Markus Reeves is sucking. Big-time. Toiling away on a minor-league hockey team hundreds of miles away from home, he's watching his dreams of an NHL career fade away. Add in the lingering guilt he has over the dramatic demise of his relationship with college girlfriend, Mekena, and he's a mess on and off the ice.
But the family of his heart, the Sinclairs, won't let Markus suffer any longer. When he arrives himself back in Nashville for a trial run on the Assassins, it feels like his life may be making a turn for the better. If only he could get Mekena to forgive him...
Mekena Preston has been hurting since fleeing Nashville following the horror of Markus's betrayal with her sister. Now a professional photographer, Mekena finds herself in the same place at the same time with Markus to celebrate Lucy and Benji Paxton's wedding. Neither of them has been able to move on—and they're starting to wonder if they really want to.
They're headed for a face-off at the altar unless they can confront their past and unearth the truth about what really happened on that fateful night.
“You are, by far, the most patient man I know.”
Baylor grimaced as she took Dawson from Markus’s outstretched hands. He smiled as Dawson looked at him innocently. He knew the little guy didn’t mean to puke all over him and he wasn’t upset, but he was trying to figure out a way to get to the house and shower before he had to talk to Mekena. He highly doubted that baby puke would be an aphrodisiac. Maybe it would be? Huh.
He wasn’t going to try, though.
As Baylor cuddled Dawson against her, Markus waved her off. “It’s no big deal. He’s a baby.”
She smiled shyly. “Yes, but Ashlyn pooped on you too.”
He grinned as he shrugged, trying not to laugh. It was a tough rehearsal for Dawson, Ashlyn, and Markus. Puke and poop were big-time stars during the hour of watching the Sinclairs and Grace Justice try to put together a wedding. He wasn’t sure what was funnier, Jace glaring as Jordie walked with Avery, or Ashlyn farting and then realizing she had just shit all over him. It was a toss-up, but then Dawson decided to puke down the front of his shirt, and he figured he was now a substitute for a baby rag. “I volunteered.”
“Still, we’re really sorry,” Avery said, holding Ashlyn close as she rocked her back and forth. “I understand if you don’t want to watch her ever again.”
“Nonsense,” he said, laughing as he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked around. He spotted Mekena at the front of the altar, taking pictures of random things. He wasn’t sure if she was done, but maybe he could slip away. “How much longer until y’all are done?”
“We’re done, but Lucy and Benji have some pre-wedding pictures they’re having done with Angie.”
“So Mekena isn’t done?”
Avery smiled. “Nope, she’s got a bit.”
“Can you pass a message for me?”
“Sure.”
“Let her know that I went back to the cabin to shower and clean up?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll tell Jace to tell her since I’m taking Ashlyn to bed.”
“Cool, thanks,” he said, kissing her cheek and then Baylor’s, before rubbing Dawson’s head. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”
Before he could get far, though, Baylor smiled. “Thanks again.”
“Anytime. I mean that.”
Avery smiled. “Thanks.”
“Also, good luck,” Baylor added.
Flashing them both a big grin, he nodded. “I need it.”
Heading out the back, he made it back to the cabin quickly. When he entered, though, Mr. Right was sitting on the windowsill howling. “Whoa, man. What’s up?”
Meoooooowwwwwwww, he wailed, with his mouth wide open as his hair stood on end.
“Bro, I don’t know what to say. I don’t speak your language. Are you singing? Do you want me to sing too? Meoooowwwwww,” he said, and Mr. Right looked back at him, almost with a glare. “We should add some beat to that and make a remix,” Markus joked as the cat wailed. Deciding that was a good idea, he pulled out his phone and started to beatbox as the cat wailed, recording it on his SnapChat. The cat must have realized what he was doing because he looked back, scowling, and Markus hid his phone. He didn’t want to admit it, but Mr. Right kind of freaked him out.
Baylor grimaced as she took Dawson from Markus’s outstretched hands. He smiled as Dawson looked at him innocently. He knew the little guy didn’t mean to puke all over him and he wasn’t upset, but he was trying to figure out a way to get to the house and shower before he had to talk to Mekena. He highly doubted that baby puke would be an aphrodisiac. Maybe it would be? Huh.
He wasn’t going to try, though.
As Baylor cuddled Dawson against her, Markus waved her off. “It’s no big deal. He’s a baby.”
She smiled shyly. “Yes, but Ashlyn pooped on you too.”
He grinned as he shrugged, trying not to laugh. It was a tough rehearsal for Dawson, Ashlyn, and Markus. Puke and poop were big-time stars during the hour of watching the Sinclairs and Grace Justice try to put together a wedding. He wasn’t sure what was funnier, Jace glaring as Jordie walked with Avery, or Ashlyn farting and then realizing she had just shit all over him. It was a toss-up, but then Dawson decided to puke down the front of his shirt, and he figured he was now a substitute for a baby rag. “I volunteered.”
“Still, we’re really sorry,” Avery said, holding Ashlyn close as she rocked her back and forth. “I understand if you don’t want to watch her ever again.”
“Nonsense,” he said, laughing as he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked around. He spotted Mekena at the front of the altar, taking pictures of random things. He wasn’t sure if she was done, but maybe he could slip away. “How much longer until y’all are done?”
“We’re done, but Lucy and Benji have some pre-wedding pictures they’re having done with Angie.”
“So Mekena isn’t done?”
Avery smiled. “Nope, she’s got a bit.”
“Can you pass a message for me?”
“Sure.”
“Let her know that I went back to the cabin to shower and clean up?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll tell Jace to tell her since I’m taking Ashlyn to bed.”
“Cool, thanks,” he said, kissing her cheek and then Baylor’s, before rubbing Dawson’s head. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”
Before he could get far, though, Baylor smiled. “Thanks again.”
“Anytime. I mean that.”
Avery smiled. “Thanks.”
“Also, good luck,” Baylor added.
Flashing them both a big grin, he nodded. “I need it.”
Heading out the back, he made it back to the cabin quickly. When he entered, though, Mr. Right was sitting on the windowsill howling. “Whoa, man. What’s up?”
Meoooooowwwwwwww, he wailed, with his mouth wide open as his hair stood on end.
“Bro, I don’t know what to say. I don’t speak your language. Are you singing? Do you want me to sing too? Meoooowwwwww,” he said, and Mr. Right looked back at him, almost with a glare. “We should add some beat to that and make a remix,” Markus joked as the cat wailed. Deciding that was a good idea, he pulled out his phone and started to beatbox as the cat wailed, recording it on his SnapChat. The cat must have realized what he was doing because he looked back, scowling, and Markus hid his phone. He didn’t want to admit it, but Mr. Right kind of freaked him out.
My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?
Author Links
My Review:
This was a sweet and emotional sports romance story that I enjoyed. Toni Aleo’s Faceoff at the Alter is a great Christmas lite frenemies light-hearted hockey romance that is great to read while on holiday break or while stuck in the house during winter weather keeps you house bound. Its something that was different than what I expected the story to be and that’s good.
Markus Reeves is suffering from regrets. He thinks if he can get a spot on a professional hockey team (the Assassins) , he thinks if he can get that spot, he will be a happier person but the current team he is on the Ninjas, he doesn’t fit in and he isn’t doing good at all. He parties all the time and is busy using women to tune out the dark hole in his heart and head. His friends are in the wings, waiting to help. Not too long ago, he had it all but it was ruined –he had the perfect girlfriend named Mekena Preston but something terrible happened and since then, his life hasn’t been the same. This all happened about 2 years ago and now Mekena Preston is trying to move forward with her life. She is a photographer now- what happened about 2 years ago about killed her and it ended her relationship with the man she loved. It also ended her relationship with her sister-one she hasn’t talked to since “that day”. After almost eighteen months of no contact or even seeing his face- now she will end up seeing Markus again since she will be going to their mutual friend’s wedding and will also be their photographer. And, to really make things worse, her sister is moving back home and Mekena will be living in the same house. Her parents think she should just let things die down and move on. Oh this is just going to be one heck of a reunion. She doesn’t know what to do . Her emotions are all over the place but one thing is she never stopped loving Markus.
Markus has a lot of to prove, especially to the girl he never stopped loving. There is a lot going on in this book and he has a lot to prove. There are many twists and turns in this story. Some of it deals with sensitive issues so just want to put that out there. I found this a unique story and I enjoyed Markus and Mekena’s 2nd chance love story. There was a lot of miscommunication, no communication and sadness but their renewal of their past gives hope to their true love –I definitely rooted for this couple and for their love.
My Rating: 4. 4 stars *****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Markus Reeves is suffering from regrets. He thinks if he can get a spot on a professional hockey team (the Assassins) , he thinks if he can get that spot, he will be a happier person but the current team he is on the Ninjas, he doesn’t fit in and he isn’t doing good at all. He parties all the time and is busy using women to tune out the dark hole in his heart and head. His friends are in the wings, waiting to help. Not too long ago, he had it all but it was ruined –he had the perfect girlfriend named Mekena Preston but something terrible happened and since then, his life hasn’t been the same. This all happened about 2 years ago and now Mekena Preston is trying to move forward with her life. She is a photographer now- what happened about 2 years ago about killed her and it ended her relationship with the man she loved. It also ended her relationship with her sister-one she hasn’t talked to since “that day”. After almost eighteen months of no contact or even seeing his face- now she will end up seeing Markus again since she will be going to their mutual friend’s wedding and will also be their photographer. And, to really make things worse, her sister is moving back home and Mekena will be living in the same house. Her parents think she should just let things die down and move on. Oh this is just going to be one heck of a reunion. She doesn’t know what to do . Her emotions are all over the place but one thing is she never stopped loving Markus.
Markus has a lot of to prove, especially to the girl he never stopped loving. There is a lot going on in this book and he has a lot to prove. There are many twists and turns in this story. Some of it deals with sensitive issues so just want to put that out there. I found this a unique story and I enjoyed Markus and Mekena’s 2nd chance love story. There was a lot of miscommunication, no communication and sadness but their renewal of their past gives hope to their true love –I definitely rooted for this couple and for their love.
My Rating: 4. 4 stars *****
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
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