Hip Check (New York Blades)

Praise for the novels of Deirdre Martin

Breakaway

“A great contemporary romance with a charming cast of characters and a setting that I want to visit in real life.”

—
Book Binge

“Erin is a character a female reader can be proud of.”

—
Fresh Fiction

“As usual, the romance is top-notch! Fans of second-chance love stories will delight in Rory and Erin’s reunion as she puts him through the wringer just a bit, making their eventual happiness just a tad bit more fun!”

—
Romance Junkies

“This series is such a delight to read . . . Martin really knows how to write about sexy, athletic, attractive men!”

—
Fic Talk

“An enjoyable book in an amazing series.”

—
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

“
Breakaway
is a smash hit! The eleventh installment of Deirdre Martin’s Blades [novels] proves this series just keeps getting better and better! This one’s a must-read.”

—
Joyfully Reviewed

“This story will enchant you from start to finish.”

—
Coffee Time Romance & More

“Readers will cheer as Rory works on his chance at redemption . . .
Breakaway
is a sassy treat filled with intriguing, lighthearted characters and tons of sexy fun. Don’t pass this one up!”

—
Romance Reviews Today

“This contemporary mainstream romance is absolutely perfect. I hated the mere thought of putting it down . . . I don’t think I can rate this book high enough.”

—
Night Owl Reviews
(Top Pick)

“Deirdre Martin knows how to write a beautiful romance . . .
Breakaway
is delicious from the first bite to the last.”

—
Single Titles

“[A] good bet for readers who enjoy Carly Phillips and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.”

—
Booklist

Icebreaker

“[
Icebreaker
] made me laugh, swoon, and just enjoy myself.”

—
About Happy Books

“Deirdre Martin has an absolute winner on her hands.
Icebreaker
is a smart and down-to-earth romance . . . Utterly enjoyable and genuine.”

—
A Romance Review
(Five Roses)

“Deirdre Martin’s books are always enjoyable, full of life . . . Great read!”

—
The Romance Readers Connection

Straight Up

“Delightful . . . Filled with Irish charm and dialogue . . . An excellent novel.”

—
The Romance Readers Connection

“Ms. Martin writes stories about real people in real relationships, which is refreshing in a world of fantastical plot setups and contrived conflicts.”

—
All About Romance

“
Straight Up
abounds with energy, Irish humor, a little melancholy, but also plenty of love and happiness. Aislinn and Liam take a chance on love and it pays off in spades.”

—
Romance Junkies

With a Twist

“Natalie and Quinn are excellently written as total opposites who are helpless against the attraction between them . . . A first-class contemporary romance.”

—
Romance Junkies

“Funny, energetic, and loads of fun.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

Power Play

“Contemporary romance doesn’t get much better than this.”

—
All About Romance

“Deirdre Martin has another hit on her hands.”

—
Romance Reader at Heart

“Sparkling banter and a couple with red-hot chemistry.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

Just a Taste

“Another victory for Martin.”

—
Booklist

“Be prepared to get a little hungry . . . Pick up
Just a Taste
for a tempting read you won’t want to put down.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

Chasing Stanley

“Martin has a way of bringing her dissimilar characters together that rings true, and fans and curious new readers won’t want to miss her latest hockey-themed romance.”

—
Booklist

The Penalty Box

“[Martin] can touch the heart and the funny bone.”

—
Romance Junkies

“Martin scores another goal with another witty, emotionally true-to-life, and charming hockey romance.”

—
Booklist

“Fun, fast.”

—
Publishers Weekly

Total Rush

“Deirdre Martin is the reason I read romance novels.”

—The Best Reviews

“Martin’s inventive take on opposites attracting is funny and poignant.”

—
Booklist

“Martin depicts the worlds of both professional hockey and ethnic Brooklyn with deftness and smart detail. She has an unerring eye for humorous family dynamics [and] sweet buoyancy.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Makes you feel like you’re flying.”

—
Rendezvous

Body Check

“Heartwarming.”

—
Booklist

“One of the best first novels I have read in a long time.”

—
All About Romance
(Desert Isle Keeper)

“You don’t have to be a hockey fan to cheer for
Body Check
.”

—
The Word On Romance

“A dazzling debut.”

—Millie Criswell,
USA Today
bestselling author

Titles by Deirdre Martin

BODY CHECK

FAIR PLAY

TOTAL RUSH

THE PENALTY BOX

CHASING STANLEY

JUST A TASTE

POWER PLAY

WITH A TWIST

STRAIGHT UP

ICEBREAKER

BREAKAWAY

HIP CHECK

Anthologies

HOT TICKET

(with Julia London, Annette Blair, and Geri Buckley)

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE

(with Lori Foster, Jacquie D’Alessandro, and Penny McCall)

Hip Check

Deirdre Martin

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa), Rosebank Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North 2193, South Africa • Penguin China, B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

HIP CHECK

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / February 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Deirdre Martin.

Cover photo by Claudio Marenesco. Cover image of blue jersey fabric by Thinkstock.

Cover design by George Long.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-0-425-25115-7

eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-61906-3

BERKLEY SENSATION
^®

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY SENSATION
^®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

For Freda Levine,
for raising such a wonderful son and being such a great mother-in-law.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to:

Sinead Noel, for letting me pick her brains about eight-year-old girls.

Additional thanks to:

Mark.

Kate Seaver, the most patient editor on earth.

Miriam Kriss, the best agent any writer could hope for.

Fatin Soufan, Dee Tenorio, Eileen Buchholtz, and Binnie Braunstein.

Mom, Dad, Bill, Allison, Frankie, Aine, Jane, Dave, and Tom.