Review: Hard Stick

Hard Stick by L.P. Dover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3,5 stars!



ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book to author L. P. Dover and I must admit that it wasn't what I expected at all.


I am a cover bitch. Unless the author is already known to me, most of my bought, requested or borrowed books are based on the cover or the blurb, the reason why Hard Stick sat on my kindle the moment I saw it on Netgalley.

When I'm picking sports romance novel to read then I'm expecting to find some sport. The rush of adrenaline, the thrill of success and the aggressiveness of the players on the field and in the locker rooms that's what I most love about a sports romance.

When I read about Kellan, his hard stick and how he knows how to use it, I was sold




but when I started reading the book I realised that the story was more about Kristen and her secrets than about Kellan, his stick or Ice hockey.




I can't say that this story wasn't enjoyable, it really was. Let's just say that the story and the cover don't go together.

Kristen used to have it all, a successful job, a wealthy gorgeous boyfriend and a place that she could finally call home, but everything would be destroyed the moment she realised that she was dealing with a sick married boyfriend who would stop at nothing to have her even killing the friend who tried to save her.

Changing her name and starting from scratch was the only way to keep Kristen safe from being killed, and though bartending had nothing to do with designing, it at least paid her bills.

Kellan lived for hockey, women in his life were no longer a priority until he was challenged to ask the mysterious waitress for a date.

“Dallas nudged me in the side, his voice low so Kristen couldn’t hear him. “Wanna make a bet?” he asked slyly. “On what?”
“On your girl over there. I say five hundred dollars you can’t get her to go out with you by the end of the week.” Braeden chuckled. “And I’ll bet three hundred.” They both grinned and held out their hands. Sealing the deal, I shook them. “You’re on, fuckers.”

Kellan wanted to teach his friends a good lesson but the moment he met Kristen out of the bar and got to know her, he realised that one date would never be enough especially that he knew her secrets and her fears.


Hard Stick is a book about new beginnings and how love could heal damaged wounds.

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