Evening the Score

A revenge plot, mistaken identity, and professional hockey animate the cute but uneven sophomore outing from Brown (Shoot Your Shot). Olivia Hinckley’s father Kevin, a player for the Minnesota Freeze, died young from complications caused by numerous on-ice concussions. Olivia blames a dirty hit by rival player Erik Parker, and when Erik’s son Brody joins the Freeze, she sees a prime opportunity to exact revenge. Assuming that Brody is just like his cocky father, Olivia gets a job as the team’s mascot and embarks on a passive-aggressive campaign of undermining Brody by, for example, oversharpening his skates so he falls and smearing Icy Hot gel in his jockstrap. This somewhat petty scheme is abandoned when she learns that Brody is nothing like his father and has also suffered at his hands. But as the pair get closer off the ice, Olivia does not disclose either her initial pranks or that she’s the one wearing the mascot head. When the truth is revealed, it could tear them apart. For all the plot’s sometimes silly contrivances and overly drawn-out conflict, Brown sensitively addresses Olivia’s lingering grief and Brody’s history of emotional abuse and makes it easy to see their compatibility. It’s not perfect, but there’s plenty here to enjoy. (May)