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The Boyfriend Zone: MM Hockey Romance
They say journalists should never become part of the story. Someone should've warned me before I locked eyes with six-foot-two of brooding hockey defenseman.
Covering the college hockey team was supposed to be my stepping stone, not the assignment that would tangle my heart in a power play I never saw coming.
My mentor always preached about professional distance. Funny how those principles evaporate when Sean's guarded eyes meet mine across a locker room.
Then I noticed it during a game. The wince, the careful way he rotated his shoulder when nobody was watching. Nobody except me.
The scoop of the season is right there. The star defenseman hiding injury, risking his future in the pros. The kind of story that could launch my career. The kind of betrayal that would shatter whatever this electric thing between us is becoming.
Every journalist instinct screams to follow the story. Every other part of me wants to follow him.
Each interview becomes a dance. As I circle closer to his secret, he leads me away with those rare smiles that transform his serious face into something my recorder can't capture.
He says I’m trouble with a press badge, closer than a source should ever be. I should back away, remember my ethics, protect my journalistic integrity. But he’s a story I can’t stop writing.
We're closing in on the championship. I'm closing in on my deadline. Something has to give, and I'm terrified it might be my heart.
Because the headline forming in my mind isn't about hidden injuries or hockey glory.
This romcom dives into the collision of a hockey defenseman and a sweet journalist. Found family shines through the tight-knit team and the hilarious newsroom crew who’ve got Lucas’s back.
Covering the college hockey team was supposed to be my stepping stone, not the assignment that would tangle my heart in a power play I never saw coming.
My mentor always preached about professional distance. Funny how those principles evaporate when Sean's guarded eyes meet mine across a locker room.
Then I noticed it during a game. The wince, the careful way he rotated his shoulder when nobody was watching. Nobody except me.
The scoop of the season is right there. The star defenseman hiding injury, risking his future in the pros. The kind of story that could launch my career. The kind of betrayal that would shatter whatever this electric thing between us is becoming.
Every journalist instinct screams to follow the story. Every other part of me wants to follow him.
Each interview becomes a dance. As I circle closer to his secret, he leads me away with those rare smiles that transform his serious face into something my recorder can't capture.
He says I’m trouble with a press badge, closer than a source should ever be. I should back away, remember my ethics, protect my journalistic integrity. But he’s a story I can’t stop writing.
We're closing in on the championship. I'm closing in on my deadline. Something has to give, and I'm terrified it might be my heart.
Because the headline forming in my mind isn't about hidden injuries or hockey glory.
This romcom dives into the collision of a hockey defenseman and a sweet journalist. Found family shines through the tight-knit team and the hilarious newsroom crew who’ve got Lucas’s back.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2025
126 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 30, 2025
This has a lot of potential but where I got lost immediately was them becoming boyfriends before 50% … LIKE WHAT IS THE REST THERE FOR
May 2, 2025
2,75⭐️
Sweet story but too much problems
The timeline was weird, sometimes running backwards to rewrite a scene from the other pov, some important moments not written when that would have been important to the story, some ellipsis bad placed
The smut scenes were weird too
And I know I love seeing the couple after they’re together, but in this case it was too much, they were together and happy at like 50% and after it just continues without any challenge… like half of the second part of the book was unnecessary.
So much repetitions too, of the same ideas, the same subjects of conversation, like it’s written to fill the pages.
And the Zach/Nate storyline was awkward, like is it one or 2 romances??
Sweet story but too much problems
The timeline was weird, sometimes running backwards to rewrite a scene from the other pov, some important moments not written when that would have been important to the story, some ellipsis bad placed
The smut scenes were weird too
And I know I love seeing the couple after they’re together, but in this case it was too much, they were together and happy at like 50% and after it just continues without any challenge… like half of the second part of the book was unnecessary.
So much repetitions too, of the same ideas, the same subjects of conversation, like it’s written to fill the pages.
And the Zach/Nate storyline was awkward, like is it one or 2 romances??
May 8, 2025
the relationship was very cute, but as other reviews have mentioned the timeline was wacky. there were 2 banquet type events and they had exactly the same wording for some parts, felt like i was reading the same scene twice. and when it switched perspectives we’d sometimes to go back in a scene but then it would play out differently from before so I was never quite sure where we were. that being said lucas and sean were adorable and i think their relationship did get skipped over in a lot of the development of it but it was a fun time, im not mad about it. tbh the best part of this was the relationship development of their friends zach and nate. their tension and banter was a little more intriguing than what was happening with the main couple at times.
September 10, 2025
Very repetitive
I felt this could have been a really sweet story if it was half the pages.
Ssdly, I felt as if I was reading the same chapter over and over. It was ok.
I felt this could have been a really sweet story if it was half the pages.
Ssdly, I felt as if I was reading the same chapter over and over. It was ok.
April 30, 2025
When sports and journalism combine there is often a clash. Journalists want scoops, they want sensation, breaking stories. Sports people want to play their game, keep their focus and often their secrets. And that is even before they have hit the big time.
Sean and Lucas are sportsman and reporter, both at college. Lucas has been given the chance to report on the hockey team, interview them, watch games, travel to games, really get into the dynamic of the hockey team, what makes them all tick, and write about it. He’s accompanied, to some of this, by his flatmate and best friend Nate. But on day one something isn’t right. He locks eyes, across the locker room with he man he met in a club, the man he shared a passionate, wonderful evening with, the man he clicked with on a deep level, the man who is now pretending he has never met Lucas.
Nate on the other hand clearly knows Zach, also on the team and best friend as well as roommate to Sean. There is definitely something off between these two, their interactions appear to be nothing but sark and arguing with a hint of something more bubbling below the surface. Their story really begins to overlap and take place later in the book. Theirs is a complete contrast to Lucas and Sean’s story and the complement is perfect. Two MM romances in one book which both involve certain people making discoveries about their sexuality, exploring what that means for them. This is a subject Ruby Keller deals with sensitively whilst maintaining the rom-com nature of the book. Anyone who feels that they too may be questioning would find this helpful.
Sean and Lucas hit it off in the club, a place neither of them wanted to be but which turned out to be one of the best nights ever for them both. They share some passionate kisses but whilst Lucas is gay and out Sean is not. He doesn’t know how to be anything other than the hockey star. That is who his father has moulded him to be, it is all he has ever known and understood. Which means that despite knowing he really should get his injured shoulder checked out, he continues to play, believing he is invincible and that the team could fall apart without him. It is not ego but determination, something drilled into him after every game when his father calls to critique, he doesn't want to let anyone down. Lucas, with his reporters attention to detail, and his undeniable attraction to Sean, sees it immediately and it is the injury which both brings them closer and encourages Sean to listen, to really see and understand, himself, the game and others around him. Lucas has a maturity many 21 year-olds could never hope to achieve, but he is young too, both support him in his career choices, his college life and his love life. He is an expertly crafted character.
Ruby Keller gives all her characters a depth of personality, by the end of the book we could be best friends with them, they could be our very own found family or even book boyfriend material! We know them that well. This style of writing, this depth, brings us a well-rounded, beautiful story, with passion and warmth and without the need for erotica. There is a focus on the person in this story, the person in the sporting world, the person in the journalistic world and the person who wants to do good, to tell the truth, to share those truths. That is powerful, it is also incredibly special.
Sean, Lucas, Zach and Nate have been lighting up my life for the last few nights as I have devoured their story and learnt more about each of them, about the sport of ice hockey, about journalism and about how life should be about working together with friends and loved ones, not against them and not alone. Ruby Keller is an amazing storyteller with a special gift, I highly recommend reading this story.
Sean and Lucas are sportsman and reporter, both at college. Lucas has been given the chance to report on the hockey team, interview them, watch games, travel to games, really get into the dynamic of the hockey team, what makes them all tick, and write about it. He’s accompanied, to some of this, by his flatmate and best friend Nate. But on day one something isn’t right. He locks eyes, across the locker room with he man he met in a club, the man he shared a passionate, wonderful evening with, the man he clicked with on a deep level, the man who is now pretending he has never met Lucas.
Nate on the other hand clearly knows Zach, also on the team and best friend as well as roommate to Sean. There is definitely something off between these two, their interactions appear to be nothing but sark and arguing with a hint of something more bubbling below the surface. Their story really begins to overlap and take place later in the book. Theirs is a complete contrast to Lucas and Sean’s story and the complement is perfect. Two MM romances in one book which both involve certain people making discoveries about their sexuality, exploring what that means for them. This is a subject Ruby Keller deals with sensitively whilst maintaining the rom-com nature of the book. Anyone who feels that they too may be questioning would find this helpful.
Sean and Lucas hit it off in the club, a place neither of them wanted to be but which turned out to be one of the best nights ever for them both. They share some passionate kisses but whilst Lucas is gay and out Sean is not. He doesn’t know how to be anything other than the hockey star. That is who his father has moulded him to be, it is all he has ever known and understood. Which means that despite knowing he really should get his injured shoulder checked out, he continues to play, believing he is invincible and that the team could fall apart without him. It is not ego but determination, something drilled into him after every game when his father calls to critique, he doesn't want to let anyone down. Lucas, with his reporters attention to detail, and his undeniable attraction to Sean, sees it immediately and it is the injury which both brings them closer and encourages Sean to listen, to really see and understand, himself, the game and others around him. Lucas has a maturity many 21 year-olds could never hope to achieve, but he is young too, both support him in his career choices, his college life and his love life. He is an expertly crafted character.
Ruby Keller gives all her characters a depth of personality, by the end of the book we could be best friends with them, they could be our very own found family or even book boyfriend material! We know them that well. This style of writing, this depth, brings us a well-rounded, beautiful story, with passion and warmth and without the need for erotica. There is a focus on the person in this story, the person in the sporting world, the person in the journalistic world and the person who wants to do good, to tell the truth, to share those truths. That is powerful, it is also incredibly special.
Sean, Lucas, Zach and Nate have been lighting up my life for the last few nights as I have devoured their story and learnt more about each of them, about the sport of ice hockey, about journalism and about how life should be about working together with friends and loved ones, not against them and not alone. Ruby Keller is an amazing storyteller with a special gift, I highly recommend reading this story.
November 14, 2025
I don’t usually like writing bad reviews for books but I didn’t even want to finish this book. The concept could have been amazing but the execution was awful. While the characters were likable (albeit woefully underdeveloped) it wasn’t enough to make this book worth the read. It was repetitive/redundant, there were timeline inconsistencies, plot holes and inconsistencies with details that just made you go - “wait what?!” - frequently. I felt like the issues that were made to be huge one second were like magically resolved with minimal conflict very very quickly. This book would’ve been better executed as a novella. By the time you’re 50-60% through the book it’s like there’s nothing left to keep you coming back for more. Way too much time was spent referring to the main characters two best friends (Zach & Nate) and their tension/chemistry EASILY outshined the two main characters which just SHOULDN’T happen. The intimate scenes were so bizarrely written that they made zero sense and they felt VERY transactional. Probably could’ve just left them out entirely to be honest. The hotel room scene was so weird to follow and lacked any real spark or chemistry especially for someone involved to be experiencing their first time with the same sex. I liked Lucas a lot but Sean was honestly not very likable even after his “redemption arc” was over. He just felt very selfish and spent the whole time thinking in a “me, me, me” kind of way while Lucas was very supportive physically, mentally and emotionally. I wish I could say this book was worth the read but in my opinion I wouldn’t waste my time if I could go back. 😞
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2025
3.5/4
Loved it
I started to read it not expecting much honestly, just a short MM hockey romance to entertain myself when I was bored, but it was so cute, I didn't expected it to be a coming of age too, and those last chapters made me tear up a little, not out of sadness, but because I am also going throught graduation (highschool, not college, but still...) and could relate to a lot of the conflicting feelings they felt towards the end, of sadness but also exitement, of knowing this isn't the end of your life, but the start of a new one, and the bittersweet feelings relating to the friendships and family you left behind hoping to still see each other, and the fear but also hope in your chest about going out into the REAL world leaving that bubble you were living in. I wasn't expecting much about this book but it came to me at just the right moment of my life, and it helped me to assimilate a lot of things I'm going through. I have never left a review before but I knew with this one that i just had to do it, it made me cry, not of sadness but because of other feelings which I don't know how to describe. 100 per cent recomend it to anyone who is reading this.
PS: Sorry for any mistakes, english isn't my first language.
Loved it
I started to read it not expecting much honestly, just a short MM hockey romance to entertain myself when I was bored, but it was so cute, I didn't expected it to be a coming of age too, and those last chapters made me tear up a little, not out of sadness, but because I am also going throught graduation (highschool, not college, but still...) and could relate to a lot of the conflicting feelings they felt towards the end, of sadness but also exitement, of knowing this isn't the end of your life, but the start of a new one, and the bittersweet feelings relating to the friendships and family you left behind hoping to still see each other, and the fear but also hope in your chest about going out into the REAL world leaving that bubble you were living in. I wasn't expecting much about this book but it came to me at just the right moment of my life, and it helped me to assimilate a lot of things I'm going through. I have never left a review before but I knew with this one that i just had to do it, it made me cry, not of sadness but because of other feelings which I don't know how to describe. 100 per cent recomend it to anyone who is reading this.
PS: Sorry for any mistakes, english isn't my first language.
December 14, 2025
What. The. Fuck. What in the AI fresh hell was that? There is zero chance this was written by a human. This was the most problematic, chaotic piece of trash I’ve ever read. The “author” should be embarrassed and shouldn’t be allowed to “write” a book ever again. These reviews and ratings can’t be real..
The truly sad thing? If a human had written this book, with any kind of decent writing capability, it might have been an okay read. The story would need to be completely gutted, but the basic concept could work. The cover should have told me everything I needed to know. The cover is 100% AI. The book felt like someone put specific prompts into multiple AI softwares and just shoved them all together without any concept of what editing is. I felt like I read the same scene 1000 times. Seriously, this was so bad and so pathetic. I’m someone who can’t leave a rating or review if I DNF a book, so I had to suffer just so I could share my thoughts. Please don’t read this book. AI is literally ruining everything.
The truly sad thing? If a human had written this book, with any kind of decent writing capability, it might have been an okay read. The story would need to be completely gutted, but the basic concept could work. The cover should have told me everything I needed to know. The cover is 100% AI. The book felt like someone put specific prompts into multiple AI softwares and just shoved them all together without any concept of what editing is. I felt like I read the same scene 1000 times. Seriously, this was so bad and so pathetic. I’m someone who can’t leave a rating or review if I DNF a book, so I had to suffer just so I could share my thoughts. Please don’t read this book. AI is literally ruining everything.
December 21, 2025
Overall, I thought the book had a really cute idea, and the concept itself is pretty good. That being said, I didn’t feel like the execution really worked for me. Some parts felt pretty repetitive, with the same event being told multiple times. I also had a hard time believing the character development. For example, Sean goes from not being out as bisexual to having a boyfriend within a matter of what comes off as weeks? With how significant and personal that journey usually is, it's just comes off as unrealistic. There are times in the book that jumps back in the timeline to show the same events from different points of view. While I personally love dual POV, it ended up being confusing because some of the details didn’t match up. Overall, those issues made the story harder for me to stay fully invested in, and I found myself finding reasons to put the book down, even though the idea itself was cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2026
This book feels like AI. There are so many repetitive phrases and scenarios. I was like 40% in and I couldn’t handle reading “when was the last someone asked me this” again. I get it. It’s the misunderstood jock with a lot of pressure from everyone. I got it the first two times I didn’t need to see it 20 more times this book does have potential, but the author needs to go back in and do some massive editing and tidying up. the book does not need to be as long as it is either. a lot of these stories are repetitive tropes and concepts; so for me to care about the book, I need characters to have more depth and chemistry. I mean, the two best friends had more chemistry than these two if we’re going for the burning jock and the nerd bring some tension. I don’t know…
December 6, 2025
I read a LOT even with a full schedule of work every week but this book STILL took me 3 days to finish. THREE.
- we went from “we have to be friends, I’m not out yet” to “he’s my boyfriend” WITH NO ACTUAL SCENE OF SEAN COMING OUT within a few paragraphs basically 🤨 where did the time go?
- their story is cute BUT I personally think Zach and Nate’s story was WAY more interesting. I hope there’s a book about their relationship
- this book was SO drawn out. And not the actual plot. Just random shit was drawn out so bad. It got boring towards the end 😬 the last like 30 pages, I just skimmed through them without actually reading any words because I was just so done with it
- we went from “we have to be friends, I’m not out yet” to “he’s my boyfriend” WITH NO ACTUAL SCENE OF SEAN COMING OUT within a few paragraphs basically 🤨 where did the time go?
- their story is cute BUT I personally think Zach and Nate’s story was WAY more interesting. I hope there’s a book about their relationship
- this book was SO drawn out. And not the actual plot. Just random shit was drawn out so bad. It got boring towards the end 😬 the last like 30 pages, I just skimmed through them without actually reading any words because I was just so done with it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2026
beautiful
First time reading a book by Ruby Keller but I absolutely loved this book. The romance, the characters, the chemistry.. all of it perfect.
From Zach and Nate to Lucas and Sean these couples we made perfectly for each other. Not only did I laugh at Zach and Nate and how crazy they were with each other and their constant need to bicker but I loved how Lucas never gave up on Sean. How Lucas kept pursuing Sean until he gave into his own feelings.
I even cried a little when Sean finally proposed to Lucas. A perfect moment to a perfect ending.
First time reading a book by Ruby Keller but I absolutely loved this book. The romance, the characters, the chemistry.. all of it perfect.
From Zach and Nate to Lucas and Sean these couples we made perfectly for each other. Not only did I laugh at Zach and Nate and how crazy they were with each other and their constant need to bicker but I loved how Lucas never gave up on Sean. How Lucas kept pursuing Sean until he gave into his own feelings.
I even cried a little when Sean finally proposed to Lucas. A perfect moment to a perfect ending.
May 9, 2025
Wow...poor writing quality. Inconsistent story telling, when they first meet they share their majors then in later chapters a character says they didn't know the others major. The author is also very ignorant of basics surrounding the sport of hockey, likely just chose it to capitalize off the current popularity. A lot of time was wasted on side interactions of friends. Poor read. DNF'd
May 1, 2025
The Boyfriend Zone was a fun, sweet read that I really enjoyed. This story is about a hockey player and a journalist through their lives from meeting to their HEA. I loved seeing the relationships of both Sean and Lucas, and Nate and Zach. Can't wait to read more of this author.
May 2, 2025
Goodness this was super cute. College hockey player with Journalism student sweet and loving romance with a bit of $mū+ though not enough in my book LOL but still a great read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 6, 2025
Timeline was a little odd and there was a lot of repetition. Some things that were made out as if they would be big issues were resolved very quickly and sometimes off page with just a remark later on.
September 6, 2025
4.5 star read
Such a cute, swoony rom-com! I loved the banter, the chemistry, and how it left me smiling the whole way through. Perfect feel-good read! The one thing I think it could have used maybe a little more spice between the characters.
Such a cute, swoony rom-com! I loved the banter, the chemistry, and how it left me smiling the whole way through. Perfect feel-good read! The one thing I think it could have used maybe a little more spice between the characters.
October 26, 2025
kindle: 2.25⭐️ cute/sweet and had decent potential but the story arc/pacing could’ve been better. also the timeline/pov switching was kind of wacky at times. things moved so fast in the beginning and then the second half felt so loongggg
May 19, 2025
The Boyfriend Zone was a cute story. I love Sean and Lucas. I love how this book showed the struggle between the heart and success.
May 27, 2025
This was bad in every way a book can be bad I think. Shallow characters, weird plots, unsure what couple the book was really about and also failed to be even a bit interesting.
June 1, 2025
It was a cute short read that I enjoyed, but it felt like something was missing, so I rated it 4 stars. I really enjoyed the story, especially since I'm in my hockey era and loving it.
June 2, 2025
It was weird, like too many problems.
lost-interest
September 10, 202511%
September 29, 2025
It was cute, 1 spice scene with very minimal spice
October 14, 2025
Super cute little sport romance.
December 24, 2025
I really liked the idea of this book and the MMCs but unfortunately it just was not good. The timeline was weird. A lot of repetitive wording and plot points. 2.5 stars.
December 31, 2025
This had so much potential, but unfortunately, the story and characters just didn't land for me. There was a lot of repetition but the story and characters just never developed well. I made it half way and decided to give up.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews