Review: The Game That Breaks Us by Micalea Smetzler

Hockey’s bad boy needs to clean up his reputation…

Bennett James has built his career at being the best, on and off the ice, and now it’s come back to bite him. The media has turned against him, and with a near career-ending injury, he needs to clean up his act and prove that he’s serious about the game. For Bennett, working with his old coach at his alma mater feels like a step back, but it might be just what he needs.

…and she’s going to help him do it.

Grace Wentworth has always been the good girl, and she’s tired of that stigma. She wants to prove that she can get down and dirty with the best of them. The problem? She doesn’t know how. 

Bennett will teach the good girl how to be bad, if she pretends to be his goody two-shoes girlfriend in front of the media.

But what happens when the game becomes real?

4.5 Stars

Review by Jen Skewes

I always, always look forward to Micalea’s books.  I love her characters, her writing and the storylines that she creates.  I could not wait for this book and I can say that Ms. Smetzler did not disappoint.  This may be one of my favorite books by her in this series.  What I loved about it is that this one felt a little different than the others which it what made it one even better.

Grace Wentworth is off to college.  She hopes by going away that she can find her inner bad girl.  She has always been the good girl and wants to prove that she is more than that.  She wants to prove that she can be bad and party with the rest of them in college.  Her first day includes meeting a hot guy whom she should not trust by any means at all but yet for some reason she does, to meeting her roommate who based on first impressions is not someone she is likely not going to be friends with,  to going to a frat party only to have to save said roommate from something terrible happening to her.  Her first day on her own was definitely a crazy one.  The guy who she trusted on the first day of meeting him seems to keep popping up, in her mind and in person.  Turns out not only is he hot but he is a professional hockey player who is currently working with his college coach in hopes of saving his career. 

Bennett is a hockey player and a dam good one.  But over the last few years his career and fame have may have gone to his head. He has had some issues with the media and is known as a player.  Pictures of him out drinking, or with different woman all the time have caused him to get a bad rep, and it  may be one that he deserves.  When he injures himself off the ice he knows that now is the time to get his career back on track. He has gone back to his old college where his old coach has agreed to work with him and get him back on the ice again.  But Bennett needs to also work on his image and his bad habits.  He knows he needs to stay away from the puck bunnies, the one night stands, and the alcohol.  Hockey is his life and he will do whatever it takes to get back out there.  But there was one thing that he never counted on and that was Grace Wentworth. 

Grace has consumed his mind.  She is nothing like the girls that he has been with.  There is just something about her and her beauty that has captured him.  He knows that is first priority is hockey but he also knows that she is the perfect person to help him.  He makes her an offer and while she accepts she has her own offer as well, because she needs him just as much as he needs her.  They start out as friends but as time goes on will they become more?  

There are so many reasons why I loved this book.  The first being Bennett.  Yes he was your typical hockey star who was a complete player, who let his fame go to his head and changed him in a way that affected his career.  But deep down I honestly did not see him as that guy at all and I think Bennett needed to be the person that he was before he became famous.    The person that I saw when he was with Grace, was caring and very protective when it came to Grace.  He had a really cute and flirtateous way about him which I loved.  He loved to push Grace's buttons which he knew how to do very well.  He was an amazing guy who wanted to be back on the ice where he belonged.  But he has his own secret, one that could either destroy him further or save him.  

Grace is the good girl, the one who always follows the rules.  If you have read the Trace & Olivia series this is Tace's daughter.  For one I loved the relasioship that she had with her parents.  It was so great to see Trace and Olivia with their daughter.  To be there to protect her and to see the closeness between her and her mom.  While she may have looked like a spoiled rich girl who was too good, she was far from that.  And I think she wanted to get away from that image.  She wanted to be the bad girl whether she had it in her or not.  She was just a really sweet, caring and awesome girl and I loved her.  

What I really loved about this book was the friendship between Grace and Bennett.  Yes they were friends first anti was such a beautiful, fun and loving relationship.  You could tell there was more between them brewing and I could not wait for that moment when it all finally came together.  They flirted with each other, they were there for each other and they just has this amazing connection.  

They had some obstacles in their way when it came to their relationship but they fought through them.  There was a moment towards the end where I felt like Bennett was a little too forgiving in a way.  I can't go into detail but I wanted a little more where the conflict of the story was resolved.  Other than that one small issue I absolutely adored this book.  I wanted to see Bennet and Grace get their happily ever after together.  I wanted them to see that they were so good together and could be more than just friends.  I felt that connection that they had.  They are just one of those couples that make you smile whenever they are together.  Once again Micalea Smetzler has made me fall in love.  Not only with the characters but with the story and her words as well.  This book was fun, witty, with just the right amount of drama and in a way a little bit of suspense as well.  Well done!!