What do you do to keep stress at bay this time of year? It’s a busy time and it helps to be intentional about taking time to reset and relax. I’ve learned a few tricks over the years and my favourite is to have a quiet space to retreat to when life gets hectic. Not gonna lie – it used to be the bathroom when my kids were little. LOL Now it’s a comfy chair in my bedroom that I can sink into. I wrap myself in a cozy blanket, put on upbeat Christmas tunes or pull out a book to read. Exercise has always been my go-to for busting stress, and even with the onset of colder weather and snow, I still try to get outside for a walk. I also take advantage of indoor sports that local schools host in the evenings. I have a friend who loves to bake – her happy place smells delicious. This time of year, it helps to prioritize what’s truly important and reschedule what you can until after the holidays when things are a little less hectic. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and that you give yourself permission to take a moment (or a few) to relax.
If you love to relax by escaping into a fun book, here are a few suggestions! Love and the Hidden Hockey Clues and Love and the Hockey Heist are 2 books in the Laugh-out-Loud Hockey Caper Romance series. These stand-alone stories are humorous romances with a white-collar crime twist!
Love and the Hidden Hockey Clues ~ When she was younger, Dr. Abigail Clark dreamed of playing professional hockey, but the world wasn’t ready for a female player. That stung. She skated as far away from hockey as possible – until she lands a job in the emergency department of a hockey-crazy town and buys the house of the late beloved Zamboni driver. A tin box is discovered during the renovation of her new home, and Abigail brushes it off as a time capsule left by the previous owner – that is until someone tries to steal it. Turns out, the odd collection is more than just sentimental hockey memorabilia.
Abigail inadvertently embroils Del Braebury, captain of the local pro hockey team, into helping her sort it out. Her history with hockey players is rocky at best, but he comes in handy when she needs to access parts of the rink that are off limits. Del is happy to be tangled up in the clues of the hidden hockey loot. In the process of solving the mystery, he hopes to win Abigail’s heart!
Enjoy an excerpt from Love and the Hidden Hockey Clues ~
Abigail put her purse on the floor at her feet. “I found a date for next Saturday.”
“Yeah, I got that, but rewind a moment.” Sierra put up a hand. The black curls framing her face bobbed with the movement. “You’re going with some random guy from the gym and to seal the deal, you kissed him?”
Abigail rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t to seal the deal. It was to get a five-thousand-dollar donation to the hospital.”
Her three friends did simultaneous double takes. If she didn’t feel so sheepish about the whole thing, it would’ve been funny.
“He paid five thousand dollars to kiss you?” Bailey’s eyes were wide. “I mean I know you have sex appeal, but that’s impressive.”
Abigail laughed. “He had a bet going with his friends. They promised to fork over five thousand if I said yes and five thousand if we kissed before the night was over.” She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I just sped things up.”
“Abigail Sarah Clark, it seems we need to have a little talk about appropriate behaviour with the opposite sex.” Sierra gave a good stink eye.
Abigail sighed. “I know, I know. It was an impulse. His two friends were so smug. I was goaded.” She’d had to quash her own pang of embarrassment over the kiss. “He is quite easy on the eyes, though.”
Bailey leaned forward with a wide smile. “Deets.” Her heart-shaped face, porcelain skin, and fine features belied the adventure in her blood.
Abigail laughed. “Close to one-hundred-ninety centimetres tall, black wavy hair, and an angel face with a sexy five o’clock shadow.”
“What’s his name?” Piper asked softly. Her warm brown eyes held more worry than censure. Abigail could imagine she was the most appalled, though she’d never say so for fear of hurting Abigail’s feelings.
“I don’t know.”
Again with the simultaneous double takes.
Sierra blinked rapidly and held up her hands. “What do you mean, you don’t know? Didn’t he give you his name? Didn’t you ask?”
Abigail cleared her throat. “Not exactly. In my head I was calling him Muscles. I don’t think he introduced himself when he came over and then after that kiss…” She bit her lip. “You know that emoji with the big saucer eyes and flushed cheeks?”
Her friends nodded.
“That was me.”
Bailey laughed and wiggled her eyebrows. “Good kisser, check.” She made a big check mark in the air.
“Over the top,” Abigail said with a nod. “I was in the locker room before I realized I’d forgotten to ask his name, and when I came out he was hanging with his friends again. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing that I didn’t know, you know?”
“So you have a date for Saturday, and you have no idea who he is except that he’s a good kisser?” Sierra asked. Her hands might as well have been on her hips.
“Pretty much,” Abigail said, a tad sheepishly. “I’m sure I’ll see him again at the gym before next Saturday. I’ll ask him then.”
“What’s the name of the gym?” Bailey asked.
“Break Point.”
Piper’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that owned by one of the Edge players? I heard the team hangs out there.”
Sierra’s jaw dropped. “You kissed a hockey player?”
“What? No.” Although they certainly were built. And they dropped ten grand like it was Monopoly money. “Oh, jeez.”
Bailey laughed delightedly and pulled out her cell phone. “The woman who has vowed never to date a hockey player, who disses hockey players at every opportunity, who shows nothing but disdain for women who date hockey players…is going out with a hockey player. Wouldn’t that be karma?” She searched for pictures of the Brighton Edge players and handed it to Abigail.
Abigail took Bailey’s phone reluctantly and scrolled through the team members. Her heart dropped when she found him. She held the phone out to show the others.
Bailey whistled, Sierra’s eyes narrowed, and Piper tried unsuccessfully to hide a sympathetic smile.
Abigail was going to the dinner and dance with Del Braebury, captain of the Brighton Edge hockey team.
Buy link ~ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YJXZS7H/
Love and the Hockey Heist ~ Dr. Piper Roblin is peeved. She’s pretty sure her new neighbour stole her travel alarm clock. It may not be worth much, but it has sentimental value. Piper hatches a plan to get it back, but her plan relies on Brent Dean, popular forward of the Brighton Edge hockey team, to finagle a dinner invitation to gain access to her neighbour’s house.
Brent thought the invite from the stunningly beautiful cardiologist was based on a thoughtful gesture to welcome new neighbours to Brighton. He didn’t realize the gig included subterfuge, thievery, and a fake engagement. But he didn’t get to where he is without a lot of hustle and determination, and since he’s always up for some fun, let the games begin.
Enjoy an excerpt from Love and the Hockey Heist ~
“I need a fiancé.” Piper Roblin tucked her purse under the stool and sat down heavily. Her shoulder-length hair, the colour of rich dark chocolate flounced around her heart-shaped face. Her three best friends, already seated at the workstations waiting for the cooking class to begin, turned and stared at her with identical expressions: open-mouthed shock.
Bailey Jansen, a dermatologist with an adventurous spirit, and the most outspoken of their group, was the first to recover. “Excuse me?”
Piper pulled back her shoulders, trying to make the most of her one-hundred-fifty-seven-centimeter height, and raised her chin. “I need a man, a hockey player to be exact.”
Bailey grinned at the determination in Piper’s brown eyes and waved a hand. “I’ve been saying the same thing for months.”
They looked expectantly at Abigail Clark, a levelheaded emergency room physician, who sat at the workstation in front of them beside the fourth pea in their pod, Sierra Westlake, a serious-minded general surgeon.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Abigail asked.
“Two words. Del Braebury.” Bailey pointed at the impressive diamond ring on Abigail’s left hand. “You’re engaged to the captain of the Brighton Edge hockey team.”
“You can make it happen,” Piper said.
Sierra raised a hand. “Whoa. Let’s just pump the brakes here. Why do you need a fiancé? Last I heard you were too busy being the chief of cardiology to worry about dating, never mind planning a wedding. And didn’t you say that your parents are big on the whole pre-arranged marriage idea?”
Piper waved that aside. “This is just temporary. I have no intention of settling into a relationship. I accepted an invitation to a dinner party, but the only reason I was invited was because I sort of mentioned that my fiancé played for the Brighton Edge.”
Sierra shook her head. “What? Why would you do that?”
“I was backed into a corner.” Piper gritted her teeth.
Bailey laughed. “I hear you, sister. You don’t know how many times I’ve needed to use that.”
“Really?”
“No, never. How did that even come up?”
Piper sighed. “You know how I belong to a neighbourhood book club?” At their nods, she continued. “Last week I hosted. After everyone left, I realized that my little silver travel alarm clock was missing. I think my neighbour took it.”
“That’s crazy,” Abigail said. “Haven’t you been in that book club for years? Aren’t those people your friends?”
“I know how it sounds, but I’ve looked high and low for that clock, and I cannot find it. Most of the women have been part of the group for years, but a young couple, Jessica and Ryan, moved in beside me recently, and I invited Jessica to join us.”
“Why would she steal your alarm clock? Is it worth something?”
“No. That’s what’s so annoying. I bought it online a few years ago, for like, ten bucks. But I really like it. It’s compact and has a quiet alarm. It’s perfect for travel, and I used it all the time when I had to sleep at the hospital during my residency. I don’t know why she took it, but I’m almost positive she did.”
“Why? What makes you think that?” Abigail asked.
“She went to the washroom and instead of using the powder room, I caught her coming down the stairs. She made some excuse about not knowing about the bathroom on the main floor even though I specifically pointed it out. And I’m pretty sure her house is the exact same layout as mine.”
“That is odd,” Bailey said.
Piper nodded emphatically. “I know. I didn’t think much of it until I noticed that my little alarm clock was missing. I’m sure she took it while she was up there.”
“That’s pretty bold,” Abigail said. “Stealing from your neighbour isn’t a great way to settle into the community. Do you know anything about her?”
“Only that they bought the house next door. She said they own a cleaning company and moved here from Toronto to set up a local franchise. No kids, no pets, and huge hockey fans.”
“So you plan to have dinner with them, get to know them, and ask if she stole your alarm clock?” Bailey asked, more than a little skeptically.
“I’m going to steal it back.”
Buy link ~ https://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B0B1QVMSS3
If you’re into holiday romances this time of year, the sexy Perfectly Christmas or the sweet Don’t Mess with Christmas may hit the spot!
Don’t Mess with ChristmasDr. Brogan Corkie is happily semi-retired from medicine and now has time for other hobbies. Her passion for food is second only to her skill at matchmaking!
Parker Roy grew up in the middle of four brothers and has lived with enough testosterone to last her a lifetime. She’s finally moved out and made a life of her own. Between putting the finishing touches on the set for Mapleton’s Christmas play, plowing snow, and transforming her hydroponic greenhouse into a Christmas wonderland, it’s ramping up to be a hectic season.
Dr. Julian Murphy, the only allergist in town, has his eye on the woman behind the set design of the holiday play. He’s volunteering backstage in the hope of getting to know her. There’s a bit of a snag when she’s referred to his clinic for a rash – doctors aren’t allowed to date their patients – but Dr. Brogan Corkie doesn’t see it as an insurmountable problem and steps in to give their romance a nudge. She’d better be right because, if not, it could seriously mess with Christmas.
The allergist or the rash– which itch will Parker scratch?
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L1DHDMS
Perfectly Christmas On the first day of Christmas, his true love said to him, “Sorry, I have to work.”
That’s the life of a surgeon, and Dr. Madison Hayes wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dr. Quinn Malone has another priority. In the countdown to Christmas, he needs to convince his old flame that there’s more to life – and love – than the job itself.
This time, his heart is in it for the long haul. Really.
Romantic and . . . complicated – it’s Perfectly Christmas!
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYW5T7X
Award-winning author Linda O’Connor started writing romantic comedies when she needed a creative outlet other than subtly rearranging the displays at a local home décor store. Her books have enjoyed bestseller status. When not writing, she’s a physician at an urgent care clinic. She shares her medical knowledge in fast-paced, well-written, sexy romances – with an unexpected twist. Her favourite prescription to write? Laugh every day. Love every minute.
Website: https://www.lindaoconnor.net
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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-OConnor/e/B00S7CNLEA
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