Defenseless Hearts by Mika Jolie is the second book in the Playing for Keeps series. This installment features River Baldwin. I first met him in book one (Intercepted Hearts), which featured his twin brother. Unlike his twin who was a NFL player River was a star hockey player. Considered a bad boy by the media, which was the complete opposite of his twin. When a scandal threatened to derail his career, his agent brought out the big guns, by hiring a PR consultant to clean up his image.

Samantha Loren, PR consultant to the stars was not looking forward to her new assignment of cleaning up River’s image. She believes he is an entitled prick, but she had a job to do. Having been burnt in the past by a pro-athlete and former client, she was determined not to fall under River Baldwin’s spell.

The connection between them could not be denied. From the moment they met sparks flew, but their preconceived notions of each other threatened to extinguish said sparks.

I loved both River and Sam as individuals and as a couple. To the media and the public, River appeared to be a bad boy, but in reality he was a man with a good heart. He was a person who didn’t care what people thought of him.

Samantha is smart, strong willed and driven. She displayed a tough as nails demeanour, but beneath those layers was a woman who feared risking her.

The romance featured here was sweet with a lot of sizzle. However, it was not without its challenges. The media and Samantha’s fears proved a threat.

Once again, Mika Jolie did not disappoint. She created a heart-warming story about two people who had to fight against the odds to be together.  A short and fast paced read, that had me turning the pages. Despite the brevity, Defenseless Hearts packed a punch. It shows that love has the power to melt even the coldest of hearts.

Conclusion/Recommendation.
I had a good time with this story. Fans of sports romance, featuring a sexy hockey player and a tough as nails heroine will love Defenseless Hearts.