Book Description:
She lives by the rules. Falling for him would break every one of them.
Pierce Schumacher, Nashville’s favorite hockey bad boy, is used to winning with charm, talent, and a little recklessness. When a late-season injury threatens his playoff dreams—and his future—Pierce is benched, humbled, and stuck in rehab with the one woman immune to his smile. Healing was supposed to be physical, not a crash course in patience, self-control, and a faith he’s never taken seriously.
Physical therapist Lindsay Granger trusts rules because rules don’t lie. They don’t flirt, don’t make promises they can’t keep, and they don’t break your heart. When her partner goes on maternity leave, Lindsay is left fulfilling her clinic’s contract with the Nashville Nightcrawlers—an assignment full of loud arenas, fragile egos, and one dangerously charming hockey player she has no intention of trusting.
Confident, sarcastic, and relentlessly hardworking, Lindsay keeps her heart under lock and key—especially from athletes who look like red flags in skates. Overthinking is a habit she can manage. Crossing professional lines is not.
As playoffs loom and sparks fly, Pierce and Lindsay must navigate strict workplace boundaries, relentless media scrutiny, and feelings that refuse to stay professional—knowing one wrong move could cost him his career, her reputation, and the hard-won faith they’re both learning to trust.
A faith-threaded, heartfelt hate-to-love romance featuring an surprisingly deep hockey player, a snarky and secure heroine, and a story about grace and the growth of friendship and love in the rockiest ground.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading What if We Broke the Rules? by Tara Grace Ericson, the first book in The Heart of Nashville multi-author series. Pierce is a Nashville professional hockey player with a bad boy reputation who’s sidelined due to an injury. Lindsay is an overworked physical therapist who’s unhappy about being assigned to Pierce’s case. Sparks fly when they first meet, and Pierce is frustrated when he can’t charm Lindsay.
I loved how Pierce and Lindsay were forced to spend time together in a work capacity due to his injury. Their friendship pushes Lindsay to challenge her life rules and lays the foundation for a fun and sweet romance. Lindsay has past emotional baggage and trust issues to overcome. Pierce is on a faith journey and working through his own issues.
Lindsay’s friend group, who meet at Melody’s Cafe, are delightful side characters who will be main characters in future books in the series. I loved seeing the characters living their faith and praying for each other.
I recommend What if We Broke the Rules? to contemporary romance readers who like celebrity sports romances with a hockey player hero, forced proximity, forbidden romance, an ensemble cast of friends, and strong faith elements including forgiveness themes.
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