Dark billionaire romance with a splash of hockey? Yes please and thank you! Shattered Obsession by Tina Spencer ticked so many of my romance boxes, I could not wait to read and review! And, I think in my excitement, I overlooked or did not realize this is a part one, ending on a cliffhanger.
Despite being close to 400 pages long, this felt like it just zoomed by with how quickly I devoured it. The plot is a superficial, typical sports romance plot. Dominik is a star hockey player with a negative reputation for womanizing. He needs to revamp his image and would you look at that, perfect timing for his ultimate crush and his best friend’s little sister to show up, needing a place to stay. Enter Zoe who is dealing with a scandal of her own and needing to stay with big brother while settling in town. It’s a tried and true romance plot that hits the spot perfectly.
As for characters and romance, I really loved both Zoe and Dominik! Zoe stood out against a lot of the female romance leads I’ve been reading because she is so wretched. Her life isn’t perfect. Heck, it isn’t even going well. Everything is a mess and she’s honestly just trying to survive and get through and if that ain’t the general mood. She’s had the hots for Dominik since childhood, but obviously thinks he hates her so she just moves on (yes, girl, don’t waste your days pining.) Dominik, meanwhile, has been absolutely obsessed and infatuated with Zoe, but knows he can’t have her because he thinks he’s too messed up, plus she’s his best friend’s sister. He’s outwardly cocky and confident, but inside, he is a mess and I am LIVING for this. Together, sparks fly but we don’t get to see the fire just yet.
I wanted to rate this higher, but the cliffhanger ending killed me. I didn’t know it would end mid story and that got me so upset, I threw my kindle onto my bed and left the apartment. I wanted more and I wanted it right away. The romance starts to build and gets cut off. The smut is flashbacks, and I wanted more. I also want to see more of how Dominik is a freak. More of his stalking. More of his obsession.
If you’re looking for a dark hockey romance, and don’t mind a cliffhanger, I think you’d really enjoy Shattered Obsession by Tina Spencer. I know I did, and I know I will absolutely be looking to pick up the conclusion because I need more. However, if you can’t stand ending a book mid-story, I would wait until the conclusion is released and then pick them both up at once.
