Big Stick was unexpected for me as I thought it would be a quick and lighthearted read (the cover says this to me). However, what I found with this book is that is has emotional undertones, a magnificently sweet and endearing hero, and a truly heartfelt romance between two people who used to be friends. I suppose it's true when they say that the unexpected can be a good thing, because this book was so much more than I thought going into it and loved it to pieces.

4.5 stars

Ahhhh, the tugs my heart experienced while reading this one!

Myles and Flynn completely stole my heart from the very beginning. Their story promised a lot of angst and heartache, but also a series of events that would help you understand how deep and real the feelings they have for each other are. Between the sexy times and the heartwarming moments, there's enough evidence on how these two belong together.

Life made them split apart after tragedy strikes, and while they try to build up a relationship, there are still some ghosts chasing them around. Will they be able to forgive, love and move forward?

Heartfelt and fun.

This was my first read by R.C. Stephens. So glad I requested this! I think in another life I may have been a puck bunny because I love hockey romances. This story features ex best friends, Myles and Flynn, who haven't seen or spoken to each other in years but once they reconnect it's obvious they still have serious feelings for each other. A little too much drama for me on how Flynn reacted to Myles' big secret, but everyone handles that differently I guess. I loved how Oli, Flynn's brother, and Sloan, her best friend, were a side story--you can't tell me that's not coming because I want to read that!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the authors writing and putting her stuff on my TBR list.

I love a good sports romance! Plus I am a sucker for friends to lovers storylines!
Big Stick fits all of these categories and so much more. Flynn, Myles and even Oli's story were so much fun to read. The dynamics between the trio was real and heartwarming. One of my favorite parts of the book was Myles!

I’m fairly new to R.C. Stephens writing. I enjoyed it a lot. It was fast-paced and easy to relate to. I appreciated that she included dual points of view. That gave me a good look into what her characters were thinking and feeling.

I am huge sucker for sports romance but this one just didn't do it for me. I guess it was just to predictable for me and it felt as if it was missing something. I still enjoyed reading but I really want Sloane story though.


ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had some mixed feelings wit this book. I did enjoy it but I was kind of fed up with both the heroine and Hero, and let me tell you why. Myles(hero) has supposedly had a crush or feeling for heroine Ryan all of his life but he knows he shouldn't go there, all of his feeling besides the secret he is keeping from her are all totally ridiculous, and I laughed at how he claimed he was staying away and then jumping on her every chance he got. Then we have Ryan who also kept thinking that they were forbidden and held him responsible for something he totally was also a victim to. I get that everybody deals with grief differently but she needed to get professional help instead of holding it in and blaming Myles. I would have loved but the see-saw of going back and forth drove me crazy and then when she finally finds out the secret she is over it pretty quickly which honestly didn't make much sense.. It wasn't an upbeat book it was kind of depressing, which made me sad because I was looking forward to this book. Aaand I am kind of tired of the brother's best friends sister trope along with then her brother liking her best friend, come on authors please start giving us new material

ARC received thanks to the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was first book from this author but I am huge lover of hockey romances. And when it's your bestfriend's sister, heck yes! Now, I started this book and was having a little trouble with it holding my attention. But I think that had more to do with me than this story. Because once it's hooks were in, I wasn't putting this book down for anything.

Flynn and Oliver are twins and growing up they shared a best friend, Myles. Both Myles and Oli play professional hockey. Now, some stuff has happened and Flynn and Myles have lost touch but Flynn has just caught her cheating cheater of a boyfriend so she does was a lot of us do, she gets drunk under the supervision of her best friend and has to be literally carried across the street to her brother's apartment. Where he lives next door to none other than, Myles.

This book follows Myles and Flynn as they get to know each other again and while some things are a little predictable if you've read enough romances, it still doesn't lessen the emotional impact. And I will say this book got a lot deeper than what I thought I would be getting. I honestly figured it would be all steam and no substance (which I am totally okay with) but I was flat wrong. Don't get me wrong, the steamy times were good but they were done is just the right amount of moderation. And Myles, umm yes. All the swoons. But romance authors are going to be able to write a great male main character, of course. The test for me is if a romance author writes a female main character that is strong, independent, and funny. I want to read about female characters and think, I wanna be in this girl's tribe. And I got that from Flynn and also her best friend Sloan. I truly hope this author plans to expand this world and write more characters from this book. And it's easy to go down the line of the hockey roster and assign books and I do hope for some of the books to be about some more of the players. But I was getting substance from side characters that had nothing to do with the hockey team that I think would make fabulous stories.

I would recommend this for all romance readers. Whether you're just dipping your toe into to romance pool or you're an avid romance readers. I believe this story can be enjoyed by all.

DNF @ 42%

There’s just something about the writing style that didn’t work for me. Things seemed kind of all over the place.

Flynn is a really irritating character. She’s so hot and cold and very back and forth. One minute she wants Myles around, the next she doesn’t. One minute she’s telling him she’s not ready to talk about their issues, but then in the next paragraph she’s saying that it’s the only way to get any closure. Make up your mind!!! She also comes off as very immature and part of me feels like she was written as a lawyer just so she seems mature. I don’t know, I just don’t like her.

Myles is okay. There’s nothing good or bad about him.

The characters just aren’t developed very well and I feel like by 42% I should have a good grasp on them. Their dialogue was very similar so it was difficult to tell who was talking if it wasn’t specified.

This book was also repetitive. The Peter Pan/
Tink thing, their 7 years of not speaking, her parents dying, him not being there, and Sloane being a virgin were all mentioned over and over again. It got a bit irritating.

Unfortunately, I just can’t continue on.

3 meh stars. I LOVE hockey romances. Heck, I love hockey! with this book. it felt like something was missing. They either loved or hated each other. There was no in between. And we didn't find out why Flynn hates Myles until almost the end. And the plot line surrounding that I, personally saw coming from a mile away (especially with her twin brother).

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I love when one of the mc are involved with sports. This is the first time reading something written by this author and I liked it so much that I’m going to read more of her books. Big Stick is a sweet story and have friends to lovers romance, I love the relationship between the twins and Sloane is iconic
*** I NEED A BOOK FOR HER***

If you are looking for a emotional and at the same time sweet this it for you!!

Big Stick is one of those books that caught my eye by the title and cover -- but for reasons you wouldn't think. It wasn't the half-naked man or what "big stick" could possibly be. I am a sports romances. Hockey romances are usually very well done. I learn a little more about the sport each time and get to fall in love with (normally) a cute couple. So when I saw the title Big Stick and the hockey stick, I clicked "request" on NetGalley. I'm really glad I did.

Big Stick was not just a hockey romance. It was also a second chance romance between childhood best friends. Flynn was a tomboy growing up. She hung out with her twin brother, Oli, and their best friend Myles constantly. As she got older, Flynn developed a major crush on Myles. Their friendship was dramatically severed in high school, and Flynn has been avoiding Myles for years. That all changes when Flynn is forced to move in next door to Myles.

I'm fairly new to R.C. Stephens writing. I enjoyed it a lot. It was fast-paced and easy to relate to. I appreciated that she included dual points of view. That gave me a good look into what her characters were thinking and feeling.

Myles and Flynn were fun characters. I liked the dynamic they had going on. They had great chemistry. It wasn't quite a hate to love thing, but close. Flynn feelings were all over the place, and I loved her hesitation to renew her friendship with Myles. Myles desperately wanted to have Flynn's friendship and possibly more back, and wasn't going to let everything that happened in the past keep him from her anymore. It was sweet and frustrating in the best way to watch them dance around each other. 

I had one problem with Big Stick. It was so over dramatic at times. Some heavy stuff had happened to Myles and Flynn. I got that and I understood why their relationship was they way it was. What I didn't quite get was the reaction Flynn had to Myles' big secret. Honestly, I was shocked at how affected Flynn was by it at this point. It just seemed like she was reacting to the same thing over and over again even though it wasn't exactly the same. That was really just a small part of this story, though. It didn't take away my enjoyment of Flynn and Myles' story.

The weird thing about Big Stick was my favorite thing about it. I adored Flynn's best friend and brother. They kind of stole the show for me. I actually found myself more interested in them than Myles and Flynn by the end of the book. I'm really hoping there's going to be a second book about them. Sign me up to read that one now! 

Overall, Big Stick was a great contemporary sports romance. Fans of that genre are sure to enjoy this book.

Big Stick by R.C. Stephens a five-star read that will make you hop. This is my first read by this author and it won’t be the last, they have made a puck bunny out of me. There is everything in this story, a heartfelt story, romance, and twists that will break your heart harder that a player hitting the ice during a rough game. From playing Peter pan as children the two lost boys and Tink have all grown up but does that mean they are grownups able to deal with grown up emotions. This was a great read, at times it did stall a little, but it picked right back up and got going again. I can only hope we get t hear more of Oli’s story, as I am sure there is more to that lost boy than meets the eye.

*copy provided in exchange of honest review*
#BigStifk #NetGalley #bookreview #book #smexytimes #hockey#romance #restrphens

Book Synopsis
Hockey is my life. And it's a great one. There's an endless line of women, and I get to hang with my best friend Oli. Everything is perfect until she shows up. Oli's twin sister, Flynn...hates my guts. I don't blame her. I'm part of one of the worst nights of her life.
Now she's next door and seeing her every day is killing me slowly. I wonder if we can ever get back to being friends. The way she looks at me sometimes, well, let's just say my hockey stick isn't the only thing that's feeling hard these days.
But if she finds out the secrets I'm keeping, forgiveness will be the last thing on her mind..

My thoughts:

Y’all. Ok. I got a confession. *eye roll* Yes, another one. Just let me great ok?! Anywayssssss, I got s confession. I freaking love hockey. It’s legit my favorite sport. And that’s saying a lot cause I’m not a sport person. I mean really, I’m not. I don’t understand most sports things. But hockey? Hockey I fucking get. Where else do you get to see hot guys, in tight pants who get to legitimately beat up the opposing team and only get sent to a penalty box for a few moments?! You can go out there was a grudge and break people’s knee caps and your team will just say good effort!! So yeah ya girl is allll over that! So when I saw this was a hockey book and his ass plays for the Chicago Blackhawks I was like SCORE! They are my favorite team! And Jonathon Toews is my favorite player which is why I may have been using him to imagine Myles. *shrugs* What can I say? He’s cute.

*clears throat* Okay I’m done being a total fan girl. Well maybe not but I’m gonna try to at least be slightly professional here. I chose this book on netgalley mainly cause it was a hockey book. And I’m happy that I did cause if I’d gone by the rest of the Synopsis I probably would have passed. I’m not a huge fan of friends becoming lovers. Yes the idea is great: one day these people who for years finally notice that the other friend is hot and the other one does the same. But 9 times out of 10 that person really ends up in the friend zone dying a painful death. Yeah no thanks, I’ll pass. I embarrass myself enough in real life that I don’t need that in my literary world.

But I really liked this book. I loved the relationships the most if I’m honest. Flynn, Oli, and Myles had been friends for years when something bad happened to rip them apart. If wasn’t until Flynn has to move in with her twin brother, Oliver, that she realizes that the feeling she had for Myles, Oli’s best friend and neighbor, are still there. And Myles is the perfect book boyfriend. Like for real. When dude decided to up his game up he did that!

So if you’re looking for a cute, sexy book about hockey players and lost loves, this is definitely one to check out. This is my first book by Stephens but I don’t think it will be my last. BTW, can I put in an order for a Sloane\Oli book, please?!?!

I like hockey romances, but this one just gave me the icks a few many times. Storyline and the characters weren't the problem. What irritated me was the repeated use of "my Peter Pan." The Tink and Peter Pan thing was so overused, it became treacly irritating. Not to mention, wasn't Tink in love with Peter and he was oblivious?

It seemed as if the writing was overly plotted with the drawing out of the "secret" and making sure she sprinkled Peter Pan and Tink in as many times as possible. Had the author allowed herself to wander off course more, I think the story might have felt more organic and natural.

1.5 stars.

I absolutely loved this book. Honestly I am a sucker for any book that has hockey. This book was a sports hockey romance that was a friend to lover’s romance. When you have both those things in the same book, let’s just say wow. I just fell in love with Flynn and Myles. I found their story to be so sweet but also so heart breaking in parts. This book pulled me in from the very first chapter and it would not let me go. I was so engross in reading the book and finding out how it ended. There was so many obstacles placed in their way and so much they had to overcome. This book just pulled at my heartstrings. I highly enjoyed this book and I am really hoping that Oli gets his own book. Thanks Net Galley. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this friends to lovers sports romance following top NHL player Myles Sanders as he tries to win back the affections of his former best friend Flynn Russell.
After tragedy hits Flynn, her twin brother Oliver and their best friend Myles things get awkward for Flynn and she cuts Myles out of her life. Fast forward 7 years and they are forced back into each other’s lives, but can Flynn forgive and forget, and is Myles willing to let her. A beautifully written emotional romance that had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved the characters, Myles was adorable, a true gentleman with a heart of gold. Flynn was such a trooper, trying her best to deal with all her emotional issues, whilst having to work with a douche of an ex, and struggling with her feelings for her first love. With best friends Sloane and Oli in the mix, it made for an addictive, sexy and emotional read.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Flynn has a hold over Myles and the man knows it too, "my eyes roam over her entire body. “I’m well aware you aren’t a child. Da*n, I’m not blind.” Eff. I practically have to adjust my ***k in this suit." Myles tries to be a good boy, “come on. I’m trying to be a gentleman.” He wavers as he adjusts his ***k, which, judging by the outline on his pants, is quite sizeable." I liked this book, I loved Myles.

This book starts with Flynn finding out her boyfriend of several years has cheated on her with his assistant. (Seems he has been with his assistant for a long while since he wants her to move in with him.) She gets DRUNK and then gets carried to her brother's apartment - right across the hall from Myles, her old best friend (and still current BFF to her twin brother - also fellow hockey teammate) who she has been secretly in love with up until she last saw him.
The attraction between these two is intense!
Such a sweet second chance romance! I loved the hockey aspect of this story as well.

I highly enjoyed this book and hope this is a series.
I have read most books by this author and as usual, Ms. Stephens does not disappoint.

This book was ok, I will definitely read the next if there is one especially if it's going to be Oli and Sloane book!! That's going to be a good one! This one is Flynn and Myles book, Myles is a hockey star and Flynn twin brother Oli is on his team, they've known each other for most of their lives the three of them were the three musketeers growing up! Like I said it was a good read definitely worth reading but not my top favorite it lagged a little here and there ? Great sex, good story line, definitely an ok read! Thank you NetGalley and entangled publishers for sharing this book with me!