Book Review: The Breakup Project by Carolyn Miller

THE BREAKUP PROJECT by Carolyn Miller
SERIES: Original Six Hockey Romance #1
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Millamanna Press
RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2021
PAGES: 370

New Year. New Resolution. New Romance?
What happens when the best-laid plans break a friendship?

As the twin sister of hockey’s hottest forward, romance-loving Bree Karlsson is used to being ignored, leading to a New Year’s resolution to not date any athlete in her attempt to find Mr. Right. But what happens when the man who might prove to be her personal Mr. Darcy is her brother’s hockey-playing best friend?

Mike Vaughan might be happy playing in Boston, but he’d be even happier if Bree could one day see him as more than a good friend. He agrees to help Bree with a special project in the hope she’ll finally see him as something more. But when a misunderstanding ends in a Valentine’s Day disaster, Bree realizes that her breakup project may have broken her friendship with Mike in two. Can she ever redeem her mistake?

This friends-to-more romance has plenty of heart, humor, and swoon-worthy kisses in this first book of the Original Six, a sweet, slightly sporty Christian contemporary romance series.

Other Books In This Series

I am not a hockey fan. I’m not really a sports fan at all, though I do enjoy watching a good game of football (either American or European) on occasion. I am however a Carolyn Miller fan, so this contemporary romance series was of course on the top of my TBR list. And rest assured that you don’t need to be a sports fan to enjoy these books! I’ve also had the privilege of already reading (and loving) the final book in the series – Muskoka Blue – so it was really fun to jump in at the beginning and see glimpses of that book’s hero show up in this one as a minor character.

But, in the meantime, just wait until you meet the hero of The Breakup Project! Mike is an all-around good guy. He’s a great friend, a supportive teammate, and a solid Christian who is honest about his shortcomings and his struggles. He also happens to be in love with his best friend’s sister, Bree, and the patience he exhibits as he tentatively begins to pursue her, even when she unintentionally hurts him, is especially swoonworthy. The Bible study he’s in with other hockey players around the world was a great way for the author to introduce us to several of the series’s future heroes, too. I really loved him as a character in general and as a romantic hero, too. And I so appreciated the author’s depiction of his faith and its importance to his life & the decisions he makes (like his sponsorship for a ministry in the Philippines). He has just enough layers to be interesting and multi-dimensional, but it’s Bree who takes home the layers trophy so to speak lol.

It took me longer to warm up to Bree than it did to Mike, but only because our personalities are so different. And yet, once I did get to know Bree more, under the author’s masterful pen, I realized how much we actually have in common. She may be much more bubbly and impulsive than I am (and yeah I may take a step back when i first meet her haha) but at our core we’re really a lot alike. We fiercely love our families and our friends and Jesus, and we have certain standards we won’t compromise on… and we fell in love with a friend. I enjoyed the sort-of juxtaposition between her wanting to be seen for herself (and not her relationship with her star hockey player twin brother) and the fact that she doesn’t really see herself or her own value & contribution to the world.

And y’all… the romance … once it really gets going … whew. There are some yummy, emotion-filled, spark-zinging kisses involved too. I think this quote pretty well sums up how I felt about this swoonilicious romance:

Oh, this was perfection. This was romance. This was Mr. Darcy kissing Elizabeth, this was Gilbert kissing Anne, this was heart-whirling, toe-curling sensation, and she needed – Air. She needed air.

All the heart-eyed emojis for this love story!

Bottom Line: Carolyn Miller is highly talented at creating characters you fall in love with at first sight (Mike) as well as characters you grow to love as the story unfolds (for me, that was Bree). She’s an author you can trust implicitly with where the characters and story are going, and she’s proved that yet again with The Breakup Project! The faith thread, the romance, the hockey angle, and the family vibes (Granny V!) all weave together into one engaging story that will leave you with a smile on your face & in your heart. So happy that Brent’s story is next – I can’t wait to see how that plays out!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / loved it!

KissingBook Level: 3+ / you WILL forget to breathe

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