Review: Had potential - but fell flat for me, too many bad choices made by H&h
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 08 29, 2013
Jacqueline is a socialite who is stuck in an engagement with a man she doesn't love. The match was made by her parents (who are wealthy - new money - looking to make a match with old money/influence). After something 'big' happens; She finds herself back with a man she adores as both a friend and a lover - Mike. He is a pro hockey player and is also a 'player'.This story is about how Jacqueline works to break from her overbearing/domineering parents and works to developing her relationship (and eventually making a firm commitment) with  Mike.In the process, Jacqueline meets various heroes (in both male and female versions) as well as anti-heroes (in both genders as well).This story has been played out before - but this story had a bit of a twist. I didn't like either character. Jacqueline is old enough to be able to make up her own mind and break free from her parents' influence. She attempts to save Mike from her father's nefarious threats, but her choice should be to suck it up - and get a job away from her family. She makes several bad choices. Including drinking very heavily when things get rough. This doesn't endear the heroine to me at all. She gets a lot of financial and emotional support a long the way. People do a lot of financial and emotional heavy lifting for this girl. Being pretty seems to be her main asset.Mike is also not a super likeable character. He is sexy and works incredibly hard to get Jacqueline to make a commitment. But he also makes some pretty bad choices that makes me wonder how committed he truly is to Jacqueline.They seem to chase each other in circles, rotate, then do it again. It's not heartbreaking. It's annoying.I rooted more for the pseudo-antagonist, Daniela. And the other hockey players. I soon started to not care about whether the H & h would get together....I got whiplash from the characters oscillating from flying to foreign countries to be with each other/playing out romantic story lines from movies -- to jumping into bed/relationships with other people without a second thought.Sorry - it wasn't a book for me....I want a strong, kind, smart, sexy, honest and steadfast heroine who gets paired up with a strong, sexy, kind, honest, steadfast hero.