Before I go into a review, this book has a trigger warning which is absolutely necessary. I knew what I was getting into before I started reading it nevertheless I still had a rather visceral reaction to it which I wasn't expecting. BUT if you can keep an open mind going into it, you will find that the story is really well-plotted, the characters are well written and are able to elicit our empathy, and the author really knows her craft. Please keep in mind that the male MC, Lincoln, has some MAJOR red flags. The author took some major risks in writing this character and I applaud her courage in creating a complex, layered and very conflicted character who makes Christian Gray's issues seem almost tame in comparison. However, physical beauty, money, and fame cannot disguise or excuse his isolating behavior and I hope no reader thinks this is ok! Monroe is a tragic character, but a young woman who has gone through hell and survived. She has a great deal of mental and moral strength who is somehow able to tame Lincoln's worst tendencies. Will this always be the case? Only time will tell but I was rooting for her to succeed.

That said, I liked the book enough to give it four stars. And I will read the next book in the series about Ari.

The following does contain ***SPOILER ALERTS*** so please proceed at your own risk.

Monroe, a young woman whose terrible childhood is certainly all too common in the US is the stuff of nightmares. With a junkie mother who is a hooker to support her habit, Monroe is shunted from home to home in the foster care system. Through a fateful mistake, Lincoln and Monroe's paths cross and Lincoln decides that no one will do for him but Monroe. He is incredibly rich, he is a very major hockey superstar, yet his own childhood was terrible. If there is a weak point in the book, it is this. The billionaire father is a truly terrible person yet his motives are not explained and I kept hoping an explanation would be forthcoming. As a result the conclusion of the book seemed as if it was rushed and as a result it didn't mesh well with the rest of the book.

Back to the characters: Lincoln is the golden boy of the NHL. He is unbelievably handsome, charming, well liked by teammates, and has his pick of women who literally throw themselves at him. Yet underneath the charming and gorgeous exterior, there is a very dark and violent person. Let's face it, Lincoln is a narcissist who can justify anything. When his path crosses Monroe's -- a beautiful, kind, and very sad young woman, he decides she has to belong to him. He sees himself as a sort of savior who needs to give her everything yet at the price of her own freedom and moral agency. Monroe ignores the red flags but then again, he saves her from the downward spiral of poverty and a terrible life. He doesn't just love her but he is obsessed with her. She finally understands his obsessive, behavior and yet... she decides that she, too, needs him, no matter the cost. Will she be able to control his darkness? She sees herself as his savior, too, but as I turned the last page, I could see that he had succeeded in everything he set out to do.

I did ask myself when this book ended if Lincoln had been a physically repugnant person who did all these things for Monroe, would the reader have accepted his savior actions so readily? Lincoln is a broken fallen angel who is so beautiful that people almost worship him. Does this make his actions acceptable? Only the reader can decide.

Brand	N/A
Rating	4 (27544 ratings)
Price	$0.99
Category	Sports

The Pucking Wrong Number: The Pucking Wrong Series, Book 1