He’s hockey’s golden boy, my new client, and the man I’ve avoided for the last nine years. I was hired to fix him—but he’s not the only one who’s broken.

Hawk Madden was my first love.  I thought he would be my forever.  But life wasn’t always fair.  And grief could be a cruel beast.

Fight or flight?  I’d always run.
But now he’s back in my life after all these years.

With one look.  One touch.  One kiss.  Old feelings resurface.  Feelings that I thought I’d buried a long time ago.

Hawk Madden was my first love…
I just didn’t know that he’d be my last.

Titles in the Honey Mountain series include — Always Mine —♥— Ever Mine —♥— Make You Mine —♥—

This is an adult 18+ story that may contain language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Booksprout ARC

Title:  Ever Mine
Series:  Honey Mountain #2
Author:  Laura Pavlov
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Published:  June 23, 2022
Publisher:
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Ever Mine continues the Honey Mountain series with an emotional second chance to get it right romance that grabbed my reading heart and held it captive from beginning to end.  Everly and Hawk’s high school romance didn’t make it beyond Everly’s leaving for college or Hawk’s signing his first contract with the NHL – and other factors that kept them apart for years believing each had moved on without them.  When Hawk’s winning way on the ice is being affected the team brings in a sports expert to help him get his head back in the game… Everly.  Life for both just got more interesting.

This story broke my heart in so many ways – yes, I got the healing eventually, but the feelings and emotions from Everly and Hawk leaped off the page.  Ever Mine is not only a story about second chance love but it’s also about grief and how there are so many ways that people deal with it, each in their own way.  When Everly’s mom died her way of dealing with the grief was running away from any emotion, any attachment that she might lose one day.  She’s functioning, but she’s not truly living for her fight or flight coping mechanism will always kick in and the fear will win every single time.

Except for Hawk.  She’s out to prove to herself, a team, and her professional standing that she can help a player who has gotten himself caught up in his head instead of the game.  He might have been her former love, but she could handle him on a professional level… or so she thought.

I loved watching this couple reconnect, test their borders, to bring up old memories, and see them for what they were.  Hawk is an amazing character but his one weakness is Everly and as they worked through the past, and made advances toward a future it was always evident that this was his one woman.  It was harder watching Everly face the past, the ways that she’s reacted to emotional commitment.  People leave, and people die – but if you don’t celebrate them while you have them with you so much is lost.

It took her amazing family, and her sisters to finally reach her to begin using her tools on herself and taking the risk of loving Hawk today, not only yesterday.  There is a villain here but while we know that he isn’t the focus  – what matters is family, connections, belief in each other, giving love a chance to heal the past, and some steamy moments all come together in a story that will leave you wanting more.  I loved my time here and will definitely be returning to this world for the rest of the series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or author’s team via Booksprout. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent. I was not financially compensated for this review and no expectation of a positive review was promised.*

Available for the Kindle (as this series is in KU)