This one was much better than the last one. I liked Jonny, the hero, especially. I was prepared to like the heroine but she got on my nerves after a while. She was just unnecessarily bitchy. I got tired of her drama. And as I've said before I realize that a miscarriage can be a traumatic event. I had two miscarriages myself both in the first trimester and both wanted. That sucked but I knew that these things happen and I could try again. But authors make them out to be a much bigger deal than they necessarily are. Sure if it's a late term miscarriage or if you've tried many times and had many miscarriages, even early ones in that case, it's bound to be awful. But this girl was knocked up by a random one night stand. This was an early miscarriage. Sure she wanted to keep the baby but she wasn't desperate to have this particular child. Even in the "well that sucks" of the miscarriage there should have been an element of relief. She was starting a new relationship with a great guy who was willing to take on her baby by another man but you can't tell me that they both didn't feel a little bit let off the hook and ready to concentrate on their relationship and eventual joint family. It also bothered me that she didn't even give a passing thought to telling the guy who knocked her up about his baby. How responsible and ethical is that? At least think about it.

The rest of the story was nice. Nice hockey bits. A little too sicky sweet on the everyone loves everyone on the hockey team and all their family too. But that's normal for this series.

I will more than likely continue on with the series. ( )

DISCLOSURES: I don't normally read contemporary romances and I m not a Hockey fan or even have a passing acquaintance with the game.

Catherine Gayle manages to make a sports romance interesting without overloading the book with too much sports information. Watching a hockey game I would assume that most hockey players were giant Neanderthals with missing teeth who skate around looking for a fight. Although this story starts with the main character Cam getting into a fight on the ice he is nothing like what I would consider a generic hockey player to be like.
Cam is a gentle giant who grew up with a mother and 3 sisters - he's quiet but when he speaks people listen. Sara, the coaches daughter grew up without a mother and is afraid of relationships so Cam has his work cut out for him.
Through a series of unfortunate events the two manage to grow closer, even while Cam is traveling for the season playoffs.
This is a great story and a great romance. ( )

*4.5 Stars*

My love for this series just keeps growing and growing with every new book I read. I am so attached to all these characters. At this point I just hope it never ends!

I knew I liked Cam from the very first book when he started teaching Dana how to fight to defend herself. This is a guy who is an enforcer on the ice -a big tough fighter, but the way he treats women just takes your breath away. How dreamy is a guy who is willing to love a girl who's pregnant with someone else's baby? And then he has a tiny, fluffy deaf dog!

Sara on the other hand is extremely stubborn so be prepared to have lots of patience with her. She is the kind of person who doesn't let anyone get close to her because she fears that in the end, they will end up leaving. Her dad, Scotty, is the only person she has and in this book we get to see a whole new side of him. Up until now I just thought of Scotty as the angry coach who was constantly screaming. It was nice to see him in a different light and realize what a loving father he is and how much he cares about his players.

I could just keep reading the Portland Storm books forever. As long as Catherine Gayle keeps writing them, I will keep reading them :)

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* ( )

Delay of Game (Portland Storm #4) by Catherine Gayle

Sara is the daughter of the legendary hockey coach Scotty Thomas. She has taken care of her father ever since her mother left.

Enforcer Cam Johnson has been interested in Sara but considered her off limits since she is the coach’s daughter; however, due to extenuating circumstances, Cam makes it his mission to take care of and protect Sara.

Sara is a wonderful heroine. She is strong and stubborn. She’s loyal, despite being afraid to let others in. She has so many emotional issues to deal with that my heart just went out to her.

I love Cam. As an enforcer, it’s not surprising that he likes to safeguard those he loves. Having grown up without a father, taking care of his mom and sisters, definitely gave him an edge with Sara. He is not afraid to fight on the ice but is calm off of it. I appreciated that although Cam had his own issues to deal with, he would put others needs in front of his, as well as facing consequences and not expecting preferential treatment.

I love how the team is like a family. They look out for each other and support one another.

True to form, Catherine Gayle created an exceptional plot with believable issues. Delay of Game is a heartwarming story that I fell in love with. The story held me captivated with every word. Not once did I want to skim through the novel. I was reading another book that had me falling asleep, so I decided to start reading this book and was instantly energized. I would highly recommend this series to people that enjoy contemporary sports romances.

A gifted copy was provided for an honest review. ( )

I have loved this series since the very first book! Hockey and romance and real issues... what's not to love?! Cam is a fabulous romantic hero, strong and powerful, yet a big softie at heart. Sara is a great character, totally devoted to her father and carrying a bit of baggage of her own.

I love that the author brings the whole hockey "family" from book to book, just focusing on a new couple each time. This one was interesting because it brought together two people we already knew from the other books. For me, this book was the most intense emotionally. There is some real sadness and heartache in the midst of a beautiful story, and it really resonated within me.

That is one of my favorite things about the books in this series, that the author doesn't shy away from real subjects and real emotions. Not everything is blissful in Romance Land; there is heartache and pain and loss right along with the love. I can't stand a romance where things come to pass too easily. That doesn't feel real. That isn't something that I can relate to because real love and relationships, life, is messy. These books have all of this.
I have a hard time deciding which of the series is my favorite. Each one brings a new part of the story of the Portland Storms family. This one was emotionally hard for me to read but the story was beautiful!

My Recommendation: The others in the series should be read in order to fully appreciate the story. But this is a fabulous addition to the story! I gave it 4.5 mugs! ( )