it is an incredibly worthy topic it felt a little off for me. I think another reason it bothered me was because even though the MC’s fight the good fight against slut shaming, they had no issue referring to other women as bitches. I feel like that is a little bit of a mixed message.

All in all this was a decent read. I gave up on believing that they hated each other and tried to think of it as mild dislike. I really liked Ben. Ella was a good heroine as well. It was great to see her grow as a character and I felt like the depiction of her grief was true to life, but not overwhelming. It felt a little too after-school specialy for me in regards to the slut-shaming. But I applaud the author for confronting these real life issues and concerns in her books and making us as readers more aware.

Not into first person stories . They confuse me and I just can't get into them

Ella tried to handle the guilt and regret that she was feeling by drinking and partying which resulted in her life going downhill. She decides that some changes need to be made and one is get herself off academic probation and the other is to repair the relationship with her best friend Skylar.

Ben is the star hockey player on the college team who on the road to the NHL and would prefer his past to remain private and the last thing he needs is to be distracted by a woman.

Ben and Ella’s best friends are dating so although they rub each other the wrong way they end up spending time together. As they start to see more than the persona that they each display to the public they realize that they are drawn to each other in a way they have never felt before. They both have their issues but together they help each other heal and become stronger.

The characters are deep and well developed and the author balanced the seriousness of the issues they were dealing with against the banter between them very well. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

There are few authors who write hockey romance as well as this author. I get drawn in with each and every book. And they always keep you interested because the stories are always different. Ella and Ben couldn't appear more opposite. But looks can be deceiving. They are more alike than they realize and watching them fall in love was amazing. The way this author deals with underlying issues, similar to how she did in the first book, is just phenomenal.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

What happens when you fall for the one person who you never thought you would?
Ben and Ella both have preconceived opinions of one another, but keep getting thrown together due to their best friends being together. When they start realizing that they have a lot in common and that they are jealous of other people being with the other, can they let the walls down to find happiness?
I really liked how the roles were reversed. While they both had issues to work through and overcome, Ella was, in my opinion, the one more troubled. Guilt, remorse and frustration all led Ella into acting out, which is what led Ben to believe she was something that she wasn't. As for Ben, he dressed and acted the way he did became of his past. Once they started letting the other in, it was a slow burn until they decided if it was forever.
Even with taking things slowly, Ella tries to push Ben away because she is afraid of what she is feeling. Ben also tries to push Ella away when he starts thinking about his future and what having her in his life will mean. Can Ben and Ella find a way to make their attraction and chemistry into forever? Or, will they walk away from happiness due to fear?
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Kelly Jamieson’s Cross Check is a sexy enemies-to-lovers romance that compassionately delves into some series issues, such as suicide and promiscuity. Ella had a wild period in her life as a means for acting out. She’s not particularly likable, but we soon discover her behaviors were just a coping mechanism. Ben’s first impression of Ella is not favorable, but he’s won over by her fierce and sassy personality as he gets to know and understand her.

Cross Check is more than a heartfelt love story - it is a layered story that shines a light on complex. Readers will enjoy this breathtaking romance.

Kelly Jamieson has done it again!I loved this book.A great story about college students who are making decisions about their futures.The guys are hockey players,Ben and Jacob are prospects for major hockey teams.Jacob and Skylar were the main characters in the last book,but I feel you could pick this book up and be filled in.Ella and Ben had a hate relationship that turns to a passionate one.The book is full of drama and angst as these young people are trying to grow up and make mature decisions.The book was true to life with the problems that these people had to deal with such as suicide and depression Well done!Can't wait for the next book by Ms.Jamieson!

This book is a sports romance with a lot of depth. Ella is on a quest to rebuild her life after a year of partying, random sex and almost busing up the friendship of she and her best friend Skyler (not to mention Skyler's romance). Ella is now on academic probation and trying hard to deal with the suicide of their friend the year before, the event that started all of the above behaviors. As her relationship with Skyler continues to mend, she is thrown in contact with Ben, the hockey teammate of Skyler's boyfriend Jacob. Ella thinks Ben is a stuck up guy who thinks he is better than everyone. In reality, Ben comes from a poor background and has a lot of baggage related to feeling like everyone is better than he is.
The more time Ella and Ben spend together, the more they are feeling the heat between them and also sharing the issues that define them, good or bad.
This book has lots of spice, lots of hockey and a considerable amount of insight and information on how survivors deal with guilt after the loss of a friend who has committed suicide. Skyler has her own set of issues regarding the suicide which are also explored. But, the primary focus is the relationship between Ella and Ben and how they have to overcome the blocks in their way to their own HEA.
I've have enjoyed the Bayard College Hockey series and the tie in to the Aces NHL series. Can't wait to read the next one!

Around this time last year I read the first book in the Bayard Hockey series, Shut Out, which would be my first Kelly Jamieson book ever. Cue to over a year later and a lot of Kelly Jamieson books that I loved and I finally got the opportunity to read the second book in the series and I'm so happy I did it because once again I quite enjoyed one of Kelly's books.

Once again, I really enjoyed the characters in this book. I have to tell you that Ella wasn't my favorite character in the first book but she ended up growing on me. Being in her head and seeing why she acted the way she did in the first book was quite heartbreaking but I loved how much Ella grew and learned with the things that happened in the past. I really loved how strong Ella was and how she knew what she wanted even if she was quite lost at one point of her life. I also loved her relationship with Skylar. That's something that I missed a lot in the first book so seeing them reconnecting was really awesome. I also loved Ben. He was such a great guy. I know he could be kind of judgemental at some times but as soon as he started to know the real Ella he changed. I also loved their relationship and how much they supported each other. Here's the thing, both Ella and Ben had some bad things happening in their pasts so seeing them opening about their struggles and supporting each other was amazing. They also had an amazing chemistry that you could sense from the beginning even if they hated each others guts at that point.

Just like Shut Out, this book deals with some sensitive subjects and it’s something that might not be easy to read to some people. I really enjoyed how it still talked about sexual assault and consent, just like in the first, but it also included mental illness. In my opinion these are some important topics that should be talked about even if it's not easy and even if not everyone would like to read about those.

Another thing I really liked was the writing style. By now I'm totally used to Kelly Jamieson's writing and while this book is a little bit different from most of her books in terms of writing I still think the writing flew pretty easily and I loved that it had dual POV but we could still differentiate Ben and Ella’s voices. It was a really enjoyable book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the story and I loved the characters. I know I've read a lot of Kelly Jamieson's books in the past year but I can tell you that it's something that won't change anytime soon because she's becoming one of my favorite authors.

Things I liked about Cross Check: Frank talk about consent, rape culture, and mental health. Cute hockey players who fall in love.

Things I didn't like about Cross Check: So much angst. I think I'm getting too old for NA.

Sexy, Heartwarming Love! This is an enemies to lovers romance that I could not put down, and read in one day. Kelly Jamison is the queen of Hockey Romance but takes on so much more with this heartwarming, sexy romance. Ella Verran has made a mess of not only her reputation and grades but also her relationship with her best friend Skylar, since she has come to College. Ben Buckingham is the the star forward on Bayard's Ice hockey team and his goal is to be drafted into the NHL. As these two are thrown together, their opinions and feelings for each other will slowly and surely rock each other's worlds. Sizzling chemistry and passionate feelings change them. All their flaws, fears and struggles will make them stronger and better together. But will their passion lead to Love? Will Ben leave Ella with a broken heart? Or will they get their HEA? The author did such a fantastic job, not only with this romance but with some very real tough life issues that were dealt with in this series. Loved it!

Received an ARC through the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily wrote an honest review.

Cross Check is a enemies to lovers story about Ben and Ella. Neither one of them care for each other, at all. Ella thinks Ben’s a pretty boy and Ben thinks that Ella is a slut.

After finally breaking down and getting to know one another, they figure out that each person is not quite what they seem. Their road to a relationship is not one that is easy since they both have issues to deal with. Ben’s focused on getting into the NHL and Ella is focused on not getting kicked out of school.

Cross Check was a good book. I read the first book in the series so I enjoyed revisiting Skylar and Jacob. The best part of the book, to me, was the bonus scene at the end.

This was my first Kelly Jamieson book - and I have to admit I didn't go in with any sort of expectations. I'd heard people - on Goodreads and on Twitter - hailing her the "Queen of Hockey Romance" and how "nobody could write a better hockey book". I scrolled through those aimlessly, thinking they were trite compliments from people who honestly had nothing original to say about the book. But goddamn it if Kelly Jamieson isn't the Queen of Hockey Romances.
I was actually shocked reading this one. The romance itself, the storyline, the feelings, the misunderstandings ... they were nothing new in collegiate romances. I love hate-to-love romances. Love, love, love them. I would eat them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack time, dinner and dessert if I could. That said, this one wasn't anything super special in that department, either. Girl thinks guy is a posturing, pretentious asshole. Guy thinks girl is a party girl who sleeps with everyone. Girl starts to realize guy is actually a nice guy. Guy starts to see girl as a hard worker and not just as a partier. They fall in love. Misunderstanding. They worry about future. More love happens. Plot stuff.
BUT. What really elevated this book a step above the rest, were the dynamic characters. They were so well fleshed out! I loved it! Maybe I've been reading a lot of flat romances (*cough*  Ugly Love *cough* Colleen Hoover *cough*) where all you read about is guy-and-girl with little outside characters or actual life happenings. What makes Kelly Jamieson such a good romance writer is that she takes you outside the romance - you see the characters life, their friends, their worries and their struggles. It's not just cuddles, kisses, crackers in bed and no doubt mind-blowing sex. It's about where they're going outside of college, about trying to turn their life around and study more, worrying about their family and having a good time with their friends.
And I'll tell you why Kelly Jamieson is the Queen of Hockey Romances - she perfectly understood the struggles of a college hockey player trying to make it into the big time. Ben was worrying about scouts, about having someone represent him, about making these adult, life decisions without an adult to guide him. He didn't know where he was going to play, he had to make it through interviews without sounding like a fool and he had to play well ... constantly. Jamieson perfectly captured the struggles, insecurities and inexperience that college athletes have when its time to make decisions that will shape their whole career and future.
Not only that, but she understood the game, and made me understand it, too. I may be an athlete, but I'm a dancer. Games that include balls are out of my breadth of knowledge. You cheer when the football goes over the yellow poles and when the player runs over the line and starts dancing when watching Football. That's all I know. I think it's called a ... touchdown? But whatever my knowledge on football, I know even less about hockey. But when Ben was playing a game, even if I didn't understand the game itself, Jamieson made sure that I knew what was going on with him and the other players. And somehow, it didn't sound like an instructional video.
Overall, I was really impressed with how Kelly Jamieson pulled off this story. The one word I'd use to describe it? Dynamic. I've used it several times throughout this review, but I really can't stress it enough. Even if the story itself wasn't anything new, the way it was told made all the difference. Thank you, Kelly!
Intrigued? Definitely check out the excerpt below from the book :)

I’ve read so many books by Kelly Jamieson in the last year or so, that I’ve lost count, eheh, but I have to be honest, I usually love books told on the first person, but incredible, I like her books told on the third person slightly better?! Something felt off with the writing at times, and I don’t know if the first person was just not working that well for me, or if I found the book overly descriptive, or a combination of both, but I definitly thought that it could have been shortened in some portions, especially in the first 40% or so.

I really liked the two main characters. Ben and Ella are both complex characters, with much more to them than meets the eye. I liked their layers and how they affected them, how they acted towards other people and their fears. I also really enjoyed the romance, because hate to love rules, and their chemistry was all kinds of hot.

This book is full of personal growth, and facing several issues. I liked how it dealt with mental illness, the stigma that still surrounds it, it also kept the theme of sexual assault and consent coming from book one, as well as the difference in attitudes when regarding a man and a woman’s sexuality. These are super important and relevant themes, and I’m so glad this series keeps hitting them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, especially the second part of the book, when the characters stopped fighting their feelings, eheh.

Kelly Jamieson does it again! I loved book one in this series and eagerly looked forward to seeing Ella and Ben's love/hate relationship play out. Though the book started slow, the last half was fantastic. The thing that sets Jamieson apart from other hockey romance writers is her knowledge of the game and how much she puts into showing readers the team dynamics. This is such a huge part of who an athlete is and so it's a huge part of the character she's writing about. She nails it every time.

Like the previous book in this series, Cross Check deals with serious issues on college campuses. In Shut Out, we met Ella as she was partying her way through the current semester at Bayard as she dealt with her friend's suicide. She became known as a party girl who liked to sleep around. A lot of Cross Check focuses on the double standard applied to young women who like to have sex and how they're viewed. While Ella's behavior was reckless and unhealthy because of her emotional state, being labeled a slut by her peers was even more damaging. As she seeks counseling, she learns to love herself, to stop judging herself and others, and to let go of the guilt she felt over her friend's suicide. To a larger extent, Cross Check addresses the prevalence of depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety on college campuses. As I always find with Kelly Jamieson, she teaches her readers as much as she entertains them. (though sometimes this resulting in stilted narrative)

I did struggle initially with Ben and Ella as a couple. Ben's a dick for at least the first 30% of the book and I had a tough time liking him. After a few weeks of supposed hate-filled chemistry, Ben and Ella give into their passion and, while I wouldn't recommend this as a way to start a relationship, it's the catalyst for them to connect emotionally. By the end I was definitely cheering for them and maybe shed a tear or two as their dreams came true.

My only real issue with Cross Check is one I've had before when reading books by Kelly Jamieson and that's too much sex. I'm all for it when love scenes move the story forward (for instance there's a wonderful scene that starts with a striptease that goes a long way in showing how comfortable Ella and Ben are together), but when it's more gratuitous than not, I end up skipping pages.

4 stars for Cross Check. Heat level: 3.5

Title: Cross Check
Author: Kelly Jamieson
Series: A Bayard Hockey Novel
Publisher: Loveswept
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Genre(s): Male/Male Hockey Romance
Page Count: 252 pages
Heat Level: 3.5 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Blurb:


A party girl and a clean-cut college hockey player discover that they’re not so different in this sexy, soulful Bayard Hockey novel from the USA Today bestselling author of the Heller Brothers series.

“Kelly Jamieson is my go-to author for hockey romance.”—Jami Davenport

Ella Verran has three goals this semester: get off academic probation, repair her relationship with her friend Skylar, and take some responsibility for her life. All of which are hard enough without hot, snobby hockey player Ben Buckingham around to distract her. Ella can’t stand Ben, and she knows the feeling is mutual. But he’s best friends with Skylar’s boyfriend, so he’s always around—taunting and tempting Ella in ways she never thought possible.

As the star forward of the Bayard College hockey team, Ben has goals too, like playing well enough to land a spot on an NHL roster. Ben is perfectly poised on the ice, so why can’t he keep his cool around Ella? Her wild behavior rubs him in all the wrong ways—and a few of the right ones. But as they skate around each other, Ben learns that there’s more to Ella than her bad reputation. And when the line between love and hate starts to blur, he can’t resist crossing over and sweeping her off her feet.






Review:
This is the second book in the Bayard Hockey series. I did not read the first book and I am not sure if I would have enjoyed this book anymore or less if I had. From the blurb characters from the first book are in this book as well. It looks like this story picks up where the first book ended with the focus being on Party Girl, Ella and Hockey Pretty Boy Ben. Plot: Everyone is back at college to begin the spring semester. Ella has to make some drastic changes in her life. The drunken nights with too many random hookups has put her on academic probation. Getting counseling is the first step in making things right. Repairing the relationship with her best friend from high school is another high priority. The problem with fixing her friendship is that Skylar is dating Jacob, a star player on Bayard’s hockey team and his best friend Ben is always around. To say that Ella and Ben don’t get along is putting it mildly, but as the two are constantly put together the enemies to lovers relationship takes off. The chemistry between Ella and Ben is amazing. The more they let one another in, the closer they become until insecurities rear their ugly head. The pacing in this story is fast. There is some good hockey action. Fun playful banter as well as serious issues regarding suicide, and rape. I loved the ending of this strong emotional story. I am not sure if there will be more to this series, but I will keep my eye out for the next book. The character development was very strong. I loved how Ella took the steps to take charge of her life. Ben with all his own problems is the perfect balance to Ella.

PLOT: 5 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 5 Stars
PACING: 5 Stars
ENDING: 5 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 5 Stars


Review Copy of Cross Check provided by the Loveswept I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club