Strong and Wild

Lakes Hockey Series, Book 2

By: Sloane St. James

Narrated by: Alex Kydd, Savannah Thomas

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Micky

I'm new to this city, but things are looking up. My bestie's husband hooked me up with a great apartment above the hockey bar where I currently work, and I've got a great side gig bringing in plenty of cash to help fund my dream of opening my own cocktail lounge, Sugar & Ice. Life is sweet. My new neighbor, on the other hand, is not.

When he reveals his true self, I hate what I discover. Until some of his secrets unravel, proving we have more in common than I realized, and I don't mean hobbies like rock climbing or outdoor concerts. No, we have the good stuff—shared trauma. I promised myself I'd never let that negativity back into my life again, but my heart tells me Rhys is worth it.

Rhys

Hockey comes first. Always has, always will. I've got a one-year contract, 365 days to prove to them I'm worth the investment—which is why I need to stay far away from the woman across the hall. We know each other quite well, but she thinks we're strangers. I need to keep it that way.

The problem is she's everywhere. Across the hall, on my laptop, bartending where my team hangs out. Micky is like a loose thread that I can't stop tugging. Then, one night, she steps in to do me a favor, and all my defenses get shot to hell. Now, I'm showing her the real me, but it might not be enough for her.

This spicy hockey romance features dirty talk, praise, degradation, angst, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and, of course, a happily ever after. Intended for mature listeners.

©2023 Sloane St. James (P)2024 Podium Audio

Best so far!

Lonan's story was great but Rhys 🔥🥵. This is a great series and the audio was amazing

Secret Identity Neighbors

Rookie Rhys is trying to focus on his first season in the NHL. Deciding that he’s going to not looking for a relationship, he will find other ways to be happy. He signs up for a cam girl service and falls for the tattoo’d red head who does cooking shows online.

Freya is saving up for a commercial location. She’s a bartender and a cam girl. She starts to fall for a subscriber who always makes her blush. While doing a show, she decides to make macaroons for the new neighbor across the hall.

The new neighbor is Rhys. Her number one subscriber. She doesn’t know this but Rhys connects the dots the second he finds the box of macaroons on his porch.

Once it comes out that Rhys is the subscriber she’s been falling for, she’s so mad! Their frenemies relationship goes to avoiding each other. Until Rhys sister shows up in the middle of detoxing.

I absolutely love Freya. She was hysterical and so witty. I would love for a friend like Freya. She was so real and brought a lot of character growth to Rhys.

Tropes:
Hockey Romance
Reverse Age Gap (24-29)
Secret Identity
Enemies to Lovers
Frenemies
Forced Proximity

Holy hot audiobook!

I read this ebook first, then knew I had to preorder when i had heard it was coming out on audio. The narrators did an exquisite job bringing Mickey and Rhys to life. Alex Kydd will forever a be top tier male narrator in my opinion. Savannah Thomas is new to me, but did a fantastic job! Love an emotional and top tier spicy hockey romance? Strong and Wild is definitely for you!

Dearest gentle listener, you are not ready!

Never have I ever wished for my name to be Freya until now, but after listening to Alex Kydd and Savannah Thomas in Strong and Wild by Sloane St. James, I most certainly do.

Book 2 of St. James' Lakes Hockey series is perfection. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes in romance, and St. James has written what is possibly one of my favorite E2L romances I have read in recent memory.

The premise. The plot. The chemistry. The banter. The hate. The STEAM. The PRAISE and D3GRADATION!!!

I need a moment here.

OK, where were we?

The economy of words St. James uses to tell Freya and Rhys' story make me feel as though I have spent a lifetime with them. St. James also spared NO expense in crafting the incendiary intimate scenes between Rhys and his Hellcat. The book dedication is on point!

The steamy scenes are brought to fire-breathing life by Alex Kydd as Rhys and Savannah Thomas as Freya.

The mouth on Rhys Kucera is next level and Kydd brought his supreme A-game. This is my first Savannah Thomas audiobook, but I have added her to my favorite femme narrator list.

Listening to Kydd's performance as Rhys talking Freya through some intensely steamy scenes and hearing Thomas' depiction of Freya's submission to Rhys was absolute fire!

Beyond the spice, though, is an emotionally gripping and raw story of two people opening themselves up to love despite their common trauma borne as a result of each loving people with difficult life circumstances. Thomas and Kydd had me laughing, crying, swooning, and blushing the entire time.

I didn't want this audiobook to end, and I can't wait for the audio for book 3, In The Game, releasing August 20th.

C/W: Loving someone with addiction (neither of the MCs) is a main theme and catalyst for moving the story forward. St. James depicts the topic with sensitivity, but the realism may be triggering for some readers.

Can’t get enough!

I recently discovered Sloane St James and I just can’t get enough! This story was spectacular and captivating! The narrators did an excellent job as well! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the HOTTEST Audios🔥🔥

MICKEY & RHYS!!!🥵

Dear Lord, Alex Kydd & Savannah Thomas are INCREDIBLE as Rhys & Freya! This may be one of the hottest audios I’ve ever listened to! They bring it to life so well, I was feeling EVERY emotion & I was sweating 🥵 I already adored this book, but PHEW! Add this audio & my obsession is unreal now! SO SO GOOD!

I LOVED Mickey so much! One of my favorite female characters of all time! She was funny af, tough as hell with a soft side, took no shit, did whatever it took to achieve her dreams with zero guilt, & knew how to hold her boundaries!👏🏼

Rhys, omg RHYS. Tough, broody, & aloof at first but bless it when he went after what he wanted with Mickey. Consent king while being kinky & possessive as hell. Everytime he used “Freya girl”, I melted!! Plus that sweet & protective side he had for those he loves. I just wanted to hug him through all the mess with his sister.

If you can’t tell, I frikkin’ loved this & 100% recommend adding to your TBR! Sloane St. James is one my favorite authors, she does hockey romance SO WELL!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Yess! I love this series and I’m so happy the author is putting them all on audio!

Hotness Alert

This book had me in a chokehold when I first read it and it happened all over again when I listened to the audiobook. Rhys Kucera and Freya (Mickey) McCoy are my all time favorite MC’s. The narrator’s delivered this couple’s banter, LOL moments and some soul crushing moments. The spice kicked up a couple of notches with Alex Kydd and Savannah Thomas sexy voices. This duo were the perfect combination to play Rhys & Mickey. Everything combined was just pure perfection

Strong and Wild with all the HOTNESS!

Strong and Wild with all the HOTNESS!
Another gem from the Lakes Hockey Series.
Rhys and Freya meet when they become neighbors, little does Freya know, Rhys already knows her, and a little more intimate than you might think. Freya is a Cam girl and Rhys a professional hockey player who would rather subscribe to an online site for his pleasure and connections than partying and messing up his first year in the NHL. You can guess now how Rhys might know Freya but when she finds out, she’s less than happy about it. Freya is a badass, working hard to put her dreams & passions into motion. She definitely has past trauma she is still dealing with but her strength to share her story, learn from it & grow is incredible. I also LOVE that she chooses what’s best for HER & her own mental well being over anyone else’s. Savannah Thomas was able to narrate the strong woman she is as well as share her vulnerability with what she’s been through so well. Rhys is still learning a lot about becoming an NHL star as well as dealing with his current situation with his sister & the negative lifestyle she is bringing around him. I was mad at Rhys for not opening his eyes to what’s happening but I have also been there in my own life and sometimes denial is easier than taking action. I do appreciate the growth Rhys has throughout this story and the way Alex Kydd was able to narrate Rhys was perfection, strong and demanding yet sensitive and caring. I also appreciate Sloane for bringing awareness to this topic and having a strong heroine to show the way. One major thing Rhys had going for him was he was a dominant man in the bedroom and every filthy word he growled I ate it up. I loved that side of him and the sexiness in this book. Freya knew what he liked and she wasn’t afraid of the possessive words he spoke and the true feelings behind them. The ending of Strong and Wild has me even more excited for the next book, In The Game, and I can’t wait for the audio to be released August 20th.

5 ⭐️'s 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I loved this book so much! It talked about hard topics and loving someone through them even if that means loving them from afar! But also the spice was spicingggg 🌶️🌶️🔥 and the connection these two characters had was amazing ❤️❤️