Before We Came: A Brother's Best Friend Hockey Romance (Lakes Hockey Book 1) (Lakes Hockey Series)

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars | 13,892 ratings

Price: 4.99

Last update: 01-05-2025


About this item

Birdie

Her funeral unraveled decades of secrets hidden from me—horrible secrets. This rabbit hole I’ve fallen down has revealed my past is much more sinister than I could have imagined. Everything I thought I knew has been a lie and now there’s only one place for me to turn: back to the people who have been searching for me all these years.

One of those people is my newfound brother’s best friend: Lonan Burke, star defenseman for the Minnesota Lakes. His dirty talk and praise offer an easy escape as I shift into my new life. I’m ready to start anew with the ones who love me, but I’m not so sure I can settle down when I’ve just been set free.

Lonan

She’s back. We were kids the last time I saw her, but my innocent crush from childhood is full-grown now. And it’s not so innocent anymore. She’s a breath of fresh air from the series of one-night stands since being drafted into the NHL. I’ve only got one shot with her, and I’m not taking it for granted. I may give her the passion she’s been craving, but she’s the intimacy I’ve waited for my whole life.

When her story hits the media, she needs a place to hide. I offer her sanctuary in my penthouse. For the first time, this frigid condo feels like a home, and she’s made me believe the future I’ve always wanted is within reach. For now, I’m willing to hold her hand during the day and pin them down at night. But I want more.

Note: This 18+ spicy hockey romance features dirty talk, praise, suspense, angst, second-chance love, forced proximity, and of course, a happily ever after.

CW: Kidnapping, fatal car accident. Childhood emotional and physical abuse are mentioned but not described in detail.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Georgious Eleanorpb
    5.0 out of 5 stars So Much intrigue
    Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2024
    This book got me hooked from the beginning with the intriguing story of who Birdie really is
    This story was narrated by Edward Black and Chole Ryan who did an amazing job. I couldn’t imagine anyone else as The Main Characters,
    Their telling of this story was very well executed and I totally enjoyed every second.

    Ok let’s get into this one ..

    Birdie
    Wasn’t who she thought she was supposed be , heck her mother isn’t even her adoptive mother instead this woman turns out to be something more sinister.
    But all this was revealed after the woman she thought her mother funeral.. so Birdie started digging to find the truth and was shocked to know what was waiting for her all these years to now,
    a family that never gave up looking!
    But what she also found was Lonan Burke her brother’s best friend who also hadn’t given up hope, and want so much more from her… the girl with trust issues the girl that felt so unworthy of anyone loving or wanting her.

    Lonan Burke
    The defense man for the Minnesota lakes
    And best friend of Jake Birdies brother, the woman who he can’t seem to let go of since childhood the one he knows deep down in is soul has always been the one for him.
    It’s magnified more especially when he found out she is now back home ..
    this leaves Lonan struggling to keep hold of the most infuriating person ever !

    Baggage and scars, I want it all. I’ll take her issues, her trauma, her bad days. Because I know we’ll also have good ones. We’ll have a life full of everything she’s ever dreamed of. There’s a lot of happiness ahead of us, if only she could see it. This isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.
    ~~~~~~~~~????~~~~~~~~~LONAN

    But Listennnnn
    this girl who when the book started would go after a man with such confidence and control is all of a sudden weak minded with self awareness and mistrust ?
    Yeah I get trust issues after being kidnapped at such a young age, but to refuse this man who have loved you since he was 8yrs old and have been proving himself ever since her return, but here is this FMC citing all the stupid reasons as to why she can’t marry the man is bull crap and frustrating. None of it made sense to me at the moment especially the way she was in the beginning.
    But look I get the trauma she went through but her previous actions just didn’t line up with her reaction nor reasoning further on in this story .

    For most parts I enjoyed the intrigue the suspense surrounding her kidnapping and disturbing disappearance and how her family and Lonan felt during those moments she was lost and then returned.
    I enjoy how each day this guy tries to prove she belong and how much he wants and love her despite her fighting him at every turn with bull crap nonsense,
    This was one interesting read with spice levels blowing up .. because this guy has a dirty mouth with a dominant personality, and whew the heat level was sizzling for sure when these narrators were taking us through those heated scenes! So freaking good!
    Well done Chole Ryan and Edward Black

    Be sure to check out this series in KU read and listen this was my first Sloan St. James book and I enjoyed it.
    You won’t be disappointed maybe frustrated at times but you definitely will want to check this out.
    Read/Listen if you love
    ????Hockey Romance
    ????Forced Proximity
    ????Kidnapping (not by the MMC)
    ????Angst
    ????Praise
    ????Second Chance
    ????Dirty Talk
    ????Suspense
    ????HEA
    ????Duel POV
    ????Found Family
    —————————????????????????????———————
    Thanks for reading my POV Ratings and Review.
    5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ yeah it’s all good
    4???????????????? whew .. this guy …
    ????️????️????️????️????️????️????️yes fantastic in my ear

    Happy Reading/Listening hope you will enjoy it as I do.
    @Georgious_eleanorpb????
  • Sutton Brier
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fly
    Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2024
    -hockey
    -second chance
    -Third act break up
    -Kidnapping

    This is a captivating storyline that I had not encountered before and thoroughly enjoyed reading. It delves into the sensitive topic of childhood abduction and incorporates numerous unexpected twists and turns. The characters are well-developed and engaging. The female protagonist, Bridie, demonstrates remarkable resilience as she navigates a completely new chapter in her life while simultaneously confronting her past. Additionally, her one-night stand proves to be more than just a fleeting encounter.

    Logan, a professional ice hockey player, is weary of the superficial relationships he encounters and yearns for something more meaningful. When he meets a woman at a bar who takes the initiative, he is intrigued and drawn to her. However, he soon discovers that there is more to her than meets the eye.

    This book offers a compelling blend of mystery, sensuality, and romance. It also explores the complexities of two individuals striving to make the right choices. I do wish the book went into more of the abduction and how it happened and that part of the storyline.
  • Raven0822
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting storyline for a hockey romance
    Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2024
    Having just recently read Lotus, this definitely gave me the same vibes but with some hockey. Obviously different storylines but the whole kidnapped/childhood sweethearts thing had me swooning with how much time and effort Lonan gave Bridget. Overall there was decent spice, good plot, great characters who you sympathized with and were routing for the whole time.
  • Thalia McBride
    5.0 out of 5 stars Devoured this Book!! Amazing - 5 Stars!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024
    Before We Came by Sloane St. James is an absolute standout, and Lonan Burke has officially made it into my top five book boyfriends! Imagine Garrett Graham (my number one) but older, more manipulative in the best, all-consuming way. Lonan has loved Bridget “Birdie” Hayes his entire life. When she stumbled back into his world purely by chance, call it fate, he wasn’t about to let her go again.

    This story hit me in a very personal way. While I didn’t experience the same trauma that Birdie did, I’ve been through my own, and it's hard to allow yourself to feel safe and loved when those feelings were absent during the most formative years of your life. I admired Birdie’s strength so much. Did she run away from her problems? Only when it came to giving her heart away. But when it came to everything else? She faced it head-on with such grace and resilience. Her journey was difficult, but her bravery in confronting everything life threw at her made her such a remarkable character.

    And Lonan? His persistence and patience with Birdie were everything. He’s got that dirty mouth and that irresistible energy, but it’s also his unwavering support and love for Birdie that made me fall for him hard. He’s just... chef's kiss.

    I also appreciated Birdie’s family, especially her brother Jack. Their bond was so heartwarming. The way they could pick right back up where they left off, after everything, really touched me. Jack was such an anchor for her, and I loved seeing their relationship play out.

    This book is one that sticks with you long after the final page, and I’m so excited to see where the rest of the series goes. Lonan and Birdie’s story will forever hold a special place in my heart.

    I can’t recommend Before We Came enough—especially if you love flawed characters, undeniable chemistry, and a book boyfriend who steals your heart!

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