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Drop the Gloves
Evan Abernathy is starting a new season with the Pittsburgh Riveters. This is his shot to prove he belongs in the big leagues, and he’s determined to make it count.
There’s just one problem: his new linemate. Riley Barczyk is a league pest, seasoned brawler…and the guy who injured Evan last season.
Evan sure hasn’t forgotten, but it seems Riley has.
Now Riley’s offering to teach Evan how to fight. Worse, Evan could use the help. But all that one-on-one time with someone he can barely stand? That’s asking for trouble. It was supposed to be about learning to fight, not falling for the guy throwing the punches.
There’s just one problem: his new linemate. Riley Barczyk is a league pest, seasoned brawler…and the guy who injured Evan last season.
Evan sure hasn’t forgotten, but it seems Riley has.
Now Riley’s offering to teach Evan how to fight. Worse, Evan could use the help. But all that one-on-one time with someone he can barely stand? That’s asking for trouble. It was supposed to be about learning to fight, not falling for the guy throwing the punches.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2025
29 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
A.L. Heard
18 books180 followersAshley, pen name A.L. Heard, fandom name jhoom, is a 34 year old teacher, writer, and mother of two little boys. She’s been writing fanworks since she discovered ff.net back in her middle school days; the platform has changed and the writing’s improved, but Ashley ultimately still spends her free time writing about characters she adores in worlds she’d like to explore. Her first novel, Hockey Bois, was published in 2021. In between writing projects, she works as a language teacher in the Pittsburgh area, plays hockey, and plays trains with her sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 7, 2025
Happy release day to this fun time with dumb boys in love
“It’s okay,” Barczyk said. He knocked his knee into Evan’s. While he’d been upset about the penalty, he looked completely unbothered to hear that his own line mate thought he was a dick. “I am an asshole. I’m an asshole who snows goalies and smashes into people and punches them. But right now, I’m your asshole and I punch them for you. So if guys like Smith are being jagoffs” - he said this last part loudly while glaring at the other penalty box, the Pittsburghism earning him hoots from the nearby fans-“ you let me handle it, ‘kay?”
With how much I loved The Trade Deadline, this book was probably one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was fortunate enough to get a chance to get an ARC from the author and immediately dropped everything to dive in head first and I had a fantastic time with it.
Evan Abernathy is a few years into his NHL career now and is starting to feel a little bit less like the rookie on the team. Evan is a talented player with all the potential to become a great one, but despite being 6’5, Evan struggles with the final puzzle piece of his game and getting his head around physicality and aggression that's part of playing in the NHL. At the start of the season, one of the leagues biggest pests and grade A trouble maker, Riley Barczyk, is traded to Evan’s team. However, after Riley nearly landed Evan on the injury roster the year prior Evan finds it difficult to warm up to his new line mate, but recognises he needs to find some common ground for the sake of their season. It isn’t long though before finding common ground opens the door for some unexpected and potentially complicating attraction…..
Evan and Riley were both just such delightful characters and I adored them. I will admit that I was completely charmed by Evan because I am such a sucker for a kind and gentle giant who is just a bit like a big ol’ puppy who doesn’t know his own size and power. And when he was paired with Riley who was just a smaller tornado of chaotic energy their chemistry was just so fun. Once they transitioned into their teammates-with-benefits situationship I found their intensity to be hot and I had a great time with their relationship. Also Dalton was such a good bro! God I love some good team mates in a hockey romance ❤️
I didn't mention this in my initial thoughts, but I do feel it needs to be said, but I also deeply appreciated the representation of Evans sexuality, with him being gay and in the demi/ace space. It felt incorporated in a way that was very casual and organic to me as someone who inhabits a similar space in the queer spectrum and I dont often see representation that resonates to me the way that this did.
It’s worth noting that a fair bit of the interpersonal conflict and third act separation here comes from a lack of open communication about their feelings and the desire to yell at these two dumbos to just speak was nearly overwhelming, so fair warning if that drives you a bit bonkers.
There was a few cameos/mentions about Ryan and the Nilsson brothers and every one of them had me screaming into my hands (one had me screeching especially loudly, ifyky) and was such a fun extra treat.
I think that this was a simple premise executed well and I really enjoyed my time with this book. I appreciate that Heard knows her shit when it comes to hockey and the sorts of personalities that the hockey world houses and that she channels that passion into writing immersive, vibrant and believable hockey romances.
Thank you again to the author for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my thoughts and feelings ❤️
“It’s okay,” Barczyk said. He knocked his knee into Evan’s. While he’d been upset about the penalty, he looked completely unbothered to hear that his own line mate thought he was a dick. “I am an asshole. I’m an asshole who snows goalies and smashes into people and punches them. But right now, I’m your asshole and I punch them for you. So if guys like Smith are being jagoffs” - he said this last part loudly while glaring at the other penalty box, the Pittsburghism earning him hoots from the nearby fans-“ you let me handle it, ‘kay?”
With how much I loved The Trade Deadline, this book was probably one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was fortunate enough to get a chance to get an ARC from the author and immediately dropped everything to dive in head first and I had a fantastic time with it.
Evan Abernathy is a few years into his NHL career now and is starting to feel a little bit less like the rookie on the team. Evan is a talented player with all the potential to become a great one, but despite being 6’5, Evan struggles with the final puzzle piece of his game and getting his head around physicality and aggression that's part of playing in the NHL. At the start of the season, one of the leagues biggest pests and grade A trouble maker, Riley Barczyk, is traded to Evan’s team. However, after Riley nearly landed Evan on the injury roster the year prior Evan finds it difficult to warm up to his new line mate, but recognises he needs to find some common ground for the sake of their season. It isn’t long though before finding common ground opens the door for some unexpected and potentially complicating attraction…..
Evan and Riley were both just such delightful characters and I adored them. I will admit that I was completely charmed by Evan because I am such a sucker for a kind and gentle giant who is just a bit like a big ol’ puppy who doesn’t know his own size and power. And when he was paired with Riley who was just a smaller tornado of chaotic energy their chemistry was just so fun. Once they transitioned into their teammates-with-benefits situationship I found their intensity to be hot and I had a great time with their relationship. Also Dalton was such a good bro! God I love some good team mates in a hockey romance ❤️
I didn't mention this in my initial thoughts, but I do feel it needs to be said, but I also deeply appreciated the representation of Evans sexuality, with him being gay and in the demi/ace space. It felt incorporated in a way that was very casual and organic to me as someone who inhabits a similar space in the queer spectrum and I dont often see representation that resonates to me the way that this did.
It’s worth noting that a fair bit of the interpersonal conflict and third act separation here comes from a lack of open communication about their feelings and the desire to yell at these two dumbos to just speak was nearly overwhelming, so fair warning if that drives you a bit bonkers.
There was a few cameos/mentions about Ryan and the Nilsson brothers and every one of them had me screaming into my hands (one had me screeching especially loudly, ifyky) and was such a fun extra treat.
I think that this was a simple premise executed well and I really enjoyed my time with this book. I appreciate that Heard knows her shit when it comes to hockey and the sorts of personalities that the hockey world houses and that she channels that passion into writing immersive, vibrant and believable hockey romances.
Thank you again to the author for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my thoughts and feelings ❤️
October 9, 2025
Sigh, I was looking forward to this book since it was announced because I really, really liked Hockey Bois and The Trade Deadline.
But this one was just weird. Like, I feel I could make a list of all the things I didn't like or didn't make sense. For starters, nothing happens at all; there is no plot. The whole book revolves around Evan being a shy and polite Canadian boy who doesn't like to be physical, and hurt people when he plays hockey and Riley, who is basically a dick, plays rough all the time, is loud and annoying and doesn't care or feel remorse about the consequences of his actions.
Was I seriously supposed to be rooting for them to be together? 🤦🏻♀️
The book's structure is also super bizarre; it's 95% told from Evan's POV with random Riley chapters now and then that make no sense, contribute nothing to the story or the development of their relationship, and just work to portray Riley as more of a self-centred dick.
As for the unavoidable third-act conflict that you can see coming from chapter 1. It just made me incredibly annoyed. I hope it's just not me, but it was very obvious who was in the wrong here and who wasn't, but somehow we ended up with the storyline where the MC, who is NOT in the wrong, has to apologize and grovel because he has feelings? WTF
Needless to say, this was a bit disappointing. I didn't enjoy this much, and I ended up skimming the last 10% because I just couldn't be bothered.
I received an ARC from the author, and this is my honest review.
But this one was just weird. Like, I feel I could make a list of all the things I didn't like or didn't make sense. For starters, nothing happens at all; there is no plot. The whole book revolves around Evan being a shy and polite Canadian boy who doesn't like to be physical, and hurt people when he plays hockey and Riley, who is basically a dick, plays rough all the time, is loud and annoying and doesn't care or feel remorse about the consequences of his actions.
Was I seriously supposed to be rooting for them to be together? 🤦🏻♀️
The book's structure is also super bizarre; it's 95% told from Evan's POV with random Riley chapters now and then that make no sense, contribute nothing to the story or the development of their relationship, and just work to portray Riley as more of a self-centred dick.
As for the unavoidable third-act conflict that you can see coming from chapter 1. It just made me incredibly annoyed. I hope it's just not me, but it was very obvious who was in the wrong here and who wasn't, but somehow we ended up with the storyline where the MC, who is NOT in the wrong, has to apologize and grovel because he has feelings? WTF
Needless to say, this was a bit disappointing. I didn't enjoy this much, and I ended up skimming the last 10% because I just couldn't be bothered.
I received an ARC from the author, and this is my honest review.
December 12, 2025
Decent ace-rep.
I enjoyed the relationship development between Evan and Riley for most part of the book, the last part, their finally getting together, was held off for the longest time, then rushed, sadly.
Riley and Even were both likeable, and I could see why they fell for each other.
Evan going circles in his mind, over and over, jumping to conclusions only to contradict himself a second later got very tiring in the second half of the book.
My main issue was the story's set-up, though. I'm no expert on hockey and the NHL so maybe I'm way off base, but the way Evan was shown again and again as a professional hockey player who shied away from the physical side of the game and from checking opponent players, who didn't want to hurt anyone, who needed to learn to stand up for himself on the ice, felt very constructed to me. It would have been believable for a boy starting to play hockey, but an adult in his third year in the NHL being afraid of hurting and being hurt? And holding for months a grudge against a player who had hurt him (not severly) during a game? It felt very far-fetched.
I enjoyed the relationship development between Evan and Riley for most part of the book, the last part, their finally getting together, was held off for the longest time, then rushed, sadly.
Riley and Even were both likeable, and I could see why they fell for each other.
Evan going circles in his mind, over and over, jumping to conclusions only to contradict himself a second later got very tiring in the second half of the book.
My main issue was the story's set-up, though. I'm no expert on hockey and the NHL so maybe I'm way off base, but the way Evan was shown again and again as a professional hockey player who shied away from the physical side of the game and from checking opponent players, who didn't want to hurt anyone, who needed to learn to stand up for himself on the ice, felt very constructed to me. It would have been believable for a boy starting to play hockey, but an adult in his third year in the NHL being afraid of hurting and being hurt? And holding for months a grudge against a player who had hurt him (not severly) during a game? It felt very far-fetched.
October 14, 2025
RTC 🩷
October 11, 2025
Three options here.
1. I don't understand hockey(most plausible because I only started interacting with it in MM books and haven't watched it irl to date.
2. I'm too sensitive and this time it combined with me being misguided to get me to the wrong conclusion.
3. The wrong guy did the apology tour here.
I'm heavily leaning towards #3, with sprinklings of #1 and #2.
I love Riley as much as one can the league pest, but he WAS NOT the aggrieved MC in that situation. And it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth that Evan was the one doing the groveling.
For having feelings. About Riley having hit and injured him the previous season.
This is where my minimal knowledge of hockey is probably failing me because sure it's a physical game, but if someone injures you, surely it's okay to feel some type of way about it?
Especially because Evan really didn't make it anyone's problem. He actually sucked it up and kept his feelings to himself.
So for Riley to find out about it(which is also very funny, considering HE'S the one that hit him) then get mad at Evan for being mad about it —it's....I really don't have the word, but I didn't like it.
And the worst part is, Evan pulled off a good grovel. Reflected on shit. Gave Riley space. Apologized. Tried to make amends. But should he have, though?
Especially with Riley doing things like with the letter.
Sigh.
I knew the shoulder thing was going to come back and bite them in the ass but never could I have predicted this outcome.
Loved the book up to that point. Soured on it by the end because I really couldn't believe Riley was being serious.
Got himself a softie and took advantage.
Didn't help matters when Riley really pushed Evan to lay himself bare, all without having ever given anything back. Really felt like he wanted all the perks and none of the vulnerability that leads to them.
Love Evan. Meh on Riley(even though I loved him at the start)
Favorite bit? The teammate figuring it out and slowly backing away from the situation like....'Not today, satan'.
1. I don't understand hockey(most plausible because I only started interacting with it in MM books and haven't watched it irl to date.
2. I'm too sensitive and this time it combined with me being misguided to get me to the wrong conclusion.
3. The wrong guy did the apology tour here.
I'm heavily leaning towards #3, with sprinklings of #1 and #2.
I love Riley as much as one can the league pest, but he WAS NOT the aggrieved MC in that situation. And it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth that Evan was the one doing the groveling.
For having feelings. About Riley having hit and injured him the previous season.
This is where my minimal knowledge of hockey is probably failing me because sure it's a physical game, but if someone injures you, surely it's okay to feel some type of way about it?
Especially because Evan really didn't make it anyone's problem. He actually sucked it up and kept his feelings to himself.
So for Riley to find out about it(which is also very funny, considering HE'S the one that hit him) then get mad at Evan for being mad about it —it's....I really don't have the word, but I didn't like it.
And the worst part is, Evan pulled off a good grovel. Reflected on shit. Gave Riley space. Apologized. Tried to make amends. But should he have, though?
Especially with Riley doing things like with the letter.
Sigh.
I knew the shoulder thing was going to come back and bite them in the ass but never could I have predicted this outcome.
Loved the book up to that point. Soured on it by the end because I really couldn't believe Riley was being serious.
Got himself a softie and took advantage.
Didn't help matters when Riley really pushed Evan to lay himself bare, all without having ever given anything back. Really felt like he wanted all the perks and none of the vulnerability that leads to them.
Love Evan. Meh on Riley(even though I loved him at the start)
Favorite bit? The teammate figuring it out and slowly backing away from the situation like....'Not today, satan'.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2025
Spoilers⚠️
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
A.L. Heard's first two hockey romance novels, Hockey Bois and The Trade Deadline, are both 5/5 reads for me that I love dearly. So it's safe to assume that I was VERY excited to read Drop The Gloves.
Let's start with the good:
- Evan's coming to terms with his sexuality is dealt with extremely well.
- Evan and Riley undoubtedly have a very...interesting and intense dynamic.
- As to be expected from any of Heard's novels, the writing style is entertaining and the hockey scenes are very accurate to the actual game.
- The mini-golf stuff is so creative and cute and fun
Now...for the bad:
- It was a weird choice to have occasional Riley chapters. Heard has proved that she is more than capable of single POV (Hockey Bois) and dual POV (The Trade Deadline). The method used in Drop The Gloves, however, feels like a cop-out. It feels like Heard couldn't come up with an interesting way to present Riley's insight and thoughts from Evan's perspective.
- Literally nothing interesting happens in this story. Hockey Bois is great because it's just so entertaining and relatable, and TTD has a ton of great (but very tasteful/appropriate) drama. But here, they play for the same team now and...that's it? No one on the ENTIRE team gets injured or traded, no one gets fired. Also, we barely see any of their families? We only see Evan's mom, but it's almost completely confined to the first half of the book. And Amy is never mentioned until right before her scene, then is never mentioned again. Amy on her own is fine as a character, I guess. But if I had a nickel for every time an A.L. heard book had a character named some variation of Amy who is a childhood friend of one of the MCs and appears in one scene at a restaurant, then is never seen again, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice... I think we get a single passing mention of Riley having siblings, and we never get any insight as to why Evan doesn't have a dad. It all feels so poorly and hastily done, as if these characters don't exist at all if they're not physically there. As for the team, we barely get told how Pittsburgh is doing or what the league standings are. There was literally nothing going on.
- Evan and Riley, simply put, are not good for each other; they're too opposite to realistically work as a couple. And the whole shoulder injury saga was so frustrating to read.
- I hated Riley. Heard is usually so great at writing flawed characters who are still lovable (e.g. the grumpy closed-off Brady or the stubborn Lars or the overall pathetic Nick). But Riley is just annoying. He does crazy antics to make himself the center of attention, and injures people on the ice and shows absolutely no remorse, but justifies it because if you're playing hockey, you should expect to get injured? That's ridiculous. But that's all okay because he cheers on his teammates, apparently. And yeah, Evan should have probably confronted Riley about the shoulder injury much earlier, and I do appreciate how Heard presented it like the complicated issue that it was. But Riley handles it so poorly. He spins it on Evan and completely ignores him, even rips up Evan's apology note although it wasn't even Evan's fault, and forces Evan to basically convince himself that the whole situation was his fault. In my opinion, they were wayyyy too far gone to ever work out. But don't worry, they magically make amends because of course they do.
- The Ryan cameo is so weird and random? Apparently Riley knows him, I guess. And Evan is insanely jealous and pissy about it (which is very unlike his character). And then the whole situation is just...never talked about again??
2.5/5 rounded up because I love mini golf
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
A.L. Heard's first two hockey romance novels, Hockey Bois and The Trade Deadline, are both 5/5 reads for me that I love dearly. So it's safe to assume that I was VERY excited to read Drop The Gloves.
Let's start with the good:
- Evan's coming to terms with his sexuality is dealt with extremely well.
- Evan and Riley undoubtedly have a very...interesting and intense dynamic.
- As to be expected from any of Heard's novels, the writing style is entertaining and the hockey scenes are very accurate to the actual game.
- The mini-golf stuff is so creative and cute and fun
Now...for the bad:
- It was a weird choice to have occasional Riley chapters. Heard has proved that she is more than capable of single POV (Hockey Bois) and dual POV (The Trade Deadline). The method used in Drop The Gloves, however, feels like a cop-out. It feels like Heard couldn't come up with an interesting way to present Riley's insight and thoughts from Evan's perspective.
- Literally nothing interesting happens in this story. Hockey Bois is great because it's just so entertaining and relatable, and TTD has a ton of great (but very tasteful/appropriate) drama. But here, they play for the same team now and...that's it? No one on the ENTIRE team gets injured or traded, no one gets fired. Also, we barely see any of their families? We only see Evan's mom, but it's almost completely confined to the first half of the book. And Amy is never mentioned until right before her scene, then is never mentioned again. Amy on her own is fine as a character, I guess. But if I had a nickel for every time an A.L. heard book had a character named some variation of Amy who is a childhood friend of one of the MCs and appears in one scene at a restaurant, then is never seen again, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice... I think we get a single passing mention of Riley having siblings, and we never get any insight as to why Evan doesn't have a dad. It all feels so poorly and hastily done, as if these characters don't exist at all if they're not physically there. As for the team, we barely get told how Pittsburgh is doing or what the league standings are. There was literally nothing going on.
- Evan and Riley, simply put, are not good for each other; they're too opposite to realistically work as a couple. And the whole shoulder injury saga was so frustrating to read.
- I hated Riley. Heard is usually so great at writing flawed characters who are still lovable (e.g. the grumpy closed-off Brady or the stubborn Lars or the overall pathetic Nick). But Riley is just annoying. He does crazy antics to make himself the center of attention, and injures people on the ice and shows absolutely no remorse, but justifies it because if you're playing hockey, you should expect to get injured? That's ridiculous. But that's all okay because he cheers on his teammates, apparently. And yeah, Evan should have probably confronted Riley about the shoulder injury much earlier, and I do appreciate how Heard presented it like the complicated issue that it was. But Riley handles it so poorly. He spins it on Evan and completely ignores him, even rips up Evan's apology note although it wasn't even Evan's fault, and forces Evan to basically convince himself that the whole situation was his fault. In my opinion, they were wayyyy too far gone to ever work out. But don't worry, they magically make amends because of course they do.
- The Ryan cameo is so weird and random? Apparently Riley knows him, I guess. And Evan is insanely jealous and pissy about it (which is very unlike his character). And then the whole situation is just...never talked about again??
2.5/5 rounded up because I love mini golf
October 9, 2025
i had such high hopes for this one bc i ADORED trade deadline, but alas, this was very mediocre. i'm so sad. i didn't connect to either of the characters and while i do appreciate that the conflict is very nuanced, i also don't like how it all ended up and how so much of it was put on the MC when the love interest was clearly a douche. but it wasn't bad. i just feel like the crutch of relying on miscommunication/lack of communication shouldn't be something that leaves a relationship undefined for an entire book. especially since this is a quote from my review of the trade deadline, and the reason why it ended up as a 4.5 instead of 5⭐:
maybe no communication is trope the author likes? i sure don't at least, and the rest of the book didn't nearly weigh up for it.
but the no-communication drag? awful. it was so frustrating to see two grown men not being able to ask such a simple question. they'd been together for MONTHS and neither could bring up the courage to ask 'hey, are we dating?'. i get them not wanting to dig deep during playoffs but they had so much time before that that it was ridiculous to see.
maybe no communication is trope the author likes? i sure don't at least, and the rest of the book didn't nearly weigh up for it.
October 13, 2025
You’re either gonna love or hate Riley and I loved him so 5 stars it is. This was fantastic. Every moment is a blast. The relationship development is top notch. The banter is impeccable. Loved it.
November 29, 2025
Really enjoyed this book after a slow-ish start. Evan comes into his own over a season, coming to terms with his sexuality as he also learns to become comfortable with physical play in hockey. In fact, he comes to terms with his body in all senses. This is not a plot-driven book. Little happens except character development but if, like me, that is what most draws you into a story, this is great. I love this author’s slow burns. Now trying to handle the book hangover.
December 14, 2025
0🌟
I’m fucking LIVID! The trade deadline is my favorite mm hockey book and I was so fucking excited when I saw A. L. Heard had written another book. I should’ve DNF’d this and that’s on me. Literally every other page between page 50 and 400 I was like ‘stop Hannah you don’t have to do this to yourself’ and yet I still did. It was soooo long with absolutely no fucking pay off. You’re telling me. You’re telling me! That we don’t actually get to see the conversation with Dalty after he finds out that Riley is the man friend?? The fuck! You’re telling me. You’re telling me! That we don’t get to see anything past them getting together?? Literally over 500 pages of nothing!! And we don’t even get the makeup sex scene!! We don’t even get that little something. We literally get NOTHING!! We don’t even get him coming out to his mom!! 400 pages of Evan being like ‘fucking men doesn’t make me gay right?’ OMG MOVE ON!! And the weird alternating perspectives but only like 15% being Riley?? Huh?? And he was the more interesting character but we get to know almost nothing about him. And this is on top of the premise being BORING!! uhg hockey player doesn’t want to fight. EVAN ABERNATHY STFU AND GROW UP!! It’s literally 500 fucking pages of Evan not wanting to do his job and not realizing he’s gay. Dumb. So fucking dumb. The conflict between the characters is also ridiculous. Again GROW TF UP!! But why are they even together in the first place? It’s literally sexual chemistry and vibes I guess? I don’t even know what happened in these 500 pages. I literally can’t remember and I just finished it. There are SO SO SO many things that could’ve made this interesting but it was FUCKING BORING AND DUMB!! We don’t even get to the end of the hockey season! Do they make the playoffs? What about the cup huh? I’ve never read a book like this that we don’t know how the season ends. The book literally just ends in the middle of everything. I’m being nasty I know I know but I’m so fucking disappointed. After loving the trade deadline with my whole heart I’m gutted that this book fucking sucked. Fuck me up a tree. I need something to improve my mood bc this pissed me off so bad. Again sorry for my aggressive hating but it’s been a rough day and I’m fucking over it. I think this is the angriest a book has ever made me. I’m so fucking heated. Okay I’ll stop ranting here or I might never stop. Grrrrr.
I’m fucking LIVID! The trade deadline is my favorite mm hockey book and I was so fucking excited when I saw A. L. Heard had written another book. I should’ve DNF’d this and that’s on me. Literally every other page between page 50 and 400 I was like ‘stop Hannah you don’t have to do this to yourself’ and yet I still did. It was soooo long with absolutely no fucking pay off. You’re telling me. You’re telling me! That we don’t actually get to see the conversation with Dalty after he finds out that Riley is the man friend?? The fuck! You’re telling me. You’re telling me! That we don’t get to see anything past them getting together?? Literally over 500 pages of nothing!! And we don’t even get the makeup sex scene!! We don’t even get that little something. We literally get NOTHING!! We don’t even get him coming out to his mom!! 400 pages of Evan being like ‘fucking men doesn’t make me gay right?’ OMG MOVE ON!! And the weird alternating perspectives but only like 15% being Riley?? Huh?? And he was the more interesting character but we get to know almost nothing about him. And this is on top of the premise being BORING!! uhg hockey player doesn’t want to fight. EVAN ABERNATHY STFU AND GROW UP!! It’s literally 500 fucking pages of Evan not wanting to do his job and not realizing he’s gay. Dumb. So fucking dumb. The conflict between the characters is also ridiculous. Again GROW TF UP!! But why are they even together in the first place? It’s literally sexual chemistry and vibes I guess? I don’t even know what happened in these 500 pages. I literally can’t remember and I just finished it. There are SO SO SO many things that could’ve made this interesting but it was FUCKING BORING AND DUMB!! We don’t even get to the end of the hockey season! Do they make the playoffs? What about the cup huh? I’ve never read a book like this that we don’t know how the season ends. The book literally just ends in the middle of everything. I’m being nasty I know I know but I’m so fucking disappointed. After loving the trade deadline with my whole heart I’m gutted that this book fucking sucked. Fuck me up a tree. I need something to improve my mood bc this pissed me off so bad. Again sorry for my aggressive hating but it’s been a rough day and I’m fucking over it. I think this is the angriest a book has ever made me. I’m so fucking heated. Okay I’ll stop ranting here or I might never stop. Grrrrr.
October 25, 2025
I was pretty worried because a lot of the reviews for this book said they didn't like Barzy because he was an aggressive asshole, and maybe this is because I'm kind of aggressive and kind of an asshole, but I thought he was delightful, and I enjoyed this one a lot. barley felt like a gay mixture of Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk, which is not necessarily a vibe I would have picked for a lead in a romance book, but surprisingly I thought it really worked with the way it was written.
I will say, there were not nearly enough Barzy povs throughout this book, and I will die on that Hill.
I will say, there were not nearly enough Barzy povs throughout this book, and I will die on that Hill.
November 18, 2025
meh. it was cute, but wayyy too long + the third act breakup was stupid
December 30, 2025
Theres contrived drama and then there’s whatever this was
October 8, 2025
Holy fuck what an intensely dislikable love interest. I don't think I've ever wanted a couple to end up together at the end of a book less.
November 12, 2025
4.5
Very lovely novel. In terms of spice, I will say it’s open door but not like crazy spicy. The character development was enjoyable, I liked Evan and Riley, they both were incredibly complex characters. However, I do wish Riley had slight more development. There were mentions of therapy, mentions of past unresolved anger issues, and we only got glimpses of his inner monologue. I found him really interesting at the male love interest. The dynamic towards the end where the second chance part occurred was written really well. I’d honestly read a sequel or even an epilogue based novella of these two. I want to see Evan explore himself more and how their relationship grows. I loved their growth as players and people, also the separate identities as hockey players, friends, teammates, and then lovers was so well thought out — I really enjoyed the dynamic of their relationship as it grew.
Very lovely novel. In terms of spice, I will say it’s open door but not like crazy spicy. The character development was enjoyable, I liked Evan and Riley, they both were incredibly complex characters. However, I do wish Riley had slight more development. There were mentions of therapy, mentions of past unresolved anger issues, and we only got glimpses of his inner monologue. I found him really interesting at the male love interest. The dynamic towards the end where the second chance part occurred was written really well. I’d honestly read a sequel or even an epilogue based novella of these two. I want to see Evan explore himself more and how their relationship grows. I loved their growth as players and people, also the separate identities as hockey players, friends, teammates, and then lovers was so well thought out — I really enjoyed the dynamic of their relationship as it grew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2025
2.75
The second part of the book was so stupid? Why they couldn't talk to each other? Why Riley was so weird? Wtf.
The second part of the book was so stupid? Why they couldn't talk to each other? Why Riley was so weird? Wtf.
October 31, 2025
Skończyłam już czytać dobrze ponad 24 gdz. temu, ale coś nie mogę się zmusić do napisania komentarza 🫤 Zatem nic na siłę 🤷♀️
Historia przyzwoita, momentami nawet niezła (zwłaszcza gdzieś do połowy), ale jednak wyraźnie słabsza od wcześniejszej książki autorki The Trade Deadline...
Historia przyzwoita, momentami nawet niezła (zwłaszcza gdzieś do połowy), ale jednak wyraźnie słabsza od wcześniejszej książki autorki The Trade Deadline...
October 30, 2025
3.5 🌟
Loved the writing, loved Riley, the story was ok but kind of dull
Loved the writing, loved Riley, the story was ok but kind of dull
November 28, 2025
Evan Abernathy was completely insufferable to me as a male lead. Being forced to live this story through his pov was torturous. He completely lacks self awareness or any ability to self reflect until almost 80℅ of the way through the story. He needs therapy and to learn some healthy conflict resolution. Riley deserved better.
October 30, 2025
Could’ve been a good 3 stars if the ending wasn’t so trash
November 1, 2025
😳
🤨
🧐
😕
🧐🧐🧐
🥰
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
The hockey in this is stellar! Loved the games, felt like I was playing. The behind the scenes, player interactions, everything is authentic and clearly this author KNOWS hockey.
The story…felt like…a treatise on whether or not hurting people in hockey is okay or not. And I don’t *think* I like the conclusion the author drew, but I’m not sure I understood the point she was making either. I was left feeling like…rough-player Riley essentially teaches nice-guy Evan to fight, and that in hockey even if you don’t want to play rough, you have to be okay with collateral damage/hurting people to be a good player. That it's no big deal because that's just part of hockey, even if you send someone to the hospital/put them in IR. Shrug it off. An attitude backed up by the coach and the encouragement of the team.
🧐😕
I don’t know, I was left feeling…off.
Oh yeah and there’s a romance, gay awakening. Evan struggles to figure himself out…he seemed demi to me? He’s near-virgin who rarely feels sexual attraction but once he gets to know Riley well and has emotional responses to him, he starts feeling the attraction to Riley. I enjoyed their 1-1 time a lot, even the fight training.
Riley’s reaction to learning Evan’s “secret” seemed…blown way out of proportion, especially considering Evan had pretty much gotten over it and Riley didn’t even remember it at all anyway? It was so nothing to Riley, it didn’t even register…but he’s mad Evan never said anything, and Evan’s already let it go…? Like…that’s what you’re butthurt about? Huh?
Evan flip-flops on his feelings so much (am I gay, do I like Riley, no he’s too rough, but I miss him, but but but…) I wanted to throw the poor guy back in the fish tank and tell him to breathe through his gills.
I was more impressed with Riley owning his feelings (well, to himself...would've helped if he'd been up front with Evan...!), but...the way he kind of ghosted Evan didn't feel fair either. Having his random POVs here and there was...good for insight? But also kinda...yeah, random? Would have loved more cameos of his cat. And who took care of the cat while he was on the road? So many questions. (Also who are Riley's family? Other friends? Anyone? I didn't retain that info...???)
At least the one person on the team who knew about them was cool with it.
I don’t know, this one wasn’t my favorite.
EDITED TO ADD: a more satisfying story with a similar premise (one player fights/injures the other then later is traded to his team) is Roughing by Tierney Rose.
HFN. Hockey player teammates/secret romance. NO OM action or drama at all, not even one mention of any past lovers, entirely safe for me! But also seemed more focused on the issue of whether or not people should play rough in hockey on purpose than the romance. Hmm. Recommended for fans. But The Trade Deadline is far and away a more satisfying read.
🤨
🧐
😕
🧐🧐🧐
🥰
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
The hockey in this is stellar! Loved the games, felt like I was playing. The behind the scenes, player interactions, everything is authentic and clearly this author KNOWS hockey.
The story…felt like…a treatise on whether or not hurting people in hockey is okay or not. And I don’t *think* I like the conclusion the author drew, but I’m not sure I understood the point she was making either. I was left feeling like…rough-player Riley essentially teaches nice-guy Evan to fight, and that in hockey even if you don’t want to play rough, you have to be okay with collateral damage/hurting people to be a good player. That it's no big deal because that's just part of hockey, even if you send someone to the hospital/put them in IR. Shrug it off. An attitude backed up by the coach and the encouragement of the team.
🧐😕
I don’t know, I was left feeling…off.
Oh yeah and there’s a romance, gay awakening. Evan struggles to figure himself out…he seemed demi to me? He’s near-virgin who rarely feels sexual attraction but once he gets to know Riley well and has emotional responses to him, he starts feeling the attraction to Riley. I enjoyed their 1-1 time a lot, even the fight training.
Riley’s reaction to learning Evan’s “secret” seemed…blown way out of proportion, especially considering Evan had pretty much gotten over it and Riley didn’t even remember it at all anyway? It was so nothing to Riley, it didn’t even register…but he’s mad Evan never said anything, and Evan’s already let it go…? Like…that’s what you’re butthurt about? Huh?
Evan flip-flops on his feelings so much (am I gay, do I like Riley, no he’s too rough, but I miss him, but but but…) I wanted to throw the poor guy back in the fish tank and tell him to breathe through his gills.
I was more impressed with Riley owning his feelings (well, to himself...would've helped if he'd been up front with Evan...!), but...the way he kind of ghosted Evan didn't feel fair either. Having his random POVs here and there was...good for insight? But also kinda...yeah, random? Would have loved more cameos of his cat. And who took care of the cat while he was on the road? So many questions. (Also who are Riley's family? Other friends? Anyone? I didn't retain that info...???)
At least the one person on the team who knew about them was cool with it.
I don’t know, this one wasn’t my favorite.
EDITED TO ADD: a more satisfying story with a similar premise (one player fights/injures the other then later is traded to his team) is Roughing by Tierney Rose.
HFN. Hockey player teammates/secret romance. NO OM action or drama at all, not even one mention of any past lovers, entirely safe for me! But also seemed more focused on the issue of whether or not people should play rough in hockey on purpose than the romance. Hmm. Recommended for fans. But The Trade Deadline is far and away a more satisfying read.
October 22, 2025
I'm not used to writing reviews but I really wanted to write one for this book. I was waiting for the release date but the first couple of reviews had very different opinions and that stopped me from reading it for a couple of weeks. Lucky me, I usually forget other people opinions rather easily when it comes to books lol.
So, for anyone that loved TTD like me (and didn't read anything else from this author yet) and they're not sure if they should read this one:
The structure is a bit... unusual.
The book is written mostly from Evan's pov. We have some chapters from Riley's pov and I'll be honest, just reading the chapters list you might think they're thrown in randomly. They're really really not but I'll come back to this in a minute.
You see, now that I've finished it I can say that (imo) this is like the beginning of Evan story. I'm not saying it's not a romance book but just that it's main focus it's not them, but Evan. Evan's story. Evan's feelings. Evan's problems.
There's a lot. Evan's mind it's.... yeah.
It just makes sense that it's mostly his pov. It wouldn't have made sense to have mostly Riley's. It would have been superfluous to have more of Riley's, like a 1-1 ratio. It wouldn't have been enough of Evan's and too much of Riley's for the story that it's being told.
We have to be in Evan's mind to understand him and the story. And I loved how you can see how it's Evan's story: Riley's povs are literally out of it.
There's going to be chapter 13, Riley's chapter and then chapter 14.
So, coming back to Riley's "random chapters": they are still very important (at least to me lol).
Yes, maybe MAYBE, they're not as important for the story as a whole. But for us readers they're... perfect. They're like an extra, just for us. But they're not going to take you out of the narrative.
I found myself reading something and thinking (as always, when I'm reading a book that's not entirely from two povs) "I really wish I had Riley's thoughts about this" or something along that line and... if not at the end of that chapter, a couple of chapters later, I would have his thoughts and my wish granted.
And I don't think that's easy to do: to know what the readers want AND give it to them at the right time.
The questions now might be mainly two: what's the story then and how is it to be in Evan's mind? Will you want to smack him on the head? So, yeah, three questions.
You will want to smack him on the head a couple of times but that happens even with the best of them. Right? Right.
From now on, I'll try not to say too much but it could be a bit spoiler-y so stop here if you don't want to know more.
I'll now come to THE problem that made me wait before starting this book because it's a thing I despise and I really didn't want to hate this book.
I'm glad THE problem it's very understandable once you know a couple of things: Evan and hockey.
Here's the thing: The 3rd Act "break up" and how it's settled.
For some people it may seem like faults were put on someone that faults didn't have but it's not that simple.
It's a book about hockey. The main characters are hockey players.
I read romance books about hockey but I also watch it. I have a team I root for. I love it and the whole shebang. And you simply can't expect to have hockey without checks and hits. Like... IT'S HOCKEY. You can have a preference but you have to be open minded.
When I understood that much of the story was Evan, a hockey player in the NHL, having a problem with Riley checking/hitting other players (on the ice), I had to take a moment and reassess.
I really didn't want to think the whole book "Evan, please, come on, are you for real?"
But it happened, a couple of times. Didn't hate it, just wanted to smack him on the head.
Because at that point I was invested in the story.
Yeah, you can be like "wtf" but also "so, why are you a hockey player?" and I wanted to know. I wanted to understand this character.
When time comes for Riley to discover that Evan had these kind of thoughts about him the whole time they had been together, I knew why he was hurt. I was totally in his corner. He said to Evan everything I had been thinking and he was right.
But I also understood Evan, why he acted the way he did and where he was coming from.
And here's the marvellous thing about Evan and his mind and why you will love it: he has a level of introspection that's hard to come by. He can be... slow but once someone says something to him, he's not dismissive. Not at all. He really ponders on it and comes to the same conclusion that that someone had.
“As pissy as he was, Evan knew he was being unfair. He might be trying to spin this as Riley being a jerk, but it was more about Evan's hurt feelings. [...] If Evan didn't like that about Riley, that was Evan's problem.”
“[...] Evan was upset at Riley for being so unapologetically Riley.”
I'm not saying that Riley doesn't have faults but it is hockey. There's a lot of ways to play it and if you're not actively being a pos and trying to injure players, it's just a more physical way to do it.
And Evan acknowledged that several times.
I loved Riley. And I loved that at the end he started to apologise if a play resulted in someone's injury. He didn't want to injure anyone but it happens. And his main fault was that he didn't think apologising was worth it. He couldn't just stop playing his way because the man he loves doesn't like it. But they "compromised": Riley started apologising when necessary and Evan acknowledged that he couldn't ask more of him.
My only complaint: I would have appreciated a less rushed ending. Just a couple more chapters of them officially together would have been enough. I just wanted to have them for a while longer. Because I loved them and didn't want it to end but also because there were some things a would have liked to be there for.
I wanted to see them happy and maybe a few years down the line.
Anyway, I wanted to address these things. There's a lot more a would love to say but I think I made y'all read enough. (And sorry for any mistake, English it's not my first language).
I loved this book and I hope you will too if you give it a chance.
So, for anyone that loved TTD like me (and didn't read anything else from this author yet) and they're not sure if they should read this one:
The structure is a bit... unusual.
The book is written mostly from Evan's pov. We have some chapters from Riley's pov and I'll be honest, just reading the chapters list you might think they're thrown in randomly. They're really really not but I'll come back to this in a minute.
You see, now that I've finished it I can say that (imo) this is like the beginning of Evan story. I'm not saying it's not a romance book but just that it's main focus it's not them, but Evan. Evan's story. Evan's feelings. Evan's problems.
There's a lot. Evan's mind it's.... yeah.
It just makes sense that it's mostly his pov. It wouldn't have made sense to have mostly Riley's. It would have been superfluous to have more of Riley's, like a 1-1 ratio. It wouldn't have been enough of Evan's and too much of Riley's for the story that it's being told.
We have to be in Evan's mind to understand him and the story. And I loved how you can see how it's Evan's story: Riley's povs are literally out of it.
There's going to be chapter 13, Riley's chapter and then chapter 14.
So, coming back to Riley's "random chapters": they are still very important (at least to me lol).
Yes, maybe MAYBE, they're not as important for the story as a whole. But for us readers they're... perfect. They're like an extra, just for us. But they're not going to take you out of the narrative.
I found myself reading something and thinking (as always, when I'm reading a book that's not entirely from two povs) "I really wish I had Riley's thoughts about this" or something along that line and... if not at the end of that chapter, a couple of chapters later, I would have his thoughts and my wish granted.
And I don't think that's easy to do: to know what the readers want AND give it to them at the right time.
The questions now might be mainly two: what's the story then and how is it to be in Evan's mind? Will you want to smack him on the head? So, yeah, three questions.
You will want to smack him on the head a couple of times but that happens even with the best of them. Right? Right.
From now on, I'll try not to say too much but it could be a bit spoiler-y so stop here if you don't want to know more.
I'll now come to THE problem that made me wait before starting this book because it's a thing I despise and I really didn't want to hate this book.
I'm glad THE problem it's very understandable once you know a couple of things: Evan and hockey.
Here's the thing: The 3rd Act "break up" and how it's settled.
For some people it may seem like faults were put on someone that faults didn't have but it's not that simple.
It's a book about hockey. The main characters are hockey players.
I read romance books about hockey but I also watch it. I have a team I root for. I love it and the whole shebang. And you simply can't expect to have hockey without checks and hits. Like... IT'S HOCKEY. You can have a preference but you have to be open minded.
When I understood that much of the story was Evan, a hockey player in the NHL, having a problem with Riley checking/hitting other players (on the ice), I had to take a moment and reassess.
I really didn't want to think the whole book "Evan, please, come on, are you for real?"
But it happened, a couple of times. Didn't hate it, just wanted to smack him on the head.
Because at that point I was invested in the story.
Yeah, you can be like "wtf" but also "so, why are you a hockey player?" and I wanted to know. I wanted to understand this character.
When time comes for Riley to discover that Evan had these kind of thoughts about him the whole time they had been together, I knew why he was hurt. I was totally in his corner. He said to Evan everything I had been thinking and he was right.
But I also understood Evan, why he acted the way he did and where he was coming from.
And here's the marvellous thing about Evan and his mind and why you will love it: he has a level of introspection that's hard to come by. He can be... slow but once someone says something to him, he's not dismissive. Not at all. He really ponders on it and comes to the same conclusion that that someone had.
“As pissy as he was, Evan knew he was being unfair. He might be trying to spin this as Riley being a jerk, but it was more about Evan's hurt feelings. [...] If Evan didn't like that about Riley, that was Evan's problem.”
“[...] Evan was upset at Riley for being so unapologetically Riley.”
I'm not saying that Riley doesn't have faults but it is hockey. There's a lot of ways to play it and if you're not actively being a pos and trying to injure players, it's just a more physical way to do it.
And Evan acknowledged that several times.
I loved Riley. And I loved that at the end he started to apologise if a play resulted in someone's injury. He didn't want to injure anyone but it happens. And his main fault was that he didn't think apologising was worth it. He couldn't just stop playing his way because the man he loves doesn't like it. But they "compromised": Riley started apologising when necessary and Evan acknowledged that he couldn't ask more of him.
My only complaint: I would have appreciated a less rushed ending. Just a couple more chapters of them officially together would have been enough. I just wanted to have them for a while longer. Because I loved them and didn't want it to end but also because there were some things a would have liked to be there for.
I wanted to see them happy and maybe a few years down the line.
Anyway, I wanted to address these things. There's a lot more a would love to say but I think I made y'all read enough. (And sorry for any mistake, English it's not my first language).
I loved this book and I hope you will too if you give it a chance.
October 27, 2025
Great story, loveable MCs, great hockey!!
4,75 stars upgraded.
Great story, loveable MCs, great hockey!!
Abs isn't a fan when he learns that the pest of a rival player by whose hit he was injured the season before is his new teammate and even ends up as his linemate.
Barczyk is an undersized player, but an angry ball of fury, a very physical player on the ice. In the locker room, he's loud, extrovert and smart mouthed, so he easily charms his new team. Well, everyone but Abs, the shy introvert. Who is tall and strong, so his coaches expect a far more physical play than he feels comfortable with.
And Barzy is attentive: he notices Abs weakness (Abs doesn't want to hurt anyone on the ice) and offers to help.
The coaches encourage Abs to let Barzy help.
The training sessions, which Abs doesn't look forward to, turn out to have interesting effects. Also on the ice and for Abs' career (positive!).
I instantly had some of the real-life "pests" in mind when I read the book's blurb. "Small" balls of energy, very annoying to play against but great teammates and in one case he seems to be a really great guy off the ice. Heard's MCs are thankfully very distinctly NOT like the well known real life pests and big shy ones, but wholly their own, even if she posted a picture that was kind of an inspiration (smallish Walker and huge Bjugstad, if they were inspirations apart from the height difference I wouldn't know, never noticed Walker as a pest and fury).
This story is less a conventional love story but a very tender and at the same time very male coded exploration of male identity, of a hockey player's role on the ice, about communication when you're not good with communicating, about coming to grips with who you are especially in regards to what you are expected to be.
I totally loved it that most of the others in the team are oblivious to their teammates and their feelings - in hockey, much more tactile contact seems to be normal, an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek after a glorious goal does not necessarily mean anything else than pure exuberant joy. One reason to love hockey.
And when one teammate notices things, it's so nicely observed how someone can react. Without homophobia, without making a big deal.
I'd hope this is possible nowadays and hopefully this happens behind the scenes - just under the radar. Since none of the MCs wants to be defined by who they love.
Loved it.
Will check out the author's backlist.
Just wish, that list were longer ;-)
4,75 stars upgraded.
Great story, loveable MCs, great hockey!!
Abs isn't a fan when he learns that the pest of a rival player by whose hit he was injured the season before is his new teammate and even ends up as his linemate.
Barczyk is an undersized player, but an angry ball of fury, a very physical player on the ice. In the locker room, he's loud, extrovert and smart mouthed, so he easily charms his new team. Well, everyone but Abs, the shy introvert. Who is tall and strong, so his coaches expect a far more physical play than he feels comfortable with.
And Barzy is attentive: he notices Abs weakness (Abs doesn't want to hurt anyone on the ice) and offers to help.
The coaches encourage Abs to let Barzy help.
The training sessions, which Abs doesn't look forward to, turn out to have interesting effects. Also on the ice and for Abs' career (positive!).
I instantly had some of the real-life "pests" in mind when I read the book's blurb. "Small" balls of energy, very annoying to play against but great teammates and in one case he seems to be a really great guy off the ice. Heard's MCs are thankfully very distinctly NOT like the well known real life pests and big shy ones, but wholly their own, even if she posted a picture that was kind of an inspiration (smallish Walker and huge Bjugstad, if they were inspirations apart from the height difference I wouldn't know, never noticed Walker as a pest and fury).
This story is less a conventional love story but a very tender and at the same time very male coded exploration of male identity, of a hockey player's role on the ice, about communication when you're not good with communicating, about coming to grips with who you are especially in regards to what you are expected to be.
I totally loved it that most of the others in the team are oblivious to their teammates and their feelings - in hockey, much more tactile contact seems to be normal, an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek after a glorious goal does not necessarily mean anything else than pure exuberant joy. One reason to love hockey.
And when one teammate notices things, it's so nicely observed how someone can react. Without homophobia, without making a big deal.
I'd hope this is possible nowadays and hopefully this happens behind the scenes - just under the radar. Since none of the MCs wants to be defined by who they love.
Loved it.
Will check out the author's backlist.
Just wish, that list were longer ;-)
October 10, 2025
This was a tough one for me to rate! I really enjoy the author's writing style - I feel like the hockey is as authentic as it can be, and both characters felt very distinct. The dialogue is natural, and any spice takes a backseat to the plot.
That said, the premise of this one was a bit off? I watch hockey, and I know there's always a pest/enforcer on every team, and that hockey is a physical sport. I don't really have any issues with Riley or his role. What I do have an issue with is how much Evan holds it against him? Like be so for real, if you play professional hockey, you know that the physicality is part of the sport!! Even didn't even get all that hurt when Riley boarded him. Get a grip!!
I think the book would have been an easy 5 star for me if the crux of the plot had been Evan coming to understand his sexuality and Evan learning to be more physical, with Riley's help. The addition of this weird ass secret really PMO and I had a hard time getting past it. This is a 3.5 that I'm rounding down because I really do think the book suffered with this element.
I really liked Dalton though! Incredible friend. Wonderful man.
That said, the premise of this one was a bit off? I watch hockey, and I know there's always a pest/enforcer on every team, and that hockey is a physical sport. I don't really have any issues with Riley or his role. What I do have an issue with is how much Evan holds it against him? Like be so for real, if you play professional hockey, you know that the physicality is part of the sport!! Even didn't even get all that hurt when Riley boarded him. Get a grip!!
I think the book would have been an easy 5 star for me if the crux of the plot had been Evan coming to understand his sexuality and Evan learning to be more physical, with Riley's help. The addition of this weird ass secret really PMO and I had a hard time getting past it. This is a 3.5 that I'm rounding down because I really do think the book suffered with this element.
I really liked Dalton though! Incredible friend. Wonderful man.
January 15, 2026
Okay I definitely have a new favourite author. A. L. Heard has now knocked it out of the park twice in a row! I still think about Hockey Bois on a daily basis and now I have Riley and Evan stuck in my head!
I absolutely devoured this book! I think I read it in like a day? I just couldn’t put it down! This was such a sweet story about self discovery, friendship, and first love. This book starts with Riley being traded to Evan’s team, not unusual as he is often traded. He’s an aggressive player who really annoys the other team, but he’s also effective. Evan has an immediate dislike for him because Riley had hurt him last season. But Riley is determined to make them friends, even if he is sporting a pretty big crush on his new teammate.
Watching Riley slowly break down Evan’s walls and come into himself was so sweet. Evan didn’t know how much he needed Riley until he was there pestering him and teaching him how to play aggressive hockey. The two of them together are just adorable and they bring out the best in each other and make each other better people and players.
I cannot recommend these books enough. Honestly, I haven’t enjoyed reading books like A. L. Heard’s in a very long time and I can’t wait to read more!
I absolutely devoured this book! I think I read it in like a day? I just couldn’t put it down! This was such a sweet story about self discovery, friendship, and first love. This book starts with Riley being traded to Evan’s team, not unusual as he is often traded. He’s an aggressive player who really annoys the other team, but he’s also effective. Evan has an immediate dislike for him because Riley had hurt him last season. But Riley is determined to make them friends, even if he is sporting a pretty big crush on his new teammate.
Watching Riley slowly break down Evan’s walls and come into himself was so sweet. Evan didn’t know how much he needed Riley until he was there pestering him and teaching him how to play aggressive hockey. The two of them together are just adorable and they bring out the best in each other and make each other better people and players.
I cannot recommend these books enough. Honestly, I haven’t enjoyed reading books like A. L. Heard’s in a very long time and I can’t wait to read more!
October 19, 2025
What didn’t quite work for me was how the book handled Evan’s sexuality, the age gap, and the resolution. Evan was so beautifully ace- or demi-coded early on that turning it into a simple “he’s gay” storyline felt like it erased what made him unique; his attraction to Riley could’ve stood on its own without needing retroactive proof. The seven-year age gap between 21-year-old Evan and 28-year-old Riley also carried a real difference in life experience and emotional development that the story didn’t fully explore - Riley often treated him like an equal in experiences when Evan was still learning who he was. And while the slowburn build-up was wonderful, the ending wrapped things up too neatly; after so much nuance and tension, the resolution felt a little too easy for everything they’d been through.
October 23, 2025
This was really a cute book, the story is in the same universe with The Trade Deadline but we read the story of two teammates from a different team, Pittsburgh. The Trade Deadline was a perfect book for me last year so I was really excited for Drop the Gloves, I'm glad I enjoyed it so much ☺️ I only introduced myself to hockey through mm romance books so I very much appreciate how Heard incorporates hockey as a plot device, nearly a character on itself to her stories. I'd have really loved to grow with it as a kid but it wasn't a thing my country unfortunately..
I absolutely loved Evans, he is such a gentle giant puppy 🥹 Imagine a character his coaches giving him homework to make hits in a match. Such a gentleman, despite everyone was saying he needed to be harsh and tough while playing, he was refusing to hurt someone 🥹 I agree with his kind of play, I know the sport is quite physical but still.. And Mama Abernathy was so nice as well, I really liked reading her and Evan's scenes together. Sometimes families are too much sugarcoated in mm romances and it feels like fake but it is never the case with Heard's books. Each time I liked how the families of the mcs are so passionately supports them for their life and career ❤️
Riley was a bit complex character, he was pretending to be carefree and easygoing person while he was caring for his teams and teammates. I liked how he was so sweet and vulnerable inside while playing the tough guy. He was also a cat dad! I'd die to read his dialogues with Sophia more 😭
This time again there was the forgetting trope. I felt like this trope was more stronger or used better in The Trade deadline because it was a big thing for both Lars and Ryan and the reveal scene was more satisfying. Here I was thinking Riley wouldn't be that devastated by what he did before to Evan. And that was the case truly, he got mad for Evan being still mad to him yet I couldn't help but agree with Evan for this.. Maybe it is because I would be the same as Evan and keep my hurt inside despite spending time together so I was a bit frustrated with Riley and how he reacted after the reveal scene.. Maybe it could have helped if we could get more of his POV. I am not very much fan of multiple POVs actually, but each Riley chapter was very nice to get glimpses of his thoughts and emotions, I really couldn't get enough 😭 I would literally die reading more of jealous Riley from his POV 😭😭
This was my first time reading a demi MC. It was really refreshing! I loved how Evan slowly discovered and found himself! There were lots of blushes along the way hehe
I spent a whole weekend and devoured the book. I didn't even realize until I was almost at the end that there were only few chapters left for the conflict to be solved.. The ending felt a little bit rushed for me compared to how the first 4/5 of the book went. I was really curious about how they would handle being boyfriends and nhl players at the same time or how their team would react to their relationship. Maybe there would a continuation, who knows? I'll be waiting for more mm romances from Heard in the future 👀❤️
I kindly got an ARC copy from the author for an honest review
I absolutely loved Evans, he is such a gentle giant puppy 🥹 Imagine a character his coaches giving him homework to make hits in a match. Such a gentleman, despite everyone was saying he needed to be harsh and tough while playing, he was refusing to hurt someone 🥹 I agree with his kind of play, I know the sport is quite physical but still.. And Mama Abernathy was so nice as well, I really liked reading her and Evan's scenes together. Sometimes families are too much sugarcoated in mm romances and it feels like fake but it is never the case with Heard's books. Each time I liked how the families of the mcs are so passionately supports them for their life and career ❤️
Riley was a bit complex character, he was pretending to be carefree and easygoing person while he was caring for his teams and teammates. I liked how he was so sweet and vulnerable inside while playing the tough guy. He was also a cat dad! I'd die to read his dialogues with Sophia more 😭
This time again there was the forgetting trope. I felt like this trope was more stronger or used better in The Trade deadline because it was a big thing for both Lars and Ryan and the reveal scene was more satisfying. Here I was thinking Riley wouldn't be that devastated by what he did before to Evan. And that was the case truly, he got mad for Evan being still mad to him yet I couldn't help but agree with Evan for this.. Maybe it is because I would be the same as Evan and keep my hurt inside despite spending time together so I was a bit frustrated with Riley and how he reacted after the reveal scene.. Maybe it could have helped if we could get more of his POV. I am not very much fan of multiple POVs actually, but each Riley chapter was very nice to get glimpses of his thoughts and emotions, I really couldn't get enough 😭 I would literally die reading more of jealous Riley from his POV 😭😭
This was my first time reading a demi MC. It was really refreshing! I loved how Evan slowly discovered and found himself! There were lots of blushes along the way hehe
I spent a whole weekend and devoured the book. I didn't even realize until I was almost at the end that there were only few chapters left for the conflict to be solved.. The ending felt a little bit rushed for me compared to how the first 4/5 of the book went. I was really curious about how they would handle being boyfriends and nhl players at the same time or how their team would react to their relationship. Maybe there would a continuation, who knows? I'll be waiting for more mm romances from Heard in the future 👀❤️
I kindly got an ARC copy from the author for an honest review
November 9, 2025
this just makes me want to re-read the trade deadline. very readable but the conflict (what little of it there was) was pretty annoying. i also just wasn't as into the love interest with this one. riley was supposed to be a flawed character but i don't think heard did a good enough job redeeming him. good amount of hockey in this which i always appreciate. 3.5 stars
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October 8, 2025Pros: I LOVE when authors make up their names for their universe's version of the NHL. Author seems to know/like hockey.
Cons: somewhat clunky writing and unfortunately I hated Riley. Wound up DNFing, in part cause I have strong feelings about Riley's style of play and low tolerance for that and its many justifications, and Riley didn't even care. Sure, he's def injured people far worse, but it being so commonplace that he doesn't even remember Evan or assume he's hurt him is fucked up. Self-awareness, you dick! Looking at other reviews, it sounds like we're meant to be on his side and I am NOT about that, I'm annoyed just reading about that. Evan groveling to Riley??? WTF. I already know Riley should be groveling and frankly, doesn't deserve Evan even then. Justice for Evan >:(
This did however pique my interest enough to still want to try the author's other books, so hopefully my library gets 'em soon. I just hope there aren't more Rileys.
Cons: somewhat clunky writing and unfortunately I hated Riley. Wound up DNFing, in part cause I have strong feelings about Riley's style of play and low tolerance for that and its many justifications, and Riley didn't even care. Sure, he's def injured people far worse, but it being so commonplace that he doesn't even remember Evan or assume he's hurt him is fucked up. Self-awareness, you dick! Looking at other reviews, it sounds like we're meant to be on his side and I am NOT about that, I'm annoyed just reading about that. Evan groveling to Riley??? WTF. I already know Riley should be groveling and frankly, doesn't deserve Evan even then. Justice for Evan >:(
This did however pique my interest enough to still want to try the author's other books, so hopefully my library gets 'em soon. I just hope there aren't more Rileys.
November 12, 2025
i enjoyed this but it was probably because the curly haired rat boy is my favorite type of hockey player
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