Nothing But Trouble
I loathe football and you couldn’t pay me to watch a hockey game and yet two of my favorite romance series feature each: Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Chicago Stars (football) and Rachel Gibson’s Chinooks Hockey Team (hockey). Nothing But Trouble is book five in the latter and it’s a very good time.
The Seattle Chinooks may have won the Stanley Cup, but for Mark Bressler, it’s a hollow victory. Months earlier, a brutal car crash put him in the hospital, leaving him unable to ever play again. Now he’s stuck at home, grappling with a body that won’t cooperate and a future that’s no longer his own. Cranky and perpetually in pain, he’s made a habit of scaring off every assistant the team has sent his way, often within hours of arrival. But Chelsea Ross, a former B-movie actress turned personal assistant between acting gigs, proves more resilient. She’s dealt with demanding types before, and she has her sights set on the ten grand the team has promised if she sticks out three months with him.
Chelsea might be petite, but she’s armed with nearly a decade of experience wrangling Hollywood egos, and Mark’s gruff demeanor barely fazes her. Former B-movie actress turned personal assistant between roles, Chelsea has survived the demands of L.A.’s acting scene and is unimpressed by Mark’s surliness. The two are a potent match and their chemistry is electric. But Chelsea is firm about not crossing the line during work hours, and Mark—begrudgingly—respects her boundaries. But after work, that’s a different and very hot story.
Gibson is a master at writing smart, sexy love scenes. The intense lust Mark and Chelsea feel is wonderfully written and like all good sex scenes showcases the emotional connection the two develop. Gibson knows when to turn up the heat and when to let her characters simmer, and it makes for love scenes that are as meaningful as they are steamy.
The romance builds slowly, underscored by Mark’s own struggle with identity and purpose now that hockey is gone for good. Once the superstar of the Seattle Chinooks, Mark was at the top of his game until a brutal car crash sidelined him permanently. He’s angry and grieving the loss, and Gibson doesn’t shy away from showing his pain or letting him work through it. This isn’t a one-dimensional brooding hero—Mark’s bitterness and grief feel authentic and earned. Chelsea, for her part, isn’t looking to fix him; she has her own ambitions and a clear path for her life, with or without him. The result is a rare balance—two people with pasts and futures that don’t depend on each other but just might be better together.
Of course, there’s a moment when things unravel. Mark’s past has him braced against anyone who might be interested in him for the wrong reasons, and he jumps to a painful conclusion about Chelsea’s motivations. It’s one of those romantic misunderstandings that feels just plausible enough, but his quick change of heart is harder to buy. Despite this stumble, the resolution works well enough, carried by the strength of the earlier character work and their undeniable chemistry.
Fans of the Chinooks series will enjoy seeing familiar faces in the periphery, but this is Mark and Chelsea’s story from start to finish. Their connection feels real, the emotional stakes are high, and it’s a very hot read. If you’re looking for a satisfying, entertaining read with enough grit to balance the glamor, this one’s for you!