Unthinkable by Dani Garo delivers a heartwarming tale about two divorcees and single parents who, having pain and heartbreak in the past, get the chance to experience the true meaning of love. Readers looking for a story featuring relatable characters—those who have experienced trauma, chronic illness, and disability— will appreciate Unthinkable.
Title: Unthinkable
Author(s): Dani Galliaro
Series: Ohio Rusties #2
Published by Self-published through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing on February 7, 2025
Pages: 372
Genre(s): Contemporary Sports Romance
Source: Publicist
Format: eArc
Purchase: Amazon
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Jack Leroy, in love again? Unthinkable.
But when his daughter and her best friend get in trouble at school, the divorced dad of two and notorious hockey enforcer finds himself in the principal’s office.
There, he forms an unlikely alliance with the other kid’s mom, Mara O’Connell. She’s a single parent like Jack, except with a handful of chronic illnesses to manage, no NHL salary, and no co-parent in sight.
When Jack’s fourth nanny in a row quits and he’s banned from the nanny agency, he devises a mutually beneficial plan to solve their childcare and healthcare needs.
All they have to do is get married—and pretend to be in love so their kids don’t get a complex.
Jack might not think love’s in the cards, but he’s taken down a peg when he’s willing to do anything to protect their family. And his final bluff might be called when Mara gives him something he’s always wanted but never had.
Unthinkable is a marriage of convenience double single parent hockey romance with chronic illness and mobility aid representation. It’s the second book in the Ohio Rusties Hockey series.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
When I chose to read Unthinkable, I didn’t realize that it was the second book in a series. However, I needed to not worry as it worked well on its own. In this installment of the Ohio Rusties series readers are given Jack and Mara’s story. Mara a recent divorce (abandoned by her douchebag husband) and mother of two has a chronic illness that cause her to be in pain about 90 % of the time. Between raising her children and her illness she struggles to make ends meet. Despite all this she never gave up hope. She’s one strong and determined female.
Jack a NHL hockey and single father of two doesn’t believe in love. After his experience with his ex-wife, he has no intention of giving his heart to another woman. But of course, fate always has plans bigger than our decisions. He’s grumpy but fiercely protective of those he cares about, and Mara and her children fell right into that category. Now Jack may feel that falling in love is not for him, but his heart never received that memo. The more time he spent around Mara and her children the harder he fell for her. However, denial was his constant companion.
Despite his grumpiness he possessed a heart of gold. His treatment of Mara through her illness will have readers swooning. He saw beyond her illness. It never bothered him and did all he could in his power to help her and make her life comfortable. He even offered to marry her so she could afford the expensive medical treatment. His treatment of the children both his and hers will warm the hearts of readers.
Unthinkable is a beautiful story that demonstrates the beauty of a relationship with the right person. The person who has your back through the good and the bad times. It’s a story of love, family and healing. Although quite the emotional read, there were several scenes which will have readers laughing. Also, there were some steamy moments which showed the couple in a different light.
Unthinkable was a solid and satisfying read. Readers looking for a heartwarming story served up with humor, romance and some steamy moments should consider adding this book to their reading list.
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