Winnie Braddock has decided to stay at the family cottage in Maine after her father’s funeral. Winnie just can’t shake the crushing grief filling her and she’s not ready to continue life status quo. Unfortunately, Winnie doesn’t know her brother scheduled a contractor to renovate the cottage, or that it’s guy that made her teenage life hell: Holden Hendricks. He teased her mercilessly and was nothing but anger and trouble. The last person she wants to see now is Holden, even if he’s one of the hottest men she’s laid eyes on. A hot jerk is still a jerk.

Holden is back home trying to build a future and mend fences with all the people he’s wronged. The Braddock’s family cottage is a big renovation for Holden and one that will help him launch his new business. He doesn’t expect the cottage to be occupied, and Winnie is far from pleased to see him. He was a jerk to her, so he doesn’t blame Winnie for her feelings. Winnie was always his favorite Braddock girl, not that his behavior gave her any clue, but he’d like to make it clear now.

As they’re forced to occupy the same space during the renovations, Winnie understands that Holden isn’t the same horrid teen that teased her mercilessly. Sharing with Holden is about the only thing that’s helped since her dad passed away, and she falls for him a little more each day. I really loved that Holden didn’t push her to just get over it. He was there for support, but also didn’t let her walk all over him. Holden wants Winnie, but he wonders if she’ll ever fully trust him even though he’s a changed man. If she can’t let go of her doubts over his character, they’ll never have a chance for a future together.

Winnie sniped and snapped at first, so there was a bit of fun back and forth to begin with. I do love a good hate-to-love romance when the sparks fly! Watching them overcome the past, see their attraction grow and blossom into deep feelings filled me with the warm and fuzzies. With all they went through they both deserved to be happy and in love! This is the first time I’ve picked up anything by Victoria Denault, but it won’t be the last!

This is the fourth book in Victoria Denault’s San Francisco Thunder series. I have enjoyed reading all the books in this series and I was happy to catch up with the entertaining, close knit Braddock family. This story is about second chances, grieving and making amends. It is an enchanting story about two people helping each other as they go through a difficult time.

When Winnie Braddock’s father dies, she decides to go to her family’s cottage to grieve and reevaluate her life. Unfortunately, Winnie has no idea her brother has asked Holden to renovate the cottage. Holden, is Winnie’s brothers friend and they have known each other all their lives. Winnie and Holden each had hopes of spending time by themselves and are not happy when they discover they have to share the cottage. They are both angry and going through a difficult time and take it out on each other.

Holden has returned to the small town in Maine to make amends to everyone he hurt in the past. I admired Holden’s honesty about his past mistakes. Unfortunately, Winnie is going through a rough time and she takes it out on Holden. She finds it difficult to believe Holden has changed from the bully he used to be and she has a hard time forgiving him. It is fun watching these two dance around each other and slowly fall in love. I enjoyed the story and the characters.

Victoria Denault writes phenomenal hockey romances, and I’ve loved every book in her San Francisco Thunder series. Now or Never is the fourth, stand-alone installment, and it’s a sexy and entertaining enemies-to-lovers romance with real emotional depth. The heroine has fled to her family’s summer beach house in order to grieve her father’s passing and revaluate her life. She desperately wants to be alone, but her solitude is disrupted by her former childhood nemesis, who was hired to remodel the house. They butt heads and argue, but they quickly discover that they’re very different people now. Their relationship turns sexual and burns hot, but they also develop a supportive and strong emotional connection that takes both of them by surprise. Their journey to happily ever after is truly moving and deeply romantic.

A heartfelt story! With the next book in the San Francisco Thunder series, we get the final Braddock sibling's story. We met Winnie in her hockey playing brother Jude's story, then saw more of her in both of her sister's books as they hooked up with the men of the Thunder. This was a very emotion filled read, and flowed well, but there were a couple of aspects missing for me. Number one, it's really no longer a hockey romance ... and number two, considering the main plot of the story, I felt the family should have been brought in more so we could have shared the journey of healing with everyone that we got to know in the series instead of just Winnie. Overall a solid read, but it will resonate with the reader more if they have read the entire series and know the background.

Winnie Braddock just wants to be left alone to nurse her battered heart, but she doesn't seem to have that luxury. She has an overbearing family who insinuate themselves into everything, and just when she thinks she's pulled one over on them to have some alone time, she's stuck dealing with the guy who tormented her as a teen!

Holden Hendricks is grateful for the job Jude gave him renovating the Braddock's vacation home in Maine. He's done plenty of growing up over the years and wishes he could find a way to prove to people that he's no longer that snot nosed kid who wreaked havoc on everyone he encountered. Discovering he's going to be in close proximity to Winnie for a few weeks just might be a step in the right direction considering she holds a huge grudge ... but time and proximity seem to be heating up more than anger between the two of them!

Now or Never is a mix of two of my favorite types of romance, sports and enemy to lovers. Holden and Winnie felt so real to me that their feelings and emotions jumped right from the pages. Now I know that this is an enemy to lovers and I have to admit that I don't think that these two hated each other as much as they needed to believe that they did.

Winnie has been suffering emotionally since losing her father, all of the suffering leaves her needing someone to take the anger that has built up inside of her, Holden is the unlucky/lucky recipient of the anger and pain. Watching these two knock down each others walls was captivating. This is an absolute must read, especially if you're a fan of Denault's writing.

San Francisco Thunder #4, Even though this is a SF Thunder book is does lean more toward just being a straight Contemporary Romance than a Sports Romance. The last Braddock sister finally finds her true HEA and it's not with anyone we have previously met. I loved how emotional charged this book is compared to the others, it's all about grieving and starting over again.

Winnie is grieving differently than her siblings, she finally come to the realization she couldn't be happy with her boyfriend of ten years especially after he cheated on her so she did what she should have done two years ago and dumped him. Now all she wants is to be left alone where she can drown her sorrow and grieve in peace without her siblings butting in. But doing this in the family summer home was disrupted when Holden Hendricks sets up right outside and starts the renovations her brother had secretly planned.

Holden didn't leave town his childhood hometown on a good not when he was a teenager. He was an angry kid in need of attention after his mother died and he got into all sorts of trouble that eventually landed him in juvie. Since then he's worked hard first with construction and worked his way up to contractor. The whole reason he moved back home was to be closer to his older sister and her son but it's a bridge he burned a long time ago and rebuilding it is harder than he hoped. He's hoping that if the renovations and remodeling of homes will help people see him in a different light especially the Braddock sibling he teased mercilessly and who also happened to be is favorite, Winnie.

The attraction is strong with these two it's practically been simmering beneath the surface since they were kids. Holden is hesitant for a lot of reasons, Winnie just broke up with her really long time boyfriend and is grieving but mostly she hates him. Winnie as much as she wants to hate Holden he is a different person from when he was younger he wants to make things right with the people he hurt and Winnie believes in him. But there are obstacles for them to get over mostly ones they created themselves.

Overall, a very emotional book and a really hot romance. I loved Winnie and Holden they are just perfect for each other. There is some hockey so it's not entirely devoid of sports. This book had funny moments, hot encounters, and plenty of emotion. I'd love to see some more of the SF Thunder boys get their own book.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this one. It's been awhile since I've read a romance and this one hit all the notes for me. I will say that I did feel like it was a bit rushed and I would have liked to have seen the characters slow down a bit when it came to their feelings but all in all, it was an enjoyable read and made me want to pick up the rest of the books in this series.

Winona and Holden have this past. Its absolutely tumultuous teen years. It ends with Winnie breaking Holden's nose. He was basically everyones bully during his teen years. The young boy acting out needing his mother, but his mom passed when he was 10 years old.

Winnie is at a point in her life where she is trying to figure out what is most important after grieving the death of her father, who was her world. Holden and Winnie don't realize but, they need each other in their lives. Once he admitted to a crush where boy pulls on her pigtails to get some sort of attention from his crush, they can sort of move on. But, Holden has done alot of wrong in his past. He's back to make nice and make a name for himself now that they're older.

They have hot chemistry! I'm glad these two found each other. Their story and the way Holden is trying to change his perception of the way people see him is amazing. I was so frustrated for him, this poor guy. I enjoyed their story very much.

Bittersweet, emotional ending…

I had such mixed feelings opening this, the last in the series about a family I’ve grown so fond of. The Braddocks have been living and loving under a cloud that ends here. They laughed, bickered, teased and supported each other in a way that couldn’t help but climb right into my heart. Winnie’s story was the last to be told…

And it was amazing! There was such turmoil in her romantic life and all was revealed as she stayed at the family cottage, trying to get her life, her feelings, in order. A blast from the past, an unpleasant one at that, meant her peace and quiet was a fruitless wish. Holden was that blast and was he ever! Back home himself, he was trying to make amends but around every corner was a new obstacle and this one was named Winnie…

Holden was perfect for Winnie. He stepped up to be just what he needed and vice versa. Supportive, loving, cranky, his second chance was another for Winnie as well and it was paved with heat and snark – everything they both deserved. With family at the core as always this was a great ending to a wonderful series.

I really enjoyed this book, full of emotions. Characters were good. I didn't realize this was a series when I requested it, was able to understand what was going on with no problems. Will definitely be checking out the others I have missed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher,

Now or Never is book four in the San Francisco Thunder series but it can be read as a standalone.

I have read quite a few books by Victoria Denault and I have loved every single one that I have read. This book is no exceptions. I just couldn't stop reading this book and I didn't want to stop even though it was past my bedtime. I ended up staying up to 2 am!! I never stay up that late.

The story is very well written and if you are into hockey romance I think you will love this book.

I am giving this 5 out of 5.

In the two years since I first read Score, Victoria Denault has quickly become one of my favorite hockey romance authors. Her books always have an authentic feel to them that can only be described as written by a true hockey fan. After reading Slammed and When It's Right, I knew the final book in the San Francisco Thunder series was going to be an emotional ride and it was.

The beginning of Now or Never starts five days after the death of the Braddock patriarch and as Winnie watches her siblings go on like life will somehow go back to normal, she can't help but feel lost. Standing at a crossroads... Does she go back to Toronto with her longtime boyfriend and act like everything is okay? Or will she take some time to be by herself and heal? She doesn't feel at home in San Francisco like her brother and sisters do. Her heart isn't in Toronto. The only place she feels comfort is in the tiny cottage her father loved. So, she does what her heart wants and stays behind. To her surprise, Winnie's brother hired her teenage nemesis and former bad boy to renovate the cottage. So much for healing on her own...

They say you can never go home... Holden Hendricks wishes that were true. Let's not beat around the bush, he was a little shit when he was a teen. What most people don't know was that was a facade. Hidden underneath the bad boy image was a lost kid. He never quite recovered from the death of his mom and acting out what the only way he could get attention. So he did. Those things he was guilty of? Most of them were probably done by his shitty friends. And the things he did do, he wishes he could take them back. Prime example, tormenting Winnie. Now he's back in town working on the Braddock's cottage, he thought he could keep his head down, work on the cottage, and get his new renovation business of the ground. With Winnie around... Things get a bit more complicated.

After I finished When It's Right, I immediately messaged Victoria because I had to know what was going to happen with Winnie. We know that her relationship with Ty is rocky, but we don't know why. The only thing Victoria told me was to just wait... And so I did... Would Now of Never break my heart with the passing of their dad? Yes! Would we find out why Winnie and Ty are on the rocks? Yes. Will the Braddock family be okay? Yes. All my questions were answered and the San Francisco series was wrapped up perfectly. I adored Now of Never. Holden slowly helping Winnie's heart heal from the loss of her dad... Winnie standing up for Holden when no one else would... All perfection. I loved every moment of this book.

This is book #4, in the San Francisco Thunder series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader understanding, and to avoid spoilers, I recommend reading this series in order.

Winnie has known Holden most of her life. He made her feel bad in her youth. Now he is more of a white knight. Can she forgive him about the past?

Holden is trying to gain the trust of those he has wronged in his youth. He has grown up and past the angst that plagued him back then. Now, he is hoping most for the trust of one specific woman. The one he has always wanted.

I really enjoyed reading this story. I had wondered and waited for this book about Winnie. It had more of punch than I expected, but it also felt very real. The feelings were strong, the heat was sizzling, and the couple is just right. These characters are so fun to read.


***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review, by Netgalley and its publishers.

3.5 stars--NOW OR NEVER is the fourth instalment in Victoria Denault’s contemporary, adult SAN FRANCISCO THUNDER romance series. This is thirty year old, home renovator Holden Hendricks, and twenty-nine year old, primary school teacher Winnie Braddock’s story line. NOW OR NEVER 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 (Winnie and Holden) NOW OR NEVER follows the enemies to lovers, acrimonious relationship between thirty year old, home renovator Holden Hendricks, and twenty-nine year old, primary school teacher Winnie Braddock. Years earlier Winnie’s brother Jude’s best friend Holden Hendrick’s made Winnie’s life a living h*ll. Teasing and bullying escalated until the day Winnie punched Holden and broke his nose. Fast forward to present day wherein Holden Hendrick’s has returned to his home town, unwelcome and without forgiveness for sins of the past. When given the opportunity to renovate and repair the Braddock’s family cottage in Maine Holden will come face to face with his past, a past that is unwilling to forgive and forget. Enter Winnifred Braddock, and the woman with whom Holden will fall in love. What ensues is the tempestuous relationship between Holden and Winnie, and the potential fall-out as secrets and the inability to trust continue to push Holden at every turn.

Holden Handricks’ life was destroyed when at the age of ten, his mother died in a freak accident. Angry and grieving, for the next several years, Holden lashed out at everyone and everything, including our story line heroine. Holden’s earlier self-destruction destroyed any chance of turning professional in the game he loved, a game he sacrificed for someone else. Hoping to make amends to everyone back home, the constant rejection was difficult and painful. Winnie Braddock just buried her beloved father and is unable to let go of the grief and pain. Breaking up with her boyfriend of eleven years meant Winnie wanted time alone never thinking she would spend weeks with a man she decreed her mortal enemy. Living side by side Winnie would soon discover that the man with whom she is falling in love is not the same, angry boy whose actions turned her life upside down.

The relationship between Winnie and Holden is acrimonious at best. Their bitter and caustic back and forth is fuelled by Winnie’s inability to trust, and the reminder of a time long ago when Holden did everything to push Winnie’s buttons. Secrets from the past, and Winnie’s issues of trust continue to dog our couple throughout the story. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Winnie’s brother Jude and his wife Zoey (Scored #1), and their sisters Dixie and Eli (Slammed #2), Sadie and Griffin (When It’s Right #3); as well as a Winnie’s friend and townie Cat’ Holden’s sister Bradie and her son Duke, and a couple of Holden’s friends from the past.

The world building departs from hockey and the San Francisco Thunder. Holden was a rising star in the junior hockey leagues but life choices destroyed any chances for a professional career, a career every knows would have been as successful as Jude’s.

NOW OR NEVER is a story of family and friendship, death and loss, forgiveness and moving forward. The character driven premise is engaging and spirited; the characters are broken, flirty and real; the romance is moving and emotional. NOW OR NEVER reveals the pain of childhood trauma; the regret of sins and bullying; and the second chances for two people hurt by words and loss. On the flip side, I struggled with the heroine’s immature attitude throughout most of the story, sometimes too much childish behaviour is difficult to accept.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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I thought that this book was really well done. This is the fourth book in the San Francisco Thunder series but it would work as a stand-alone story. I jumped into this series on the second book and have enjoyed the books that I have read so I was really looking forward to starting this book. Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. These characters made me feel things and I really couldn't wait to see how everything would work out for them. I had a great time reading this book.

Winnie is at a low point when this book starts. Her father has just passed away from a long term illness and she is having a very hard time moving on like the rest of her family. She decides that it is past time to break things off with her long term boyfriend and she just wants to be left alone to try to recover. She does not expect Holden and his camper to invade her space and peace while he renovates the family cabin.

I loved these two characters. Winnie's pain was so raw and it felt really authentic to me. I understood her need to grieve in her own way even if it didn't always seem to be the healthiest choice. Holden just wanted to get a fresh start. He did a lot of things as a teenager that he isn't proud of but he is working hard to be a good man. I felt so bad for him as the entire town seemed to only want to judge him for who he was in the past. As Holden's past was revealed, his story broke my heart and I wanted to see him get his second chance.

I thought that Winnie and Holden were perfect together. They seemed to just know what each other needed and their chemistry was off the charts. They both had a few doubts at times but as they grew to know each other and started ignoring others, their relationship blossomed. There were quite a few heart-melting scenes that I found really well written.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really solid romance between two characters working to put the pieces of their lives back together. I thought that Winnie's grief over the loss of her father was quite powerful and very well written. I can't wait to read more from Victoria Denault soon!

I received a digital review copy of this book from Forever Yours (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley.

This is Winnie Braddock's story, and I've been looking forward to it for a while. I was looking forward to seeing how she handled everything going on with her father's declining health, since we've gotten to see how her siblings have been handling it.

I enjoyed the story for the most part, but at times I found myself frustrated with Winnie. Her father's wish for her was to find happiness, but she struggles to do so. I understand she was grieving, but she also seemed unable to allow herself to try to move on. She tries to keep one of her sisters from moving on, as well, which was selfish. I also thought she was too hard on Holden at times. Yes, he bullied her when they were children, but he himself had been going through a hard time back then. He's no longer that person and wants to prove it to everyone, but Winnie tends not to trust him and struggles to accept that maybe he changed, all while trying to convince other people that he actually has.

I felt for Holden. He made mistakes when he was younger, but no one seems to want to let him move past it, including his sister. From how it was described, his sister wasn't really there for him emotionally when he needed her, so I thought her behavior towards him wasn't entirely warranted.

Readers get to see more of the Braddock siblings, especially Jude, who seems to be the only person who believes Holden is a good guy. But when something goes missing, he's also one of the first people to blame Holden which seems was contradictory to how he was defending his character earlier in the book.

While this is part of the San Francisco Thunder series, it has nothing to do with the hockey team. Instead, the book is entirely set in Maine. The only aspect relating to hockey is Holden taking a job as a youth hockey coach in order to spend time with his nephew. If you're looking for an actual hockey romance, this is not it.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't my favorite of the series. There was some chemistry between Holden and Winnie, but it was overshadowed by Winnie's distrust so it never felt like it was fully developed. Still, it was a good read and I would recommend it to anyone who's been following the series.

Now or Never was challenging to read at times, Winnie's grief really came through the pages and I couldn't help but feel her pain. She's also struggling with Holden, whom she does not have the best memories of. Holden is back and trying to build a life for himself. He's doing a pretty good job at it, but of course there are bumps in the road.

I thought Winnie and Holden made a strong couple, they balanced each other well. I appreciated that Winnie's family made their way in despite being located far away. I love them all and would have been sad to not have them make an appearance.

Ah! Bliss! Sports romance is one of my top favorite genres. There's just something about these self confident, determined, cocky athletes that makes my knees weak. Add an enemies-to-lovers trope with great banter and you have my book catnip.

I loved these characters. Winnie's grief was written in such a real manner, it was palpable how much she was hurting and trying to come to grips with the death of her dad. Reading how she struggled, cried, drank her sorrow away and lashed out at Holden, I felt her mourning to my bones. Holden is the one person she didn't expect to get her through this but it's him who helps her focusing on her grief and doesn't let her drown in it. Victoria Denault shows us how abrasive and aggressive Winnie is in the beginning but transforms her gradually and realistically into a sweet, strong young woman who fights for the people she loves. And while it takes Winona a while to trust the change in Holden, once she does she's 100% in.

Holden Hendricks is persona non grata in his little hometown in Maine. His frustration about the people's distrust in his transformation is understandable but so is the people's skepticism all the awful things he did.

"Coming back to this place was a mistake. I’m done. I’m finishing your cottage and I’m moving back to Boston. Or somewhere else. Somewhere people don’t know about my past so I don’t have to fucking waste my time trying to convince people I’ve changed.”

He is determined, though, and really works hard to fix the trouble he caused. I loved Holden so much. He is a good, hard-working man with a mischievous streak who, yes, falls into old habits sometimes but never causes other people harm. Once he knows why Winona is so grief-stricken he can totally relate and it's almost a little bit ironic that she is now lashing out at him for the same reasons he did when he was young.

"I was a mean little brat back in the day, but I saw you, Winnie. I saw your kindness and your intelligence. I still see it. Difference is back then it made me feel worse about myself. Now I can just admire it.”

From the start there was an undeniable chemistry between Winona and Holden that built up to sexual tension really fast. It seems that they often fall back to square one after an argument but they actually make progress with each fight. Usually when characters fight a lot there is also a great deal of angst which has the potential to become frustrating. I didn't feel that in NOW OR NEVER. The snark absorbed a lot of that. It also helped that after a fight they thought about it hard and apologized when they realized their mistake. When they became close the sweetness and sexiness of their relationship became my favorite thing. The way Holden treated Winnie and showed her how special she was to him was swoon-worthy as all get out.

“I was your favorite Braddock sister?”
I ask in awe because it sure as hell didn’t feel that way. “You were my favorite everything.”

Winnie and Holden were extremely relatable characters and I loved their connection so much.

NOW OR NEVER is my first book by Victoria Denault and it definitely won't be my last. Her writing style is very fluid and captivating which made this story a really fast read. I marked so many quotes because of the beautiful, meaningful things Winona and Holden said to each other.

This book can be read as a standalone. The author gives you enough information about the previous books in the series so that you don't feel lost, but she teases you so much that you are desperate to read them. I can't wait to go back and read all stories by Ms. Denault. She has an undeniable talent to pull you into the story from the beginning and doesn't let go until you're done. The whole Braddock family snuck up on me and I really, REALLY want to read their HEAs.

“I need you.”
“You have me,” he grunts as he pushes hard into me. “You fucking own me.”

Told in alternating first person, we get the story of Winnie and Holden. It starts when they are both teens and she decks him for saying something about her brother. We then come to the present day and Winnie's father has passed away and she's grieving. His death has opened her eyes to many things, including the fact that her relationship with her boyfriend has been over for some time. She just wants to stay at the family's summer home and lick her wounds. Little does she suspect that her brother has hired Holden to renovate the house while the family is supposed to be gone.
Holden is shocked to discover Winnie in the house. While they have a past (and his is certainly dark), he is still attracted to her. They embark on a relationship that is just going to be physical. But this is a romance novel so...
This was an okay story but I didn't get a real sense of an HEA in their future and the last Big Misunderstanding wasn't really needed.

Three stars
This book comes out January 15
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley

Winnie Braddock just wants a place to hide and heal her broken heart, so she heads for family's summer cottage in hope of finding the remedy she needs. But upon her arrival she learns she isn't the only one in search of a little quiet time, her brother has hired her childhood nemesis Holden Hendricks to work on the cottage throughout the winter. Which means she either has to figure out a way to get rid of him or learn to live with him... she chooses the later, and winds up finding the perfect treatment for her battered heart!

Now or Never is wonderfully crafted tale of healing, personal growth and love. I thought these characters were perfectly suited for one another, they had sparks for days, and were the perfect support system for one another. Winnie was depressed after losing her father, and Holden was quite determined to find the once feisty girl he loved to tease way back when. He just had to dig deep to find her and bring her out of her shell. She certainly gave him a run for his money, constantly pushing his buttons and bucking at every turn, but you could tell that he thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I have to say that I am sad to see this series coming to end, but I think these two made the perfect couple for the last chapter, it was so great to see Winnie finally get her happily ever after. Her story was quite uplifting, and filled with many moments that tugged on the heartstrings, and put a blush on my face. Highly recommend this one, it has all the feels, and then some!!

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