Major Misconduct
Aces Hockey #1
By: Kelly Jamieson
Releasing October 13, 2015
Loveswept
Blurb
In Kelly Jamieson’s seductive new Chicago Aces romance—perfect for readers of Sawyer Bennett and Toni Aleo—a fun-loving free spirit tempts an uptight hockey star into opening himself up to love.
As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.
Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.
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“Okay, back to the topic at hand,” Duncan said. “You can’t stay here.”
Still watching Marc, Lovey saw his head snap up.
“I have to stay here, Dunc. Where else am I going to go?”
He cursed under his breath. “But I told you, there’s nowhere for you to sleep.”
“Uh . . . she can have my bed,” Marc offered.
Lovey beamed at him. “That’s so sweet of you.”
“She can’t have your f*cking bed,” Duncan snapped. “Where the hell are you going to sleep?”
Marc shrugged. “Couch?”
“I’ll sleep on the couch.” Duncan gave a gusty sigh. “One night. One night only. After that, you have to stay in a hotel or something, Lovey.”
“I can’t afford a hotel!” She gaped at him. “D’you think my last job paid me multi-millions of dollars like yours does?”
“Quit throwing my money in my face.” He slumped into the couch with a scowl.
“I’m not throwing it in your face.” She blinked. “I’m just pointing out what should be obvious . . . my marketing job for Kleinheinz Cheese did not pay enough for me to be able to afford to stay in a pricey Chicago hotel indefinitely.”
“You have enough to rent an apartment, don’t you?” He narrowed his eyes at her.
“Um . . . I have a little money. I sold my car.”
“Lovey . . .”
“Duncan.”
They glared at each other in one of their famous sibling standoffs. She lifted her chin.
As usual, she won.
“Fine,” he muttered. “Stay here until you get on your feet. But it better not be long. And you better not be in our way.”
“Thanks, Dunc.” She smiled. “I promise I won’t be. You won’t even know I’m here.”
“Why do I doubt that?” Duncan shook his head.
She looked over at Marc and saw he was grinning at the counter he was wiping.
Cheese whiz, he was gorgeous! Even more so when he smiled. Earlier he’d been so straight-faced and serious. A little curl of lust warmed her inside.
“We need to get going.” Marc looked at her brother, the grin now absent. “Gotta get to the dealership.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Duncan gave her a narrow-eyed look as he rose from the couch. “I’m buying a new vehicle. Gotta go sign the papers and pick it up.”
“Oooh. What kind?”
“Land Rover.”
“Duncan! You can’t drive a truck in Chicago!”
“It’s not a truck, for f*ck’s sake.”
She made a face. “If you say so. I’ll unpack and get settled in. Hey, could you pick me up a bed on your way home?” He bugged his eyes out at her and she laughed. “Kidding! We can do that tomorrow.”
“What about the stuff from your apartment in Madison? Where’s that?”
“Storage. I’ll get it shipped here when I find my own place.”
“You mean you actually do intend to find your own place?”
“Uh . . . yeah.” She gave him a “duh” look. “I can’t stay with you forever. Although, I could get some of the stuff shipped here . . . my bedroom set. And . . .” She glanced at his dining room full of weights. “You could use a dining table and chairs.”
“F*ck no. I mean . . . I’ll help you find a nice apartment.”
“Sure. As long as you don’t mind sleeping on the couch until I do.”
He groaned and she heard a laugh from the kitchen. She looked back at Marc and their eyes met. His gleamed with mirth and she felt that little kick of lust again.
He grinned. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen Army taken out so easily. This is hilarious.”
Duncan scowled. “Shut the f*ck up, Duper.”
Her eyes met Marc’s and held again and she grinned back at him, trying (but failing) to ignore the flip of lust and attraction low in her belly. He looked at her long enough that she knew he felt it too.
Well, she certainly hadn’t anticipated something like this. She’d come to Chicago to move on with her life. Things with Richard had gotten serious enough that she’d been scared spitless; scared enough to break up with him, quit her job, pack up all her belongings, and run. She had a plan, figured there’d be lots of opportunities in Chicago, and was going to get right on that, first thing Monday morning. She hadn’t planned on living with a hot hockey player with a body that could turn a girl to a puddle of lust . . . but this was going to be fun!
I'm always a sucker for a sports romance, especially a hockey one, so when I read the blurb for Major Misconduct, it was pretty much a no brainer for me to check it out. It's got a good storyline, solid writing, and most of the characters are likable for me...except one. Unfortunately for me, that one is the female lead.
Loved Marc, he's hard not to fall for--so serious about his career, his team, and being there to drive everyone to be better and win. The hot and sexy body (and of course that French accent) are just a really nice bonus to his drive and dedication. Most everyone on the team were in the plus column for me, though Duncan--Marc's best friend and Lovey's brother--well, I thought he let Lovey just steamroll right over him.
Lovey is just something else entirely. While I have to give her props for being brave enough to make the move she did both in terms of her job and location, and it was good to see she also had drive and dedication for her career choice...that's where it ended for me with her. The rest--she just comes across as spoiled, flighty and kind of shallow.
The storyline bringing Lovey and Marc together I liked...but honestly, I would have rather seen someone other than Lovey filling her role. I still enjoyed the overall story though, but not nearly as much as I could have given my dislike of Lovey's character.
3.5 stars for Major Misconduct, recommended for 18+ mostly for sexual content. And yeah...Lovey did not play any part in the stars (sorry Lovey, Marc earned all those on his own).
Author Info
Kelly Jamieson is the author of more than thirty contemporary romance novels. She’s a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of her imagination. She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), and shoes (high!). She also loves watching hockey.
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