Blurb:

Cait 

Ever since my accident, I feel like damaged goods. I do my best to hide in plain sight until the one guy I want to notice me… doesn’t. 

Westfall U hockey star, Evan Hayworth, is way out of my league. If I want him to see me as more than just his tutor, I’ll need help igniting the spark. 

Lucky for me, his hockey teammate comes to my rescue and makes me an offer I can’t refuse— I help him with science, and he will educate me in the bedroom. 

A fake relationship with the most unavailable guy on campus seems like the perfect solution. 

Noah is caring, loyal, and very good at pretending. Even I’m starting to believe the chemistry between us is real. 

He may be a damaged player… but his magnetic touch and warm heart are making me feel alive again. 

Noah 

My life has been falling apart. After desperately trying to hold it together and focusing on hockey, the last thing I need is a serious relationship. 

What I need is to keep my head in the game, but Cait is the exception to that rule. 

Because hooking up with her is homework… or an experiment, depending on how you look at it. 

I need a tutor to get my science grade up and she needs my expertise in the bedroom to give her the confidence to go for the guy she really wants… my teammate. 

It’s a win-win, until the variables change, and our combustible attraction takes us from friends to lovers. 

Suddenly our fake relationship feels much too real and I’m regretting our little deal. 

My 4* Review:

Damaged Player is book six in R.C. Stephens hockey series Westfall U. This time it is a fake relationship, friends to lovers story about Cait Ellison and Noah Alexander. A couple who help each other far more than they realise especially as they are both in need of a friend. Their connection grows and they have fun experimenting together but will her insecurities and his reluctance to commit jeopardise the relationship they have built. 

If you have read the previous books then you will know that Cait is Wolfe’s sister who has a Prosthetic after losing part of her leg in a car crash. Her ex boyfriend didn’t want to be with a disabled girlfriend so she feels broken and damaged. She is scared to try and get out there again and isn’t confident because her limp is obvious. What hasn’t helped her is that all her friends are now in relationships so she is feeling lonely.

Noah was introduced to us in the last book Broken Player.  He is the newest player for the Westfall U Dragons hockey team. He feels like his life is falling apart and is desperately trying to cope with everything that has happened to him over the last year. He has a lot on his plate being new at the college, the team and the hockey house. He is trying to fit in but is distracted by his mother’s illness and his father abandoning them. He loved playing for Duluth and deep down resents having to move but when his mother moved in with his grandmother, he had no choice but to move too. Now he must focus on hockey and keep his grades up so needs a tutor. 

Cait has had a crush on hockey player Evan Hayworth for ages but he doesn’t notice her and she thinks it’s because of her leg. When he breaks his arm and needs a tutor who doesn’t want to sleep with him, Coach ask Cait to help him and she thinks this will finally be her chance. After weeks of helping Evan he still doesn’t notice her so when Noah comes up with a way to help her in return for tutoring him she takes the chance. 

All the girls are intrigued about Noah as he’s so handsome but isn’t a player. To Cait he is polite and she realises he’s not a usual jock, so they slowly becomes friends and start confiding in each other. She finds out why he hates the puck bunnies and helps him find his way at Westfall U. Meanwhile he builds up her self esteem and confidence so Evan will notice her but in doing so becomes confused over his feelings for Cait. She also starts to get confused because her crush on Evan is going and instead she wants Noah but he doesn’t want a relationship. When he comes up with another idea to help her, things between them escalate and difficult decisions have to be made. Noah thought his dream was to play in the NHL but with everything happening he starts to question everything. 

It was lovely catching up with everyone form the previous books and hearing all their news. It was great seeing Darren doing so well as the Dragons coach and I liked how supportive and encouraging her dorm-mates, Luna and Olivia her dorm mates were. I have a sneaky suspicion the next book might be about Logan.