[ARC Review] On the Line by Amanda Chaperon
But now they’re not together.
In fact, they don’t even live in the same state.
When Mitch was traded from the Warriors to the Los Angeles Knights, his entire life changed with one phone call. His relationship with Lexie was in ruins, and the only way he could prevent further heartbreak was to leave Michigan without a backwards glance. Except, when his life is once again upended in a split second, he finds himself back in the Mitten. Surprisingly, everyone welcomes him home with open arms. Everyone except the one person he desperately wants: Lexie.
Lexie has never believed in love, and for good reason. The one time she gave it a shot—her relationship with Mitch—it ended in disaster. Now she’s washed her hands of the whole thing: love, relationships, him. Having him clear across the country helped. But when he returns to Detroit, everyone in her life is begging her to give him another chance. The only problem is Mitch doesn’t seem interested. Plus, she’d be stupid to let him close enough to break her again.
Call it karma or the gods or fate, but something has drawn these two back together. And now it’s time for them to choose: either they put their hearts on the line again, or they walk away for good this time.
After all, how often does love get a second chance?
My thoughts: I loved the romance between Brent and Berkley in Chaperon's debut novel, but it's obvious she has truly come into her own as a romance author in On the Line. The relationship between the two main characters is even more developed, the action and dialogue is more detailed, the plot is more complex, and the spice is turned up to eleven. Everyone who loved Berk and Brent absolutely needs to meet (and fall in love with) Mitch and Lexie.
A new addition to the For the Boys series that I loved was the inclusion of dual timelines. By moving back and forth from Mitch and Lexie's then to Mitch and Lexie's now, Chaperon was really able to establish the drama and tension that makes their relationship so dynamic on the page.
Lexie is an absolute spitfire and I loved getting inside her head as well as seeing the way she moves about the world. Chaperon did a fantastic job at developing Lexie and her vulnerabilities. She ended up being such a reactive, dynamic character and it was entertaining to watch her interact with her everyone around her.
I loved Brent's character development in For the Boys, but Chaperon gave Mitch so much more to work with and I thought he came across as a stronger character because of it. Personally and professionally, Mitch's life was in upheaval for most of this story. He had a lot thrown at him and lost a lot all at the same time.
Under the surface, both main characters were broken and I loved watching them slowly heal and find themselves again as the story progressed. Chaperon created two well-rounded characters, and watching them fall in, then out, then in love again made for entertaining reading.
On the Line took everything I loved about For the Boys and turned up the intensity. With more drama, more complexities, and lots more spice, this second hockey romance in the For the Boys series brings back all your favorite characters from the first book and gives you lots more to love with Lexie and Mitch.
**A huge thank you to Amanda Chaperon for letting me be an early reader for On the Line**
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Release date: 12/9/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: the author
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