I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blazed by Elise Faber is book 8 in the Breakers Hockey series. At the time of selecting the title for review, I was not aware that it was the eighth book. Not that it would have affected my decision to read it, as I am always reading books out of sequence. Unfortunately, this time around, it seems that it would have been best to have at least read the previous book. Assuming that the information needed to make the events of this instalment clearer was included in the previous book.

From the moment I began reading, it felt as if a big chunk of the story was missing. The story indicated that the main characters Walker and Dominique were in a relationship prior to the start of this instalment. However, for some reason, Walker ended their involvement, leaving Dominique devastated. Now he has returned wanting a second chance.

I wasn't a big fan of Walker in the initial stages . I am all for one going after what they want. However, in Walker's case, his pursuit of Dominique made him seem possessive. Also, the fact he refused to tell her the reason he pushed her away in the first place made him out to be a hypocrite. He wanted her to share her ups and downs, but he refused to open up to her. 

The romance was sweet and spicy. Walker's softer and protective side came to light. It was interesting to see Walker trying to win Dominique back, although it didn't take long for him to break down her walls. The reason for pushing her away came to light near the end of the story. I understand him not wanting her entangled in his mess.  However, he could have least told her what was happening and let her decide if she wanted to stick around. Also, the fact he was still hiding it from her indicated he didn't trust her to stick around after hearing the truth.  I liked Dominique. She was a fighter and quite the overachiever. She didn't have a great childhood, which forced her to grow up rather quickly. Furthermore, she was someone I could relate to, and I believe readers would gravitate towards her.

I am still trying to figure out how the incident involving Dominique's professor fit into the narrative. I didn't see where it had any bearing on the story, and it would seem it was included as filler. Overall, while an OK read, it serves one best to at least read book 7 prior to reading Blazed. 

This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading