Simply Irresistible (Chinooks Hockey Team, #1)

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Simply Irresistible (Chinooks Hockey Team #1)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 8,868 ratings · 311 reviews

Georgeanne Howard, charm school graduate and Southern belle extraordinaire, leaves her fiancé at the altar when she realizes she just can't marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, no matter how rich he is. John Kowalsky unknowingly helps her escape, and only when it's too late does he realize that he's absconded with his boss's bride. At the height of his hockey care...more

Mass Market Paperback, Large Print, 375 pages

Published January 1st 1998 by Avon

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Nov 19, 2010 Lady Valee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cont-romance

3.5 STARS

I must admit I was a bit disappointed with this one. Let me explain why. First we had this lame beginning that made me hate the hero for being this number one jerk and then we were presented to a very naive and shallow heroine which only wanted to get married with a rich guy to survive.

I started reading the book thinking I would not like it at all, but then .... surprise... it got so much better! The heroine after getting the lowest she could go in life, decided to start making things...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, set-in-usa-washington, romance-sports

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My first RG book, and I decided to start from the very beginning of the Chinooks series, and now I have to read them all, right away! In fact, I plan to read all her books very soon! I love sports romances, I think it started with SEP's Chicago Stars series, but this is my first Hockey one, and I love it! This was her first book ever published I think, and it does have a few quirks that I think could have been a little better, or some smoothing out with the flow in some parts, but overall they w...more My first RG book, and I decided to start from the very beginning of the Chinooks series, and now I have to read them all, right away! In fact, I plan to read all her books very soon! I love sports romances, I think it started with SEP's Chicago Stars series, but this is my first Hockey one, and I love it! This was her first book ever published I think, and it does have a few quirks that I think could have been a little better, or some smoothing out with the flow in some parts, but overall they were very easy for me to overlook because I really liked everything else going on.

A few things I'd have liked to seen:
* Instead of going all the way back to 1976, and then to 1989, maybe smacking them together somehow, as in a flashback or a memory. I think it would have accomplished the same thing in fewer pages and been a little less heartbreaking. The way it is now I start out feeling sorry for Georgie, it's just personal, but I don't like to start out pitying my main characters. Also, we meet Mae for a brief second in the 1989 flashback, I know Ray died before that, but I wish we could have met him too, just for a brief second too, maybe in the 1976 flashback, who knows?

* I liked John, really I did, but he didn't seem quite there for me. I was looking for a little more to him throughout the book. Not until he was holding on with baited breath wanting Lexie to call him Daddy did I really feel anything but simple interest in him. But after that, not much again until he called Georgie/Lexie from Detroit did I really feel any emotion or depth from him. I don't know if that was the purpose, if he was sort of a shell since Toby's death, and only came alive with Lexie and Georgie, but I wanted him to be a little more . . . something. I can't put my finger on it, I'll have to think about it for a while.

* In the 1989 flashback, maybe just a little more time, like finding out she was pregant, how the first days in the catering business went, that sort of thing, but not having it didn't detract from the book, I'm just curious like that!

* A slightly longer and more informative epilogue would have been nice. I can really do without the short and sweet ones, that don't really impart any new info. We all knew they'd get married, okay, we didn't know they'd honeymoon in Hawaii, but give me a bigger glimpse into their everyday life, and take me a little further out than a month, I'd like at least 6 months or so.

* The whole resolution with Virgil at the end seemed a little anti-climatic, but John is going to make him pay for a good second-line enforcer (whatever that is!), so I guess it's not all bad!

Overall, this was great! RG has a great writing style, quirky characters (who wouldn't love a 6-year old who slathers herself in goop!) and even though I wasn't crazy about the premise (hidden baby) I think it was really well done and I'm sure I will enjoy the rest of her books immensely, I can already tell! I'll be beginning the next one relatively soon!
(less)

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Jun 07, 2013 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 144-books-in-2010, re-read-in-2010, october-2010, 200-books-in-2013, contemporary, june-2013, re-read-in-2013

This is one of my all time favorite Gibson books. Everyone talks about her other hockey books, but this one gets overlooked far too often. I adore John and Georgie both.

The heroine isn't shown in a very flattering light at the beginning of the novel. She's getting ready to marry a man 50yrs her senior for his money, can barely read and looks like a centerfold pinup. Gibson really makes her a truly sympathetic character, though. She isn't the type to feel sorry for herself, or wallow in her miser...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of contemporary romance; fans of sports romance

Shelves: contemporary-romance, part-of-a-series, sports-romance, 2011_reads, made_me_cry, rachel_gibson

Although this book was not perfect, something about it made it very, very hard to put down. Maybe it was the sports (hockey) theme--which I thought came across as very authentic (the author must be a fan with all the name-dropping she did), or maybe it was the soap opera-ish plot that spanned 7 years and reminded me a little bit of Lisa Kleypas's Sugar Daddy, or maybe it was the snappy/sexy/funny dialogue and the love/hate relationship between the H/h...

I didn't always like the hero (sexy hockey...more Although this book was not perfect, something about it made it very, very hard to put down. Maybe it was the sports (hockey) theme--which I thought came across as very authentic (the author must be a fan with all the name-dropping she did), or maybe it was the soap opera-ish plot that spanned 7 years and reminded me a little bit of Lisa Kleypas's Sugar Daddy, or maybe it was the snappy/sexy/funny dialogue and the love/hate relationship between the H/h...

I didn't always like the hero (sexy hockey star John "The Wall" Kowalsky) who was often rude, crude, and disrespectful towards the heroine--voluptuous Seattle-by-way-of-Texas caterer Georgeanne Howard. And I didn't always like "Georgie", who started out as sort of a dependant, flighty, "bimbo" character looking for a man to take care of her. But Georgie was young (22) when she first met John (after she ran out on her future husband-to-be on her wedding day), spent one wild night with John that ended up changing her life, but managed to grow and mature in this story and admirably turned herself into an independent woman.

John...

John matured too, and wasn't quite the lout he was in the beginning of the book (although he still had some ass**** moments with Georgie). These two had the whole lust/hate thing going on through most of the book.. .they had combustible physical chemistry (plenty of steamy hot scenes in this one), but they weren't that good at communicating outside the bedroom. I was never fully convinced that John had the ability to fall in love with any woman, and when he finally (out of the blue) claimed to love Georgie near the end of the book I can't say that I 100% bought it.

What I loved most about this book were the scenes between John and his adorable little 6 year-old daughter Lexie. He was just wonderful with her, and some of the scenes between him and Lexie brought tears to my eyes (the lost fish scene) or made me laugh out loud (playing Barbies together). There's something about a man who obviously loves his child... I had no doubts that John was just wild about his daughter. If only I was as convinced that his relationship with Georgie was more than just uncontrollable lust.

Despite my doubts about John and Georgie, I still enjoyed reading this page-turner and loved the author's writing style (plenty of details and back story for the characters and lots of humor). I'm looking forward to continuing with this series and I'm dying to read the next book (See Jane Score)---if only I could find it in the TBR pile! 4 1/2 stars(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Diana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-contemporary, favorites, funny-in-a-good-way, audiobooks

I started reading romance novels about the same time Rachel Gibson started publishing them. I'm pretty sure I read Simply Irresistible circa 1998 when it was new and I remember that I loved it -- really, really loved it. When I saw there was to be a new audiobook of this beloved story that I had very tender feelings for, I was a little afraid to test my memory and see if my love was still strong. Well, hell yeah!

There's an awful lot of talk in romancelandia about tropes-tropety-trope-tropes tha...more

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Jun 07, 2012 LuvGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kin-p, kindle, contemporary, sports, baby-mamma-drama, suitor-hero-triangle, famous-hero, wealthy-hero, kids-involved, secondary-romance, hard-to-get-hero, hero-cheated-on-ex, 3-half-stars

3.5 stars.This book was an above average read, eventhough it started out really good but leveled out after a while. The chemistry between the leads didn't really leap off the pages for me in this one. I thought the heroine was really selfish with trying to keep the hero's daughter from him. She did not have a good excuse for doing that to her child and the father. I also could have done without the little secondary romance with the heroine's friend Mae. I didn't like her, and could not root for...more

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Mar 14, 2013 ஐ Canan ஐ `·.¸¸.·´´¯`··._ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wid

İlk olarak belirtmeliyim ki kitap önerildiği kadar güzelmiş.
En azından benim zevkime göre.Karakterleri, işleyişi ve özelliklede Lexie'yi çok sevdim.Şirindi.
Kitapta tek hayal kırıklığı yaşadığım olay Mac ve Hugh'un ayrı kitaplarının olmaması.
Ah tabi baş karakterlerimizin hep bi yanlış anlama olayı sonucunda küsüp ayrılmalarıda cabası.
Georgie kendi düğününden kaçarken John ile karşılaşır ve onu uzaklaştırmasını ister oradan.
John bir hokey oyuncusudur Georgie ise hokey kulübünün sahibiyle evlenmekt...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Photojim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-reads, romance, jim-swap-shelf

Georgeanne Howard is about to marry one of the richest men in the US. Except he is old enough to be her grandfather. Bolting from the church, she catches a ride from the extremely sexy John Kowalsky. John is a star hockey player for the team owned by Georgie's disappointed husband to was going to be. With no family and no-where to go, she figures she can hide out at John's for a couple of days. But personal chemistry gets in the way. Since John doesn't want to risk his career and is battling his...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Michelle by: I've been waiting for this one ... happy!

Shelves: nook-tbr, sports, 3-5-stars

Woo Hoo -- finally available for my NOOK!!

**********************************************

3.5 Stars

This was Rachel Gibson's first book and she hit the jackpot using a sports theme; an NHL Hockey team/player. But, have to tell you, the amount of hockey in this book could have fit in a thimble. So, I was a bit disappointed.

I thought the subject matter was almost too deep for this "light" tale. It felt like the author was a bit rushed to get things finished and only scratched the surface of the issue...more Woo Hoo -- finally available for my NOOK!!

**********************************************

3.5 Stars

This was Rachel Gibson's first book and she hit the jackpot using a sports theme; an NHL Hockey team/player. But, have to tell you, the amount of hockey in this book could have fit in a thimble. So, I was a bit disappointed.

I thought the subject matter was almost too deep for this "light" tale. It felt like the author was a bit rushed to get things finished and only scratched the surface of the issues introduced; suicide, dyslexia, unmarried pregnancy, homosexuality. Really too bad because had she gone a bit deeper and let the story play out a bit better, this could have been a really brilliant read. I liked the way she wove all the topics into a nice story.

Overall, I appreciated this was her first book. The characters were good, not great, but good. The story was enjoyable, although rushed, and she seriously rushed the ending. I've read books 4 through 6 in this series, and they are much more polished, and seem to include more hockey in the story.

Just a note ... venting a bit:
I've been reading quite a few self-pub'd books lately and the one thing I really, seriously like about this path for publishing; the length of books. The author, if they work it right, has the flexibility to let a good story play out. They can introduce a difficult topic and have the time to do it justice. When Simply Irresistible was written, serial romances were falling out of popularity, and the "short", cute chick-lit books were the rage. Some pubs haven't gotten past this format, and have also added the challenge; complex topics, fun, but keep it short and sweet. Doing this, the book suffers and therefore the author's talent suffers. Just my opinion.

I did enjoy this book and will read all this series and others by this author.

I seriously appreciate the republication in the eBook format. I really try not to read another format anymore and have been waiting for these. THANK YOU!

Happy Reading!(less)

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Jun 15, 2008 Shae rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first romance I've read where the female has dyslexia. Its actually pretty common in romance novels for the male lead to have dyslexia and he overcomes it, but its something different for a female to have learning troubles. I laughed so much while reading this book and gained a new lame joke.

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Jul 17, 2008 ElaineY rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

Nowhere as good as the others but still better than Lola the Bimbo.

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Jun 10, 2010 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, part-of-a-series, sports-bad-boy

This is a fun book that will have you laughing and crying. Rachel Gibson is a talented writer with a flair for writing realistic and deep characters that you want to meet in real life.

John Kowalski plays hockey for the Seattle Chinooks. He is big and more than a little full of himself. When he goes to the wedding of the owner of the team he is curious to meet the woman that will be the next Mrs. Duffey. But on second thought he decides to skip out on the wedding and hit the road. But just a min...more This is a fun book that will have you laughing and crying. Rachel Gibson is a talented writer with a flair for writing realistic and deep characters that you want to meet in real life.

John Kowalski plays hockey for the Seattle Chinooks. He is big and more than a little full of himself. When he goes to the wedding of the owner of the team he is curious to meet the woman that will be the next Mrs. Duffey. But on second thought he decides to skip out on the wedding and hit the road. But just a minute, A striking young woman in a really tight strapless mini dress comes out of the house intending to leave and asks for a ride. What the hell. He'll do his good Samaritan duty for the day and drop her off somewhere. But upon leaving the estate he figures out that she was to have been the bride and is skipping out on the wedding. Crap! This could cost him his contract with the team.

Georgeanne Howard is a Texas girl with a lot to prove. She is searching for her place in the world and mistakenly thinks that if she marries Virgil Duffey she will find someone that will take care of her and she will mean something. But she can't make herself go through with it. So she grabs her makeup case and runs out of the mansion only to find a handsome man just about to leave. She begs a ride from him and then when he asks if she is a friend of the Bride she drops her little bomb, that she was the intended Bride. She just needs some time to get herself together and make some decisions about her life. If John will let her stay for a few days then she will be on her way. But that isn't what ends up happening. She and John end up in bed together and have a great night, but the next morning John takes her to the airport and dumps her there with a ticket back to Texas. Well, that didn't work out the way she had planned.

Georgeanne decides not to go back to Texas. She has nothing there for her. So she finds a position at a Catering Business and starts her new life right there in Seattle.

One night while attending a charity banquet John spots Georgeanne and approaches her. She panics and hardly speaks to him before she leaves him standing there confused. But She dropped her checkbook and he is curious about her and why she is back in Seattle. So he takes the checkbook to her the next day at her home. But Georgeanne isn't the one that answers the door, a little girl about six years old does. She says that her Mommy is in the shower and will be done in a while. She invites him in and then proceeds to charm his socks off. But while he is getting to know the child he realizes that she looks just like he did as a boy. Could she be his? Had it really been Seven years since their night together?

John is understandably upset to find out that he has a daughter that he didn't know about. But while he is getting to know his daughter he finds that he is still very attracted to her mother. Can they work through all of the hurt and betrayal? Can they find a solution to their wild attraction to each other? Pick up this book and find out what happens.

I give this one 4 out of 5 stars. (less)

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Jun 18, 2013 Marguerite rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before I write my review I want to pause to address a growing pet peeve. While Simply Irresistible was originally published by Avon in 1998, it's available now in eBook format. The Kindle version was riddled with typos and editing errors. How is it possible for a book to misspell the protagonist's name, Georgeanne, so many times and in so many different ways? In addition, there were a number of sentences where I had to play "guess the word" to figure out what the actual intended word was instead...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Rochelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-read, contemporary-romance

I saw a lot of similarities to It Had to Be You - kind of ditzy-seeming woman and a sports jock.
I though John was a real ass at times and although all people say some things they will regret, he had some doozies that I thought would be unforgivable.
Lexie was adorable. Rachel Gibson seemed to capture a 6-year old perfectly, without becoming annoying!
I wish that the Hugh/Mae side story was either more or less - it seemed like it could have been developed further if the whole point was to get Geor...more

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May 04, 2013 Mareli rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book again just this weekend! I gave it 3 stars the first time but I upgraded it! LOL

I have to admit at first, Georgianne left me a bit disturbed. She really seemed a bit too stupid, but then, reading her history, I really came to love her. She's a wonderful character.

The story is light and nice, despite of the fights they have on the child. Never I felt disturbed by their behaviours toward their daughter! And it's funny and very tender!

I'm already onto the next one!

Recommended! :)

4...more

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Apr 06, 2009 Sallie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great story filled with romance and tenderness. One of the few books I've read that deal with a father-daughter relationship and romance at the same time. Very well written. It makes you smile,get angry, laugh out loud and tear up. Very realistic. A must read for the romance fans.

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Jun 07, 2013 Megha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone.

Mmmm. to be fair to the author, she writes a kick ass book. but when it comes to sports romances the best ive read are from Aleo Toni & Jaci Burton (in my limited exposure to sports romance). I know its unfair to even think like that but i cant help it.

But anyways. coming to Simply Irresistible. I liked the book. I liked the story but i didnt fawn over it like i have for the above authors. there are portions in this book that i am lost in and suddenly i feel disconnected when i keep on read...more Mmmm. to be fair to the author, she writes a kick ass book. but when it comes to sports romances the best ive read are from Aleo Toni & Jaci Burton (in my limited exposure to sports romance). I know its unfair to even think like that but i cant help it.

But anyways. coming to Simply Irresistible. I liked the book. I liked the story but i didnt fawn over it like i have for the above authors. there are portions in this book that i am lost in and suddenly i feel disconnected when i keep on reading.

On the hot-o-meter - this book is hot where its required.

On the characters - John - somewhere leaves me angry and then he leaves me confused and some places i like him. i would have liked him to be more sensitive towards the woman who is the mommy of his precious baby but he can be an ass at places. in the end when he pulls his shit together one feels like wow maybe he is redeeming himself but then i dont understand clearly why the change of heart happened so suddenly - yes he heard about Georgie's past and understood her better (in his defense) but that whole journey and dawn of understanding is where i would have liked to see a bit more interplay between John and Georgie. that would have made a good read.

Georgie - my felt bad for her to start with. the picture painted of her character was this helpless, lonely, no one to turn to, sad woman who makes it in life but is still sad and lonely somewhere. she's dyslexic and that's something that can be helped and here is where i would have liked John to step in and play a better role - i dont know honestly what but yeah something to show that he cared about the condition. but somewhere the character of Georgie confuses me. she's sad and unhappy but she wont do anything to rectify that. she wants John but wont do anything. i get that she's scared but dude at one point i wanted her to take some action - maybe seduce the guy and show him what he was missing. or just show him all the affection that she had to give and rock his world. something. i dont know what but something what missing.

Mae & Hugh were a surprise and i liked them. honestly did. hugh's sweet and he went rt after what he wanted :) loved that. wouldve loved to see his story.

Overall i would give this book 3.5 stars. missed hockey as it was more of a backdrop rather than the actual game that could help in the movement of the story. Can read once for sure :)

Now to book 2 in the series :)(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Heather Bokon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

Georgeanne runs out on her wedding to Virgil, the owner of the Chinooks hockey team, straight into the car of John Kowalsky, his star player. John didn't realize Georgeanne was a runaway bride because she wasn't wearing a traditional wedding dress, and she didn't know who he was because she'd only met Virgil a month or so before their scheduled wedding.
I did not like Georgeanne or John very much. There are 100 different reasons for them to not hook up, but they do anyway, of course. In the firs...more Georgeanne runs out on her wedding to Virgil, the owner of the Chinooks hockey team, straight into the car of John Kowalsky, his star player. John didn't realize Georgeanne was a runaway bride because she wasn't wearing a traditional wedding dress, and she didn't know who he was because she'd only met Virgil a month or so before their scheduled wedding.
I did not like Georgeanne or John very much. There are 100 different reasons for them to not hook up, but they do anyway, of course. In the first few chapters, they were both young and stupid, which is understandable, but the story jumps ahead 7 years, and they're both a little less young, not quite as stupid, but completely terrible to each other.

Spoilers:
Georgeanne was pregnant from their one night together and never told John. Even though she decided not to leave town and stayed nearby instead, she never told him. He found out when the child was 6, and was understandably ticked off. I'm not usually a fan of secret baby stories, because there's usually not a good enough reason for the subterfuge, and i'm usually preemptively prejudiced against the heroine. By design, the story line is set up to fail. I could maybe see keeping an impending baby from its father if the father is a terrible person, beat you, cheated on you, or was just somehow a degenerate. But a person like that isn't going to be the hero of a romance novel. Even a reformed abuser isn't someone most romance readers will ever root for, so the secret never makes sense to me. John had every right to be ticked at Georgeanne, but she never apologizes for keeping their daughter from him. In turn, John treats her horribly, constantly belittling her and making her feel badly about herself, but they just don't seem to be able to keep their hands off each other.

And the relationship isn't very well developed. John goes from not liking Georgeanne for anything except how she looks naked, to admitting she's an ok person, to declaring his love for her and making a very public proposal in about five pages. I saw plenty of lust between the two of them, but no real feelings. Then suddenly they're in love and getting married and living happily ever after.

I read a later Chinooks book a while ago, so I know it gets better. Maybe this was just an early book by Gibson or something. I'll definitely read more of them, because I liked the other one I read, But this one was a bit of a disappointment. (less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Joan Reeves rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: joan-s-keeper-shelf, romance

Simply Irresistible Indeed

This book is simply delightful in so many ways. From the beginning, if you're a thinking woman, you may not like the heroine very much. On the surface, she seems to be vacuous -- as close to an Anna Nicole-type as a woman could possibly be. In other words, she's not the kind of woman most of us would want for a friend.

That's on the surface, and, as we all know, what's under the surface is what makes for an interesting story either in true life or fiction. What's beneath...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: conrom-romcom-romsusp

2.5 stars

The book started out pretty good, in fact the entire first three quarters were. Things went downhill when the "hero" became a bigger ass than he already was and by the time the Epilogue came around, I hated him and despised the heroine for being such a two-timing, "I hate him but I can't stop kissing him and having sex with him every time he makes a play for me", pushover. I do believe in second chances and love reading about a badboy forced to grovel after he realized he effed up, but...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Mer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: a-f, a-cr

4 stars

The romance was mild. Full of lust that got me bored and skimmed. Our hero, John "The Wall" Kowalsky was a total jerk from the beginning and thank goodness he became likeable as the story neared its end. I felt sorry for him, though, about his first, late wife Linda and also about his son, Toby. That part of his life was sad and heartbreaking. However, woth Georgeanne came back into his life and this time she wasn't alone, she had someone in her life which happened to be his long lost dau...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, romance

I picked up this book because of recommendations from the loyal readers of Smart Bitches Trashy Novels. It’s the first novel of Rachel Gibson, a popular contemporary romance author. Readers were divided between loving and disliking the book. I fall in the latter category.

My biggest issue was that the romance between the two main characters lacked depth or development.
Her: I don’t like him. I shouldn’t like him. But he’s so tall and handsome and big. Did I mention big? He’s so big. I must be in...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Ayu Wirdha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Georgeanne Howard (22 tahun) lari pada saat hari pernikahannya dengan Virgil yang usianya cukup tua untuk jadi kakeknya. Georgie merasa Virgil adalah jawabannya dari hidupnya yang tidak jelas. Sebelumnya Georgie bekerja sebagai sales parfum di mal yang disitulah berkenalan dengan Virgil. Dari kecil Georgie sudah minder karena mengidap dyslexia (kesulitan membaca) ditambah tidak mengetahui siapa ayahnya dan ibunya yang meninggalkan Georgie untuk diurus neneknya. Ketemu dengan ibunya pun hanya sek...more Georgeanne Howard (22 tahun) lari pada saat hari pernikahannya dengan Virgil yang usianya cukup tua untuk jadi kakeknya. Georgie merasa Virgil adalah jawabannya dari hidupnya yang tidak jelas. Sebelumnya Georgie bekerja sebagai sales parfum di mal yang disitulah berkenalan dengan Virgil. Dari kecil Georgie sudah minder karena mengidap dyslexia (kesulitan membaca) ditambah tidak mengetahui siapa ayahnya dan ibunya yang meninggalkan Georgie untuk diurus neneknya. Ketemu dengan ibunya pun hanya sekali pada saat pemakaman neneknya.

Setelah kabur dari acara pernikahannya sendiri dan masih memakai baju pengantin (berwarna pink, sangat mini & terbuka di bagian dada), Georgie dapat tumpangan dari John Kowalsky….salah seorang tamu dari Virgil. Karena seluruh bajunya ada di mobil Virgil & uang di dompet tinggal beberapa dolar, Georgie akhirnya bisa merayu John untuk bisa nginep semalam di rumah John. Akhirnya John juga tau kalau Gorgie ini kabur dari pernikahan Virgil yang adalah owner dari klub hoki tempat John menjadi salah satu pemainnya. Karena Georgie ini sexy banget, John ga tahan lah untuk making love semalam suntuk. Tapi yang sadis, besok paginya John mengantar Georgie ke bandara sekalian memberikan tiket untuk pulang ke kota asal Georgie dan tidak berkata apa-apa2….

7 tahun kemudian di kota yang sama, Georgie sudah berhasil menjadi koki sekaligus memiliki usaha katering bersama temannya, Mae. Di sebuah pesta amal yang dihadiri oleh John dan yang menyewa catering Georgie, mereka bertemu. Saking paniknya pas John menyapa, Georgie tidak sengaja menjatuhkan buku cek dan langsung kabur. John yang penasaran keesokan harinya mengembalikan buku cek tersebut langsung ke rumah Georgie dan mendapat kejutan seorang anak perempuan berumur 6 tahun yang membuka pintu.

John marah sekali dengan Georgie karena menyembunyikan Lexy darinya selama 7 tahun ini dan ingin ikut membesarkan Lexy. Georgie awalnya keberatan tapi akhirnya mengalah dan memperbolehkan Lexy untuk bertemu ayahnya. Virgil yang mengetahui keberadaan Lexy memberi ultimatum ke John, memilih karir di klub hoki miliknya atau Georgie.

Ceritanya sih agak-agak mirip novel Susan Elizabeth Phillips – setipelah tapi menurut saya sih kurang dalem emosi di novelnya dilihat dari saya engga nangis nih pas baca hehehe….. John yang awalnya engga niat nikah dan cuman lust aja ke Georgie eh tiba-tiba cinta berat di akhir cerita. Tapi suka dengan karakter Lexy…so cute dan queen drama banget … Overall saya ga kapok baca Rachel Gibson ini dan akan nerusin ke cerita lainnya yang True Confession – katanya dapat award disini.

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May 28, 2012 Darcy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Darcy by: Heather Tisdale

Shelves: 2012, romance

I thought this one was cute. Georgeanne was charming from the start. I hated what she over heard as a kid and it sure colored her life. I have a feeling it was a big part of why she was marrying Virgil. I do think the smartest thing she could have done was run out on him. I loved how that happened and how John reacted to her.

I will admit that I didn't care for John for much of the book. He was an ass to start with and I hated how he took advantage of Georgeanne, then dumped her at the airport. W...more

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May 02, 2012 Ally Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, keeper, romance

This is the first in Rachel's Chinooks Hockey series, and my first ever Rachel Gibson. She's one of those names that have been on my radar for ages as someone I'd love to try, I just never found the chance. And now I'm soooo glad I finally tucked one into my shopping trolley as I enjoyed Simply Irresistible to absolute bits.

The blurb:

Georgeanne Howard, charm school graduate and Southern belle extraordinaire, leaves her fiancé at the altar when she realizes she just can't marry a man old enough t...more This is the first in Rachel's Chinooks Hockey series, and my first ever Rachel Gibson. She's one of those names that have been on my radar for ages as someone I'd love to try, I just never found the chance. And now I'm soooo glad I finally tucked one into my shopping trolley as I enjoyed Simply Irresistible to absolute bits.

The blurb:

Georgeanne Howard, charm school graduate and Southern belle extraordinaire, leaves her fiancé at the altar when she realizes she just can't marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, no matter how rich he is. John Kowalsky unknowingly helps her escape, and only when it's too late does he realize that he's absconded with his boss's bride. At the height of his hockey career, this bad boy isn't looking to be anybody's savior but his own, no matter how beautiful this angel may be. But a long night stretches ahead of them--a night too sultry to resist temptation.
When Georgeanne and John meet again, she is on her way to becoming Seattle's domestic darling and he is past his hellraising days. But he is shocked to learn that their single unforgettable night in paradise produced a daughter, and he is determined to be part of her life. Georgeanne has loved John since the moment she jumped into his little red Corvette seven years ago, but she doesn't want to risk her heart again. Is he really a changed man? And will he risk the wrath of his boss, and one final chance at glory, to prove that this time his love will be everlasting?

The hero John, is hot hot hot. And damaged. And real. Georgeanne's past is heartbreaking, and give her an edge, a vulnerability and a strength that lifts her a level above your usual heroine. The fact that there's a whole slew of Chinooks hockey players in need of good women to tame them is even better news! Add an adorable kid, a cast of sidekicks and a romance that follows its time

Simply Irresistible is funny, warm, heart-tugging fun. As for the rest of the Chinooks hockey series? I devoured them in like a week flat! The sixth and latest has just arrived and I'm salivating to see what happens next!

Next I’m reading... The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: famous, sports, kid

Like many others I struggled with the rating for this one. In the end I'm giving it 4 stars, but this is a pretty solid 4 stars with no upward movement and some downward, to something like 3.5 stars.

In the beginning, it's a little hard to get into the characters. Georgeanne comes off as a bit of an airhead between all her rambling and I couldn't decide whether to hate John for being such an asshole and critical of her or to agree with her because she did kind of sound like a blonde bimbo, minus...more Like many others I struggled with the rating for this one. In the end I'm giving it 4 stars, but this is a pretty solid 4 stars with no upward movement and some downward, to something like 3.5 stars.

In the beginning, it's a little hard to get into the characters. Georgeanne comes off as a bit of an airhead between all her rambling and I couldn't decide whether to hate John for being such an asshole and critical of her or to agree with her because she did kind of sound like a blonde bimbo, minus the blonde part.

However, the characters grow on you, especially Georgie. Once you get used to it, you can't help but to love her, because she's such a darling southern belle and it becomes endearing. As for John, time changes and he grows up and out of it and matures and gets someplace in his life. This was one aspect that I did like, that Gibson did a nice job of maturing both her characters into the places they needed to be to meet again in the constructive way that they did.

My other complaint about this story though, is not really like other reviewers who complained that it took the 2 characters the entire book to get together, because while it did, their issues were pretty understandable and nothing really seemed dragged out, but that we didn't really get to see John's revelation that he was in love with Georgie and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. It just kind of happened and you knew when it did but we never really got to see his thought process behind it or what made him realize it. In this sense it seemed a little rushed towards the end, because he also suddenly knew just how much he had hurt Georgie when he left her 7 years ago...? This all happened in a bit of a blur and was a little confusing to me.

Other than that, loved this book. It was sweet, charming, and a light read. Gibson did a nice job of airing out the past and addressing all the issues between them. Looking forward to reading the next installment.

Also something to note. I can't speak for the other books in this series b/c I haven't read them, but if you're reading this book for the hockey you might want to look elsewhere b/c there's not much of it in this. Rather it's more of a "cool" factor to add to John's whole appeal but not much else.

As a footnote, I didn't like that this wasn't out yet on Kindle version. I definitely would have bought that...(less)

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May 13, 2011 Shxrxn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have a hard time saying no to anything excessive, shiny, or sinful.
- John
You should have warned me that you’re perfect.
- John
Sometimes our hearts do the choosing.
- Georgeanne
something like that would bring out my bad temper. I’d naturally feel compelled to retaliate.
- Georgeanne
I don’t want him to know how badly he’s hurt me again.
- Georgeanne
Maybe I’m one of those women you read about in Cosmo who screw up relationships because deep down I don’t think I’m worthy. Maybe I’m destined to love me...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Twiggy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, family-children-featured

3.5 stars

Heroine Georgeanne Reminded me a little of phoebe from the SEP Chicago stars series

She is sex on legs from the South but starts off with low self esteem due to abandonment issues and dyslexia. The hero John is the captain of the Seattle chinooks hockey team and also has his own issues with his first wife's suicide, the death of a premature child and consequential alcohol misuse.

They meet when the h is running out on her own wedding to a significantly older multi millionaire who owns th...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Resti Triyuliandha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

buku ke empat dari karya Rachel Gibson yang sudah kubaca. sama kayak buku bukunya yang laen, buku ini juga fun buat dibaca. tapi tetep favoritku Nothing but Trouble

tokoh utamanya adalah Georgie dan John. waktu kabur dari pernikahannya dengan Pemilik Chinooks Hockey Team, Georgie secara enggak sengaja di bantu John (pemain hockey di Chinooks) waktu dia mau pulang. naah, dari pertemuan dan 'hubungan' semalam. setelah dilempar John ke pesawat buat pulang ke daerahnya, si Georgie memutuskan buat hid...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Rachel Gibson

Rachel was born in Boise, Idaho, USA. Her father worked for a telephone company, and her mother was a house wife. Idaho has the largest population of Basques outside of the Basque lands of Spain. She grew up with kids with last names like Uberuaga, Berriochoa, and Egisquiza, but years later she discovered the rest of the country didn't really know much about the Basque culture or history.

Rachel's...more

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Books by Rachel Gibson

See Jane Score (Chinooks Hockey Team, #2)

Nothing But Trouble (Chinooks Hockey Team, #5)

Any Man of Mine (Chinooks Hockey Team, #6)

True Love and Other Disasters (Chinooks Hockey Team #4)

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“Give me some sugar.” — 47 people liked it

“He wanted the word "Daddy" added to his list of names. He wanted to teach his son to skate, just as he'd been taught by Ernie. Like every other father in the world, he wanted to stay up late on Christmas Eve and put together tricycles, bicycles, and race-car sets. He wanted to dress up his son as a vampire, or a pirate, and take him trick-or-treating.” — 10 people liked it

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Simply Irresistible (Chinooks Hockey Team #1)

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