Guarding the Crease

An Opposites Attract Hockey Romance (The Playmakers Series®, Book 9)

De: G.K. Brady

Narrado por: Gideon Frost, Addison Barnes, Zachary Johnson

The knight charging to her rescue is the last person in the world she wants to see. Now she owes him, and he’s ready to collect.

When I spot Serena Lambert in danger, I don’t think twice—I jump in to help. It’s only after that I realize what I’ve done: I’ve played the knight in shining armor for the woman who probably hates my guts more than anyone else on the planet. Serena, the Blizzard’s PR director and the bane of my existence, looks just as shocked as I feel. Guess she thought she was finally rid of me. But bad pennies? We always turn up.

Being an NHL goalie has its perks, and trust me, I’ve taken full advantage of every single one. But when I end up becoming the league’s most infamous netminder, all those perks disappear, along with my spot on the roster. I want back in, and for that, I need Serena’s PR magic. Sure, she’s prickly as hell, but I can deal with that. She’s already had to clean up my tabloid messes before. Plus, let’s be honest, she’s not exactly hard on the eyes.

Serena’s laser-focused on her career, trying to cement her place on the team while dealing with a backstabbing coworker. Helping me is the last thing she needs, but there’s something undeniable between us, something that goes beyond my usual charm. The more time I spend with her, the more I find myself wanting to dig deeper, to figure out what makes her tick.Yeah, we’re like oil and water. We might not mix, but maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to blend. And if we do, who knows? We might just score our happily-ever-after.

©2023 G.K. Brady (P)2024 G.K. Brady

Everything I want in a great listen

This is the first book I have read or listened to by G.K. Brady but it won’t be the last. If you love hockey romances you need to check out Wyatt Tompkins and Serena Lambert’s entertaining journey in Guarding the Crease.
Ellie Gossage and Ash Beverly are also new narrators to me but they did a great hon bringing the characters and their story to life. They were very easy to listen to and they were spot on with the emotion and the banter.
Wyatt is a PR nightmare before he was let go by his Colorado NHL team and now he is back wanting his goalie position back.
Serena has been working in the PR dept for years and she is good at what she does but how will she handle the man who in the past caused so many problems and can he prove to her that he is a changed man.
More importantly will they be prepared to cross the line and risk their careers.
This is book 9 in The Playmakers Series and I will certainly be checking out the previous books as soon as time permits. A sweet and entertaining story that will appeal to a wide range of audiences.

Redemption for Wyatt…

I love a solid redemption arc, and no character has needed one more than Wyatt Tompkins! The utter lack of self-awareness and self-interest of him in previous books made it surprising that Brady would come back to tell his story, but I am so glad she did. His development happens on all fronts - not only romantically with Serena, but with the team (so many great scenes with the Blizzard fam!), and then within Wyatt himself - it was all just so well executed.

Trope-wise, there’s some fake dating becomes real vibes. I really liked how Wyatt and Serena’s relationship grew over the book. The deepening of their connection progressed so as to feel believable and genuine. The way Serena calls Wyatt out from the start because she had to handle all his mess-ups as the Blizzard PR guru, just sets up such a great dynamic between them. Of course they ultimately can’t resist each other despite this rocky start, so there is also some great sexual tension. There’s lots of fire between the MCs, so headphone should 100% be in for this one!

My one hangup with the story has to do with the antagonists. There are technically three and in the end they are all a bit of a let down. They each played too much into some character cliches. And for as much damage as they were inflicting on the MCs throughout the story, especially on Serena, they are far too easily waved away at the end. The result is a rushed and slightly unsatisfying resolution to these external conflicts.

The audiobook production was excellent. This time around the format was duet! (Well, technically trio because of the three narrators.) Casting Gideon Frost and Zachary Johnson for the guy chapters and dialogue, along with Addison Barnes for the lady chapters and dialogue, made for an immersive experience. It’s cool when the actors perform together through the whole book rather than switching off from chapter to chapter. And everyone was so well-cast, adding shade and depth to the characters and the story as a whole. These were all new-to-me narrators, and I look forward to hearing more from each of them in future.

I definitely recommend this one. Whether you’re in it for the great MC redemption arc, a unique listening experience, or an enjoyable return to the Blizzard world, you won’t regret pressing play on this one! I hope Brady has more Playmaker fun in the wings!

I’m grateful to have received an ALC copy of the audiobook via Home Cooked Books. I also read the book via KU. All opinions expressed are my own.

Understanding Can Change One's Perspective

I thought this story was fun and amazing as Wyatt wasn't a favorite character of mine when he was first introduced in another book in this series. The author managed to change my opinion as this story delved deeper into Wyatt's background, along with the growth Wyatt experienced as he started to recognize how others saw him. I liked the characters and their tumultuous path on the way to finding romance. I appreciated the moments of humor. There were some steamy scenes. I enjoyed the multiple narrators: Gideon Frost, Zachary Johnson, and Addison Barnes. I thought the combined narrators' performances enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given an advanced listeners' copy by Home Cooked Books. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this story.

Second Chances and Unexpected Connections

Guarding the Crease" by G.K. Brady is a heartwarming and engaging addition to the series. Wyatt, a character I initially found frustrating, gets his own story, and the unexpected depth of his character development is truly rewarding. His journey alongside Serena is filled with humor, heartwarming moments, and surprising introspection.

Seeing familiar faces from previous books adds a delightful layer of nostalgia and enriches the world-building. The duet narration by Gideon Frost, Addison Barnes, and Zachary Johnson is exceptional. Each voice actor brings the characters to life with incredible nuance and personality, elevating the listening experience.

"Guarding the Crease" is another fantastic entry in the series, expertly crafted and beautifully brought to life in audio. Highly recommended!

Love it

Oh Wyatt, always the playboy. He finds himself getting into trouble on and off the ice. His antics are making headlines that reflects on the team. His self centered cockiness caught up with him, as he was let go.
Now Serena is the PR person to put out those fires. She definitely is not a fan of him. Especially when he temporarily comes back on a trial basis.
I enjoyed this steamy, fun hockey romance. There is some workplace drama, sexy times.
Gideon Frost, Addison Barnes, Zachary Johnson are exceptional performers. Thank you for a wonderful listen.

Good story and narration

G.K Brady is a new author to me, and I am shocked that I have not come across this talented author before. As soon as time permits, I will be looking at her other books., this may have been my first but it won’t be my last.
Wyatt Tompkins is an NHL goaltender and Serena Lambert is the PR director for the Colorado Blizzard’s. Their relationship is complicated but when Wyatt comes to Serena’s rescue things move to another level.
Wyatt has always had a reputation as a player on and off the ice and his shenanigans have certainly created havoc for Serena previously. Now he wants to be re-instated to the Colorado Blizzards and he wants her help.
Can Wyatt convince Serena that he is worth taking a risk for? These two could not be more different and yet they work. As Serena gets to know the real man that Wyatt tries to hide, she is surprised that there is more to him than she initially thought.
The narration by Gideon Frost, Addison Barnes and Zachary Johnson who did a fabulous job bringing the characters and story to life. Their voices were easy to listen too and I found myself invested in their performance and the story.
I loved their journey; it was entertaining and heartwarming to watch the walls crumble between them. Guarding the Crease is a little gem that I loved.

New Book Bf

Guarding The Crease is a hockey romance. I immediately liked Wyatt but it took a minute to like Serena, Wyatt's the hockey player and Serena is the uptight co-worker. I was shocked to listen to Wyatt's past hijinks, he was wild too wild.

I like Wyatt's protectiveness of Serena, and the way they feel about each other. I really liked the wedding, he finally grew some balls.. I liked all the parts when they hung out together, they were sweet moments. I liked how Wyatt grew up from his hijinks days.

Gideon Frost, Addison Barnes & Zachary Johnson did a great job bringing this world and the characters to life I liked they're voices, they were soothing ... kinda.

This series is a great read/listen.. The series is long which I like and i also like that the characters all stay the same, meaning you can find out about past characters through out the whole series.

Never thought I could love bad boy Wyatt!!

Guarding the Crease is book #9 in The Playmakers series. I'm not usually one for a longer series, but this one has really captivated me from the beginning. This story is about bad boy goalie Wyatt Tompkins. He's just about hit rock bottom in his career and is trying to pull himself back up and get back into hockey. He happens to save a woman from an assault which turns out to be Serena Lambert, head of the Blizzard's PR department. She thinks Wyatt is a walking nightmare. Wyatt thinks he's the best thing on the ice. These two are complete opposites with hilarious banter, but there is trouble brewing for both of them (Serena with her job and Wyatt with his mother). This is a standalone, but the teammates are included, so don't miss their stories!! Oh, check out the playlist for this entire series as well. The author really gives you the perfect background for the story.

The narration was absolutely fantastic. The multicast narration from Gideon Frost (Wyatt), Zachary Johnson (all the teammates), and Addison Barnes (Serena) was perfection. These are well-loved narrators of mine and they did NOT disappoint. 5/5 stars for this trio!

Still loving this series!

This one is the ninth in the series and it still pulls out all the Wows! I enjoyed meeting both Wyatt and Serena. Each brought their own sass and lessons to the table plus their lego connection is adorable. One had a lot to learn which was interesting to watch the light bulbs go off in the noggin as certain things are realized. I loved how this started off and then got real active and basically stayed that way to the surprising end. This one covers a lot of ground and I loved every second of seeing these two grow.

I listened to this on audio. The narration is done by three talented narrators. Gideon Frost, Zachary Johnson and Addison Barnes all do a wonderful job and are easy on the ears.

Serena and Wyatt

I enjoyed this story and the three narrators did a good job telling it and giving all the characters a voice.

Wyatt is given a second chance with the team he was booted out and Serena works in the PR department for the same team. Even though this is book #9 it can be read/listened to as a standalone. Wyatt is a bit arrogant at the beginning as he tries to prove he belongs back on his old team. I found this story interesting and entertaining. Wyatt and Serena become friends when Serena is attacked at a charity event and Wyatt comes to her rescue before things escalated. Wyatt is given a wake up call about his previous and current behavior in the beginning. But also you get a glimpse into what he went through growing up. Love how Serena doesn't fall for Wyatt and keeps putting him in his place. There were some funny moments like Victor when he claims his love for Serena. Serena has to deal with being harassed and also deal with a backstabbing assistant and the boss of the team and his shady behavior. Then she is thrown a curveball dealing with her health. There is also an adorable little boy in some of the story. Look forward to listening/reading the next story.