Dawn is a strong female character that wants nothing more than to be awesome and be the star of her own life. It’s a great thing to work towards and want to be. Unfortunately, I felt she went way over the top. Yeah, finding something you’re passionate about, something that makes your life more interesting is great. You don’t have to pass up on a great relationship to do that though. This was the thing that infuriated me with her. She was way over the top when it came to avoiding being a hockey player’s girlfriend. It was because of this naive and childish behavior that caused me to barely connect with her.

Logan, on the other hand, was great. I felt so bad that he was injured and was losing his dream. But through it all, he stayed strong and kept his humor, and yeah I guess Dawn helped make him feel better. Then again I didn’t feel like she was all that helpful. In fact, I felt like she made things harder and was more worried about herself half the time while poor Logan was trying to hang onto her.

Besides Dawn’s issues, Breakaway was a fun light hearted read. I liked it, but it wasn’t super attention grabbing. For the most part, it just felt like a short summer romance read with a heard headed heroine. There wasn’t really anything special to it or any excitement. Like I said, a light fun read but nothing to rave about. Still, if you’re just looking for something light that you could read in less than a day, then you should check it out. Might help if you’re a hockey fan too.

I have mentioned before that my so-called ‘guilty pleasure’ when it comes to reading is ice hockey romance so when the opportunity came up on NetGalley to request a YA ice hockey romance, I was sold and hit the request button straight away.  It slipped my mind that this was the fourth book in a series at the time but I thought I would give it a go anyway (due to my self imposed book buying hiatus) and then if I liked it, I would buy the rest. 

The love interests met through a near disastrous skinny dipping incident and, having not seen that scenario in a book before, it made me chuckle and smile whilst reading it which was nice. We have Dawn, a girl who recently dumped her childhood sweetheart that was being drafted into the NHL because she was fed up of being known as only being the hockey players girlfriend, and Logan, an ex-NHL player who in his first game had a massive knee injury that took him off the ice making him have an identity crisis at eighteen years old but he is a massive cinnamon roll and I loved him. It was meant to be a summer romance until a thing happened which caused some drama - like all good romance novels! - but I found it really refreshing that, even though they are in their late teens, they dealt with it like adults and a lot more maturely than I have seen in other books of this ilk. 

There is insta-love in this which I usually cannot stand but for some reason, I actually liked it here! There is a first time for everything! I think it might be because the characters are in their late teens and it was just believable. You always hear of people getting into summer flings and it just made sense.

It isn't an explicit book by any stretch of the imagination and it was a nice, easy read. I definitely will be buying the earlier books in the series once my hiatus ends but, take it from me, you don't need to as it is easily read as a standalone - kudos to Cate Cameron for making it that way!

The thing that made this book, for me anyway, was the side characters and I would urge you to read it for them alone. Mrs McCann is the best 86-year old that I have ever read and I want to be her friend, and I wouldn't  expect her to pay me to do so either! Every book needs a Mrs McCann.

This was such a cute and easy read. I loved how the points of view alternated between the two main character. It was such an enjoyable book, I loved it.

Breakaway (Corrigan Falls Raiders #4) 
Cate Cameron
Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Another fabulous book by Cate Cameron. I'm loving this series. It's original and fun.

Dawn is trying to escape Hockey. She lives in a town which sleeps, breathes, and suffocates you with Hockey. After breaking up with her hockey loving ex-boyfriend, Dawn wants to try, and avoid the sport. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.

Logan is new in town. He is also trying to escape his life. After an injury, he has had to find a new way to live. His dad has helped by enrolling him to help out at a sports camp. Just like Dawn, he is trying to avoid all things related to Hockey. She is a breath of fresh air, and Logan cannot get enough of her. Logan may be avoiding Hockey and teaching golf, but that doesn't mean it won't catch up with him. Golf is where his summer romance is, and she helps him forget his troubles. Will Dawn be understanding or will she run when she finds out who he really is?

I loved this book just like the others I have read in the series. I've added Centre Ice to my read list, as I know it will be good, and I haven't read it yet. These books briefly feature the characters from the other books, however, they do not need to be read in order. They are all standalone stories.

Dawn is fun and loveable. She wants to stand on her own two feet, she is ambitious and wants to be independent. This is basically my favourite kind of female lead in books.

Logan is sweet, fun, and the perfect summer boyfriend. Hopefully, he can be so much more.

5 stars out of 5.

I received an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

ebook £3.69
Expected publication: August 14th, 2017 by Entangled: Crush

I love this young adult novel and felt that it was well written. A great love story

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This book was a fun and sweet read, and an interesting look at what it's like to be the hockey girlfriend. 

Dawn was a little angsty as she was facing so many life changes and feeling a little "undefined". Until a few months ago, she had be a hockey girlfriend, but she left that life behind as she felt she was disappearing into that role. Logan was in Corrigan Falls trying to forget hockey after a severe injury cut her career short. With both Dawn and Logan wanting to avoid hockey, it seemed like a match made in heaven. 

Things I liked:
Logan was fabulous. I found him charming and loved his relationship with his parents. Once he started being honest, he couldn't stop, and I always appreciate that. He was all in from the start, and put it all out there for Dawn. It was agonizing for me when she was resisting him. He was also struggling with his identity. He had been playing hockey since he was three years old, and now, at 18 he was sort of at a loss. He didn't expect to have to face life after hockey so soon. He sort of broke my heart a little for him. 

Like I said, Dawn was angsty, and I sort of understood a little of it, but when we finally found out what she had been struggling with, I had a lot of empathy for her. 

I loved 
Mrs. McMann! She was so fun and feisty. I didn't quite understand her purpose, but later, she shares her own love story with Dawn, and it become abundantly clear why she was incorporated in the story, and I thought it was a brilliant choice. 

I thought the end was sort of fun. It was great bringing all the character in the series back in that venue. This sort of this is what I love about companion novels. That peek at past couples and feeling like I am catching up with old friends. 

Overall: A sweet and fun story about breaking away from your past and looking toward your future. 

**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

I have to say that I was unfortunately let down by this book. The main reason is because of the ridiculous insta-love. I wasn’t impressed at all by Dawn’s character; I found her to be aggressive and narcissistic. Logan was nice, but he lacked depth. The writing style was decent, probably the best part of the book, and I did like that the chapters switched back and forth.

It was a pretty short book, which I understand, but I didn’t think the review matched what the book was about at all. Within two weeks of “seeing eachother” they were already boyfriend and girlfriend. I was assuming this would be some kind of hookup book where the boy has to convince the girl to actually start dating, but it’s pretty much the opposite. There were no real steamy romance scenes, either. The best part about this book were the two friends who were mentioned a couple times, but seemed to disappear the rest of the time.

All in all, I wasn’t really impressed with this one. It is part of a series, which I haven’t read, and this book makes me not really want to read them. I was let down by it, and I really wish I liked it. I gave it quite a few chances, but I mostly found myself rolling my eyes. If you like insane insta-love and everything to be perfect with an aggressive and obnoxious main character, please be my guest. This book just was not for me.

I received this book via NetGallery in exchange for my honest review. 

This book was just ok for me. I really liked both Logan and Dawn but didn't really feel the connection between them. There were times when they were having a conversation and I was a bit lost as to what they were actually get at. I didn't like that Dawn was so anti hockey. I get where she was coming from but I think she took it a bit far sometimes. 

This is the first in this series that I have read.

This book did not disappoint! 

Having read all of the other books in the series and loving teen sports romances, I was waiting for Cate to release another. I always wanted Dawn to to get her own book and this is exactly what I was looking for. 

Logan was a nice fresh face in the Corrigan Falls world. 

I loved the story line and the growth of both Logan and Dawn. I read the book in one sitting and would absolutely recommend!

Perfect for someone who like sports related, teen, contemporary romances.

Normally I love all the YA novels about ice hockey or figure skating but I must admit that 'Breakaway' left me highly unimpressed. Swooning moments? No, not really. Gripping plot? Nope. I mean, most of the story was really predictable, no climaxes, no big surprises. I really feel a bit down about it.

Please note: I received BREAKAWAY from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and the author.

BREAKAWAY deserves Five Stars! Here’s why: 

BREAKAWAY (love the title, by the way – so apropos) has all the hallmarks of a fabulous YA novel: well-developed primary and secondary characters, realistic situations, passion for life and the world, plus just enough teenage angst to keep it real without bogging down the plot with a lot of narrative. Cate Cameron did a fantastic job with developing each one of her characters. Even though this is not the first book in the series, BREAKAWAY can be read as a standalone story and I will definitely be purchasing more of her books to learn about the supporting characters from this one.

BREAKAWAY affected me in ways I didn’t fully expect. At first, I thought Dawn was a little rough around the edges with her steadfast refusal to have anything to do with hockey. I expected her stance on hockey to annoy me, but what I soon realized was that no matter how much time has progressed as far as women’s liberation, we still have to fight for our own identity, even battling loved ones for the right to explore our own dreams; even when we have no clue what that vision might be just yet. I work with teens and the struggle is real. Parents just want their children to have a better life than they did, and sometimes, it’s hard to look at the forest through the trees. Children, on the other hand, have to learn how to cut those apron strings binding them to the love and security of their parents and eventually find their own way in the world. 

Logan has a similar struggle, but for different reasons. What happens when you have a goal your whole life, plus the unconditional support and love of your parents, but then that dream disintegrates right before your eyes? Suddenly, your identity is no longer wrapped up in that goal and your dreams are ripped out from underneath you. Logan no longer has the passion for hockey to fuel his day. He has nothing to look forward to until a chance encounter with Dawn sets his tilted world back on its axis.

I’m not a big fan of insta-love, but the whip-smart dialogue and the way Dawn and Logan come together works extremely well. Sometimes, you come across a person you’ve just met, and without a shred of doubt, you just know that he or she will play a significant role in your life. The world just divides into before and after meeting this person. And, that’s how I became enthralled with BREAKAWAY and gave it five stars. Highly recommend.

I got this as an ARC from NetGalley. I liked this book because it had all the elements that I like in a YA novel. First person, alternating chapters between the main characters et al. I liked Logan and I loved Dawn but I guess I just didn't feel it between the two of them. I haven read the first 3 books in the series which maybe would have helped...it was a cute story and they were a nice couple but guess the chemistry just wasn't there between Logan and Dawn...not terrible but not the best story either...

3.5

YA contemporary romance.  Low angst.  Nice book.

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is one of the books that I'd rather not write a review about. While the writing was good, there was still something about it that I didn't like as much as the other novel I've read written by the author ("Playing Defense"). Probably the annoying female main character. Her description didn't fit her I-wanna-control-everything state that magically appeared right around the middle of the book. I was so confused, because I thought Dawn was this confident girl that knew her place and then she wasn't that girl anymore, wanting to be in control all the time, coming up with annoying questions and excuses to be a coward. Not my thing at all.

And Logan was too much of a softie to quit charming her. Of course, he's another one of these swoon-worthy book boyfriends, yet I wish he wasn't, because he was way too good for Dawn. He was so good for her and she just wouldn't see it, living in a bubble of negativity while excusing that with wanting to be free. Excuse me, young lady, you're working your ass off to go to college, so you're so lucky to have a cute boyfriend like Logan who'd do anything for you. To me, it seemed like she wanted to keep her options open. Not mainly the boyfriend part, but everything else. Like, a hippie soul without being a hippie. I didn't understand her motives in the least. She didn't want to be a hockery player's girlfriend. Well, I think she was basically the only one that would have thought of herself that way.

I'm not exactly a fan of ice hockey since it's not a popular sport in my country, so I was glad to find the author keeping it as simple with the professional sports language as possible. Still, I liked seeing glimpses of Logan's carreer that made the reader dive into the ice hockey world without experiencing it first hand.

To be honest, I think Dawn and Logan kicked off a bit too soon. I can see why they did, the story was build on their chemistry and all that, but still... It was like so many things suddenly happened at once and there wasn't enough time to include it, so it had to happen at the exact same time, having the reader confused at times. Or maybe it was just Logan's life that was a bit too much to handle. Broken knee, new job, new girlfriend and then the news he never expected. Meanwhile, there isn't much action for Dawn except the three jobs she's struggling with. I kind of missed a story for her, but then again her problems of wanting to be herself without depending on anyone was her own story.

So, the story had potential, definitely, yes. And I liked the writing as well. It was the speed, Dawn and perhaps a few too many details that have my opinion being not the best. If you've already started reading this ice hockey series by several authors (Surprisingly, I like how not only author is included in this series), you should read this one as well. If you're a fan of sports novels, you shouldn't miss this one either.

While I liked this book, I thought that the characters were a little underdeveloped or at least Dawn seemed that way. I thought that while she had her reasons for not wanting to be a superstar's girlfriend, I think she stuck to her guns a little too hard. I don't think her viewpoint or way of thinking about life really changed over the course of the novel and then at the end, it's like she did a 180 degree turn and now she's ok with everything going on with Logan. I feel like she wouldn't have come to that conclusion so quickly. Other than that, I liked the premise of the novel and I also love Logan and the secondary characters!

Logan Balanchuk was a first round NHL draft for Montreal until he was badly injured in his first game and told he would never play again. Now after months of physiotherapy and counselling and surgeries he has come to Corrigan Falls to work as a camp aide, but strictly no hockey of any kind. He knows its not a real job, he's only employed as a favour to his famous NHL father but baby steps right?

Dawn broke up with her hockey playing high school boyfriend six months before he got selected for the draft. She doesn't regret her decision for a minute, she felt she was losing her identity as anyone other than Toby Cooper's girlfriend, cheerleader and groupie. Although disliking hockey in a town as obsessed as Corrigan Falls makes Dawn a bit of a pariah. 

When Dawn and Logan first meet it seems like a match made in heaven, a girl who doesn't like hockey and a boy who doesn't want to talk about hockey. But the past has a funny way of creeping up on you.

Loved it. Loved Dawn, loved Logan, loved Dawn's friends, loved the mature way in which both Dawn and Logan reacted when things didn't go their way. Loved that there was no animosity between Dawn and Toby. Maybe it was all a little too perfect but after the week I've had all I wanted was to sink into a gentle NA romantic novella with people that make me feel better about humanity.

Although this is the fourth book in the series I have not read any of the others and this can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

First of all, let me just be honest with you guys: if you can't tell by my profile picture, I'm a big hockey fan. So when the chance to review this book came up as an option, I naturally took it. I'm pretty happy I did too, because I really enjoyed this book! It combined a few things I love such as hockey, fluff, and complicated teen relationships. So an all around winner!

I had no idea going in that this book was fourth in a series, but for me that didn't detract from the book itself at all. I was able to dive right into the world, because the author did a good job (at least for me) of explaining the MC's, who they were, and what their previous situations had been. Primarily it was a cute book with a whole lots of sports talk thrown in, which I really liked on a personal level. I would highly recommend this to fellow hockey/YA romance lit lovers.