Wednesday 23 August 2023

Review: Crashing the Net by Lasairiona McMaster*

'Edith:
In the blink of an eye, everything I’ve worked my whole life to achieve is gone, maybe forever. I’m not prepared to accept that I’ll never dance again. It’s all I’ve ever known, and I’m scared to find out who I am without it.
The only person still in my corner is my hockey playing, son-of-a-billionaire best friend, but no amount of money can help me walk again. His intentions are admirable, but I can’t risk falling for him.

What if I lose him, too?

Apollo:
Waking up after a near fatal car crash, I realized I’ve been in love with Edith for as long as I’ve known her.
Nothing matters anymore. Nothing but my beautiful, smart, funny best friend who is convinced we’re doomed to fail.
Money can solve a lot of problems, but not this one.

How can I persuade her to take a chance on me, on us, when she’s lost so much already?'


This is book 3 in the new series from Lasairiona McMaster 'The Cedar Rapid Racoons' and we are back with another of the De Le Pena siblings. This story is about Apollo who is the older (Twin) brother of Ares who we met last time. This book is pure friends to lovers and readers of this trope will adore this book. 

Apollo's leading lady for his story is the his best friend, since childhood, Edith. These two are both athletes and have a great friendship, but after a car crash they both have to readjust to a new way to live. Though Apollo is adjusting to finally catching up with his feelings, while Edith needs to adjust to the aftermath of the crash.  

This book is beyond easy to get stuck into, not only does the book really get straight into the story, it is entirely too addictive. There are clear changes of point of view not only throughout the book but within the chapters as well. This change of point of view means we really get to see how the turn of events affect both characters mentally and emotionally. This aspect alone brings a new depth to reading this book. 

Looking at the characters themselves, Apollo is the tall hockey player who has black hair and dark brown eyes, who was born to be on the ice even if his dad doesn't see his future planning out that way. Edith is the ballet dancer with long blonde hair, who also happens to be a bada**. I love her as a character and kind of wish she existed in real life so we could be friends. 

Now I don't Lasairiona does it but this book destroyed me, in the best way. I mean I had to take breaks from reading (yes this was hard to do) so I could process what was going on with this book. That and get rid of the tissues I had been using because this book got all up in my emotions. 

Not only did this book break me but at the same time it also made me laugh and giggle. I have never read a book that has made me want to take a break but also the strongest urge to continue reading until I had read the entire thing. Even with the breaks I did take I still finished this book cover to cover in less than a day. 

Now I wouldn't be writing a review of a book with the spicy scenes if those scenes were not mentioned. To be honest I love spicy scenes, the descriptions but also how different authors write them. Lasairiona has never written a spicy scene that I have not thought 'oh that is good' but somehow with this book she stepped up the spice in the spicy scenes and they were another level compared to her previous work. 

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope this review shows that. In my opinion out of all the Lasairiona books I have read ( nearly all of them) this is the best that she has ever written. This book broke me but left me wanting more.

I never thought that anyone could take the place of Lincoln Scott (First Snow pirates) as my ultimate book boyfriend, but Apollo has knocked Lincoln off of that title. You need to read this book, but don't blame me if you end up buying her entire written collection afterwards. You can get your copy when it is released on the 24th August HERE.

Until Next Time

Emma

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