Slapshot of Love - Gary Pearson,  Carly Jones,  Jodi Boyer
4 ½ of 5 stars

Geri Halton accidentally winds up being cast on a new reality television show after driving her cousin to an audition. NHL star, Ryan Tremblay, is the handsome bachelor being sought after on the show, Slapshot of Love. Reality television has taken over Geri’s life; she needs to figure out what is genuine and what is being portrayed for the audience.

This is one of those books that left me sleep deprived because I couldn’t put it down until 4:30 am in the morning. Only two hours of sleep, oh well, it was worth it.

I really liked Geri. I felt that I could relate to her lack of knowledge of reality shows. I don’t watch much TV; when I do it’s usually a hockey game, definitely not reality television. I love that Geri is not perfect, and that she calls people out. She also has a great sense of humor and a big heart. It was clever that she decided to go on the show to discover herself.

I also like Ryan. Although I admit to wanting to slap him upside the head a couple of times but that just made his character more believable. It would be interesting to hear the story from his point of view.

I didn’t see the ending coming. It is not the ending I would have chosen but that’s okay. It made a statement, and I think it achieved the overall point behind the book. Not everything is what it seems; reality TV is not actual. Reality is not always perfect and the way you want it to turn out. The book also points out that sometimes it is hard to know who your real friends are and who you can trust. I was disappointed with a couple of characters in the end (cough Sidney), but that’s real life.

It showed that Gary Pearson has experience in the entertainment industry. Slapshot of Love was very well written with abundant behind the scene television details. It is a very funny book with some valuable life lessons. If you enjoy reality TV, hockey, and/or comedies this is an excellent book. I look forward to the sequel, there are so many possibilities.

Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.