March 11, 2014 part two,
The second part of Dakota Madison's series of Fire on Ice is called The Playmaker,
It ws not a sappy love story but rather a journey of a woman after she is viciously attacked and how she regains her strength in herself and allows herself to continue to love. I really enjoyed it.
 
The Playmaker (Fire On Ice Book Two)

Dakota Madison

Local hockey hero Kian Kavanagh has been called up to the big times, to the NHL's new expansion team in Seattle. He and Taylor decide to try a long distance relationship and burn up the phone lines talking to each other constantly.

They have gotten so close to one another, they really are the perfect couple.She has taught him that he is worthy to be loved after his childhood and he has opened her to being able to love after the scandal with Austin in highschool

Another horrific experiences awaits for Taylor as finally Blake catches her alone one day. He violently assaults her and once again Taylor needs to bounce back to find her inner strength to carry on.

I thought this story was going to be just a continuation of the love story that began in book one. I was totally wrong, this was so much more than a simple love story. This was the journey of a strong woman as she deals with a horrible situation and learns to grow. Sure, she has a few humane stumbles along the way but then she draws on her inner strength. It was a unbelievable journey as we watched her process what had happened to her and how she allows it to shape her life. It changes her outlook on so many things and she allows herself to grow with it. She fights back. She regains her belief in herself and continues on with her life.

The author does a great job portraying her struggles and how she copes with them. This tragedy affects her friends, family and of course Kian. It was a realistic view and journey to watch her deal with all of these people in her quest to renew her belief in herself.

I loved how she takes help from people that we were not expecting. I appreciated the effort that Kian puts in and her family's growing acceptance for him. It was great to see everyone give her space but continue to shower her with love and support. A true emotional read. I would give both of these a 5.5.