Take Charge by Mandy Baggot - Giveaway

 

Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot

May 3rd 2012 by Sapphire Star Publishing 

Synopsis:

Is going back Robyn’s only way forward? American-born Robyn Matthers is going home. With her dad in hospital, his roadhouse in ruins and the ice hockey team slipping down the league, she needs to take charge. But does she have the strength to do it? Cole Ryan is a hockey player on a personal mission. He’s tall, dark, hot and Robyn’s noticed! But can she trust her feelings - or his? And what will Cole do when he finds out the truth about her? With an ill father, a trailer trash step-mom and ex-boyfriend Brad desperate for another chance, does Robyn have time to contemplate a relationship? Can she start again? Does she really want to? And can two people really fall in love in three days?

Meet Mandy Baggot:
Mandy Baggot is a self-confessed Twitter addict who likes to sing on You Tube. She regularly guests on book blogs and is a featured author on the innovative website loveahappyending.com. She is also a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Taking Charge is her fifth novel. Mandy lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.

For more information, visit:
Website / FaceBook / Goodreads / Twitter

Buy Link: Amazon / B&N


Excerpt:

He’d given her the best room. She had a panoramic view of West Lake and all its natural Michigan beauty. When she’d woken up the next morning and drawn back the curtains, the scenery had stunned her. The sun was already up and the lake was still and calm. Like a mirror, it reflected every tree standing along the banks. The sky was a cornflower blue and there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

She was still suffering from the time difference, but this morning, opening her eyes to the fantastic garden, the boats moored around the edge of the water and the lake itself, everything seemed a little bit better. Today was a good weather day. The sun was shining and there was little wind, and in Portage, that meant getting intimate with the barbecue.

She was already outside on the deck, a pair of tongs in her hand, and the lid of the grill open, when Cole appeared.

“Morning! Bratwurst?” she greeted, waving a sausage in the air.

Cole opened the door and Robyn pushed him inside. She grabbed hold of his hands and put them on her hips. She kissed him, pushing him down onto the floor of the hallway. She wanted to get as close to him as she could. She pulled his t-shirt over his head and looked appreciatively at the firm, muscular chest underneath. She ran her fingers down, across his sternum to the waistband of his jeans.

Cole stopped her, taking hold of her hand and squeezing it in his.

She looked into his eyes, those deep, dark eyes. She kissed his lips again, closing her eyes and savoring every second of how it felt to lose herself in someone, without any questions or recriminations. Without anyone having to get up and go home.

Cole brought her fingers to his mouth and softly kissed each knuckle in turn. His gentleness was too much to bear, and she drew herself away, let him go and got to her feet, sweeping her hair back out of her face.
 
The pink neon sign of Taboo throbbed in front of them. Mickey and the rest of the team had been at another bar before arriving at the club, and they were already well lubricated.

“Now, listen up. Bob has the kitty—strictly beer, no ridiculously, expensive, potent cocktails, no shots, and absolutely no tequila. I want you all to enjoy yourselves, but we do have an important game tomorrow, so let’s remember that,” Robyn said.

Henrik repositioned a bright yellow cowboy hat on his head and loosely strung a red feather boa around Mickey’s neck. Robyn had no idea where he had got them from.

“What about the kitty for the girls? You get special treatment if you throw money at them,” Art piped up.

“If you want to throw money at them, Art, you knock yourself out, but you won’t be throwing my money at them,” Robyn informed him.

 Jen's Review....

I LOVED this book! I had no idea it was about Hockey! I LOVE Hockey!!!

And Robyn.. I love her, Probably more than I loved Cole or Brad, or anyone else in the book, although Max and Eddie were close, but Robyn just had that special Southern Charm that really got to me.

I loved her from the first page when she was cursing her backpack at the airport from breaking, Her shock when she learned the handsome guy offering to carry her heavy bag to her terminal was on the same flight as she was, and especially ON the flight when she's babbling on and on and on about whatever pops in her head!

Cole must have been exhausted by her motor mouth! WOW! lol Cole is a sweetheart, calm and caring guy, and yes, he has some good come backs when Robyn starts rattling on. They are really REALLY Cute together.

This book has a lot of ups and downs.. Robyn is back after 9 years of leaving her small hometown. She barely had contact with anyone over there. But when her dad was put in the hospital, she had no choice but to come home.

I have another favorite. Uncle Bob - lol he's SO CUTE! I love his wife Pam always asking if she's right, then uncle Bob saying "yes dear" in his patronizing voice. lol I can just hear those two clear as day :)

Oh anyways - so when Robyn goes to the hospital to see her dad, things don't go as well as they should have. They have a strange relationship. One min they really like each other, next they're biting off each other's heads. They are both really stubborn, and Max, Eddie's roommate in the hospital isn't much help either. Always trying to get into everyone's business.

So Robyn's first priority is to check out her father's Roadhouse. She wasn't looking forward to meeting Nancy, her dad's girlfriend. And she was right, Nancy had taken over the roadhouse. They stopped serving food, and turned the place into a biker's bar!!
Robyn was beside herself, and she cleared out the bar, Nancy included within record time.

Sarah and Mickey and Brad came into the Roadhouse to welcome Robyn back.
Being back has dragged up some memories from the past that Robyn had hoped would have faded over time. But they didn't. After 9 years, she is still haunted by her memories.

When she meets the Panther's Hockey team. the one that her father usually managed, she knew she had to take over and get the team back into shape.

She ran into Cole at the local diner, and asked him if he'd be interested in trying out.
She wasn't prepared for Cole to be awesome at the game! But being the new guy wasn't easy.
ok I left out a lot of little details because trust me, this book is worth the read :) it's been awhile since I've LOL-ed over a good book :)

Totally recommended by me - especially for those Hockey Romantic fans :)

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*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising*