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Kate Hamilton had het kunnen weten. Nadat ze gedumpt is door haar vriend en over haar toeren is vanwege haar werk, keert ze terug naar Gospel, in Idaho, voor wat rust en ontspanning. Maar als haar eerste poging om een plaatselijke hunk te versieren op een complete mislukking uitloopt, vraagt ze zich af wat er nog meer mis kan gaan.
Om te beginnen komt ze erachter dat op vrijdagavond de poëzieavond van de Breiende Moeders in de Bergen de meeste enerverende gebeurtenis in Gospel is. Tot ze weer oog in oog komt te staan met Rob Sutter, voormalig ijshockeyspeler, eigenaar van de winkel Sutter Sports én de plaatselijke hunk bij wie ze een blauwtje liep.
Rob heeft het al een tijdje geschoten met de liefde, tot Kate en hij elkaar na sluitingstijd in een uiterst aanlokkelijke situatie treffen in een warenhuis. Als ze daar hun eigen verkleedpartijtje beginnen, zijn ze binnen no time the talk of the town...

286 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

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About the author

Rachel Gibson

68 books5,306 followers
Rachel Gibson is a New York times and USAToday bestselling author of 22 books.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 628 reviews
Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].
2,761 reviews25.2k followers
February 5, 2018
The Trouble With Valentine’s Day is book three in the Chinooks Hockey Team series by Rachel Gibson. Rachel is a new to me author and I chose this book because I was looking for something fun to read in honor of Valentine’s Day. I have to tell you that I am seriously in love. This book delivered on every level, it was fun, sweet, fast paced, sexy and just made me swoon. I finished it at bed time last night and when I woke up this morning and thought about it, I still got the tummy twirls.

Kate Hamilton was a successful private investigator for a large firm in Las Vegas. After she was dumped by her boyfriend of two years, something happened at work, something that made her doubt herself in every way, so she quit and walked away. She decided to spend some time with her widowed grandfather in Gospel, Idaho. Her grandfather was seventy years old and still owned and ran the local grocery store. But he had never gotten over the loss of his Tom Jones loving wife.

valentines day

On the way to Gospel, Kate stops for the night in Sun Valley. It’s Valentine’s Day and Kate, for the first time ever, decides to proposition the very good looking man she is sitting with at the bar, only to be rejected. Even with the blow to her dignity, at least she’ll never have to see the man again. That is, until he walks into the front door of her grandfather’s store two weeks later.

“No doubt about it, Rob Sutter was hot. The kind that made a girl tingle in interesting places. Not Kate, though. He didn’t make her tingle. She was immune.”

fu manchu mustache

Rob Sutter was a successful hockey player for the Seattle Chinooks. He was living the dream, until poor judgment on his part triggered a chain of events that ended his career and changed his life. He moved to Gospel to be near his mother and ended up loving it there. He started Sutter Sports, selling and renting summer sporting equipment, and took up fly fishing. He had learned as a boy how to tie his own fishing flies and took great pleasure in the art now. It calmed him. Rob had his reasons for turning down the beautiful woman that had propositioned him that night in the bar. But he hadn’t forgotten her. Something about her stayed with him. When he got home from his ski trip two weeks later and walked in to the grocery store across from his shop and came face to face with her, he was surprised. Whether it was a good or bad surprise had yet to be determined.

fly fishing gif

“I think about you when you’re not around, and the really pathetic part is, I’m not sure you even like me very much.”
“I like you. Even when I try really hard not to like you.”
“Just think of all the fun we could have if you didn’t try so hard.”


flies

While Rob and Kate are each dealing with plenty of personal issues, they are also dealing with their growing interest in each other. Although what these two feel is instant lust, they don’t immediately act on it and I liked that about these two. It was kind of a slow build and so worth it when they both finally gave in. Their banter was so much fun and I really enjoyed being able to get into both of their heads. All the while, Kate is not only trying to help her grandfather move on but to find her own purpose in Gospel as well.

woman fishing

This book was just delightful. I loved every page of it and could not stop reading. These two have etched themselves into my heart. I love it when I try a new author and fall in love. I most definitely want to read more of Rachel’s work. Happy Valentine’s Day!

“She was worth everything a man could give her. His heart. His soul. His promise to love her forever.”

Profile Image for Jacob Proffitt.
3,212 reviews1,973 followers
February 6, 2017
While the third in a series, there isn't really anything linking this to the others beyond the team, and they aren't even present as the story starts with Rob retired and living in podunk, ID. That said, read the others first. And then skip this one. Because it sucks.

This was an awful story and that's mainly for two reasons. First, Rob is an insensitive klunk who has zero consideration for anyone but himself. Even when he eventually "falls in love", he's still thinking about it in terms of what he gets out of being with Kate. Second, Kate lets Rob be a klunk with no consequences and no repercussions. So he does it to her again and again and again. Every step up in intimacy is followed immediately, like before they even part by him devastating her emotionally. Every. stinking. time. I kept waiting for her to tell him to shove it or push his face in or tell him to take a hike or anything at all to protect herself from this huge idiot with the klunk boots with the stomp-on-her-heart hobby. My gosh was I tired of her tingles getting in the way of her good sense.

And that's not all. This is the worst production of a mainstream published book I've ever read. There were basic editing errors (we're talking the wrong tense and missing word type of errors) and that cover is a joke (her hair was red not her dress) and the cover copy ends with something that never even happened (and the one event that it may even possibly refer to happens over two-thirds of the way in!). And the title? Completely stupid as the only trouble in the book was Rob the Klunk and his klunk shoes.

I'd have dnf'd this sucker hard about half-way through but I trusted Rachel Gibson to pull it out and maybe reform Rob or redeem him or just change him with a magic wand or something. Hint: doesn't happen. I regret reading this to the end and would love to have those hours of my life back. Holy krunk.

A note about Steamy: There are two fully-realized explicit sex scenes, but a ton of seduction scenes where Kate's tingles get in the way of this being a good book. Also lots of references to all the good sex Klunk is giving that might have been expecting to allow us to forgive him for being Klunk. It doesn't work.
Profile Image for Auntee.
1,344 reviews1,443 followers
December 9, 2011
This one was one of my favorites of the whole Chinooks Hockey series, although there wasn't much about hockey in it. The hero, Rob Sutter, 36, is a retired Seattle Chinook now running a sporting goods store in small Gospel, Idaho. Rob is newly divorced after .

Photobucket

Rob is adamant about not making the same mistakes regarding relationships (no more marriage, no more one nighters with potentially psycho women), so he's 'done without' for two years. But then he meets our heroine, tall (5'11"), sexy redheaded private investigator Kate Hamilton in a Sun Valley ski lodge on Valentine's Day. Kate, 34, is on her way to Gospel to live with her recently widowed grandfather, the owner of the local grocery store. Kate's personal life is in the toilet--her longtime boyfriend wouldn't commit to her, they broke up--and then he turned around and got married to someone else. Her professional life hit the skids when she helped (what seemed to be) a 'normal' man locate his missing wife and children--and then found that he made the national news for killing that wife and family--and himself. So a retreat to Gospel, Idaho seems like a good idea. While driving to Gospel from Las Vegas, Kate stops at the lodge for a drink, starts thinking about her life and the type of men she's been fantasizing about lately (the kind she'd like to twist into a sexual pretzel)...and in walks a glorious green-eyed hunk of man (Rob). To make a long story short, a slightly drunk Kate gets up the nerve to proposition him, but a sorely tempted Rob says "Don't take it personal, but I don't f*** women I meet in bars." Oh, the humiliation!

Rob...
Photobucket

This book grabbed me from the start. I loved Kate. She was funny, sassy, and smart. I wasn't too sure about Rob at first (with that cheating past), but it didn't take me long to warm up to him. I loved the banter between Kate and Rob. She didn't let him get away with anything. Some of it was so funny I found myself laughing out loud. At first they had sort of a love/hate thing going on, which as you know supplies a lot of sexual tension. And there was lots of tension in this book. And oh my, their first time together? In the grocery store? In the condom aisle? Whew!

Besides the steamy relationship between Rob and Kate, there was also one between Kate's widowed grandfather and Rob's mother, which provided some sweet, and bittersweet moments. Kate's grandfather Stanley was having a hard time getting over the death of his wife and moving on, and it was sweet to see him finding a new love late in life.

I loved how Kate grew as a person in this book, and wouldn't settle for less than she deserved. And she deserved more than a relationship that was going nowhere. When she told marriage-phobe Rob her feelings about marriage, I wanted to stand up and cheer for her.

"I want to try with someone who loves me enough to try with me. I want to grow old looking at the same face every morning. I want to grow old looking at the same face every night at the dinner table. I want to be one of those old couples you see holding hands and laughing after fifty years of marriage. That's what I want. I want to be someone's forever."

So yes, this book spoke to me. I've come to love Rachel Gibson's writing style, which combines humor (some of the stuff about the singer Tom Jones I found hilarious), snappy, sexy dialogue, plenty of heat between the H/h, and details--how I love details! Descriptions of the characters, the town, and plenty of back story so I feel like I really know and most importantly care about what happens. When I knock a book off in one day I know it's special, and that's what this one was. 5 big stars!

*Note: This book can be read as a stand alone.
Profile Image for Sabi.
1,158 reviews346 followers
May 16, 2022
Such a cozy romcom! Yes, you can definitely read it for valentine's day or in February!


Things I liked:

🧡 The cute town: The surrounding and the description of the town were so nice. So much that I want to go there myself!

🧡 The lead: She is so relatable. Plus, I loved her life. Working in a grocery store, baking goods, has a fast mouth and can take care of herself? Lovely!

🧡 The funny scenes: Liked the embarrassing scenes that involved the characters.

Things I wasn't impressed with:

The cover: The lead is a redhead ( as it is pointed out hundered times by the Male Lead)... My cover has a blond on it. ( Looking at the cover desinger here, didn't cut any stars for it though.)

"Soul Patch" "HUMMER": Some words are so overused. So much that I started to cringe as they come after sometime in the book.

The side romance of female lead's Grandpa was unnecessary. His scenes were funny but the role should've been edited after sometime.
Profile Image for Karen.
814 reviews1,197 followers
January 13, 2018


Loved this one! Although I wanted to give Rob a head slap quite a few times. Such a great series. I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Anita.
2,426 reviews196 followers
February 7, 2024
Commitment phobia, Jock entitlement and PTSD all play a part in this romance. These two have a lot to work out and it is entertaining to see them do it.

Kate Hamilton has been dumped by her boyfriend and thinks she caused a tragedy. She is alone in a bar in Sun Valley, ID on her way to her grandfather's home in Gospel, ID when a hot dude sits next to her at the bar. The strike up a conversation and Kate decides to live out one of her fantasies and propositions him for a night of sex. He turns her down. When she arrives in Gospel, she has her grandfather and his slide into depression to take her mind off her problems.

Then she comes face to face with the hunky stranger who turned her down cold, well can life get any more ironic? Rod Sutter is the owner of the sporting goods store across the parking lot from her grandfather's market. Rob is a former hockey star whose career came to an abrupt end. He is recovered physically, but the mental recovery isn't going so well.

Rob had his reasons for turning Kate down when they first met, but it wasn't because he didn't find her attractive. Finding her again opens up a whole host of possibilities, having her turn him into a sexual pretzel, being one of them.
Profile Image for Michelle [Helen Geek].
1,774 reviews410 followers
December 24, 2015
Re-read -- 12/14/2015
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5 Stars

Just what the doctor ordered. I was having issues getting into any book - not the books' fault but rather my state of mind. Just for this book, I also think my rating scale needs adjustment. Sometimes, if a book hits all components needed within the reader, at the time being read, it should count whether it is terribly unique, cranks on emotions, demonstrates exemplary writing, etc. Sometimes, just because, is good enough. This one is a 5 Star read for me, just because.

This is my favorite of the Chinook series. It probably had the least hockey in it, which isn't why I liked it so much. It really would be a reason not to like it as much as I did. I just connected to these two individuals; their back-stories and the ultimate ending.

Have you ever been in a relationship that was trouble from the start but you just couldn't get away? You know the relationship isn't good for you, you know it probably isn't the best for the other person, but rather like a bad habit, shit just keeps you there? This was the case for Rob. He finally exited out of a bad relationship, but had more than his share of baggage as a result. Then you have Kate, who had life happen and begins to doubt herself and seeks refuge. These two start out star-crossed, but eventually figure out they are the other half of each other. They have passion, but more than that, they comfort each other and in the end, neither can find their peace without the other.

Life for me has been about the search for peace. These two and their story speak to that and I found it comforting and powerful. A bit of fluff? Maybe, but for me it was just what I needed, when I needed it.

This will be one of my favorite reads and will be one I'll turn to time and again. For all the reasons above, I recommend it highly. Others may read this and think [she] is out of my ever lovin', but then this is why we are all so different. This book spoke to my baggage...

Happy Reading!


Woo Hoo -- finally available for my NOOK!!
Profile Image for Floripiquita.
1,396 reviews166 followers
July 7, 2019
Parece que estoy abonada a las tres estrellas con Rachel Gibson y a decir que sus libros son entretenidos pero no me llenan ni me divierten como lo hacen otras autoras. Aunque tengo que reconocer que la química entre los protagonistas sí me ha gustado mucho (ya no volveré a mirar de la misma manera el pasillo 5 de un súper).
#RitaGibson #RetoRita3
Profile Image for Alba Turunen.
772 reviews244 followers
February 12, 2022
2'5 Estrellas. Esperaba algo más y ha sido un pelín decepcionante. Leyéndolo he entendido porqué las editoriales no lo trajeron en castellano. Es que no pasa nada, y siendo como fueron los primeros libros de la serie, éste es bastante soso.

"The trouble with Valentine,'s Day" es el tercer libro de los Chinooks de Rachel Gibson, pero como si no lo fuera, porque de hockey no sale nada y de Seattle menos.

Rob Sutter es un ex jugador de hockey sobre hielo. Tenía una buena vida y una carrera prometedora, hasta que un accidente acabó con ésa buena vida y ésa carrera de élite. Tras una larga recuperación, vuelve al pueblo de Gospel, en Idaho, donde vive su madre, e intentará darse una segunda oportunidad en la tienda de deportes que acaba de abrir.

Kate Hamilton es una detective privada de Las Vegas. Su vida romántica ha sido un sube y baja de emociones con hombres alérgicos al compromiso. Las últimas noticias de su ex la deprimen, y para colmo de males uno de sus últimos trabajos de investigación ha sido un completo desastre. Así que Kate decide hacer las maletas y mudarse temporalmente a Gospel, con su abuelo, viudo desde hace dos años, y que regenta la tienda de comestibles del pueblo.

En su última parada antes de llegar a Gospel, Kate para en un bar de carretera. Deprimida y borracha, solitaria y soltera en el día de San Valentín, le pide sexo por una noche y sin compromiso al único hombre guapo que se le acerca. Pero éste, en vez de aceptarlo, la rechaza.

Lo sorprendente es que, días después de su llegada a Gospel, y ayudando a su abuelo en su tienda, Kate se encuentra con el hombre guapo del bar, y ella comenzó un espantoso rumor sobre él...

Sí, el hombre del bar era Rob Sutter, que ahora se encuentra de nuevo con la pelirroja borracha y despechada. Pero Rob tiene un historial de desastres románticos detrás de él y no le interesa ningún tipo de compromiso.

Todo ocurrirá en el pequeño pueblo de Gospel, mientras ambos protagonistas intentan remontar su vida, al igual que Stanley, el abuelo de Kate, que aún se ve con ganas de volver a enamorarse.

El problema que he tenido con el libro es que no me ha llegado. No ocurre nada emocionante y los personajes me han parecido mas planos o faltos de profundidad, que en otras novelas de la autora. Kate es una mujer a la que le gustaría un amor de los que duran toda la vida, pero siempre ha dado con hombres que huyen del compromiso. Mientras que para Rob, el amor no existe, sólo el sexo, y también le tiene miedo al compromiso.

¿Cómo puede mejorar esto? Rachel Gibson intenta darle su toque de humor, pero en éste caso me ha resultado más bien escaso. Otros libros suyos que ocurren en pueblos de Idaho los ha retratado mejor, o con historias más interesantes, pero ésta la verdad que no me ha dicho nada. Me ha resultado hasta aburrida.

Lo bueno es que es un libro corto y se lee rápido. Y desde luego el siguiente libro fue de los mejores de la serie. Espero en el futuro dar con mejores novelas de Rachel Gibson, ésta, se queda en las mediocres.
Profile Image for Mo.
1,393 reviews2 followers
February 15, 2018
A bit hum ho! I read this series about 6 years ago and gave them all 5 stars. They seem to be dropping stars as I read them ... Another 3 star. It was an enjoyable read but nothing out of the ordinary!!

Profile Image for Mairi Swan.
276 reviews23 followers
February 6, 2024
I didn't like them so much. The mmc was kind of jerk all the time and the fmc was like she didn't have so much self respect? I don't know it was kind of weird their dynamic. Also it has no sports in the story. The mmc was in hockey in the past but that was it so I don't know why it is labeled as sports.
Profile Image for Nadia.
571 reviews191 followers
June 29, 2015
Have you ever started a book and from the very beginning, you thought to yourself this is gonna be good? Well, starting The Trouble With Valentine's Day, I just had a feeling this is going to be right up my alley and I was right. Mostly thanks to the awesome heroine, whom I loved to pieces.
My feelings towards the hero are still debatable, but what I can tell you for sure is that even though he behaved like a dick a lot of times, he somehow always managed to wiggle into my good graces. Charming alpha-hole. But still very hot. With sexy facial hair. I'm a sucker for beards and mustaches.
See, what I'm talking about?

The ending was lame, though. I would've liked something more dramatic, more emotion packed, more suitable to both characters.

ETA: It's been a few days and books since I've read The Trouble With Valentine's Day, and it's been on my mind a lot and I finally realized what's been nagging me this whole time.

I already said the ending was anticlimactic and here's why. While there was lot of sexual tension going on between Rob and Kate, and there was a lot of space dedicated to their physical relationship, which I enjoyed, no doubt, I hated that we were told that Rob was in love with Kate rather than shown. I would've loved to have seen his reaction on the fly Kate made for his birthday or to see Kate interact with his little daughter. Nothing much complicated, but something that will show us what caused the love to bloom inside Rob's heart.

I feel like the romance between Grace and Stanley was forced onto us, and I honestly couldn't give a flying fuck about either of them. As side characters, they took way too much space that could've been used better, I guess.

Maybe I sound pretentious, but it's been bugging me a lot. More so because I loved the beginning, the heroine and what the hell, I even liked the hero.
I just can't get over that lame ending.
Profile Image for KarenH.
189 reviews190 followers
November 1, 2010
This is the 6th or 7th book I've read by Rachel Gibson and I'm wondering if I'll ever read one that I feel deserves less than 5 stars. Not that I'm complaining...not at all. It's just that each book I've read has been totally different from the others...each plot fresh, the characters unique (but always enjoyable) and the romantic aspect feels as if it was written specifically for that hero and heroine. That is pretty amazing for an author to achieve among her stand-alone books, but to pull it off in a 6-book series really showcases this author's writing talent. I can't think of a friend at Goodreads who wouldn't enjoy the Chinooks series...even if you don't give a fig about sports. Yes, the Seattle Chinooks is a fictional hockey team but, no, the stories do not dwell on the game. In fact, the team is nothing more than a well to draw characters from. And what a cast of characters! Each player is hot looking, hard-bodied and lovable as all hell. The million-dollar fantasy man that is as down-to-earth and normal as the guy next door...needing to love and be loved by one special person just like anyone else. Okay, so maybe we don't run into this type of guy everyday, but you just never know. It happened to Katie Hamilton. This is her story of how she found her Chinook, Rob Sutter, in the small town of Gospel, barely a dot on Idaho's map...

Profile Image for ♥ℳelody.
715 reviews777 followers
March 6, 2017
Missed the boat completely on this one. Bummer. I went into this with somewhat high hopes expecting something similar to Nothing But Trouble but didn't happen. RG didn't bother showing much character growth with a hero who has a history of chronic careless cheating. Rob didn't seem to show a lot of guilt over it and that bothered me the most. Instead the author seemed to focus more on the ONS he had with a deranged lunatic who tried to kill him instead of the fact that he cheated on his wife when it happened. I liked Rob but I wish we got more self-reflection on his part and showing more remorse over the fact that he kept cheating. The cheating factor seemed like a non-issue, big mistake there IMO. Just because you are a man with 'urges' and you were a young stud hockey player on the road, it didn't give you the license to sleep with Hockey bimbos left and right, bucko. Just saying. He really doesn't address the reasons why he kept cheating when he talked about it with Kate, it just seemed like background noise that wasn't really significant. And the nasty Fatal Attraction incident plays a big hand in his phobia against marriage and being in a stable relationship.

As for the heroine Kate, she didn't have much of a personality and what little there was seemed very inconsistent. For a former Private Investigator she had the tendency to get very defensive and hung up on certain things. Like obsessively hung up. Very insecure, sensitive and uptight for someone who is supposedly so independent and obstinate. And some of her observations and reactions to certain things came across juvenile & petulant which I didn't understand. I just couldn't connect with her. And excuse me, I know Rachel Gibson loves name dropping her designer labels but how in the world does someone who has no job manage to breezily order a Tiffany's diamond bracelet, clothes from Neiman Marcus and rhinestone-studded lingerie from Frederick's of Hollywood without batting an eye?? Tiffany's? Nice fantasy but get real. The inconsistencies with this character were just laughable.

I also wasn't in love with the ending to this. When the heroine pretty much forces the hero's hand into proposing on the very last page it doesn't really scream romantic HEA. It rubbed me the wrong way how Kate had to corner him into addressing the topic of love and getting married and having to give him an ultimatum. And I didn't get the warm fuzzies how he came to his miraculous realization either. -__- I'm all a flutter I tell you. Sorry but nothing about this scene made my lady parts buzz.

Lastly, RG needs to be careful with her 's's. I don't know anyone who has more than one jaw or more than one bottom lip. She kept pluralizing body parts that don't come in pairs or when describing one part of a pair (ex: nipples on a breast). It seemed intentional rather than mistakes.

ETA: There seems to be a serious time jump between Book 2 and this one?? So confusing. Totally disconnected and very random. Just finished See Jane Score and there is no mention of Rob's scandal or getting attacked, he's still married and roughing it up on the ice. And man... I never realized what a muscle-headed knob he was. *cringe* To be honest if I had read Book 2 before this one I would not have felt motivated to pick this one up at all. Yikes.
Profile Image for LuvBug .
333 reviews92 followers
June 14, 2012
*MIGHT HAVE SOME SPOILERS*

Boy, did this book ever grow on me! I wasn't so sure in the beginning if this was a book that I even wanted to read. I didn't particularly care for the heroine's back story and thought this might be a dnf. The hero’s history is what made me sit up and take notice and not give up. It had me intrigued from the moment I heard it. I applause RG for making him so realistic with flaws and all. That’s a trend in her books that has made her an auto buy for me.

Not many authors will take a chance on a cheating hero. This was before he met the heroine, but he was truly what you would call a DOG while married to another woman that had a child for him. He ended up almost dying by the hands of another woman because of his promiscuity. You can’t get any realer than that! His ex-wife was even still in love with him and wanted to get back together while he was seeing the heroine. Now that, you never see! I think other authors feel like the reader would have too much remorse for the other woman in a scenario like that, so they are afraid to go there, but thank goodness for authors like Rachel Gibson that are willing to step out of the box! That unique quality made this book such an interesting read.

Another thing I admire about RG heroes is that they don’t ever jump into love with the heroine right off the back. They take their time and fall in love properly. The only thing I always find lacking sometimes is the chemistry between the couple. It can seem too subdue at times. It might have to do with the lack of love scenes. RG is famous for only about 2 love scenes around the 70 to 80 percent mark. Sometimes It's hard for a girl to wait that long for the sparks to fly! Needless to say, I was wary about the chemistry and lack of love scenes while reading this book, but then something happened, and even though they didn't make whoopie until her usual time limit, I started to feel the match light under our leads half way through the book and the sparks were-a-flying!

I saw them grow as a couple while lust turned into love. Another unique thing that happened is the heroine actually gave the hero an ultimatum on marriage because he was fighting it up until about 98 percent, lol! I thought that was bold and it was sweet to see that he actually bent for her even though he was afraid to make the commitment, and that to me showed that he loved her enough to take a chance. This book turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me. I'm on a mission with RG back-list now!
Profile Image for WhiskeyintheJar.
1,435 reviews667 followers
October 2, 2013
Oh man, I hope the soul patch the lead male (Rob Sutter) is sporting gets shaved or something, because I just can't handle a guy with a soul patch.
 
Rachel Gibson does such a great job of balancing humor with serious issues. Plus there is no other author I have ever read who writes about hockey in such an incredibly fantastic way as she does; hands down.
 
I don't know what it says about me but if I was known around town as the woman who men thought wanted their ball sacks as chain purses I would be delighted. Go Kate Hamilton!!! (that's the lead female characters name by the way)
 
Right, so I'll never be able to be in a grocery store without blushing again. Whoooeeee…..Their first booty scene is caliente!
 
Is it weird to say I felt like at times this book was to grown up for me? Rob dealing with an ex-wife wanting to get back together and missing his daughter just seemed like really heavy adult stuff. Ms. Gibson never flushed this part of the story out enough though, and left it sort of hanging with no real resolution.
 
There were so many moments in this story that made me smile, not quite laugh out loud. I felt like I smiled the whole time I was reading it, even though I had to wait until the last thirty pages or so until the soul patch was shaved.
 
Rob and Kate's relationship never felt completely put together. They liked to have sex together and had witty repartee; apparently a couple months of this equaled marriage for them. I just needed to see more connection between the two.
 
The epilogue was cute, but once again this was an okay book, not great. Rob and Kate's relationship didn't have the emotional depth which makes other couples so memorable. Gibson's other two books "Simply Irresistible" and "See Jane Score" have lead characters who completely immerse you into the story. I felt those couples troubles and tribulations, not so with this book. There are plenty of other chik-lit books out there which are better, so I would suggest passing this one right on by. Well, unless you are a hockey fan and crave stories with any mention of hockey in them (which is sorely lacking in the romance genre world if you ask me). There was some great Teemu Selanne talk in this one.
 
Oh and as much as I liked Rob's python tattoo, Luc's (See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson) horseshoe tattoo is still tops in my book. Damn…sigh.......ok back, sorry went somewhere for a second.
Profile Image for Laura (Kyahgirl).
2,268 reviews151 followers
January 24, 2016
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+

I really enjoyed the slow pacing of the romance in this story and the personal growth each of the main characters underwent, including Kate's dad and Robs mom. Kathleen Early did a good job on the narration. I read the paperback several years ago and think the audiobook is even better.
Profile Image for Karina Garcia.
285 reviews41 followers
July 17, 2017
Me gusto muchísimo la historia de Kate y Rob.
Quizas porque no esperaba demasiado y llego en el momento exacto en el cual necesitaba leer una historia así, liviana pero con sentido y muy buen relato.
Profile Image for *The Angry Reader*.
1,430 reviews340 followers
March 21, 2020
It was very okay, and I liked it better than the other books in this series. There was a time when I thought Rachel Gibson was the antichrist. So we’re making progress.

I enjoyed the setting. I liked that they were both kind of difficult. I was a little meh at times, but that may be the circumstances rather than the read.

I’m still not convinced that Rob wasn’t a bad decision for Kate, but I’m blasé about it.

Profile Image for Lauren.
2,452 reviews159 followers
July 4, 2018
The Trouble with Valentine's Day
3.5 Stars

Series Note: This is book #2 in Gospel, Idaho and book #3 in Chinooks Hockey Team. That said, the connection to both of these series is rather superficial in that the setting is Gospel and the hero is a former team member. Consequently, the book can easily be read as a standalone.

The small town setting is charming and the couple is likable enough with solid chemistry. Unfortunately, the book contains several less than enjoyable tropes.

To begin with, Rob's past as a serial womanizer who cheated on his one again/off again wife/girlfriend does not make him the most appealing of heroes. Moreover, he has a daughter with his ex, and even considers getting back together with her, which undermines the romance.

Kate has hang ups of her own particularly when it comes to trusting men and her past experiences as a private investigator are woefully underutilized in the story.

All in all, an entertaining enough read overall, but this is not the best example of Gibson's storytelling skills and it is not recommended to those who are new to her writing.

Profile Image for Bella Carstairs.
551 reviews48 followers
February 9, 2018
Segunda vez que lo leo y un auténtico gustazo.
Los libros de esta autora se leen solos. Son sencillos, con mucha pasión, romance y dosis de humanidad. Mi favorito sigue siendo por el momento el segundo (See Jane Score, en español Jane juega y gana)
Este libro empieza en el Día de San Valentín (curiosamente muy cercano) y la protagonista, Katie, ha tenido muy mala suerte en sus relaciones anteriores, así que, deprimida y harta, decide llevar a cabo una fantasía y proponerle una noche de sexo pasional a un hombre muy atractivo que se sienta a su lado en el bar en el que se encuentra de paso a Gospel, el pueblo donde vive su padre y hacia donde se dirige. Lo que no se espera es que el hombre en cuestión la rechace tajantemente. Con la dignidad y su fantasía hechas añicos, Katie llegará a Gospel, donde empezará a trabajar en la tienda de su abuelo viudo. Pero ni en sus peores pesadillas se hubiera imaginado encontrarse al hombre del bar, al hombre que la hizo sentirse humillada, en el mismo pueblo. Y no sólo eso, es el dueño de la tienda de deportes que hay justo enfrente de la tienda de su abuelo.
Rob Sutter aprendió de la manera más dolorosa a no volver a tener sexo con una mujer a la que hubiera conocido en un bar. La última vez no sólo le costó su matrimonio, sino también su carrera como jugador profesional de Hockey del equipo Chinooks y, además, estuvo a punto de costarle la vida. Así pues, aunque Katie es la primera mujer que le ha atraído en mucho tiempo, la rechaza terminantemente cuando ella se le propone en el bar. Pero lo que jamás se imaginó es que se la encontraría viviendo en Gospel y trabajando enfrente de su local.
Las chispas saltan, el recuerdo de aquella noche les persigue a ambos, los prejuicios y los sentimientos encontrados están a la orden del día y sus respectivos pasados serán los mayores obstáculos. Pero la atracción es innegable y aunque se resisten bastante, acabarán sucumbiendo y descubriendo en el otro a la persona que les complementa perfectamente.
Ahhhh y hay una historia de amor secundaria que me despierta mucha ternura...¿No os encantan los libros que también tienen historias de amor secundarias? A mí a veces me gustan hasta un poco más que las principales...jejejejeje bueno, por lo general no, pero cuando pasa eso tampoco me importa.
Ligero, fácil de leer, entretenido y con todos los ingredientes que me gustan en una novela de este estilo. Rachel Gibson es una buena opción si necesitas leer algo así.
Profile Image for vale pao.
644 reviews357 followers
November 25, 2010
4.5 STARS!

I loved this book! Not of the bests I have read but it really was a terrific read, definitely much better than the first 2 books in this series. I just felt like singing: "It must be love", from Madness . Just like watching one of those amazing romantic movies that leave you all cozy inside. **sigh**.

In this book we have our sexy hot hero, Rob, described as one of those guys too sexy to be real, almost a GQ guy (not being really one because he's too rough and manly,lol). P.E.R.F.E.C.T. Just how I like them. He went through a lot of terrible things that made him not trust in love, even reality was against him as 60% of couples get divorced including himself, so why should he trust in love?

I just wanna keep it simple because I know long reviews can get boring sometimes, I just wanna say that I loved this book and left me really wanting to read the next in the series right away. I hope it is just as good.
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,670 reviews3,278 followers
February 16, 2023
Quick, It's Only $1.99!!!
4 Gibson Stars
* * * *
I discovered Romance and became obsessed with many of the authors I discovered. In 2012 I found Rachel Gibson and grabbed everything I could find in my fantastic dollar bookstore. This was part of the treasures and I thoroughly recommend it if you like light, fun, sexy reads.

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Profile Image for Micky Cox.
2,212 reviews33 followers
May 30, 2022
Humor and angst abound in this rom com that is delightfully entertaining and a great listen! The narrator did a great job of bringing these characters to life and enhancing a well thought out plot. I'm not a sports fan, but this hockey themed rom com series is absolutely hitting the goal of entertaining me for hours on end. I'm looking forward to listening to the next in the series!
Profile Image for Splage.
615 reviews388 followers
December 21, 2011
I am really going back and forth on rating this book between a 4 or 5. The ending was fabulous; lump in the throat, funny, ironic and made me feel so good. I loved the sport's hero theme, although Rob was no longer playing and owned a sporting goods store in small town Idaho, he still had the attitude. Rachel Gibson has pretty much always delivered for me, great characters, well written stories with depth, but lightness. When I first started reading romance 3 years ago she is who I cut my teeth on and stories like this are why I love her style. She always gets to me in the end and soon as I finish one of her books I immediately am either looking for a reread from her or something new.

This book started off with a bang. Kate is a successful PI, but she has had some bad experiences becoming cynical about love and is unsure of her self worth. She is heading for a new life, helping her widowed grandfather cope with his loneliness, and trying to find herself. She meets Rob in a bar on Valentine's Day, instant sexual chemistry, she drops her good girl morals and propositions him... and he says "Don't take it personal, but I don't fuck women I meet in bars.".... mortification, my shoulders even sunk for the heroine, Kate. Of course when she finally gets to her destination Rob is a part of the community as well. When the Rob & Kate run into each other again, the chemistry is gone for me, not sure that was the author's intention. Rob was sort of an asshole and Kate was cold (understandable), but she was unfriendly to everyone, unlike when the book started. This is where you got to meet all the quirky people of the small town, so it wasn't a total bust and there were some funny moments. As Kate and Rob start to become friends and Kate drops her guard the book heats up quickly and Rob's he-man fantasies are pretty stirring, reality even better. Loved the romance between the two, great jealousy tension

When I started writing this review I clicked the 4 star, not I am back up to 5 just thinking about the beginning and ending.

224 reviews40 followers
March 27, 2011
Just ok.

I picked up this author from amazon as she appeared in the same lists as sep, whose books are great.
However this was not half as good.

The heroine tries to pick up a guy at a bar for sex. He rejects her and she is humiliated.

She goes on to stay with her grandfather in the small town of Gospel and it turns out this guy, the hero, is also resident there. She is initially embarrassed and there is conflict between the pair until they eventually get it on.

They have both suffered fairly difficult experiences and are struggling to heal.

The author goes on and on about the hero's moustache and this was a fundamental problem for me as it made him singularly unattractive. I mean, ugh....

The detail of small town life and the secondary romance involving the grandfather and hero's mother was well done and probably the best bit of the book.

The hero and heroine, not so much so.....

There was a big build up, sex, rejection, build up, sex, rejection and finally denouement. To be honest by the end, I did not really care.

There was a lot of talk about sex and fantasy but it was done in such away that I found it pretty off putting.

The heroine goes on about how she wants more from a relationship and that she deserves to be properly treated, but she doesn't really put this into practice and does let the h use her. I was not a all convinced by the hero's turn about, especially as it only occurred on the last 20 or so pages.

Not a keeper
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