Justin had me intrigued ever since he took his teammates place on a reality tv show. Now that the contract is up, he can finally end things with his horrible fiance. After he ends things, very publicly, he goes to his getaway and vows to lay low. Once he gets there, he meets the woman who just might change everything, if he can get her to give him a chance.
Meghan is getting her ranch ready to move into and is still missing her husband who died overseas. She recognizes Justin right away but gives him the illusion of anonymity. She wants him but didn't see any way they can have any type of relationship.
Can these two find a way to be happy together? How will the media react when and if they find out about Meghan? I taught enjoyed this book and the characters. In fact, I have enjoyed the series so far. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

It is with much relief that this story truly takes place, for the most part, off the ice. Although I keep coming back to this series, I’ve made no secret of the fact this author’s lack of hockey knowledge drives me bananas. Now, if the same holds true for you, I will warn you that the first chapter will make you want to pull your hair out. But after that, the hockey world is more or less left behind so the sailing’s a bit smoother.

Justin and Meghan meet in a very innocent way that makes Justin really relax and be himself with her. I love that, from the get-go, neither wanted to lie even while withholding the whole truth. And in both cases, it was more or less to protect the other one. They get hot and steamy eventually, but still there’s this level of sweetness to their whole relationship. Justin is just amazing. Sure, he can be hot-headed…but only when it comes to protecting those he loves and his reputation. He doesn’t back down from a fight when it’s the right thing to do.

This book did much better than the last one, mostly because I didn’t have to deal with the hockey issues. But there were still some real problems with editing and timeline. Again, I read an ARC so the editing may be a bit better in the final product. But I got the ARC less than 2 weeks before publication so I’m doubtful. There is a lot of awkward word usage and sentence structure that really throws off the flow of the story. And honestly, it was a good story that I read quickly. It would have been a million times better without these issues.

I’d also like to beg this author to stay away from writing LGBTQ characters unless they’ll be run by someone in the know. While it doesn’t come across as the author being homophobic or anything of that nature, the particular character seems to be a caricature of a gay man. I’m glad the character isn’t shown much because it would have made the book quite cringe-worthy if he was.

It still confuses me to no end that this author can have such great ideas for stories and write such amazing chemistry in her couples but cannot get basic facts and grammar correct. And keep a timeline!!! You need to know your time zones and time differences, or else things start to not make sense! It seems, from her dedication at the beginning, this will be the last Breakaway book. I have to say I’m a bit relieved since I wasn’t able to quit this series…all while it drove me nuts. I just wish I would have seen more growth in the author’s research as the series progressed, so I could continue reading her work. Unfortunately, that didn’t really happen. I’m sure her books make many people very happy. I’m just a nit-picky reader and notice even slight problems so it’s too difficult for me to relax with her stories.

‘Off the Ice’ is the 4th book of the Breakaway series. I’ve been looking forward to Justin’s story since finishing the last book in the series, Playmaker and it is bittersweet for me that this is the last book of the series. I was really hoping to get more books :(

Justin Davis plays hockey for Charlotte Strikers. His retirement plan is to become an actor. In line with his plan, he agrees to take his teammate and brothers-in-law, Dallas’s place on popular reality TV show, Rich and Single. What he didn’t see coming is ending up with a fake fiancée for a year. Once the year is up, which was the day Charlotte Strikers won the Stanley Cup, Justin dumbs the fiancée from hell, Miranda, on live TV. Sorry NOT sorry. Yeah, I know this might sound like a do*chebag move but she certainly deserved it. After dropping the bomb, Justin decides it is best to stay off the radar for a while and decides to spend his summer in a remote ranch in Wyoming, he recently purchased.

Meghan Taylor is a teacher, who is a widow and has a 8-year old daughter named Ellie. She is beautiful, funny and down to earth. Meghan leaves Ellie with her parents so that she can fix her ranch during summer break. What she didn’t expect was bumping to  the America’s sexiest bachelor, Justin Davis, the moment she arrives to Wyoming. When she realizes that Justin wants to stay anonymous, she acts like she didn’t recognize him. Justin is not the kind of man; Megan wants to get involved with. The entire media circus going around Justin is something Meghan doesn’t want to drag Ellie into. However, the attraction between them is instant so they decide why not have a summer fling. They start spending a lot of time together since their ranches are next to each other and Justin is helping Meghan to fix her ranch. Meghan realizes that Justin is not the guy, she assumed. He might be famous, sexy, rich athlete but down to core he is just a regular guy, who adores his family and friends. Justin and Meghan are both amazing characters and I loved the banter between them. However, my favorite character in the book is Ellie. She is just ADORABLE. Their road to HEA will not be easy but I was happy to see them overcome all the difficulties.

Off the Ice by L.P. Dover is sweet, sexy, heartwarming, and so much more. You can easily read it in one siting. I’m sad to see this series end but excited to read new books from L.P. Dover. I already have two books from her that I will be reading ‘Going for the Hole’ and ‘Love, Again’. If you like hockey and romance, I would highly recommend the Breakaway series. All the books can be read as standalone but if I were you, I would read them all :)

Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Yes.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
P.S. I was looking forward to read Braeden and Sophia's story and I didn't expected Braeden retiring and going back to med school. I am heartbroken :(

P.S.S. Also what about Cliff???? I want to know what happens with him. Can't he at least get a novella???

3.75 stars--OFF THE ICE is the fourth instalment in LP Dover’s contemporary, adult BREAKAWAY hockey, romance series focusing on the men and women of the Charlotte Strikers, professional hockey team. This is all-star center / reality TV star Justin Davis, and single mother/ primary school teacher Meghan Taylor’s story line. OFF THE ICE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Justin and Meghan) OFF THE ICE follows the building relationship between all-star center / reality TV star Justin Davis, and single mother/ primary school teacher Meghan Taylor. The Charlotte Strikers have just won their second Stanley Cup, and Justin is desperate for some down time in the wake of the televised break-up with his ‘reality TV fiancee’ Miranda Davenport- a spoiled rich heiress whose father pulls the purse strings of many of Hollywood’s leading producers. Time alone to work on his newly acquired Wyoming ranch finds Justin face to face with his future, neighboring rancher, single mother and primary school teacher Meghan Taylor. What ensues is the building but secret relationship between Meghan and Justin, and the potential fall-out as the end of summer approaches, and Justin heads back to get ready for the upcoming hockey season.

Justin Davis is a former bachelor reality star whose personal life had spiralled out of control when the woman he chose made his life a living h*ll. One year later Justin proclaims the end of their relationship on national TV, then ventures to Wyoming for some well-deserved R&R where he will meet single mother Meghan Taylor. Hoping to protect her daughter from the prying eyes of the media, Meghan and Justin keep their relationship on the down-low until the couple find themselves on the front pages of the local rags.

The relationship between Meghan and Justin is one of immediate attraction. Meghan has loved and lost, but isn’t willing to risk her daughter’s happiness for a few weeks of $ex and fun; Justin is hoping for his own happily ever after. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Most of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting characters including Maddox Ledger and Lacey Easton (Playmaker #3) and Dallas Easton and Justin’s sister Callie Davis (Blocked #2). We are introduced to Meghan’s daughter Ellie, and Meghan’s sister Kimberly.

The world building follows the building romance and love between Meghan and Justin, as well as the potential fall-out of Justin’s aborted relationship between Justin and Miranda.

OFF THE ICE is a fast paced, story of romance and love, friends and family. The premise is engaging and captivating; the characters are colorful and real; the romance is spirited and true. The story line conflict is limited. OFF THE ICE is a welcome addition to LP Dover’s BREAKAWAY series.

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Finally, we get to see the real Justin. He has been in all the previous books in the series. Somewhat cocky and free spirited but underneath a good protector of his family. An excellent hockey player that "volunteered" for a reality show that turned his life into a living h*ll. The stress becomes too much for him. After a very public break from his fake fiance, he heads to Wyoming to cool his jets. He happens to bump into his neighbor at the airport and the rest was history.

Love a good friends to lovers story. Love it more when the former playboy realizes he needs something more from life. Throw in a widowed single parent and the story becomes the perfect read.

A little bit of angst in this one. I found myself wanting to hit Meghan up side the head a time or two. But really great chemistry with Justin and Meghan. Super sweet moments with her daughter. Loved see what a good man Justin was without all the celebrity.

Sad to say goodbye to this team. Can't wait for more from this author.

*

I really enjoyed reading about Justin and Meghan. I really liked both characters and together they were great. There wasnt anything wrong with the storyline or character development but while I enjoyed the book everything was a little underwhelming for me. There really wasnt a build-up to anything and overall I felt it was a little anticlimactic. Not one of my favorites from this author but I still enjoyed reading this book.

the breakaway series ends with off the ice, justin's story. when we last saw justin, he was regretting signing on to do a dating reality show. and as the novel opens, he's finally breaking things off from his contractually obligated fiancée.

the season is over, and the team has won the stanley cup. and justin retreats to a ranch he bought in the middle of nowhere wyoming. when he makes friends with his closest neighbor, he initially thinks he might have found the one person in america who wouldn't recognize him. she does, but she's kind enough to pretend. once they get the identity crisis stuff out of the way, they form a fast friendship that quickly expands into benefits.

meghan is happy to spend her summer days and nights with the hot bachelor hockey player, even though she has no expectations that it will go anywhere. she's a widowed mom, and celebrity chaos isn't what she wants for her kid. (never mind that her kid kind of wants to be a celebrity.)

justin and meghan just work together. meeting her completes him in a way he hadn't thought possible for him. not just because of his career and his choices, but because he simply didn't believe real love was in the cards for him.

what's funny is that i think this might be my favorite book in the series, even though it's the one the author had to self-publish. loveswept had published the previous three books, but this one appears to be pubbed by the author.

**off the ice will publish on october 16, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/l.p. dover in exchange for my honest review.

L.P. Dover is on a winning streak with OFF THE ICE the fourth book in the Breakaway series. Charlotte Strikers’ center, Justin Davis, cannot go to many places without be recognized, because not only did his team just win the Stanley Cup, but he was also the recent bachelor on the Rich and Singe reality show. After breaking up with his fake fiancée on national television, Justin decides to spend the summer at the secluded ranch he recently purchased in Wyoming. When he meets his new next-door neighbor, Meghan Taylor, he likes that he can be himself around her. Now he just needs to convince her that he’s not the arrogant athlete the media portrays him as. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for adult audiences.

I really enjoyed this book. I was looking forward to hearing Justin’s story ever since I read book two, BLOCKED. Justin is Callie Davis’ brother and teammate of Dallas Easton from that story. I liked learning more about Justin. He has grown up a lot through this series. He really is a great guy. I love how he helps Meghan with stuff around her ranch. He’s down to earth and not what the media portrays. Meghan is a sweet character. My heart went out to her being widowed so young. She is a hard worker and good mother.

The two make a wonderful couple. They have a lot of interesting obstacles they need to overcome, including dealing with Justin’s psychotic ex-fiancée; she is a piece of work. Meghan wants what is best for her daughter and is afraid to throw her in the spotlight that comes with being with Justin.

The story was skillfully written and flowed well. I read the story quickly, not being able to put it down. I enjoyed the ending. It was sweet and made the story feel complete. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Off the Ice is the end of an era...okay, not era but of the single life of the hottest Rich and Single bachelor ever. (I may be biased.) Justin Davis has had a whirlwind of drama. A tornado and hurricane had a baby that exploded in his life in the image of his....well, his fiancee for lack of a better term.

When the bomb known as his fiancee finally explodes, Justin is happy to pick up the pieces ALONE. But when are we ever really alone...

Second chances are worth their weight in gold. As the first man who sparks anything in her since Trey, Meghan has to find a way.

3 1/2 Stars. Justin plays in the NHL and he was on a reality bachelor show on TV ... every woman’s bad boy crush. But he needs a break from it all, so he buys a ranch in Wyoming. Meghan’s husband died 8 years ago while serving his country in Afghanistan. Meghan and their daughter Ellie still live on the ranch and Meghan is a school teacher. When Justin and Meghan meet, their chemistry is too hard to resist, so they agree to a summer affair and then they will part ways.

This is a sweet romance and the characters are very likeable, but everything is very predictable. And for being a romance with a hockey player ... there’s actually next to no hockey on the book. I did like that the author chose for Meghan to be a mother and that Ellie was a sweet little girl.

I received an ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for a honest review.

Awww....

A super sweet and emotional story. I really enjoyed watching Justin find happiness after all his craziness.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

I’ve never read anything by this author before. I didn’t realize that this is the fourth book in a series when I requested it. The beginning kind of confused me because there’s past couples and it was hard to keep track of them all. I wanted to make a flow chart or something. It’s not too shabby of a story but I think I may have liked it more if I read the past books.

4 Star Review of Off the Ice (A Breakaway Novel) by L.P.Dover
L.P.Dover is a new author to me and I have absolutely no idea why that is, particularly since I adore hockey stories. I had no trouble reading Off The Ice as a stand alone. Now that I have found her I will be sure to go back and read other books as and when time permits.
Justin Davis is a player for the Charlotte Strikers. After stepping in and replacing his brother in law on the television show Rich and Single, he is finally free of the nightmare commitment he had to his fake fiance.
After scoring the winning goal which led to a Stanley Cup win, Justin is off to a remote cabin in Wyoming for some rest and relaxation. That is until his neighbour Meghan Taylor needs help on her ranch and he offers his assistance.
Meghan and her daughter have struggled for 8 years since the death of her husband and the ranch is badly in need of repairs. When Justin offers his assistance the attraction is there but can he get Meghan to see the man who lies beneath the surface?
Will Meghan take a chance of finding happiness or will the pressures of the outside world and Justin's career prove to be too much?
Justin is totally swoon worthy and I fell for his hard and fast, there is so much more to him that meets the eye. I admire Meghan’s strength and determination to carry on the ranch. These two are meant to be together and I really cheered for them to get their happily ever after.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Netgalley.

After taking Dallas's place on the television dating show and inheriting the fiancee from hell Justin was really glad when the season ended and he could get rid of his unwanted "fiance", now he needed a chance to recharge his batteries and where better than the new ranch he has just bought in Wyoming. While here he meets his new neighbour Meghan a widowed mother and the best thing she doesn't know who he is (or does she) . What started out as helping one another and been friends soon escalated into so much more Will another Charlotte Striker meet his match.

This was a great fun story that was just as entertaining as the previous books in this series I am very sad that this is the end of what has been a wonderful ride

Oh I loved, loved, loved!!!! For one, I’m a sucker when there are kids involved. Then we had something different, loved hot hockey player wearing a cowboy hat doing manual labor. Um, heck yeah!!

Wish we had a tax more hockey, but it was the off season... lol

Wasn’t a fan for how easily she pushed away using a condom. That just didn’t work for me since she was sleeping with a man whore and she was a single mom.

Hope more single hockey players are added to the series as all but one are off the market.

LP Dover has done it again. This book was a masterpiece. It drew you right in and the way it intertwined with characters from other makes made it that much more special and fun to read. I think i literally inhaled this book i couldn't put it down.

I absolutely love Justin! And he and Meghan together are just magical.
I have been a huge fan of this whole series and if this wasn't a great way to end it (even though I am sad about that fact) I just don't know what is. As a sought after bachelor on the Charlotte Strikers, Justin takes his teammate Dallas's place on that debacle of a reality show he had signed up for, which unfortunately yielded him the fiancee from Hell. What a piece of work that woman is!
When the season ends, he ends it with her finally but then he needs to getaway and stay on the down low, so he heads out to the ranch he just purchased in Wyoming. It is there where he meets the woman who will change his life forever, Meghan. She know who he is but pretends not to for a while. She is his neighbor and a single mother who is also a widow. She needs help on her ranch and they both seem to need a friend whether they thought they did or not. Neither of them was looking for what they actually found with each other. I enjoyed watching them fall in love and Justin fall in love with her daughter Ellie too! It was beautiful and magical while still being so real. What a sweet family they become!!!!

Great easy read. I can never put anything Dover writes down. I basically read this in one sitting. Gripping story

I’m sorry but this one just didn’t do it for me. the author has a good story idea and characters, and whilst she writes well there were too many holes in the whole thing.

Overall I didn’t understand why they fell in love. And certainly why she decided to trust him, very few women would have, she seemed quite stupid to me not practising safe sex with him. The whole meet his family when the barely knew each other as slightly cringeworthy.

Also the hockey in this story is way off, he would be travelling all season not sitting about at home.

As for the contract stuff with the tv show - as if any professional athlete signs contracts and doesn’t get a copy or has his lawyer part of it all. So the court room drama was silly.

At one point and time Justin Davis wanted to be in the spotlight on the ice and off, but then when he found it starring as the bachelor on Rich and Single, he quickly realized being under the microscope of the media was not a fun place to be. It only brought him unnecessary drama and fiance he loathed. But unfortunately he was under contract, so he hung in their like a trooper, and the minute he could escape that miserable part of his life, he did it, and wound up creating an media uproar.

He had a plan all along though, finish the year strong on the ice, dump the drama and unwanted fiance, and escape to Wyoming for some R&R. He planned to spend the next few months alone on his new ranch, getting back to the peaceful life he use to live, but life had other plans for him. Ones that involved a beautiful single mom, who sees him for the man he is, and makes him want things he's never really thought were possible.

Off the Ice was a bittersweet read for me, on one hand I couldn't wait to dive in and spend quality time with Justin and the woman who captured his heart. But, on the other hand, I knew it would lead to the end of a wonderful literary journey for me, the Breakaway series is a favorite of mine, one I always look forward to revisiting. I must say this visit was just as amazing as the last, Ms. Dover once again wowed me with her heartfelt words, and left me dizzy with swoons from her uber sexy hockey playing hero. The moment my eyes landed on the first page, Ms. Dover's captivating words took over and and lead me to my literary happy place. I loved this pairing, they brought smiles, laughs, swoons, and loads of feeling to the pages, once I met them, I didn't want to leave them! I highly recommend you check this one out, it is certain to leave you thoroughly satisfied on all fronts!!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion