Dallas TV morning show host Madelyn Cornish is poised, perfect, and unflappable, from her glossy smile to her sleek professionalism. No one knows that her iron will guards a shattered heart and memories of a man she’s determined to lock out. Until that man shows up at a morning meeting like a bad dream: Billy Wilkins, sexy hockey superstar in a tailspin—still skating, still fighting, and still her ex-husband.

Now the producers want this poster child for bad behavior to undergo an on-air makeover, and Billy, who has nothing to lose, agrees to the project. It’s his only chance to get near Maddy again, and to fight for the right things this time around. He believes in the fire in Maddy’s whiskey eyes and the passion that ignites the air between them. This bad-boy heartbreaker wants a last shot to be redeemed by the only thing that matters: Maddy’s love.

Kim's Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

Kim's Review:
The Unrepentant Bad Boy of the NHL comes face to face with The Ice Queen (aka his ex wife and love of his life) 14 years after their divorce

"...love had never been the problem for them. It was the stuff that came with it."

I would say that statement pretty much sums up the entire story.  Billy and Maddy were sweet together, and I enjoyed their story.  It started out a bit slow for me, but about half way through it picked up and I started to connect with the characters on a more personal level. Flipping the pages quickly to see if they could figure out their differences and make things right. 

This book was filled with drama that fueled their love and attraction for each other. Once married and divorced for 14 years these two found their way back into each others lives. Neither was the same person they remembered and they had to overcome these differences. Maddy wanted nothing more than to leave the past behind her and Billy wanted the exact opposite. They had to overcome their past, her tv show, his reputation, and family. 

I know a lot of people had issues with Maddy, including Kim, but I actually liked her and got why she was such a ice queen as Kim has called her. Billy screwed up majorly when they were married, and Maddy lost herself  and who she was in him and his career. When they divorced she picked up the pieces and rebuilt her life. Leaving behind all that was Billy and their tornado of a marriage. She didn't want to give that up to him again, but she found she couldn't stay away. He was her best friend, the man she loved with all her heart and still loved. How do you keep your self safe from that? Well you appear to be cold and unmoving. She does warm up through out the book, has inner fights with her self on why she shouldn't love him again, and she even sets a no kissing rule (while they could have sex she didn't want the intimacy kissing offers.) Maddy grew on me, maybe because I know what it is like to harden your heart to protect yourself, but I found I liked her and I loved watching her struggle with love and overcoming her fears to grab what was sitting right in her reach the entire time.

Billy made a great hero. He grew up in an abusive situation, accomplishing his dream of becoming a famous hockey star. He was rough around the collar, and his solution to life and the tough decisions he had to make was to fight his way out of them.  He has loved Maddy in some form since she was 10. She is wrapped up in his past and he wants her to be wrapped up in his future even more. Through the book we watch Billy grow and make different decisions to the obstacles that start poppoing up in his life. he is no longer running, no longer fighting but facing them head on and he plans on making sure Maddy is there facing them with him. He isn't letting her go a second time, she is his family after all. Billy's heart and soul belongs to her.

Molly is a new author to me, so for a first read I was not disappointed. I would definitely read something by her again. I really liked her characters, especially the secondary characters in this book.  Molly gave us multiple point of views and she intermixed the past with the present without any confusion.

I was provided with this book from the publisher for free via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!