Lasairiona E. McMaster Archives - Proud Book Reviews

March 13, 2023March 13, 2023

Freezing the Puck – Lasairiona E. McMaster

This book contains:

Cheating, both with a partner and academically
Discovery of adoption and it’s emotional impacts on all involved.

Justin is the captain of the Cedar Rapids Racoons, studying, working AND trying to build up his career as a published author. He left Minnesota almost as quickly as he could in an attempt to get away from his past and the false rumours that isolated him throughout high school.

Savannah has recently found out that she’s adopted and because of this is trying to distance herself from her “parents”. Which means she’s desperate for a job. She’s also stuck on the things she likes, to the point that trying a new flavour for her coffee is impossible, and so incredibly phobic of planes it’s a wonder she manages to step foot on them at all.

While Justin and Savannah went to the same high school in Minnesota, they’ve somehow never crossed paths even though they’re both attending the University of Cedar Rapids and have been there for a couple of years. Once they’ve crossed paths, it’s hard to put the cat back in the bag, especially when the attraction between the two of them is so strong.

I had such a fun time reading this, especially because Savannah so clearly hated Justin, and yet he couldn’t help but be his kind, caring self regardless of how much hate she threw his way. This was especially evident when he helped her escape her family after his mum warned him that she’d just found out she was adopted and wasn’t taking it well.

And then there’s that one scene at about 75-80% of the way through the book where Justin does his big speech, and it leaves Savannah shocked. I can’t spoil it for you, but it honestly had me cracking up because of how accurate it is. It also reminded me of the Wheel of Time podcast I listen to and how they talk about communication. It just came together to create a hilarious moment for me to laugh at while on the plane to visit my mum.

When I did finish this, I was actually disappointed I couldn’t jump straight into the next book, because let’s face it, it’s been a while since I read Two for Taco’s and I somehow need more of Las’s hockey romances!

January 23, 2023January 2, 2023

Two for Tacos – Lasariona E. McMaster

This book contains:

Mentions of a cheating ex.

Kenzie and Austin are the main character this short novella, however some of the other Snow Pirates do make an appearance, along with some character’s who’ve been mentioned and will star in the upcoming Cedar Rapids series (coming soon).

The Snow Pirates are in Cedar Rapids for a “friendly” pre-season game which means Kenzie is going along as the team Physio, and Austin has some business in town so tagged along as well. At a date night dinner for Kenzie and Austin, some of the Snow Pirates crash their dinner. Then of course some of the Cedar Rapid team members come into the restaurant and a bet ensues that leads to the drama of the novella.

I pre-ordered this coz I knew it’d be good and boy was a right.

For just 71 pages, there was enough intensity, drama and of course sexy time to be a classic Las story. Of course I was a little upset that Kenzie’s fantasy didn’t get played out, or at least the answer given coz I’m super curious and now I gotta hope the Cedar Rapids series give me the answers I want.

October 24, 2022October 22, 2022

Two for Charging – Lasairiona E. McMaster

This book contains:

Divorce
Adultery
Teenage pregnancy, including father walking away
References to drug use (steroids).

Elliott is the coach of the Snow Pirates and has been for quite some time. After attempting to make it to the NHL, he came home in his 20s to coach and develop the next generations of hockey players. After discovering his wife was cheating on him and that she never wanted children, they got divorced leaving him in a sad apartment trying to move on with his life.

Clare is a single mum of two kids by two different fathers. While her daughter was the result of a high school pregnancy, she thought her son would be raised with his father, her husband in the picture. Unfortunately, he cheated on her with his secretary and apparently had been doing so for most of their marriage, so Clare is left just trying to keep the family running with little time for herself.

Elliott and Clare reconnect after two decades apart, and while they both seem to have an interest in the other, they each have their own reservations about when and how to proceed. As they muddle through relationships when there are children involved, they also need to cope with their individual family dramas and how to navigate those when there’s another party wanting to be included in their lives.

I’m really glad Las changed this book from Seb to Elliott. Not because I’ve got anything against Seb, just because Elliott and Clare’s story had so much depth and emotion in it that it was just the perfect ending to the Snow Pirate’s series.

I really enjoyed the flashbacks from Elliott’s perspective as it gave us insight into what happened to them in their past, even if it meant one of my guesses about what happened was wrong. While Clare had her own moments of flashbacks, I feel like I got more of an emotional understanding about Elliott from his than I did about Clare in hers.

Also, I clearly misinterpreted what Kenzie’s home was like based on the descriptions of Clare’s. Given how close it sounded like they lived, the lack of yard etc for Kenzie, I honestly thought they were in like little town houses, side by side duplex or condos (I know in my mind what I mean, in Australia we’d call it a town house or unit). Yet Clare has a full-on yard, two story house and a laundry big enough to get busy in. So clearly, I was wrong!

Overall, a great end to the season and I’m really looking forward to Two for Taco’s that comes out in December!

August 29, 2022October 22, 2022

Two for Tripping – Lasairiona E. McMaster

This book contains:

References to and descriptions of statutory rape/assault and their after effects
Minor discussion on the effect of teen abortions
Slut shaming (calling out and not allowing this behaviour to continue).

Will is the older brother of Molly and best from of Finn from Two for Roughing, and after that book, it’s hard to think about how we could possibly want to root for Will to get his own happily ever after. If you haven’t read that one, you really need to read it before jumping into this one otherwise you won’t get the full emotional impact Lasairiona gives us in this roller coaster.

Quin is a character that’s been referenced in previous books, but not someone we really know anything about just yet. While we find out that she’s confident and knows what she wants out of life, she’s also highly conflicted in ways that don’t quite make sense until we get to know her better.

Quin saves Will from random girls hitting on him while at her weekly karaoke session, and unintentionally falls into “bed” with him. The guy she’s had a crush on for a few months but somehow lost his number after he gave it to her and so thought he was gone for good.

Only problem is, Will goes on to slut shame her and since it’s not his first offence, things seem pretty dicey until we get to know Will better. As Quin can’t keep herself away from Will, we inevitably learn more about him and somehow we go from hating his guts in Two for Roughing, to somehow rooting for him, disbelief at what he’s gone through and a sincere hatred for an unexpected character.

I really enjoyed this, despite not wanting to. While I was warned from Lasairiona’s emails that we’d like Will by the end of this book, I was sceptical coz I just didn’t think anything could make up for how Will had behaved previously. And yet, she pulled it off!

We also got such a cute little throw back to Austin which made my heart sing just a little. I loved his character from Two for Boarding (the previous book), so reading him make the appearance he did made me happy. Even if it was only for that very short moment in time!

But you should also be prepared for either tissues or a punching bag to get out all the emotions you’ll feel by the end. If you don’t have those handy, I don’t recommend going past like… the first third of the book?

It’s an amazing read, breaking stereotypes while also highlighting the very real and scary side of society and what humans can be capable of. I also highly recommend reading Lasairiona’s acknowledgement at the end to understand why Will’s character was so important to her.

July 11, 2022June 19, 2022

Two for Boarding – Lasairiona E. McMaster

This book contains:

Domestic violence
BDSM – pleasure Dom (see Goodreads for description of what this includes).

Kenzie is a kick ass, strong, confident woman who’s joined the Snow Pirates as their team physio. And yet, her past that no one really seems to know much about has shaped who she is now and has left lasting emotional scars that she has to try and overcome on a daily basis.

Austin is a quiet guy who keeps his private life private, while still being there to support his teammates however he can. His last Sub left him unexpectedly leaving him unsure of himself with his confidence severely beaten, not that he’ll let anyone else know.

Kenzie and Austin meet at the rink and instantly have a connection almost straight away, not that they do anything to explore it at the time. When Kenzie’s friends bring her to a BDSM club for a fun night out, Austin happens to be there at the same time, and they spend some time chatting. While Kenzie’s innocence is hard to miss, Austin does his best to explain the rules of BDSM and the club without scaring Kenzie.

As time goes on, Kenzie and Austin connect and slowly get to know each other while exploring Austin’s BDSM preferences while finding out what Kenzie enjoys as well.

One thing Lasairiona doesn’t shy away from is the various ways in which couples can enjoy each other. In every book she writes she includes these details, and in this case, the intricacies around BDSM.

I’m sure by now most of us know about 50 Shades of Grey, and therefore have a particular view as to what BDSM is all about. Well in Austin’s case, he’s nothing like that!

By exploring BDSM through Austin introducing Kenzie to it, Lasairiona shows us a completely different view that I think is much healthier for everyone involved. Not only is Austin able to explore his own emotional vulnerabilities, but he’s also able to support Kenzie through her own challenges in a way that ensures she’s safe and loved while coming to grips with her own trauma’s.

If you’re not info sexy books or public displays, you might struggle with elements of this book, but I still think you should read it. It left me with such a powerful feeling at the end, one that I can’t quite describe but still left a lasting impact, that I think you should read this to explore those themes.

July 4, 2022June 19, 2022

Two for Roughing – Lasairiona E. McMaster

This book contains:

References and discusses domestic violence against a child
References and discusses death of a child
References and discusses the impact of grief.

Molly is the little sister of the Snow Pirates captain who we’ve met in the previous two books. She’s outspoken, she’s confident and she doesn’t apologise to anyone about who she is and who she’s attracted to. The only problem she has that she struggles with is that she’s in love with Finn who’s totally, 100% off limits since he’s her brother’s best friend and also on the Snow Pirates.

Finn is set to graduate college and the Snow Pirates are on track to win the season. Except it’s getting harder and harder for him to hide his love for Molly who is absolutely off limits since she’s his best friend’s sister. His best friend and his family took him in when his parents couldn’t cope with the death of his brother (something he still struggles with today) and he definitely doesn’t want to lose the only family he has left.

Molly and Finn’s history spans years. Right back to when they first met back in high school.

With a mix of how they’re handling their attraction now, and flashbacks to the past to explain how and why things are happening now, we watch them come so close but not quite get together. Until they do and then hell seems to break lose as they try and navigate whether they even work without Will finding out and ruining their good thing.

While I really loved this book (forbidden romance is always interesting to me), there was one element I wished was explored more. Molly is very sexually open and happy to explore limits, and Finn loves her as she is and has his own fantasies. Yet this is really only very briefly explored in the very last chapter/epilogue in the most basic way.

I kinda wish their sexual freedom and kinks had been explored more within the story. I got a sense that rather than allowing them to be who they were, they were being pushed to stay in the “mainstream” idea of a relationship. Which given how adamant Molly is that she lives her life how she wants, it just felt wrong in a way.

That’s not to say that their relationship development wasn’t awesome. I just wish the sexual side of the relationship had have reflected who it felt like they were a bit better.

April 11, 2022April 2, 2022

Two for Holding – Lasairiona E. McMaster

This book contains:

Discussion of the impact of divorce
Emotional family violence
Single dad due to mother abandoning them.

Sabrina is from a traditional Indian family. As the youngest of five or six siblings (sorry, I can’t remember exactly how many there are), she’s constantly treated as the selfish one, the one that constantly disappoints the family. But all she’s ever done is help others, want to be heard and want to be able to make her own choices.

Russell is a single dad, has a double major at uni, plays college hockey and has dreams of making the NHL. He has a full plate as it is and is definitely not interested in romance after his daughters’ mother walked away and left them without any notice or a backwards glance.

We’re into the second book in the series of the Snow Pirates romances where we follow a different couple every book. In this one, we follow Sabrina and Russ for about three or four months as they figure out what they have and what it could potentially be.

I really enjoyed reading about how Sabrina and Russ, as young as they are, wove their way through some pretty hefty topics. At uni age, they worked their way through past emotional traumas and found their way to their happily ever after.

What I especially loved was how Lasairiona introduced domestic violence in a different way. So often, when someone talks about domestic violence, they’re talking about physical violence or overt control. But there are more forms than that.

The simple matter that Sabrina’s family (parents and all siblings) made her feel alone, selfish, and like her voice doesn’t matter. And when she raised this with them, their response was typical of domestic violence abusers.

It’s so good to see these impacts being openly talked about in such a real way.

It was so refreshing and I was desperately wanting the next book but of course I need to wait.

April 4, 2022April 2, 2022

A Tale of Six Meet Cutes – Lasairiona E. McMaster

This book contains:

Mentions of a past trauma.

This is a short compendium of short stories to introduce the six couples that form the Snow Pirates series. Each “book” has two chapters, one for each character’s point of view.

All we’re doing with these is getting an introduction to how each couple first met and spoke to each other. It’s not meant to be spicy or anything, it’s just a taster.

I quite enjoyed reading this, although I’m still not sure if you should read each short story before or after the characters book… When writing this review, I’d read the first three books so I’ll give you my thoughts on those, but the rest I can’t say yet…

Two for Interference (Cleo and Linc)
1. I’m so torn with this one! I read their short story after their novel and while I found it hilarious, I have a feeling it could have made moment of their novel more interesting…
Two for Holding (Sabrina and Russ)
1. Yep, you should definitely read this first. It gives you a taste of a different side of their personalities that takes a little longer to come out in their novel. It made me feel like I was one of their besties being like “just be yourself!” cheering them from the sidelines.
Two for Roughing (Molly and Finn)
1. I think you couple probably skip this. It’s included in their novel at the right moment so I don’t think you need to worry about reading it here.
Two for Boarding (Mackenzie and Austin)
Two for Tripping (Quinn and Will)
Two for Charging (Hunter and Seb)

If I feel like I want to come back to change this in the future once I’ve read the rest of the series, I will. But for now I don’t have anything more to say without potentially ruining anything for you.

March 7, 2022February 12, 2022

No Matter What – Lasairiona E. McMaster

It’s AJ’s final instalment and it’s coming up to Olivia’s first birthday. AJ and Lisa have had a massive past 12 months and it doesn’t seem to be calming down just yet. When they started their family, who new they’d trade petty romances for petty mum drama?

The best part though, is how Lisa and AJ rise above it in a way that AJ wasn’t expecting.

I think out of all of Lasairiona’s books that I’ve read so far, this one had me laughing the most. Lisa is one of the more refined characters of this world, so to suddenly go through everything that Lisa organises for Oliva’s first birthday was a hilarious ride.

Then of course there was AJ’s response to the whole situation including his mental play of it happening as it happened. It was so much fun, and I just loved every moment of it!

My only problem was that a couple of moments felt a little weird and I wish there had have been more funny moments and observations throughout to really take it off the charts.