Review: Mr. Broody by Piper Rayne (The Nest #2)
Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the authors via Valentine PR.
"I'm already invested, Jade. I've never not been invested in us. Even over the last eight years, you're still the one I think about all the time. Day or night, it's always you."
Kyleigh's words flow back through my mind. He's been waiting.
Mr. Broody is the second novel in writing duo Piper Rayne's The Nest hockey romance series, and it's their longest writing effort to date. This is a second-chance romance featuring Jade Keebler and Henry Hensley, and if these two sound familiar to you, then you must be a longtime reader of Piper and Rayne's! Jade and Henry first appeared as seven-year-olds in Smitten with the Best Man, formerly known as Manic Monday and the first book in the Chicago Law series. Yup, Jade is Victoria Warner née Clarke's daughter and is Reed Warner's stepdaughter, while Henry was Reed's "little brother" as part of a youth mentorship program. There are also a number of cameos in this new book, but if you haven't read anything from Piper Rayne before, fear not because you can safely dive right into Jade and Henry's story.
Jade Keebler and Henry Hensley were childhood best friends who fell in love as teenagers and were together for years, even going to the same college in Minnesota. But just as they were getting ready to move back to their hometown and Henry to become the right winger for the Chicago Falcons, he decides to end their relationship, believing that tying Jade down wouldn't be right, not when she has the rest of the world to explore. And then three years ago, he broke her heart all over again, choosing his responsibility to Bodhi, the boy he was in the process of adopting, over being with globe-trotting photographer Jade. Now, not only is she back in Chicago to spend time with her parents and younger brothers, she's the new first grade substitute teacher at St. Pat's, making her six-year-old Bodhi's new teacher. Henry let Jade go twice before, but can he actually convince the only girl he's ever loved to stay?
Goodness, but how Jade and Henry gave Victoria and Reed a run for their money! The latter's romance is one of my all-time favorite Piper Rayne reads, and I confess that they had set the bar high for this next generation. The humor was there, as was the romance, of course, but there was a fair amount of angst thrown into the mix, and I was all for it. This being a second chance romance, I would have been disappointed to a degree if there wasn't any angst! But that's to be expected when a love as deeply rooted as Jade and Henry's is lost, albeit temporarily, and not only found again but fought for. Having Bodhi in the mix was like the gift that kept on giving, and add to that the support system he, his dad, and his teacher had. I loved that Jade was on her own journey, and that it led her home--to where (and to whom) her heart always belonged (to). Henry, on the other hand, also had to come to certain realizations. These were good people who deserved a happy ending--and they got it. Five-plus stars go to Mr. Broody.
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Read my reviews for the Nest series:
Mr. Heartbreaker (book one) - four stars - My Review
Mr. Broody (book two) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)
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Release Date: 31 December 2024
Date Read: 21 December 2024
Learn more about Piper Rayne.
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