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Hat Trick #3
Trade Deadline
Childhood crushes reunite in this friends-to-lovers hockey romance.
Daniel “Bellzie” Bellamy should be on top of the world—a Stanley Cup is the perfect topper to his fourteen-year NHL career. But despite the post-win high, something’s missing. When the chance to play for his hometown team, the Miami Thunder, comes along, he’s open to it. And when he runs into an old friend from his past soon after he makes the move, he wonders if it might be kismet.
Micah Kelly never thought he’d see his childhood crush—and first kiss—again. Danny Bellamy moved on to bigger and better things when they were teenagers, and the idea that Micah’s relationship with the professional hockey player could be anything more than one-sided Instagram thirst seems too good to be true.
Maybe too good to be true is the new reality, though. As the season goes on, Micah teaches Daniel to surf, and Daniel introduces Micah to his lovable pack of rescue dogs and the world of being a hockey boyfriend. Life is good. But when things on the ice don’t go as planned, they’ll have to decide if their rediscovered romance is built to last.
Previously Published in 2019
Daniel “Bellzie” Bellamy should be on top of the world—a Stanley Cup is the perfect topper to his fourteen-year NHL career. But despite the post-win high, something’s missing. When the chance to play for his hometown team, the Miami Thunder, comes along, he’s open to it. And when he runs into an old friend from his past soon after he makes the move, he wonders if it might be kismet.
Micah Kelly never thought he’d see his childhood crush—and first kiss—again. Danny Bellamy moved on to bigger and better things when they were teenagers, and the idea that Micah’s relationship with the professional hockey player could be anything more than one-sided Instagram thirst seems too good to be true.
Maybe too good to be true is the new reality, though. As the season goes on, Micah teaches Daniel to surf, and Daniel introduces Micah to his lovable pack of rescue dogs and the world of being a hockey boyfriend. Life is good. But when things on the ice don’t go as planned, they’ll have to decide if their rediscovered romance is built to last.
Previously Published in 2019
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 17, 2020
58 people are currently reading
849 people want to read
About the author
Avon Gale
27 books1,346 followersAvon Gale lives in a liberal Midwestern college town, where she spends her days getting heavily invested in everything from craft projects to video games. She likes road trips by car, rock concerts, thunderstorms, IPAs, Kentucky bourbon and tattoos. As a queer author, Avon is committed to providing happy endings for all and loves to tell stories that focus on found families, strong and open communication, and friendship. She loves writing about quirky people who might not be perfect, but always find a place where they belong. In her former life, Avon wrote fanfiction at her desk while ostensibly doing work in non-profit fundraising for public radio and women’s liberal arts education, and worked on her books in between haircuts and highlights as a stylist. Now she’s a full-time writer, delighted to be able to tell stories for a living.
Avon is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.
Enjoy fantasy with a bit of a kinky, darker edge? Check out Avon's fantasy books, co-written with author Fae Loxley, under the pen name Iris Foxglove!
Avon is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.
Enjoy fantasy with a bit of a kinky, darker edge? Check out Avon's fantasy books, co-written with author Fae Loxley, under the pen name Iris Foxglove!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
May 27, 2024
This is a MM Romance, and this is the third book in the Hat Trick series. I enjoyed this book, and I found the romance cute. I do not read a ton of MM romance, so I cannot say if the bedroom parts was really good or not. I liked the characters. Daniel is bi-sexual and has kids with his ex-wife that he is still very close too. I did find their closest a little weird. Only because I cannot think of being best friends with my husband if I divorce him. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
April 10, 2021
Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad book, but it was definitely the least enjoyable of the series so far. I'll always have a soft sport for hockey/sports romances, particularly m/m, but this one just didn't have any real tension or intensity going for it. Which isn't to say it's a requirement for me but when nothing else is really egging me on to read, either..?
Huge gold star, though, should be awarded for having a non-evil ex element at play, particularly in the form of an ex-spouse, even more importantly because kids were at play here, too. Everyone was lovely, kind, understanding.. it was all so amicable. Which might be a great paralell to the story itself. It was all just.. fine. So courteous. So considerate.
"I know I have a loud voice."
"You definitely do. I could always hear you yelling at my games."
"That's because there were only ever eight people watching. And six of them were cheering for whoever the other team was."
"Too soon, man."
Not helping matters was the fact that I wasn't really into the love interest, so, I had one foot out the door kind of early on.
"Bellzie's got a new boo?"
"Do not say 'boo'. You're not a ghost. Or a thirteen year old girl."
I love me an ensemble cast, all the group scenes featuring previous couples and a character who is sure to get his own feature moment in book four, were a good time. But overall this was just okay. I will continue to read on in hopes book four rekindles the spark of my enjoyment and also because this genre is my weakness. I have no control.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Huge gold star, though, should be awarded for having a non-evil ex element at play, particularly in the form of an ex-spouse, even more importantly because kids were at play here, too. Everyone was lovely, kind, understanding.. it was all so amicable. Which might be a great paralell to the story itself. It was all just.. fine. So courteous. So considerate.
"I know I have a loud voice."
"You definitely do. I could always hear you yelling at my games."
"That's because there were only ever eight people watching. And six of them were cheering for whoever the other team was."
"Too soon, man."
Not helping matters was the fact that I wasn't really into the love interest, so, I had one foot out the door kind of early on.
"Bellzie's got a new boo?"
"Do not say 'boo'. You're not a ghost. Or a thirteen year old girl."
I love me an ensemble cast, all the group scenes featuring previous couples and a character who is sure to get his own feature moment in book four, were a good time. But overall this was just okay. I will continue to read on in hopes book four rekindles the spark of my enjoyment and also because this genre is my weakness. I have no control.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
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April 29, 2024A disappointment.
The first book in this series was good, the second book was okay, and this one...well, what was the point? There is zero actual conflict in this story. The principal characters are two boring guys who liked each other a long time ago and when they finally meet again, they STILL LIKE EACH OTHER . In fact, THEY LOVE EACH OTHER.
Oh shit! Whatever will they do??!!
Hold up. You're wondering if there's a catch? Nope, no catch. That's literally the plot of this story.
Daniel/Danny "Bellzie" Bellamy just won the Stanley Cup after eleven years slaving away on the fictional Venom hockey team. He's nearing retirement age but looking for a few more good years. Unfortunately, Venom isn't in the business of leaving less productive players in the line-up when the option of younger/faster/better is available. Um duh. They trade him to his hometown team. A happy resolution even if it isn't exactly what he hoped for.
Lucky for him, his ex-wife is super amazing and awesome, totally cool with his bisexuality and lack of romantic interest in her, AND she's willing to uproot her life (and their two kids lives) to follow him. Even better? She wants to do it on her own and won't accept any financial help from him. Because right, it's totally normal to divorce someone but move to be closer to them, and even though he's super wealthy and the father of your children, reject his offers of help and do it all on your own dime. Nothing to roll your eyes at here.
But hold on! In this story, Daniel is blessed with two amazing besties - Tabby, his ex, and Micah, his childhood best friend. Micah works at an aquarium in the job of his dreams (EVERYONE IS LIVING THEIR DREAM IN THIS NOVEL). He talks to dolphins, turtles and children - truly there is nothing he isn't AMAZING at. He's always crushed hard on Daniel, although it's never translated into any interest in knowing about hockey.
Right. Anywho.
When Micah finds out Daniel is coming back to town, he finally goes to a game. And it's HILARIOUS how little he knows about hockey. Oh, the laughs. Fortunately, he's seated close enough to the bench to catch Daniel's eye and DANIEL IS JUST AS HOT AS HIS THE PICTURES IN HIS INSTA FEED. IT'S REALLY HIM. Another eyeroll. Lucky for Micah, Daniel recognizes him right away - HE'S JUST AS CUTE AS HE TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT - and sends someone to ask Micah to stick around afterwards.
Spoiler alert:
They fall in love.
Micah worries Daniel will get traded.
Tabby provides sage advice.
Friends high five Bellzie's hot new boyfriend.
EVERYONE loves pets.
Trade Deadline is uneventful and boring, so earnestly overstuffed with inclusive/politically correct/inoffensive posturing on any issues the authors can possibly find a way to incorporate into the narrative, and chock full of 'perfect' people. Everyone loves each other - exes, new loves, teammates, friends...Oh, except the captain of Danny's new team. He's a dick.
Friends, I want to get behind this series but this book is a total fail. And setting up Morley - who is a BLATANT rip off of a famous character in another contemporary hockey series - isn't enough to keep me around for more.
I can't recommend this one.
The first book in this series was good, the second book was okay, and this one...well, what was the point? There is zero actual conflict in this story. The principal characters are two boring guys who liked each other a long time ago and when they finally meet again, they STILL LIKE EACH OTHER . In fact, THEY LOVE EACH OTHER.
Oh shit! Whatever will they do??!!
Hold up. You're wondering if there's a catch? Nope, no catch. That's literally the plot of this story.
Daniel/Danny "Bellzie" Bellamy just won the Stanley Cup after eleven years slaving away on the fictional Venom hockey team. He's nearing retirement age but looking for a few more good years. Unfortunately, Venom isn't in the business of leaving less productive players in the line-up when the option of younger/faster/better is available. Um duh. They trade him to his hometown team. A happy resolution even if it isn't exactly what he hoped for.
Lucky for him, his ex-wife is super amazing and awesome, totally cool with his bisexuality and lack of romantic interest in her, AND she's willing to uproot her life (and their two kids lives) to follow him. Even better? She wants to do it on her own and won't accept any financial help from him. Because right, it's totally normal to divorce someone but move to be closer to them, and even though he's super wealthy and the father of your children, reject his offers of help and do it all on your own dime. Nothing to roll your eyes at here.
But hold on! In this story, Daniel is blessed with two amazing besties - Tabby, his ex, and Micah, his childhood best friend. Micah works at an aquarium in the job of his dreams (EVERYONE IS LIVING THEIR DREAM IN THIS NOVEL). He talks to dolphins, turtles and children - truly there is nothing he isn't AMAZING at. He's always crushed hard on Daniel, although it's never translated into any interest in knowing about hockey.
Right. Anywho.
When Micah finds out Daniel is coming back to town, he finally goes to a game. And it's HILARIOUS how little he knows about hockey. Oh, the laughs. Fortunately, he's seated close enough to the bench to catch Daniel's eye and DANIEL IS JUST AS HOT AS HIS THE PICTURES IN HIS INSTA FEED. IT'S REALLY HIM. Another eyeroll. Lucky for Micah, Daniel recognizes him right away - HE'S JUST AS CUTE AS HE TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT - and sends someone to ask Micah to stick around afterwards.
Spoiler alert:
They fall in love.
Micah worries Daniel will get traded.
Tabby provides sage advice.
Friends high five Bellzie's hot new boyfriend.
EVERYONE loves pets.
Trade Deadline is uneventful and boring, so earnestly overstuffed with inclusive/politically correct/inoffensive posturing on any issues the authors can possibly find a way to incorporate into the narrative, and chock full of 'perfect' people. Everyone loves each other - exes, new loves, teammates, friends...Oh, except the captain of Danny's new team. He's a dick.
Friends, I want to get behind this series but this book is a total fail. And setting up Morley - who is a BLATANT rip off of a famous character in another contemporary hockey series - isn't enough to keep me around for more.
I can't recommend this one.
August 17, 2020
A hockey romance that isn't romantic and isn't about hockey—1½ stars
Em Wittmann's trenchant review absolutely nails why this book is a flop, and I won't repeat her excellent points about the complete lack of conflict here. She could also have added the continuity problems due to the dual authorship:
e.g. Chapter 19 introduces a team called the Strikers, a developmental league for potential future NHL players, whose coach invites Daniel to a future practice. Chapter 20 opens "They were here to check out a team called the Strikers, a developmental league for potential future NHL players, the coach of whom had personally invited Daniel to come and observe." Plus other repetitions.
I'm here to offer an accountant's perspective on the book*. It's 76,731 words long. You have to wade through 12,896 of them before the MCs meet (that's 17% of the book). The MCs spend 26,084 words together (34%). So that's two-thirds (66%) of the book— two-thirds! —where the MCs aren't in the foreground. Their friends & family scenes take up 32,276 words (42%) of the book, leaving a measly 11,620 words for hockey (15%), and dolphins (4%). Even if Em hadn't weighed in, it's clear this book doesn't put its MCs & their relationship front & centre.
Trust the arithmetic, people.
*No, I don't do this for every book, but I'd been looking forward to this one, and it landed on my Kindle at midnight, and I fell on it immediately. So this is a disappointment review.
Em Wittmann's trenchant review absolutely nails why this book is a flop, and I won't repeat her excellent points about the complete lack of conflict here. She could also have added the continuity problems due to the dual authorship:
e.g. Chapter 19 introduces a team called the Strikers, a developmental league for potential future NHL players, whose coach invites Daniel to a future practice. Chapter 20 opens "They were here to check out a team called the Strikers, a developmental league for potential future NHL players, the coach of whom had personally invited Daniel to come and observe." Plus other repetitions.
I'm here to offer an accountant's perspective on the book*. It's 76,731 words long. You have to wade through 12,896 of them before the MCs meet (that's 17% of the book). The MCs spend 26,084 words together (34%). So that's two-thirds (66%) of the book— two-thirds! —where the MCs aren't in the foreground. Their friends & family scenes take up 32,276 words (42%) of the book, leaving a measly 11,620 words for hockey (15%), and dolphins (4%). Even if Em hadn't weighed in, it's clear this book doesn't put its MCs & their relationship front & centre.
Trust the arithmetic, people.
*No, I don't do this for every book, but I'd been looking forward to this one, and it landed on my Kindle at midnight, and I fell on it immediately. So this is a disappointment review.
July 8, 2020
Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn team up together again to bring us the third book in their Hat Trick series, Trade Deadline. Daniel Bellamy gets his happily ever after in this sweet and steamy romance, and you can definitely read any of the books in this series as stand-alones.
I always enjoyed the scenes with Daniel in the earlier novels, his relationship with his wife intrigued me and I love that he was into rescue dogs. He seemed like such an easy going, likable guy I’m glad we got his story.
Always out as a bisexual man, Daniel’s relationship with his childhood bestie Micah isn’t a huge shock to the other characters in the book. I appreciate how casually everyone takes it and “coming out” is not the focus of the novel. It’s all about how these two men come together as adults and renew their friendship. We get both of their stories, and watch them fall in love. It really is very sweet and filled with the steamy hot romantic scenes we fans of Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn hope to get in every book they write.
Trade Deadline is a little short on the hockey scenes, which is a shame because I think Avon Gale writes some great ones, but I was so caught up in the romance I didn’t even notice the lack of actual sports scenes till the very end. It’s just a wonderful, feel good story.
a copy of Trade Deadline was provided to me by NetGalley for the purpose of my honest review
I always enjoyed the scenes with Daniel in the earlier novels, his relationship with his wife intrigued me and I love that he was into rescue dogs. He seemed like such an easy going, likable guy I’m glad we got his story.
Always out as a bisexual man, Daniel’s relationship with his childhood bestie Micah isn’t a huge shock to the other characters in the book. I appreciate how casually everyone takes it and “coming out” is not the focus of the novel. It’s all about how these two men come together as adults and renew their friendship. We get both of their stories, and watch them fall in love. It really is very sweet and filled with the steamy hot romantic scenes we fans of Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn hope to get in every book they write.
Trade Deadline is a little short on the hockey scenes, which is a shame because I think Avon Gale writes some great ones, but I was so caught up in the romance I didn’t even notice the lack of actual sports scenes till the very end. It’s just a wonderful, feel good story.
a copy of Trade Deadline was provided to me by NetGalley for the purpose of my honest review
August 28, 2020
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
2.5 stars
I had fun with this one. Both MCs were extremely likeable and so easy to root for.
Danny and Micah were childhood best friends who find eachother again years and years after their paths first diverged.
This was a sweet friends to lovers romance sure to put a smile of your face.
This was my first introduction to this series and I've definitely added Book 1 & 2 to my tbr.
I didn't completely fall in love with this series and I think it had a lot to do with the lack of focus on the actual hockey aspect of the narrative - which is what I've come to expect.
I also wanted to see more of Daniel's kids, I think that's always such an interesting relationship to work into a romance but it was underdevelopped in this one.
2.5 stars
I had fun with this one. Both MCs were extremely likeable and so easy to root for.
Danny and Micah were childhood best friends who find eachother again years and years after their paths first diverged.
This was a sweet friends to lovers romance sure to put a smile of your face.
This was my first introduction to this series and I've definitely added Book 1 & 2 to my tbr.
I didn't completely fall in love with this series and I think it had a lot to do with the lack of focus on the actual hockey aspect of the narrative - which is what I've come to expect.
I also wanted to see more of Daniel's kids, I think that's always such an interesting relationship to work into a romance but it was underdevelopped in this one.
April 5, 2024
I've given this a B+ for narration and a C+ for content at AudioGals.
Trade Deadline is the third book in the authors’ Hat Trick series of hockey-themed romances that features players from the Atlanta Venom, one of the top teams in the NHL. I enjoyed the previous books to differing degrees, although I have to say it’s been something of a gradually downward trend; I really liked the first, mostly liked the second and sort of liked some of the third. Trade Deadline does have some truly positive points – the maturity of the two leads and their honesty about where there relationship is going was a big plus – but on the other hand, it lacks conflict and the romance arrives almost fully-formed so there’s no real build-up or development. I very much appreciated the first thing. I wasn’t sold on the latter.
At just thirty-four, Daniel Bellamy, captain of the Venom, has been a professional player for fourteen years, and given hockey careers are notoriously short, is starting to think about what happens next. After enjoying years of playing the game he loves at the highest level, and having achieved his dream of winning the Stanley Cup the previous season, he decides not to renew his contract with the Venom and instead to take a one-year contract with the Miami Thunder, a team struggling at the bottom of the league. Besides meaning he can move back home to Miami (where his parents still live), he feels that joining the Thunder and maybe mentoring some of the players and sharing his skills will help them to improve and will also fulfil his own need to give something back while he continues to play out his career.
Micah Kelly was Daniel’s best friend growing up, but their paths diverged at thirteen when Daniel’s family moved to Chicago so Daniel could pursue his dreams of a hockey career. Micah stayed in Florida to follow his own dreams of becoming a marine biologist and then pursuing a career in animal care which, as the head animal care specialist at the Biscayne Bay Aquarium, he has realised. He’s not a sports fan in any shape or form, but when he learns from a friend that Daniel Bellamy has returned to Miami, Micah reaches out and the pair resume their close friendship almost as though the intervening years haven’t happened.
In terms of plot, that’s about it. Daniel and Micah find that as well as rekindling their friendship, the old crushes they had on each other come roaring back to life. Soon they’re contemplating a romantic relationship, but they don’t rush it, which felt completely right in context, especially considering that although Daniel is bisexual (and has always known it), he’s never had a relationship with a man before. When we met him in the previous books, he was married to Tabitha (Tabby), but by the time Trade Deadline opens, Daniel and Tabby have divorced. They’re still on friendly terms – so friendly in fact, that Tabby decides to move from Atlanta to Miami so that they can continue co-parenting their two young children. I suppose the life of the wife of a professional athlete is one of uncertainty – Daniel could have been traded at any time and the family would have had to up sticks and move – so while I raised my eyebrows at the idea that she’d uproot herself and the kids so easily, it did make some sort of sense.
As I said at the beginning, one of the best things about this story is the maturity that permeates it. I liked that both men took care to find out about each other’s lives – their work, their social circles, their interests; in many ways this book isn’t so much a romance as it is one about what comes after as two people start to blend their lives together. Micah is a lovely, friendly guy who clearly thinks the world of Daniel, and has a career he loves, something Daniel is going to have to take into account as the story progresses. Daniel has a great relationship with his kids, Tabby is wonderfully supportive of his new relationship with Micah, and the lack of Big Mis, contrived drama or evil exes was a refreshing change.
But on the downside, everyone being so ‘nice’ and a story boasting little to no conflict did mean it was somewhat… dull. I did, however, really like the parts of the story that dealt with how the move affected Daniel in ways he hadn’t considered. He didn’t expect to suddenly turn things around and lead the Thunder to success (if this had been a Hollywood movie, no doubt that would have been the storyline!) but he hadn’t envisaged being viewed with such suspicion by his team-mates, or expected to find such poor morale and overwhelming atmosphere of defeat, and it felt very realistic that the lack of trust and camaraderie began to take its toll on him, too.
Kirt Graves returns to narrate this third instalment in the series, and his warm, honest performance definitely helped to paper over some of the cracks in the storytelling and enabled me to connect with the story in a way I suspect I might not have done had I read the book. His performance is well-paced, and he differentiates effectively between the leads, voices the female characters (and children) appropriately, and provides consistent portrayals of the characters who appeared in previous books (I particularly like the clipped, super dry tone he uses for Ryu). His interpretation of Micah is particularly good, capturing his liveliness and sense of fun while Daniel’s deeper, more gruff tones paint an accurate picture of him as physically imposing and more deliberate in his manner of speech. The one area I wasn’t completely convinced by was in the sex scenes, where Mr. Graves sounded a little… reticent. I haven’t noticed this before, so maybe it was just me (I’d previously listened to a couple of books with a narrator who ‘goes for it’ a bit more) – although there were definitely a few places I’d have liked to have heard a little more expression. The main thing is that he made me believe in the connection between Daniel and Micah; there’s not much romantic development in the story – they’re falling for each other pretty much as soon as they meet again – but the emotional nuances in the performance helped sell it.
Trade Deadline is a bit of a mixed bag. I genuinely did like some aspects of the story, and for some, perhaps everyone being so nice and well-adjusted and getting to live their dreams (that phrase is repeated a LOT in the early stages of the story) in a romance novel will be a welcome change of pace. But I’d have preferred something with a bit more oomph!
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
Trade Deadline is the third book in the authors’ Hat Trick series of hockey-themed romances that features players from the Atlanta Venom, one of the top teams in the NHL. I enjoyed the previous books to differing degrees, although I have to say it’s been something of a gradually downward trend; I really liked the first, mostly liked the second and sort of liked some of the third. Trade Deadline does have some truly positive points – the maturity of the two leads and their honesty about where there relationship is going was a big plus – but on the other hand, it lacks conflict and the romance arrives almost fully-formed so there’s no real build-up or development. I very much appreciated the first thing. I wasn’t sold on the latter.
At just thirty-four, Daniel Bellamy, captain of the Venom, has been a professional player for fourteen years, and given hockey careers are notoriously short, is starting to think about what happens next. After enjoying years of playing the game he loves at the highest level, and having achieved his dream of winning the Stanley Cup the previous season, he decides not to renew his contract with the Venom and instead to take a one-year contract with the Miami Thunder, a team struggling at the bottom of the league. Besides meaning he can move back home to Miami (where his parents still live), he feels that joining the Thunder and maybe mentoring some of the players and sharing his skills will help them to improve and will also fulfil his own need to give something back while he continues to play out his career.
Micah Kelly was Daniel’s best friend growing up, but their paths diverged at thirteen when Daniel’s family moved to Chicago so Daniel could pursue his dreams of a hockey career. Micah stayed in Florida to follow his own dreams of becoming a marine biologist and then pursuing a career in animal care which, as the head animal care specialist at the Biscayne Bay Aquarium, he has realised. He’s not a sports fan in any shape or form, but when he learns from a friend that Daniel Bellamy has returned to Miami, Micah reaches out and the pair resume their close friendship almost as though the intervening years haven’t happened.
In terms of plot, that’s about it. Daniel and Micah find that as well as rekindling their friendship, the old crushes they had on each other come roaring back to life. Soon they’re contemplating a romantic relationship, but they don’t rush it, which felt completely right in context, especially considering that although Daniel is bisexual (and has always known it), he’s never had a relationship with a man before. When we met him in the previous books, he was married to Tabitha (Tabby), but by the time Trade Deadline opens, Daniel and Tabby have divorced. They’re still on friendly terms – so friendly in fact, that Tabby decides to move from Atlanta to Miami so that they can continue co-parenting their two young children. I suppose the life of the wife of a professional athlete is one of uncertainty – Daniel could have been traded at any time and the family would have had to up sticks and move – so while I raised my eyebrows at the idea that she’d uproot herself and the kids so easily, it did make some sort of sense.
As I said at the beginning, one of the best things about this story is the maturity that permeates it. I liked that both men took care to find out about each other’s lives – their work, their social circles, their interests; in many ways this book isn’t so much a romance as it is one about what comes after as two people start to blend their lives together. Micah is a lovely, friendly guy who clearly thinks the world of Daniel, and has a career he loves, something Daniel is going to have to take into account as the story progresses. Daniel has a great relationship with his kids, Tabby is wonderfully supportive of his new relationship with Micah, and the lack of Big Mis, contrived drama or evil exes was a refreshing change.
But on the downside, everyone being so ‘nice’ and a story boasting little to no conflict did mean it was somewhat… dull. I did, however, really like the parts of the story that dealt with how the move affected Daniel in ways he hadn’t considered. He didn’t expect to suddenly turn things around and lead the Thunder to success (if this had been a Hollywood movie, no doubt that would have been the storyline!) but he hadn’t envisaged being viewed with such suspicion by his team-mates, or expected to find such poor morale and overwhelming atmosphere of defeat, and it felt very realistic that the lack of trust and camaraderie began to take its toll on him, too.
Kirt Graves returns to narrate this third instalment in the series, and his warm, honest performance definitely helped to paper over some of the cracks in the storytelling and enabled me to connect with the story in a way I suspect I might not have done had I read the book. His performance is well-paced, and he differentiates effectively between the leads, voices the female characters (and children) appropriately, and provides consistent portrayals of the characters who appeared in previous books (I particularly like the clipped, super dry tone he uses for Ryu). His interpretation of Micah is particularly good, capturing his liveliness and sense of fun while Daniel’s deeper, more gruff tones paint an accurate picture of him as physically imposing and more deliberate in his manner of speech. The one area I wasn’t completely convinced by was in the sex scenes, where Mr. Graves sounded a little… reticent. I haven’t noticed this before, so maybe it was just me (I’d previously listened to a couple of books with a narrator who ‘goes for it’ a bit more) – although there were definitely a few places I’d have liked to have heard a little more expression. The main thing is that he made me believe in the connection between Daniel and Micah; there’s not much romantic development in the story – they’re falling for each other pretty much as soon as they meet again – but the emotional nuances in the performance helped sell it.
Trade Deadline is a bit of a mixed bag. I genuinely did like some aspects of the story, and for some, perhaps everyone being so nice and well-adjusted and getting to live their dreams (that phrase is repeated a LOT in the early stages of the story) in a romance novel will be a welcome change of pace. But I’d have preferred something with a bit more oomph!
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
February 1, 2022
[3.4~3.5] i know the vast majority isn’t fond of this one very much because there’s practically no conflict (I KNOW don’t come at me if you find this boring 🙈), it’s considerably low on hockey scenes (Micah is a marine biologist and his childhood crush Daniel is thinking it’s about time to hand in his skates), and the sloooow burn romance is often overshadowed by interactions with secondary characters, but i still enjoyed it more than the first one (maybe i do have something against the teacher/student trope lol 💀), and i don’t necessarily mind a read on the “uneventful” side after consuming books that toe or completely overstep the OTT line, so rounding up to reflect that (it’s all in the timing 😉). not to mention, having Kirt Graves as the narrator added to the experience.
but yeah, i expect 90% of book friends to dnf this 🤣
but yeah, i expect 90% of book friends to dnf this 🤣
August 18, 2020
Definitely a solid 3.5.
As I’ve mentioned a few times before, hockey romances are my comfort zone and I just loved getting to read one during these times when my mood has been increasingly bad. And I’m glad it cheered me up.
While I still maintain that I loved Avon Gale’s Scoring Chances series more, this series has also been fun, especially with the authors making the Venom team and it’s camaraderie something to root for. So it felt a bit jarring to see the proceedings move to a different team, that too not a very good one. This also meant that the time spent with the team itself was considerably less when compared to the previous books, but I somehow didn’t miss that element. The story was also a much more quieter one, with hardly any conflict and kinda sweet.
I really liked both Daniel and Micah as characters. I found Daniel’s uncertainty about his hockey future, his conflict between his competitive nature and wanting to play for his childhood favorite team, and just his love for his old teammates , all felt very realistic and I liked how chill he was despite his worries. Micah on the other hand was a delight. I don’t think I’ve read a romance before with a marine biologist love interest, so that was cool. And I absolutely adored his interactions with his favorite dolphin, as well as his passion for conservation and restoration of sea creatures to their natural habitats.
Even though both of them reconnect after two decades, their comfort level with each other was instantaneous and even though this wasn’t the sort of fiery chemistry I’m used to in romance novels these days, it was such a easy and charming relationship. Just like they felt at ease with each other, I enjoyed reading about their bonding with Danny’s kids and even the junior hockey players. It was a charming love story without much drama and I liked that a lot.
As always, I love when previous characters show up for cameos and I enjoyed the Venom’s appearances. Tristan is a sweetheart and I love it whenever he shows up, and Morley was as always funny with his dudebro jokes even though he seemed grumpy sometimes. And I couldn’t stop laughing during all his talk about fanfics, rivals to lovers tropes and coffee shop AUs - it’s not the kind of nerdy talk you expect from jocks and I thought it was adorable. I’m hoping the next book is about him and we’ll get so much more of this.
To conclude, this was the charming, drama free hockey romance with lovable characters that I didn’t know I needed. I had a sweet time while reading and it left me feeling good. And I’m already excited for the spinoff which was mentioned, though I can’t find the synopsis anywhere and hope it’s about the players I’m expecting.
As I’ve mentioned a few times before, hockey romances are my comfort zone and I just loved getting to read one during these times when my mood has been increasingly bad. And I’m glad it cheered me up.
While I still maintain that I loved Avon Gale’s Scoring Chances series more, this series has also been fun, especially with the authors making the Venom team and it’s camaraderie something to root for. So it felt a bit jarring to see the proceedings move to a different team, that too not a very good one. This also meant that the time spent with the team itself was considerably less when compared to the previous books, but I somehow didn’t miss that element. The story was also a much more quieter one, with hardly any conflict and kinda sweet.
I really liked both Daniel and Micah as characters. I found Daniel’s uncertainty about his hockey future, his conflict between his competitive nature and wanting to play for his childhood favorite team, and just his love for his old teammates , all felt very realistic and I liked how chill he was despite his worries. Micah on the other hand was a delight. I don’t think I’ve read a romance before with a marine biologist love interest, so that was cool. And I absolutely adored his interactions with his favorite dolphin, as well as his passion for conservation and restoration of sea creatures to their natural habitats.
Even though both of them reconnect after two decades, their comfort level with each other was instantaneous and even though this wasn’t the sort of fiery chemistry I’m used to in romance novels these days, it was such a easy and charming relationship. Just like they felt at ease with each other, I enjoyed reading about their bonding with Danny’s kids and even the junior hockey players. It was a charming love story without much drama and I liked that a lot.
As always, I love when previous characters show up for cameos and I enjoyed the Venom’s appearances. Tristan is a sweetheart and I love it whenever he shows up, and Morley was as always funny with his dudebro jokes even though he seemed grumpy sometimes. And I couldn’t stop laughing during all his talk about fanfics, rivals to lovers tropes and coffee shop AUs - it’s not the kind of nerdy talk you expect from jocks and I thought it was adorable. I’m hoping the next book is about him and we’ll get so much more of this.
To conclude, this was the charming, drama free hockey romance with lovable characters that I didn’t know I needed. I had a sweet time while reading and it left me feeling good. And I’m already excited for the spinoff which was mentioned, though I can’t find the synopsis anywhere and hope it’s about the players I’m expecting.
November 2, 2023
It was a fine book with an excellent narration.
Old friends reconnect and get together.
They fall in love.
The end.
Not much more than that happened. I wish it would have.
I also wish that I had felt heat between the two men. I mostly got a friend vibe.
Of the trilogy, this is my least favorite, although I really liked the characters.
Old friends reconnect and get together.
They fall in love.
The end.
Not much more than that happened. I wish it would have.
I also wish that I had felt heat between the two men. I mostly got a friend vibe.
Of the trilogy, this is my least favorite, although I really liked the characters.
August 2, 2020
This is book three in the Hat Trick series. It can be read as a stand alone since each book focuses on a different couple, but I really enjoyed catching up with previous characters from the NHL team Venom.
Trade Deadline focuses on veteran player Daniel. After finally winning the Stanley Cup, he's met all of his life goals in his career of choice. Now faced with choices of how to wrap up his few remaining years in the league, he opts to move back to his childhood hometown.
Micah and Daniel were best friends throughout childhood, but they lost touch after Daniel moved away to further his hockey dreams. Reconnecting after two decades apart is exciting. Their friendship seems to pick up right where it left off. They were also each other's first kiss at 13 years old. The embers of those flames are still burning.
This is a sweet, fluffy romance. There is no major angst, just a lot of feel good snapshots of two men blending their lives together. Daniel's ex wife and current best friend is almost unbelievably supportive. His two darling children are featured in several scenes, but again, no conflict or drama with them.
It's a wonderful, feel-good break from real life. The epilogue put a huge smile on my face.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Trade Deadline focuses on veteran player Daniel. After finally winning the Stanley Cup, he's met all of his life goals in his career of choice. Now faced with choices of how to wrap up his few remaining years in the league, he opts to move back to his childhood hometown.
Micah and Daniel were best friends throughout childhood, but they lost touch after Daniel moved away to further his hockey dreams. Reconnecting after two decades apart is exciting. Their friendship seems to pick up right where it left off. They were also each other's first kiss at 13 years old. The embers of those flames are still burning.
This is a sweet, fluffy romance. There is no major angst, just a lot of feel good snapshots of two men blending their lives together. Daniel's ex wife and current best friend is almost unbelievably supportive. His two darling children are featured in several scenes, but again, no conflict or drama with them.
It's a wonderful, feel-good break from real life. The epilogue put a huge smile on my face.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
August 9, 2020
In the previous two books in this series, aside from Daniel Bellamy being a great leader and friend to our two couples, we didn’t really find out much about him so I was both curious and excited when I found out he was one of the main characters for this book.
We got to know more about who Daniel "the person" was, outside "Bellzie the Captain and Friend". He was a great dad and friend, and was always willing to lend a hand to those in need. He also had a great outlook towards life and whatever was thrown in his way.He was such a joy to read about and I always found this perspective refreshing.
Micah was also a fun person to read about. He was a bubbly and warm person who connected to various people regardless of their backgrounds. It probably had something to do with his job but I think it just was who he was. Kindness should’ve been his middle name.
Following along the line of both men being so inherently good at heart, their relationship was filled with funny banter, heartwarming moments and the occasional sweetness that made me root for them.
There was no unnecessary angst about Daniel’s bisexuality which was certainly a plus for me story-wise, and the main source of tension between them was from hockey. But even when I thought the story would go the overdramatic/ultimatum route because of this, these two men handled everything maturely and without much fuss.
As with the previous books, the writing was great. We also had cameos from the previous couples in the series and my favourite character in this series Morley, which added more smiles to my face.
Ultimately, this was a fun story of old friends reconnecting and falling in love. I really enjoyed it and found it to be just right for my Sunday reading mood.
**eARC Graciously Provided by Publisher via Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest, Unbiased Review**
We got to know more about who Daniel "the person" was, outside "Bellzie the Captain and Friend". He was a great dad and friend, and was always willing to lend a hand to those in need. He also had a great outlook towards life and whatever was thrown in his way.He was such a joy to read about and I always found this perspective refreshing.
Micah was also a fun person to read about. He was a bubbly and warm person who connected to various people regardless of their backgrounds. It probably had something to do with his job but I think it just was who he was. Kindness should’ve been his middle name.
Following along the line of both men being so inherently good at heart, their relationship was filled with funny banter, heartwarming moments and the occasional sweetness that made me root for them.
There was no unnecessary angst about Daniel’s bisexuality which was certainly a plus for me story-wise, and the main source of tension between them was from hockey. But even when I thought the story would go the overdramatic/ultimatum route because of this, these two men handled everything maturely and without much fuss.
As with the previous books, the writing was great. We also had cameos from the previous couples in the series and my favourite character in this series Morley, which added more smiles to my face.
Ultimately, this was a fun story of old friends reconnecting and falling in love. I really enjoyed it and found it to be just right for my Sunday reading mood.
**eARC Graciously Provided by Publisher via Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest, Unbiased Review**
September 1, 2020
Trade Deadline is an adorable sports romance following two intriguing and fun men.
I have to say, I really enjoyed this! I was seeking some more sport romances to add to my repertoire and this one fit just perfectly!
Micah and Daniel knew each other back in the day, and have since reunited and start a fabulous, little relationship. Daniel's an NHL player who isn't quite sure what's next, and Micah works with animals at the aquarium (one of the most random yet lovable jobs I've ever seen in a romance novel, just saying). Along the way we meet their friends and coworkers, and Daniel's ex and children, and see all of the excitement this relationship can bring.
The romance itself is adorable, and there's just enough smut to make this book feel sexy.
I did find this book didn't have much drama or tension in it, but if you're seeking a sweet and fluffy contemporary romance, then this book is for you. I also had hoped for a little more hockey in it, but this book was more focused on romance so it's understandable.
Overall, this book is a great sports romance read for those who are craving one!
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I have to say, I really enjoyed this! I was seeking some more sport romances to add to my repertoire and this one fit just perfectly!
Micah and Daniel knew each other back in the day, and have since reunited and start a fabulous, little relationship. Daniel's an NHL player who isn't quite sure what's next, and Micah works with animals at the aquarium (one of the most random yet lovable jobs I've ever seen in a romance novel, just saying). Along the way we meet their friends and coworkers, and Daniel's ex and children, and see all of the excitement this relationship can bring.
The romance itself is adorable, and there's just enough smut to make this book feel sexy.
I did find this book didn't have much drama or tension in it, but if you're seeking a sweet and fluffy contemporary romance, then this book is for you. I also had hoped for a little more hockey in it, but this book was more focused on romance so it's understandable.
Overall, this book is a great sports romance read for those who are craving one!
Three out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
July 20, 2020
I enjoyed this one but it was definitely less tension driven than the others in the series have been.
The main drama points came from uncertainty about Daniel's ice hockey future and Micah's internalising fears over their relationship long term.
That's not to say that it wasn't a good narrative though, I did still love the setting and I adored all the stuff with Micah's job as a marine biologist.
I also really appreciate it when authors have strong female characters and don't make ex wives or ex girlfriends into complete witches.
Tabby and the kids were a nice presence without being overwhelming or distracting the focus from the new relationship.
Loved seeing all the Venom guys and I liked that Daniel didn't have some unbelievable impact on his new team, but felt realistic about the challenges of moving to a new place.
Overall another successful entry in this sports romance series from Avon and Piper.
#ARC kindly received from the publisher Carina Press via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review.
The main drama points came from uncertainty about Daniel's ice hockey future and Micah's internalising fears over their relationship long term.
That's not to say that it wasn't a good narrative though, I did still love the setting and I adored all the stuff with Micah's job as a marine biologist.
I also really appreciate it when authors have strong female characters and don't make ex wives or ex girlfriends into complete witches.
Tabby and the kids were a nice presence without being overwhelming or distracting the focus from the new relationship.
Loved seeing all the Venom guys and I liked that Daniel didn't have some unbelievable impact on his new team, but felt realistic about the challenges of moving to a new place.
Overall another successful entry in this sports romance series from Avon and Piper.
#ARC kindly received from the publisher Carina Press via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review.
August 4, 2020
Daniel Bellamy and Micah Kelly were inseparable as kids. They were even each other’s first kiss. And while time and different paths in life resulted in them losing touch, neither quite forgot about the other.
Reunited twenty years later, the friendship rekindles instantly. And not long after, that friendship begins to build into something more.
I liked how easy things were between Micah and Daniel from the get-go. They re-connect almost seamlessly, with the years apart not really changing how they interacted.
The two men just clicked. It wasn’t hard at all to see how that immediate connection could easily go from friendship to romance.
Their hangouts and dates were very cute! It was also refreshing that Daniel’s bisexuality was never an issue, seeing as sexual attraction is so often a conflict point in MM hockey romances.
I also really liked how Daniel and Micah put in the work to become a part of each other’s lives. Though they’re two very different men, they learn about each other’s interests and make an effort to understand each other’s social circles.
And kudos to Daniel’s great family for welcoming Micah with open arms, especially the kids!
This is a fairly low-conflict romance. The major stumbling block is Micah’s need for stability, and the inherent instability of Daniel’s professional athlete career.
But it never becomes a huge issue. Though I generally prefer a fair bit of tension and angst, it was easy to just enjoy the simpler pace.
And even better, Daniel and Micah actually talk through all of their feelings and concerns. Major bonus points for open communication!
The only slight annoyance - Daniel often seemed to make a big deal about his age. Mid-thirties is pretty young!
Overall, I enjoyed Daniel and Micah’s friends-to-lovers romance, and the epilogue was a perfect HEA. If you’re looking for an easy family-centered MM romance, give ‘Trade Deadline’ a try!
=
Reunited twenty years later, the friendship rekindles instantly. And not long after, that friendship begins to build into something more.
I liked how easy things were between Micah and Daniel from the get-go. They re-connect almost seamlessly, with the years apart not really changing how they interacted.
The two men just clicked. It wasn’t hard at all to see how that immediate connection could easily go from friendship to romance.
Their hangouts and dates were very cute! It was also refreshing that Daniel’s bisexuality was never an issue, seeing as sexual attraction is so often a conflict point in MM hockey romances.
I also really liked how Daniel and Micah put in the work to become a part of each other’s lives. Though they’re two very different men, they learn about each other’s interests and make an effort to understand each other’s social circles.
And kudos to Daniel’s great family for welcoming Micah with open arms, especially the kids!
This is a fairly low-conflict romance. The major stumbling block is Micah’s need for stability, and the inherent instability of Daniel’s professional athlete career.
But it never becomes a huge issue. Though I generally prefer a fair bit of tension and angst, it was easy to just enjoy the simpler pace.
And even better, Daniel and Micah actually talk through all of their feelings and concerns. Major bonus points for open communication!
The only slight annoyance - Daniel often seemed to make a big deal about his age. Mid-thirties is pretty young!
Overall, I enjoyed Daniel and Micah’s friends-to-lovers romance, and the epilogue was a perfect HEA. If you’re looking for an easy family-centered MM romance, give ‘Trade Deadline’ a try!
=
August 15, 2021
Avon writes - I read, a rule old as the time itself.
The seemingly, unfortunately, last book of Hat Trick series has finally made its way into my loving hands and it feels so good to be reunited with Avon Gale's stunning writing. While Goalie Interference is still my favourite in the series, Trade Deadline is definitely a good one, especially considering that it's the fluffiest out of the three books. I was really excited to read about Bellzie and his adventures and Avon provided so much both fun, realistic and simply fluffy content. This is a rare occasion I've got to experience her writing something that is as close to a-slice-of-life as it gets and I really enjoyed not being overwhelmed with drama.
Cute characters, great families (found families included), fun plot and realistic setting. A nice little read for a Saturday evening.
The seemingly, unfortunately, last book of Hat Trick series has finally made its way into my loving hands and it feels so good to be reunited with Avon Gale's stunning writing. While Goalie Interference is still my favourite in the series, Trade Deadline is definitely a good one, especially considering that it's the fluffiest out of the three books. I was really excited to read about Bellzie and his adventures and Avon provided so much both fun, realistic and simply fluffy content. This is a rare occasion I've got to experience her writing something that is as close to a-slice-of-life as it gets and I really enjoyed not being overwhelmed with drama.
Cute characters, great families (found families included), fun plot and realistic setting. A nice little read for a Saturday evening.
September 27, 2024
This was so so boring! The MCs had no chemistry and Micah was extremely annoying, like he was worrying about Daniel being traded when they hadn't even begun to date.
Also, the ex-wife Tabby was weirdly super invested in the whole relationship and extremely into his ex-husband having a new boyfriend.
I mean they were besties when they were kids then they reconnect and bam already in love? for fucks sake 20 years have passed come on! they hadn't even smashed yet and they were already in love because they were friends as kids?
Also, the ex-wife Tabby was weirdly super invested in the whole relationship and extremely into his ex-husband having a new boyfriend.
I mean they were besties when they were kids then they reconnect and bam already in love? for fucks sake 20 years have passed come on! they hadn't even smashed yet and they were already in love because they were friends as kids?
July 10, 2020
Review on my blog
Representation: m/m romance, gay main character, bisexual main character, side queer characters, side characters of colour
Content warnings: sexual content, mentions of parent homophobia, alcohol
-
You may remember a long time ago, almost three years now, I reviewed a book called Off the Ice, the first book in the Hat Trick series by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn. Finally, the series has come to it’s long awaited end, following a character we met in that first book, Bellzie, who was the captain on the hockey team he played for.
I’d liked Bellzie, or Daniel, from the beginning. When I’d found out there would eventually be a book about him finding love, I was definitely interested. I didn’t think it would be this long of a wait but I can say it was worth it.
Trade Deadline is a book I really enjoyed. One aspect in the book that I really loved was how the authors chose to not succumb to the Evil Ex trope through Daniel’s ex wife, Tabby. We are told that she is Daniel’s best friend and the book affirms that throughout, even showing a healthy friendship between Tabby and Daniel’s love interest, Micah. She and their kids were one of the most enjoyable parts of the book. It also allowed us to see what a great father Daniel was since it was made apparent that he really loved his kids, as shown through how involved they were in his life.
Micah was a new character and I liked him from the beginning. He was a sweet person and I liked seeing his work as a marine biologist. I especially loved how he used that to his advantage when he eventually met Daniel’s kids.
The story itself is about two people who knew each other as kids meeting again, reconnecting, and falling in love. It is at its core a childhood friends to lovers story where those childhood friends had been separated for many years. Because of that past connection where they were best friends and the other’s first crush and kiss, it was made believable as they also had the chance to fall in love for real as adults. It was further improved by how good of communicators they both were. That is something that I will always look for in romance books, good comminication. I feel that can be missing in many romances, and it’s less about it fitting the character’s own personality and more about as an easy way to create conflict.
This book for the most part is conflict free. The biggest there is was how Daniel’s new hockey team is on a losing streak and he’s unsure what to do when his one year contract on the team ends. This doesn’t create substantial conflict in Micah and Daniel’s relationship, instead it is an eventual conversation. That’s one of the best points in the book for me, how communication is in it throughout the whole story.
One drawback of this book was that the latter third was a little slow. The book was less about passion and more about relationships and life, which is perfect for people who prefer those kinds of romances instead of steamy or intense ones. This book does have sex but Daniel and Micah’s relationship was more focussed on their emotional connection.
I definitely recommend this book if you read and enjoyed the first two, and for more than the cameos of previous characters. They do make the story a little more fun but there is more to this story than that.
I enjoyed this book and I now want to go back and read the second book since I did enjoy seeing the characters from that book the most. I can’t wait to see more of Gale and Vaugh’s collaborative works.
Representation: m/m romance, gay main character, bisexual main character, side queer characters, side characters of colour
Content warnings: sexual content, mentions of parent homophobia, alcohol
-
You may remember a long time ago, almost three years now, I reviewed a book called Off the Ice, the first book in the Hat Trick series by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn. Finally, the series has come to it’s long awaited end, following a character we met in that first book, Bellzie, who was the captain on the hockey team he played for.
I’d liked Bellzie, or Daniel, from the beginning. When I’d found out there would eventually be a book about him finding love, I was definitely interested. I didn’t think it would be this long of a wait but I can say it was worth it.
Trade Deadline is a book I really enjoyed. One aspect in the book that I really loved was how the authors chose to not succumb to the Evil Ex trope through Daniel’s ex wife, Tabby. We are told that she is Daniel’s best friend and the book affirms that throughout, even showing a healthy friendship between Tabby and Daniel’s love interest, Micah. She and their kids were one of the most enjoyable parts of the book. It also allowed us to see what a great father Daniel was since it was made apparent that he really loved his kids, as shown through how involved they were in his life.
Micah was a new character and I liked him from the beginning. He was a sweet person and I liked seeing his work as a marine biologist. I especially loved how he used that to his advantage when he eventually met Daniel’s kids.
The story itself is about two people who knew each other as kids meeting again, reconnecting, and falling in love. It is at its core a childhood friends to lovers story where those childhood friends had been separated for many years. Because of that past connection where they were best friends and the other’s first crush and kiss, it was made believable as they also had the chance to fall in love for real as adults. It was further improved by how good of communicators they both were. That is something that I will always look for in romance books, good comminication. I feel that can be missing in many romances, and it’s less about it fitting the character’s own personality and more about as an easy way to create conflict.
This book for the most part is conflict free. The biggest there is was how Daniel’s new hockey team is on a losing streak and he’s unsure what to do when his one year contract on the team ends. This doesn’t create substantial conflict in Micah and Daniel’s relationship, instead it is an eventual conversation. That’s one of the best points in the book for me, how communication is in it throughout the whole story.
One drawback of this book was that the latter third was a little slow. The book was less about passion and more about relationships and life, which is perfect for people who prefer those kinds of romances instead of steamy or intense ones. This book does have sex but Daniel and Micah’s relationship was more focussed on their emotional connection.
I definitely recommend this book if you read and enjoyed the first two, and for more than the cameos of previous characters. They do make the story a little more fun but there is more to this story than that.
I enjoyed this book and I now want to go back and read the second book since I did enjoy seeing the characters from that book the most. I can’t wait to see more of Gale and Vaugh’s collaborative works.
June 3, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Frankly, this book was disappointing. I have loved previous books by these authors. I love many hockey m/m romances.
Shortly after I started this book, I forgot I was reading it and wondered off into YouTube. Things did not improve much.
For a romance to work for me (or most other fiction) I have to feel like I know and like the characters, and accompany them on the journey in the story. Even though the story was told from one or more points of view (I cannot Even remember, and I finished it yesterday), I never got a sense of them as people. One, Bellesy (?) is nice. The other fellow, has red hair ... and is also nice.
Also, everyone in the story was just too perfect. No one had any flaws except the paper cut-out captain of the hockey team.
A major plot was around what was happening with the hockey team. Yet we never got a sense of what was going on. There were only occasional references to the coaches.
All in all, this was a remarkably beige book.
Merged review:
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Frankly, this book was disappointing. I have loved previous books by these authors. I love many hockey m/m romances.
Shortly after I started this book, I forgot I was reading it and wondered off into YouTube. Things did not improve much.
For a romance to work for me (or most other fiction) I have to feel like I know and like the characters, and accompany them on the journey in the story. Even though the story was told from one or more points of view (I cannot Even remember, and I finished it yesterday), I never got a sense of them as people. One, Bellesy (?) is nice. The other fellow, has red hair ... and is also nice.
Also, everyone in the story was just too perfect. No one had any flaws except the paper cut-out captain of the hockey team.
A major plot was around what was happening with the hockey team. Yet we never got a sense of what was going on. There were only occasional references to the coaches.
All in all, this was a remarkably beige book.
Frankly, this book was disappointing. I have loved previous books by these authors. I love many hockey m/m romances.
Shortly after I started this book, I forgot I was reading it and wondered off into YouTube. Things did not improve much.
For a romance to work for me (or most other fiction) I have to feel like I know and like the characters, and accompany them on the journey in the story. Even though the story was told from one or more points of view (I cannot Even remember, and I finished it yesterday), I never got a sense of them as people. One, Bellesy (?) is nice. The other fellow, has red hair ... and is also nice.
Also, everyone in the story was just too perfect. No one had any flaws except the paper cut-out captain of the hockey team.
A major plot was around what was happening with the hockey team. Yet we never got a sense of what was going on. There were only occasional references to the coaches.
All in all, this was a remarkably beige book.
Merged review:
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Frankly, this book was disappointing. I have loved previous books by these authors. I love many hockey m/m romances.
Shortly after I started this book, I forgot I was reading it and wondered off into YouTube. Things did not improve much.
For a romance to work for me (or most other fiction) I have to feel like I know and like the characters, and accompany them on the journey in the story. Even though the story was told from one or more points of view (I cannot Even remember, and I finished it yesterday), I never got a sense of them as people. One, Bellesy (?) is nice. The other fellow, has red hair ... and is also nice.
Also, everyone in the story was just too perfect. No one had any flaws except the paper cut-out captain of the hockey team.
A major plot was around what was happening with the hockey team. Yet we never got a sense of what was going on. There were only occasional references to the coaches.
All in all, this was a remarkably beige book.
June 27, 2024
Oh my god. I should have thrown in the towel in the first 20%. I loved the other book so much so it was a big disappointment how little I liked about this. But...there's just not much for me to like.
I don't like second chance romances. Though, to be fair...does it count as a second chance romance if they were only 13 and shared one kiss when they were kids?
The characters were boring.
The storyline was boring.
It could have been written as follows: (Only read on if you want spoilers)...
Popular hot hockey dude moves back home to play hockey.
His perfect wife, sorry, ex wife, and kids follow him there because they are perfect and have never done anything wrong in the entirety of their lives or marriage.
He meets back up with his childhood bestie.
They hang out, start dating. He's a marine biologist who works with dolphins.
So Dolphin Guy begins to worry that he's going to fall in love with the hockey player and he's going to be traded elsewhere because his team sucks. Except he has a no trade clause so actually it would be that Hot Hockey Guy just goes to play somewhere else.
They fall in love with each other. Walkie talkies are involved.
Hockey guy doesn't get another contract to the current team but they offer him a coaching position.
He takes another job coaching a development team (or ...something. teens. He coaches teens.)
Everyone ends up just fine in the end.
There. I saved you ::checks most recent KU version:: 259 pages of boredom and predictability. You're Welcome.
I don't like second chance romances. Though, to be fair...does it count as a second chance romance if they were only 13 and shared one kiss when they were kids?
The characters were boring.
The storyline was boring.
It could have been written as follows: (Only read on if you want spoilers)...
Popular hot hockey dude moves back home to play hockey.
His perfect wife, sorry, ex wife, and kids follow him there because they are perfect and have never done anything wrong in the entirety of their lives or marriage.
He meets back up with his childhood bestie.
They hang out, start dating. He's a marine biologist who works with dolphins.
So Dolphin Guy begins to worry that he's going to fall in love with the hockey player and he's going to be traded elsewhere because his team sucks. Except he has a no trade clause so actually it would be that Hot Hockey Guy just goes to play somewhere else.
They fall in love with each other. Walkie talkies are involved.
Hockey guy doesn't get another contract to the current team but they offer him a coaching position.
He takes another job coaching a development team (or ...something. teens. He coaches teens.)
Everyone ends up just fine in the end.
There. I saved you ::checks most recent KU version:: 259 pages of boredom and predictability. You're Welcome.
August 8, 2020
As I noted in my review of the second book in the Hat Trick series - Goalie Interference: "Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn write beautifully about hockey - its sheer physicality, the rivalries and friendships, the intensity of community -" and in a nutshell, that is what is missing from "Trade Deadline."
Daniel Bellemy is recently amicably divorced from his wife Tabby after ten years together, and he has moved back to his Miami hometown to play for the Miami Thunder on a one-year contract. The team is at the bottom of the ratings and there are a lot of problems with team unity, unlike the close-knit Atlanta Venom. Daniel comes to the team - not as a captain - but as a calming experienced team player with hopes of pulling them together, but this subplot is quickly cast aside as the focus of the book moves away from hockey.
Daniel reconnects with Micah, his childhood best friend - and first crush / first kiss - and is finally able to explore his bisexuality without the intense media scrutiny of being part of a Stanley Cup winning team. Micah is living the dream as a marine biologist and his job is all kinds of cute (daily dolphin selfies!) and interesting; Daniel's involvement in youth hockey is also very sweet. But ...
There is little hockey in this book - and little in the way of close friendships with his new team. The story really focuses on the relationship between Micah and Daniel and while it is .... interesting ... I do not find it particularly compelling. There isn't a lot of tension and little standing in the way of their relationship since all their friends, Daniel's ex-wife Tabby and kids are very much okay with their romance.
I'm willing to admit this may be a case of "it's not YOU, it's ME" because while I found the story enjoyable, I desparately wanted more hockey and a pinch more tension. 3.5 stars and I'm pinning my hopes on the next book in the series which will hopefully be Morley's story.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Daniel Bellemy is recently amicably divorced from his wife Tabby after ten years together, and he has moved back to his Miami hometown to play for the Miami Thunder on a one-year contract. The team is at the bottom of the ratings and there are a lot of problems with team unity, unlike the close-knit Atlanta Venom. Daniel comes to the team - not as a captain - but as a calming experienced team player with hopes of pulling them together, but this subplot is quickly cast aside as the focus of the book moves away from hockey.
Daniel reconnects with Micah, his childhood best friend - and first crush / first kiss - and is finally able to explore his bisexuality without the intense media scrutiny of being part of a Stanley Cup winning team. Micah is living the dream as a marine biologist and his job is all kinds of cute (daily dolphin selfies!) and interesting; Daniel's involvement in youth hockey is also very sweet. But ...
There is little hockey in this book - and little in the way of close friendships with his new team. The story really focuses on the relationship between Micah and Daniel and while it is .... interesting ... I do not find it particularly compelling. There isn't a lot of tension and little standing in the way of their relationship since all their friends, Daniel's ex-wife Tabby and kids are very much okay with their romance.
I'm willing to admit this may be a case of "it's not YOU, it's ME" because while I found the story enjoyable, I desparately wanted more hockey and a pinch more tension. 3.5 stars and I'm pinning my hopes on the next book in the series which will hopefully be Morley's story.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
August 18, 2020
Daniel won all that’s to win in the NHL and when the opportunity is there to return to Miami to help out the Miami Thunder club, he’s in. Miami is home!
Micah is a marine biologist and works at the Biscayne Bay Aquarium. His Instagram tells him Daniel will return to Miami.
Micah and Daniel were best friends and share their first kiss. But hockey was Daniel’s biggest love.
Daniel was out of his league now with all the big NHL money, there’s a big chance Daniel wouldn’t recognize Micah at all after two decades. Ha!
After reconnecting they start more than only friendship.
“Every time he laughs, your face lights up. It’s like this automatic response, and it’s adorable.”
Micah's heart belongs to Daniel, he loves so many things about him. But he wants to keep distance. Because at the end Daniel will leave, for hockey, again.
He will never be the one to follow Daniel, he has his life and dream-job in Miami.
A friendly warm read, with mature characters, where ex’s are friends for life and involved.
Where friends and beautiful family are of importance.
What I missed was some kind of struggle, it did go all a bit too smoothly, some tension, struggle or fight would give it a bit more juice. The last part on the other hand was special. For the rest no complaints, it was a lovely story, thoroughly developed, with the most lovely main characters.
Micah is a marine biologist and works at the Biscayne Bay Aquarium. His Instagram tells him Daniel will return to Miami.
Micah and Daniel were best friends and share their first kiss. But hockey was Daniel’s biggest love.
Daniel was out of his league now with all the big NHL money, there’s a big chance Daniel wouldn’t recognize Micah at all after two decades. Ha!
After reconnecting they start more than only friendship.
“Every time he laughs, your face lights up. It’s like this automatic response, and it’s adorable.”
Micah's heart belongs to Daniel, he loves so many things about him. But he wants to keep distance. Because at the end Daniel will leave, for hockey, again.
He will never be the one to follow Daniel, he has his life and dream-job in Miami.
A friendly warm read, with mature characters, where ex’s are friends for life and involved.
Where friends and beautiful family are of importance.
What I missed was some kind of struggle, it did go all a bit too smoothly, some tension, struggle or fight would give it a bit more juice. The last part on the other hand was special. For the rest no complaints, it was a lovely story, thoroughly developed, with the most lovely main characters.
August 16, 2020
This is a very sweet and fluffy sports romance without much sports. There is barely any angst - just two mature men who are learning to blend their lives together. Daniel's ex-wife and best friend is completely supportive and Micah isn't jealous of their relationship. The kids are angels and no drama there either. In fact everyone is just a little too perfect. I also missed the hockey in this hockey sports romance. Their are a few scenes but really not much at least compared to the two previous books which I enjoyed more than this one. I will say the epilogue was really cute and definitely made me smile.
A copy of this book was provided to me by Netgalley and the publisher with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion
A copy of this book was provided to me by Netgalley and the publisher with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion
July 2, 2020
Trade Deadline was an okay book. I have not read the other books in this series, so this may be part of why I am not super convinced by the story or its characters.
Daniel is a professional hockey player, and Micah is a researcher at an aquarium. Both have exciting jobs, but this isn't the only similarity between the two. Daniel and Micah used to be best friends growing up and had their first kiss with each other. Years later they are able to meet again and continue their love story.
Daniel and Micah are a good couple and I see that they're supposed to be together, but I was just looking for more. More of everything. More depth to all the characters. I like the diversity and think the whole hockey background is great, but I just didn't fall in love or even in like with this book.
I received a free advanced copy from the author/ publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Daniel is a professional hockey player, and Micah is a researcher at an aquarium. Both have exciting jobs, but this isn't the only similarity between the two. Daniel and Micah used to be best friends growing up and had their first kiss with each other. Years later they are able to meet again and continue their love story.
Daniel and Micah are a good couple and I see that they're supposed to be together, but I was just looking for more. More of everything. More depth to all the characters. I like the diversity and think the whole hockey background is great, but I just didn't fall in love or even in like with this book.
I received a free advanced copy from the author/ publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 7, 2021
3.5 stars
August 21, 2020
*** 2.5 Stars ***
There's absolutely nothing WRONG with this book, it just didn't catch my interest as much as I had hoped or as much as others in this series have. I am positive that other readers will enjoy it much more than I did.
There's absolutely nothing WRONG with this book, it just didn't catch my interest as much as I had hoped or as much as others in this series have. I am positive that other readers will enjoy it much more than I did.
July 15, 2020
For fans of the previous two books in Gale and Vaughn's hockey Hat Trick series, who expected strong push-pull of attraction and lots of hockey matches, will probably be disappointed with this latest installment.
In Trade Deadline, Atlanta Venom Captain, Daniel "Bellzie" Bellamy decide to move back to his hometown, and joins the last-position team in the NHL, Miami Thunder. So those close brotherhood of the Venom players are gone. Instead we have Daniel musing about what he wants to do next with his new team that apparently lacks of chemistry and motivation to win -- whether he should retire instead, after fourteen years of career in hockey.
While in the romance department, Daniel reunites with his childhood best friend, marine biologist Micah Kelly, who is now head animal researcher for rescue and rehab program in Biscayne Bay Aquarium... so it's quite an 'easy' friends-to-lovers relationship. Daniel and Micah acknowledge their first crushes and decide, mutually, to explore the romance now that they're adults.
The biggest conflict is probably with Micah's slight lack of confidence being the boyfriend of famous hockey player, winner of the Stanley Cup, and his not being a fan of both the sport or what comes with it. Oh,and Micah is also not big on long-distance relationship, if it comes to that.
So yes, it may be not as intense... but I, personally, LOVE it for exactly that reason. I love that Daniel and Micah quickly get their closeness back without any awkwardness. I also ADORE the positivity that this book has, in terms of Daniel's good relationship with his ex-wife, Tabby. Tabby is Daniel's best friend even if they're no longer married and in love with one another, and she is a big part of his life (as well as his cute kids).
It feels like a gentle blanket of comfort... and after several not-so-good books, I highly appreciate this story in my life. Plus, it has DOLPHIN 🐬. I mean, really! Silver the dolphin gets his own extra star rating
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
In Trade Deadline, Atlanta Venom Captain, Daniel "Bellzie" Bellamy decide to move back to his hometown, and joins the last-position team in the NHL, Miami Thunder. So those close brotherhood of the Venom players are gone. Instead we have Daniel musing about what he wants to do next with his new team that apparently lacks of chemistry and motivation to win -- whether he should retire instead, after fourteen years of career in hockey.
While in the romance department, Daniel reunites with his childhood best friend, marine biologist Micah Kelly, who is now head animal researcher for rescue and rehab program in Biscayne Bay Aquarium... so it's quite an 'easy' friends-to-lovers relationship. Daniel and Micah acknowledge their first crushes and decide, mutually, to explore the romance now that they're adults.
The biggest conflict is probably with Micah's slight lack of confidence being the boyfriend of famous hockey player, winner of the Stanley Cup, and his not being a fan of both the sport or what comes with it. Oh,and Micah is also not big on long-distance relationship, if it comes to that.
So yes, it may be not as intense... but I, personally, LOVE it for exactly that reason. I love that Daniel and Micah quickly get their closeness back without any awkwardness. I also ADORE the positivity that this book has, in terms of Daniel's good relationship with his ex-wife, Tabby. Tabby is Daniel's best friend even if they're no longer married and in love with one another, and she is a big part of his life (as well as his cute kids).
It feels like a gentle blanket of comfort... and after several not-so-good books, I highly appreciate this story in my life. Plus, it has DOLPHIN 🐬. I mean, really! Silver the dolphin gets his own extra star rating
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
January 3, 2021
I loved Daniel and Micah, but what I really liked was there's no big drama in this, and there's good communication. I loved Kirt's narration, and listened/read without stopping in a single day. This series has been fun to read and listen to, with great characters and plots, and 'Trade Deadline' is no exception. I loved the humor, heat, and the happy ending. Recommended.
July 20, 2022
By far the best book in the series
August 17, 2020
I love a good hockey story, and these authors make a great team in that regard. I’ve really enjoyed their stories thus far. Fitting that the hockey playoffs are finally taking place in real life which helps put me in the mood to read more of them in my off time. In this installment, we have Bellzie, whom we have met previously on the winning team Venom. He has decided a change is needed in his life and has taken on the challenge of helping his home town team in Miami, who has some serious team/winning issues. When he gets settled in, he is reunited with his childhood friend, Micah, who has followed his own dreams and become a marine animal caretaker with a focus on rehabilitation of the animals and education of the public.
Daniel is a divorced father of two who has an amazing relationship with his ex-wife. They realized they are better friends and remain so to this day providing a wonderful environment for their kids. Daniel had hoped to make a difference with his new team but finds it much more challenging than expected. He is not as young as he used to be, so although he is just coming off of a Stanley Cup win, his numbers are beginning to drop making him more likely to be traded (although he has a no-trade one year contract with the Venom)
When he and Micah reconnect, their friendship re-blossoms picking up right where they left off as kids. It is clear from the get go that they have great chemistry. There isn’t much angst in this story, other than some hesitation from Micah about the possibility of Daniel being traded and leaving him for hockey just as he did all those years ago. But aside from some internal musings on Micah’s side, there is little friction caused, as Daniel pretty much includes Micah in all of his decisions, thought processes, etc.
While this was a sweet and enjoyable story, it was not one of my favorites. It was missing something that I believe for me was the hockey and team interaction aspect. In the previous books, we had all of the other teammates chipping in (they do make appearances here, which was awesome), but with the exception of one player on the new team, I was hoping for a trade more than anyone involved. I loved how things turned out and the direction of Daniel’s life ended taking. It really was a perfect outcome, and while it was great all around for everyone involved, it felt lackluster to me. If you love guys with pets, this will be a win for you, as Daniel has a herd of rescue dogs, and Micah has a cat, and of course, Silver the dolphin. As with the previous books, I’m already looking forward to whatever these authors come up with next and hope we don’t have to wait too long to get it.
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
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