Blog Tour: Trying to Score [Assassins #2] by Toni Aleo [Review/Excerpt/Giveaway]

Hello and welcome to Dreaming In The Pages! I am so glad to have you stop by today, because over the last few months I have grown extremely close and fond of this author right here. She is just pure amazing and, like her books, hard not to love. Today I am going to be giving you guys a review and a little peek at what book two, Trying to Score, has in store for you. If you missed my review of Taking Shots, the first book in the Assassins series just head on over here and check it out. But now I know I am boring you, so let's get on with it!

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Trying to Score [Assassins #2]
Toni Aleo

Release Date: April 11th 2012

( Barnes & Noble / Amazon)

Fallon Parker’s dream was to have her family’s wine company at the top of all wine magazines and to have a cellar of her own. After graduating from college, she has worked hard to make that dream a reality, even if that meant having a nonexistent love life. She had her chance at love and that was a bust, so she put everything into the wine company. After becoming the official sponsor of the Nashville Assassins, Fallon finally feels like everything is falling in place, that is until Lucas Brooks comes back into her life.

Lucas Brooks hates his life. He is lonely, he is sober, and he is angry. On the ice, when he’s not in the sin bin, he the leading scorer in the NHL but off the ice, he is a mess. He threw away the most important person in his life, and has regretted it ever since but when Lucas sees Fallon again after being traded to the Assassins; he is bound and determined to get her back. Even if she wants nothing to do with him.

The sexual tension between Fallon and Lucas is electrifying as Lucas tries to convince Fallon that he is a changed man. Fallon tries to resist Lucas, but it is so hard when all her body wants is his. But when Lucas finds out that Fallon has been keeping a huge secret from him, the game he is playing stops and penalties are called.

With new rules and new players on the ice, will Fallon and Lucas be able to work out their differences and work as a team or will they be left trying to score alone

-Goodreads-

*A copy of this book was given to me by the author for the blog tour hosted by AToMR* 
:Thoughts/Review:

*sigh*

Yes folks. I am starting out a review with a sigh. Because 1) I can. And 2(I am in total and complete love with the second book in the Assassins series. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t nervous as hell to pick up this book either. I was so enamored with Shea and Elli in Taking Shots I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to open up my heart to yet another Hockey stud muffin who was gunning for my heart. But alas, I was so very wrong. A little steamy, a little heartbreaking, and a whole lot of fanning yourself are in order this time around readers. Are your cheeks feeling a little pink yet? Get use to the feeling.

Now, as I said, I didn’t know if I was even able to love a story as much as I did Shea and Elli’s. I KNOW Elli [I swear, she is me] and how could I love someone more than I love Shea Alder?! [I’m still not sure I actually can…] After the first chapter I had no doubt Toni was going to be blowing me away yet again. Fallon and Lucas’s story is a total 180 from what we read in Taking Shots. Like Elli, Fallon has her own sets of faults and personal problems going on, but once Lucas Brooks enters the story we notice that Fallon and Lucas’s relationship is far more intertwined than we could have first imagined. I quickly fell for the banter and quirks between these two. As Fallon was extremely slow to even warm up to Lucas, I fell for him hard and fast and couldn’t help but to cheer him on as he tried to get Fallon back into his arms.

Now, before I go all gaga over Lucas Brooks some more, I wanted to say how much I LOVED being able to see Elli and Shea in this book. It was AMAZING to get to see their story even after we thought it was ‘over’ when their book ended. Now, since that is aside, I can address how much I love how Toni sets a story up. I love that when I am done with one of her books, I feel like I’m complete. Like Taking Shots, Trying to Score was no short story. You are taking through the up’s and down’s of this relationship and you feel like once you take one step forward you take five steps back and then your heart is aching for what almost happened. Toni gets me so wrapped up in this story that once even something little happens [like Fallon coming to her senses on certain subjects] I seriously jump up in my seat and squeal out in glee. There is nothing like seeing someone completely turn around.

Fresh, new, and something completely unexpected I quickly became glued to Toni Aleo’s second work of masterpiece and, to be honest, it has actually made me start watching hockey. [Go Preds!] If you fell in love with Taking Shots, I have no doubt in my mind that you will fall for Trying to Score. There is nothing like watching a story you thought was long over, blossom and become everything you ever wished it would have been. There is also nothing like a little steam and fanning oneself either. But why are you sitting there reading the end of my review?! Shouldn’t you be rushing out to go buy this?! Oh, and be sure to say hello to Lucas Brooks for me. I have a feeling you two will get along swimmingly.

 ; ]

:Excerpt:

“So how long have you guys been together?” Lucas asked. Lucas’ eyes watered from trying to keep in his laughter, and Fallow swore if she could hit him, she would.

“Together?” Rob asked looking over at Fallon.

Acting before thinking - not one of her best traits - Fallon nodded before leaning up and placing her lips on Rob’s. It was only for a second but it felt like an hour because everything went quiet around her. Lucas stopped laughing and Rob froze underneath her lips. She swore the whole room stopped, but really it didn’t. Oh gosh, this just kept getting worse by the minute.

When she pulled back, she smiled up at Rob’s shocked face and said, “A long time, right honey?”

Fallon glanced over at Lucas, one of his eyebrows was arched as his face quirked up on one side. It made Fallon’s heart skip a beat since it was the exact same smile Aiden would give her when he was amused. “It is that serious that you had to kiss this kid to make me believe you have a boyfriend?”

“He is,” Fallon answered.

“Who? Me?” Rob sputtered.

“Yes you, silly! Goodness me! Am I that horrible?”

“No,” Rob said with his hand in front of his chest, “not at all.”

“Thanks Rob,” Fallon said, and at that moment, Fallon knew her plan had just gone to shit. Rob was still wiping his mouth as Lucas just grinned widely at her.

“So Rob, this hot woman, is your girlfriend?” Lucas asked, and Fallon shot daggers at him with her eyes.

Rob looked at Fallon before looking back over at Lucas. He started to shake his head no as he said, “Yes, she is.”

That had Lucas in a fit of laughter as Fallon glared something crazy at him. “Thanks a lot Rob.”

“I’m sorry, but who picks an openly gay guy as their boyfriend!” Rob said throwing his arms in the air. “I’m wearing an orange suit!”

“A nice suit at that,” Lucas added.

“Thanks!” Rob said before looking back at Fallon, “but really, I’m the worst person to pick for a fake boyfriend, since I like guys.”

With that Rob walked off, leaving Fallon extremely embarrassed and actually considering firing him. She would if he wasn’t so good at the marketing reports that made her head spin. Fallon couldn’t help but to watch her ‘boyfriend’ clad in an orange suit walk away. She wished like hell that Rob wasn’t gay so he could act like her boyfriend because this reunion between Fallon and Lucas was not going the way she wanted it too.

Posing a gay guy as he boyfriend? Not one of her best ideas.

Fallon wanted to look successful, sexy — a stronger woman then he left behind. She basically wanted to make Lucas jealous, not give him the entertainment of the night! That’s what she paid the band for! She hated that she had made a mess of things. Lying was never her strong suit; and she knew Lucas wasn’t gonna let her live this down.

 “So how about that dance, since I think your boyfriend is gay,” Lucas determined.

Heat filled Fallon’s face as she wished Lucas to the fiery depths of hell. “Oh fuck off, Lucas Brooks.”

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Now, if you are not completely hooked already [which how could you not be?! did you just read that excerpt?!] I have a little something for you...
An eBook giveaway! Because let's face it, after that excerpt Toni knew you all would need to get your hands on the book right away.; ]
Are you jumping up and down on your seat with anticipation?! Want to know how to enter?!Just leave a comment below with your e-mail address and let me know why you've just got to win a copy of Trying to Score!
Simple as that! The winner will be selected at random on May 9th so don't forget to get those comments in!
Good luck to all!And...Thanks for stopping by!

This blog tour runs through the 5th. To follow the other tour stops which include, author interviews, book excerpts, giveaways, and more click here.