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Hockey Guys #3
The Last Guy On Earth
One cold December day, two men are blindsided by a hockey trade; one is the most decorated goalie in the league, while the other one is the youngest coach in the majors.
Jethro Hale is the last player Coach Clay Powers wants to see on his roster, but the G.M. pulls a fast one. And it's not like he can even explain why. Nobody knows about their love affair fifteen years ago.
Cue the all-star awkwardness, the painful memories and the reawakening of deep feelings on both sides.
Unfortunately, their attraction still burns brightly. But it can never be. A player and a coach? The scandal would overshadow the team’s banner year.
If only they could resist each other…
If you love grumpy heroes, high stakes hockey, struggling single parents and smoldering kisses, grab your copy of The Last Guy on Earth.
Jethro Hale is the last player Coach Clay Powers wants to see on his roster, but the G.M. pulls a fast one. And it's not like he can even explain why. Nobody knows about their love affair fifteen years ago.
Cue the all-star awkwardness, the painful memories and the reawakening of deep feelings on both sides.
Unfortunately, their attraction still burns brightly. But it can never be. A player and a coach? The scandal would overshadow the team’s banner year.
If only they could resist each other…
If you love grumpy heroes, high stakes hockey, struggling single parents and smoldering kisses, grab your copy of The Last Guy on Earth.
10 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 18, 2025
535 people are currently reading
4002 people want to read
About the author
Sarina Bowen
105 books18.8k followers
Sarina Bowen is the 24-time USA Today bestselling and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary fiction, including: The Five Year Lie, the True North series, and the Brooklyn Hockey series. She's the co-author of Him/Us and the WAGs series with Elle Kennedy. And more!
You can find a complete reading order list of Sarina's books on her website. Or see what's coming next from Sarina, and sign up for her newsletter so you don't miss a new book or a deal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 771 reviews
June 30, 2025
2.5 stars
Another book that started off well but went downhill about half way through.
As a second chance romance, one of my favourite kinds, it seemed promising. I liked the initial animosity and resentment between Clay and Jethro. It felt realistic. I liked the flashbacks to the time 15 years ago. That was done well. And I liked Clay.
I didn't like Jethro. At the time when they were in their early twenties, it felt like he was taking advantage of Clay. Or just enjoying everything that Clay was willing to do for him. I couldn't shake the feeling of imbalance in their 'relationship' while reading this. Even in present day. Clay tells him how he feels more than once and it's always one-sided, until very late in the story when Jethro has an epiphany and realizes that he has always loved Clay.
A lot of things in the story felt either forced or convenient. Jethro's life situation at the beginning needs to be tough, so he's not only traded so late in his hockey carrer. There's also a whole bunch of family issues - the custody of his nephew because his sister is in a rehab or whatever, his estranged father who he had no contact with for like 20 years but now they live together, and what happened to his mother, which was randomly thrown into the story a couple times.
For half of the book Jethro doesn't play well, because of course he doesn't. It will look more impressive in the second half when he starts playing well and helps his team win the championship.
Talking about convenience:
Jethro gets a lot of playing time in the second half, because the team's first goalie conveniently has back pain.
Toby has to bake cupcakes for school, and of course Clay helps them, which brings Clay and Jethro in the same kitchen.
Their hotel rooms are next to each other with a very convenient door between the rooms.
During one of the last games Jethro conveniently has ankle pain, which wasn't mentioned before as far as I remember, because we need a good reason for him to retire.
All of the family issues are resolved overnight, because Jethro's sister will get the custody of her son back now that she is out of the prison.
There are more little things that annoyed me, but ultimately I didn't find this story romantic. Though everyone else seems to love it, so just ignore my review.
Another book that started off well but went downhill about half way through.
As a second chance romance, one of my favourite kinds, it seemed promising. I liked the initial animosity and resentment between Clay and Jethro. It felt realistic. I liked the flashbacks to the time 15 years ago. That was done well. And I liked Clay.
I didn't like Jethro. At the time when they were in their early twenties, it felt like he was taking advantage of Clay. Or just enjoying everything that Clay was willing to do for him. I couldn't shake the feeling of imbalance in their 'relationship' while reading this. Even in present day. Clay tells him how he feels more than once and it's always one-sided, until very late in the story when Jethro has an epiphany and realizes that he has always loved Clay.
A lot of things in the story felt either forced or convenient. Jethro's life situation at the beginning needs to be tough, so he's not only traded so late in his hockey carrer. There's also a whole bunch of family issues - the custody of his nephew because his sister is in a rehab or whatever, his estranged father who he had no contact with for like 20 years but now they live together, and what happened to his mother, which was randomly thrown into the story a couple times.
For half of the book Jethro doesn't play well, because of course he doesn't. It will look more impressive in the second half when he starts playing well and helps his team win the championship.
Talking about convenience:
Jethro gets a lot of playing time in the second half, because the team's first goalie conveniently has back pain.
Toby has to bake cupcakes for school, and of course Clay helps them, which brings Clay and Jethro in the same kitchen.
Their hotel rooms are next to each other with a very convenient door between the rooms.
During one of the last games Jethro conveniently has ankle pain, which wasn't mentioned before as far as I remember, because we need a good reason for him to retire.
All of the family issues are resolved overnight, because Jethro's sister will get the custody of her son back now that she is out of the prison.
There are more little things that annoyed me, but ultimately I didn't find this story romantic. Though everyone else seems to love it, so just ignore my review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2025
If "Pining" was a championship, Clay and Jethro would both win 1st prize.
I was super excited to read this book because I particularly enjoy how Sarina writes MM stories: of love, of friendship, of growth, of self-discovery.
I also enjoy Sarina's proficiency in hockey and the equilibrium of hockey and other plot points.
Two peculiar writing choices:
1) We had time jumps. The positioning was perfect; the snapshot they gave us was perfect. What was peculiar is having these short chapters in 3rd person. I am not at all bothered by 3rd person POV, it was just an interesting choice. Wondering if this is supposed to show us -the readers- something that both J&C are not self-aware of or sharing outwardly at that moment in time.
2) The epilogue was an article with a different teammate talking about J&C. I would have wanted something different. Luckily the bonus chapter satisfied that for me.
The relationship:
I love relationships that start with friendships. You can really notice how much Clay and Jethro know each other and care for each other, how much they do stuff for each other because they know the other likes it.
Moreover, you can see how even after years, they are still so in-tune together.
Their coming back to each other, finding courage, and the support and sacrifices they do along the way is worth reading an enjoying.
I shamelessly stayed awake till 5 AM to finish this.
I have received an ARC in exchange of an honest review. My opinions and thoughts are not biased nor influenced by the fact.
--
Excuse me!! I got the ARC!!! 😭🥳🥳
I was super excited to read this book because I particularly enjoy how Sarina writes MM stories: of love, of friendship, of growth, of self-discovery.
I also enjoy Sarina's proficiency in hockey and the equilibrium of hockey and other plot points.
Two peculiar writing choices:
1) We had time jumps. The positioning was perfect; the snapshot they gave us was perfect. What was peculiar is having these short chapters in 3rd person. I am not at all bothered by 3rd person POV, it was just an interesting choice. Wondering if this is supposed to show us -the readers- something that both J&C are not self-aware of or sharing outwardly at that moment in time.
2) The epilogue was an article with a different teammate talking about J&C. I would have wanted something different. Luckily the bonus chapter satisfied that for me.
The relationship:
I love relationships that start with friendships. You can really notice how much Clay and Jethro know each other and care for each other, how much they do stuff for each other because they know the other likes it.
Moreover, you can see how even after years, they are still so in-tune together.
Their coming back to each other, finding courage, and the support and sacrifices they do along the way is worth reading an enjoying.
I shamelessly stayed awake till 5 AM to finish this.
I have received an ARC in exchange of an honest review. My opinions and thoughts are not biased nor influenced by the fact.
--
Excuse me!! I got the ARC!!! 😭🥳🥳
February 6, 2025
4 stars
I’m always here for a good hockey romance! The Last Guy on Earth is the third book in Sarina Bowen’s ‘Hockey Guys’ series and has an interesting spin. Not only is it a second-chance romance, but it’s also a coach/player romance.
Jethro Hale is not having a great day. He finds out he’s been traded mid-season. As a goalie who’s been with his team most of his career, he’s in shock. Not only that, but he’s being traded to Clay Power’s team. Clay is the coach of the team, he’s also Jethro’s ex-teammate, ex-roommate, and, well, ex.
I loved Jethro and Clay separately as characters, but they really shined when they were together. They brought out the best in one another and made a fantastic couple. The writing was wonderful, and the hockey was top-notch. Overall, I enjoyed this one so much! The audiobook was great as well. JF Harding and Teddy Hamilton really brought these characters to life.
I’m always here for a good hockey romance! The Last Guy on Earth is the third book in Sarina Bowen’s ‘Hockey Guys’ series and has an interesting spin. Not only is it a second-chance romance, but it’s also a coach/player romance.
Jethro Hale is not having a great day. He finds out he’s been traded mid-season. As a goalie who’s been with his team most of his career, he’s in shock. Not only that, but he’s being traded to Clay Power’s team. Clay is the coach of the team, he’s also Jethro’s ex-teammate, ex-roommate, and, well, ex.
I loved Jethro and Clay separately as characters, but they really shined when they were together. They brought out the best in one another and made a fantastic couple. The writing was wonderful, and the hockey was top-notch. Overall, I enjoyed this one so much! The audiobook was great as well. JF Harding and Teddy Hamilton really brought these characters to life.
Audio book source: Soundwise- arc
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Teddy Hamilton & JF Harding
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Romance
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May 23, 2025
The Last Guy on Earth is book three in the Hockey Guys series by Sarina Bowen. I adore all of Ms. Bowen’s MM romance books. And loved the first two books in this series. It took me just a bit of time to finally get to this newest one but it was well worth the wait.
When Jethro Hale and Clay Powers first met, they were twenty two and twenty four years old and were playing in the minors with big dreams of someday getting called up to the big leagues. They shared a ratty little apartment and were complete opposites. It should never have worked. But somehow it did. They became friends and eventually more. But their parting didn’t go well.
Now, fifteen years later, Jethro is thirty seven and has been playing for the past nine years very successfully as a goalie for Detroit. Clay is the youngest coach in the NHL for the Colorado Cougars. Jethro gets the rug pulled out from under him when he is traded to, of all places, Colorado. Where his coach will be the man he hasn’t seen or spoken to in fifteen years. And Clay gets undermined by his general manager when they bring in Jethro. A man he hoped he would never have to face again.
To say things didn’t start well would be an understatement. Jethro has family complications. And he thought he’d retire from Detroit. He feels betrayed and angry. Plus all the awkwardness between he and Clay. But, unresolved feelings are just that, unresolved. And surprisingly are still there after all these years, simmering. Once the Cougars get their feet (or skates) under them, their season is turning out to be amazing. So any feelings between a coach and a player are strictly off limits.
I loved these two. Both had complications to deal with. But as adults, they were able to understand their feelings and discuss them much better than when they were just kids. Both had so much on their shoulders. I just can’t imagine all the stress. This was a sweet, steamy, wonderful story of two men who weren’t ready the first time they met but were given a second chance to get it right.
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...
When Jethro Hale and Clay Powers first met, they were twenty two and twenty four years old and were playing in the minors with big dreams of someday getting called up to the big leagues. They shared a ratty little apartment and were complete opposites. It should never have worked. But somehow it did. They became friends and eventually more. But their parting didn’t go well.
Now, fifteen years later, Jethro is thirty seven and has been playing for the past nine years very successfully as a goalie for Detroit. Clay is the youngest coach in the NHL for the Colorado Cougars. Jethro gets the rug pulled out from under him when he is traded to, of all places, Colorado. Where his coach will be the man he hasn’t seen or spoken to in fifteen years. And Clay gets undermined by his general manager when they bring in Jethro. A man he hoped he would never have to face again.
To say things didn’t start well would be an understatement. Jethro has family complications. And he thought he’d retire from Detroit. He feels betrayed and angry. Plus all the awkwardness between he and Clay. But, unresolved feelings are just that, unresolved. And surprisingly are still there after all these years, simmering. Once the Cougars get their feet (or skates) under them, their season is turning out to be amazing. So any feelings between a coach and a player are strictly off limits.
I loved these two. Both had complications to deal with. But as adults, they were able to understand their feelings and discuss them much better than when they were just kids. Both had so much on their shoulders. I just can’t imagine all the stress. This was a sweet, steamy, wonderful story of two men who weren’t ready the first time they met but were given a second chance to get it right.
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...
March 2, 2025
First things first:
I listened to the audio for this and while Teddy Hamilton did a solid job, it was JF Harding’s narration that stood out to me! I found myself looking forward to every chapter he narrated and enjoyed the overall audio experience immensely!
Now, let’s get into it.
The beginning gave me serious Him vibes with this being a second chance romance unfolding through flashbacks to how everything started between our two MC’s Jethro and Clay at the beginning of their hockey careers. And while I loved that aspect, I did not love Jethro in those early chapters, because… how do I put this? Oh yeah, he was an absolute asshole to Clay. The ‘Whisky and frisky’?! The ‘You’re crazy’ after Clay tells him he loves him? Ugh…
They go their separate ways, Jethro becomes a world class goalie, while Clay becomes the youngest NHL coach in history and as fate would have it, Jethro - now at the end of his career - gets traded to Clay’s team. 15 years after they last spoke to each other they’re suddenly thrust together in a completely new dynamic; still the same guys they used to be, but also not really - with is made very clear through Jethro’s character development: he’s self aware, knows what he wants and goes for it. The way he fights for them after all this time? How he actually understands his mistakes and works to fix them? How he is all in?! Swoon. And the way they were just it for each other in general - always had been, always will be - gave almost fated mates vibes and I was here for it!
One other thing I want to also point out, is Sarina Bowen’s ability to write hockey in a way that’s so engaging and gripping that I genuinely looked forward to every game they played and that’s not normally the case for me 😅
That said, I had a few niggles; like the change in POV in the ‘then’ chapters that threw me every time. I think I understand why the author chose that route, but it pulled me out of the story again and again, ngl. Also, Jethro’s family drama was resolved a bit too conveniently and the epilogue was just meh 🤷♀️
Overall though? A great read that reminded me why I used to love Sarina Bowen’s hockey romances. Solid 4 ⭐️.
I listened to the audio for this and while Teddy Hamilton did a solid job, it was JF Harding’s narration that stood out to me! I found myself looking forward to every chapter he narrated and enjoyed the overall audio experience immensely!
Now, let’s get into it.
The beginning gave me serious Him vibes with this being a second chance romance unfolding through flashbacks to how everything started between our two MC’s Jethro and Clay at the beginning of their hockey careers. And while I loved that aspect, I did not love Jethro in those early chapters, because… how do I put this? Oh yeah, he was an absolute asshole to Clay. The ‘Whisky and frisky’?! The ‘You’re crazy’ after Clay tells him he loves him? Ugh…
They go their separate ways, Jethro becomes a world class goalie, while Clay becomes the youngest NHL coach in history and as fate would have it, Jethro - now at the end of his career - gets traded to Clay’s team. 15 years after they last spoke to each other they’re suddenly thrust together in a completely new dynamic; still the same guys they used to be, but also not really - with is made very clear through Jethro’s character development: he’s self aware, knows what he wants and goes for it. The way he fights for them after all this time? How he actually understands his mistakes and works to fix them? How he is all in?! Swoon. And the way they were just it for each other in general - always had been, always will be - gave almost fated mates vibes and I was here for it!
One other thing I want to also point out, is Sarina Bowen’s ability to write hockey in a way that’s so engaging and gripping that I genuinely looked forward to every game they played and that’s not normally the case for me 😅
That said, I had a few niggles; like the change in POV in the ‘then’ chapters that threw me every time. I think I understand why the author chose that route, but it pulled me out of the story again and again, ngl. Also, Jethro’s family drama was resolved a bit too conveniently and the epilogue was just meh 🤷♀️
Overall though? A great read that reminded me why I used to love Sarina Bowen’s hockey romances. Solid 4 ⭐️.
March 9, 2025
Second chance romance always hits me in the emotions!
I really enjoyed Jethro and Clay's journey to their HEA. Jethro was a dumb kid first time around who never even thought that anyone would care about him at all, and Clay was head over heels as well as idealistic and unable to understand Jethro's lack of self-worth.
The way they crossed paths again was highly entertaining! The tension was so good, the way neither could figure out how to be around each other was ridiculous and Jethro's realisation that he may have unwittingly fucked up the best thing that ever happened to him was so emotional!
The ending to their season was like a fairytale come true, and I had the biggest smile at seeing them finally together!
I hope there's more to come from this story universe because I've really enjoyed this series!
I really enjoyed Jethro and Clay's journey to their HEA. Jethro was a dumb kid first time around who never even thought that anyone would care about him at all, and Clay was head over heels as well as idealistic and unable to understand Jethro's lack of self-worth.
The way they crossed paths again was highly entertaining! The tension was so good, the way neither could figure out how to be around each other was ridiculous and Jethro's realisation that he may have unwittingly fucked up the best thing that ever happened to him was so emotional!
The ending to their season was like a fairytale come true, and I had the biggest smile at seeing them finally together!
I hope there's more to come from this story universe because I've really enjoyed this series!
February 10, 2025
Last Guy on Earth is a great second-chance romance between goalie Jethro and his coach and former teammate Clay. I enjoyed the slow unraveling of their shared history and feelings for one another.
This romance takes its time as Clay and Jethro adjust to being in one another's lives again after a long separation. Clay adjusts to Jethro's sudden trade, while Jethro deals with intense personal family issues and the reappearance of a lost love.
Overall, this is an emotional story that tugs at the heart. Jethro is a bit rough around the edges, and Clay is a bit prickly because of how things ended in their past. Together, they go on an intense journey towards reconciliation, which is so well done and makes perfect sense for these two.
I loved being back in this world and seeing this group of characters again.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
This romance takes its time as Clay and Jethro adjust to being in one another's lives again after a long separation. Clay adjusts to Jethro's sudden trade, while Jethro deals with intense personal family issues and the reappearance of a lost love.
Overall, this is an emotional story that tugs at the heart. Jethro is a bit rough around the edges, and Clay is a bit prickly because of how things ended in their past. Together, they go on an intense journey towards reconciliation, which is so well done and makes perfect sense for these two.
I loved being back in this world and seeing this group of characters again.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
February 18, 2025
4,5 stars
Secondary chances is one of my favourite tropes and this book reminded me exactly as to why that is. I just love the dynamics that spring from past experiences, past friendship and hurt. There's a history there, and that makes it the more interesting!
In this book Clay and Jethro were roommates and hockey players for the same team when they were in their early 20's. Their easygoing friendship grows into hookups and some more, but where Clay is sure of his feelings for Jethro, Jethro doesn't acknowledge them and the break up is bad.
Fifteen years later Jethro is a successful goalie and is being traded to the last team he wants to go to: the team Clay is coaching.
They start off in a very wrong way, where Jethro hears how Clay calls him a dinosaur and where it's apparent that Clay was not the least happy with having him as a new goalie.
But over time they can't seem to help but remember how they used to be, how they used to feel when they were around each other and I loved how Sarina Bowen made it all happen in a very natural way.
I loved to witness how they grew closer and eventually found common ground to continue what they had started so many years ago. But they are wiser now, more mature and it shows in everything they say and do. Here are two men in their mid-thirties who have experienced life and realise there's still something left between the two of them.
I very much appreciate the fact that the author didn't include unnecessary drama or a third act break up! I applaud to that, and I think many other readers will as well.
Secondary chances is one of my favourite tropes and this book reminded me exactly as to why that is. I just love the dynamics that spring from past experiences, past friendship and hurt. There's a history there, and that makes it the more interesting!
In this book Clay and Jethro were roommates and hockey players for the same team when they were in their early 20's. Their easygoing friendship grows into hookups and some more, but where Clay is sure of his feelings for Jethro, Jethro doesn't acknowledge them and the break up is bad.
Fifteen years later Jethro is a successful goalie and is being traded to the last team he wants to go to: the team Clay is coaching.
They start off in a very wrong way, where Jethro hears how Clay calls him a dinosaur and where it's apparent that Clay was not the least happy with having him as a new goalie.
But over time they can't seem to help but remember how they used to be, how they used to feel when they were around each other and I loved how Sarina Bowen made it all happen in a very natural way.
I loved to witness how they grew closer and eventually found common ground to continue what they had started so many years ago. But they are wiser now, more mature and it shows in everything they say and do. Here are two men in their mid-thirties who have experienced life and realise there's still something left between the two of them.
I very much appreciate the fact that the author didn't include unnecessary drama or a third act break up! I applaud to that, and I think many other readers will as well.
July 11, 2025
I hated Jethro. Imagine your closest friend and regular fuck buddy whom you happen to be secretly in love with describing the situation as 'Two lonely guys having some ‘whisky and frisky.' '
Jethro's a little too casually cruel. The 'you're crazy', the blocking, the 'I'm sorry I'm just realizing now fifteen years later that you're the best person to ever walk into my life'
Fifteen years is crazyyyy. This mf didn't regret a goddamn thing until it was all up in his face.
He didn't try. Didn't even want to. It didn't even occur to him to want it. That's what stuck in my throat about Jethro.
I wanted extenuating circumstances for his behavior 15 years prior but I don't feel like he had them.
"I'm sorry. I never mean to mess with your head.",says the Mess With Your Head MF. This man does nothing BUT mess with Clay's head. Then act a fool, like Clay should have known it couldn't ever be more because 'hockey doesn't work like that'.
Clay's too professional because I'd have benched that man the WHOOOOLE season as reparations and nobody would have said a goddamn thing💀.
“I hate you,”
“Okay,”
“You’re a force of chaos in my life,”
“I know.”
Whole time they're making out 💀what even is life?
“Stop it,” he demands. “Stop being nice.”
This right here is Clay's problem. Fifteen years on and he's not developed any coping strategies against Jethro, because let's face it, you have to cope with Jethro. And here he is again, being a dumb fuck AGAIN, with no promises or commitments whatsoever, AGAIN.
Just vibes and inshâ'Allah. Can't be saved. Doesn't want to be saved.
Is Jethro's niceness in the room with us?
Full disclosure that I like my MCs desperate for each other to the point of thoughtlessness and blatant disregard for consequences but maybe we could have a teensy weensy helping of self-preservation with that. Just.....be on the same page before you decide it's worth throwing everything away.
The last time this happened, that man left you in the desert without water. For him to touch you ONCE and have you go up in flames like a vampire in the sun is crazy work.
Immediately? IMMEDIATELY? Fight back a bit OMG????
Criminally down bad.
To be fair, there's a desperate attempt at having a spine from 60% ish. AND it was mostly successful so.....a little bit of redemption.
Lol even his sister was shocked.
"The love of your life said he wants you back. And you’re, like, ‘No can do! See you at practice.’?”
That bastard had the audacity to choose hockey over Clay and then a second round of audacity to be hurt that Clay chooses hockey over him???
It's the main character syndrome for me!!!
But then that bastard actually turns over a new leaf and puts in the work? In ways that count, not just vague lip service.
I did not think Jethro could turn it around (especially in my heart) but he really comes through. By the end I was all....What's a little 15 year hiccup? They're just 37/39. They've probably got plenty of life left to live.
I'm sorry now for calling Jethro a bastard in my head the entire first half. But in my defense he WAS a bastard. And then he wasn't a bastard. So technically if I call him both things it cancels out and I never said anything to begin with.
Side note-it's probably really sick that I loved seeing Walcott get his ass handed to him in that game. Shit had me feeling like a Viking bathed in the blood of my enemies. Maybe I AM a hater, after all. Oh, well.
Jethro's a little too casually cruel. The 'you're crazy', the blocking, the 'I'm sorry I'm just realizing now fifteen years later that you're the best person to ever walk into my life'
Fifteen years is crazyyyy. This mf didn't regret a goddamn thing until it was all up in his face.
He didn't try. Didn't even want to. It didn't even occur to him to want it. That's what stuck in my throat about Jethro.
I wanted extenuating circumstances for his behavior 15 years prior but I don't feel like he had them.
"I'm sorry. I never mean to mess with your head.",says the Mess With Your Head MF. This man does nothing BUT mess with Clay's head. Then act a fool, like Clay should have known it couldn't ever be more because 'hockey doesn't work like that'.
Clay's too professional because I'd have benched that man the WHOOOOLE season as reparations and nobody would have said a goddamn thing💀.
“I hate you,”
“Okay,”
“You’re a force of chaos in my life,”
“I know.”
Whole time they're making out 💀what even is life?
“Stop it,” he demands. “Stop being nice.”
This right here is Clay's problem. Fifteen years on and he's not developed any coping strategies against Jethro, because let's face it, you have to cope with Jethro. And here he is again, being a dumb fuck AGAIN, with no promises or commitments whatsoever, AGAIN.
Just vibes and inshâ'Allah. Can't be saved. Doesn't want to be saved.
Is Jethro's niceness in the room with us?
Full disclosure that I like my MCs desperate for each other to the point of thoughtlessness and blatant disregard for consequences but maybe we could have a teensy weensy helping of self-preservation with that. Just.....be on the same page before you decide it's worth throwing everything away.
The last time this happened, that man left you in the desert without water. For him to touch you ONCE and have you go up in flames like a vampire in the sun is crazy work.
Immediately? IMMEDIATELY? Fight back a bit OMG????
Criminally down bad.
To be fair, there's a desperate attempt at having a spine from 60% ish. AND it was mostly successful so.....a little bit of redemption.
Lol even his sister was shocked.
"The love of your life said he wants you back. And you’re, like, ‘No can do! See you at practice.’?”
That bastard had the audacity to choose hockey over Clay and then a second round of audacity to be hurt that Clay chooses hockey over him???
It's the main character syndrome for me!!!
But then that bastard actually turns over a new leaf and puts in the work? In ways that count, not just vague lip service.
I did not think Jethro could turn it around (especially in my heart) but he really comes through. By the end I was all....What's a little 15 year hiccup? They're just 37/39. They've probably got plenty of life left to live.
I'm sorry now for calling Jethro a bastard in my head the entire first half. But in my defense he WAS a bastard. And then he wasn't a bastard. So technically if I call him both things it cancels out and I never said anything to begin with.
Side note-it's probably really sick that I loved seeing Walcott get his ass handed to him in that game. Shit had me feeling like a Viking bathed in the blood of my enemies. Maybe I AM a hater, after all. Oh, well.
February 21, 2025
Sarina Bowen books make me happy. This one isn't my absolute fave of the series but it's as well done as always.
February 7, 2025
Oooh this one was an interesting twist on the second chance romance with a serious element of slow burn and I mostly liked it.
One thing I found odd, and it threw me out of the story every time, was the change in POV tense for the flashback elements, I can understand the need to differentiate it but, for me, it was jarring and interrupted the flow of the narrative every time.
That said, the rest of this romance had plenty to recommend it, two MCs who each have flaws, no-one really to blame for their relationship not going anywhere when they were in their early 20s and playing at a second rate ice hockey team, and lots of delicious UST.
Both men also carry family angst, Jethro's currently the official guardian of his sister's 10-year-old son while she's incarcerated, his dad, missing for most of his life, is now back and he's been dealing with building a relationship with him, and he's just got transferred without warning by the team he'd dedicated all his professional career to.
Clay, meanwhile, really only has his sister in his court, he's got the stress from being one of the youngest coaches in the league, he's closeted, and he's not happy the guy who broke his 24-year-old heart, is now at his team.
As always with Sarina, the sports element is executed with great skill, the time on the ice with the team is visceral and engaging, you feel the cold of the arena, you sense the excitement of the crowd, the disappointment with the losses and the elation of the wins.
What I appreciated most with this book though was the time it took Jethro and Clay to reconnect. This isn't an instant I'm sorry I was a dick, I love you narrative. It takes effort for them to work through the hurts, to talk about what happened and why things went the way they did.
Ultimately, it's two guys who never got over each other finding they have a chance to start again, with everything on the table and nothing holding them back, and the final quarter of the book is absolutely gorgeous.
Without the strange change in tense for the flashbacks, this would have been a 5* read for me.
#ARC kindly received from the author, I am voluntarily leaving a review
One thing I found odd, and it threw me out of the story every time, was the change in POV tense for the flashback elements, I can understand the need to differentiate it but, for me, it was jarring and interrupted the flow of the narrative every time.
That said, the rest of this romance had plenty to recommend it, two MCs who each have flaws, no-one really to blame for their relationship not going anywhere when they were in their early 20s and playing at a second rate ice hockey team, and lots of delicious UST.
Both men also carry family angst, Jethro's currently the official guardian of his sister's 10-year-old son while she's incarcerated, his dad, missing for most of his life, is now back and he's been dealing with building a relationship with him, and he's just got transferred without warning by the team he'd dedicated all his professional career to.
Clay, meanwhile, really only has his sister in his court, he's got the stress from being one of the youngest coaches in the league, he's closeted, and he's not happy the guy who broke his 24-year-old heart, is now at his team.
As always with Sarina, the sports element is executed with great skill, the time on the ice with the team is visceral and engaging, you feel the cold of the arena, you sense the excitement of the crowd, the disappointment with the losses and the elation of the wins.
What I appreciated most with this book though was the time it took Jethro and Clay to reconnect. This isn't an instant I'm sorry I was a dick, I love you narrative. It takes effort for them to work through the hurts, to talk about what happened and why things went the way they did.
Ultimately, it's two guys who never got over each other finding they have a chance to start again, with everything on the table and nothing holding them back, and the final quarter of the book is absolutely gorgeous.
Without the strange change in tense for the flashbacks, this would have been a 5* read for me.
#ARC kindly received from the author, I am voluntarily leaving a review
February 10, 2025
Sometimes you just need a Sarina Bowen book to make you forget about the rest of the world. This book is that.
September 28, 2025
Unfortunately, I wanted more from this than I got 😔 I'm sad that this series has been kind of a letdown tbh. I've not clicked particularly well with any of the books, and I keep picking up the next one hoping for more and finding myself disappointed. Oh well, I'm sure if there's another I'll pick it up anyway because I'm a sucker for Teddy Hamilton and JF Harding 😂
I don't feel like spending a lot of time on this review, so I'm just going to do a quick list of a few things that didn't work...
• Jethro (the name) - I hated the name and cringed every time I read it. It's not common, so I get the appeal of using it to be different, but maybe consider the reason no one uses it is because the name sounds terrible 💀
• Jethro (the person) - I never came around to liking him. He was just kind of miserable the entire time. Clay was lovely, and I never felt like Jethro deserved him.
• No romantic drama - For this kind of story I expect some drama, I WANT the drama. It's a forbidden romance, right? I was kind of bored a lot of the time ngl. The only drama seemed to be around Jethro's family and even that felt half done.
I don't feel like spending a lot of time on this review, so I'm just going to do a quick list of a few things that didn't work...
• Jethro (the name) - I hated the name and cringed every time I read it. It's not common, so I get the appeal of using it to be different, but maybe consider the reason no one uses it is because the name sounds terrible 💀
• Jethro (the person) - I never came around to liking him. He was just kind of miserable the entire time. Clay was lovely, and I never felt like Jethro deserved him.
• No romantic drama - For this kind of story I expect some drama, I WANT the drama. It's a forbidden romance, right? I was kind of bored a lot of the time ngl. The only drama seemed to be around Jethro's family and even that felt half done.
March 10, 2025
After a string of DNF’s in the books I have read lately, Sarina Bowen gave me exactly what I was looking for. Longing, heat, sexy older men that seemed like men, romance….need I say more. This book hit every note perfectly. This author does MM so well. I had a full body swoon during the cupcake moment and after the colossal amount of MM books that I have read at this point, that is a massive feat.
Audiobook was great except for the fact that Teddy Hamilton seemed kind of pissed/resentful pretty much the whole time.
Audiobook was great except for the fact that Teddy Hamilton seemed kind of pissed/resentful pretty much the whole time.
February 23, 2025
I really liked this. Why?
The good:
- second chance romance
- hockey
- older MCs
- complicated feelings
- complicated situation
- fun writing
- hot sex
- I CRIED
The bad: I feel like the secondary characters were flat and two dimensional. I disliked Jethro’s family, especially his dad. I feel like the whole family issue got resolved way too easily to wrap up the story.
3.5 stars rounded up
The good:
- second chance romance
- hockey
- older MCs
- complicated feelings
- complicated situation
- fun writing
- hot sex
- I CRIED
The bad: I feel like the secondary characters were flat and two dimensional. I disliked Jethro’s family, especially his dad. I feel like the whole family issue got resolved way too easily to wrap up the story.
3.5 stars rounded up
March 24, 2025
This was good and for the most part I really liked it. I felt the pacing was so slow and at times it annoyed me I wanted a bit more. Also when the book ended I was left feeling like I wish there was more. Not my fave in the series but still really good.
December 17, 2025
book 3 in the series was a good redemption from a rocky start!
I so enjoyed this second chance romance which I don’t usually enjoy. there was a kind of doom and gloom hanging over this book though (probably the very grumpy jethro) but it was still a step up from the other two books. I think book 2 is my favourite and would recommend reading as a standalone - I don’t think I recommend the entire series at this stage. I could have done without it.
I only pushed through cause I already bought all three books before reading book one - I usually love Sarin Bowen everything so I trusted I would enjoy this, but if I had only bought book one, I wouldn’t have continued the series.
Usually Sarina and Elle Kennedy team up and I have to say I think it’s THAT dynamic that I’m obsessed with. This series was not as strong as some of the dual stories I’ve read. BUT I MUST POINT OUT THIS BOOK HAD SOME OF THE BEST SMUT FROM SB I’VE READ. HOTTTT WHAT THE HELLY!!!!!
Coach + Teammate is top tier trope for me lmao xx
Anyway, 4 stars but as I said wouldn’t recommend the entire series.
I so enjoyed this second chance romance which I don’t usually enjoy. there was a kind of doom and gloom hanging over this book though (probably the very grumpy jethro) but it was still a step up from the other two books. I think book 2 is my favourite and would recommend reading as a standalone - I don’t think I recommend the entire series at this stage. I could have done without it.
I only pushed through cause I already bought all three books before reading book one - I usually love Sarin Bowen everything so I trusted I would enjoy this, but if I had only bought book one, I wouldn’t have continued the series.
Usually Sarina and Elle Kennedy team up and I have to say I think it’s THAT dynamic that I’m obsessed with. This series was not as strong as some of the dual stories I’ve read. BUT I MUST POINT OUT THIS BOOK HAD SOME OF THE BEST SMUT FROM SB I’VE READ. HOTTTT WHAT THE HELLY!!!!!
Coach + Teammate is top tier trope for me lmao xx
Anyway, 4 stars but as I said wouldn’t recommend the entire series.
March 25, 2025
nhl hockey
coach/player
past together
family drama
secret relationship
food as a love language
personally love coach/player i just missed the age gap but it was written nicely i didn't get bored
coach/player
past together
family drama
secret relationship
food as a love language
personally love coach/player i just missed the age gap but it was written nicely i didn't get bored
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2025
This was angsty and slow burn-y, and I enjoyed it so much.
Listened on audio which was narrated my Teddy Hamilton and JF Harding.
4 stars
2 on the spice scale
CW: homophobia, sibling incarcerated from drug use, drug abuse in sports
Listened on audio which was narrated my Teddy Hamilton and JF Harding.
4 stars
2 on the spice scale
CW: homophobia, sibling incarcerated from drug use, drug abuse in sports
March 6, 2025
Oh wow, where do I start....
My love affair with Bowen continues. Her characters continue to have me giggling like a teenage girl over her first crush. Jethro and Clay are perfect from the outset. Their humour with each other is gold and I absolutely love gay men who don't take themselves too seriously. Some angst is good but sometimes it feels like you need to be having an existential crisis to be queer. Not here. These boys approach to their sexuality was very matter of fact.
And holy crap this author writes first kisses that are truly blush worthy. Just the perfect blend of build up and sweet intensity. And I always have a laugh over her fabulous turn of phrase... "the way I plunged into his mouth with the enthusiasm of a championship diver off the high platform." 🤣
Most people love a crossover from novels and I adored that the same hockey pride event was highlighted in all 3 books of this series.
The subtlety of one particular coming out moment was beautiful in its simplicity. Oh if only the world around us would allow sexuality to NOT be a big deal. Let's keep vying for that.
As I've said in previous reviews, I know nothing about sport, but I find it reprehensible that the NHL would trade a single guardian with sole custody of a young boy, with no notice to a hockey team in another state. I have no idea if this is believable, but I struggled with this.
There was an interesting change (from previous stories) where the sister wasn't light hearted and upbeat but in jail and having lost custody of her child (now cared for by her brother, one of our adorable mc's). That's a particular reason why I like this author so much. Each story has its own individual feel.
Sometimes jumping between past and present can get a bit confusing or at least frustrating but here it was done seamlessly and with purpose. You absolutely need to know Clay and Jethro's history to understand their present anxiety of being shoved back into each other's lives, through no choice of their own.
The worst thing about this book??? It's the last in this fabulous series!
But I don't want to give up hockey! 😭😭😭🏒🏒🏒
My love affair with Bowen continues. Her characters continue to have me giggling like a teenage girl over her first crush. Jethro and Clay are perfect from the outset. Their humour with each other is gold and I absolutely love gay men who don't take themselves too seriously. Some angst is good but sometimes it feels like you need to be having an existential crisis to be queer. Not here. These boys approach to their sexuality was very matter of fact.
And holy crap this author writes first kisses that are truly blush worthy. Just the perfect blend of build up and sweet intensity. And I always have a laugh over her fabulous turn of phrase... "the way I plunged into his mouth with the enthusiasm of a championship diver off the high platform." 🤣
Most people love a crossover from novels and I adored that the same hockey pride event was highlighted in all 3 books of this series.
The subtlety of one particular coming out moment was beautiful in its simplicity. Oh if only the world around us would allow sexuality to NOT be a big deal. Let's keep vying for that.
As I've said in previous reviews, I know nothing about sport, but I find it reprehensible that the NHL would trade a single guardian with sole custody of a young boy, with no notice to a hockey team in another state. I have no idea if this is believable, but I struggled with this.
There was an interesting change (from previous stories) where the sister wasn't light hearted and upbeat but in jail and having lost custody of her child (now cared for by her brother, one of our adorable mc's). That's a particular reason why I like this author so much. Each story has its own individual feel.
Sometimes jumping between past and present can get a bit confusing or at least frustrating but here it was done seamlessly and with purpose. You absolutely need to know Clay and Jethro's history to understand their present anxiety of being shoved back into each other's lives, through no choice of their own.
The worst thing about this book??? It's the last in this fabulous series!
But I don't want to give up hockey! 😭😭😭🏒🏒🏒
December 19, 2025
There’s nothing like a Sarina Bowen hockey romance. It’s like catnip for the hopelessly romantics. The tension, the longing, the heat, the romance, the hockey? Soooo good.
The Last Guy on Earth will definitely be on my favorite books of 2025 list. I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t want it to end. I just want this series to go on forever. I want to keep reading these Hockey Guys books until the end of time. I hope more are coming because I would read them all. Over and over again.
The Last Guy on Earth is book three in the Hockey Guys series of M/M hockey romance standalones, so it can be read without reading the first books in the series, even though they are interconnected.
A player and a coach? Talk about complicated. Clay Powers is the youngest coach in the league, and Jethro Hale is a veteran, three-time Cup winner goalie. They have a (distant) past together, but it didn’t end well. And now they have a professional relationship that doesn’t start well. To put it lightly, it’s a messy mess. They’re both blindsided by a trade that puts them in each other’s space fifteen years after they went their separate ways. The resentment, the frustration, the locked-up feelings? They all add fire to their animosity. And their chemistry.
The story is mostly told in the present time, but there are a few chapters set fifteen years ago. I like it because it helps bring their past to life. You get to experience what happened between them then and how it affects them now.
You also have a great combination of tropes here. A second chance, forced proximity, workplace romance, forbidden romance, secret relationship, single dad (guardian), and two different kinds of accidental roommates. Those are the ones who stuck with me the most. And they worked pretty well for me. There’s also cupcake baking. And stolen kisses. Grumpy goalies are the best, in my opinion.
I loved everything about this book. I love the writing, the main characters and the side characters, the Boulder/Colorado setting, the team dynamics. I love how much actual hockey there is and how it reads as part of the story. How the story is paced, how the relationship between them shifts and evolves and how they deal with their emotions, their issues, and their relationship.
I really enjoy how this series is taking shape book after book. I like this team very much and I want to keep spending time with these hockey guys. I love how it’s integrated with other books but without holes to fill if you haven’t read any of them. So I highly recommend this book (and the other books in this series). They’re fantastic.
The Last Guy on Earth will definitely be on my favorite books of 2025 list. I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t want it to end. I just want this series to go on forever. I want to keep reading these Hockey Guys books until the end of time. I hope more are coming because I would read them all. Over and over again.
The Last Guy on Earth is book three in the Hockey Guys series of M/M hockey romance standalones, so it can be read without reading the first books in the series, even though they are interconnected.
A player and a coach? Talk about complicated. Clay Powers is the youngest coach in the league, and Jethro Hale is a veteran, three-time Cup winner goalie. They have a (distant) past together, but it didn’t end well. And now they have a professional relationship that doesn’t start well. To put it lightly, it’s a messy mess. They’re both blindsided by a trade that puts them in each other’s space fifteen years after they went their separate ways. The resentment, the frustration, the locked-up feelings? They all add fire to their animosity. And their chemistry.
The story is mostly told in the present time, but there are a few chapters set fifteen years ago. I like it because it helps bring their past to life. You get to experience what happened between them then and how it affects them now.
You also have a great combination of tropes here. A second chance, forced proximity, workplace romance, forbidden romance, secret relationship, single dad (guardian), and two different kinds of accidental roommates. Those are the ones who stuck with me the most. And they worked pretty well for me. There’s also cupcake baking. And stolen kisses. Grumpy goalies are the best, in my opinion.
I loved everything about this book. I love the writing, the main characters and the side characters, the Boulder/Colorado setting, the team dynamics. I love how much actual hockey there is and how it reads as part of the story. How the story is paced, how the relationship between them shifts and evolves and how they deal with their emotions, their issues, and their relationship.
I really enjoy how this series is taking shape book after book. I like this team very much and I want to keep spending time with these hockey guys. I love how it’s integrated with other books but without holes to fill if you haven’t read any of them. So I highly recommend this book (and the other books in this series). They’re fantastic.
February 17, 2025
Clay + Jethro
Jethro is 37 and was hoping for a calm and successful final hockey season in Detroit. But the team had other ideas: they're trading him to Denver. Today.
He packs up his dad and his ten year old nephew and off they go.
To play or bench-sit for the coach who used to be his first love 15 years ago.
Let the fun times begin...
══════════════════
Hockey. Yay. Not.
LOL - I'm still not a hockey fan, but I still read all the books because they're adorable and sweet and sexy and funny and heartbreaking!
I loved reading this - even though it had a LOT of hockey!
Jethro and Clay are perfect for each other. They could've been together for 15 years - in another not so anti gay sporty life. But times have changed and they've matured. So maybe this time it could work? We'll see. It won't be easy but we're so there for it all.
Super sparky and sexy moments. Adorable and fun moments and some angry and sad moments. But they'll fight for it this time.
I loved this!
THE LAST GUY ON EARTH was an adorable second-chance hockey romance! Sparky, Funny, Sexy, Adorable, Hockey-y. I loved reading it! Run to your nearest bookdealer for your own Clay and Jethro!
If you can't click the buy-links
from your phone - click ► HERE!
💜
💜
March 12, 2025
3,5⭐️
I’m a bit disappointed, everything in this book felt subdued, a bit flat…Clay is so good and eager for Jethro, in the before chapters he’s the only one that gives, Jethro is just there to take everything he can and when the times comes he lets Clay go like he is nothing, he even blocks him for pissing him with, god forbid, feelings…that right there was almost enough to ruin the romance for me. There was such a lack of regret for how things ended and barely any appreciation for Clay beyond “he feeds me and we jerk off together”. It made me seriously dislike Jethro. So I was counting on some solid groveling to make up for it…
15 years later, none of them is happy with their personal lives and fate brings them together. I must say that I ended up understanding some of the reasons Jetty (loved the nickname) acted the way he did 15 years earlier, namely his hard life, his family and no self worth, but the sudden realization that he loves and always loved Clay (amidst all) felt abrupt and a bit unrealistic. Also the execution was somewhat anticlimactic…I don’t know…everything was a bit dull and unexciting….By the time the epilogue came I was bored and struggling to finish.
Another issue was that I was expecting way more steam. The book was really light on smut, and what was there was barely given any page time. Even the moment I had been anticipating was short and rushed. With all the teasing, looks, and thoughts throughout the book, I expected much more.
Also, what’s up with that sudden change in POV style between timelines? It felt so weird…
5⭐️ for the audio
I’m a bit disappointed, everything in this book felt subdued, a bit flat…Clay is so good and eager for Jethro, in the before chapters he’s the only one that gives, Jethro is just there to take everything he can and when the times comes he lets Clay go like he is nothing, he even blocks him for pissing him with, god forbid, feelings…that right there was almost enough to ruin the romance for me. There was such a lack of regret for how things ended and barely any appreciation for Clay beyond “he feeds me and we jerk off together”. It made me seriously dislike Jethro. So I was counting on some solid groveling to make up for it…
15 years later, none of them is happy with their personal lives and fate brings them together. I must say that I ended up understanding some of the reasons Jetty (loved the nickname) acted the way he did 15 years earlier, namely his hard life, his family and no self worth, but the sudden realization that he loves and always loved Clay (amidst all) felt abrupt and a bit unrealistic. Also the execution was somewhat anticlimactic…I don’t know…everything was a bit dull and unexciting….By the time the epilogue came I was bored and struggling to finish.
Another issue was that I was expecting way more steam. The book was really light on smut, and what was there was barely given any page time. Even the moment I had been anticipating was short and rushed. With all the teasing, looks, and thoughts throughout the book, I expected much more.
Also, what’s up with that sudden change in POV style between timelines? It felt so weird…
5⭐️ for the audio
February 26, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Une romance M/M hockey avec des persos de plus de 35 ans ? Yes please !
Avec ce 3ème tome, on est sur une histoire de seconde chance, entre deux mecs qui ne se sont pas vus depuis 15 ans et ne se sont pas quittés (ni retrouvés, d'ailleurs) de la meilleure des façons.
Jethro est un goalie vétéran, et du jour au lendemain, il est transféré dans une autre équipe sans qu'il l'ait vu venir. Pas de bol, le coach de l'équipe ne veut pas de lui, et double pas de bol, c'est son ancien co-équipier/coloc ! Un coloc avec lequel il fricotait allégrement 15 ans plus tôt, sans jamais mettre de mots sur leur ... arrangement.
Clay, le dit ex-coloc, est donc devenu coach et ne rêve qu'une chose : gagner la Stanley Cup avec son équipe des Couguars ! Il ne voit pas d'un bon oeil le retour de Jethro ...
Alors bon, autant la partie hockey est réussie et bien maîtrisée par Sarina Bowen, autant pour le reste, je suis beaucoup plus réservée. Et ça commence déjà avec les flashbacks qui sont écrits, on ne sait pas pourquoi, à un autre temps et avec un POV externe, ce qui pour moi casse complètement la dynamique du récit et donne un côté très artificiel à ce retour dans le passé. En ce qui concerne la romance au présent, je préfère quand les retrouvailles sont plus progressives et plus naturelles car là, on a l'impression qu'ils appuient sur un bouton on/off et qu'en 15 ans, pas grand chose n'a changé. Un peu dommage, cheap et facile aussi toute la partie sur la famille de Jethro, qui offre de joli prétexte mais apporte au final un enjeu dramatique faible.
Une lecture qui sera donc vite oubliée, mais, comme je le disais, la partie sportive est plaisante et plutôt bien traitée !
Une romance M/M hockey avec des persos de plus de 35 ans ? Yes please !
Avec ce 3ème tome, on est sur une histoire de seconde chance, entre deux mecs qui ne se sont pas vus depuis 15 ans et ne se sont pas quittés (ni retrouvés, d'ailleurs) de la meilleure des façons.
Jethro est un goalie vétéran, et du jour au lendemain, il est transféré dans une autre équipe sans qu'il l'ait vu venir. Pas de bol, le coach de l'équipe ne veut pas de lui, et double pas de bol, c'est son ancien co-équipier/coloc ! Un coloc avec lequel il fricotait allégrement 15 ans plus tôt, sans jamais mettre de mots sur leur ... arrangement.
Clay, le dit ex-coloc, est donc devenu coach et ne rêve qu'une chose : gagner la Stanley Cup avec son équipe des Couguars ! Il ne voit pas d'un bon oeil le retour de Jethro ...
Alors bon, autant la partie hockey est réussie et bien maîtrisée par Sarina Bowen, autant pour le reste, je suis beaucoup plus réservée. Et ça commence déjà avec les flashbacks qui sont écrits, on ne sait pas pourquoi, à un autre temps et avec un POV externe, ce qui pour moi casse complètement la dynamique du récit et donne un côté très artificiel à ce retour dans le passé. En ce qui concerne la romance au présent, je préfère quand les retrouvailles sont plus progressives et plus naturelles car là, on a l'impression qu'ils appuient sur un bouton on/off et qu'en 15 ans, pas grand chose n'a changé. Un peu dommage, cheap et facile aussi toute la partie sur la famille de Jethro, qui offre de joli prétexte mais apporte au final un enjeu dramatique faible.
Une lecture qui sera donc vite oubliée, mais, comme je le disais, la partie sportive est plaisante et plutôt bien traitée !
Read
March 30, 2025ᴅᴏ ɪ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ? ɴᴏ.
ᴅᴏ ɪ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴀᴅᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴛʙʀ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ’ᴍ ꜱᴄᴏᴜᴛɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ? ʏᴇꜱ.
ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀꜱʜᴀᴍᴇᴅ.😭
ᴅᴏ ɪ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴀᴅᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴛʙʀ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪ’ᴍ ꜱᴄᴏᴜᴛɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ? ʏᴇꜱ.
ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀꜱʜᴀᴍᴇᴅ.😭
February 20, 2025
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was fantastic! I fell in love with Clay and Jethro and wanted to see good things happen for them. The pair has a past and is not exactly thrilled to be thrown together once again when Jethro is traded to the team that Clay coaches. I couldn’t wait to see them work through their issues and find their happily ever after together.
Jethro is not happy that he has been traded to a new team at the end of his hockey career. Not only must he uproot his life, but he has to do the same for the nephew he is raising and his father who has been helping. Nobody wanted to leave Detroit for Denver. Clay knows it will be difficult to work with Jethro since they share a past with many complicated feelings. They eventually figure out that a lot of those feelings aren’t as buried as they thought.
Teddy Hamilton and J.F. Harding did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. I love the way that both of these narrators were able to bring this group of characters to life. I thought that their voices complimented each other and I found it very easy to identify which character’s point of view was being represented. I found myself listening to this audiobook for hours at a time and am certain that their performance added to my overall enjoyment.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this romance to be very enjoyable and loved that the character almost felt familiar. This is the third book in Hockey Series but works perfectly fine as a stand-alone. I can’t wait to read more of Sarina Bowen’s work.
I received a review copy of this book from the author/publicist.
This was fantastic! I fell in love with Clay and Jethro and wanted to see good things happen for them. The pair has a past and is not exactly thrilled to be thrown together once again when Jethro is traded to the team that Clay coaches. I couldn’t wait to see them work through their issues and find their happily ever after together.
Jethro is not happy that he has been traded to a new team at the end of his hockey career. Not only must he uproot his life, but he has to do the same for the nephew he is raising and his father who has been helping. Nobody wanted to leave Detroit for Denver. Clay knows it will be difficult to work with Jethro since they share a past with many complicated feelings. They eventually figure out that a lot of those feelings aren’t as buried as they thought.
Teddy Hamilton and J.F. Harding did a wonderful job with the narration of this book. I love the way that both of these narrators were able to bring this group of characters to life. I thought that their voices complimented each other and I found it very easy to identify which character’s point of view was being represented. I found myself listening to this audiobook for hours at a time and am certain that their performance added to my overall enjoyment.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this romance to be very enjoyable and loved that the character almost felt familiar. This is the third book in Hockey Series but works perfectly fine as a stand-alone. I can’t wait to read more of Sarina Bowen’s work.
I received a review copy of this book from the author/publicist.
November 10, 2025
4.5 Stars!
Sarina Bowen always writes the best romances whether it’s f/m or m/m. Her latest is the third in her Hockey Guys series and as in the others in this series, this was m/m. It’s about two guys in their late thirties. Back in their early twenties, they were once teammates and roommates. Eventually they became more. When one of them gets called up to the major leagues, the other lets him go thinking they never really were with each other anyway. The one that leaves is heartbroken. Fifteen years later, one is the coach and the other one is traded to his team. This book is that story. It was a good story as always with this author. I thought that both main characters were engaging and very fully realized. The only thing that kept this story from 5 stars was how easily they came out to people farther into the book. Like it was no big deal, when yes it is if you’re an athlete on a pro team or coach. In a perfect world, that would happen, but not so much in high level sports. But still, it was such a good story that I highly recommend to adult readers-adult due to it being very spicy.
Sarina Bowen always writes the best romances whether it’s f/m or m/m. Her latest is the third in her Hockey Guys series and as in the others in this series, this was m/m. It’s about two guys in their late thirties. Back in their early twenties, they were once teammates and roommates. Eventually they became more. When one of them gets called up to the major leagues, the other lets him go thinking they never really were with each other anyway. The one that leaves is heartbroken. Fifteen years later, one is the coach and the other one is traded to his team. This book is that story. It was a good story as always with this author. I thought that both main characters were engaging and very fully realized. The only thing that kept this story from 5 stars was how easily they came out to people farther into the book. Like it was no big deal, when yes it is if you’re an athlete on a pro team or coach. In a perfect world, that would happen, but not so much in high level sports. But still, it was such a good story that I highly recommend to adult readers-adult due to it being very spicy.
April 14, 2025
A for narration; B+ for story = 4.5 stars rounded up.
The Last Guy on Earth, the third book in Sarina Bowen’s The Hockey Guys series, is a nicely done second chance romance between a hot-shot coach and a veteran goalie whose youthful love affair fifteen years earlier came to an abrupt end when their careers began to take off and took them in different directions. It’s an emotional story with a lot of hurt and misunderstanding to work through before the pair can get their HEA, and the narration by Teddy Hamilton and J.F. Harding (who also teamed up for the first book in the series, ( The New Guy ) is fabulous.
The last thing veteran goalie Jethro Hale expects when he’s called in to see management one cold December morning is to find out he’s part of some complex three-way mid-season trade that is going to send him to play in Colorado – for the team managed by his former teammate and former roommate, Clay Powers. After spending most of his career playing for Detroit (and having thought he’d end it there), Jethro is totally blindsided by the news, but there’s nothing he can do – either he plays in Colorado or he doesn’t play at all, and it’s not as though he can tell anyone why the Cougars is the last team on Earth he wants to play for. He and Clay have successfully managed to avoid each other for the past fifteen years, and although he can’t imagine that Clay is particularly happy about the trade, Jethro figures he must have had his reasons for signing off on it.
But Clay didn’t sign off on it. In fact, he’s furious with the General Manager for making the trade even after he’d told him not to; Clay wouldn’t want Jethro Hale on the team if he were the last goalie on Earth and doesn’t hesitate to say so – but the deal is done and there’s no way back from it. He’s supposed to coach the guy who ripped out his heart and threw it away fifteen years ago? If the situation wasn’t so awful, it might almost be funny.
The author delivers Clay and Jethro’s backstory in a series of well-placed flashbacks in the first half of the book, so we get to see how they started out rooming together during their rookie season, how they progressed from roommates to fooling around, and how it became more than just the physical for both of them – although at the time, Jethro had no idea that Clay was falling in love with him and Clay didn’t have the emotional maturity to be able to understand how Jethro’s insecurities affected his ability to recognise his feelings for Clay. It’s easy to dislike Jethro here; he says some hurtful shit and is wilfully oblivious to what’s happening, but the author turns it around somewhat after Clay leaves and we see just how completely devastated Jethro is by that.
[As an aside, I’ve seen some reviews complaining about the fact that the flashbacks are written in the third person while the present day story is in first; I had no problem with the change at all, and rather liked the way it’s used as a way of marking the different timelines.]
The present day romance between Clay and Jethro is very much a slow-burn as they adjust to being in one another’s lives again after such a long time apart. They’re older and wiser now, complete with the extra baggage brought by the extra years, and I liked that there’s no insta-forgiveness here; it takes time and effort on both sides to work through the hurt and talk about what happened, and I appreciated that the author gives the story and the relationship time to breathe and develop. I really enjoyed listening to Clay and Jethro rediscovering their past friendship and finding some new common ground as they work out how to be around each other again. It’s not easy for either of them; Clay is understandably prickly because of how things ended all those years ago and Jethro is dealing with the sudden upheaval of his life – but I loved the way they gradually come to remember how they used to be, how they used to feel when they were around each other and realise that they still have something worth fighting for.
But those extra years bring extra complications. Jethro is currently the guardian of his ten-year-old nephew, Toby, while his sister is in prison (I had to wonder if it’s realstic that the NHL would just trade a player with a kid in school at a moment’s notice?), and he is also in the process of rebuilding his relationship with his long-absent father, who reappeared in his life quite recently. And while Clay has a stellar reputation as a coach – and is the youngest in the league – he sometimes struggles to deal with the immense amount of stress he’s under. Since their early love affair crashed and burned, Clay has confined himself to holiday hook-ups in the off-season, while Jethro has had a handful of relationships that have not lasted. But getting back together doesn’t just mean dealing with past hurts and misnuderstandings; Clay and Jethro are coach and player - effectively boss and employee - and a relationship between them could be a professional nightmare. And speaking of the professional... Sarina Bowen clearly knows her hockey and how to incorporate enough of it into a romance to make the sports aspect of the story believable but not to cause those of us who aren’t sports fans to want to zone out! The storyline about Jethro’s on-ice problems feels organic and makes for an interesting sub-plot.
J.F. Harding (who reads the chapters from Jethro’s PoV) and Teddy Hamilton (reading Clay’s) are two of my all-time favourite narrators, so having them team up again for this title is like winning the audio jackpot! They’re two of the best romance narrators out there and their experience shows; their performances are well-paced and expressive, they both use an impressive range of character voices and differentiate clearly between them so there’s never any confusion as to who is speaking in multi-character scenes. Both are very good at portraying female characters and J.F. Harding’s interpretation of Toby is unbearably cute without being over the top. Their interpretations of the two leads fit them really well; Mr. Hamilton gives Clay a definite tightly-wound vibe a lot of the time where the gruff world-weariness Mr. Harding injects into Jethro’s voice works well to show how adrift he’s feeling at the situation he’s been thrust into. The steamy scenes are superbly done, and they really deliver when it comes to conveying the intensity of the emotional connection between the two leads.
I’ve enjoyed all the (audio)books in this series, but for my money, The Last Guy on Earth is the best of the three, a lovely, swoony, second-chance romance between two guys who never got over each other realising they have the opportinity to start again if they’re brave enough to take it. Add the terrific narration into the mix, and you’ve got an audiobook worth adding to your DIK collection.
The Last Guy on Earth, the third book in Sarina Bowen’s The Hockey Guys series, is a nicely done second chance romance between a hot-shot coach and a veteran goalie whose youthful love affair fifteen years earlier came to an abrupt end when their careers began to take off and took them in different directions. It’s an emotional story with a lot of hurt and misunderstanding to work through before the pair can get their HEA, and the narration by Teddy Hamilton and J.F. Harding (who also teamed up for the first book in the series, ( The New Guy ) is fabulous.
The last thing veteran goalie Jethro Hale expects when he’s called in to see management one cold December morning is to find out he’s part of some complex three-way mid-season trade that is going to send him to play in Colorado – for the team managed by his former teammate and former roommate, Clay Powers. After spending most of his career playing for Detroit (and having thought he’d end it there), Jethro is totally blindsided by the news, but there’s nothing he can do – either he plays in Colorado or he doesn’t play at all, and it’s not as though he can tell anyone why the Cougars is the last team on Earth he wants to play for. He and Clay have successfully managed to avoid each other for the past fifteen years, and although he can’t imagine that Clay is particularly happy about the trade, Jethro figures he must have had his reasons for signing off on it.
But Clay didn’t sign off on it. In fact, he’s furious with the General Manager for making the trade even after he’d told him not to; Clay wouldn’t want Jethro Hale on the team if he were the last goalie on Earth and doesn’t hesitate to say so – but the deal is done and there’s no way back from it. He’s supposed to coach the guy who ripped out his heart and threw it away fifteen years ago? If the situation wasn’t so awful, it might almost be funny.
The author delivers Clay and Jethro’s backstory in a series of well-placed flashbacks in the first half of the book, so we get to see how they started out rooming together during their rookie season, how they progressed from roommates to fooling around, and how it became more than just the physical for both of them – although at the time, Jethro had no idea that Clay was falling in love with him and Clay didn’t have the emotional maturity to be able to understand how Jethro’s insecurities affected his ability to recognise his feelings for Clay. It’s easy to dislike Jethro here; he says some hurtful shit and is wilfully oblivious to what’s happening, but the author turns it around somewhat after Clay leaves and we see just how completely devastated Jethro is by that.
[As an aside, I’ve seen some reviews complaining about the fact that the flashbacks are written in the third person while the present day story is in first; I had no problem with the change at all, and rather liked the way it’s used as a way of marking the different timelines.]
The present day romance between Clay and Jethro is very much a slow-burn as they adjust to being in one another’s lives again after such a long time apart. They’re older and wiser now, complete with the extra baggage brought by the extra years, and I liked that there’s no insta-forgiveness here; it takes time and effort on both sides to work through the hurt and talk about what happened, and I appreciated that the author gives the story and the relationship time to breathe and develop. I really enjoyed listening to Clay and Jethro rediscovering their past friendship and finding some new common ground as they work out how to be around each other again. It’s not easy for either of them; Clay is understandably prickly because of how things ended all those years ago and Jethro is dealing with the sudden upheaval of his life – but I loved the way they gradually come to remember how they used to be, how they used to feel when they were around each other and realise that they still have something worth fighting for.
But those extra years bring extra complications. Jethro is currently the guardian of his ten-year-old nephew, Toby, while his sister is in prison (I had to wonder if it’s realstic that the NHL would just trade a player with a kid in school at a moment’s notice?), and he is also in the process of rebuilding his relationship with his long-absent father, who reappeared in his life quite recently. And while Clay has a stellar reputation as a coach – and is the youngest in the league – he sometimes struggles to deal with the immense amount of stress he’s under. Since their early love affair crashed and burned, Clay has confined himself to holiday hook-ups in the off-season, while Jethro has had a handful of relationships that have not lasted. But getting back together doesn’t just mean dealing with past hurts and misnuderstandings; Clay and Jethro are coach and player - effectively boss and employee - and a relationship between them could be a professional nightmare. And speaking of the professional... Sarina Bowen clearly knows her hockey and how to incorporate enough of it into a romance to make the sports aspect of the story believable but not to cause those of us who aren’t sports fans to want to zone out! The storyline about Jethro’s on-ice problems feels organic and makes for an interesting sub-plot.
J.F. Harding (who reads the chapters from Jethro’s PoV) and Teddy Hamilton (reading Clay’s) are two of my all-time favourite narrators, so having them team up again for this title is like winning the audio jackpot! They’re two of the best romance narrators out there and their experience shows; their performances are well-paced and expressive, they both use an impressive range of character voices and differentiate clearly between them so there’s never any confusion as to who is speaking in multi-character scenes. Both are very good at portraying female characters and J.F. Harding’s interpretation of Toby is unbearably cute without being over the top. Their interpretations of the two leads fit them really well; Mr. Hamilton gives Clay a definite tightly-wound vibe a lot of the time where the gruff world-weariness Mr. Harding injects into Jethro’s voice works well to show how adrift he’s feeling at the situation he’s been thrust into. The steamy scenes are superbly done, and they really deliver when it comes to conveying the intensity of the emotional connection between the two leads.
I’ve enjoyed all the (audio)books in this series, but for my money, The Last Guy on Earth is the best of the three, a lovely, swoony, second-chance romance between two guys who never got over each other realising they have the opportinity to start again if they’re brave enough to take it. Add the terrific narration into the mix, and you’ve got an audiobook worth adding to your DIK collection.
February 19, 2025
There is nothing in this world that I love more than a second chance romance story. Add in a forbidden relationship. Some hockey. And the fact that Sarina Bowen wrote it? I’m all the way in.
The world is a dumpster fire but this made it quite a bit better.
This Hockey Guys series has been so fun and so easy so the added angst of this story was nice. Every few minutes I found myself begging these to just admit it already and just be in love and honestly *chefs kiss*
I’d read twelve more just like this one please and thank you
*Thank you to Sarina Bowen and team for this early review copy*
The world is a dumpster fire but this made it quite a bit better.
This Hockey Guys series has been so fun and so easy so the added angst of this story was nice. Every few minutes I found myself begging these to just admit it already and just be in love and honestly *chefs kiss*
I’d read twelve more just like this one please and thank you
*Thank you to Sarina Bowen and team for this early review copy*
April 30, 2025
This was soooo good! This is a second chance romance in Sarina Bowen's Hockey Guys series. It can definitely be read as a stand-alone, as these books have different characters. But I highly recommend reading the other 2 as well. And the audiobooks for all of these are chef's kiss.
Jethro and Clay were roommates and hockey buddies in college. Both were not out with their sexuality's at the time. Jethro still figuring out his bi-sexuality, but Clay knew he was gay. And secretly had the hots for Jethro. Jethro would soon break Clay's heart, leaving him bitter and their friendship lost.
15 years later Jethro gets traded to Colorado where Clay is the coach of the team. And still very bitter and still very much in love with Jethro.
I loved the reconnection of these guys. And their background stories really added to their struggles of finding each other again.
Jethro and Clay were roommates and hockey buddies in college. Both were not out with their sexuality's at the time. Jethro still figuring out his bi-sexuality, but Clay knew he was gay. And secretly had the hots for Jethro. Jethro would soon break Clay's heart, leaving him bitter and their friendship lost.
15 years later Jethro gets traded to Colorado where Clay is the coach of the team. And still very bitter and still very much in love with Jethro.
I loved the reconnection of these guys. And their background stories really added to their struggles of finding each other again.
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