TRYING TO SCORE by Toni Aleo

Trying to Score by Toni Aleo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read

Hockey star Lucas fell in love with Fallon the moment he saw her. They spent two years together until Fallon walked in on him with her best friend. Seven years later, Luc is in Nashville as a new member of the Assassins. Not only is he there to make changes in his life to continue his sobriety, but he's there looking for Fallon. It's time, now that he's in a better place, to make amends and try to get her back. Little does he know that when he they broke up seven years ago, Fallon was pregnant and now is raising her six year old little boy Aiden James with her sister Audrey. Once people see Lucas and realized that he and Fallon knew each other years ago, they immediately connect and understand that he is Aiden's father. Once he finds out, he's upset, but doesn't blame Fallon, continuing to try to get her back. There are several hurdles, but in the end they work it out.

I really liked this, and liked that Shea and Elli were back in a big way in this story. But, I have to say that Fallon was a horrible person. The fact that she was so selfish was beyond my comprehension. Yes, he cheated and may not have been a good father, but he had every right to know. Once she made that mistake it was done, but not to let him know once he was in Nashville and telling he'd changed, she should have scheduled a time to talk to him. She was so focused on her own feelings for the man and for what she thought he'd done seven years before, that she couldn't get out of her own way to think what was best for her son. I loved Molly, Lucas's mother's smackdown response to Fallon keeping Aiden a secret from all of them.

Although I though that Fallon and Audrey's father was a horrible person. Who tells their own child that they "disgust" them? That's a horrible thing to say to someone you are supposed to love. Especially when what they've done isn't that bad. She had a child out of wedlock, and yes she kept it from the father, but as her father, he should have had a little more compassion than that. Her mother should have stood up for her. She was a hard working young woman, basically raising her kid on her own, and doing a great job as the win company's head of PR. What's so disgusting about her? Yes, her sister says the same thing later, but it was done in a different context, after a fight and to shock Fallon into understanding that she was making some big selfish mistakes.

I wanted more drama with Levi. I also wasn't sure how Lucas could have been friends and not know that he was a physically abusive jerk to women. I read so much into what was happening in his story. That maybe he was skimming off of Lucas, which was one of the reason he didn't like Luc spending money on Fallon. Also why he wanted to double check that Aiden was Lucas' son. I thought that, of course, he didn't want things to change with he and Lucas, but he also thought that having Fallon and a kid in the mix, would push him into the background. But we just didn't see enough of him and especially his relationship with Audrey. I just don't understand why she was so in love with the horrible man.

Aiden was the cutest thing and said some of the funniest things. I loved his immediate connection to Lucas and how he was craving a man in his life. He wanted to do everything like his father and didn't want to be away from him. I loved how Lucas fell in love with his son right away and would do anything for him.

I would definitely recommend this series. Wouldn't we all like a guy who would fight through all our crap just to get into our hearts? I know I would. I can't wait to read Audrey and Tate's story.

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