Blindsided by Victoria Denault

 

Release Date: 02.15.2021

Synopsis:

What if Romeo wore hockey skates, and Juliet was raised on a farm next door?

As a life-long Vermonter, there are three beliefs I’ve always held true:

1. 1. Our family farm is everything
   2. Hockey is a close second
   3. The Todds next door are our sworn enemies

But this season will test everything I stand for. 

I have an illicit side job that could cost me my hockey scholarship. And now Maggie Todd knows my secret. She’s waiting for the right moment to use it against me. But every time I face off against her, I learn things I shouldn’t want to know. Like how deeply her competitive streak runs, and how sexy that is. And how easy it is to make her blush… everywhere.

An Adler and a Todd cannot be lovers. Breaking that rule is like pulling a pin on a grenade--everything in my life could blow up. Can we surrender to these feelings… or will our families’ feud make us its next casualty?

Review:

Wow Wow Wow!! Blindsided was the first story by Victoria Denault I've read and I loved it, I couldn't put it down. We are in Vermont where there are two neighbouring farmer families that have a feud for generations. The Adlers and the Todds hate each others, they can't stand the presence of one another. Tate Adler and Maggie Todd go to the same college and they also attend the same course. They are good at ignoring each other until a day their lives collide and Maggie having something up her sleeve she forces Tate to share their booth at the farm market. It isn't easy to work side by side every Sunday because they are really champions to push each other wrong buttons but from a venomous comment to the other they begin to feel a strong attraction. Will they keep their relationship a secret or will their families find it out and disown them? Tate and Maggie journey was entertaining, I adored their bantering and witty comments. They are two good persons who unfortunately were born in a hatred environment. I loved how they work hard to try to save and improve their farms. I was caught up in their lives and supported both of them since the begin. In a modern, hotter, sexier and way funnier Romeo and Juliet tale Victoria Denault delivered a spectacular novel. I expected some more hockey but it maybe would have stolen the attention from the main point of the farms. I want to shout out about this book far and wide because it is really good and everyone should read it if new adult, college novels are your beat.

Excerpt:

“Will you delete the damn picture now? From the Cloud too?” I ask. I want to get that photo deleted and get the hell out of here and go back to pretending she and her pesky little sister don’t exist.

“You’re getting paid for the cleaning. You want the photo gone forever, you gotta pay for that,” Maggie replies coolly as she sits on her bed, leaning back all casual, like she isn’t fucking with my entire life. 

“You want your money back? Fine. But I can only pay you what Vickie pays me. She takes a cut, you know. I don’t get to keep it all and I’m broke so I can’t give you anything more than I get,” I explain and grit my teeth because the idea of not being paid for this humiliation makes me pissed off. 

I walk over and stand in front of her which I instantly realize isn’t a great idea. She’s now eye level with my junk. Her hazel eyes seem to grow two sizes and that alabaster complexion is changing color again.  And she tries to stand up, but I’m too close and she ricochets off my chest and lands on her back on the bed. I can’t help but laugh, which clearly annoys her so I swallow down the last bit of my chuckle, and take a step back. Pissing her off isn’t going to help me. 

“You want the picture, you’re going to have to give us half your booth at the Farmer’s Market,” she announces as she stands up again, this time without calamity. 

“I’m sorry, what?” I wasn’t expecting that but as soon as she announces it I realize I should have been. “When? This Sunday?”

“Yep,” she nods firmly and puts her hands on her hips. “And every other Sunday of the season.”

My jaw drops. “You’re fucking kidding.”

“I don’t kid about business, Adler,” she replies, cool as a cucumber again. I angrily grab my feather duster off the floor and point it at her, about to tell her off, but then she pulls the phone from the back pocket of her jeans and snaps another picture. I lunge for it but she’s much more graceful and cat-like than she was a minute ago and she manages to leap onto the bed and off the other side. Her fingers are busy punching things on the screen as I dart across the room to try and grab it again. 

Maggie quickly drops it down the front of her shirt, probably tucking it into her bra. I freeze and she smiles. “If you go for it I will punch you square in that pretty face of yours. And also, it won’t do a lick of good. I just emailed it to myself.”

Argh! I hate this woman.