★★★★★ 4
Stick Handling and Emotional Damage
Format: Kindle
Kyleigh (a.k.a Leigh) and Rowan meet at a wedding, do the horizontal mambo, and part ways thinking it’s a one-and-done. But fate had other plans. They run into each other again, and Rowan, in classic “emotionally unavailable man with feelings he doesn’t understand” fashion, suggests a casual, no-strings-attached situationship. As if that ever works.😏
Spoiler alert: It doesn’t.
They fall for each other, obviously. But wait! Kyleigh hasn’t been totally honest. She gave him a fake name—and oh yeah, she’s also the little sister of his former teammate and best friend, Conor. It’s fine though, right? Because they’re not teammates anymore? (Cue evil laughter) Except that Conor gets traded to Rowan’s current team, and suddenly Kyleigh’s secret has the potential to blow up everything she cares about.
Let’s talk about the spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Let me just say—this might be the spiciest Piper Rayne book I’ve listened to yet. Rowan and Kyleigh were straight-up feral for each other. The scenes were hot without feeling repetitive, and you could feel how much they were starting to care for each other underneath all that heat.
What I love about Rayne is that her books always deliver a solid story with a strong emotional pull and enough steam to keep things interesting. This one had both.
Now for my only issue: The third act breakup. Look, I get it. Drama makes the world go round. But Kyleigh not telling Rowan her real name when they were just supposed to be friends-with-benefits? That’s not betrayal. That’s standard hot girl protocol. Rowan, you didn’t even know her last name—calm down.😒
Let’s take a moment to talk about Conor. He was an absolute douche-canoe. I’m an older sibling, so I get the whole protective thing—but this man was on a power trip. Your sister is a grown @ss woman, not a teenager sneaking out of the house. You’re her brother, not her father. Sit down and take several deep breaths. 🙄
We got the Avengers of audiobook narrators: Sean Masters, Erin Mallon, Connor Crais, JF Harding, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, CJ Bloom. That’s not a cast—that’s a supergroup! Every voice fit the characters so well, which brought everything to life. Zero complaints! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, Mr. Heartbreaker gave me everything I wanted: spice, swoon, hockey boys being dumb, and a heroine who didn’t owe anyone an explanation—but gave them one anyway. Definitely worth a listen.🏒💗
⭐⭐⭐⭐
HEA? yes
3rd act break-up? yes
Audio🎧 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
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Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2025
