Bitter Sweet Heart by H. Hunting Blog Tour

From the outside looking in, I live a charmed life: hockey legend for a father, my own promising future in the league, a great family, awesome friends.

It’s not untrue, but it’s not quite that simple either.

My dad’s advice has always been to make hockey my number-one priority—at least until I make it to the pros. So, going into my senior year of college, I have a plan. I’ll put in the effort required to pass my classes, play hockey like my life depends on it, and avoid relationships. All I have to do is stay focused on the end game.

It should be easy.

But when a woman literally floats into my dock, just before summer ends and my senior year begins, I can’t resist one last hookup. What harm could a one-night stand do? It’s not like we even exchanged numbers.

Everything is fine until I run into her on campus.

It’s a big school. I should be able to avoid her.

Except she happens to be in my class.

And she’s not a student.

She’s my professor.

 

 

Book 2
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When seven o’clock arrives, I introduce myself and explain that I’ll be taking over for Professor Connelly. I field a few questions and reassure the students that he’s okay. I also brought in a get well soon card for them to sign. I pass it to the student directly in front of me, then pull up my attendance list and start calling names.

The door opens when I’m halfway through, and a student straggles in. It happened in my English class earlier, but in a class of three hundred students, it’s easier to slip in the back door and quietly find a seat. That’s what I expect this student to do.

Except his phone starts ringing. And it’s not a normal ringtone. It’s a song blaring through the room at full volume.

“Fuck. Shit.” He’s standing in the middle of the room, facing the back of the class, every single student staring at him in wide-eyed horror.

He rummages around in his pocket and pulls out the offending device as Justin Bieber croons “I’m so fucking lonely” to the entire class. Instead of silencing it, he answers the call—on speaker.

A male voice that sounds like an angry father starts yelling. “Why the hell am I getting calls about you being late for practice, you’re—”

He spins around, gaze moving over the class as he takes in their looks of horror. He’s wearing a baseball cap, and the lights above cast a shadow over his face. “Oh, fuck me,” he mutters. “Hey, Dad, I’m in the middle of class. I’ll call you back later.” He rushes the words, so it all sounds quite garbled. Then he drops into the closest empty desk and slams his elbow on the edge on his way down. He sucks in a groan.

I give the student a look that I hope conveys how unimpressed I am. “Are you quite done?” I’m ready to go off on him, but he raises a hand and knocks his hat off his head.

“Uh, sorry, Professor. I think I might be in the wrong class.” His eyes dart around the room. “Or maybe not?”

“Professor Connelly is out for back surgery. Professor Sweet is taking over the class,” the student beside him says.

“Oh shit.” His vibrant green gaze, ringed in hazel, meets mine.

All the air leaves my lungs on a whoosh. The room tilts, and I’m suddenly light-headed. I can tell instantly that he recognizes me, and the silence in the room is deafening. Fortunately, he fills it by rambling out an explanation.

“Sorry about the phone call. And for being late. Coach kept me after practice and my dad’s on my ass because I had a bad game. I’m so sorry, Cl—” He clasps his hands in front of him and bites his lips together.

“Don’t let it happen again.”

My mouth feels like it’s full of cotton, and the rest of me feels disconnected from my body. Because this student, sitting in the middle of my sophomore class, is my summer fling.

My one-night stand who left behind an origami crane and a lot of memories I wish I could now erase.

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the sports-based series – and whilst you don't need to have read the first, the couple from it feature in this book too and you would have missed out on a great story, and the reason why Mav can be so overprotective! You will also be a little slower to make the links to the Pucked and All In series!

Maverick is about to enter his final year at college, and everyone expects him to be drafted into the NHL. His dad is a hockey great, and his best friend, Kody, was born to be on the ice... but it becomes clear that Mav is not necessarily in that same space. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book – it gave Mav a lot of depth, and whilst he was undoubtedly distracted by his newfound attraction, he was also struggling with expectation and dread at the future.

What he never could have expected was that the woman who he spent a memorable night with at the end of the summer break would turn out to be a professor teaching his class. The one who got away really didn't, and that is also playing with his head, and possibly his heart. Teacher-student relationships can have real power imbalances, but generally in the favour of the man, so it was fun and engaging to see these two try and ignore their past, and failing that compromise. Clover is diligent in ensuring that the academic situation is safe, yet conflicted as she really is attracted to Mav.

Turns out that Clover also had a secret which is now coming to cause her trouble, and Mav's care is just what she needs. For Mav, it brings back difficult memories of his childhood. Together they are stronger in facing both the past and the future.

There is so much depth to this story, with plenty of passion, humour, and hockey!

 

 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting, writing as H. Hunting, lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She started her writing career with new adult angsty romance and branched out in sports romance and romantic comedies that will make you laugh and swoon. But sometimes she likes to serve up a little heartache on the way to the happily ever after.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bitter Sweet Heart (Lies, Hearts & Truths #2) by H. Hunting to read and review.