Before We Came

Lakes Hockey, Book 1

By: Sloane St. James

Narrated by: Edward Black, Chloe Ryan

Birdie

Her funeral unraveled decades of secrets hidden from me—horrible secrets. This rabbit hole I've fallen down has revealed my past is much more sinister than I could have imagined. Everything I thought I knew has been a lie, and now there's only one place for me to turn: back to the people who have been searching for me all these years.

One of those people is my newfound brother's best friend: Lonan Burke, star defenseman for the Minnesota Lakes. His dirty talk and praise offer an easy escape as I shift into my new life. I'm ready to start anew with the ones who love me, but I'm not so sure I can settle down when I've just been set free.

Lonan

She's back. We were kids the last time I saw her, but my innocent crush from childhood is full-grown now. And it's not so innocent anymore. She's a breath of fresh air from the series of one-night stands since being drafted into the NHL. I've only got one shot with her, and I'm not taking it for granted. I may give her the passion she's been craving, but she's the intimacy I've waited for my whole life.

When her story hits the media, she needs a place to hide. I offer her sanctuary in my penthouse. For the first time, this frigid condo feels like a home, and she's made me believe the future I've always wanted is within reach. For now, I'm willing to hold her hands during the day and pin them down at night. But I want more.

This spicy hockey romance features dirty talk, praise, suspense, kidnapping, angst, a fatal car accident, second-chance love, forced proximity, and of course, a happily ever after. Intended for mature listeners.

©2023 Sloane St. James (P)2024 Podium Audio

Unique hockey Romance

So so good. Highly recommend. Such a different hockey Romance. And the spice is exquisite!

PLOT TWIST!

Woah I did not see that plot twist coming! This was a good book with great narration

Overall a funny and enjoyable listen

I really enjoyed some of the comedic moments in this book. I enjoyed the interactions between hero & heroine. I wish there had been a bit more about the heroine's life growing up. There were 'case notes' scattered through the story, but I didn't feel like they gave enough insight into what life was like for the heroine growing up.
Also, there were a few times where I wasn't sure which character was speaking, or if the character was speaking aloud or just thinking. That could've been done a little better in the narration by using inflection.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will listen to the rest of the series.

Bless Sloane St. James for giving us this audio

This audio was fantastic and both narrators did a fantastic job for each character. I don’t love Lonan as much as the other MMC’s in this series, but Edward Black did the perfect job with Lonan’s touch of douchiness.

Great Romantic Suspense!

I love the mystery aspect of this book! The narration is fantastic as well. Didn't expect how spicy it would be, but I loved it.

Please just stop!

The book was an excellent story with twists and turns, his love for her shines through all he does. I will say the Bridgets self sabotage got really old real fast I really did love their love story.

Book Boyfriend 🏒

The MMC, Lonan, is why book boyfriends exist. His love was undeniable for the strong FMC, Birdie. His controlling behavior wouldn't work in the real world and this is why I love fiction! This book has a good plot that was overshadowed by the number of spicy chapters but still a good read!

Great casting!

Phew - Lonan.

This audiobook was a great dual narration! This was the first audiobook that I’ve listened to with Chloe Ryan & Edward Black. I really enjoyed both narrators and felt they fit the characters perfectly!

Familiar tropes but with a twist

Story: 8/10
Spice: 3/5
Spice Hierarchy: Spicy
Narration: 3/5

Birdie finds decades worth of lies that uncover years of trauma. This leads her on a journey to bring events of her past into her present. Lonan is done with one night stands and open to finding something more. He didn’t plan to find it with his best friend’s long lost sister, his childhood crush.

This is second chance, brother’s best friend, forced proximity done in a brand new way. I honestly really enjoyed this story. For some reason I had it in my head that it was going to be dark. While there are some darker plot points and trauma triggers, I would not classify this as a dark romance. I loved Lonan and Birdie apart and together. Their characters were so good.

The ending went kinda fast for me once Birdie and Lonan reconciled. But I still really enjoyed this story and want I read the rest of the series.

The smut was perfection.

The plot was different, with a touch of suspense and seriousness, which I enjoyed. The romance was electric, with plenty of spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ to keep things interesting. The spice was really spicing in this one!🔥 The narrators were great - they kept me hooked. If you’re into dominant MMCs and the praise trope, you’ll really enjoy it. This was my first Sloane St. James book, and I’m a fan! She can dirty talk the panties off anyone! 😮‍💨😮‍💨