Guarding the Crease

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

By: G.K. Brady

Narrated by: Gideon Frost, Addison Barnes, Zachary Johnson

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

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

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!

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.

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.

Perfect ending to the series

Guarding the Crease is the 9th and final book in author G. K. Brady’s Playmakers hockey romance series. Nine playmakers and swoony Coach LeBrun’s story in the prequel. I know how you feel; I wasn’t happy that this was the end, either. But there are always re-reads and re-listens and good news I’ll share later.

This is goalie Wyatt Tompkins’s story, the perfect wrap up of the perfect series and transition to what comes next. If you’ve read and listened to the entire series (and if not, why not??) then you’ve met Wyatt before, in Book 6, No Touch Zone, when Dana “Mac” McPherson took Wyatt’s job. Although he was an excellent, elite level goalie, Wyatt was a first-class jerk, a troublemaker. Fighting, carousing, unbearably cocky and self-centered and it was nice to see him go. So when we meet Wyatt again at the beginning of Guarding the Crease we figure we’ve got the same old Wyatt: the one who has lost his friends, his job with the Blizzard, the womanizer, drinker, fighter, pretty boy bad boy. But this is G. K. Brady and this is The Playmakers and we’ve seen the other players start out cocky and then learn a few lessons, meet good women, and instead of just easy on the eyes become easy to be around.

Wyatt and Serena have history. Bad history. He’s the guy who makes her PR Director job so much harder trying to downplay or put a positive spin on his antics – over and over again. He thinks of her as that uptight, tight-lipped, angry woman who hates him. But when she’s being attacked in the parking lot at a fundraiser he doesn’t think twice about stepping in, even though he doesn’t even really realize it’s her and he has no idea who the man is. And when she has an asthma attack he insists on getting her proper medical care and staying with her until it’s safe for her to be alone.

Whoa, who is this guy? This isn’t a Wyatt we’ve seen before. Sure, he’s still cocky and hasn’t acknowledged to himself or anyone else that he’s really that bad. For now he doesn’t think he has to actually change so much as convince the Blizzard he has. But a Wyatt Tompkins who for even a second thinks about someone else? We could quickly get used to him – and we do.

Wyatt is still a smart aleck, still cocky and his desperate desire to look good to management and regain a permanent position on the team focuses on “look good.” He doesn’t believe he’s really all that bad; he doesn’t really need to clean up his act – he just needs to convince the Blizzard that he has. But he has some eye-openers coming.

This new Wyatt has Serena confused. Sure, he was always a handsome hunk, but this guy who has a brain and can carry on a conversation and isn’t always leering? Danger! She could start to like that guy. The more we learn about Wyatt’s family, what’s happened to him in the past, what is still happening, the more attractive he becomes. His behavior isn’t excusable, but some things are starting to make a little more sense.

Author Brady does her usual amazing job of moving the story and the possible relationship between Wyatt and Serena smoothly along with humor and heat and more than a few bumps along the way. There’s so much going on in each of their lives: Wyatt’s evil mother, mending fences with his teammates, Serena’s evil coworker sabotaging her with the team’s owner, her attacker from the fundraiser still around and still a threat. Brady seamlessly weaves all these situations together, sometimes making it feel like a happy reunion as we catch up with the team and spend time with family members that aren’t evil, and sometimes it feels like a horror movie, when it seems like someone is always watching, undermining, trying to do harm and cause trouble.

Serena feels she “owes” Wyatt for saving her, not to mention the intriguing little tingles she is starting to feel around him and agrees to be his plus-one at his brother’s wedding. Wyatt needs a date that will fit in, and one of his usual puck bunnies won’t do it. But Serena has touched something in Wyatt; he also feels some of those tingles but he also feels somehow softer, gentler when around her and he kind of likes it. The wedding weekend is a disaster in many ways, tragic, sad, a mess. But it’s also funny and happy and brings our favorite couple closer together, as she learns more about him and his family and what’s underneath the façade of Bad Wyatt, and he sees a new side of her as well, one that maybe even likes him and wants to be near him. And let’s not forget the steamy, sexy, swoony, sweet bits that are Brady’s specialty. You sigh and wipe your brow and touch your heart – fabulous.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance listening copy of Guarding the Crease with a multicast of Gideon Frost, Addison Barnes, and Zachary Johnson narrating. Fantastic doesn’t cover it. Reading a G. K. Brady book is perfect; listening is a step beyond, and multicast is just wow. They captured all the emotions – the hope and the sorrow, the love, the breathiness, the humor, all there – and it was like being present at all their interactions. A wonderful story, wonderfully told, with a wonderful ending – and the good news – lots of backstory and a peek into the lives of Wyatt’s cousins in Brady’s new Fall River series which is underway and is just as good as The Playmakers. I’ll miss the hockey guys but maybe they’ll show up now and again. I loved this book, love the series, love this author, can’t recommend it enough. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

Perfect balance of humor, angst, heart, and heat!

This enemies-to-lovers story held me captive from start to finish with it's heartfelt emotion, fun banter, and hot and steamy passion. We finally get Wyatt's story after his crazy party antics throughout the previous books. He needs to clean up his reputation so he can play again for the Blizzards. When he rescues Serena from danger, he asks her to help him with his image as payment. She has had enough of cleaning up after him and declines, but does agree to be his fake date to a family wedding to protect him from his mother setting him up with someone else. Serena takes care of the PR for the Blizzards and office politics are making her job even more of a challenge. As they help each other navigate their careers and lives, spending more time together, their chemistry builds and builds, until it is impossible to deny. But when both their positions with the team are threatened, will they be able to support each other, or will losing their dream job be too much, and they push each other away, breaking both their hearts? I was so invested in Wyatt and Serena and the push/pull between them. The chemistry between them is off the charts even while they’re faking it. They are both confident characters who can really pull off a rouse in public but it’s the connection they start to forge in private that makes them so perfect for one another. I loved Wyatt's growth as he recognized his faults and worked hard to be a better man, while convincing Serena he was perfect for her.
The narration by Gideon Frost as Wyatt, Addison Barnes as Serena, and guest appearance by Zachary Johnson was fantastic. They added so much depth to these characters. I loved the way they developed and expressed these characters and their struggles so clearly, making me care for them even more. I was completely captivated by their passionate and poignant performances.
This is an engaging and completely addicting story that has the perfect balance of humor, angst, heart, and heat!

MUST READ

I loved this story and this series! I am a sucker for hockey romance and this one hit the spot! These narrators Gideon Addison and Zachery did a wonderful job with these characters! Chefs kiss!

Wyatt and Serena

I really enjoyed this book and the narrators did a fantastic performance. They really made this book for me. This is another great hockey book in this series by G.K. Brady. Serena is a pr rep and Wyatt is the bad boy hockey player. Wyatt rescues Serena and in turn she helps him. These two definitely are opposites but they help each other in their times of need and it grows from there. This book is full of humor, steam and a little danger. I truly enjoyed every moment of their journey of growth and love to that fantastic ending. Definitely a 4.5 star must read.
I was sent a free audiobook from HCB and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.