REVIEW: The Inside Edge – Ashlyn Kane

The Inside Edge Book Cover The Inside Edge
Ashlyn Kane
MM Romance Sports
Dreamspinner Press
December 1, 2020
240

What does a work-life balance look like to recently retired professional athletes?

Ex-hockey player Nate Overton is trying to find out, but dipping his toes in the gay dating scene post-divorce is a daunting prospect even without the news that his show is on thin ice. Before he can tackle either issue, he skates headfirst into another problem—his new cohost. Former figure skater Aubrey Chase is the embodiment of a spoiled rich playboy. He’s also flamboyant, sharp, and hot as sin.

Aubrey knows how important it is to get off on the right foot. He’s just not very good at it outside the rink. Having spent his life desperate for attention, he’ll do anything to get it—even the wrong kind.

For Nate and Aubrey, opposites don’t so much attract as collide at center ice. But while Nate’s everything Aubrey has scrupulously avoided—until now—Aubrey falls suddenly head over heels, and Nate’s only looking for a rebound fling. Can Aubrey convince Nate to risk his heart again, or will their unexpected connection be checked at the first sign of trouble?

Reviewed By Aethena Drake

Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

This book was fun to read! I have been missing hockey, traveling to Las Vegas, and conversations with just a dash of snark. I got a chance to enjoy all of those things while reading this book. The author does a wonderful job of keeping the reader engaged in the story with the main characters alone. Nate and Aubrey are an interesting contrast. Sure, their characters are built around an opposites attract trope, but they have a dynamic that is more than simply having differing personalities. Instead of assigning a static personality to her characters, Ashlyn Kane gives the reader a chance to get to know Nate and Aubrey as they adapt to changes in each other’s lives.

 

I was so engaged in this book that if any proofreading or editing errors existed, I wouldn’t have noticed. I really couldn’t wait to find out what improbable situation Aubrey or Nate would put themselves in next. I laughed out loud more than once. The author intentionally uses a few romance tropes that are really entertaining in the right combination.

 

On the surface this story is an opposites attract sports romance about two retired professional athletes, but if you look a little closer, you will see a story about two people getting to know their place in the world by getting to know each other and adapting to life outside of professional sports. As a former college athlete, I appreciated how the author showed a positive side to retiring from competition.

 

I recommend this book for anyone who wants a feel good sports romance with some snark, a dash of holiday hope, and some steamy scenes during a snowstorm.

 

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