Cherry Picking

The Games We Play

by Rikki Leighton

RILEY

My last relationship couldn't survive the secrecy of being queer in the PHL.

Sure, the league isn't outright hostile to out players anymore, but you never know if a bad apple runs in your circle. From town to town and then team to team, you learn to hold those cards close to your chest.

That’s how I’ve lived the last thirty years of my life until Griffin Foster comes barreling in like the hotheaded goalie he is. He’s young, reckless, and makes me want a life I’ve never been convinced I can have.

He lights a fire under me to be a better player, to tackle the ghosts haunting my past. But when I push too hard and an old injury flares up, all that ambition goes up in flames.

Face to face with the love of my life, can I open myself up to give him what he deserves, or will I lose him for good?

GRIFFIN

I’ve always been out and proud and not willing to compromise for anyone—until I lock eyes with defenseman Riley Easton in the weight room mirror after being traded to the Hornets. One look and my resolve flies out the window.

What harm is a closet when you’ve got the flickering flame of a star-crossed passion to keep you company?

When Riley goes down on that ice and is given a career death sentence, there’s no pretending what we are is fun and indulgent anymore.

Riley has given me a home, not just with the team, but within himself, and I'm not willing to let that go.

I just need to convince him that we’re worth fighting for, even if the person he has to fight is himself.

Cherry Picking is an emotion-packed, teammates to lovers, secret relationship romance between a goalie who’s used to getting what he wants and a defenseman who won’t let himself believe he deserves it.

The Games We Playis a multi-author minor league hockey romance series. All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere.

Genres: Hockey, M M Romance, Sports, Romance, LGBT, Sports Romance, Forced Proximity

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2024

Reviews

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that remained interesting all the way through. Riley struggled with himself so much, making it really difficult for himself and it was really touching that Griff never gave up on them. It was painfully emotional a number of times. The hockey itself wasn't a focal point (which I like), more to give them a background and included some really enjoyable team mates. I am looking forward to Matty's story and hope that more of these characters will be written about too.

[bookgoddess96 · Rating 5 out of 5]

** You learn a lot about yourself and the world when you fall in love. When you keep that love buried until it grows thorns and poisoned leaves, and you’re forced to bleed out or cut yourself free.**

** He deserves my frustration. He deserves my desperation. He deserves for me to love him so hard his soul quivers beneath my fingertips.**

1st person POV
Dual POV
Roommates to lovers
Secret relationship
Teammates
Angsty

Wow. This book blew me away. I devoured it in a day. It’s a angsty read that deals with heartbreak, friendship, and a little bit of found family. It truly shows how love can conquer all and that love is worth fighting for. It shows that love is work but that it is worth it in the end. Riley and Griff have a very hard fought HEA. Riley is deeply closeted and dealing with the heartbreak of his last relationship. He has to learn to heal and learn to accept and love himself to be able to properly love Griff. Griff is out and proud, but has all the patience in the world as he waits for Riley to come to be ready to come out. Griff’s love for Riley is so wholesome, and he fights for their relationship so hard. He gives Riley the strength and courage to accept and love himself. This was such a good read and I highly recommend it.

[Alastair H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author for me and I'll definitely be reading more because I thought this was a low story full of authenticity and that real life love.

Griffin and Riley meet and fall into each other's lives like long lost soulmates. Their relationship is built on friendship and understanding and each step of their love story is soaked in romance. They do go through some troubles and there is angst in this one, but I feel it's overshadowed by the way the MCs care about each other. I liked it a lot, more of a realistic romance than other hockey books I've read. For sure recommend.

[Marian. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was crying almost the whole book while reading it? yes, did I like it? of course I did, it's just one of those books that you get so into reading that you feel the emotions of the characters and Riley and Griff did that for me, their story is not easy (the book is divided in four parts) from friends with benefits to having their happy ending they go through a lot but most of all internally, Riley was the character that hurt me a lot because of everything that was said, he didn't want to come out, but he also didn't want to lose Griff and his internal debate was what broke me all the entire book. Griff was everything Riley needed, and I liked that he was patient with him but also gave himself his place in the relationship. These two guys and their story was like a roller coaster but the good kind and let me tell you, all the way to their happy ending is completely worth the read.

📌 I received an e-copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

---

¿Estuve llorando casi todo el libro mientras lo leía? si, ¿me gusto? claro que si, es que es de esos libros que te metes tanto en la lectura que sientes las emociones de los personajes y Riley y Griff hicieron eso por mi, su historia no es fácil (el libro está dividido en cuatro partes) desde amigos con beneficios hasta tener su final feliz pasan por mucho pero mas que todo internamente, Riley fue el personaje que mas me dolió por todo lo que se decía, él no quería salir del armario, pero tampoco quería perder a Griff y su debate interno fue lo que más me quebró. Griff fue todo lo que Riley necesitaba, y me gusto que él fuera paciente con él pero que también se diera su puesto en la relación. Estos dos chicos y su historia fue como una montaña rusa pero de las buenas y déjenme decirles que todo el camino hasta su final feliz vale completamente la pena leerlo.

[Joanie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. I'm a sucker for emotional angst that sucks you into the book along with the characters. If you make me cry, you can go ahead and call it a win. I've read everything Rikki has published so far and have more than enjoyed all of them. This book is no exception.

I love Griff so much. He's your classic golden retriever energy MC, but with a fierce guard dog hidden inside. His love for Riley, the way he regularly put himself on the line, and ripped his heart open to show him how much he meant to him, was beautiful. I liked Riley as a character a lot as well... for the most part. The reasons for his need to remain closeted during their relationship, in the end, made at least enough sense to accept, but throughout the book it did feel somewhat hollow for the depth of his fear of coming out in general. It made it a bit harder to really connect with him emotionally during some of the harder scenes between them. However, I loved their relationship as a whole, and who they were together, and I loved how hard Riley worked to be able to come to Griff as the partner he deserved, while accepting the help from their families. Both blood and chosen.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and devoured it in a matter of hours, but that's nothing new for me when it comes to a Rikki Leighton book.

[Shyandmoodreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another spectacular addition to the Games We Play Series

Another great edition to the games we play series by multiple authors! This one author I've enjoyed before.

I've just finished this book and my mind is a mess (in the best of ways) so forgive me if my review is all over the place.
First of all, well done to Rikki, this is another great story in their cap! It was the perfect blend of sweet/spice and will they/won't they angst. The way Rikki broke it up into four parts made it seem like such an easier read as well, which I enjoy. Don't get me wrong I am queen of angst, but sometimes if it's too much it wears you down and you need little breaks in between. That's not the case with Cherry Picking. It's truly a beautiful read, and in my opinion worthy of 5 ⭐'s. I adored Riley and Griffin's story, and found myself rooting for them the entire step of the way. Plus who doesn't love a little secret hockey romance 😈.

The side characters were also so adorable! Uhm can we get some more Mash and Rory please?! 🥹😂 I can't even with those two. Plus Locke is the greatest best friend Griffin could have had, and I'm hopeful he'll get his own story in the future. Honestly? I'd read stories of them all! But the good news is that one side characters (who is actually a pretty big one in the scheme of this story's plot) are getting their own story soon by Rikki so I will definitely be devouring that as soon as it's out 😍.

If you've loved Rikki's other books, you won't be disappointed with this one! It's a great hurt/comfort, slight grumpy/sunshine vibes, hockey roommates, and secret romance all wrapped up in one deliciously epic story about two very round out characters.
I do wish there was some more back story talked about with Griffin, particularly showing the scenes where he tells Riley about exes in his past. It would have been nice to have Griffin explain why he was so insecure at times about things in their relationship, although I also think it suited his character. Griffin is one to live in the moment, easily to forgive and forget and just wants to live his life out and proud, with his friends and family. This lack of revelation didn't take away from the story at all, and it still had a very nice flow, that made reading it easy and seemingly quick. I'm just one who always wishes for more of my characters since I have a hard time leaving the world they inhabit once I've finished a book 😂🫣. All in all though, such a funny and heartwarming story, that I can't wait to read again soon, or learn more about the characters in the future. 🫶❤️

[S.B. Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cherry Picking follows Griff, a hotheaded goalie who has been traded a lot for not putting up with homophobia, and Riley, a defenseman traded down from a higher league because of a knee injury who has been closeted for his whole career and isn't looking to change that.

What worked for me:
-Rare romance novel following an established relationship and relationship troubles
-Very unusual structure which, for most of the book, kind of works? There's a big time jump towards the beginning I didn't care for but otherwise this book did some work emphasizing parts of the main couples relationship we never see in romance
-Supporting cast largely interesting
-Several minor trans characters whose lives and experiences seem super interesting

What worked less for me:
-In the first few chapters, I found Griffin pushy to the point of boundary-crossing, which made me very uncomfortable with him
-There are a few big time jumps which come with some downsides, such as missing the part where the couple actually agrees to be a couple. We're left in one scene with them agreeing to be friends with benefits and then on literally the next page they're together and it's two years later. This is maybe just bucking genre convention but for me it is also missing some big character moments, not just as a couple but individually too. At the start, Griffin has been traded thirteen times; after the first time jump he has been with the team for two years and is super committed both to the team and to Riley.
-Not great exposition. Some things about both characters I only know from the book's summary; some aspects of the universe they live and play in are never explained. For example: Riley being concerned about homophobia.
-Some things are just inconsistent, like Riley's concerns about coming out (his reasons for it change), Griff's status on the team (one week he's about to be traded, the next he's being called up to the big leagues).

All in all, imo this is a solid and interesting story which would have benefited a lot from editing and fleshing out more, possibly into two parts, one following the get-together story and the next following Riley's injury, retirement and identity issues. As is, a lot of things felt rushed and glossed over.

I received a free ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an emotional rollercoaster! Riley and Griffin deserve their happy ending and boy does it take them a bit to get there. The story starts with Griffin being traded to yet a new team. He’s used to it. It’s happened a dozen times before and is never surprised. But at least this time it brings him home and to his best friend. He hopes for the best on this new team and hopes even more that they can accept an out gay man. Luckily they do. But he doesn’t expect Riley. The D-Man who instantly captures Griffin’s attention. And the moment these guys meet, everything changes. Especially when they end up as roommates. Riley has been in the closet for a long time. There is just something in him that is too afraid to tell anyone his truth. Not even his family or teammates where he has seen they are accepting. So afraid to tell anyone, he lost his first boyfriend, Matty, and has never really gotten over the what ifs and that his fear cost him something good in his life. But Griffin wakes up a part of him that wants to take risk again. And so begins their secret relationship. Starting off as just hook ups but for the next two years is clearly something more. Though neither seem ready to say it or want to rock the boat. But things change when Riley is hurt on the ice again and this time his career looks like it is done. The two of them will have to face what they are together. Griffin knows what he wants. He loves Riley and will fight for him. Even when Riley won’t fight himself. And Riley. He has a lot of baggage to unpack and he knows if he doesn’t figure himself out, he could lose Griffin. The man he loves more than anything else. He wants to fight for him but can he figure out how? Oh man, like I said this was an emotional rollercoaster. You just wanna shake Riley to make him realize that everything he wants is right in front of him. That if he just lets go of the past, he can have a future. And Griffin is just so sweet and understanding but also a fighter. Because he won’t give up on Riley. Never. Adored these two even as they kept breaking and repairing my heart over and over! You definitely don’t want to miss this story from this series!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tara Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out proud and full of vinegar, Griffin Foster finds himself in the minor league in his hometown and doesn’t hate it. He plays the ice and plays the field and is happy with all of it. He is close to his best friend and ready to maybe settle since this is his thirteenth trade. Maybe this will be the next step to moving up to the next level. A stocky, bendy goalie with a lot of fire can be made into something special; maybe he can be that guy.

Riley is big and strong but soft inside and closeted, but he can’t help how he instantly feels that chemistry between his new goal tender and finds himself drawn to him in a way he hadn’t been since his ex, and that was the crux his ex there was something there that just didn’t repair, and it needed to be. If he doesn’t fix it, he will never move on to what could be amazing.

OPINION: Maybe I am just a sappy sort of person, but I love this emotional thing. I guess people might call it angst, but to me, it was so much love and emotion. But even with that, so much spice and friendship. I personally liked this book a lot; it always seems those I like a lot are not nearly the ones others like as much, but who knows? To me, this was great. These guys are such a fantastic pair of puck idiots going down a path of love, companionship, and friendship. It is a joy and a heartbreak seeing the patience and unconditional support that Griffin offers his everything; even with his nudges and his heartache, he is there, loyal, hurt, but there. This is emotional, with some sparks of humor and some great side characters; I felt the dynamics and story were heartfelt and loved it. Read it… You will cry… So get those tissues.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always up for a good hockey story. Wasn’t too sure about this one at first, but it didn’t take long to suck me in. Griff is traded to a team back in his hometown after being traded fairly regularly for the bulk of his career. This time feels like a last chance that he needs to make work. He has no intention of hooking up with any of his teammates, but he and Riley seem to hit it off right from the get go.

It quickly becomes clear that Riley is heavily closeted but since Griff has no intention of having an actual relationship, he decides that having some fun with Riley while they are conveniently roommates will work out for both of them.

The bulk of this story is their growing relationship and the struggles Riley has with getting over his past relationship and the coming out issue. Griff remains extremely understanding and patient with Riley, but when an injury takes Riley out of the game, it seems their relationship dynamic will be forced to change.

It takes quite a bit of soul searching and a very patient and persistent Griff for things to eventually come together for these guys. While Riley’s issues seemed to take a front seat more often than not, the story actually moves along at a pretty good clip and I was fully invested to the end.

Some of the hockey aspects were a little unrealistic but that didn’t take away from the story too much for me. I enjoyed it and wouldn’t hesitate to give this author another try in the future.

Review written for Love Bytes Reviews

[Ashley -Goldstarreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was sweet and the two men absolutely adorable. I loved Griff. He is sweet, cute, passionate, loving and energetic. He brings a lot to the table. I loved his out and proud attitude and his flirtatious nature. He’s a goalie that is moved around a lot due to his temper on the ice. He doesn’t back down or take anyone’s crap. His 13th team is the Hornets, where he meets Riley, a defenseman that has a shy blush on a big, muscly man. Riley is in the closet pretty deep. And the problem is, we never understand why. Riley doesn’t understand either. His family is open and accepting. I could see being scared for hockey but then he gets to see how people treat Griffin. Riley is cute and shy, very sweet and has a good heart but something holds him back. We start this story when they first meet and we get a few chapters of them starting their thing but then it jumps forward 2 years. We miss them exploring, we miss them falling for each other. By the time it picks up, it’s clear they both have strong feelings for each other even if they hadn’t confessed it yet. A lot of details are missing in this story. There’s a lot of angst over Riley being in the closet and them being a secret. Of Riley needing to move on from Matty. For me, there’s just a lot of missed opportunities of showing us their love story. There’s not a lot of heat. Griff is the perfect boyfriend, secret or open. Riley has to overcome a lot, he struggles a lot. And I felt like I didn’t ever understand why. I enjoyed reading the story, they are both sweet and adorable.

[Mikaela (risqué.romance) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherry Picking by Rikki Leighton
5/5 ✨🌟

* * * SPOILERS * *
This book was super sweet and just so emotional. Griffin and Riley were everything and everything else above all. I’ve never read a book where a m/m was just so sweet and affectionate like these two were.

From the moment they laid eyes on one another, I knew they were going to be adorable. From the sweet kisses to the hugs and just their conversations, I was all in. Don’t get me started on the emotional spicy scenes because it was so well written!

Riley was so closeted to an extent I never knew was possible to let himself fall in love. He was so scared to be open and when he finally came out to his friends, teammates and his family, I thought he was good. I was so wrong. When he finally had that conversation with Matty, he was able to finally open up to Griff.

I only wanted more of these two and Riley’s parents and his brother were so kind to Griff. I love how his parents adopted Griff in a way and his sister. God, this story was perfect. I cannot say it enough. The way that Parker found out his brother was gay was very, interesting.

I love how Griffin was able to show Riley that he deserves everything even when Riley is struggling to see that he does.

I really love the side characters and Rory is probably my new favorite. I need a book for him because he’s just so sweet and fun. Rikki Leighton is a new favorite author of mine that I only want more of.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of the multi-author 10 book series called The Games We Play. This is the story of Griffin Foster and Riley Easton. The two meet when Griffin is traded to the Chattanooga Hornets as their new goaltender. Griffin is an openly gay man who does not tolerate homophobic chirping on the ice. Usually his temper results in his team getting penalties. That is good way to get traded. Griffin is on his 13th team. Hopefully this is the one that works out. He is happy to be back home and near his best friend Locke. Riley is a defenseman who is nearing his twilight years for being able to play. While not out, Riley is deeply engrained into his closet. A previous love relationship that ended badly has soured him and he has not gotten fully over it. Since Griffin needs to find a place to live, Riley offers him his spare bedroom. His previous roommate is gone and he wouldn't mind having some company. There is definitely some angst in this book. There are big ups and downs. While Griffin is prepared to give Riley as much time as he needs, it isn't enough. Riley has to learn to forgive and love himself before he can love someone else. This is their story. The book is well written and easy to read. I really enjoyed it.

I received a complementary advanced review copy of the book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was all over the place from the get-go, and I gave up trying to care about the MCs by about 30% through. The story felt like spaghetti thrown against the wall, and my review is going to be just as scattered, I'm afraid. Let's see...

- I love hockey romance. I want my hockey romance to have plenty of hockey in it and seem like the author understands hockey better than I do (not a high bar). This didn't achieve that.
- So many time gaps/jumps! Some authors can make that work. In this case, it felt like most of the interesting story happened off page. That left me not understanding why Griffin was putting up with Riley's nonsense—and even to the end, I didn't understand why Riley (with his ultrasupportive family) had been so closeted to begin with.
- I did appreciate the positive trans rep (with the caveat that I'm cis, so it's possible there were errors/problems I didn't notice).
- I try not to fuss too much over punctuation, word errors, etc. in an ARC, because it's possible they'll be corrected before publication (though now I see this book has already been published... eek). But omg so many errors!
- A few of the supporting characters seemed potentially interesting, but not enough that I'd pick up another of this author's books.

Overall, this was a disappointment.

My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for an advance copy of this book.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard Fought Love

This is the third novel I've read from Rikki and there is always a hard fought path to that HEA but also something so sweet about it that just pours from the pages.

Griffin and Riley's story is angsty as it deals with heartbreak, friendship, a smidgen of found family, and a love that can conquer all and is worth for fighting for. I love Griff's sweet, passionate, and energetic personality. He is out and proud and extremely flirtatious. It's an instant connection for him to Riley's shy blush and big muscly body, yet he is deeply closeted.

Riley has a very supportive family & team and though it's never fully explained why he feels he needs to stay in the closet, Griff is the perfect boyfriend, in secret or open. Riley does struggle over actions taken in a past relationship and it causes strife between them.

The story spans a couple of years and we don't get the full story of how Griff became comfortable enough to be in a closeted relationship or how he & Riley became so close and that was something I was sad to have skipped over. Griff loves Riley but eventually the secrecy does take its toll and Griff longs to tell people of his love for Riley. The path is hard and almost ends them but they fight for their relationship and Riley finally learns to love himself enough to fully love Griff the way he needs and it's a beautiful ending!!

[Traci S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book was a long and emotional ride! I didn’t love all the place it went, but it was compelling all the way through. Riley’s fear of coming out has already cost him one love, his ex Matty. He’s coming very close over the course of their journey of losing Griffin as well. Griffin is admirably steadfast and unbelievably patient through the course of their up and down relationship. Honestly, there were times I wanted better for him than this kind of half relationship he sustains with Riley. Griffin is very stubborn though, and keeps trying to be what Riley needs - but Matty’s always a cloud hanging over their relationship. Personally, it’s more angst than I prefer in a relationship, but it’s also beautifully written and both the main and side characters are exceptional. Parker, Riley’s younger and wise beyond his years brother was my favorite- I loved his role in this. Matty, a roadblock through no fault of his own, was another highlight, I love a supportive ex. The push/pull, on/off of their relationship wasn’t my favorite, and I would have liked more from the epilogue, but I definitely can’t fault the skill of the writing or the power of the author’s storytelling. I came to love these complex, flawed, and frustrating characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Julia Toth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ☆ rounded up to 5

This was my first Rikki Leighton book and it did not disappoint!
Riley and Griffin are so good together. I loved how Griffin never gave up and was so steadfast in his feelings, how he was there for Riley and let him talk about his past relationship that was still weighing on him. Oh and that ex? Not the usual type of ex we read of. He's the type you root for and want him to get his own HEA.
Both main characters had their own issues that they had to work through, and I would have liked to see a bit more of them working on their issues.
It was an easy and quick read and it was also beautifully written. I had tears in my eyes multiple times while reading it.
I feel like the main characters really complemented each other and were really cute. I also loved the found family vibes at the hockey team.
The time jump was unexpected and I feel like we missed out on things with that, but it was also obvious that this was the part of their relationship that we really needed to see.
At times this book can be really emotional but it is really worth it!
Definitely not my last Rikki Leighton book and I'm also curious about Rory and Mashburn 👀

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit frustrating

This is a hockey romance with hardly any hockey in it. Both MCs were hockey players and there are some scenes with their teammates and a few glimpses of games, but it could have been any sport or even any other job.
I enjoyed the beginning of their friendship then their romance, and they were a lovely couple with a lot of love and affection and passion between them.
I loved Griff but Riley was such hard work. He was deeply in the closet and that's okay, of course, but Griff is his second serious relationship. He gave both his first love and Griff false hope, going so far as to have his hand on the door handle and then shy away at the last minute, and that grew very wearing, especially after his family and their team mates were all completely supportive and immediately accepting once they knew.
The supporting characters were very good. Rory and Mash cracked me up and I desperately need to read their story. Hawkes deserves love too. Riley's mum and dad were good and his younger brother was marvellous.
I'm looking forward to Roleplay at Randy's, the story of Riley's ex.

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two hockey players meet in a locker room after having very different journeys in their respective careers. For Griffin, who has been out and proud, there have been many moves from team to team because he is protective and not afraid to scrap. He is also okay with who he is and who he loves. He is staying with a good friend who wants him to stick around for awhile. Meeting Riley gave Griffin the feeling that he is in the presence of someone he would want to stick around for. The problem was that Riley was not out of the closet and to be together Griffin would need to compromise. This one was full of angst as they have to work their way through a lot of hard decisions on their way to winding up together. But there was no doubt that there was real love between this pair and that in addition to what was difficult for each of them was something that each of them really wanted to fight for. 4.5 hard won stars for a story that made me feel for them in addition to rooting for them to make it.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

🔹hockey

🔹age gap (5 years)

🔹idiots in love

🔹friends to lovers

🔹teammates

🔹roommates

🔹lingerie

🔹secret romance

🔹coming out

🔹third act breakup

🔥🔥/🔥

I wish Griffin was able to realize earlier than 80% of the book that he was worth more than Riley’s inability to say I love you freely and I want to come out for you but I don’t know why I can’t. Griff acknowledged that he was jealous of a ghost of the past which I think was the catalyst for what Riley really needed to move on… I respect Riley for needing closure from Matty because he was able to realize that maybe he and Matty were just each other’s security blanket, they became a safe place for one another and by the end, had fallen out of love… and were they really ever even IN LOVE with each other? Riley was holding onto the past because of regret, what he couldn’t do or be for Matty. I realize that was the resolution. He would always love Matty but he could “now go love someone else more.” It was just hard to see Griffin in it from the get go and he was willing to lose part of himself for Riley and Riley (even though he made more attempts for Griffin by coming out to the team and his family) was willing to let it happen again. All in all, the last 20% was real growth on both MC’s parts.

[Aethena Drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some aspects of this story. Others, I found frustrating. Griffin was an interesting character, but I wish he had more development. Riley was ultimately the main character of the story, but I didn't like him. He kept putting other people in difficult situations because he couldn't handle his own emotions. He doesn't seem to have a viable reason for not being able to deal with his issues. He just plays the avoidance card. Yeah, we all need to deal with personal issues in our own time, but willfully ignoring those issues when you are actively causing other people distress seems a bit self-centered. I am not a fan of that type of main character.

The story had plenty of steamy scenes, and the romance was in constant development throughout the story. The book had some interesting points and the resolution was good. I wasn't entirely satisfied with how some of the conflicts developed, but I might have been taking Riley's behavior a bit too personally.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this story a powerful read—so many different emotions. Riley is deeply in the closet and even left a relationship. Now, he’s dealing with the aftereffects. Then you have Griff, the solid rock of patients. They started this relationship two years ago, from roommates and friends to secret lovers. As time goes on, Griff’s emotions are getting more robust, and Riley is still in the closet. Who’s going to give?
They both have a great support network from teammates, coaches, and family to lean on.

Love takes work, and we all know the saying, “You have to love yourself before you can love others.” Griff wouldn’t give up his love, and he held steady until Riley could find himself and let go of the demons in his past. These 2 make a great couple, and I highly recommend reading this book.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Monica

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Rikki Leighton book, and book 5 in The Games We Play multi-author MM hockey romance series. Because I love many of the authors in the series, and had read books 1-3 already, I was excited to read Griffen and Riley's story. The book was surprisingly lengthy, not a novella or short full-length book, and at times read very quickly. There were a lot of typos and incorrect turns of phrase, which did prove annoying at times, but overall, I wanted to keep reading to see how things turned out. If this weren't in a series, I might not have read it, and I'm not sure if I'll read another book by Leighton, but I did find myself caring about the main characters and rooting for them. 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Tünde Kasza tóth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the dirtiest sweet thing I've ever read. Or the sweetest dirty thing?

While I really disliked most of the books in this series, it was worth it just because of this book. Griffin is one of the best characters ever. I think that's how people should be. And I also think this was a great example of a relationship. No deus ex machina to solve all their problems with a snap of fingers. They had to fight, overcome their issues, their past.

None of the main characters were perfect. Even if I like Riley less than Griffin they were both real life people with three dimensional characters and real issues. Some of the secondary characters also had a lot of life in them.

I'm glad I found this author. I'm gonna check out their other books. I'm hope Rory has his own book.

[Fedora · Rating 4 out of 5]

CHERRY PICKING by Rikki Leighton is part of the multi-author Games We Play hockey universe. Goalie Griffin Foster is traded to the Hornets, where defenseman Riley Easton is a veteran player. The out and proud Griffin and closeted Riley become friends then quietly more.

Rikki Leighton writes Riley’s struggles compassionately, as he struggles with his feelings and fears, knowing that he’s the one keeping him and them from something more. Leighton’s characterizations ring true, from Griff and Riley’s portrayals to their families, supportive friends, and range of personalities on their team.

An interesting and compelling read, as Riley and Griffin truly grapple to find their way to their hard-fought HEA.

[Deb Kel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So apparently this is in a multi author sports themed series but I haven't read any others in this series but received a free arc copy so thought I'd give it a go! I am so glad I did. I was completely enthralled from the beginning and absolutely loved the characters and the fact that actually not a lot of sport, it was all about them! I really felt for Riley who had so much internal struggle to come out of the closet, but Griff was perfect for him and his tenacity kept him from never giving up on their relationship. So emotional and yet heart warming. Great read.
I received a free arc copy from GRR and this is my honest review.

[Sharing The Book Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read with Griff and Riley.

It's definitely slow paced and full of emotional and angsty moments.

I love Griff and his brightness but it seemed a bit dimmed by Riley's hmm scaredness? I'm still not 100% sure what was stopping Riley from being so open..other than maybe the hurt from a past love? It was sort of explained at the end but not really..this is why I didn't give the book 5 stars...it felt not quite completed.

I love the team and the comradry and friendship between them. Parkers communication with his older brother is def teen vibes LOL

[Heather MMRomanceReviewed]

I had a hard time getting into this story, but I'm glad I persevered and by the end, I found myself invested in Griff and Riley's HEA, although I still felt like pieces were missing. I wanted more communication and less running away - it seemed like they were growing apart rather than together through the middle of the book, and some of that didn't resolve itself before the end.. to be fair, there was a lot of change happening, but it felt disjointed.

I am looking forward to Mattie's book though...

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sports always provides an interesting setting to explore relationships where age is a factor in one player being in the closet because of the times he grew up in and the other feeling empowered to live openly because of growing up in more open times. Here, Riley and Griffin face their attraction honestly but initially Riley is unwilling to come out and Griffin agrees to their secret. A devastating injury forces some serious reevaluation for both of them and the author does a wonderful job of showing us the negotiations, decisions and self-reflection these two have to undergo to be together.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A heart-aching, heartwarming love story between Griff and Riley, two hockey stars who fight their way through Griff's troubled rep and Riley's grieving and poor self-worth to a sweet HEA. I was totally invested in their stories, and fell in love with Griff's twin and Riley's little brother while I was at it. And Riley's mom is a hoot! Well worth the read. My only complaint is the inexplicably careless editing/proofreading which was distracting and took me out of the story sometimes.