callie is not a regular puck bunny. her brother and cousin are on the team and neither is a big fan of dallas. blocked is partly about how dallas wins callie over, but also partly about how he has to win everyone over because his reputation precedes him.
the thing about books that set up the main character this way is that you have to immediately make him redeemable. because no one really wants to read about a dirtbag falling in love. here's the thing, i never thought dallas was all that awful. but the way some of the characters treat him, especially during the first third of the novel is way over the top for his alleged misdeeds.
that one time he almost hits callie and everyone makes him feel super bad about it? 1) they were on the ice and in full pads; 2) callie hit him first and it was a cheap shot; 3) he had no idea that it wasn't another male hockey player he was playing against; 4) he had no idea that it was callie. so how everyone reacts and treats him after that incident seems totally irrational.
having dallas have to woo callie isn't a problem, however, and i loved watching their relationship develop. you'd think that her deeper understanding of his character would have allowed her to actually hear him out instead of jumping to conclusions when things look bad late in the story, but instead she shuts him out. this is one of my least favorite character behaviors. i want the lead characters to behave like rational adults. going into hiding and not communicating with the person you claim to love is not rational behavior.
the seeds for the next novel in the series, playmaker are sown in this one, and i'm looking forward to seeing where things go.
**blocked will publish on october 31, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/random house publishing group (loveswept) in exchange for my honest review.
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