Rookie Recovery

Bobcat Boys #1

by Lex Easton, Jemma Croft

Jamie Sullivan does not date hockey players. As the PT for the Bringham Bobcats, he knows they're loud, cocky, and more trouble than they’re worth. Not to mention painful reminders of the career ripped from his grasp a decade ago—a past he’s desperate to leave behind. All he needs to do is finish his business course and open his own practice to be free of hockey forever. It’s all going according to plan, until a dirty-mouthed young hotshot who won't take no for an answer waltzes into his office, and Jamie’s forced to reconsider whether he’s ready to give up on the game.

They call him a rising star, so why does Archie Bowman still feel like a rookie? Maybe it’s the number of times he’s been traded in his short career. Maybe it’s the homesickness for the family, biscuits, and rugby he left behind in Britain. Or maybe it’s how, despite everyone else buying his cocky act, he still isn’t sure he belongs in the big leagues.

When an old shoulder injury resurfaces a few weeks before the season starts, Bowie's dream is at stake, and Jamie is just the doc to help him get it back. That is, if their blossoming relationship doesn't cloud their judgment ...

Tropes
* Age gap
* Grumpy sunshine
* Spicy
* Lots of humor
* Brit & American

Genres: M M Romance, Hockey, Sports, Romance, Sports Romance, LGBT, Contemporary

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2024

Reviews

[Snjez]

dnf @26%

I was ready to give up earlier than this, but I wanted to give it another chance.

Ultimately, the authors' writing isn't working for me. I find the characters very underdeveloped and 99% of their conversations consist of Bowie sexually harrassing Jamie, and Jamie drooling after Bowie, just in a more subtle way. Not my idea of slow burn.

A couple more things: Jamie's obsession with his 'old age' is annoying (one of the reasons I don't prefer age-gap romances), and Katie is the obnoxious best friend who has no boundaries when it comes to Jamie's sex life.

And don't get me started on American vs. English. I usually love that aspect in a story, but the authors managed to ruin even that.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~]

DNF @32%

I couldn't take it anymore.

There's so much telling and monologuing, I could skip twenty pages and not miss a thing.

Bowie, the rookie, begins sexually harassing Jamie, the team's physical therapist, from day 1, propositioning him and inventing injuries to get massages.

Imagine if Jamie were a woman. NOPE. Gross and completely out of line.

I'll never understand how readers can excuse sexual harassment perpetrated against men. The reasoning "we know he wants it" is disgusting and incredibly problematic.

On top of that, the players (the few mentioned are obnoxiously set up as future MCs) are so open about all things gay, it's like the author wrote an alternate reality because it sure as hell didn't feel like pro hockey. (I'm assuming it's pro, but there's no mention of what league the Bobcats are in.)

Ignorant stereotypes about America abound. I'm not particularly patriotic, but be real.

Rant over. No rating.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

The rampant sexual harassment in the workplace certainly wouldn’t fly in an M/F romance book, and it shouldn’t be okay just because there’s two men either. It's super problematic that it's being excused on the basis of 'he wants it'. The other character doesn't know that. He's just harassing his physical therapist for weeks. He even makes the physio MC nearly touch his hard dick during treatment he doesn’t actually need, just to trick him into putting his hands near his crotch. I know it’s not supposed to be that serious, and these guys are into each other, but that doesn’t make it okay and it made me super uncomfortable. This aspect never should have made it to the page, let alone get past alpha readers, beta readers, and I'm assuming multiple editors.

ALSO, to whom it may concern: handjobs and blowjobs are sex. I lost count of how many times one of the MCs said he hadn’t had sex in years, but had in fact both given and received both oral and handjobs several times. Sex isn’t exclusively penetration, and if I'm being extra about it, it's exclusive and offensive to say that it is.

There were some moments in there that kept me reading even when I kept complaining about all the shit annoying me, and kept me from giving up, hoping it would get better. Chief annoyance of them all; how the entire main conflict was severely contrived. Spoiler warning:

You can probably count on one hand how many times an NHL player has been traded while on injured reserved. It just doesn’t happen, AND it was a relatively minor injury and was blown way tf outta proportion. Most of the plot revolves around this thing that should be a non-issue. Just get the physical therapy and get back to playing when you can. I don’t even know what league this book was based on, but they mentioned the NHL. The regular season is literally 82 games. Stop freaking out about missing the preseason. Also, why are you so angry at your physical therapist for doing his goddamn job? I swear the British guy spent half the book throwing a tantrum, and not in a remotely cute way, unfortunately. The physical therapist also spends the first half being the 'uptight, rule-following professional', and then spends the second half breaking all the rules.

There was some good tension, but I had a hard time getting past the unrealistic plot and the awful sexual harassment. Oh, and it’s really long.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Hockey player
Team physio
Size difference
Age gap
Former professional hockey player
British MC/american MC
Clean-cut-but-secretly-tattooed MC
Slow burn
Outdoor shenanigans

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Drinking to deal with emotional problems
Partying and binge-drinking (SCe and MCs, on page)
Vomiting
Sexual harassment (between MCs)
MC calls other MC ‘kid’ a lot
Explicit sexual content

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Kinda, but they don’t talk for a few days.
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Sports romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 25 and 37
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 374
Happy ending: Yes


How was it possible to want to grab someone by the scruff of the neck and hurl them bodily from the room—and kiss them at the same time? I should not want the latter.



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rookie Recovery is book one of the brand new series, Bobcat Boys, co-authored by Lex Veia and Jemma Croft. This is a MM, hockey, age gap (twelve years) romance that I can guarantee will make you smile so much, swoon, and sigh. It was such a fun read.



Dr. James ‘Jamie’ Sullivan is thirty seven years old and is a physical therapist currently working for the Bringham Bobcats. Jamie lives his life with strict control. He rarely drinks, wears long sleeved button down shirts to always look professional, and keeps his home in pristine order. Jamie had a sky rocketing career playing hockey ten years prior but it was taken from him with a career ending injury. Now Jamie is trying to complete a business course so he can open his own practice and stop working for the team. He wants more distance between him and the sport. It’s too painful. But all the control he practices daily is pushed right out the door when a new team member arrives in town. As soon as their eyes connected, his life was turned upside down.



Archie ‘Bowie’ Bowman is twenty five years old and is just about the hottest thing there is on the ice. So why does he keep getting traded? Archie protects himself by projecting a constant cocky attitude, always the life of the party. But inside, he’s not like that at all. He misses home, his huge family. He wants desperately to belong to a team, really belong, and to find love. It just never seems to work out.



The attraction, the chemistry between these two is off the scales. But Jamie fights it every single day. Even though Archie makes it as difficult for him as he possibly can. At first, I think Archie just wanted a hook up. Something casual. But the more time these two spend together, the more their connection grows. And spend time together they do because Jamie uncovers a lingering injury which benches Archie.



First, the antics of Archie to gain the attention of Jamie are so hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times. But I also fell so in love with these two as I got to know the real person inside, what motivated them, their histories. It’s a bit of a slow burn, it takes them awhile to finally give in. But let me assure you, when they do, it’s worth the wait.

I’m so glad I decided to listen to my friend and pick this book up. It was just so sweet and fun and sexy. And I loved getting to know the rest of the team as well. Now I can’t wait for more with this series.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so funny!! I love all the English humour although I haven't heard anyone say minging since I finished secondary school 20 years ago 😂

I really enjoyed Archie and Jamie's story, and I liked almost every side character but Katie annoyed me so much. I'm never a fan of the overbearing, pushy female friend character unfortunately.

I swear I was wheezing from laughing so hard at the trolley museum - I don't think I'll look at a trolley again without giggling 😂😂😂😂😂

I would have liked to see them meeting each other's families though, but I'm intrigued for more books to come with the other characters, especially Zac and Aaron.

My only other gripe is Archie being referred to as British not English. It's a personal preference thing but I think it sucks that you can't identify as English unless it's about sports like football and rugby! If you live in Scotland you say you're Scottish with no judgement, same for Wales and Welsh, Northern Ireland and Northern Irish.... It's just always something that bugs me because it's about your identity and you're English first and foremost. I actually don't know anyone who identifies as British...

*****
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

“Please don’t make this weird.” Jamie lifted my leg up and pulled it out laterally. “Oh, Kitty,” I said. “It’s already weird.”
“Yep.” He breathed out a tremendous sigh before pushing my knee up to my chest. “Yes, it is.”

Rookie Recovery was a sweet and fun read. I love chaotic, ‘always say whatever is on their mind’ characters, and Archie was just that. Flirty and cocky, but really using the attitude as a shield, ‘cause he’s still insecure and looking for the perfect place to call home.

I enjoyed their banter, the cute dates (but of course Jamie isn’t calling them that), the adorable pet names.
The angst was minimal, the only emotions this read provoked was tranquillity and serenity.

It doesn’t really stand out in the sea of MM hockey romances, but it was still enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Hockey player vs PT
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Slight age gap (37 & 24?)
- MC w/ tattoos
- British MC
- Strict top/bottom
- Public sex
- Mild edging

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.75 Stars

Two reasons I cried for this book.

Let's start with the positive one; The cover is so cute and sweet that it gave me a toothache and that lead to crying.
The not so positive one is that the book was not good, I wanted to dnf it many times, but I hate dnf-ing books that's why I ''tortured'' myself by finishing it entirely, which was the reason for my crying. 🙃

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25**** stars


Jamie used to play pro for the Boston Bears and I’m instantly like… Ilya. 🫠 (they could’ve been teammates *lol)


There was so so much for me to love about this book but why the heck didn’t I realize earlier that this was slow-burn (it says it in the title ffs)? Man, the unresolved sexual tension was freaking. Killing. Me! Yeah, yeah, I wished it had been smuttier, the potential def was there. But well, I still enjoyed the hell out of this book.

“I’m going to check your groin now.” He paused. “Please don’t make this weird.”

Back to what I loved mostly about this book. There were two things that stand out to me looking back. First, because I’m a sucker for drama, I looooved their conflict in that last part that almost led to them breaking up. And second, this is not the first book where one of the main characters had to leave his dream of pro hockey behind and struggled hard with it. But it is the first book where my wish came true and the other mc brings them back on the ice after they avoided it for ages. I looooooved seeing them skate together.


Definitely recommend and looking forward to the other two upcoming books in this series. I hope for Rowan next, because I’m much more into the rivals-to-lovers trope than the friends-to-lovers which we’ll get with Aaron and Zac.

[Drache.... (Angelika)]

Edited 20.05.2024
Dani(ela) 's review made me think deeper about Bowie's behaviour in the first half of the book. I hadn't liked it, but Dani(ela) is right, it was sexual harassment how he interacted with Jamie, NOT knowing what Jamie felt/thougt. Just because the reader knows what Jamie thought didn't make Bowie's actions right.
Consequently I'm going to delete my previous rating.
--------------
Read 05/2024
My thoughts in bullet points:
-the age gap (Bowie 25 and Jamie 37 years old) and the grumpy - sunshine tropes were executed beautifully, never OTT or in an aggravating way.
-this was by no means perfect (maaany repetive inner thoughts), but I don't care, I had fun!
-this was kinda slow burn, yay!!
-there was lots of longing and resisting the mutual attraction, the chemistry was sizzling, and Jamie and Bowie actually got to know each other while Jamie didn’t want anything physical happening between them.
-no kiss until nearly 50% and then no immediate sex fest, I was so there for that plot!
-there were sex scenes and I enjoyed them, but the focus wasn't on sex.
-I loved how both Bowie and Jamie were all in, once they didn't resist their attraction anymore (well, once Jamie was on the same page as Bowie).
-the beginning of the book was the weakest part, it got better and better.

Overall delightful, I had a great time reading it.

[Lily Loves 📚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edited 5/20/24

After thinking about the book I thought of how far Bowie went in sexually harassing Jamie at work. It wasn’t cute and I first overlooked it and focused on the rest of the story. Thinking about it now though, I was uncomfortable and it was completely inappropriate. I wish the author had the flirting happen differently and not to the point where Jamie was uncomfortable being forced to give Bowie massages.

__________________________________________________
This was a sweet book with two wonderful characters that fit each other so well! I’m a sucker for hockey romance and this put a different spin on this trope with Jamie Sullivan being an ex player who is now a PT for the team that Archie Bowman is traded to.

Bowie/Archie was so adorable! Calling Jamie “Kitty” (gotta love the Monsters Inc reference)! I love that he’s British, I have no idea if I’ve ever read a book with a British hockey player. He was described as cocky and he used that persona to fit in but I didn’t get the cocky vibe from him at all. He wants Jamie from the moment he meets him and he focuses solely on him. I also loved his family, even though we only see him talking to his mum. I felt like I knew his brothers and the cat through him though.

Jamie was very rigid and for good cause. He lost out on his dream of playing hockey because of a knee injury and he wants to be a better doctor for this team so this doesn’t happen to these players. He tries to fend off Bowie’s advances but he wants him just as much. I loved that he found a balance and way to get back to his first love, hockey, but also put himself out there to find true love with Bowie.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Katie, who is Jamie’s friend. She just seemed overbearing but luckily she’s not in the story too much.

ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeously feisty Brit and an American wet-dream walk into a bar...

And while neither of them end of being the butt of the joke, there's still plenty of laughs and plenty of butts *wink wink*.

I had so much fun reading this! I loved how the story was a slow burn but still, somehow, hits the ground running. "Somehow" being the fact that Bowie is the most ostentatious flirt to ever exist. His character is only made better by the fact that, while he comes off as arrogant and cocky, he's actually a sweet little softie boi with imposter syndrome who just wants to be wanted. And WHO BETTER to want him that the fucking 6'4" tattooed Adonis that is Dr. James Sullivan PT, DPT (excuse me, just wiping the drool off my chin).

The banter between these two was absolutely DELECTABLE! Oftentimes, I find myself wanting or wishing that books had more casual dialogue between the MCs; just them talking and having fun. And this book has it in spades! There was something so pleasantly domestic about the way they spoke with one another, it had me grinning like a loon. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE GROIN EXAM OR THE TROLLEY MUSEUM. Nothing in life is funnier than desperately trying to keep your composure when you want to laugh.

It was just so CUTE. If the book had cheeks, I'd pinch the shit outta them. The nicknames, the dates, the banter, the foreigner-confused-by-all-things-American thing, the DOG!?! UGH, ADORABLE. The cheese had me cheesin'. So cheesy that, if you're lactose intolerant, I highly recommend taking a Lactaid supplement before reading. I will say that the cheesiness borders on cringey at times, especially after they get together, but I'm not super mad at it. And at that point, I had already jumped on the bandwagon trolley, so *shrug*.

Aside from the cheese pizza with extra, extra cheese, the only thing I need to point out is WOW, was this book LONG. Somehow I both loved and hated it? I obviously love that we get more adorable moments and face time with the boys but wooooooooboy, this one is a marathon, not a sprint.

In summary, this book has left me horny as hell and unable to look at a shopping cart the same way ever again.

✧While I received a free e-arc from GRR, all thoughts are my own.✧

[Mx. T *Chaotic Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute story! Grumpy-sunshine goodness, age gap, slow burn but make it steamy... A determined Brit athlete with self-esteem issues and sass galore and a serious US PT with a penchant for denying his feelings and an inability to say no to said athlete.

I loved how their relationship developed little by little: even when Archie was open about his attraction to Kitty and they had plenty of opportunities to hook up, they got to know each other first and they developed feelings before almost anything happened between them. Which is super refreshing in this world of hooking up first, then getting to know each other after. This doesn't mean they weren't 🔥🔥🔥 together, because they truly were.

Archie/Bowie has a mask with which he presents himself to the world -fake it till you make it- and it was endearing to watch Jaime get glimpses of the soft man beneath it. And Jamie has built a wall around himself to keep his feelings under key and lock, but Archie won't be stopped until he tears it all down.

Their interaction were funny and cute and real. The Trolley Museum was hilarious. And Jamie was so thoughtful towards Archie missing his life in the UK 🥹.

Their relationship makes them both change and evolve and become better, and isn't that what good relationships should be? *sighs dreamily*

This story was so wholesome!

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort, age gap
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 2.5/5
Kinks: sex in risky places
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: sports injuries, Archie sexually harasses Jamie at work like a dog with a bone (FYI, Jamie secretly likes it, and Archie is self aware that sexual harassment is bad), professional power imbalance
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: neither of them are interested in or hookup with anyone else during the book. Before they get together they consider finding a hookup but they are too hung up on each other.

4 stars

Jamie is 37. He played hockey ever since he was a child and he was in the NHL for about 6 years. Then he didn't properly treat a knee injury, he played through it when he shouldn't have and reinjured it so bad that he had to retire from hockey. He hasn't played hockey in about 10 years. After hockey, he went to school for physiotherapy and is now a physiotherapist for an NHL hockey team. He wants to open his own business and leave hockey behind, because it hurts him too much, because of his crushed dreams. He's doing studies part-time to get extra certification. He is a grumpy, antisocial guy who doesn't date and is very professional at work, and has a friend who is doing her best to pull him out of his shell.

Archie is 25. He's an up-and-coming star NHL player, who is really a prodigy because he only really started playing hockey in college, but he hasn't found his place yet and he feels insecure, like he has to put on a mask and be someone else and impress people so they will want to keep him. He's really good but he's been traded multiple times. He has just been traded to the team that Jamie works for. The moment Archie spots Jamie, he's enamored with him. It isn't instalove (I think it took to 70% for Archie to realize he was in love) but it is instalust and it quickly turns into an obsession. Archie is out and unabashedly flirts with Jamie, making excuses to see him. It really is sexual harassment but neither of them are mad about it. There is a lot of humor as Jamie fights against his attraction to Archie and Archie just dangles himself in front of Jamie like a tempting carrot.

Archie has a shoulder injury that he's been hiding because he doesn't want to jeopardize his place with the team. Jamie picks up on it, diagnosis a torn rotator cuff, and insists that he be benched while he gets it treated and recovers. They spend more time together, and they give in to their attraction and start sliding into boyfriend territory because they genuinely like each other and are really well matched. But Archie is eager to get back on the ice and Jamie is hesitant from a professional and personal perspective because of his experiences. And Archie gets mad end upset about being held back. So there's conflict around that.

I thought this was a really good book. There were a lot of moments that had me smiling and laughing. Archie's personality was adorable. I loved how energetic he was, how persistent he was in pursuing Jamie, how he nicknamed Jamie Kitty, and all the British/American Mix-Ups. This was a very low angst relationship.

One thing that lost points with me was during one of their sex scenes, Jamie kept narrating what he was doing to Archie, he literally was saying now I'm going to do this, now I'm going to do that, four times during one hookup. And I was like you don't need to tell me just do it. It was cringe.


Some notable moments:

I kind of love this level of brattiness and wanting your love interest's attention. "He pinched the bridge of his nose, and this time I definitely heard him say, “Give me strength.” I couldn’t help the smile that crept over my face. He was so serious. And so gorgeous. It was too much fun not to poke him a little. I was a kid, with a really long stick, and Jamie was Alan Whitmore’s rottweiler, Debbie, who’d broken into our garden, shat in the potato patch, and taken a nap on our trampoline. I wanted him to snap at me, and chase me, while I ran screaming for my life across the horses’ paddock."

"“Guys, come on!” Zac shouted. “We got drinks already. You gotta catch up. You’ll have to double fist.” The breath left my nostrils with such violence I was certain I’d sprayed the entire pool table with snot. I reined in my What the fuck, America? face and turned to Jamie. “I mean, I have no immediate objections.” “That means something else in Britain, doesn’t it?” Jamie said. “Oh, yeah. Big time.”"

"“I’m old-fashioned,” I huffed. “You’re old.” “You’ll still do me.” He sighed, donned an expression of faux disappointment for a moment, then grinned again. Dragged his eyes from my skates to my helmet. “Accurate. Very accurate."


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Em’sBookNook]

DNF @ 50%

I’m sure plenty of people will love this but it’s not for me.

Personally, I felt like the entire first half could have been condensed into a few chapters and I just found it icky basically reading about a hockey player sexually harassing his PT who keeps saying no for like over a hundred pages.

[L Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the cover art, but the story itself was just okay. I didn't think the plot justified its 374 page count, but if you like slow burns, you may not mind it. These sports romances just don't seem to be doing it for me lately. 2.75 stars

[ivanareadsalot]

DNF @ 25%

this writing style is just not for me

I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[patrícia]

DNF 40% - I couldn't connect with the characters.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so incredibly sweet and absolutely pandered to those of us who have had a crush on a trainer or PT 😂

Jamie, Kitty, James, Dr. Sullivan, etc. is the team doc who catches the eye of Bowey, Bowman, Archie, Little Winger, etc. aka the new British hockey star. While he’s not actually a Rookie, he is the newest member of the team.

Jamie tries SO hard to ignore the attraction due to his position, but Bowey just won’t have it. He wears him down until one night out with the team changes everything.

Their relationship is just so cute. Yes, there is an age gap but we’re all adults here and it works. 🖤

I wanted so much more of them. The story kind of abruptly ends after their HEA and I just wanted like…say… 30ish more chapters of them being happy 🥹🥹

I love that the authors each wrote a character. Seeing Bowey think and talk as a Brit should and having it all spelt the British way (lots of extra ‘U’s in my opinion 🫢) while Jamie was written and spoke like an American just added to it. I saw someone make a comment about Bowey being referred to as British vs English, I am neither so I honestly don’t know 😂😂

Anywho, I loved their story and the way it was written 🖤

I received a complimentary copy of this book but this is my honest and voluntary opinion! 🖤

[G_occasionally_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hm. I have mixed feelings about this one.
On the one hand, the spicy level was off the chart, and I love me some age-gap MM romance. On the other, however, the (unfortunately too frequent) misrepresentation/stylization of cultures (the British one in this case) annoys the heck out of me, not to mention the fact that to become a physician, you do not need to earn a doctorate (sorry-not-sorry but dude I have got one, so I am territorial AF).

I am giving it 2 stars, but looking forward to reading the next ones.

May I interest you in:
🥧 MM sports romance
🥧 former pro hockey player and hockey player
🥧 grumpy/sunshine
🥧 dual POV
🥧 steam 🧖🏼‍♀️🧖🏼‍♀️🧖🏼‍♀️🧖🏼‍♀️🧖🏼‍♀️
🥧 TW: Past injuries

[Kristel (hungryandhappy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet cheesefest with a pinch of angst and some pining which is always appreciated. I loved it. Bowie, amazing British hockey player, was a ray of sunshine, all smiles, freckles, green eyes, and full of cockiness. Constantly horny saying the most inappropriate things, like he just can't censor himself, zero filters on that boy. Then we have grumpy hot af PT Jamie; James Sullivan, yes, like in Monster Inc, so of course Bowie's nickname for him is Kitty and it was just adorable. Jamie is a bit lost, he is trying to get away from the hockey scene, still living the trauma of having his dream snatched away by an injury. So when he needs to help extra flirty Bowie who is so tempting he needs to constantly pray to some higher beings to give him strength, he goes into full military training mode. But in between stretching and healing, they get closer and closer going on hikes, swimming in lakes, eating homemade food made by Bowie, having picnics, and just spending time together. And they fall, at first in lust, then hard in love, mid slow burn, so much pining making me scream JUST KISS ALREADY a couple of times, or a hundred. HEA guaranteed, though. Perfect ending, too. Extra sweet just like them.

Highlight of their adventures? The trolley museum: a museum of shopping carts. I won't look at a cart the same way again. Everytime they mentioned the carts I just couldn't stop my snort. It was just amazing.

This is a hockey book but since it takes place mostly off season and the romance is between a player and a PT, we don’t see much ice action. One day I will watch a hockey match and pretend I understand the rules. Maybe I will print them just like Bowie's mum did.

[Jordan Fischer | julietfoxreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, this book was SO freaking adorable! I've had Rookie Recovery on my TBR for a while, but I saw a few friends gushing about it recently so I bumped it up my list. And I'm so glad I did! It's an age gap hockey romance between a rookie player and the team's physical therapist, with some SERIOUS grumpy/sunshine vibes. It's funny, lighthearted, full of excellent banter and humor - a little different from my usual hockey romance reads, and I cannot wait for more!

OMG y'all, Jamie and ESEPECIALLY Bowie were SO freaking endearing, I couldn't get enough of them. While Jamie has a gruff, control-freak exterior, he's really a teddy bear on the inside, and I loved when he let that side of himself show. And Bowie?! He's basically the most golden retriever-y MMC to ever live - he's literally a human puppy. He's British, which I can't say that I've read in a hockey romance before, and his constant British-isms were so fun. He could definitely be a lot, so I get why it took Jamie so long to really warm up to him, but Jamie honestly needed someone like Bowie to get him out of his head. There are so many sweet moments between them - you can tell they really care about each other BEFORE they end up hooking up. The scene where Jamie takes Bowie to the beach, and then where Bowie takes Jamie to play pick-up hockey. Bowie is constantly cooking for Jamie (I LOVE A GOOD FOOD AS A LOVE LANGUAGE SCENE), and OMG the TROLLY MUSEUM!! This book is just so much fun, literally laughing out loud or giving the MMCs heart eyes the entire time.

Rookie Recovery is the first book I've read from Lex Easton or Jemma Croft, and I'm hooked. It looks like there are more books coming in this series, and you'd better believe I'll be jumping on them immediately. A great way to start my January hockey romance reads!!

[Miranda]

DNF 35% - Not feeling it, don’t like the nickname kitty and it’s suuuuuppperrrr slow

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heartwarming tale of (adorably insistent) workplace sexual harassment.

Seriously. So insistent that Jamie was fighting for his life trying to avoid giving in to it. He never stood a chance, though. Bowie saw him, liked him and decided he'd be keeping him and that was that.

Quirky British hockey player x Disillusioned former hockey player turned physiotherapist.

Aside from Bowie approaching his come-ons to Jamie with the never give up /never retreat tactical approach of Napoleon Bonaparte, I liked that the conflict was reasonable.

I love drama but I really appreciate that this conflict came from a place of love (and overwhelming fear not to repeat prior mistakes)

Yes, Jamie was being a bit imperious but could I really judge him for not wanting Bowie to risk his health the way he'd once risked his own —to disastrous results? No. I could not.

Not paradigm shifting, but if you're ever in the mood for low angst, occasional high heat, realistic romance with a dash of workplace inappropriateness.....

3.5 rounded up.

PS- hated the narration for Jamie.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I could see nothing but him, feel nothing but him, smell nothing but his cologne, hear nothing but our mingling breaths. His half-terrified, half-hysterical expression melted into something that was both softer and harder. His pupils dilated and fixed on my face, flicking between my eyes and mouth, like he couldn’t decide which was more worthy of his attention."

I'd read myself into a bit of a MM sports romance stupor of late, but Rookie Recovery was a delightful little palate cleanser from the new co-author duet of Lex Veia and Jemma Croft. It's the first book in their new Bobcat Boys series, and this is Bowie and Jamie's story.

What to Expect:

❥ Dual POV
❥ MM sports romance
❥ Age gap (12 years)
❥ Grumpy/sunshine
❥ Slow burn
❥ All the banter
❥ Steamy times
❥ HEA

It was easy reading, very funny in parts (I'm English, so I loved all the English references, food and of course the "colloquial" terms and the steam (once they got to it) was on point. Some reviewers disliked Jamie's best friend Katie, but I loved her - everyone needs a Katie in their life!

Definitely can recommend for a low-angst, high fun read and am looking forward to Gus and Rowan (guessing enemies to lovers/forbidden) and Zac and Aaron's (guessing best friends to lovers/bi-awakening) books in due course.

4 cute and steamy stars.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, sexy, witty, and it was nice to have the dual aspects told from two very different individuals.

Jamie came across as a bit too serious at times, but it was obvious he wanted to let go, and luckily, 'Bowie' was just the man for the job!

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

- hockey
- age gap
- work place (kinda, doctor x patient)
- grumpy x sunshine

Jamie, a PT for the Bobcats, is dead set on finishing his business certification and starting his own practice so he can finally escape from the world of hockey and all the painful memories it brings. At least that was the plan until hotshot Archie Bowman barrels into his life like a horny, foul mouthed tornado.

Despite the chemistry and intense attraction between them, Jamie does his best to keep things strictly professional with Archie as he rehabs his shoulder. Easier said than done, as the more he gets to know the hilarious and charming Brit, the harder it becomes to keep their relationship platonic.

As much as the banter and tension between Archie and his Kitty had me wanting them to dive into their attraction from the get go, I really loved the easy friendship and slower progression of their story. The build up was so worth it!

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and fluffy romcom with plenty of tension and spice. I absolutely loved Jamie and Bowie!

Great grumpy/sunshine vibe and I loved how well they both complemented each other as people. Always enjoy peeks at future couples, and there are some great ones in this book that kept me so curious. I’m excited for the next books in this series!

I received a free copy of this book from the authors and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Maria Arroyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply couldn’t put this book down. I loooooved every single second of their romance. Now I’m itching for the second book

[Sus Would Rather Be Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a miss for me. The whole premise is a hockey player sexually harasses his doctor until the doctor caves and they end up dating and then the third act break up is because the conservative doctor that the hockey player harassed into dating him turns out to be a conservative doctor and won’t let the asshole play before he’s fully recovered and then the asshole throws a temper tantrum like the douche bro that he is.

I need to remember that I don’t like reading fuckbois and I don’t like reading anything that has sexual harassment as a basis of a relationship. And don’t get me started on the doctor who is theoretically all uptight and all about doing everything by the book and never breaking any rules and yet he at no point refers his patient to another PT so that they can actually date without it going against every single code of ethics that states a PT CANNOT date a patient directly in his care, especially if he is the one making decisions for that patient’s long-term plan of care.

That’s not to mention the douchey hockey player who claims to want to know everything about the doc is so self involved that he never bothers googling his former NHL boyfriend and never notices that the guy has scars from five different surgeries on his knee despite sleeping together for weeks.

All in all this was a total miss. It had a funny moments but not funny enough for me to forgive sexual harassment. Please just call HR.

[Aricka Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’ve never known anyone as beautiful and infuriating. I need to taste every inch of you.”

3.75⭐

One thing is for certain, British food sucks. But hey whatever. Anyways, this was a pretty chill fun hockey romance. I found Bowie to be a little annoying at times, I get he puts on a facade for this whole bro popular hockey shit but come on dude if you are so into Jamie you could of probably cut that shit out real quick and all of this whole relationship thing would of worked out faster to be honest. Anyways this was fun, and I think Jamie and Bowie are pretty cute together and I enjoyed the teammates, Im really interested in Zach and Adam (friends to lovers?) but I think they will be a while since the next one is Rowan for sure.
There was some funny parts and a lot of monologuing which I dont mine. A lot of inner thought with less dialogue between characters just FYI, not a negative in my opinion Im okay with that. Just thought some of yall might wanna know it. Anyways I dont write reviews well and Im not gonna start now. Lets just say, annoying boy and grumpy man fuck and fall in love while kinda on the clock. But also that ending was just random as fuck.