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The Reapers #1
My Captain
He Calls Me Pup. I Call Him God. Elias Mercer is twenty, reckless, and the newest rookie center for the Ravensburg Reapers. He runs his mouth like he’s untouchable—until the captain walks in.
Damian Kade is a legend. Thirty-two, enforcer, team captain, terrifying both on and off the ice. Everyone respects him. No one crosses him. When his mismatched eyes pin Elias, it isn’t just obsession. It’s possession.
What starts as one brutal Halloween night in a hotel room turns into a season-long addiction—bloodied knuckles, bruised kisses, whispered orders in the dark. On the ice, Damian wrecks anyone who dares touch his rookie. Off it, Elias can’t stop crawling back to him, no matter how much it ruins him.
Hockey is war. Love is worse.
And Elias Mercer is about to learn exactly what it means to belong to his captain.
My Captain is a best-selling standalone dark hockey romance filled with obsession, violence, and dangerous devotion. Perfect for fans of brutal age gaps, possessive captains, and rookies who can’t keep their mouths shut even when they should.
Damian Kade is a legend. Thirty-two, enforcer, team captain, terrifying both on and off the ice. Everyone respects him. No one crosses him. When his mismatched eyes pin Elias, it isn’t just obsession. It’s possession.
What starts as one brutal Halloween night in a hotel room turns into a season-long addiction—bloodied knuckles, bruised kisses, whispered orders in the dark. On the ice, Damian wrecks anyone who dares touch his rookie. Off it, Elias can’t stop crawling back to him, no matter how much it ruins him.
Hockey is war. Love is worse.
And Elias Mercer is about to learn exactly what it means to belong to his captain.
My Captain is a best-selling standalone dark hockey romance filled with obsession, violence, and dangerous devotion. Perfect for fans of brutal age gaps, possessive captains, and rookies who can’t keep their mouths shut even when they should.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2025
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December 14, 2025
EDIT 03/2026 - I wrote the original fairly quickly and didn't elaborate as much on why this book is obviously AI as I could have, so I'm updating it to add some more details and tells.
Pros:
-
Cons:
- AI garbage.
- ChatGPT 4o garbage, more specifically.
- A lot of people fell for this.
Comments:
ChatGPT 4o garbage. The kind where the prompter prompts for a witty character, which results in an obnoxious, extremely snarky, and confident asshole who can't stop quipping terrible lines, and idiots who laugh at comebacks that'd be embarrassing to even think of.
You also got:
* "Not X, just Y's" and muttering on page one.
* Whispers and rooms that breathe by page two.
* Murmurs, snorts, and raised eyebrows by page three and four.
* Barks, echoes, and noise don't make it till page five.
* Your first grunt is on page seven.
If you're wondering, why tf I'm bringing these up like they matter, it's because ChatGPT (again, the awful 4o in particular) absolutely cannot help itself from using these. Ever. Throw in a male character, and you're guaranteed they'll bark, snort, and grunt like a doghorse in no time flat.
Other signs include:
* The excessively tell nature. Nothing is left to the imagination. Every action, gesture, moment of silence, and detail is narrated out. AI writing is generally incapable of showing.
* Excess dramatics. When 4o is told to take on action sequences, it goes completely overboard with its verbs. In the hockey scene, everything is exploding, howling, blasting, hammering. There's no chance for the reader to breathe.
* Repetition. Other reviews mention chirping. AI doesn't keep track of how many times it used a certain word or phrase. There are 65 chirps in this book. It's the result of 4o constantly referring back to whatever context it was given, and averaging out based on that, chirping is the most appropriate word to use.
* This follows for many other words, such as barely, trembling, swallowing, breaths (300+ times!), tilts, tightens, brutal, snap, cock (sorry but 138 times is way too much), and the aforementioned mutters, murmurs, barks and grunts. Far too much usage repetitively to be human. What compounds this issue is being excessively tell, which is why these repeat so much in the same way. AI doesn't know subtlety.
4o is one of the easiest to tell for AI writing. Each LLM has their own signs. If you see any book written in this one's style, avoid like the plague if you don't want your breath to hitch from all the chirping.
Pros:
-
Cons:
- AI garbage.
- ChatGPT 4o garbage, more specifically.
- A lot of people fell for this.
Comments:
ChatGPT 4o garbage. The kind where the prompter prompts for a witty character, which results in an obnoxious, extremely snarky, and confident asshole who can't stop quipping terrible lines, and idiots who laugh at comebacks that'd be embarrassing to even think of.
You also got:
* "Not X, just Y's" and muttering on page one.
* Whispers and rooms that breathe by page two.
* Murmurs, snorts, and raised eyebrows by page three and four.
* Barks, echoes, and noise don't make it till page five.
* Your first grunt is on page seven.
If you're wondering, why tf I'm bringing these up like they matter, it's because ChatGPT (again, the awful 4o in particular) absolutely cannot help itself from using these. Ever. Throw in a male character, and you're guaranteed they'll bark, snort, and grunt like a doghorse in no time flat.
Other signs include:
* The excessively tell nature. Nothing is left to the imagination. Every action, gesture, moment of silence, and detail is narrated out. AI writing is generally incapable of showing.
* Excess dramatics. When 4o is told to take on action sequences, it goes completely overboard with its verbs. In the hockey scene, everything is exploding, howling, blasting, hammering. There's no chance for the reader to breathe.
* Repetition. Other reviews mention chirping. AI doesn't keep track of how many times it used a certain word or phrase. There are 65 chirps in this book. It's the result of 4o constantly referring back to whatever context it was given, and averaging out based on that, chirping is the most appropriate word to use.
* This follows for many other words, such as barely, trembling, swallowing, breaths (300+ times!), tilts, tightens, brutal, snap, cock (sorry but 138 times is way too much), and the aforementioned mutters, murmurs, barks and grunts. Far too much usage repetitively to be human. What compounds this issue is being excessively tell, which is why these repeat so much in the same way. AI doesn't know subtlety.
4o is one of the easiest to tell for AI writing. Each LLM has their own signs. If you see any book written in this one's style, avoid like the plague if you don't want your breath to hitch from all the chirping.
October 21, 2025
⭐️⭐️ bro there was not a single cute moment in this book. i know it’s a dark romance but not even one cute moment? wild. not once did they say “i love you” which is bizarre since this is a romance book. there was no real plot. besides one story about elias’ past, there was nothing about who they are as people. i’ve never seen the word “chirp” as much as in this book it’s practically every page. the whole thing was just very repetitive honestly. idk how this thing was 481 pages. and not once did elias say damien’s name, it was always sir. which is fine but also a little weird. whatever man it just wasn’t for me.
October 21, 2025
lots of chirping…
I have read about 30% and I just can’t. I hate leaving a book midway through but this is so awful.
What’s with the chirping? Do we find out in the end that this is actually an abstract story about birds?
The writing is repetitive. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t written in 40 minutes with nary an editor in sight.
The characters are 2D and unlikeable. At this point I simply don’t care if the MMC’s chirp right off the page. Meh DNF…
I have read about 30% and I just can’t. I hate leaving a book midway through but this is so awful.
What’s with the chirping? Do we find out in the end that this is actually an abstract story about birds?
The writing is repetitive. I’d be surprised if this wasn’t written in 40 minutes with nary an editor in sight.
The characters are 2D and unlikeable. At this point I simply don’t care if the MMC’s chirp right off the page. Meh DNF…
January 31, 2026
literally what on earth did i just read??? either the writing is terrible or it’s AI or both! holy shit
January 25, 2026
This book is exceedingly repetitive, two chapters started so similarly I actually had to go back to make sure it wasn't an error. Riven constantly reuses the same phrases to excess that it becomes both noticeable and grating pretty quickly. I hit 21% completion when I decided to attempt a return, but I had exceeded the completion percentage that would allow for a refund, so my unwitting ownership of this ebook continues. I attempted to muscle through in the hopes there would be something redeeming once the relationship properly kicked off. However, I have now hit a whopping 34% completion and hit an insurmountable wall-- Riven has no idea what they are talking about.
The first thing that jumped out is that Damien behaves more like a coach than a captain. He's running practice, choosing line up, booking hotels-- the coach isn't even present during the rail car? hotel? chapters. "Practice" is just insane amounts of running. The entire team seems to be part of this dom/sub relationship. Everyone immediately snaps to his command but thinks its weird Elias is saying the quiet part out loud-- and not in the "no gay in hockey" kind of way, but in the "we're all simping for daddy" way. Most of the dialogue involving this gives me so much second hand embarrassment I was skipping swaths of text and missed basically nothing. I do not know enough about hockey to know if the game descriptions make any sense, so i'll take my own advice and leave that to someone else.
The straw that broke it for me was some throw away line at the end of a chapter. At the start of this "arc", it was mentioned the team had a *long* day of flying. Something like 18 hours total with a layover-- which is a lot, but not so unreasonably long that I really question it. One of those things that can be completely disregarded as short hand for "it was long". Elias freaks out halfway through thinking the plane would crash and be eaten by sharks-- again, something that can be disregarded as an unreasonable fear in a moment of panic, because they're not flying over the ocean, right? I assumed that was an unreliable narration from someone experiencing a panic attack during an emergency landing. Except this middle of no where Airport described as a "barn" has a direct, 8-hour flight back to "Ravensburg" wherever-- again insanely long because they are supposed to be half-way back, and then its mentioned they crossed the *Atlantic*.
This is when I realize, I have no idea where we are. I understand this is a PWP--the hockey is a vessel here, not the purpose-- I was very content to assume we are somewhere in the US or Canada. Details unimportant. Ravensburg can be wherever it wants to be. I am a pro at the suspension of disbelief here-- I was willing to let all of the above go with the handwave of a very controlling, sadist captain for the purposes of a thinly veiled P propping up the WP. Details here are relatively unimportant, except when the author decides to nail down something so trivial, it completely takes the reader out of it. I haven't been knocked out of a book this hard since I decided to start live blogging Zowie its Yaoi on tumblr in 2017.
The Reapers have an away game as their first game of the season with their "rivals" The Phantoms, everyone speaks English, its the first game of the season-- with as much detail is given to the airport scenes, there is no mention of customs, passports, etc. so where are we??? Where did we go?? Now all the minor stuff I was ignoring is at the forefront--why are two rookies starting the day before the first game? Why is a rookie with 24 hours of experience STARTING as center, why is there an Austrian retired rail themed hotel in ??? Where are we??? The only place I'm relatively certain it is not, is Austria. Pick a state! Are we on earth? Is this an alternate universe dark gay hockey romance where the US/Canada no longer exists and international leagues now start in October?
I find myself at a puzzling crossroads. Have we circled back around to so bad its good? Is this the next Zowie its Yaoi? I would have hoped that our gay "romance" would have evolved more since the 90's. Unfortunately, Elias and Damien fall into the very common gay romance tropes of "mouthy loud gay" and "dom of doms." Dare I even say, a shadow daddy. A trope is a trope for a reason, and I am no stranger to this one in particular. I love a good "touch him and die" vibe-- key word here being good-- but I'm more than a third of a way through this book and there is nothing else to any of these characters outside of that. Elias is not passing the sexy hockey shaped lamp test here, and it shows.
I wish I could be more forgiving. Like I have mentioned, I'm only about a 3rd of the way through the book-- but on the other hand, I'm already a third of the way through and there has really been nothing to bite into. Even if the later 66% is top shelf Gay Hockey lit that reforms the genre itself, the beginning is still a slog. Neither character is compelling enough to drive my interest, or worse, actively annoying or embarrassing to the point I want to stop. There has been one hockey related event and there was no tension there, and the relationship between the two leads already seems pretty set. While I can respect getting to the point, the plot should really be monkey branching me from one conflict to the next, not just leaving me dangling for something new to happen once we hit the inciting incident two chapters ago.
Assuming I am able to reach the end of this book, I will update my review accordingly, however, at the current state, I am not able to recommend this book to anyone. AO3 is free, and I can promise you between Heated Rivalry and RPF, there is plenty of better examples of this trope for you to sink your teeth into for free.
EDIT: Alright, I tried to muscle through, I really did. I made it to 50% but every chapter was just a repeat of one of the previous ones and I am not god's strongest solider. I'm tapping out, DNF.
The first thing that jumped out is that Damien behaves more like a coach than a captain. He's running practice, choosing line up, booking hotels-- the coach isn't even present during the rail car? hotel? chapters. "Practice" is just insane amounts of running. The entire team seems to be part of this dom/sub relationship. Everyone immediately snaps to his command but thinks its weird Elias is saying the quiet part out loud-- and not in the "no gay in hockey" kind of way, but in the "we're all simping for daddy" way. Most of the dialogue involving this gives me so much second hand embarrassment I was skipping swaths of text and missed basically nothing. I do not know enough about hockey to know if the game descriptions make any sense, so i'll take my own advice and leave that to someone else.
The straw that broke it for me was some throw away line at the end of a chapter. At the start of this "arc", it was mentioned the team had a *long* day of flying. Something like 18 hours total with a layover-- which is a lot, but not so unreasonably long that I really question it. One of those things that can be completely disregarded as short hand for "it was long". Elias freaks out halfway through thinking the plane would crash and be eaten by sharks-- again, something that can be disregarded as an unreasonable fear in a moment of panic, because they're not flying over the ocean, right? I assumed that was an unreliable narration from someone experiencing a panic attack during an emergency landing. Except this middle of no where Airport described as a "barn" has a direct, 8-hour flight back to "Ravensburg" wherever-- again insanely long because they are supposed to be half-way back, and then its mentioned they crossed the *Atlantic*.
This is when I realize, I have no idea where we are. I understand this is a PWP--the hockey is a vessel here, not the purpose-- I was very content to assume we are somewhere in the US or Canada. Details unimportant. Ravensburg can be wherever it wants to be. I am a pro at the suspension of disbelief here-- I was willing to let all of the above go with the handwave of a very controlling, sadist captain for the purposes of a thinly veiled P propping up the WP. Details here are relatively unimportant, except when the author decides to nail down something so trivial, it completely takes the reader out of it. I haven't been knocked out of a book this hard since I decided to start live blogging Zowie its Yaoi on tumblr in 2017.
The Reapers have an away game as their first game of the season with their "rivals" The Phantoms, everyone speaks English, its the first game of the season-- with as much detail is given to the airport scenes, there is no mention of customs, passports, etc. so where are we??? Where did we go?? Now all the minor stuff I was ignoring is at the forefront--why are two rookies starting the day before the first game? Why is a rookie with 24 hours of experience STARTING as center, why is there an Austrian retired rail themed hotel in ??? Where are we??? The only place I'm relatively certain it is not, is Austria. Pick a state! Are we on earth? Is this an alternate universe dark gay hockey romance where the US/Canada no longer exists and international leagues now start in October?
I find myself at a puzzling crossroads. Have we circled back around to so bad its good? Is this the next Zowie its Yaoi? I would have hoped that our gay "romance" would have evolved more since the 90's. Unfortunately, Elias and Damien fall into the very common gay romance tropes of "mouthy loud gay" and "dom of doms." Dare I even say, a shadow daddy. A trope is a trope for a reason, and I am no stranger to this one in particular. I love a good "touch him and die" vibe-- key word here being good-- but I'm more than a third of a way through this book and there is nothing else to any of these characters outside of that. Elias is not passing the sexy hockey shaped lamp test here, and it shows.
I wish I could be more forgiving. Like I have mentioned, I'm only about a 3rd of the way through the book-- but on the other hand, I'm already a third of the way through and there has really been nothing to bite into. Even if the later 66% is top shelf Gay Hockey lit that reforms the genre itself, the beginning is still a slog. Neither character is compelling enough to drive my interest, or worse, actively annoying or embarrassing to the point I want to stop. There has been one hockey related event and there was no tension there, and the relationship between the two leads already seems pretty set. While I can respect getting to the point, the plot should really be monkey branching me from one conflict to the next, not just leaving me dangling for something new to happen once we hit the inciting incident two chapters ago.
Assuming I am able to reach the end of this book, I will update my review accordingly, however, at the current state, I am not able to recommend this book to anyone. AO3 is free, and I can promise you between Heated Rivalry and RPF, there is plenty of better examples of this trope for you to sink your teeth into for free.
EDIT: Alright, I tried to muscle through, I really did. I made it to 50% but every chapter was just a repeat of one of the previous ones and I am not god's strongest solider. I'm tapping out, DNF.
November 14, 2025
two things
1.) this book did not feel like 500 pages
2.) i’m gagged by the ending
rip me
jk.
okay so there’s some editing issues. so there’s a lot of chirping. so the smut isn’t great. so I’m annoyed that Elias never got to call Damian by his name. so every time i heard Hollywood i thought of walker “Disney” davis. point is, once you get through that stuff and just immerse yourself into the book its not bad. I think I really liked this book because it reminded me of my old Wattpad days and the nostalgia took over.
it’s not a “cute” or a “dark” romance either. there’s rough sex and possessiveness but it’s not dark
1.) this book did not feel like 500 pages
2.) i’m gagged by the ending
rip me
jk.
okay so there’s some editing issues. so there’s a lot of chirping. so the smut isn’t great. so I’m annoyed that Elias never got to call Damian by his name. so every time i heard Hollywood i thought of walker “Disney” davis. point is, once you get through that stuff and just immerse yourself into the book its not bad. I think I really liked this book because it reminded me of my old Wattpad days and the nostalgia took over.
it’s not a “cute” or a “dark” romance either. there’s rough sex and possessiveness but it’s not dark
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2026
I’m so incredibly underwhelmed. Zero stakes, it’s literally all just smut. Dragggggg
September 30, 2025
I enjoyed the story but…
The writing itself is lackluster, repetitive, and poorly edited. Also, I can’t tell if the ending is meant to be a cliffhanger or just something thrown together to meet a deadline. I loved the dynamic between Damian and Elias, and I enjoyed Cole’s presence and personality, but at some point along the chapters the writing became monotonous.
The writing itself is lackluster, repetitive, and poorly edited. Also, I can’t tell if the ending is meant to be a cliffhanger or just something thrown together to meet a deadline. I loved the dynamic between Damian and Elias, and I enjoyed Cole’s presence and personality, but at some point along the chapters the writing became monotonous.
Read
November 5, 2025dnf @ 30%. came here to see if it was just me. decided not to finish.
Read
December 3, 2025dnf 42%
July 23, 2026
I liked this in the beginning but then it got boring and really repetitive. I felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over again with the characters pretty much doing the exact same thing over and over again. I felt like there was really no character or plot development happening. Also felt like the MCs didn’t really have a connection besides Elias being obsessed with Damian and him liking it. I at least wanted a scene where some OM shows a little interest in Elias and Damian get jealous or something because right I still feel like Elias is still way more obsessed with Damian then Damian is with him.
Hockey Captain x Rookie
Pathetically Obsessed MC
Age Gap (20 & 32)
No OW/OM
No third act break up/Cheating/sharing/Intimate Scenes with op
Dual POV (1st person)
HFN
No condoms
Dom/Sub dynamic
Rough Sex
Hockey Captain x Rookie
Pathetically Obsessed MC
Age Gap (20 & 32)
No OW/OM
No third act break up/Cheating/sharing/Intimate Scenes with op
Dual POV (1st person)
HFN
No condoms
Dom/Sub dynamic
Rough Sex
Did Not Finish
July 23, 2026DNF at 67%. I kept hoping this would go somewhere but it just didn’t. There were no feelings from one of the MMCs, making me miss intimacy and connection.
The writing was…odd. Some sentences didn’t make sense or the wrong words were used. Don’t think I’d read this author again.
The writing was…odd. Some sentences didn’t make sense or the wrong words were used. Don’t think I’d read this author again.
October 14, 2025
best book
I loved this story because of how possessive Damian was for Elias. Please please make another one with these two, I really want to see what happens after the puck dropped at the end of the story.
I loved this story because of how possessive Damian was for Elias. Please please make another one with these two, I really want to see what happens after the puck dropped at the end of the story.
December 15, 2025
My Captain is a brutal, intoxicating descent into obsession, power, and devotion set against the unforgiving backdrop of professional hockey. This is not a love story built on tenderness—it’s forged in violence, hierarchy, and the kind of hunger that leaves bruises behind.
Elias Mercer is chaos wrapped in talent: twenty years old, reckless, and incapable of keeping his mouth shut even when it puts him in danger. As the newest rookie center for the Ravensburg Reapers, he thinks he’s untouchable—until Damian Kade steps into his orbit. Damian is everything Elias isn’t prepared for: older, dominant, and feared both on and off the ice. A legendary enforcer and team captain, Damian doesn’t ask for loyalty. He takes it.
What begins as a single, explosive Halloween night quickly spirals into a season-long addiction neither man can escape. Their connection is raw and consuming, built on whispered commands, bloodied knuckles, and an unspoken understanding that Elias belongs to Damian in ways that go far beyond the rink. On the ice, Damian’s protectiveness is ruthless; off it, the line between desire and destruction blurs until Elias is willingly crawling back for more, even as it threatens to ruin him.
The novel excels at portraying power imbalance and obsession without softening the edges. The age gap, the captain-rookie dynamic, and the unrelenting intensity of Damian’s possession create a relationship that feels dangerous, compelling, and deliberately uncomfortable. Hockey isn’t just a setting here—it’s a war zone that mirrors the emotional brutality of the romance itself.
My Captain is unapologetically dark, filled with violence, fixation, and devotion that borders on worship. It will not be for everyone, but readers who crave possessive captains, defiant rookies, and relationships that burn hotter the more they hurt will find it impossible to look away.
This is a story about belonging taken to its extreme—and the cost of surrendering to someone who feels less like a lover and more like a god.
Elias Mercer is chaos wrapped in talent: twenty years old, reckless, and incapable of keeping his mouth shut even when it puts him in danger. As the newest rookie center for the Ravensburg Reapers, he thinks he’s untouchable—until Damian Kade steps into his orbit. Damian is everything Elias isn’t prepared for: older, dominant, and feared both on and off the ice. A legendary enforcer and team captain, Damian doesn’t ask for loyalty. He takes it.
What begins as a single, explosive Halloween night quickly spirals into a season-long addiction neither man can escape. Their connection is raw and consuming, built on whispered commands, bloodied knuckles, and an unspoken understanding that Elias belongs to Damian in ways that go far beyond the rink. On the ice, Damian’s protectiveness is ruthless; off it, the line between desire and destruction blurs until Elias is willingly crawling back for more, even as it threatens to ruin him.
The novel excels at portraying power imbalance and obsession without softening the edges. The age gap, the captain-rookie dynamic, and the unrelenting intensity of Damian’s possession create a relationship that feels dangerous, compelling, and deliberately uncomfortable. Hockey isn’t just a setting here—it’s a war zone that mirrors the emotional brutality of the romance itself.
My Captain is unapologetically dark, filled with violence, fixation, and devotion that borders on worship. It will not be for everyone, but readers who crave possessive captains, defiant rookies, and relationships that burn hotter the more they hurt will find it impossible to look away.
This is a story about belonging taken to its extreme—and the cost of surrendering to someone who feels less like a lover and more like a god.
November 18, 2025
No more chirps to give
I almost never give a book 1 star in fact I’m not sure I ever have but My Captain gets a big hell no from me. I don’t think the author knows the difference between a captain and a coach, if this was titled My Coach it would’ve made a lot more sense but even suspending disbelief the “steam” was horrible. Things like “But my boys know patience” and so many “pups” and “sirs”, I could not. MC1 doesn’t even use MC2s name, it’s just “sir”. I didn’t feel an ounce of relationship development in the 26% I made it through. Suffice it to say this one wasn’t for me.
I almost never give a book 1 star in fact I’m not sure I ever have but My Captain gets a big hell no from me. I don’t think the author knows the difference between a captain and a coach, if this was titled My Coach it would’ve made a lot more sense but even suspending disbelief the “steam” was horrible. Things like “But my boys know patience” and so many “pups” and “sirs”, I could not. MC1 doesn’t even use MC2s name, it’s just “sir”. I didn’t feel an ounce of relationship development in the 26% I made it through. Suffice it to say this one wasn’t for me.
December 17, 2025
Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp good boy chirp chirp.
I will say one good thing about this book. The sub actually wants so bad to be dominated. I’ve never read anything like this where I said at the end yep I believe it.
Questions, I have questions
Why is everyone afraid of Damien?
Why can’t the public say Damien’s name?
Where is the plot?
Where is the dark as in dark romance?
And fucking hell why is there a second part?
Not recommended.
I will say one good thing about this book. The sub actually wants so bad to be dominated. I’ve never read anything like this where I said at the end yep I believe it.
Questions, I have questions
Why is everyone afraid of Damien?
Why can’t the public say Damien’s name?
Where is the plot?
Where is the dark as in dark romance?
And fucking hell why is there a second part?
Not recommended.
February 10, 2026
This book was pretty bad. The editing was abysmal. The characters have absolutely no development. Like, none, whatsoever. The author claims she spends her free time watching hockey, but then she writes that a professional hockey player wears sunglasses during a game or that they wear their pads on the airplane home from games. The dialogue was some of the cringiest I've ever read. Every aspect of this book was just really bad. It feels very AI.
December 3, 2025
This book was so repetitive. So much chirping 🐥
The author would say back ground characters were doing something then the main characters had a slight moment (a pages worth) and then it would say what the background characters were doing…again. This happened so much and ultimately was why I decided to DNF
The author would say back ground characters were doing something then the main characters had a slight moment (a pages worth) and then it would say what the background characters were doing…again. This happened so much and ultimately was why I decided to DNF
November 4, 2025
Docking 0.01204819 for every time 'chirp' was said in this book (83 times btw.) Don't ask me why.
Besides that this book was fun as fuck. No plot. But it was 500 pages of me being addicted to my Kindle screen. So there's that.
Besides that this book was fun as fuck. No plot. But it was 500 pages of me being addicted to my Kindle screen. So there's that.
December 17, 2025
What on earth was this? I felt like I was reading the same scenes over and over and over again. Little to no plot; just practice, game, hotel. Got zero backstory on ANYTHING. DNF’d at 80% cause it was extremely exhausting to read
December 29, 2025
I wish I DNF’d this. I kept going because I hate not finishing books but this truly was the most pointless book I’ve ever read. It’s so repetitive, every single page is just more of the same. If you took out all of the constant descriptions and chirping the book would be 100 pages long.
Read
January 22, 2026Ummm. Well it was just straight porn with everything being looped over and over again. Same dialogue, same situation, same old everything.
I’m off to now go read an actual book that has plot in it now
I’m off to now go read an actual book that has plot in it now
Did Not Finish
February 12, 2026DNF. What a waste of time. the power play (pun intended) was fucked the characters have no depth or interest, there's not fucking plot or growth or anything. I'd rather had a puck to the head than continue to read this shit.
March 29, 2026
Welp. Alrighty then.
I'm a football girl, and I only watch baseball during the World Series--all 7 games if necessary.
I've never been a hockey fan, but I did watch the "Heated Rivalry" series on HBO-Max and read the books as a result. In 1980, I happily watched the American hockey team win the gold at the Olympics games.
After Heated Rivalry, my interest in hockey was once again activated enough that I did watch an NHL game, but that quickly fizzled out about 15 minutes in. I have the hardest time keeping up with where the puck is. Some of the fights were awesome, though.
I am team Damian. I love him. However, outside of the budding dominant submissive relationship between him and Elias, aka "pup," most of the story seemed to take place the ice, in the locker room, or on a plane. There was a whole lot of repetitive action and dialogue, which was boring and frustrating in a "didn't I just read that" kind of way.
The developing relationship between Damian and Elias was interesting, that is, if you like dominant submissive, which I'm not a fan of. But the romantic side of their relationship, if you can call it romantic, helped make the story worth staying with it to the end.
What the story also lacked was that there was not much in the way of outside interactions with others apart from hockey. I would've liked to have known about Damian and Elias outside of the ice. How did they interact with family and other friends? Did they have other friends? Did they have other romantic relationships and what were they like? In other words, who are they?
I did continue on to book 2, and am currently on the last one, the third in the series. So, there's that.
Would I read another book starring Damian and Elias? Absolutely. That's a yep.
Will I read about Damian and Elias' teammates Cole and the Russian if/when that book comes out? Probably.
I'm a football girl, and I only watch baseball during the World Series--all 7 games if necessary.
I've never been a hockey fan, but I did watch the "Heated Rivalry" series on HBO-Max and read the books as a result. In 1980, I happily watched the American hockey team win the gold at the Olympics games.
After Heated Rivalry, my interest in hockey was once again activated enough that I did watch an NHL game, but that quickly fizzled out about 15 minutes in. I have the hardest time keeping up with where the puck is. Some of the fights were awesome, though.
I am team Damian. I love him. However, outside of the budding dominant submissive relationship between him and Elias, aka "pup," most of the story seemed to take place the ice, in the locker room, or on a plane. There was a whole lot of repetitive action and dialogue, which was boring and frustrating in a "didn't I just read that" kind of way.
The developing relationship between Damian and Elias was interesting, that is, if you like dominant submissive, which I'm not a fan of. But the romantic side of their relationship, if you can call it romantic, helped make the story worth staying with it to the end.
What the story also lacked was that there was not much in the way of outside interactions with others apart from hockey. I would've liked to have known about Damian and Elias outside of the ice. How did they interact with family and other friends? Did they have other friends? Did they have other romantic relationships and what were they like? In other words, who are they?
I did continue on to book 2, and am currently on the last one, the third in the series. So, there's that.
Would I read another book starring Damian and Elias? Absolutely. That's a yep.
Will I read about Damian and Elias' teammates Cole and the Russian if/when that book comes out? Probably.
December 30, 2025
What was that???
I try really hard to never DNF. But boy did I come close numerous times with this one. There is nothing I hate more than reading the same words/sayings on repeat. Super annoying. And I’m not even sure they were being used correctly at times. First, what is the plot here? Why is there a sequel? I’m alllllll for the smut. No such thing as too much. However, you need to either commit to no plot, or make a solid kinda plot. Here, we have the longest dirty scenes in all the land, and then some plot breadcrumbs sprinkled in between. No context, no full detail. Then … Can’t keep out spoilers, so warning! 1. Why did the entire team seem to have been on this ride before? Is Elias not the first to be in Cap’s clutches? 😳😳 2. We’re reciting vows without an “I love you”??? 3. With the exception of Elias telling Cap the story about his brother and the accident, not one convo was had. These two don’t know a thing about each other! So we’re putting a ring, and collar, on it already? 4. Where the f were families? Parents? My 20 year old son gets onto a pro team and I’m not at every game? Never! 5. Is Cole gay? That airplane bathroom trip was odd. 6. Which reminds me - there was zero talk of sexuality. Which, cool! No one has a problem with it? Perfect! But how did Elias know Cap was? How did anyone know they were together if no one knew either was gay? I just felt there should have been something. Even a casual, quick convo. But nothing. 7. And most importantly……. No lube?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I just don’t think Elias is going to do well longterm under these conditions.
With this being said … I will read the next book just to find out if they win the cup.
I try really hard to never DNF. But boy did I come close numerous times with this one. There is nothing I hate more than reading the same words/sayings on repeat. Super annoying. And I’m not even sure they were being used correctly at times. First, what is the plot here? Why is there a sequel? I’m alllllll for the smut. No such thing as too much. However, you need to either commit to no plot, or make a solid kinda plot. Here, we have the longest dirty scenes in all the land, and then some plot breadcrumbs sprinkled in between. No context, no full detail. Then … Can’t keep out spoilers, so warning! 1. Why did the entire team seem to have been on this ride before? Is Elias not the first to be in Cap’s clutches? 😳😳 2. We’re reciting vows without an “I love you”??? 3. With the exception of Elias telling Cap the story about his brother and the accident, not one convo was had. These two don’t know a thing about each other! So we’re putting a ring, and collar, on it already? 4. Where the f were families? Parents? My 20 year old son gets onto a pro team and I’m not at every game? Never! 5. Is Cole gay? That airplane bathroom trip was odd. 6. Which reminds me - there was zero talk of sexuality. Which, cool! No one has a problem with it? Perfect! But how did Elias know Cap was? How did anyone know they were together if no one knew either was gay? I just felt there should have been something. Even a casual, quick convo. But nothing. 7. And most importantly……. No lube?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I just don’t think Elias is going to do well longterm under these conditions.
With this being said … I will read the next book just to find out if they win the cup.
December 27, 2025
This was hard to keep reading I kept thinking the story would turn but it never did.
If you want to read something with repetive spicy scenes and very very few sweet moments you may love this.
The captain (Damian) kept making references about how the vets on the team knew when he'd "claimed" someone and made comments like "my boys" to possible people he had "claimed" in the past. How many rookie players has he "claimed" before Elias ..... it felt more like grooming and less like romance even for a "dark romance". Damian being 32 and Elias being 20 isn't an issue, it's the way he calls him his "his boy" that is more creepy than cute, he even referrs to him as a kid multiple times and I'm sorry but calling the guy your f*cking kid is also a bit cringey.
Elias at no point in almost 500 pages is allowed yes allowed to call Damian by his name it's Sir or Captain, which is cool in certain situations and scenes but it is throughout the entire book.
The spice is repetitive and for this to be MM there was never any prep.
This story had a lot of potential but just fell flat, the side characters and banter were great. You don't really get to know anything about the characters outside of playing hockey and repetitive sex, we don't get to know the characters and they certainly don't get the know each other.
The wording choices and lack of explanation or context behind certain comments made left me feeling uncomfortable.
If you want to read something with repetive spicy scenes and very very few sweet moments you may love this.
The captain (Damian) kept making references about how the vets on the team knew when he'd "claimed" someone and made comments like "my boys" to possible people he had "claimed" in the past. How many rookie players has he "claimed" before Elias ..... it felt more like grooming and less like romance even for a "dark romance". Damian being 32 and Elias being 20 isn't an issue, it's the way he calls him his "his boy" that is more creepy than cute, he even referrs to him as a kid multiple times and I'm sorry but calling the guy your f*cking kid is also a bit cringey.
Elias at no point in almost 500 pages is allowed yes allowed to call Damian by his name it's Sir or Captain, which is cool in certain situations and scenes but it is throughout the entire book.
The spice is repetitive and for this to be MM there was never any prep.
This story had a lot of potential but just fell flat, the side characters and banter were great. You don't really get to know anything about the characters outside of playing hockey and repetitive sex, we don't get to know the characters and they certainly don't get the know each other.
The wording choices and lack of explanation or context behind certain comments made left me feeling uncomfortable.
May 3, 2026
3.5⭐️
“My Captain” is a truly gritty, intense read! It’s an age-gap romance with a strong Dominance element. If you’re looking for something more dramatic or complex, you might want to think twice!
The chemistry between Elias and Damian was incredibly intense and passionate! Their relationship is electric, filled with unspoken emotions, yet they truly understand each other.
I absolutely adored all the interactions between Elias, Damian, and the rest of the team! I was always excited about the little moments with the team and how comfortable they all were with one another.
This book really focused on the sports aspect of the “sports romance,” and it felt like I was watching a hockey game during most of the scenes!
I did notice that the writing and word choice got a bit repetitive, and I think the author could have delved deeper into character development to make the relationship between Elias and Damian even stronger. It felt more like a feel-good read, but adding more depth would have really enhanced the overall story.
I think this is a great introduction read for darker romance, especially if you’re looking for something quick and not overly dramatic! It’s definitely worth continuing the series to see where the story goes with Elias, Damian, and the Reapers!
“My Captain” is a truly gritty, intense read! It’s an age-gap romance with a strong Dominance element. If you’re looking for something more dramatic or complex, you might want to think twice!
The chemistry between Elias and Damian was incredibly intense and passionate! Their relationship is electric, filled with unspoken emotions, yet they truly understand each other.
I absolutely adored all the interactions between Elias, Damian, and the rest of the team! I was always excited about the little moments with the team and how comfortable they all were with one another.
This book really focused on the sports aspect of the “sports romance,” and it felt like I was watching a hockey game during most of the scenes!
I did notice that the writing and word choice got a bit repetitive, and I think the author could have delved deeper into character development to make the relationship between Elias and Damian even stronger. It felt more like a feel-good read, but adding more depth would have really enhanced the overall story.
I think this is a great introduction read for darker romance, especially if you’re looking for something quick and not overly dramatic! It’s definitely worth continuing the series to see where the story goes with Elias, Damian, and the Reapers!
January 14, 2026
Wow! This book wrecked me in the absolute best way. It’s brutal, unapologetic, filthy, honest, and perfectly imperfect. It’s 40% smut, 50% hockey, and 10% plot.
We have Elias, rookie center, about to step on the ice with his hockey idol/god. From the very beginning he wants to give his Captain everything he has to give. Both on and off the ice.
We have Damian, hockey legend, and determined to carve Elias into a legendary center, even when that means leaving Elias’s blood on the ice. He’s protective, he’s obsessive, and he’s utterly domineering. He’s takes all that Elias gives and pushes for more. On and off the ice.
Only two things matter. Each other and hockey. These two are absolute fire together. The spice is spicy and plentiful. It will have you saying “Yes, sir.” “Thank you, sir.” “May I have another?” Or it will put you in the headspace to hear all those things. This story isn’t pretty. It isn’t supposed to be. It’s supposed to make you feel, and think the author nailed that.
If you like some hockey with your smut, and you like BDSM overtones, this book should hit just right for you.
We have Elias, rookie center, about to step on the ice with his hockey idol/god. From the very beginning he wants to give his Captain everything he has to give. Both on and off the ice.
We have Damian, hockey legend, and determined to carve Elias into a legendary center, even when that means leaving Elias’s blood on the ice. He’s protective, he’s obsessive, and he’s utterly domineering. He’s takes all that Elias gives and pushes for more. On and off the ice.
Only two things matter. Each other and hockey. These two are absolute fire together. The spice is spicy and plentiful. It will have you saying “Yes, sir.” “Thank you, sir.” “May I have another?” Or it will put you in the headspace to hear all those things. This story isn’t pretty. It isn’t supposed to be. It’s supposed to make you feel, and think the author nailed that.
If you like some hockey with your smut, and you like BDSM overtones, this book should hit just right for you.
October 28, 2025
MM
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Hockey
Age gap
Elias has obsessed over Damian since he was 12. His favorite hockey player. Wants to be just like him. Had his poster above his bed and would jack off to it or his fight reels. Present day, he is signed to the same team. Instantly Damian “claims” him. And the team knows….so I am assuming this has happened before? He is very dominant. Very demanding.
The story wasn’t horrible. It just had zero depth. The MMCs didn’t even get to know one another. Just had a Dom/sub sexual relationship. And there were so many repeated phrases, sentences, paragraphs. We were constantly told how each of the teammates reacted to every situation. No need. The book could’ve been so much shorter. I wanted to DNF before 50% but thought maybe it would get better. Alas, I should’ve known because the novella I read by the author was exactly the same.
And this book popped up when I searched for MM Halloween romance. Why? Because their first game was played on Halloween. And they wore vampire mouth guards for it. That’s it.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Hockey
Age gap
Elias has obsessed over Damian since he was 12. His favorite hockey player. Wants to be just like him. Had his poster above his bed and would jack off to it or his fight reels. Present day, he is signed to the same team. Instantly Damian “claims” him. And the team knows….so I am assuming this has happened before? He is very dominant. Very demanding.
The story wasn’t horrible. It just had zero depth. The MMCs didn’t even get to know one another. Just had a Dom/sub sexual relationship. And there were so many repeated phrases, sentences, paragraphs. We were constantly told how each of the teammates reacted to every situation. No need. The book could’ve been so much shorter. I wanted to DNF before 50% but thought maybe it would get better. Alas, I should’ve known because the novella I read by the author was exactly the same.
And this book popped up when I searched for MM Halloween romance. Why? Because their first game was played on Halloween. And they wore vampire mouth guards for it. That’s it.
February 18, 2026
🔥🔥🔥
"My Captain" was hot. Five-alarm fire. I loved it and will probably be picking up a physical copy.
That said, I do feel that marketing this as romance is a little bit of a stretch. I'd say it falls firmly into the erotica category instead -- we didn't spend much time getting to see the characters actually falling in love. We didn't see any soft and sweet moments where they talk about the future or build and test their trust in one another. I can't recall a single scene where they weren't either playing hockey, getting it on, or talking about one of those two subjects.
The author sold Mercer's devotion and Kade's sadism very well indeed, but there was very little plot or emotional tension driving the story. If you want a cutesy little love story, I recommend you look elsewhere.
But if you want something so spicy it will burn your insides? Welcome to the Reapers. It's time you meet Damian Kade.
"My Captain" was hot. Five-alarm fire. I loved it and will probably be picking up a physical copy.
That said, I do feel that marketing this as romance is a little bit of a stretch. I'd say it falls firmly into the erotica category instead -- we didn't spend much time getting to see the characters actually falling in love. We didn't see any soft and sweet moments where they talk about the future or build and test their trust in one another. I can't recall a single scene where they weren't either playing hockey, getting it on, or talking about one of those two subjects.
The author sold Mercer's devotion and Kade's sadism very well indeed, but there was very little plot or emotional tension driving the story. If you want a cutesy little love story, I recommend you look elsewhere.
But if you want something so spicy it will burn your insides? Welcome to the Reapers. It's time you meet Damian Kade.
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