Release Day Review: "Ghost Dance" (Tulsa Thunderbirds) by Catherine Gayle

Synopsis:

He had it all.
And lost it in an instant.

The night Dmitri Nazarenko won hockey’s Holy Grail, he lost more than he ever bargained for. With a world of guilt weighing him down, Dima can never forgive himself for his tragic misjudgment. Turning his body into a shrine of past mistakes, he hides behind tattoos that memorialize his failures and a beard that masks his pain.

But London Hawke sees right through him. The fiery woman refuses to pity a man like him. No stranger to incurable injuries, London lets nothing stand in the way of living her life. Seeing an able-bodied man haunted by the ghosts of his past is a surefire way to trigger her annoyance, and that’s exactly what she finds in Dima.

When they face off, it becomes a battle of wills. Their constant bickering turns to an unavoidable dance between the sheets. But she won’t accept sharing a bed with the past for long. Will Dima learn to fight his demons, or will London leave him to dance with his ghosts alone?

My Review:

Ghost Dance is a heart-wrenching, emotional story. I've not sure I've seen two people more perfect for each other than Dima and London. London is loud and brash and pushy - everything Dima doesn't need in his life. He's punishing himself for something that happened years ago and his guilt is brought to the surface as he meets London, someone who hasn't let what happened in her life hold her back. They have an explosive, sexy, intense relationship - but steer clear of the deep emotional connection that she wants and he doesn't think he can give.

As much as I liked London, I'm so glad that someone finally calls her on her hypocrisy and challenges her to examine her own emotional health. She needed to go through the process of self-discovery before she was ready to be completely with Dima.

Dima has a sweet side to him that we see in his relationship with baby Harper and I loved seeing his scenes with her that were healing for both her AND him.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:
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About the Author:

Catherine Gayle is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty contemporary hockey romance and Regency-set historical romance novels and novellas. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.

If you want to know more, be sure to sign up for Catherine’s mailing list. She can also be found at Hockey Romance, at The Sin Bin, at Facebook, on Twitter, at Instagram, and at Goodreads. If you want to see some of her cats’ antics and possibly the occasional video update from Catherine, visit her YouTube account.

Website: http://www.catherinegayle.com