Breakaway: A Coach’s Daughter Hockey Romance (Beyond the Play, 2)

Penny Ryder is a girl on a mission to reclaim control of her life and sexual experiences through a well-thought-out list of sexual adventures she is ready to embark on. The problem? The only person she wants to team up with for the list is the star of her dad's ice hockey team, Cooper Callahan. The good news? Neither of them is looking for a relationship and he’s desperate to clear his head and end his dry spell, allowing him to give his all on the ice. A secret friends-with-benefits arrangement will enable them to get what they need, but it quickly becomes apparent that this is about more than focusing on the game or checking off a list.Grace Reilly set the stage for this series with First Down, focused on Cooper’s brother James. But Breakaway stands out among the two. Cooper Callahan is the ideal book boyfriend, the kind who makes you weak in the knees as you read. He’s the typical tall dark and handsome hockey star we have come to love in sports romance novels but with an added praise kink that takes him to the next level. Truly, other authors should take notes from the magnificent dirty talk Reilly incorporates into this book. It is a MUST-read if you enjoy praise and dirty talk.Penny Ryder is a female main character that too many women will be able to identify with. She has a complex backstory that has led to a significant amount of distrust surrounding sex. Grace Reilly tackles the topic of broken trust in an artful way, never allowing it to feel pandering or unrealistic. I am truly grateful for the story she chose to tell and how she told it. Despite the heavy topic, it never weighs down the book or the characters, and instead allows them to have significant periods of growth and progress.The spicy scenes in this book are plentiful and each one is steamier than the one before it. It quickly became one of my favorite spicy books I’ve read and I am eager to see what else comes from this author. The two main characters play with several different kinky situations that remain realistic and fun. Praise is without a doubt one of the most prevalent, with plenty of “good girls” and “that’s my girl” throughout. Combined with some well-placed “brat” callouts, these scenes are a true standout in the genre.Although a standalone novel, I think the reader would benefit greatly from having read First Down for much-needed context into the Callahan family. The cameos from James and Bex were like little hugs throughout Breakaway but never felt forced or out of place

I wasn't a huge Cooper fan in the first book. He was standoffish and difficult and didn't support James and Bex. I just..didn't like him much. But reading Breakaway totally changed my mind!We learned more about Cooper's relationship with his dad and brother ( he just didn't have the same fraught relationship with his other brother Sebastián ) and why he closed part of himself off due to it. I just wanted to give Coop a hug!Penny was perfect for him. Sweet, caring, and saw herself as a little broken. Watching her grow into the confident young woman she wanted to be was lovely.They complimented each other so well, and in caring for each other learned to accept themselves and be honest about what they needed.Definitely worth the read!

While the story started off strong I feel like I got lost in the true plot. The uncle thing kind of was thrown in for a loop and not really necessary. Cooper started off as a strong character and then started making decisions that didn’t match up to who the author made him out to be in the beginning.Penny was relatable but again I felt like she got lost in the plot along with everything else going on.All in all it was okay

“I wouldn't forget a girl with hair like fire and eyes like the sky in early spring.”Book: Tempting the Player(Beyond the Play, Book 2)Author: Grace ReillyRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Cooper Callahan can’t seem to get his act together in his coach’s eyes. In an effort to teach his player responsibility, coach assigns Cooper to volunteer at the local ice rink during his free time. On his first day, he is completely taken aback by the beautiful redhead he will working along side, Penny. Things escalate quickly between the two but once they piece together that Penny is the daughter of Cooper’s coach they know they shouldn’t explore their connection any further. But there is just something about Penny and her sex bucket list that has Cooper willing to risk it all.I am a sucker for a good coach’s daughter story and this just might be one of my favorites I have read. Cooper and Penny’s story is perfectly executed from the very start. They don’t want to fall for one another but the chemistry they share makes it impossible for them not to. We not only get a forbidden love story but we also get a beautiful friendship that is quickly turned into more. The instant chemistry between Cooper and Penny makes for some sweat-worthy scenes while they explore Penny’s spicy to-do list. Cooper has been my favorite Callahan so far, but Grace makes it almost impossible to pick favorites.If you like:Forced ProximityForbidden LoveFriends To LoversTW🚫: FMC recorded without consent (by ex-boyfriend–not within the main couple/not on the page), violence (not within the main couple), mentions of anxiety/panic disorder (FMC struggles with mental health; therapy on page), substance abuse (side character, not within the main couple) and gambling addiction, parent death, mentions of cancer, mentions of recreational drug and alcohol use.Reviewed by: Karley🧡This review was written by members of the Sporty Spice Book Club (sporty.spice.book.club on both Instagram and TikTok).

This is a beautiful and hot story about two people falling in love. The level of communication between the main character is just the cherry on top of everything. Everyone should be able to find the person (or people, if it would work best) to work through The List. Cooper has become one of my favorite MMC of my reading list of 2023 ❤️ Penny has come a long way and she is so cute, but also so bold. They are perfect for each other!

So I absolutely loved this one! Penny and Cooper are absolutely one of my favourite couples! Granted I’m a sucker for Hockey players… but the fact that Cooper is kind, generous, and not pushy is so refreshing.The situation that Penny is given is horrendous, and the fact that this happens is just awful, however I love that this book helps and shows how she regains her power. But also I love that Cooper doesn’t push for details or push her further than what she was ready or willing to do.While I feel like a bit more could have been sorted or done between Coopers relationship with his dad… overall though I love to that the men are not afraid to show their emotions, being Coach, Cooper, or Cooper’s dad in the end… it’s refreshing and honest.Overall, I loved this one… the characters, their strength, their connection and I loved that they didn’t breakup but held on together and got even stronger when faced with adversity! I wish more books had that rather than the breakups. 💕

Oh I thought James Callahan was cute but Cooper just topped him 😍These Callahan boys are the perfect MMC’s and I can’t wait to see if Sebastian is just as cute!Like the relationship between Bex and James, Cooper and Penny were brilliant together and had so much chemistry. Their relationship was definitely spicier and they certainly worked their way through the list in style 😉Again I really enjoyed the sport aspect, although I would have liked more in the second half of the book.This series is fast becoming a favourite for me, so bring on the next one ❤️

This was such an amazing book, I loved it so much.It was sweet it has angst and the spicy scenes were top tier. Would definitely recommend if you love hockey romance!

This was a great book and I really enjoyed it. Sometimes it was a bit too much and maybe a little unrealistic for my taste. The spice tho.. so good! I'm a sucker for hockey romance and this was a great addition to my bookshelf.