Skating on Thin Ice (Game On in Seattle #1) by Jami Davenport Review

Skating on Thin Ice by Jami Davenport
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Billionaire, Ethan Parker, is on a mission to bring a professional hockey team to Seattle. He has an agreement to buy the Gainesville Giants hockey team and plans to relocate them from Florida. Part of the agreement is that the deal cannot be revealed until after the playoffs. Until then, Ethan goes undercover with the Giants as a consultant to learn everything he can about the team.

As Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Giants, Lauren Schneider, is assigned to help consultant, Ethan Williams. She has enjoyed working with Ethan but feels betrayed when she discovers he has been lying about his identity and is about to become her boss.

I respect Lauren. She loves hockey and wants a career in the sport. Being a woman that is not easy. While I was reading this book, I came across an article in Huffington Post’s Sports Section entitled, “How Hard Is It to Make It to the NHL?” by Emily Cornelius. I had to laugh at one of her quotes and thought it was the perfect companion to this book. Cornelius wrote, “I won't even get into the frustrations of a female hockey player who has a better chance of winning the lottery, while getting struck by lightning in a double rainbow than making it to the NHL... ” Even though Lauren’s career is on the staff side, I still thought the statement was appropriate to her situation. She was dealing with a lot of old-school hockey players, including her father, and not getting the respect she deserved. That is until, Ethan came into the picture.

Speaking of Ethan, I appreciate that he is progressive, and he loves hockey so much that he wants to share it with the city he calls home. I know that he didn’t like lying, and it went against his character but it still bothered me a that he did it. Had it been me, I probably would have never gone undercover, in which case we wouldn’t have a story; a very good story at that.

I am a huge hockey fan. Even though I live in Chicago, I would love to see an expansion team in Seattle. It is a great city, and I could see a NHL team doing well there. Especially considering that the first US team to win a Stanley Cup in 1917 was the Seattle Metropolitans which played until 1924. With all the talks of possible expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas, I think the timing of this book is perfect, making it all the more believable and exciting. I can see a ton of potential for this series and what the team will go through being a new team, in a new city.

As for Skating on Thin Ice’s plot, it was refreshing and interesting. There were a lot of hockey scenes but also a ton about the business side of professional sports which was fascinating. Plus, it included an office romance that was trying to be avoided; not to mention all the drama and uncertainty of all the people affected in the Giant’s organization.

I have enjoyed the books I have read in Jami Davenport’s Seattle Lumberjacks football series, I also am really excited that she decided to start a hockey series. Between Skating on Thin Ice and Crashing the Boards, she has done an admiral job transitioning sports. I look forward to seeing what else she comes up with in the Game On in Seattle Series.

Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle Edition, 249 pages
Expected publication: September 29th 2014 by Cedrona Enterprises
ASIN: B00MQDHRFA
edition language: English
url: http://www.jamidavenport.com/SOTIBlurb.html
series: Game On in Seattle #1

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