Author: Beth Ehemann

Book: Cement Heart

tl;dr recommendation: It’s emotionally jarring, romantically epic, and completely perfect.

Book Summary:

Lawrence Finkle, known simply to his die-hard Minnesota Wild fans as Viper, isn’t used to hearing the word no. He lives his whole life just a little on the reckless side. After all, life is just one big game, right?

Wrong.

When what was supposed to be an innocent bet goes horribly wrong, he’s left to deal with the aftermath—and the guilt. In an effort to make things right the best way he can, he ends up falling for the one person on the planet he never should have.

The old saying goes that two wrongs don’t make a right . . . or do they?

Longer Review:

My friends know me. They really really know me. I was informed I had to read this book after gushing about a similar plotline in another book. I’m either really predictable or I have friends with good taste. I CHOOSE THE LATTER. The combination of a man-whore hockey player with a tragic love story screamed for my attention. I was sucked into this book from the first chapter and could have demolished it in one sitting but for the fact that I needed to function the next day.

I had zero desire to put this one down and the kindle kept calling to me with its sad little brown case asking to be opened. I was engulfed into Viper’s life. His pain and torment over losing his best friend – the WAY that it happened – god, I could feel the loss. I found it super refreshing to read something amazing from a mostly male POV. I definitely had tears trickling down my face every so often while my heart turned to mush.

I absolutely adored the interaction between Viper and, well, pretty much everyone. His Gam is perhaps the coolest old lady on earth. I need to be her when I am 90. Mark my words. I will be a whisky-drinking, ice-cube throwing old coot who still talks about cocks and sex. BRING IT ON. Gam knows how to put him in his place and I was dying to be invited to her house for her infamous dinners.

Besides his budding relationship with Michelle, the greatest parts of this book are when Viper spends time with Matthew, Michelle & Mike’s son. Don’t tell my mother, but my uterus started aching a bit. They were SO ADORABLE together. It tugged at every heartstring I have.

As for the Michelle / Viper relationship…It couldn’t be written any better. It’s flawless. Really. From the morning texts to Lasagnagate, the anticipation builds and builds between them in a completely natural way. It’s emotionally jarring, romantically epic, and completely perfect.

This is romance at its purest – finding love from the worst of situations. I loved this immensely. All the stars!!!!