ARC Review: Diva in the Defensive Zone (Gold Coast Guardians #1) by Theresa Papa
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Series: Gold Coast Guardians #1
Author: Theresa Papa
Published Published February 16th 2025 by AMPAPA L.L.C.
Goodreads Synopsis
She’s America’s sweetheart on the big screen.
He’s a Stanley Cup obsessed hockey player.
When they fake a relationship for publicity, whose icy attitude will melt first as a silver-screen diva and a king of the rink face off?
I’m Scarlett St. Clair, Hollywood darling, red carpet regular, and one scandal away from career collapse. The actress whose insurance company sued a professional hockey god for millions. So, when my PR team locks me into a fake romance with Chicago’s fiercest hockey enforcer, Trey Dillingham, he doesn’t care that I didn’t file the claim.
What I get is a guy who smirks like sin and undresses me with a single glance. The world’s watching, but behind closed doors, Trey doesn’t play pretend. He peels away my secrets and makes me wonder if this arrangement is the biggest risk of all? Because I might be falling for the man I never intended to keep.
I’m Trey Dillingham. The grind of the season, the roar of the crowd when fists fly is what I live for. I don’t chase the spotlight, and I sure as hell don’t babysit Hollywood starlets. My life has always been about control, both on the ice and off. But Scarlett St. Clair wrecks my grip on normal.
She’s all glitter and red lips on the surface, but I see the cracks she hides. And once I’ve seen them, I can’t unsee. This setup was supposed to be fake. But with Scarlett, I’m skating a line much riskier than any I’ve ever faced. And the only thing I want to win … is her.
Diva in the Defensive Zone is the steamy first book in the Chicago Gold Coast Guardians Hockey romance series. If you like relatable heroines, sexy banter, and explosive chemistry, you’ll adore Theresa Papa’s sizzling read.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.
Hollywood actress, Scarlett St. Clair, shot to fame at an early age, but her fake "romance" with her former co-star has ended, and she's struggling to find a new role. Spending some time with her manager and best friend, Sophie, in Chicago, Scarlett finds she is drawn to the broody hockey enforcer, Trey Dillingham, who seems to hate her guts. Trey doesn't have time for a Hollywood diva to take over his home and life, especially when she gets injured and he is sued. To help both of them, they agree to a fake relationship for the press, but the line between fiction and reality is thinner than it looks.
Considering ice hockey isn't really a thing here, I've become a little obsessed with hockey romances, and this series definitely drew my eye when I was scrolling through BookSirens. I liked the way the Gold Coast Guardians were a true family, and though Scarlett was an outsider, she was quickly embraced into the group. The writing was definitely clumsy at times, and the story jumped around a bit, which is part of the reason this is only 3 stars. Honestly, I thought about giving it 2 stars, but felt that would've been a little too harsh. Trey and Scarlett were a good couple, and this book is setting the scene for the rest of the series.
Dates Read:
January 18-19, 2025
Rating
3 Stars
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