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New York Blades #5
Chasing Stanley
What do a New York City dog trainer and a pro hockey player have in common? They both love Stanley, an adorable but naughty Newfoundland...
When dog trainer Delilah Gould spots a rambunctious Newfoundland disobeying orders, she can't help but stepping in and teaching the gentle giant to heel. But it's his hunky owner she's really like to teach a few tricks. Too bad he's clearly the untrainable kind.
Professional hockey player Jason Mitchell is thrilled when he's traded to the New York Blades--the team of his dreams. There's just one problem: his pooch isn't adjusting to city life too well. Good thing he crosses paths with dog trainer Delilah Gould. At least that's what he thinks--until he realized he's fallen for her.
Now, with the season heating up, Jason realizes he'll have to score big-time to win the Stanley Cup and the woman who had tamed his dog and unleashed his heart.
When dog trainer Delilah Gould spots a rambunctious Newfoundland disobeying orders, she can't help but stepping in and teaching the gentle giant to heel. But it's his hunky owner she's really like to teach a few tricks. Too bad he's clearly the untrainable kind.
Professional hockey player Jason Mitchell is thrilled when he's traded to the New York Blades--the team of his dreams. There's just one problem: his pooch isn't adjusting to city life too well. Good thing he crosses paths with dog trainer Delilah Gould. At least that's what he thinks--until he realized he's fallen for her.
Now, with the season heating up, Jason realizes he'll have to score big-time to win the Stanley Cup and the woman who had tamed his dog and unleashed his heart.
345 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Deirdre Martin
29 books581 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
January 23, 2010
I found Chasing Stanley to be a disappointing book. The first few chapters leading up to Delilah and Jason getting together were fun, light-hearted, and amusing. Jason had hero potential- I loved that he was attracted to Delilah despite her being shy and always covered in dog hair. However, once they got together it was all downhill from there.
Neither Jason nor Delilah showed any character growth throughout the novel. Delilah is painfully awkward and shy, interacting better with dogs than people. Whenever she is in a social situation she ends up babbling and embarrassing herself. Neither of these are particularly horrible traits, except that she has no spine. Not only is she socially awkward, but she spends most of the book on the brink of tears about one thing or another. She’s overly vulnerable. She doesn’t have a lot of common sense. She runs out of parties the minute she thinks someone doesn’t like her. She’s been traumatized by her parents fighting and bickering, so it makes some sense that she’s hesitant about relationships, but she literally becomes a nervous wreck just thinking about her parents. The only character who is less mature than her is Jason.
Jason is essentially a little boy now living in the big city playing hockey. He’s impulsive about everything. He buys digital cameras before furnishing his apartment. He goes out to get drunk with his teammates and his brother. And he’s about a zero on the maturity scale. I had major issues about Delilah and his first major public outing. Jason wants to go have dinner with some of his teammates. Delilah was clear she didn’t want to go and that her social anxiety would probably cause some problems. They go, and she babbles. It wasn’t much of a shock, but at the same time it wasn’t a major deal. Yes, she embarrassed herself, but she didn’t say anything offensive or anything that should have embarrassed Jason. Jason, however, gets really angry about what happened. In the car ride home he starts lashing out that she needs to get help about her social anxiety problems at that she hasn’t been doing anything to fix it. Hello! Delilah clearly stated that she didn’t want to go, that it would be hard on her, then Jason pressures he into it and gets mad when it doesn’t go the way he wanted? I was so annoyed by the whole incident I had to put the book down for a while. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to bother to finish it.
Jason spends a lot of time in the book considering Delilah a liability, which makes me really doubt that they belong together. She’s a homebody, and he likes to go out and party the night away. A lot of couples can overcome this, except Jason wanted Delilah to start partying and Delilah wanted Jason to stay in more. They weren’t very good at compromising. For a few months, they take a break from dating and stay friends. They work way better this way, and even though they get back together at the end, their future as a couple appears doomed. I’m not sure what it says about Jason’s character that the moment he and Delilah break up he starts going to Victoria Secret fashion shows and clubbing with models- to “distract him from missing Delilah”. I had trouble seeing him as long-term relationship material. (Why were they together again?)
Jason’s twin brother Eric isn’t particularly likeable either. I know he has a book later on in the series, but I had trouble ever seeing him as a hero. He’s smooth and charming, but mostly uses that to cause trouble for everyone else. During the book Eric starts a fling with Delilah’s father’s fiancée, which isn’t resolved by the end of the book and feels like a loose plot thread.
Almost every other character was a two dimensional stereotype. You have the high strung Jewish mother. The gay best friend. The father with the midlife crisis, horrible fake tan, and blonde bimbo on his arm. The darling parents from Minnesota who love each other, live on a farm, and don’t worry what people think of them. The list goes on. There are several large group interactions which involve the team, coaches and past players. I could sort of guess which characters were in past book in the series, but consider how uninteresting they were, I doubt I’ll be reading their books. They were generally described as beautiful people with beautiful children who are beautifully happy. Yay.
I think the biggest problem with this book is that there is absolutely no tension. I’m not a sports person, but I really like hockey which is one reason I chose this book. But not even the hockey was interesting. There was no suspense built up. The descriptions of the games didn’t convey at all the adrenaline rush the players would be having. They won the Stanley Cup before I even realized they were in the finals. The sex was basically the same. There was no spark. It would have been better if those scenes were never included- they were so bland.
The only thing I really liked was Jason’s dog Stanley’s connection to everyone. He brings most of the humor to the book with his antics. He’s a very lovable dog and eventually becomes the team mascot. However not even a big lovable Newf could save this book. 2 out of 5 stars, and I doubt I’ll be reading anything else in the Blades series.
Neither Jason nor Delilah showed any character growth throughout the novel. Delilah is painfully awkward and shy, interacting better with dogs than people. Whenever she is in a social situation she ends up babbling and embarrassing herself. Neither of these are particularly horrible traits, except that she has no spine. Not only is she socially awkward, but she spends most of the book on the brink of tears about one thing or another. She’s overly vulnerable. She doesn’t have a lot of common sense. She runs out of parties the minute she thinks someone doesn’t like her. She’s been traumatized by her parents fighting and bickering, so it makes some sense that she’s hesitant about relationships, but she literally becomes a nervous wreck just thinking about her parents. The only character who is less mature than her is Jason.
Jason is essentially a little boy now living in the big city playing hockey. He’s impulsive about everything. He buys digital cameras before furnishing his apartment. He goes out to get drunk with his teammates and his brother. And he’s about a zero on the maturity scale. I had major issues about Delilah and his first major public outing. Jason wants to go have dinner with some of his teammates. Delilah was clear she didn’t want to go and that her social anxiety would probably cause some problems. They go, and she babbles. It wasn’t much of a shock, but at the same time it wasn’t a major deal. Yes, she embarrassed herself, but she didn’t say anything offensive or anything that should have embarrassed Jason. Jason, however, gets really angry about what happened. In the car ride home he starts lashing out that she needs to get help about her social anxiety problems at that she hasn’t been doing anything to fix it. Hello! Delilah clearly stated that she didn’t want to go, that it would be hard on her, then Jason pressures he into it and gets mad when it doesn’t go the way he wanted? I was so annoyed by the whole incident I had to put the book down for a while. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to bother to finish it.
Jason spends a lot of time in the book considering Delilah a liability, which makes me really doubt that they belong together. She’s a homebody, and he likes to go out and party the night away. A lot of couples can overcome this, except Jason wanted Delilah to start partying and Delilah wanted Jason to stay in more. They weren’t very good at compromising. For a few months, they take a break from dating and stay friends. They work way better this way, and even though they get back together at the end, their future as a couple appears doomed. I’m not sure what it says about Jason’s character that the moment he and Delilah break up he starts going to Victoria Secret fashion shows and clubbing with models- to “distract him from missing Delilah”. I had trouble seeing him as long-term relationship material. (Why were they together again?)
Jason’s twin brother Eric isn’t particularly likeable either. I know he has a book later on in the series, but I had trouble ever seeing him as a hero. He’s smooth and charming, but mostly uses that to cause trouble for everyone else. During the book Eric starts a fling with Delilah’s father’s fiancée, which isn’t resolved by the end of the book and feels like a loose plot thread.
Almost every other character was a two dimensional stereotype. You have the high strung Jewish mother. The gay best friend. The father with the midlife crisis, horrible fake tan, and blonde bimbo on his arm. The darling parents from Minnesota who love each other, live on a farm, and don’t worry what people think of them. The list goes on. There are several large group interactions which involve the team, coaches and past players. I could sort of guess which characters were in past book in the series, but consider how uninteresting they were, I doubt I’ll be reading their books. They were generally described as beautiful people with beautiful children who are beautifully happy. Yay.
I think the biggest problem with this book is that there is absolutely no tension. I’m not a sports person, but I really like hockey which is one reason I chose this book. But not even the hockey was interesting. There was no suspense built up. The descriptions of the games didn’t convey at all the adrenaline rush the players would be having. They won the Stanley Cup before I even realized they were in the finals. The sex was basically the same. There was no spark. It would have been better if those scenes were never included- they were so bland.
The only thing I really liked was Jason’s dog Stanley’s connection to everyone. He brings most of the humor to the book with his antics. He’s a very lovable dog and eventually becomes the team mascot. However not even a big lovable Newf could save this book. 2 out of 5 stars, and I doubt I’ll be reading anything else in the Blades series.
March 16, 2009
Rating: 3.5 / 5
This book started off really good for me. The first 150 or so pages were great, but as the book progressed I ended up getting annoyed with the heroine and finding something lacking in the relationship between Jason and Delilah. It wasn't that I got bored or anything, more that relationship stumbled while the rest of the storyline kept me reading.
Chasing Stanley is the sixth book in Deirdre Martin's light-hearted-romance Blades series about the fictional New York Blades hockey team. Jason Mitchell, a left winger, was just traded to his dream team, the Blades, and so moves to NYC with his huge Newfoundland dog, Stanley. Stan's been used to open space and doing as he pleases, but in NY, things aren't so easy. While at the park one day, Stan's misbehavior catches the eye of dog trainer/walker/boarder Delilah Gould.
Delilah is horrified at Stan's lack of training and takes Jason to task. Jason is amused by her spitfire attack. Soon, she is training Stan, walking him during games, and boarding during road trips. And she's finding her attraction to Jason isn't one sided. The two hit it off. It's not long before Jason realizes that the plucky Delilah he first met only comes out when there's an animal in need. The rest of the time, she is painfully shy, prone to babbling or blurting when in social situations. More than once her nervous habit has caused him embarrassment. Even worse is the fact that they discover they have little in common and have different ideas for fun. Neither is sure they can find a way to mesh their lives together.
I put off reading this book for quiet a while. I've read a couple of Martin's book and while they weren't bad, they sometimes tend to be a little too light and fluffy for me. I like books with a bit more meat on their bones. So I just didn't feel like reading this one. But I finally figured I needed to read it.
Overall, the book was good. Not something I loved or would want to read again, but enjoyable enough. Hey, any book with a big, goofy dog will get my attention. Stanley was definitely that. I liked reading about him. And it was sweet how Jason and Delilah bonded over pets.
Being a hockey fan, I also liked the sports aspect of the story. It's definitely fun when something I like in real life is incorporated into a book I read. I can't say how realistic Martin's portrayal of a player's life is, but for a fun, light, romance, it worked for me.
Where this book lacked, in my opinion, was with the character of Delilah and the relationship between Jason and Delilah. At first, I thought she was a very cool character, more average woman than you typically read about. Pretty, but not stunning, not a fashion plate, not afraid walk around with dog hair on her clothes, troubled by some nervous habits, etc. I just found it nice to read about someone more typical. But her social phobias got annoying. The woman had some serious neuroses. If I were Jason, I'd be afraid to take her anywhere because you never knew what would pop out of her mouth. It was a pretty big issue in their relationship and when the book ended, I didn't feel like it was resolved. There was just a small part where she said she was going to try and get help.
I also hated that by the end of the book, it seemed like Jason was shouldering all the blame for what went wrong between them. No, he wasn't perfect, but I didn't like how he was thinking how he shouldn't have done this or that or whatever. To me, Delilah was more to blame, but that's just me. I also thought she came off a bit selfish...I mean, Jason made an effort to understand her and her job, but Delilah put in almost no effort to understand his life. Not until the very end did she even bother to learn anything about hockey. That doesn't say much about a relationship, in my opinion.
And overall, I felt there was a bit of a lack of passion and chemistry between the two. They had almost nothing in comment except for the dog. I almost felt they were better friends than lovers. I even skipped a love scene or two because I just wasn't interested in reading them.
Basically, I found the story of the book more interesting than the romance and the character of Delilah. At least for the second half of the book. If the book had ended with Jason and Delilah being very good friends, I'm not sure I would have minded. Which says a lot.
This book started off really good for me. The first 150 or so pages were great, but as the book progressed I ended up getting annoyed with the heroine and finding something lacking in the relationship between Jason and Delilah. It wasn't that I got bored or anything, more that relationship stumbled while the rest of the storyline kept me reading.
Chasing Stanley is the sixth book in Deirdre Martin's light-hearted-romance Blades series about the fictional New York Blades hockey team. Jason Mitchell, a left winger, was just traded to his dream team, the Blades, and so moves to NYC with his huge Newfoundland dog, Stanley. Stan's been used to open space and doing as he pleases, but in NY, things aren't so easy. While at the park one day, Stan's misbehavior catches the eye of dog trainer/walker/boarder Delilah Gould.
Delilah is horrified at Stan's lack of training and takes Jason to task. Jason is amused by her spitfire attack. Soon, she is training Stan, walking him during games, and boarding during road trips. And she's finding her attraction to Jason isn't one sided. The two hit it off. It's not long before Jason realizes that the plucky Delilah he first met only comes out when there's an animal in need. The rest of the time, she is painfully shy, prone to babbling or blurting when in social situations. More than once her nervous habit has caused him embarrassment. Even worse is the fact that they discover they have little in common and have different ideas for fun. Neither is sure they can find a way to mesh their lives together.
I put off reading this book for quiet a while. I've read a couple of Martin's book and while they weren't bad, they sometimes tend to be a little too light and fluffy for me. I like books with a bit more meat on their bones. So I just didn't feel like reading this one. But I finally figured I needed to read it.
Overall, the book was good. Not something I loved or would want to read again, but enjoyable enough. Hey, any book with a big, goofy dog will get my attention. Stanley was definitely that. I liked reading about him. And it was sweet how Jason and Delilah bonded over pets.
Being a hockey fan, I also liked the sports aspect of the story. It's definitely fun when something I like in real life is incorporated into a book I read. I can't say how realistic Martin's portrayal of a player's life is, but for a fun, light, romance, it worked for me.
Where this book lacked, in my opinion, was with the character of Delilah and the relationship between Jason and Delilah. At first, I thought she was a very cool character, more average woman than you typically read about. Pretty, but not stunning, not a fashion plate, not afraid walk around with dog hair on her clothes, troubled by some nervous habits, etc. I just found it nice to read about someone more typical. But her social phobias got annoying. The woman had some serious neuroses. If I were Jason, I'd be afraid to take her anywhere because you never knew what would pop out of her mouth. It was a pretty big issue in their relationship and when the book ended, I didn't feel like it was resolved. There was just a small part where she said she was going to try and get help.
I also hated that by the end of the book, it seemed like Jason was shouldering all the blame for what went wrong between them. No, he wasn't perfect, but I didn't like how he was thinking how he shouldn't have done this or that or whatever. To me, Delilah was more to blame, but that's just me. I also thought she came off a bit selfish...I mean, Jason made an effort to understand her and her job, but Delilah put in almost no effort to understand his life. Not until the very end did she even bother to learn anything about hockey. That doesn't say much about a relationship, in my opinion.
And overall, I felt there was a bit of a lack of passion and chemistry between the two. They had almost nothing in comment except for the dog. I almost felt they were better friends than lovers. I even skipped a love scene or two because I just wasn't interested in reading them.
Basically, I found the story of the book more interesting than the romance and the character of Delilah. At least for the second half of the book. If the book had ended with Jason and Delilah being very good friends, I'm not sure I would have minded. Which says a lot.
December 19, 2007
I was so disappointed with this book. I usually love Deirdre Martin's books but this one wasn't her best. I'm not going to write a plot summary since so many on here already have. The character development in this book is awful. It's like they just wake up one day and change. You have to suspend so much about reality just to get through it. I felt that the secondary characters detracted from the main story instead of helping support it. I was just really disappointed that Ms. Martin didn't take her time and develop this story idea. I even got tired of the dog after a while. I don't read romance books to read about the dog's actions for pages and pages. I would skip this book and read the other books in the series.
July 19, 2020
2.5
Delilah Gould is a shy, introverted dog walker/trainer. The only time she's able to overcome that shyness is when she's defending a dog...and when she sees how badly trained hockey player, Jason Mitchell's Newfoundland is, she gives him what for. And he hires her to walk and train his poorly behaved dog. Jason is new to New York and enjoying the city life, but he's fascinated by Delilah...so much so that he starts working around to a romance with her. But Jason and Delilah are polar opposites when it comes to how to spend their free time - Jason loves to go out, go to parties and spend time with other people, while Delilah prefers quieter, less social activities and often can't go out at night because of boarding dogs. This comes to a head when Jason starts to see Delilah as a liability in social situations and the romance falls apart. He continues to see Delilah as she works with his dog and as time passes, he starts to see that the failure in the relationship was more about him, rather than her.
2.5 is being kinda generous here, but I identified hard with Delilah and loved that she stood her ground and refused to become someone else to please Jason. I also thought Stanley was adorable, but he kinda lost his personality towards the end of the book and became more of a prop. The reason I identified so hard with Delilah is because she is an introvert. According to the author, Delilah has social anxiety, but I saw more of an introvert in her than anything...she's not afraid to talk to people in small groups or one on one and she's perfectly comfortable in those interactions.
It's large groups of strangers that does it... I too am introverted and comfortable in social situations when I know people...but any large group (especially people I don't know) and I am uncomfortable and awkward - and it has nothing to do with anxiety. So, I didn't really see Delilah's "anxiety" as a problem because it didn't really interfere with her life...not until Jason. But Jason sees how uncomfortable Delilah is and instead of trying to make her more comfortable or ease things, he gets embarrassed and tells her she needs to get help. Mostly, I hated Jason. He's immature, he's irresponsible and he's insensitive to the fact that a woman shouldn't have to change for him...she shouldn't even have to go get the help she supposedly needs for him. So, even though it was kind of sad, when they broke up, I was happy...but her reasons. She breaks up with him because she wasn't making him happy. How about, he isn't making her happy? Why is it her responsibility to make HIM happy? So the two become "friends" and Jason goes about his partying ways. I assume he was celibate since it isn't mentioned otherwise, but I kinda doubt it. It just doesn't seem in character for him to think about someone else like that. I suppose the ending was okay - Jason realizes he shouldn't have tried to change Delilah (although she admits she's getting help for her social anxiety) and next thing you know she's quite comfortable hanging out with his team and the WAGS. It just seemed like it wasn't enough - he wasn't contrite enough or miserable enough without her and he never really stopped to think about what he could do to support her in social situations. So meh.
Delilah Gould is a shy, introverted dog walker/trainer. The only time she's able to overcome that shyness is when she's defending a dog...and when she sees how badly trained hockey player, Jason Mitchell's Newfoundland is, she gives him what for. And he hires her to walk and train his poorly behaved dog. Jason is new to New York and enjoying the city life, but he's fascinated by Delilah...so much so that he starts working around to a romance with her. But Jason and Delilah are polar opposites when it comes to how to spend their free time - Jason loves to go out, go to parties and spend time with other people, while Delilah prefers quieter, less social activities and often can't go out at night because of boarding dogs. This comes to a head when Jason starts to see Delilah as a liability in social situations and the romance falls apart. He continues to see Delilah as she works with his dog and as time passes, he starts to see that the failure in the relationship was more about him, rather than her.
2.5 is being kinda generous here, but I identified hard with Delilah and loved that she stood her ground and refused to become someone else to please Jason. I also thought Stanley was adorable, but he kinda lost his personality towards the end of the book and became more of a prop. The reason I identified so hard with Delilah is because she is an introvert. According to the author, Delilah has social anxiety, but I saw more of an introvert in her than anything...she's not afraid to talk to people in small groups or one on one and she's perfectly comfortable in those interactions.
It's large groups of strangers that does it... I too am introverted and comfortable in social situations when I know people...but any large group (especially people I don't know) and I am uncomfortable and awkward - and it has nothing to do with anxiety. So, I didn't really see Delilah's "anxiety" as a problem because it didn't really interfere with her life...not until Jason. But Jason sees how uncomfortable Delilah is and instead of trying to make her more comfortable or ease things, he gets embarrassed and tells her she needs to get help. Mostly, I hated Jason. He's immature, he's irresponsible and he's insensitive to the fact that a woman shouldn't have to change for him...she shouldn't even have to go get the help she supposedly needs for him. So, even though it was kind of sad, when they broke up, I was happy...but her reasons. She breaks up with him because she wasn't making him happy. How about, he isn't making her happy? Why is it her responsibility to make HIM happy? So the two become "friends" and Jason goes about his partying ways. I assume he was celibate since it isn't mentioned otherwise, but I kinda doubt it. It just doesn't seem in character for him to think about someone else like that. I suppose the ending was okay - Jason realizes he shouldn't have tried to change Delilah (although she admits she's getting help for her social anxiety) and next thing you know she's quite comfortable hanging out with his team and the WAGS. It just seemed like it wasn't enough - he wasn't contrite enough or miserable enough without her and he never really stopped to think about what he could do to support her in social situations. So meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2017
Le doy un 2,5 porque no llega al 3. Un aprobado raspado. Para mi gusto es el más flojo de los Blades. Los personajes no me inspiran mucho, él me parece un memo y ella una pazguata.
December 31, 2022
2.5 stars ✨
April 2, 2017
este libro lo tenia pendiente desde hace cinco años por lo menos,y la verdad es que me ha gustado mucho. Con una prota muy sencilla y una trama simple me ha atrapado y ha hecho que suelte unas cuantas lagrimitas
8.5/10
8.5/10
November 8, 2008
Too cute!!
July 28, 2010
i was inneed of a good sport book and i read some of the other Blades books so i had high hopes for this one but it was lacking when it came to the plot.
March 8, 2021
I got this book because I am a fan of hockey and thought it would be a nice fun read. I will start by saying I did not realize that this was part of a series when I started the book, it would appear they can be read as stand alone books since the characters from previous books don't have a ton to do with the story except to introduce them at the end of the book. As for the book, I thought it started out really great. The meeting between Jason and Delilah was cute, and they seemed to enjoy each other initially. Mostly it was spending time with Stan the dog, but I liked that Jason didn't seem to be turned off by her job, her lack of style, and seemed to really like her as a person. All that changed after the first time they went out with friends and he talked about it being a disaster and seemed disappointed with her. I personally would have walked away from that relationship right then. I thought she was pretty upfront about being socially awkward and warned him how uncomfortable she would be. He insisted and she agreed to go and then he pretty much did nothing to help her feel comfortable. I think at this point this is why I didn't keep reading right away and it took me a few days to finish this book. I had to force myself to keep reading, and it seemed like the more time they spent together and he got upset because she was awkward around his friends or that she kept giving excuses about her dogs being why she couldn't do anything the less I wanted to read. And then all of a sudden they are in love. I just didn't see it and I didn't feel it. All the side drama of the brother being hot and cold about Delilah bugged me. The drama with her parents and the young girlfriend, and then the teammate drama dealing with antisemitism. I think what bugged me the most is that Jason was waiting for Denny to talk bad about Delilah or tease about her because she was shy and he would have been ok with that and maybe even rethought his relationship with her, but instead he talked about her being Jewish and all of a sudden that was too much. If he loves her enough to want a relationship with her then all the other members on that teams opinions shouldn't have mattered. At the end, I thought they both walked back into a relationship way too easily, almost like her parents, and I would bet they would not last. That isn't the image that you want to feel when you finish reading a romance novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2018
Kinda average for me. I liked it more than just 2 stars, but at the same time... So think of it as 2.5 rounded up.
First, I never really felt the romance between the H and h. It just felt... empty? Never really felt like he (especially) was appreciating her for her, certainly not as much as he said he was appreciating her. You can't fall in love with an introvert and expect them to be themselves in crowds and clubs 100% of the time.
And their personal growth, especially Delilah's, really just came kinda suddenly at the very end, just "oh, now I'm going to deal with this." I'm all for shy and reclusive heroines with self image issues (find them very easy to relate to), but she seemed to want to stay that way, until the very end. Didn't really feel like they grew up much during the book.
And a little thing, but she was so concerned about Stanley, but where was all her consideration about her OWN 3 dogs? Everything was "you and me and Stanley." Felt off a little, like the author introduced them to make a point about Delilah's personality, then kinda forgot about them.
So, an enjoyable read, but not a great one. I'll read others in the series if I come across them, but don't think I'll search them out either (though am curious about who brings Eric to heel!*)
*yes, dog pun intended :)
First, I never really felt the romance between the H and h. It just felt... empty? Never really felt like he (especially) was appreciating her for her, certainly not as much as he said he was appreciating her. You can't fall in love with an introvert and expect them to be themselves in crowds and clubs 100% of the time.
And their personal growth, especially Delilah's, really just came kinda suddenly at the very end, just "oh, now I'm going to deal with this." I'm all for shy and reclusive heroines with self image issues (find them very easy to relate to), but she seemed to want to stay that way, until the very end. Didn't really feel like they grew up much during the book.
And a little thing, but she was so concerned about Stanley, but where was all her consideration about her OWN 3 dogs? Everything was "you and me and Stanley." Felt off a little, like the author introduced them to make a point about Delilah's personality, then kinda forgot about them.
So, an enjoyable read, but not a great one. I'll read others in the series if I come across them, but don't think I'll search them out either (though am curious about who brings Eric to heel!*)
*yes, dog pun intended :)
August 2, 2021
Now I think if I had read this back when it was published (mid 2000s) I would have liked it, however it has not stood the test of time. As someone currently dealing with anxiety, the way anxiety was dealt with in this book (ie. “get over it” and “push yourself to be better”) horrified me and genuinely made me feel more anxious IRL.
Our heroine owns her own business training, walking and boarding dogs and one day she meets a Newfoundland dog who she falls instantly for- and his hockey player owner (more slowly). She offers some much needed training and soon she and the hockey player can’t keep their hands off each other.
I totally felt for the introverted heroine with severe social anxiety and I wish that the hero could have been more understanding instead of continually putting her in situations she couldn’t deal with and trying to “push” her past her anxiety (anxiety doesn’t work like that). Half way through the book I honestly thought they were in a totally toxic relationship that should never be together. (And unfortunately the end didn’t make me change my mind either).
Our heroine owns her own business training, walking and boarding dogs and one day she meets a Newfoundland dog who she falls instantly for- and his hockey player owner (more slowly). She offers some much needed training and soon she and the hockey player can’t keep their hands off each other.
I totally felt for the introverted heroine with severe social anxiety and I wish that the hero could have been more understanding instead of continually putting her in situations she couldn’t deal with and trying to “push” her past her anxiety (anxiety doesn’t work like that). Half way through the book I honestly thought they were in a totally toxic relationship that should never be together. (And unfortunately the end didn’t make me change my mind either).
August 7, 2024
I’ve read several other books in this series, but this was my least favorite of the bunch. I just don’t like Jason as a character. He bullied Delilah into so much stuff and treated her like something was wrong with her because she’d rather stay home than go out all the time. Didn’t like that he also didn’t respect her business and was constantly trying to get to her to bum her professional responsibilities on other people so they could go out and do stuff——stuff she didn’t want to do in the first place. Also, didn’t like the “brotherly” dynamic between Eric and Jason. The redeeming aspect of this book is Jason and Eric’s mom; she’s a gem! I liked Delilah, too, but at first, I wasn’t sure whether her social anxiety and stuff came from the trauma from her parents’ relationship or whether she may have been autistic. After finishing the book, I think the author intended the former, but it reminded me of several autistic people I know. So I liked that inadvertent representation, even if it wasn’t intended.
May 4, 2010
I try really hard not to post really negative reviews. But I had to say something about this book. And I'm not really quite sure what to say about it. Except this. I really wanted to like this book. I really did. I loved Martin's first book. I liked her second book. I reluctantly liked The Penalty Box. But I don't know why I continue to read books about Jewish heroines. It's like I'm on a continuous quest to find a book that doesn't totally stereotype either the heroine or her family. Yet at the same time, something keeps me reading. And I apologize in advance for the rant that is sure to come, because I try hard not to make my reviews a forum for my own personal views. So, having said all that...
Delilah Gould is a painfully shy dog trainer who meets and falls in love with Jason Mitchell, one of those hunky hockey players that Martin is so fond of writing. Jason hires her to train his Newf, who is himself a supporting character. Along the way, we meet Jason's over-confident twin (also a hockey player), Delilah's gay best friend (didn't we see this in the last book?), both families, and a host of teammates and old couples from past books.
What I liked: I liked that Jason wasn't your typical stuck-up athlete. He seemed very down-to-earth, and very sweet. He did have a few (ok, several) dumb jock moments, but that is to be expected when reading a book about, well... jocks. I loved that he beat the crap out of his teammate for calling Delilah a derogatory name. He stood up for her not just out of principle, but because he honestly couldn't believe what came out of his teammate's mouth.
Martin did try very hard not to make Delilah into your stereotypical Jewish heroine. She wasn't a JAP, but she did have very stereotypical parents. Why can't there just be normal Jewish families out there?
What I didn't like: I practically peed in my pants and keeled over when I read the word "kike" in this book. One of Jason's teammates is an anti-Semite, and called Jason a Kike-lover, as well as spouting every other stereotype in the book. I wonder if Martin realizes that were this a book about African-Americans, she couldn't have gotten away with calling the hero an "N"-lover. Her editor would have drawn the line. To Jews, the "K" word is the same thing. So why is this ok? I almost put the book down right there, but I wanted to see how she resolved the situation.
Sorry to say, Delilah never once stood up for herself with Denny (the teammate). She let Jason do it for her, even when he was rude to her face. It's a difficult situation to be in, but man oh man, she was a doormat. I don't know what else I can say about this, except I'm still utterly floored at the chutzpah displayed by both Martin and Berkley in publishing the racial slur in this book.
Now on to the families. Why are Jewish families so stereotyped? Delilah's family was totally dysfunctional. Her parents were divorced, always yelling at each other. Her mother picked at her, and she was "daddy's little girl". Mom was always concerned with makeup and obsessed with Delilah's weight and appearance. oh, and "Do you have a boyfriend?" Dad is the local TV "Mattress King," complete with the bad toupee and the 20-something girlfriend. Even their names - Mitzi and Sy? Oy. Jason's parents, on the other hand, were loving, normal folks who showed Delilah what a normal functional family should feel like. They embraced her into the family fold, never once seeming to care that their son was dating a girl who would likely raise their grandchildren Jewish. Let me tell you, people, as one who has lived that situation... it matters. (Although Martin did give them laughable names, too, I must admit - Dick and Jane. But she had them acknowledge the silliness of their names right off the bat, of course.) And Jason, of course, was totally thrown by Delilah's family. Freaked out and felt totally sorry for her.
So as I got angrier and angrier about this stereotyping, I began to think about it a bit more. My own hubby felt a bit overwhelmed when he met my family. Jewish families do tend to be a bit... louder?... than other families. And compared to mine, Bob's family is totally laid back and seemingly "normal". So is stereotyping ok? No. Or is it over the top? Yes. I certainly haven't met any Jewish families as crazy freaky as any that I've read about in a romance novel. Yet, I know why she wrote this NY Jewish family the way she did.
I can't give this book a thumbs up. Yet I kept reading. Like watching a train wreck, I had to see what would happen next. Martin's book is no worse than any other book with a Jewish heroine (the K word notwithstanding). I guess I just read it at a time when I was ripe to jump on this topic. Jews are not a freak side show, people (authors, editors, publishers). In fact, they even came first - remember?
So, here's my challenge to all you authors out there. Please... somebody write a book about a H/H who just happen to be Jewish, just like in most novels they happen to not be Jewish. No stereotypes, no loud, obnoxious parents, no dysfunctional Uncle Arthurs or Aunt Selmas. Just normal people falling in love, who go to temple on Friday night instead of church on Sunday morning. Why is that so flipping difficult?
NB: This is in no way meant to start a discussion on racial stereotyping in books or race at all. It is simply my own opinion.
Delilah Gould is a painfully shy dog trainer who meets and falls in love with Jason Mitchell, one of those hunky hockey players that Martin is so fond of writing. Jason hires her to train his Newf, who is himself a supporting character. Along the way, we meet Jason's over-confident twin (also a hockey player), Delilah's gay best friend (didn't we see this in the last book?), both families, and a host of teammates and old couples from past books.
What I liked: I liked that Jason wasn't your typical stuck-up athlete. He seemed very down-to-earth, and very sweet. He did have a few (ok, several) dumb jock moments, but that is to be expected when reading a book about, well... jocks. I loved that he beat the crap out of his teammate for calling Delilah a derogatory name. He stood up for her not just out of principle, but because he honestly couldn't believe what came out of his teammate's mouth.
Martin did try very hard not to make Delilah into your stereotypical Jewish heroine. She wasn't a JAP, but she did have very stereotypical parents. Why can't there just be normal Jewish families out there?
What I didn't like: I practically peed in my pants and keeled over when I read the word "kike" in this book. One of Jason's teammates is an anti-Semite, and called Jason a Kike-lover, as well as spouting every other stereotype in the book. I wonder if Martin realizes that were this a book about African-Americans, she couldn't have gotten away with calling the hero an "N"-lover. Her editor would have drawn the line. To Jews, the "K" word is the same thing. So why is this ok? I almost put the book down right there, but I wanted to see how she resolved the situation.
Sorry to say, Delilah never once stood up for herself with Denny (the teammate). She let Jason do it for her, even when he was rude to her face. It's a difficult situation to be in, but man oh man, she was a doormat. I don't know what else I can say about this, except I'm still utterly floored at the chutzpah displayed by both Martin and Berkley in publishing the racial slur in this book.
Now on to the families. Why are Jewish families so stereotyped? Delilah's family was totally dysfunctional. Her parents were divorced, always yelling at each other. Her mother picked at her, and she was "daddy's little girl". Mom was always concerned with makeup and obsessed with Delilah's weight and appearance. oh, and "Do you have a boyfriend?" Dad is the local TV "Mattress King," complete with the bad toupee and the 20-something girlfriend. Even their names - Mitzi and Sy? Oy. Jason's parents, on the other hand, were loving, normal folks who showed Delilah what a normal functional family should feel like. They embraced her into the family fold, never once seeming to care that their son was dating a girl who would likely raise their grandchildren Jewish. Let me tell you, people, as one who has lived that situation... it matters. (Although Martin did give them laughable names, too, I must admit - Dick and Jane. But she had them acknowledge the silliness of their names right off the bat, of course.) And Jason, of course, was totally thrown by Delilah's family. Freaked out and felt totally sorry for her.
So as I got angrier and angrier about this stereotyping, I began to think about it a bit more. My own hubby felt a bit overwhelmed when he met my family. Jewish families do tend to be a bit... louder?... than other families. And compared to mine, Bob's family is totally laid back and seemingly "normal". So is stereotyping ok? No. Or is it over the top? Yes. I certainly haven't met any Jewish families as crazy freaky as any that I've read about in a romance novel. Yet, I know why she wrote this NY Jewish family the way she did.
I can't give this book a thumbs up. Yet I kept reading. Like watching a train wreck, I had to see what would happen next. Martin's book is no worse than any other book with a Jewish heroine (the K word notwithstanding). I guess I just read it at a time when I was ripe to jump on this topic. Jews are not a freak side show, people (authors, editors, publishers). In fact, they even came first - remember?
So, here's my challenge to all you authors out there. Please... somebody write a book about a H/H who just happen to be Jewish, just like in most novels they happen to not be Jewish. No stereotypes, no loud, obnoxious parents, no dysfunctional Uncle Arthurs or Aunt Selmas. Just normal people falling in love, who go to temple on Friday night instead of church on Sunday morning. Why is that so flipping difficult?
NB: This is in no way meant to start a discussion on racial stereotyping in books or race at all. It is simply my own opinion.
December 28, 2019
I had been wanting to read this book for a long time but it didn’t meet my expectations. The hero seemed a jerk about the heroine’s shyness even though he already knew about it when he met her. The characters just seemed too different and I don’t know why they were bothering to make this relationship work.
August 2, 2022
I have nothing against hockey romances, and have read a few in my day. This one just didn't do it for me.
The relationship between opposites didn't convince me. Her family was too awful and his was too perfect.
I am going to give one of her other books a try, because while this one was not for me, her writing style was good.
The relationship between opposites didn't convince me. Her family was too awful and his was too perfect.
I am going to give one of her other books a try, because while this one was not for me, her writing style was good.
March 4, 2017
I enjoy this series of stories of love, family and friends centered around hockey.
September 4, 2017
She's back!
Liked book 1, loved book 2...very disappointed in 3 and 4-but 5 was great! Very creative and funny story. Real characters and a beautiful story!!!!!
Liked book 1, loved book 2...very disappointed in 3 and 4-but 5 was great! Very creative and funny story. Real characters and a beautiful story!!!!!
January 3, 2018
OMG too funny and cute and a great story.
April 1, 2012
3/5 (C)
Review: I have to say I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I liked how this book was different than other sport romance - as in, Jason is not your typical mature, playboy professional sportman. Also, it seems that the focus was more on Delilah's problems than Jason's. However, I have to say the romance was bleh and there was very little chemistry between Jason and Delilah... So even if the settings were refreshing, it couldn't save the book with the love story offered.
The Characters - Let's start with Jason. As I said, he's not the typical hockeyplayer you normally see in sport romance. Yes, he's good-looking and he's probably had his shares of women, but he is not portrayed as a playboy. He doesn't act as if all the women throw themselves at him and he knows it. Instead, he's pretty normal when it comes to women... So that was the refreshing part. Also, his love and devotion to Stanley was endearing... he's definitively not conceited and arrogant like many. I liked his relationship with his twin brother Eric, who is older by 3 minutes and has already won a Stanley Cup with his New Jersey team. You can see a definitive rivalry between the two brothers, which is understandable because not only they're twins, but they've gone into the same business. My problem with Jason was his lack of maturity. I guess he's still young and sometimes, it really shows... so much that I wouldn't consider him "manly" or "alpha." Actually, in some occasions, he reminds me of a boy... Also, he's too concern with what other thinks - and this had jeopardized his relationship with Delilah a couple of time. Lastly, he did a couple of things that were totally unacceptable...
What to say about Delilah... She's not a heroine many will bond with, in my opinion. She has her shares of problems, especially self-esteem, due to her parents always quarelling. During her childhood, she seeks refuge with her dogs, training them and had turned this into a business at which she's very successful. In addition to training dogs, she also boards them. She has a good sense of responsibilities; however, she's completely socially inept. The latter being a big problem when you go out with someone who's high profile. As a whole, she left me cold... I definitively didn't bond with her...
The biggest problem of this book was probably the fact that Jason and Delilah didn't have any chemistry between them. Yes, opposite attracts each other and of course, they have some sweet moments together, but it's not enough to build a lasting relationship. I mean, they both acknowledged the fact that they weren't good together, but when apart, they missed each other. In normal circumstances, i would be happy the main couple got back together... but I just can't imagine it working out...
Other characters includes Jason's brother, Eric, his teammates, Delilah's parents and some others... nobody was really important, save Eric. Eric is more the typical sport professional you read about in sport romance... My problem with him was that he went after Delilah's father's fiancé. Yeah, so Delilah's father and his fiancé weren't the perfect match and actually, shouldn't have ever hooked up... but it's not an excuse to develop a relationship with her... talk about an awkward situation for Delilah... Oh, of course, there was also Stanley :) Liked him :D
Story & Writing - The writing was all right... the problem was more with the story. This book was more about the characters than the story, which is okay if it's well-written... but in this case, it left a lot of blanks for the author to fill with subplot which weren't really relevant to the development of Jason and Delilah's relationship. Also, in the end, I couldn't see that much change in Delilah...
The Cover - it's a cute cover :D and it fits the book :D
Am I keeping this book? Not sure... probably because I keep almost everything. However, i'm pretty sure that in a couple of years, I'll be able to part with it to make place for new books.
Review: I have to say I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I liked how this book was different than other sport romance - as in, Jason is not your typical mature, playboy professional sportman. Also, it seems that the focus was more on Delilah's problems than Jason's. However, I have to say the romance was bleh and there was very little chemistry between Jason and Delilah... So even if the settings were refreshing, it couldn't save the book with the love story offered.
The Characters - Let's start with Jason. As I said, he's not the typical hockeyplayer you normally see in sport romance. Yes, he's good-looking and he's probably had his shares of women, but he is not portrayed as a playboy. He doesn't act as if all the women throw themselves at him and he knows it. Instead, he's pretty normal when it comes to women... So that was the refreshing part. Also, his love and devotion to Stanley was endearing... he's definitively not conceited and arrogant like many. I liked his relationship with his twin brother Eric, who is older by 3 minutes and has already won a Stanley Cup with his New Jersey team. You can see a definitive rivalry between the two brothers, which is understandable because not only they're twins, but they've gone into the same business. My problem with Jason was his lack of maturity. I guess he's still young and sometimes, it really shows... so much that I wouldn't consider him "manly" or "alpha." Actually, in some occasions, he reminds me of a boy... Also, he's too concern with what other thinks - and this had jeopardized his relationship with Delilah a couple of time. Lastly, he did a couple of things that were totally unacceptable...
What to say about Delilah... She's not a heroine many will bond with, in my opinion. She has her shares of problems, especially self-esteem, due to her parents always quarelling. During her childhood, she seeks refuge with her dogs, training them and had turned this into a business at which she's very successful. In addition to training dogs, she also boards them. She has a good sense of responsibilities; however, she's completely socially inept. The latter being a big problem when you go out with someone who's high profile. As a whole, she left me cold... I definitively didn't bond with her...
The biggest problem of this book was probably the fact that Jason and Delilah didn't have any chemistry between them. Yes, opposite attracts each other and of course, they have some sweet moments together, but it's not enough to build a lasting relationship. I mean, they both acknowledged the fact that they weren't good together, but when apart, they missed each other. In normal circumstances, i would be happy the main couple got back together... but I just can't imagine it working out...
Other characters includes Jason's brother, Eric, his teammates, Delilah's parents and some others... nobody was really important, save Eric. Eric is more the typical sport professional you read about in sport romance... My problem with him was that he went after Delilah's father's fiancé. Yeah, so Delilah's father and his fiancé weren't the perfect match and actually, shouldn't have ever hooked up... but it's not an excuse to develop a relationship with her... talk about an awkward situation for Delilah... Oh, of course, there was also Stanley :) Liked him :D
Story & Writing - The writing was all right... the problem was more with the story. This book was more about the characters than the story, which is okay if it's well-written... but in this case, it left a lot of blanks for the author to fill with subplot which weren't really relevant to the development of Jason and Delilah's relationship. Also, in the end, I couldn't see that much change in Delilah...
The Cover - it's a cute cover :D and it fits the book :D
Am I keeping this book? Not sure... probably because I keep almost everything. However, i'm pretty sure that in a couple of years, I'll be able to part with it to make place for new books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2012
This is one that didn't get great reviews on GR, but I kind of liked it! Better than the third book in the series, for sure! Maybe Stanley - the adorable Newf made it for me! LOL! Anyway - I think this series is predictable and the recipe is the same for each book, but sometimes that's ok, right?
Poor Delilah is such a mess - and I really feel badly for her anxiety, which is clearly caused by her obnoxious parents. And Jason - oh Jason - I was really worried there for a bit! It was clear that he liked her, but was planning on living it up in the city. But he seemed like a sincere and loving guy, so I knew there would be hope for him....his man-whore of a bother however, not so sure what's going to happen to him!! I think he's the next story....hope he can redeem himself in my eyes! LOL!
Cute story!
Some funny moments:
"Do you know if there's a dog run or anything around here?"
Eric scratched his arm. "No idea."
"How long have you been living here?"
Eric looked at him. "Three years. But you may have noticed I don't have a dog. I'm not needy like you."
Jason gave Eric the finger.
"Let's say for the sake of argument he does like you. Are you going to do anything about it? If he asked you out would you accept?"
Delilah hesitated. "I don't know."
Marcus put the kettle on the stove. "Then why are we even having this conversation?"
"You're right," Delilah pulled up a kitchen chair. "I did take a closer look at him this time," She admitted. "He IS attractive. And nice. And he REALLY loves his dog."
"But."
"But I can't - I don't - he-"
"You'd feel more comfortable if he had four legs rather than two."
"Yes."
"I guess you could say it was my destiny."
Jason laughed appreciatively. "I hear you. there's only one thing I've ever wanted to do in my life, and that's play hockey. I guess that gives us something in common."
"Yes." Delilah managed. Thoughts were breaking up into fragments, making it hard to know what to say next. Ask about work-play-girlfriend-family-home-dog? See Spot run. See Delilah speak. See Delilah try not to sound like a moron.
"Look, I realize I came on pretty strong last night. If you don't want to, you know, that's fine with me. We can just kiss and cuddle and stuff."
"But we have to have sex!" Delilah blurted. "I bought special underwear!"
God, I'm an idiot. Delilah cast her head down, wishing she were in a Godzilla film. that way, the monster could appear out of nowhere RIGHT NOW and crush her flat.
"I wish Eric would meet someone nice like you."
Maybe he could if he stopped trying to bang other peoples fiancees, thought Delilah. She wondered if Mrs. Mitchell was aware of what a horndog her handsome, blue-eyed son was. Probably not.
Poor Delilah is such a mess - and I really feel badly for her anxiety, which is clearly caused by her obnoxious parents. And Jason - oh Jason - I was really worried there for a bit! It was clear that he liked her, but was planning on living it up in the city. But he seemed like a sincere and loving guy, so I knew there would be hope for him....his man-whore of a bother however, not so sure what's going to happen to him!! I think he's the next story....hope he can redeem himself in my eyes! LOL!
Cute story!
Some funny moments:
"Do you know if there's a dog run or anything around here?"
Eric scratched his arm. "No idea."
"How long have you been living here?"
Eric looked at him. "Three years. But you may have noticed I don't have a dog. I'm not needy like you."
Jason gave Eric the finger.
"Let's say for the sake of argument he does like you. Are you going to do anything about it? If he asked you out would you accept?"
Delilah hesitated. "I don't know."
Marcus put the kettle on the stove. "Then why are we even having this conversation?"
"You're right," Delilah pulled up a kitchen chair. "I did take a closer look at him this time," She admitted. "He IS attractive. And nice. And he REALLY loves his dog."
"But."
"But I can't - I don't - he-"
"You'd feel more comfortable if he had four legs rather than two."
"Yes."
"I guess you could say it was my destiny."
Jason laughed appreciatively. "I hear you. there's only one thing I've ever wanted to do in my life, and that's play hockey. I guess that gives us something in common."
"Yes." Delilah managed. Thoughts were breaking up into fragments, making it hard to know what to say next. Ask about work-play-girlfriend-family-home-dog? See Spot run. See Delilah speak. See Delilah try not to sound like a moron.
"Look, I realize I came on pretty strong last night. If you don't want to, you know, that's fine with me. We can just kiss and cuddle and stuff."
"But we have to have sex!" Delilah blurted. "I bought special underwear!"
God, I'm an idiot. Delilah cast her head down, wishing she were in a Godzilla film. that way, the monster could appear out of nowhere RIGHT NOW and crush her flat.
"I wish Eric would meet someone nice like you."
Maybe he could if he stopped trying to bang other peoples fiancees, thought Delilah. She wondered if Mrs. Mitchell was aware of what a horndog her handsome, blue-eyed son was. Probably not.
March 26, 2012
This is one that didn't get great reviews on GR, but I kind of liked it! Better than the third book in the series, for sure! Maybe Stanley - the adorable Newf made it for me! LOL! Anyway - I think this series is predictable and the recipe is the same for each book, but sometimes that's ok, right?
Poor Delilah is such a mess - and I really feel badly for her anxiety, which is clearly caused by her obnoxious parents. And Jason - oh Jason - I was really worried there for a bit! It was clear that he liked her, but was planning on living it up in the city. But he seemed like a sincere and loving guy, so I knew there would be hope for him....his man-whore of a bother however, not so sure what's going to happen to him!! I think he's the next story....hope he can redeem himself in my eyes! LOL!
Cute story!
Some funny moments:
"Do you know if there's a dog run or anything around here?"
Eric scratched his arm. "No idea."
"How long have you been living here?"
Eric looked at him. "Three years. But you may have noticed I don't have a dog. I'm not needy like you."
Jason gave Eric the finger.
"Let's say for the sake of argument he does like you. Are you going to do anything about it? If he asked you out would you accept?"
Delilah hesitated. "I don't know."
Marcus put the kettle on the stove. "Then why are we even having this conversation?"
"You're right," Delilah pulled up a kitchen chair. "I did take a closer look at him this time," She admitted. "He IS attractive. And nice. And he REALLY loves his dog."
"But."
"But I can't - I don't - he-"
"You'd feel more comfortable if he had four legs rather than two."
"Yes."
"I guess you could say it was my destiny."
Jason laughed appreciatively. "I hear you. there's only one thing I've ever wanted to do in my life, and that's play hockey. I guess that gives us something in common."
"Yes." Delilah managed. Thoughts were breaking up into fragments, making it hard to know what to say next. Ask about work-play-girlfriend-family-home-dog? See Spot run. See Delilah speak. See Delilah try not to sound like a moron.
"Look, I realize I came on pretty strong last night. If you don't want to, you know, that's fine with me. We can just kiss and cuddle and stuff."
"But we have to have sex!" Delilah blurted. "I bought special underwear!"
God, I'm an idiot. Delilah cast her head down, wishing she were in a Godzilla film. that way, the monster could appear out of nowhere RIGHT NOW and crush her flat.
"I wish Eric would meet someone nice like you."
Maybe he could if he stopped trying to bang other peoples fiancees, thought Delilah. She wondered if Mrs. Mitchell was aware of what a horndog her handsome, blue-eyed son was. Probably not.
Poor Delilah is such a mess - and I really feel badly for her anxiety, which is clearly caused by her obnoxious parents. And Jason - oh Jason - I was really worried there for a bit! It was clear that he liked her, but was planning on living it up in the city. But he seemed like a sincere and loving guy, so I knew there would be hope for him....his man-whore of a bother however, not so sure what's going to happen to him!! I think he's the next story....hope he can redeem himself in my eyes! LOL!
Cute story!
Some funny moments:
"Do you know if there's a dog run or anything around here?"
Eric scratched his arm. "No idea."
"How long have you been living here?"
Eric looked at him. "Three years. But you may have noticed I don't have a dog. I'm not needy like you."
Jason gave Eric the finger.
"Let's say for the sake of argument he does like you. Are you going to do anything about it? If he asked you out would you accept?"
Delilah hesitated. "I don't know."
Marcus put the kettle on the stove. "Then why are we even having this conversation?"
"You're right," Delilah pulled up a kitchen chair. "I did take a closer look at him this time," She admitted. "He IS attractive. And nice. And he REALLY loves his dog."
"But."
"But I can't - I don't - he-"
"You'd feel more comfortable if he had four legs rather than two."
"Yes."
"I guess you could say it was my destiny."
Jason laughed appreciatively. "I hear you. there's only one thing I've ever wanted to do in my life, and that's play hockey. I guess that gives us something in common."
"Yes." Delilah managed. Thoughts were breaking up into fragments, making it hard to know what to say next. Ask about work-play-girlfriend-family-home-dog? See Spot run. See Delilah speak. See Delilah try not to sound like a moron.
"Look, I realize I came on pretty strong last night. If you don't want to, you know, that's fine with me. We can just kiss and cuddle and stuff."
"But we have to have sex!" Delilah blurted. "I bought special underwear!"
God, I'm an idiot. Delilah cast her head down, wishing she were in a Godzilla film. that way, the monster could appear out of nowhere RIGHT NOW and crush her flat.
"I wish Eric would meet someone nice like you."
Maybe he could if he stopped trying to bang other peoples fiancees, thought Delilah. She wondered if Mrs. Mitchell was aware of what a horndog her handsome, blue-eyed son was. Probably not.
February 25, 2017
This started out so funny and promising, but I had to force myself to finish it. The titular dog was cute and funny (Newfie!), and the heroine was sympathetic and adorkable, but the hero was a TOTAL JERK. So irresponsible and unprofessional, stays out late drinking all the time even when he has a game the next day, and he and his friends use homophobic/misogynistic terminology to insult each other. Comes across really poorly in 2017.
August 11, 2013
I think I liked this one more than recent ones, because it actually brought some of the originals and gave them more than just a passing mention (the exception being Kevin Gill, but poor Kevin has been shut out since early in the series).
I couldn't really connect with Delilah due to her extreme awkwardness. (I had no problem with the Jewishness which was a supposed to be part of the drama. I grew up on the East coast and also in LA. Heck, I understand the Jewish culture more than I do farm culture (which I lived in Colorado for 16 years hence that particular comment)) I myself have a tendency to babble, but seriously she just annoyed me.
I think also what I couldn't get past was the fanny pack. I'm sorry, what is this the 80's and 90's? I know, I know. She's a dog walker. Can't really go digging in a purse, but still there are other dog walking friendly options other than a FANNY PACK!
I really liked Jason.
Eric took a long time to warm up to. And then with him
Marcus, I didn't connect for a long time that he was the Marcus from Book 3 (Gemma's friend). Okay I didn't connect it until they went to visit Gemma at the shop for a tarot reading.
Also, I'm actually really glad that Kevin from Hot Ticket got traded to The Blades. I was annoyed that his short story was included in the Blades, but featured no Blades at all. So though we won't get a full book of him and Tierney, I'm glad that it wasn't just a one off.
I was really glad to see Paul Van Dorn back to visit with Katie and Tuck. I was worried that we'd never see them again.
I couldn't really connect with Delilah due to her extreme awkwardness. (I had no problem with the Jewishness which was a supposed to be part of the drama. I grew up on the East coast and also in LA. Heck, I understand the Jewish culture more than I do farm culture (which I lived in Colorado for 16 years hence that particular comment)) I myself have a tendency to babble, but seriously she just annoyed me.
I think also what I couldn't get past was the fanny pack. I'm sorry, what is this the 80's and 90's? I know, I know. She's a dog walker. Can't really go digging in a purse, but still there are other dog walking friendly options other than a FANNY PACK!
I really liked Jason.
Eric took a long time to warm up to. And then with him
Marcus, I didn't connect for a long time that he was the Marcus from Book 3 (Gemma's friend). Okay I didn't connect it until they went to visit Gemma at the shop for a tarot reading.
Also, I'm actually really glad that Kevin from Hot Ticket got traded to The Blades. I was annoyed that his short story was included in the Blades, but featured no Blades at all. So though we won't get a full book of him and Tierney, I'm glad that it wasn't just a one off.
I was really glad to see Paul Van Dorn back to visit with Katie and Tuck. I was worried that we'd never see them again.
February 8, 2012
I do love a good series and this one keeps me coming back. Chasing Stanley is the story of Jason Mitchell, player for the New York Blades hockey team and Delilah Gould, dog trainer/walker.
Delilah's character was a little out there sometimes and hard for me to really like, but I enjoyed getting to know Jason and his twin brother Eric. I know one of the later books in the series is about Eric so I'm looking forward to that one.
My favorite part about a series is the chance to look back at prior characters and for that reason, this book was awesome. As the NY Blades play for the Stanley Cup, we get to see tons of familiar characters. Coach Ty Gallagher is mentioned many times (Janna and their son Patrick are mentioned a couple of times too). Kevin Gill is now retired, but is mentioned. Michael Dante is now Captain of the Blades and is mentioned frequently (Theresa and their children are mentioned a few times). Of course all team functions are held at Dante's restaurant so Michael's brother Anthony is there. Cousin Gemma and her husband Sean show up at one party at Dante's too.
Paul van Dorn, his wife Katie and nephew Tuck are mentioned a couple of times. David & Tierney from the short story (#5) are mentioned several times as David is now the new goalie for the NY Blades and Tierney moved with him to NY.
So, from the perspective of getting to revisit old characters, this book was great. It also set up some new characters for future books, which I'm looking forward to. I can't wait for Jason's "playboy" brother Eric fall in love! I'm sure it will be fantastic.
Delilah's character was a little out there sometimes and hard for me to really like, but I enjoyed getting to know Jason and his twin brother Eric. I know one of the later books in the series is about Eric so I'm looking forward to that one.
My favorite part about a series is the chance to look back at prior characters and for that reason, this book was awesome. As the NY Blades play for the Stanley Cup, we get to see tons of familiar characters. Coach Ty Gallagher is mentioned many times (Janna and their son Patrick are mentioned a couple of times too). Kevin Gill is now retired, but is mentioned. Michael Dante is now Captain of the Blades and is mentioned frequently (Theresa and their children are mentioned a few times). Of course all team functions are held at Dante's restaurant so Michael's brother Anthony is there. Cousin Gemma and her husband Sean show up at one party at Dante's too.
Paul van Dorn, his wife Katie and nephew Tuck are mentioned a couple of times. David & Tierney from the short story (#5) are mentioned several times as David is now the new goalie for the NY Blades and Tierney moved with him to NY.
So, from the perspective of getting to revisit old characters, this book was great. It also set up some new characters for future books, which I'm looking forward to. I can't wait for Jason's "playboy" brother Eric fall in love! I'm sure it will be fantastic.
January 26, 2014
After the huge disappointment that was The Penalty Box I was nervous to give the fifth installment of Deirdre Martin’s New York Blades series. Fortunately? My hesitation was short lived. The story of Jason, Delilah and Stanley was like a fresh breath for the series.
After two books having virtually nothing to do with the actual New York Blades Hockey Team? We’ve returned to the heart of this series, hunky hockey players. We’re back in New York with Jason, a newly acquired member of the New York Blades. I love Jason. He’s one of the better heroes we’ve had in awhile. His character is fleshed out, he’s a farm kid who has done well for himself in the world of hockey. Unfortunately, the thorn in his side is twin brother -older by 3 minutes- who plays for the nearby New Jersey team and is a fairly regular character.
Delilah is another story. I had a love/hate relationship with her. I found her anxiety endearing at the start, she was a lot like me. But as her character stayed stagnant in terms of character development. I got more of a kick out of her family and her best friend than I did her.
One thing I have to give huge props to Deirdre Martin for is her timeline. All of her books take place over an entire hockey season, which is great because insta-love isn’t AS MUCH of a problem – you get a chance to actually fall in love and form a real relationship.
I have enjoyed this entire series, and Chasing Stanley was a fresh take on the series. I am having high hopes for book six!
After two books having virtually nothing to do with the actual New York Blades Hockey Team? We’ve returned to the heart of this series, hunky hockey players. We’re back in New York with Jason, a newly acquired member of the New York Blades. I love Jason. He’s one of the better heroes we’ve had in awhile. His character is fleshed out, he’s a farm kid who has done well for himself in the world of hockey. Unfortunately, the thorn in his side is twin brother -older by 3 minutes- who plays for the nearby New Jersey team and is a fairly regular character.
Delilah is another story. I had a love/hate relationship with her. I found her anxiety endearing at the start, she was a lot like me. But as her character stayed stagnant in terms of character development. I got more of a kick out of her family and her best friend than I did her.
One thing I have to give huge props to Deirdre Martin for is her timeline. All of her books take place over an entire hockey season, which is great because insta-love isn’t AS MUCH of a problem – you get a chance to actually fall in love and form a real relationship.
I have enjoyed this entire series, and Chasing Stanley was a fresh take on the series. I am having high hopes for book six!
November 8, 2012
Delilah is a drug trainer who can't stand to see a dog that is abused or not properly trained, she is obsessed with dogs. Jason has recently been traded to the New York Blades; he moves into a great apartment and brings his dog with him. His dog is having problems and when he meets Delilah in the park, he believes his problems are solved. While Delilah trains his dog Jason keeps messing up. When Jason and Delilah start dating and Delilah makes a fool of herself and Jason at a party they think it is over. Except now Jason is having problems on the ice and once again he needs Delilahs help. Delilah is an interesting woman, her life is all about dogs and she has zero idea of how to act around humans. Jason is full of himself and while he does try to do the right thing sometimes, he doesn’t follow through and ends up messing up more. They are an interesting couple, they have tons of chemistry and there relationship has some pretty comedic moments. They also have some serious cringe worthy, I can’t believe he/she did that moments. I liked the characters and loved seeing both of them change through out the story. I had a few problems with some of the scenes in the book but beyond that it was a nice, funny read.
December 21, 2009
I've enjoyed all of the previous hockey-centered romances that Ms. Martin has written, but this one simply doesn't come up to the mark. I agree with many of the one and two starred reviews on Amazon.com--the reader just doesn't buy that these two people are in love, or that they can ever have an HEA. And I agree also with the opinion that there was no real conflict in this book other than the two main characters. The main conflict was that they were so different and mostly unwilling to compromise. Jason was immature and Delilah was limited. After being surprised at the real, and often difficult, situations dealt with in previous books, I felt like all the conflicts were manufactured and flat in this one.
I gave this book three stars because Ms. Martin still writes better than the vast majority of romance writers. Reading one of her books is always enjoyable, even if this wasn't her best effort. I still look forward to reading the next book.
I gave this book three stars because Ms. Martin still writes better than the vast majority of romance writers. Reading one of her books is always enjoyable, even if this wasn't her best effort. I still look forward to reading the next book.
April 10, 2012
I needed a light and fluffy read after my past few books, and this one was perfect. It's a hockey romance. I picked it up because my husband loves hockey, and oddly enough the male romantic interest in the book had my husband's name. Go figure.[return][return]Delilah is a dog walker and boarder in New York City. When she sees a young man with an unruly Newfoundland, she steps in to help and finds out the guy is a newly-arrived hockey player for the New York Blades. As Delilah helps Stanley the dog adjust to life in the big city, she and his owner become closer. Really - this is a romance book. You know it has a happy ending. But the twists and the people along the way are thoroughly enjoyable, even if stereotyped (complete with flamboyantly gay best friend and shrill Jewish mother). But it's fun.
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