Before We Came

Lakes Hockey Series, Book 1

By: Sloane St. James

Narrated by: Edward Black, Chloe Ryan

Birdie

Her funeral unraveled decades of secrets hidden from me—horrible secrets. This rabbit hole I've fallen down has revealed my past is much more sinister than I could have imagined. Everything I thought I knew has been a lie, and now there's only one place for me to turn: back to the people who have been searching for me all these years.

One of those people is my newfound brother's best friend: Lonan Burke, star defenseman for the Minnesota Lakes. His dirty talk and praise offer an easy escape as I shift into my new life. I'm ready to start anew with the ones who love me, but I'm not so sure I can settle down when I've just been set free.

Lonan

She's back. We were kids the last time I saw her, but my innocent crush from childhood is full-grown now. And it's not so innocent anymore. She's a breath of fresh air from the series of one-night stands since being drafted into the NHL. I've only got one shot with her, and I'm not taking it for granted. I may give her the passion she's been craving, but she's the intimacy I've waited for my whole life.

When her story hits the media, she needs a place to hide. I offer her sanctuary in my penthouse. For the first time, this frigid condo feels like a home, and she's made me believe the future I've always wanted is within reach. For now, I'm willing to hold her hands during the day and pin them down at night. But I want more.

This spicy hockey romance features dirty talk, praise, suspense, kidnapping, angst, a fatal car accident, second-chance love, forced proximity, and of course, a happily ever after. Intended for mature listeners.

©2023 Sloane St. James (P)2024 Podium Audio

Unique hockey Romance

So so good. Highly recommend. Such a different hockey Romance. And the spice is exquisite!

PLOT TWIST!

Woah I did not see that plot twist coming! This was a good book with great narration

Overall a funny and enjoyable listen

I really enjoyed some of the comedic moments in this book. I enjoyed the interactions between hero & heroine. I wish there had been a bit more about the heroine's life growing up. There were 'case notes' scattered through the story, but I didn't feel like they gave enough insight into what life was like for the heroine growing up.
Also, there were a few times where I wasn't sure which character was speaking, or if the character was speaking aloud or just thinking. That could've been done a little better in the narration by using inflection.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will listen to the rest of the series.

Great story.

Narration wasn’t my favorite but I managed. I did enjoy the story. Can’t wait to continue the series

Second Chance for Childhood Friends

Before We Came

When Birdie’s adopted mom passes, when she sees a picture of her when she was little with her mom, she gets a weird feeling. In the picture it looks like her but also it doesn’t. The girl in the picture has brown eyes but she has gray eyes. Also in the picture her birthmark on her leg isn’t there. She talks to her bestie about it and they brush it off. In hopes to find possible family, her friend recommends a DNA test. When the results come back 6 weeks later, she find out that she’s really a woman who was kidnapped when she was little and her family is still looking for her.

Lonan is a big time hockey player who is a total playboy. Ever since his friend and the girl he obsessed about got kidnapped, he turned to no emotion hookups.

Birdie flies to Minneapolis to find her family. With no set plan she decides to get a hotel room for a couple days. Meeting a bad boy tattoo’d man in the hotel bar, she has the best hookup of her life. The swap numbers and carryon. She decides to camp outside her childhood home and when a car leaves she follows. It ends up being her mom and she decides to talk to her in the middle of Target.

Finding her family was very positive and she gets flooded with memories and doesn’t feel to out of place. They is until the childhood boy her and her brother were best friends with ended up being Lonan, the guy she hooked up at the hotel.

I loved how Lonan instantly changed his ways and wanted to show his love and also support Birdie anyway or form. Due to her needing a visa to work, Lonan offered his guest room and paid cash to Birdie to be his personal chef.

Tropes:
Second Chance
Hidden Identity
Childhood friends to strangers to lovers
Hockey Romance
Reformed Playboy
Close Family

Like the difference in accents between the characters

I’d like if the things they say in the opposite characters chapters were still in the characters voices

Holy Hockey Romance, Batman!

Geez! Sloane St James, where have you been all my life???
Twists and turns! Love and fear! Hockey!!! Literal found family!! Yes, please!
The characters have a lot to learn about themselves and each other. That growth is beautiful to read.
The spice is 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ but it’s not what this story revolves around. It’s a great read and I knocked it out in 24 hours.
I can’t wait to see who’s next!

Loved the story

This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. This was a sweet always been you romance. I loved the suspense in this book and excited to read the next book. The audio was so good.

Strong Start with a Fizzle End

The narration for this book was great! Loved the female and male narrators. The reason for four stars overall has to do with the story overall. The beginning started off with a bang and I was really invested. The pacing was great and the mystery of our FMCs origins and kidnapping really pulled me in.

POTENTIAL SPOILER DETAILS AHEAD:



Once she was reunited with her family, things started to drag for me a little bit. I sort of wanted more details about her childhood and what she went through. The diary entries were great, but I wanted more. I also got really fed up with the 3rd act conflict between the FMC and the MMC. I understood her points and I understood his points; however, it felt like they weren’t articulating them in a cohesive manner to each other. At least not cohesive enough to actually be an issue for why they shouldn’t be together. I guess miscommunication was involved which usually bothers me. I so plan on reading the rest of the series though! Liked it enough to continue.

🖤🖤🖤

Birdie makes a startling discovery that shatters her perception of reality, unearthing unsettling secrets from her past involving the adult who raised her. Driven by a desire to unveil the truth about her true family, she embarks on a quest.
Lonan & Birdie immediately draw you in at the story's onset. Birdie, a complex character, wrestles with the neglect of her early years and the demanding standards set by her family. In contrast, Lonan, while less complex, displays unwavering dedication, even if his methods occasionally falter.