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I've now purchased this book twice. I bought it years ago in paperback and now digitally because it is a multiple re-read for me. I love Rachel Gibson's writing, her quirky relatable heroines, and jerky but lovable heroes. Of course, there is the snappy dialog and steamy sexual tension that is found in almost all of her books. I will probably end up purchasing all of my favorite Rachel Gibson's older books in Kindle format now that I've gone completely digital and I don't regret the redundant cost at all.

I loved the main character, Jane. She's determined and hard working, she does NOT have the measurements of a centerfold (how refreshing!) and she has her insecurities but is also very strong-willed. She puts a lot of effort into being professional and doing her job, but she also has a secret second job writing an erotic magazine column - which adds an interesting an fun twist to her personality.
Luc was awesome and hot! He's already overcome some of his past demons, and you can see his character develop through the course of the story. He has become the guardian to his much younger sister, and as a result he matures a lot in his views of women. I loved how his feelings for Jane gradually grew.
The development of the relationship was great, lots of ups & downs and some hilarious moments. I couldn't put the book down, I was dying to see what would happen next. I had previously read the first book in the Chinooks series, "Simply Irresistible" and liked it a lot, I thought this one was even better (I related more to the main character.) These books could stand alone, but I prefer to read books in order if there are connections between them so I will list them. I just downloaded the next one, and can't wait to read it!
Chinooks Hockey Series
1. Simply Irresistible
2. See Jane Score
3. The Trouble with Valentine's Day
4. True Love and Other Disasters
5. Nothing but Trouble
6. Any Man of Mine

Repressed Seattle Times reporter, Jane Alcott (who also writes a soft porn column for a magazine under the nom de plume "Honey Pie") is chosen for the plum assignment as a traveling reporter with the Seattle Chinook hockey team.

She is immediately rejected - none of the players want the petite reporter in the locker room, particularly since she knows little about hockey (except for those quick lessons in the "Hockey for Dummies" book she bought), and of course, she does not know where to focus her eyes.

But no one wants her there less than Luc Martineau, the team's star goalie. He hates reporters due to press problems in his checkered past. He just wants to live a quiet life while caring for his teenage sister. But he cannot resist bantering with Jane and trying to make her blush. Since she is kinda plain and not his type, he wonders why he is so drawn.

In an act of defiance after being unceremoniously fired from her job because the team loses a game (those hockey players are a superstitious lot), Jane enters the locker room and gives them all a piece of her mind before dashing out. When they win the game, she is immediately called a good luck charm, and at every game, must perform that same "pep talk" as a nightly ritual. These scenes are hysterical to say the least.

While Honey Pie is sexy and provocative, the real Jane is not. She prefers clothing in all shades of blah - grey and black. Once she dons a little red dress, she has Luc seeing more than red. Luc and Jane start to see each other secretly. Of course, those Honey Pie articles end up surfacing, causing a rift between them.

It is a great story with exciting characters, comical situations, and just the right amount of romance. This is one of the best hockey-romance stories!

I came into this book as a huge fan of hockey and of goalies particularly. I have my suspicions about who Luc might have been modeled after (or at least I know who he reminds he of.) I fall in love with goalies pretty much all the time, so it was easy for me to relate that to Luc. Who is funny, smart, and very much a hockey player.

Jane, however, is a prototypical "woman who doesn't understand sports" working at a newspaper that apparently only has one sports reporter. In Seattle. When the make sports reporter has a medical emergency, the editors turn to the romance columnist in a move that you just have to suspend your disbelief for. Luc has to overcome his preference for big boobs and small brains on a woman and an aversion to reporters to actually see Jane. Jane has to overcome some secrets she's keeping and a lack of knowledge about the sport to make it work. The chemistry is great, the pacing is great, the dialogue is fun. And I really liked the book.

Still there were some pretty big errors on the hockey details that really threw me and threatened to throw me out of the world of the story. You never want your reader to start thinking about the writing process and these details did that. Another reviewer mentioned the Conn Smythe thing, and maybe Luc won the Conn Smythe with another team or something, but it's almost always awarded to a player from the winning team because among hockey media if you lose you clearly weren't very outstanding. (You can roll your eyes at that if you want, cuz it's dumb.)

Meanwhile, the Chinooks can't be entering the Conference Finals in the middle of the season. If you're entering the Conference Finals there are at most 14 games one month of season left. Not the weeks and weeks the story took. And certainly not with a 4-games in eight days schedule. Furthermore, reporters don't hang out where the players get dressed anymore. There's a dressing area and an area for taking off/putting on gear. It's really unusual for women reporters (of whom there are many) to be surrounded by guys in towels. An owner doesn't sign contracts, the General Manager does. And the owner cannot give a player gifts as a signing bonus. The league and the Players' Association wouldn't allow that.

If you aren't already into hockey, these details won't bother you. If you are and you can get past them, the story's charming enough to be worth it. I've actually read the book twice, because Hot Goalie, but I wish Ms. Gibson or her editor had gotten better hockey info before publishing this book.