Maybe This Summer

A Colorado Ice Novella

by Jennifer Snow

Always a wingman . . .

Owen McConnell is used to being ignored. After all, it’s only when he appears as the Colorado Avalanche’s team mascot that he gets all the attention. When the costume is off, women tend to gravitate toward his famous hockey player friends. But after he meets lovely, damaged Paige Adams, he knows he can be the star player for her. She’s raising funds for the hospital burn unit, and Owen’s determined to help her out—and sweep her off her feet.

The burn unit has been near and dear to Paige’s heart ever since the doctors helped her after a vicious attack. Yet the scars—both emotional and physical—haven’t faded as much as she’d hoped. She’s closed herself off from relationships, and the thought of opening up is terrifying. But Owen’s sexy charm might be just the push Paige needs to start loving again.

Not having read anything else in this series, I’m not sure why Owen never gets the girl.  He’s sexy, funny, and caring.  Sure, it would be easy to get overlooked by the puck bunnies who are only after the players but I would think that there would be some lucky woman out there who was looking for something a little different.

Lucky for Paige, he hasn’t been found yet.  Instead he turns all of that heart, charm and determination on her.  And he’s going to need it because she’s a tough nut to crack.  Having been the victim of a brutal attack she’s not quite gotten her confidence back.  Years later she is still covering up her scars and hiding from the world, afraid to put herself out there in any form.  But when Owen sets his mind on winning a date, she finds it harder and harder to resist.

It takes some doing but eventually he’s able to convince her to give him a chance.  (The way that he gets her to agree to go out for drinks is CLASSIC … and so is the crash and burn that came next  🙂 ).  And with some help from her mom, there may be hope that he can claim her heart.  And help her find her belief in herself again while he’s at it.

Because the story really focuses on Paige and her issues with getting involved it didn’t matter much that this was the first in the series that I read.    It’s going to be emotional for her but it’s definitely time that she let her past go and embrace her future.  Not an easy thing to do but with a bit of help she can find a way to embrace the strong, beautiful woman she is today.