Review: Defenseless Hearts by Mika Jolie (Playing for Keeps #2)


Note: An advanced reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Give Me Books Promotions.

Ooh, but how I've been itching to get my hands on River Baldwin's story ever since I was done reading his twin brother's story in Intercepted Hearts. And now, it's finally here! Yes, the second book in the Playing for Keeps series is out in the wild, and Mika Jolie scored with Defenseless Hearts. If Hudson Baldwin was the good guy who was the face of professional football, his twin brother, River, was considered more of the bad boy of professional hockey. The Brooklyn Cobras' star center is undeniably one of the best in the sport, but the tatted twenty-three-year-old is facing a public relations dilemma. It needs to be handled before it becomes a disaster for the team and for River, twenty-five-year-old PR specialist Samantha Loren is assigned to take care of it. There's nothing good about the gossip regarding River getting trashed with underage girls, and now, River's attitude is making things more difficult for Sam. The scandal already has River and Sam on the defensive, but the more they work and spend time together, the more defenseless both their hearts are to the onslaught of confusing feelings brewing between them.

Okay, I refuse to choose between Hudson and River because these twins were equally endearing. With Hudson setting the bar as high as he did in book one, I was antsy to see how River would meet the challenge. Well, meet it he did because this guy was more than his cocky persona. He was all in, whether on or off the ice, and while it may have seemed like Sam was a challenge he needed to conquer for a hot minute, he quickly recognized that there was something special about her. I totally understood why Sam was also as hesitant as she was when it came to River. That's what happens when your heart is unapologetically broken by your idiot ex. But I loved seeing her bloom and come into her own, seeing that River was a wonderful guy and that they did belong together. While this was a fairly quick read, it never felt as if I was reading a novella, which is a testament to Mika Jolie's fabulous writing. Readers get a romance that they can fully get behind and two main characters that we get to know well, allowing us to root for them as they worked their way to a happily-ever-after. Defenseless Hearts receives 4.5 stars. ♥

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Read my reviews for the Playing for Keeps series:


Intercepted Hearts (book one) - 4.5 stars - My Review

Defenseless Hearts (book two) - 4.5 stars - My Review (posted above)

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Release Date: 07 February 2020

Date Read: 07 February 2020

Learn more about Mika Jolie.

Purchase Defenseless Hearts on Amazon.

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