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Minor Penalties #1
Two for Holding
Tom Crowler has been captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions for a decade of failures. With no cups or trophies to show for his time in the NHL, Tom retreated into himself a long time ago, and that’s exactly where he intends to stay until he retires. But when he catches the new team superstar, Jaxon Grant, in a compromising position, Tom finds it impossible to continue hiding his deepest secret behind a bland, pleasant mask.
Jax is everything Tom isn’ loud, flashy, the winner of multiple NHL Awards, and—oh, yeah—gay enough to get traded to San Francisco because of a potential PR scandal with his old team. At first, he thinks Tom catching him means the next trade, the next rejection for being just a little too much for other people to take. When it turns out the two of them have more in common than talent on the ice, though, Jax finds himself drawn in by pulling Tom out.
As animosity gives way to a partnership neither of them saw coming, Tom and Jax are left facing new challenges. Will Jax’s impulsive nature put Tom’s deeply valued privacy at risk? Or will Tom’s reticence force Jax into pretending to be someone he isn’t? And if they can’t even figure each other out, how can they save a struggling NHL team from bad coaching and internal division?
Jax is everything Tom isn’ loud, flashy, the winner of multiple NHL Awards, and—oh, yeah—gay enough to get traded to San Francisco because of a potential PR scandal with his old team. At first, he thinks Tom catching him means the next trade, the next rejection for being just a little too much for other people to take. When it turns out the two of them have more in common than talent on the ice, though, Jax finds himself drawn in by pulling Tom out.
As animosity gives way to a partnership neither of them saw coming, Tom and Jax are left facing new challenges. Will Jax’s impulsive nature put Tom’s deeply valued privacy at risk? Or will Tom’s reticence force Jax into pretending to be someone he isn’t? And if they can’t even figure each other out, how can they save a struggling NHL team from bad coaching and internal division?
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
About the author
S.B. Barnes
6 books60 followersS. B. Barnes received a degree in literature and anthropology from a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. No murders took place during her studies.
She then moved to Germany, got a teaching degree, started teaching, and decided to write books as well because it just wasn’t stressful enough.
Now, she has written several series and keeps jotting down new ideas in between planning classes, editing her last projects, and telling the cats that they really did already have dinner and they can’t fool her no matter how hard they try.
She then moved to Germany, got a teaching degree, started teaching, and decided to write books as well because it just wasn’t stressful enough.
Now, she has written several series and keeps jotting down new ideas in between planning classes, editing her last projects, and telling the cats that they really did already have dinner and they can’t fool her no matter how hard they try.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
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September 24, 2025DNF at 28%, no rating.
I've really enjoyed this author's two Hudson Valley mystery books, so when I found out they were writing a hockey romance, I was aflutter with anticipation. Which makes it even more of a bummer that this was a big old miss.
Part of it is that -- look, we can all agree that the market is oversaturated with hockrom, right? And I speak as someone who loves hockrom! But we're now at the place with hockey where fake dating was in the years following Boyfriend Material*: so much of what is being pushed out in this space is just jumping on a trend and SO generic. And this, unfortunately, is that. Which is really surprising, given that the strength of the Hudson Valley series lies in its particularities: the unusual setting, the acute observations about academic life and its inanities, the relationship dynamic between a guy doing a blue collar job from a working class family and a hyper-educated, hyper-sensitive middle class dude. This, on the other hand, has nothing to distinguish it from the hundreds of other hockroms we're awash in these days. "Hockey" doesn't provide anything other than a convenient explanation for internalized homophobia, dudes staying closeted, and an added sense of taboo around a workplace relationship, the same way that "fake dating" became a lazy shorthand for a wildly implausible scenario for getting the MCs together that meant the author doesn't have to come up with something less stupid. Don't get me wrong -- both hockrom (RR, AO3) and fake dating (KD Casey) can be done well! But when it's not, then it's the trope wagging the dog.
Honestly, I probably could have persisted even so, except the writing was . . . not great. And again, this was so weird from this author! I mean, I remember thinking (but not writing in my reviews) that the writing was a bit rough around the edges in the Hudson Valley books, but this was on a totally different level: it read like an unedited first draft. Just super sloppy writing -- and not just stylistically (though that too), but also in how Jax and Tom were so thinly characterized, had NO chemistry, were prone to leap to the worst conclusions, and were pat to the point of simplistic in their interior monologues. We all know hockey players are dumb (complimentary), but there's dumb and then there's "the emotional IQ of a 13-year-old boy." I really tried to invest something -- anything -- into these characters, but there was so little to go on. As for the dnf: there wasn't anything particular at the 28 percent mark that prompted it; that's just where I happened to stop for the night. But when I went to pick it up again the next day, read one sentence, and let out a defeated sigh, I knew it was time to call it.
So yeah, a bummer. I still feel inclined to pick up a future Hudson Valley book, were there one in the offing; but now I know that, for me at least, hockrom is not this author's wheelhouse.
* Obviously Rachel Reid and the Game Changers series is to hockey what Alexis Hall was to fake dating romcoms; and to clarify, when I'm slagging off hockrom, I'm not going after her, because she's the standard-bearer for hockey romance and it's not her fault she got this bandwagon rolling, just as it wasn't Alexis Hall's fault that BM led to a glut of uber-mid fake-dating rom-traums.
I got an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
I've really enjoyed this author's two Hudson Valley mystery books, so when I found out they were writing a hockey romance, I was aflutter with anticipation. Which makes it even more of a bummer that this was a big old miss.
Part of it is that -- look, we can all agree that the market is oversaturated with hockrom, right? And I speak as someone who loves hockrom! But we're now at the place with hockey where fake dating was in the years following Boyfriend Material*: so much of what is being pushed out in this space is just jumping on a trend and SO generic. And this, unfortunately, is that. Which is really surprising, given that the strength of the Hudson Valley series lies in its particularities: the unusual setting, the acute observations about academic life and its inanities, the relationship dynamic between a guy doing a blue collar job from a working class family and a hyper-educated, hyper-sensitive middle class dude. This, on the other hand, has nothing to distinguish it from the hundreds of other hockroms we're awash in these days. "Hockey" doesn't provide anything other than a convenient explanation for internalized homophobia, dudes staying closeted, and an added sense of taboo around a workplace relationship, the same way that "fake dating" became a lazy shorthand for a wildly implausible scenario for getting the MCs together that meant the author doesn't have to come up with something less stupid. Don't get me wrong -- both hockrom (RR, AO3) and fake dating (KD Casey) can be done well! But when it's not, then it's the trope wagging the dog.
Honestly, I probably could have persisted even so, except the writing was . . . not great. And again, this was so weird from this author! I mean, I remember thinking (but not writing in my reviews) that the writing was a bit rough around the edges in the Hudson Valley books, but this was on a totally different level: it read like an unedited first draft. Just super sloppy writing -- and not just stylistically (though that too), but also in how Jax and Tom were so thinly characterized, had NO chemistry, were prone to leap to the worst conclusions, and were pat to the point of simplistic in their interior monologues. We all know hockey players are dumb (complimentary), but there's dumb and then there's "the emotional IQ of a 13-year-old boy." I really tried to invest something -- anything -- into these characters, but there was so little to go on. As for the dnf: there wasn't anything particular at the 28 percent mark that prompted it; that's just where I happened to stop for the night. But when I went to pick it up again the next day, read one sentence, and let out a defeated sigh, I knew it was time to call it.
So yeah, a bummer. I still feel inclined to pick up a future Hudson Valley book, were there one in the offing; but now I know that, for me at least, hockrom is not this author's wheelhouse.
* Obviously Rachel Reid and the Game Changers series is to hockey what Alexis Hall was to fake dating romcoms; and to clarify, when I'm slagging off hockrom, I'm not going after her, because she's the standard-bearer for hockey romance and it's not her fault she got this bandwagon rolling, just as it wasn't Alexis Hall's fault that BM led to a glut of uber-mid fake-dating rom-traums.
I got an ARC from GRR in exchange for an honest review.
Read
October 6, 2025Unlike some of my friends, I mostly enjoyed this. Possibly that's because I read much less published hockrom than most fans of the genre, so I'm not super likely to notice if any given book is samey. Also, I'm a sucker for narratives about overcoming internalized homophobia, which MC1, Tom, has in spades.
Unfortunately, the more I think about the book, the more dissatisfied I am.
- MC2, Jax, says a whole lot of disparaging stuff about hockey players' wives and girlfriends (gold-digging, etc.); eventually it becomes clear that this isn't about women, specifically, being mercenary but a reflection of his bad experiences with a couple of men. Meanwhile, though, it comes across as straight-up misogyny, with a whiff for us ancients of how some old-school gay men seemed to feel the need to justify their sexuality by denigrating women.
- Heteronormativity, why. When Jax and Tom get around to penetrative sex, both of them speak and act as if Tom is having "sex" for the first time -- he even calls himself a virgin -- never mind that they've been doing all the usual hand-and-mouth things for a while already.
- Even one earnest lecture is one too many. By the time Tom tells one of the other players that "When you use homophobic language, the person you’re hurting most is the innocent bystander who actually is gay and too scared to say anything,” I was done.
- Clunky exposition: "Team sports, from peewee hockey to the highest available professional level, had one thing in common: when things went badly for someone, especially one of the team’s big stars, it could drag everyone down." No, really?
- And gosh there's a lot of hockey, by which I mean not that games are described but that they're described in detail. I'm being a little hypocritical here, because I love baseball and as far as I'm concerned the more game detail in baseball romances the better, but I understand hockey on the level of being simultaneously wowed by the players' speed and grace, and horrified by the physical damage they suffer and the supercharged masculinism and racism around the sport. At a guess, that's about the level at which most hockrom fans (authors of RPF apart) engage with the actual sport. S.B. Barnes's afterword says she fell in love with hockey a couple of years ago, which probably explains a lot.
I have to agree, too, with the reviewers who find the characterization and romance a little flat. I liked Jax and Tom, but they didn't come fully alive for me, and nor did I feel the pull between them.
Thanks to the author and GRR for the ARC.
Unfortunately, the more I think about the book, the more dissatisfied I am.
- MC2, Jax, says a whole lot of disparaging stuff about hockey players' wives and girlfriends (gold-digging, etc.); eventually it becomes clear that this isn't about women, specifically, being mercenary but a reflection of his bad experiences with a couple of men. Meanwhile, though, it comes across as straight-up misogyny, with a whiff for us ancients of how some old-school gay men seemed to feel the need to justify their sexuality by denigrating women.
- Heteronormativity, why. When Jax and Tom get around to penetrative sex, both of them speak and act as if Tom is having "sex" for the first time -- he even calls himself a virgin -- never mind that they've been doing all the usual hand-and-mouth things for a while already.
- Even one earnest lecture is one too many. By the time Tom tells one of the other players that "When you use homophobic language, the person you’re hurting most is the innocent bystander who actually is gay and too scared to say anything,” I was done.
- Clunky exposition: "Team sports, from peewee hockey to the highest available professional level, had one thing in common: when things went badly for someone, especially one of the team’s big stars, it could drag everyone down." No, really?
- And gosh there's a lot of hockey, by which I mean not that games are described but that they're described in detail. I'm being a little hypocritical here, because I love baseball and as far as I'm concerned the more game detail in baseball romances the better, but I understand hockey on the level of being simultaneously wowed by the players' speed and grace, and horrified by the physical damage they suffer and the supercharged masculinism and racism around the sport. At a guess, that's about the level at which most hockrom fans (authors of RPF apart) engage with the actual sport. S.B. Barnes's afterword says she fell in love with hockey a couple of years ago, which probably explains a lot.
I have to agree, too, with the reviewers who find the characterization and romance a little flat. I liked Jax and Tom, but they didn't come fully alive for me, and nor did I feel the pull between them.
Thanks to the author and GRR for the ARC.
October 28, 2025
I have to admit that this started off a bit shaky, I was confused as to who was talking at times and the names of the side characters confused me. Sometimes of the names were similar to me but then instead of a nickname the first name was used. But this didn’t last long. I was all in after the first couple chapters.
Tom was such a sweetheart and if any man needed someone to show him how special he is it was him. Jax was exactly the right person for this! These two had the best slow burn ever! I loved how they were not sure about each other first but then became friends and worked so well as teammates. Just because they are both gay didn’t mean they just fell into bed, Tom had almost no experience so that wouldn’t have worked. The kissing practice was so sweet and I loved how they kept it at kissing for so long while secretly pining for each other.
I really enjoyed the entire team dynamic. There are some amazing teammates like Breezy, Luca and Phil but there are some less than favorable ones too like Vanderbilt and Hayes. And what is happening with the coach, Morris and the worst assistant coach Trout???? The ending is a cliffhanger for other characters and reading that the author has other books written has made me so happy!!!!
There is a lot of hockey in this book and I like that but it’s also balanced out with friendships and a budding romance. Tom and Jax end the book with a start to a strong relationship. The book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger for another character and knowing the author has other books coming made me so happy!!!!
ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own
Tom was such a sweetheart and if any man needed someone to show him how special he is it was him. Jax was exactly the right person for this! These two had the best slow burn ever! I loved how they were not sure about each other first but then became friends and worked so well as teammates. Just because they are both gay didn’t mean they just fell into bed, Tom had almost no experience so that wouldn’t have worked. The kissing practice was so sweet and I loved how they kept it at kissing for so long while secretly pining for each other.
I really enjoyed the entire team dynamic. There are some amazing teammates like Breezy, Luca and Phil but there are some less than favorable ones too like Vanderbilt and Hayes. And what is happening with the coach, Morris and the worst assistant coach Trout???? The ending is a cliffhanger for other characters and reading that the author has other books written has made me so happy!!!!
There is a lot of hockey in this book and I like that but it’s also balanced out with friendships and a budding romance. Tom and Jax end the book with a start to a strong relationship. The book ends in a bit of a cliffhanger for another character and knowing the author has other books coming made me so happy!!!!
ARC received for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own
September 23, 2025
Maybe this depicted a non-idyllic hockey player stereotype/locker room dynamic and that's why I didn't like it?
Tom is incredibly dull and boring. Yes, he has a backstory for why he holds so much back but it doesn't make for a fun MC to read.
Jax carried most of this, relationship-wise, but he also says a lot of misogynistic stuff at the start and that didn't endear him to me as well.
I didn't understand why he had so much vim for the WAGs, especially since given the hockey team he's on, his teammates that are married to them are objectively SO much worse.
In fact, the one good thing about this book was that Never Rock The Boat Tom stepped out of his comfort zone to call him out on it. Explicitly.
This doesn't eradicate the fact that Tom is only marginally better. Captain but has no idea what the WAGs do to supplement team morale.
The rest of the team isn't much better. Aside from Luca and Breezy(would actually enjoy a story about these two), everyone else is various degrees of racist, homophobic or severely checked out.
Including the coaches.
So this was mostly bleh for me, and even the subplot wasn't committing to a particular thing. Or resolution for the multiple threads.
The whole terrible coach(es) subplot is dangled around the whole book, with team captain Tom (how even?) occasionally threatening to bring it up to the GM(spoiler alert: he never does).
Basically instead of being a plot point handled in this, instead there's a reveal about it that serves as a cliffhanger to this story and a set up to the next one. Snooze.
I can invest in an underdog team going through a rebuilding phase as a multi-story arc. This one's just a middling team with unbothered ownership and coaching staff and mostly skating by (pun intended) players.
Hell, they don't even say anything about the coaching issues until Jax shows up.
The plot line with the LGBTQIA+ shelter was sort of tied in with Jax's coming out and that eventually went nowhere as well.
Though that one was less of an abandoned storyline and more of a unicorn resolution storyline.
You're telling me the MC who's been itching to come out of the closet his whole life and won't sacrifice that for anyone, and the MC who's spent his whole life reinforcing the steel his closet is made of and won't let anything interfere with its structural integrity decide to meet halfway in a 5 minute locker room conversation and there's no growing pains whatsoever as a result of both of them compromising a little bit on what they want in order to be together?
One of these was hyperventilating about the idea that another queer man might suspect him of being queer and the other was so eager to come out he's constantly having to intentionally stop himself from doing it during pressers.
And a brief chat resolved this? Even though realistically, they're both agreeing to something that terrifies them, for different reasons?
Right.
Alternatively, depending on one's perspective on things, the right reaction could be: Hallelujah! It's a Christmas miracle!
Truly, a Hallmark ending (that ignores the practicalities, not to mention the complexity of human emotion).
Yay.
Half a star for Tom calling out the misogyny and stepping up a lot during the book, but also-he's team captain so it's nice that he's doing it, but he should have been a better captain long before this.
Half a star for Jax being the best part of the relationship duo.
One star for Tom being SUCH a pillow princess that he truly thinks it's the baseline and doesn't even realize it.
Just lies there and takes it. Then gets plush gifts for how well he did.
Yassssss, Tom.
Tom is incredibly dull and boring. Yes, he has a backstory for why he holds so much back but it doesn't make for a fun MC to read.
Jax carried most of this, relationship-wise, but he also says a lot of misogynistic stuff at the start and that didn't endear him to me as well.
I didn't understand why he had so much vim for the WAGs, especially since given the hockey team he's on, his teammates that are married to them are objectively SO much worse.
In fact, the one good thing about this book was that Never Rock The Boat Tom stepped out of his comfort zone to call him out on it. Explicitly.
This doesn't eradicate the fact that Tom is only marginally better. Captain but has no idea what the WAGs do to supplement team morale.
The rest of the team isn't much better. Aside from Luca and Breezy(would actually enjoy a story about these two), everyone else is various degrees of racist, homophobic or severely checked out.
Including the coaches.
So this was mostly bleh for me, and even the subplot wasn't committing to a particular thing. Or resolution for the multiple threads.
The whole terrible coach(es) subplot is dangled around the whole book, with team captain Tom (how even?) occasionally threatening to bring it up to the GM(spoiler alert: he never does).
Basically instead of being a plot point handled in this, instead there's a reveal about it that serves as a cliffhanger to this story and a set up to the next one. Snooze.
I can invest in an underdog team going through a rebuilding phase as a multi-story arc. This one's just a middling team with unbothered ownership and coaching staff and mostly skating by (pun intended) players.
Hell, they don't even say anything about the coaching issues until Jax shows up.
The plot line with the LGBTQIA+ shelter was sort of tied in with Jax's coming out and that eventually went nowhere as well.
Though that one was less of an abandoned storyline and more of a unicorn resolution storyline.
You're telling me the MC who's been itching to come out of the closet his whole life and won't sacrifice that for anyone, and the MC who's spent his whole life reinforcing the steel his closet is made of and won't let anything interfere with its structural integrity decide to meet halfway in a 5 minute locker room conversation and there's no growing pains whatsoever as a result of both of them compromising a little bit on what they want in order to be together?
One of these was hyperventilating about the idea that another queer man might suspect him of being queer and the other was so eager to come out he's constantly having to intentionally stop himself from doing it during pressers.
And a brief chat resolved this? Even though realistically, they're both agreeing to something that terrifies them, for different reasons?
Right.
Alternatively, depending on one's perspective on things, the right reaction could be: Hallelujah! It's a Christmas miracle!
Truly, a Hallmark ending (that ignores the practicalities, not to mention the complexity of human emotion).
Yay.
Half a star for Tom calling out the misogyny and stepping up a lot during the book, but also-he's team captain so it's nice that he's doing it, but he should have been a better captain long before this.
Half a star for Jax being the best part of the relationship duo.
One star for Tom being SUCH a pillow princess that he truly thinks it's the baseline and doesn't even realize it.
Just lies there and takes it. Then gets plush gifts for how well he did.
Yassssss, Tom.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2025
Hockey book, deeply closeted uptight team captain gets a more flamboyant gay teammate who wants to come out. Definitely part of a connected series, there is a plot with the coach and eventually an injured player which clear has a lot more to it (and they all got to do something about a sadistic assistant coach) and hints about another player.
Its tone is realistic, a bit grittier, mean spirited social media posts as contrast to why exactly Tom really does not feel like coming out, some misogynic comments (mostly addressed, but showing it is underlying part of the real culture which fair enough is likely) and plenty of backstory to both MCs. I respected it, and I mean to try more, other books by the author. But there was something suffocating here, the social media reactions so mean (and one of the MCs signs up for instagram and gets exposed to more), the ending while realistic was not quite what one of the MCs really wanted, the coach/trainer situation not resolved. It did not give me any satisfactory romance brain chemical hit - not that it is "anti"-romance to so speak and like I said I respect it a lot. Real rating 3.5 stars rounding up because I think there is talent here and it's trying to do something interesting even if it does not quite do it right for me.
Its tone is realistic, a bit grittier, mean spirited social media posts as contrast to why exactly Tom really does not feel like coming out, some misogynic comments (mostly addressed, but showing it is underlying part of the real culture which fair enough is likely) and plenty of backstory to both MCs. I respected it, and I mean to try more, other books by the author. But there was something suffocating here, the social media reactions so mean (and one of the MCs signs up for instagram and gets exposed to more), the ending while realistic was not quite what one of the MCs really wanted, the coach/trainer situation not resolved. It did not give me any satisfactory romance brain chemical hit - not that it is "anti"-romance to so speak and like I said I respect it a lot. Real rating 3.5 stars rounding up because I think there is talent here and it's trying to do something interesting even if it does not quite do it right for me.
April 19, 2026
This book felt like porridge—nothing wrong with it per se, but bland, stodgy and lacking incident. There's no real plot, it felt very slow paced, there's lots of telling. MC Tom's characterisation flip-flopped wildly and the hockey games dragged.
Shame, because I quite enjoyed S.B. Barnes earlier, university-set, stories.
I received an ARC from the author, to whom I apologise for the late submission of this review.
Shame, because I quite enjoyed S.B. Barnes earlier, university-set, stories.
I received an ARC from the author, to whom I apologise for the late submission of this review.
January 11, 2026
loved this so much i kept putting it down to prolong it
January 30, 2026
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
This is the first book in a new series by S.B. Barnes and it takes readers into the world of hockey, and players who couldn’t be more opposite, but find a connection that can’t be ignored. There was a lot I liked about this book, and some parts that didn’t work as well for me. Jax and Tom are two MCs who deserve to shine in the spotlight, and the author makes sure they do.
I particularly liked how much Barnes played on their differences, and yet showed the layers underneath. These MCs are well rounded and complex.
Read Kris’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
This is the first book in a new series by S.B. Barnes and it takes readers into the world of hockey, and players who couldn’t be more opposite, but find a connection that can’t be ignored. There was a lot I liked about this book, and some parts that didn’t work as well for me. Jax and Tom are two MCs who deserve to shine in the spotlight, and the author makes sure they do.
I particularly liked how much Barnes played on their differences, and yet showed the layers underneath. These MCs are well rounded and complex.
Read Kris’s review in its entirety here.
October 30, 2025
4.5 stars, rounded up
Disclaimer-I'm not the most well versed hockey romance reader; I haven't read some of the touchstone books of the subgenre and I don't watch the sport. However, I read this author's mystery duology earlier this year and loved those books, so was eager to snag a review copy of this book when it popped up. And I'm very glad I did!
This book isn't trying to break new ground, but I was very impressed with the emotional landscape we travel with our MCs. We get a freewheeling (impulsive) on the verge of coming out hotshot and an emotionally constipated for all intents and purposes virgin captain. Jax, newly transferred and feeling frustrated that he had to leave his old team under a cloud, joins this new team with perhaps not the best attitude. Tom is a modern ascetic; if they made hockey jerseys lined with haircloth, I'm sure he'd have several in rotation. Both are not the best versions of themselves when we meet them, which allows room for them to grow.
For example, the way Jax slowly works on Tom's sense of self worth and that allowing himself comfort isn't weakness . . . I don't think I've ever seen that particular aspect of romance highlighted so much in an m/m romance. It was refreshing and kind of adorable to read. (The SWEATERS, tho.)
I almost name-checked another popular hockey romance I have read, but I'll just say that the team dysfunction in Two for Holding feels realistic and relatable. And the way they start to build relationships throughout the team when Jax arrives and changes Tom's perspective of himself and how he has been leading the team versus how he could be a better captain--I really appreciated the way this book developed the team's burgeoning camaraderie.
This book has a great balance between the core romantic relationship and the team starting to coalesce around the same MCs as a new captain/alternate pairing on the ice and in the locker room.
I fully expect to re-read this in future, and I am looking forward to book 2!
Many thanks to GRR for the review copy
Disclaimer-I'm not the most well versed hockey romance reader; I haven't read some of the touchstone books of the subgenre and I don't watch the sport. However, I read this author's mystery duology earlier this year and loved those books, so was eager to snag a review copy of this book when it popped up. And I'm very glad I did!
This book isn't trying to break new ground, but I was very impressed with the emotional landscape we travel with our MCs. We get a freewheeling (impulsive) on the verge of coming out hotshot and an emotionally constipated for all intents and purposes virgin captain. Jax, newly transferred and feeling frustrated that he had to leave his old team under a cloud, joins this new team with perhaps not the best attitude. Tom is a modern ascetic; if they made hockey jerseys lined with haircloth, I'm sure he'd have several in rotation. Both are not the best versions of themselves when we meet them, which allows room for them to grow.
For example, the way Jax slowly works on Tom's sense of self worth and that allowing himself comfort isn't weakness . . . I don't think I've ever seen that particular aspect of romance highlighted so much in an m/m romance. It was refreshing and kind of adorable to read. (The SWEATERS, tho.)
I almost name-checked another popular hockey romance I have read, but I'll just say that the team dysfunction in Two for Holding feels realistic and relatable. And the way they start to build relationships throughout the team when Jax arrives and changes Tom's perspective of himself and how he has been leading the team versus how he could be a better captain--I really appreciated the way this book developed the team's burgeoning camaraderie.
This book has a great balance between the core romantic relationship and the team starting to coalesce around the same MCs as a new captain/alternate pairing on the ice and in the locker room.
I fully expect to re-read this in future, and I am looking forward to book 2!
Many thanks to GRR for the review copy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2025
I absolutely love a hockey romance, but there are so many of them now that it’s hard to find a unique storyline when reading one.
This book follows two closeted characters who stay closeted throughout. They do make plans for their future, and the series is to be continued, so I’m assuming we will get updates on how that goes, but I guess for all intents and purposes, they end up together and they’re happy about their current situation, so it’s a HEA.
It’s a tried and tested plot, and although nothing new is brought to the table, it’s enjoyable enough. Jax and the side characters are good; there are a few bad topics here and there from all of them, but that is what the story is centred around.
Tom, I wasn’t so sure about; everything seems to be a mystery with him. It unfortunately doesn’t make him exciting; completely the opposite, he comes across as a 30-odd-year-old man who can’t stick up for himself and does absolutely nothing but work. So a little boring.
I get that it is going to be a series, but there were just too many unanswered questions or plots that were not followed through enough to make me want more. Lots of little intriguing issues that take off but go nowhere. I was definitely interested but the more I read I realised the story just doesn’t feel finished, not even Tom and Jax’s.
Hopefully the second book will work out these kinks and give us the answers we need.
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
This book follows two closeted characters who stay closeted throughout. They do make plans for their future, and the series is to be continued, so I’m assuming we will get updates on how that goes, but I guess for all intents and purposes, they end up together and they’re happy about their current situation, so it’s a HEA.
It’s a tried and tested plot, and although nothing new is brought to the table, it’s enjoyable enough. Jax and the side characters are good; there are a few bad topics here and there from all of them, but that is what the story is centred around.
Tom, I wasn’t so sure about; everything seems to be a mystery with him. It unfortunately doesn’t make him exciting; completely the opposite, he comes across as a 30-odd-year-old man who can’t stick up for himself and does absolutely nothing but work. So a little boring.
I get that it is going to be a series, but there were just too many unanswered questions or plots that were not followed through enough to make me want more. Lots of little intriguing issues that take off but go nowhere. I was definitely interested but the more I read I realised the story just doesn’t feel finished, not even Tom and Jax’s.
Hopefully the second book will work out these kinks and give us the answers we need.
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
October 26, 2025
ARC Review
*mild spoilers ahead*
⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I was really torn about how to rate this book. On one hand, it was an enjoyable read, but there wasn’t much going on in terms of plot, the focus apparently is supposed to be more on character development.
Basically, a closeted gay hockey player gets caught up in a tricky situation and is traded to another team, where he meets another closeted player. After some misunderstandings, they start to connect, forming a friendship that eventually turns into a romantic relationship. That’s pretty much the premise that carries the whole story.
In between, they deal with some side stuff: there’s something suspicious happening with the coaching staff, a pretty colorful cast of teammates, including some young, cool rookies, some bigoted veterans, and a close friend who’s nearing the end of his career. There’s one set of awesome parents and another set of terrible ones.
And then there’s Tom and Jax. Tom is the team captain, mainly because he’s spent all 13 years of his career with the team, but he has zero people skills. He’s distant, bland, and lives next to the practice rink; basically, hockey is his whole personality.
Jax is the young superstar who arrives after a successful run on his old team. He’s outgoing, stylish, and even though he’s not out, he doesn’t really hold himself back. That’s actually why he ends up in San Francisco: he was a little careless about his hookups and his former team didn’t want to deal with the drama, so they sent him packing. They’re total opposites, but since they share some of the same struggles, they naturally gravitate toward each other.
Which brings me to the reason why I’m so conflicted…It felt... utilitary at first? No chemistry detected. And, I honestly didn’t like either of the main characters. I can’t say I hated them, that would mean they drew some emotion. They’re just... meh.
Tom is boring, that’s the only word I can think of when it comes to him. He has no personality beyond being terrified of being outed, to the point of being ridiculous. Apparently, some early experience led to his internalized homophobia, and supposedly his parents weren’t great either, but there’s no explanation about either situation, so it’s hard to tell.
Jax, on the other hand, is reckless (he brings a hookup to his hotel during his first road game with the new team, which shows he hasn’t learned from his mistakes). He hates hiding, and can't wait to be out so he can finally be himself. He also has a very problematic view of the women around the team, which, I get it, stems from his bad experiences with men, but honestly just sounds like misogyny.
Eventually, both characters end up compromising, but it doesn’t feel satisfying. Jax, who wants to come out and live freely, ends up staying in the closet for Tom. Tom is still terrified of being outed but is willing to risk it for Jax. When the book ends, they’re still keeping their relationship a secret. Nobody except Breezy (the only truly likable character in the whole book) knows about them, and that’s only because he overheard them talking. They never declare their love for each other, and none of the conflicts are really resolved.
The jerk teammates are still jerks, we never find out what Tom’s parents did, and there’s no clue about what happens with the coaching situation. In fact, the book ends on a cliffhanger regarding that. Apparently, it’ll be resolved in the next book.
And that’s it. I can’t say I really loved this book, but I didn’t dislike it either. I couldn’t connect to the characters, which is a big deal for me when giving a rate, but the story kept me interested enough to read to the end.
Not much to say about the writing style, I guess it’s good enough, but I don’t get the whole social media gimmick at the start of each chapter. It doesn’t add anything to the story.
Anyway, I’ll probably forget most of it in a couple weeks. If my gut is right (and it usually is with stuff like this), the next book will be about Phil and the head coach, already forgot his name. Honestly, I’d love it if Breezy and Luca, the only memorable side characters, got their own bi awakening story, but I’m not holding my breath.
-----
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
*mild spoilers ahead*
⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I was really torn about how to rate this book. On one hand, it was an enjoyable read, but there wasn’t much going on in terms of plot, the focus apparently is supposed to be more on character development.
Basically, a closeted gay hockey player gets caught up in a tricky situation and is traded to another team, where he meets another closeted player. After some misunderstandings, they start to connect, forming a friendship that eventually turns into a romantic relationship. That’s pretty much the premise that carries the whole story.
In between, they deal with some side stuff: there’s something suspicious happening with the coaching staff, a pretty colorful cast of teammates, including some young, cool rookies, some bigoted veterans, and a close friend who’s nearing the end of his career. There’s one set of awesome parents and another set of terrible ones.
And then there’s Tom and Jax. Tom is the team captain, mainly because he’s spent all 13 years of his career with the team, but he has zero people skills. He’s distant, bland, and lives next to the practice rink; basically, hockey is his whole personality.
Jax is the young superstar who arrives after a successful run on his old team. He’s outgoing, stylish, and even though he’s not out, he doesn’t really hold himself back. That’s actually why he ends up in San Francisco: he was a little careless about his hookups and his former team didn’t want to deal with the drama, so they sent him packing. They’re total opposites, but since they share some of the same struggles, they naturally gravitate toward each other.
Which brings me to the reason why I’m so conflicted…It felt... utilitary at first? No chemistry detected. And, I honestly didn’t like either of the main characters. I can’t say I hated them, that would mean they drew some emotion. They’re just... meh.
Tom is boring, that’s the only word I can think of when it comes to him. He has no personality beyond being terrified of being outed, to the point of being ridiculous. Apparently, some early experience led to his internalized homophobia, and supposedly his parents weren’t great either, but there’s no explanation about either situation, so it’s hard to tell.
Jax, on the other hand, is reckless (he brings a hookup to his hotel during his first road game with the new team, which shows he hasn’t learned from his mistakes). He hates hiding, and can't wait to be out so he can finally be himself. He also has a very problematic view of the women around the team, which, I get it, stems from his bad experiences with men, but honestly just sounds like misogyny.
Eventually, both characters end up compromising, but it doesn’t feel satisfying. Jax, who wants to come out and live freely, ends up staying in the closet for Tom. Tom is still terrified of being outed but is willing to risk it for Jax. When the book ends, they’re still keeping their relationship a secret. Nobody except Breezy (the only truly likable character in the whole book) knows about them, and that’s only because he overheard them talking. They never declare their love for each other, and none of the conflicts are really resolved.
The jerk teammates are still jerks, we never find out what Tom’s parents did, and there’s no clue about what happens with the coaching situation. In fact, the book ends on a cliffhanger regarding that. Apparently, it’ll be resolved in the next book.
And that’s it. I can’t say I really loved this book, but I didn’t dislike it either. I couldn’t connect to the characters, which is a big deal for me when giving a rate, but the story kept me interested enough to read to the end.
Not much to say about the writing style, I guess it’s good enough, but I don’t get the whole social media gimmick at the start of each chapter. It doesn’t add anything to the story.
Anyway, I’ll probably forget most of it in a couple weeks. If my gut is right (and it usually is with stuff like this), the next book will be about Phil and the head coach, already forgot his name. Honestly, I’d love it if Breezy and Luca, the only memorable side characters, got their own bi awakening story, but I’m not holding my breath.
-----
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
February 20, 2026
This story just made me swoon! Tom is an athlete at the top of his game. He is the Captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions. The team is moderately successful, making the playoffs for several years, but has never gone all the way. They bring in Jax, hoping to change that. During a road trip, Tom sees a man leaving Jax's room and discovers his secret. Jax was traded away from his team because he is gay. Tom not only keeps his secret but eventually comes out to Jax himself. They bond while working on uplifting their team on the ice and off. The conflict comes when they navigate if and when they should come out. The decision they reached was unique and refreshing. I can't wait to dive into the next book.
October 2, 2025
Last year I stumbled into this author from a random thread post about mechanics and murder. I got curious, and decided to give the books a try. I loved them. I’m not going to lie I was a bit nervous requesting the arc for this one, cause Hockey romance is very different to murder mysteries. But I’m very happy I did.
I loved this book. It ain’t perfect but the vibes? Spectacular. The dynamic between the MCs was perfect. From animosity to friends to lovers. Older inexperienced guy in need of all the pampering? Yes please. Tom deserves all the soft things in life.
I could have done without the social media comments. They always feel so fake when written done. Some or two worked but the rest felt quite forced (even though I’m very sure I would find those comments in real Instagram posts).
TLDR, It gave my cold heart all the butterflies. Kicking my feet. The vibes were exquisite. Will re read. Will buy when it’s out.
I loved this book. It ain’t perfect but the vibes? Spectacular. The dynamic between the MCs was perfect. From animosity to friends to lovers. Older inexperienced guy in need of all the pampering? Yes please. Tom deserves all the soft things in life.
I could have done without the social media comments. They always feel so fake when written done. Some or two worked but the rest felt quite forced (even though I’m very sure I would find those comments in real Instagram posts).
TLDR, It gave my cold heart all the butterflies. Kicking my feet. The vibes were exquisite. Will re read. Will buy when it’s out.
January 19, 2026
Older team captain and new hotshot superstar? Say less, I'm in.
The first thing that intrigued me about this one was the cover. I fell in love with it and honestly, I think it captures exactly what this story is about. Tom has been the captain of his team for a long time and has never won anything. But in comes Jax like a wrecking ball and he does exactly what I thought he was going to do: upend Tom's life for the better.
The beginning was a little slow but once the story picked up, I was into it. I can't wait to see what else happens in this series!
The first thing that intrigued me about this one was the cover. I fell in love with it and honestly, I think it captures exactly what this story is about. Tom has been the captain of his team for a long time and has never won anything. But in comes Jax like a wrecking ball and he does exactly what I thought he was going to do: upend Tom's life for the better.
The beginning was a little slow but once the story picked up, I was into it. I can't wait to see what else happens in this series!
January 31, 2026
This was an enjoyable read and a good start to the series, but it didn't fully click for me. I didn't feel fully invested in the relationship for a significant portion of the book, and I wish that more of the book was devoted to learning more about who Jax and Tom are, why they care so much about each other, and be left with the sense that they were going to stand the test of time. I did have a good time reading it, but I wanted a little bit more out of it and have high hopes for the next book in the series!
February 4, 2026
Don't even get me started on the timelines
March 13, 2026
The whole time I was asking myself: “When will finally happen something?”
January 27, 2026
I will admit that the hook for this hockey romance wasn't the most intense one, but I ended up really adoring Jax and Tom's story!
Tom's the Captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions, though the title is all but perfunctory. Enter Jax, who just got traded and who isn't ready to just accept the work-buddies-only attitude in the locker room.
There was a grumpy-sunshine aspect to the romance, but my favourite aspect of it was the caretaker role Jax takes towards Tom, which was very unexpected but absolutely wonderful.
Another thing I enjoyed was the subplot around the charity work the team takes on, and Jax's personal background.
I also really liked the team in general. Many of the side characters were interesting, and a lot of them felt like nuanced characters, including the ones that take on more antagonistic roles.
The one thing I found a bit strange was the background plot around something going on with the coaches. It's clearly a setup for a sequel, but since it leads nowhere in Jax and Tom's story, I wish it had been a bit smaller of a subplot.
Overall this was a super charming hockey romance, and I am excited to see more of the Sea Lions!
I received and ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Tom's the Captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions, though the title is all but perfunctory. Enter Jax, who just got traded and who isn't ready to just accept the work-buddies-only attitude in the locker room.
There was a grumpy-sunshine aspect to the romance, but my favourite aspect of it was the caretaker role Jax takes towards Tom, which was very unexpected but absolutely wonderful.
Another thing I enjoyed was the subplot around the charity work the team takes on, and Jax's personal background.
I also really liked the team in general. Many of the side characters were interesting, and a lot of them felt like nuanced characters, including the ones that take on more antagonistic roles.
The one thing I found a bit strange was the background plot around something going on with the coaches. It's clearly a setup for a sequel, but since it leads nowhere in Jax and Tom's story, I wish it had been a bit smaller of a subplot.
Overall this was a super charming hockey romance, and I am excited to see more of the Sea Lions!
I received and ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
November 7, 2025
The chemistry between the two was flat. The characters were kind of flat, and it ends on a cliffhanger for the next book. I think I was comparing it too much to similar hockey romance storylines that hit the beats way better than this one.
October 25, 2025
I love Jax! He is determined to live life to the fullest and never deny himself or who he is. He is not half the player the league or gossip makes everyone think he is. He just refuses to hide. Tom is the exact opposite. He doesn’t realize how much he has truly isolated himself due to his deep seated fear. You couldn’t find a more grumpy/sunshine pair. These two had a lot to figure out through the course of this book. My heart broke a little bit for both of them, but they get it all figured out. That coaching situation they are dealing with is weird and affecting their team. I can’t wait to see how that unfolds. Also, I hope Breezy and Luca get their own stories!
February 14, 2026
This is a tough one to review. I enjoy hockey romances, and I loved how much hockey was in this one. However, most of the plot is character development, which was underwhelming. Some things were done well, others not as much. I enjoyed it, but I'm uncertain if I'll pick up the next book in this series (which was set up in this book).
January 11, 2026
Tom and Jax were great and the plot/drama with the Team was interesting but I think i'd like to have more secondary character development. but! there's an overarching plot that seems like it'll be carried into the next book, so we'll see!
April 5, 2026
This book was voted on for a queer hockey reading group I'm in. I didn't end up reading it with them but picked it up this month. It was chosen because the group wanted a book to read that showed the issues in the media, in the locker room and just generally a toxic environment mirroring the real life environment. But in a romance we get a happily ever after, we get to see those problems, how they effect the MCs and how the side characters work together to create a better environment.
One of my favorite microtropes is the "practice with me/teach me" how to do (insert thing here). And this does it so well.
Even though we know this is a m/m romance, it takes a while for Tom to even think/speak about his sexuality clearly. There some very subtle hints here and there but nothing concrete. He's lived 15 years with his secret, being alone, and basically living in a shell of himself until he meets Jax.
Jax is a very outgoing, sunshine guy that no one seems to be able to shy away from. He brings Tom out of his shell just as a team captain at first, the running through plays andine changes until Jax finally learns Tom isn't a homophobe.
"He lay awake, going over every conversation he’d ever had with Tom. The way Tom shied away from him whenever Jax was too blatant, which he’d taken for a polite man’s form of homophobia, had become a scared man’s way of escaping being known. He’d never told anyone. How could he live that way?"
"When Jax first thought Tom gave new meaning to the word “closeted,” he decided Tom must be lonely. But “lonely” couldn’t encompass how desolate Tom’s life must actually have been."
Over the course of the book, and therefore their relationship, we see Tom initiating more team stuff, being supportive of rookies, giving coaching tips, calling out racism and bigotry. We see him slipped back into himself with Breezy and Jax shelter idea. It shows how slow and non linear change can be.
“You came to the right team,” Tom said firmly. He would make sure they had a place for Luca; he would make sure they had a place for Jax. He would make sure they still had a place for Phil when he was ready to return."
Jax gets called impulsive alot, as an insult and we don't really see much impulsivity. We see a guy who just wants to be himself but is held back by the toxic environment of hockey. We do see growth from him as well especially after the shelter idea and him making sure they didn't feel used by an impulsive idea to out himself.
We do see growth of side characters as well which is amazing and I can't wait to read their stories so we can see just how much they grow. (Some not so subtle hints in the book). And we get a huge surprise at the end of the book which explains so much.
" “You don’t have to be involved, okay? Breezy got the ball rolling; it should be him and me.” Tom blinked. Had he heard correctly? “Breezy?” “Yeah.” “Why?” With a loud sigh, Jax plopped onto one of the bar stools at the counter. “Because he’s a decent human being?” "
I have a lot of things I hope to see in the future. Like how does everyone react to Tom and Jax?
does Tom cut contact with his family?
What happens with Trout?
Does anything happen based on hayse's words and actions?
Does Jax come out to the team but not the world? How does Kayleigh react? So many questions but I know there's more books and short stories.
Here's some of the more humourous quotes from the book.
"He wanted to put Tom in a bathtub full of maple syrup, cover him in bacon strips, and suck his cock. Jax blinked. One of those things was not like the others."
"Luca studied him. “It is a miracle you survived to adulthood. In Italy, we would have put you out in the hills for the wolves to find.” Breezy shoved a massive forkful of Cobb salad into his mouth before retorting, “In Montreal, you might have been hugged as a child, then you wouldn’t be this way.”
“Mm.” Tom nestled closer to Jax. He was warm, and Tom slept so well when he stayed over. “You’re like a cat, you know that?” “Thought I was a bird,” Tom managed around a yawn. Jax laughed so softly it was more of an exhale. “Somehow, you manage both.”
One of my favorite microtropes is the "practice with me/teach me" how to do (insert thing here). And this does it so well.
Even though we know this is a m/m romance, it takes a while for Tom to even think/speak about his sexuality clearly. There some very subtle hints here and there but nothing concrete. He's lived 15 years with his secret, being alone, and basically living in a shell of himself until he meets Jax.
Jax is a very outgoing, sunshine guy that no one seems to be able to shy away from. He brings Tom out of his shell just as a team captain at first, the running through plays andine changes until Jax finally learns Tom isn't a homophobe.
"He lay awake, going over every conversation he’d ever had with Tom. The way Tom shied away from him whenever Jax was too blatant, which he’d taken for a polite man’s form of homophobia, had become a scared man’s way of escaping being known. He’d never told anyone. How could he live that way?"
"When Jax first thought Tom gave new meaning to the word “closeted,” he decided Tom must be lonely. But “lonely” couldn’t encompass how desolate Tom’s life must actually have been."
Over the course of the book, and therefore their relationship, we see Tom initiating more team stuff, being supportive of rookies, giving coaching tips, calling out racism and bigotry. We see him slipped back into himself with Breezy and Jax shelter idea. It shows how slow and non linear change can be.
“You came to the right team,” Tom said firmly. He would make sure they had a place for Luca; he would make sure they had a place for Jax. He would make sure they still had a place for Phil when he was ready to return."
Jax gets called impulsive alot, as an insult and we don't really see much impulsivity. We see a guy who just wants to be himself but is held back by the toxic environment of hockey. We do see growth from him as well especially after the shelter idea and him making sure they didn't feel used by an impulsive idea to out himself.
We do see growth of side characters as well which is amazing and I can't wait to read their stories so we can see just how much they grow. (Some not so subtle hints in the book). And we get a huge surprise at the end of the book which explains so much.
" “You don’t have to be involved, okay? Breezy got the ball rolling; it should be him and me.” Tom blinked. Had he heard correctly? “Breezy?” “Yeah.” “Why?” With a loud sigh, Jax plopped onto one of the bar stools at the counter. “Because he’s a decent human being?” "
I have a lot of things I hope to see in the future. Like how does everyone react to Tom and Jax?
does Tom cut contact with his family?
What happens with Trout?
Does anything happen based on hayse's words and actions?
Does Jax come out to the team but not the world? How does Kayleigh react? So many questions but I know there's more books and short stories.
Here's some of the more humourous quotes from the book.
"He wanted to put Tom in a bathtub full of maple syrup, cover him in bacon strips, and suck his cock. Jax blinked. One of those things was not like the others."
"Luca studied him. “It is a miracle you survived to adulthood. In Italy, we would have put you out in the hills for the wolves to find.” Breezy shoved a massive forkful of Cobb salad into his mouth before retorting, “In Montreal, you might have been hugged as a child, then you wouldn’t be this way.”
“Mm.” Tom nestled closer to Jax. He was warm, and Tom slept so well when he stayed over. “You’re like a cat, you know that?” “Thought I was a bird,” Tom managed around a yawn. Jax laughed so softly it was more of an exhale. “Somehow, you manage both.”
January 7, 2026
DNF @ 36%
The first like 15% felt very weird and unfocused? I couldn't get a proper read on what exactly the chapters were talking about since they were like 30% Jax and Tom interactions (where they felt like they moved on from ideas too quickly) and 70% hockey/team dynamic stuff that didn't seem to need to be relevant? IDK why we needed to see Jax interacting poorly with the WAGs since honestly it just made him seem misogynistic with how negatively he talked about them (and made Tom look even worse as a captain who'd been there for years but hadn't established clear connections with his team). I get Jax was projecting jealousy over the privilege female partners had, but there had to have been a better, less negative way of conveying that because it just made Jax hard to like as a character.
I didn't really care much for the other team members and struggled to keep them separate in my head. I'm not super sure why Jax needed to notice East' style being dated/his leg being hurt or Breezy's reluctance over marrying his GF (mentioned multiple times) or whoever the hell Howie, Moonie, Haysie, Luca, Phil were. They could've just been unnamed teammates or one off mentions considering their characters weren't directly impacting the dynamic between Jax and Tom.
And wtf was up with Tom suddenly punching a guy for being homophobic to Jax? Surely he was used to hearing that shit on the ice at that point? Tom later on saying that he had tuned them out until recently was not a good enough excuse. I get the author was trying to show us that he wanted to stand up for Jax because *feelings* but they'd barely had like two scenes alone at that point so I don't know where those feelings would've come from?
Also, it was kind of wild having a team in based in SF of all places apparently just casually be homophobic to each other. I'm not sure about how it actually is but I feel like homophobia would be more subdued and expressed more subtly there rather than "Howie thinks the f-slur is funny".
Was everyone in this story a child? Jax getting into a fight with his old captain because he couldn't tell him why he was traded was a melodramatic false dilemma. He said his old captain hated him because he thought Jax had asked for the trade and that Jax couldn't reveal that he didn't because he'd have to come out if he did, but that's not true? Surely if he'd been on any amount of good terms with the guy, he'd be able to say something like "I didn't want to be traded but management forced me because of shit I can't tell you" and there'd be no reason to not believe him? Unless the captain truly felt that strongly about Jax and held strong to his preconceived notions/was lied to, but then we'd needed to have seen that rather than have had it relegated to an off-screen argument.
I gave up when instead of developing the romance and dynamic between Jax and Tom, we get some weirdass side plot about Phil wanting to sue the team for their part in how he got hurt. A whopping 33% in the novel (116 pages) and I feel like Jax and Tom have shared around 5 meaningful scenes between them. Where's the chemistry? The romance? I love me a good slow burn, but this has no burn and like two other separate side plots being set up (the bad management, Breezy's love life).
My god, this story needed to remember that it was supposed to be a romance first and that all other side plots needed to work in service of making Jax and Tom fall in love. I have zero clue how Breezy's being italian was relevant and the bad team management should've helped bond Jax and Tom but it didn't.
TL;DR: Not really a lot of romance going on and the characters/setting is way too off-putting with the casual racism and misogyny piled on top of the already prevalent homophobia. 1.5 stars rounded down.
The first like 15% felt very weird and unfocused? I couldn't get a proper read on what exactly the chapters were talking about since they were like 30% Jax and Tom interactions (where they felt like they moved on from ideas too quickly) and 70% hockey/team dynamic stuff that didn't seem to need to be relevant? IDK why we needed to see Jax interacting poorly with the WAGs since honestly it just made him seem misogynistic with how negatively he talked about them (and made Tom look even worse as a captain who'd been there for years but hadn't established clear connections with his team). I get Jax was projecting jealousy over the privilege female partners had, but there had to have been a better, less negative way of conveying that because it just made Jax hard to like as a character.
I didn't really care much for the other team members and struggled to keep them separate in my head. I'm not super sure why Jax needed to notice East' style being dated/his leg being hurt or Breezy's reluctance over marrying his GF (mentioned multiple times) or whoever the hell Howie, Moonie, Haysie, Luca, Phil were. They could've just been unnamed teammates or one off mentions considering their characters weren't directly impacting the dynamic between Jax and Tom.
And wtf was up with Tom suddenly punching a guy for being homophobic to Jax? Surely he was used to hearing that shit on the ice at that point? Tom later on saying that he had tuned them out until recently was not a good enough excuse. I get the author was trying to show us that he wanted to stand up for Jax because *feelings* but they'd barely had like two scenes alone at that point so I don't know where those feelings would've come from?
Also, it was kind of wild having a team in based in SF of all places apparently just casually be homophobic to each other. I'm not sure about how it actually is but I feel like homophobia would be more subdued and expressed more subtly there rather than "Howie thinks the f-slur is funny".
Was everyone in this story a child? Jax getting into a fight with his old captain because he couldn't tell him why he was traded was a melodramatic false dilemma. He said his old captain hated him because he thought Jax had asked for the trade and that Jax couldn't reveal that he didn't because he'd have to come out if he did, but that's not true? Surely if he'd been on any amount of good terms with the guy, he'd be able to say something like "I didn't want to be traded but management forced me because of shit I can't tell you" and there'd be no reason to not believe him? Unless the captain truly felt that strongly about Jax and held strong to his preconceived notions/was lied to, but then we'd needed to have seen that rather than have had it relegated to an off-screen argument.
I gave up when instead of developing the romance and dynamic between Jax and Tom, we get some weirdass side plot about Phil wanting to sue the team for their part in how he got hurt. A whopping 33% in the novel (116 pages) and I feel like Jax and Tom have shared around 5 meaningful scenes between them. Where's the chemistry? The romance? I love me a good slow burn, but this has no burn and like two other separate side plots being set up (the bad management, Breezy's love life).
My god, this story needed to remember that it was supposed to be a romance first and that all other side plots needed to work in service of making Jax and Tom fall in love. I have zero clue how Breezy's being italian was relevant and the bad team management should've helped bond Jax and Tom but it didn't.
TL;DR: Not really a lot of romance going on and the characters/setting is way too off-putting with the casual racism and misogyny piled on top of the already prevalent homophobia. 1.5 stars rounded down.
October 31, 2025
I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
I've rounded up my rating because it's a travesty that the overall rating on GR in no way reflects the integrity of this book's narrative quality.
And Ok yeah, if you want jock-bro energy and pages of flippant sex then this hockey romance is very much not for you.
It's no secret that I'm not a super fan of closet stories.
But guess what? Look around.
You can no longer say "it's the 21st century" or "2025" to deride the fear to be who you are and love who you love.
VITRIOLIC HATE, VIOLENCE AND BIGOTRY ARE PLATFORMED WHEN THAT SH!T SHOULD BE SHUT TF DOWN!
2025: NHL'S CODE OF CONDUCT IS WHERE EXACTLY? THE NHL K N O W I N G L Y GIVES CONTRACTS TO RAPISTS AND PREDATORS.
THE LEAGUE IS A CESSPOOL OF INEQUITY AND GARBAGE HUMANS ON THE ICE, OFF THE ICE, IN THE ARENAS, AND WATCHING FROM WHEREVER THEY GUZZLE FOX NEWS AND CRY ABOUT WOKENESS.
Barnes very much captured the excruciating reality of shutting down under the weight of decades of fear, and all the anxiety over the lack of safety and support Tom had LIVED, from 18 years old till now. To protect himself, because no one else would in a hypermasculine arena like pro hockey. To strive in a league where slurs and malicious power dynamics make the 2SLGBTQIA+ community vulnerable to instability, insecurity, bigotry and discrimination.
But ofc ymmv.
On my end, I've read a ton of MM Hockey and I thought Two for Holding was fantastic!! True to Barnes' narrative style, which I've loved since discovering her Hudson Valley Murder Mysteries series, this story was well-written, immersive and emotionally earnest.
The MCs and their teammates were strong and engaging characters. And though the plot was one we've seen before, it's a tried and true one that allowed the San Francisco Sea Lions to grow in their own way through the challenges posed by the new energy on the ice (trade), and the coaching staff (new coach) drama.
Tom and Jax were the most precious babes! I LOVED their yearning heart-space so much! Teammates dkng down on the dl will never get old for me!
Jax was a smoke-show, and his whole beingness was the sunshiney, charismatic, rags-to-riches bae we love to love! But it was in the portrayal of team captain Tom, where Barnes' astute capture of his multifaceted, aching texture of wants and needs stole my heart. Usually the "C" carries an aura of steadfast competence and leadership in the room. But I loved how Tom was closed up from more than hockey talk, and that he was inspired by Jax to grow and change and open up like only F E E L I N G truly loved could do.
ahhhh I'm living for Luca and Breezy rn stg! They're so fire already and I could read their chemistry forever!
I absolutely CANNOT WAIT for every single book in the Minor Penalties series, because S.B. Barnes is a brilliant author who adds much needed dimensionality and awareness in the MM Hockey subgenre which should be platformed and shown more respect than the rating on GR implies.
I've rounded up my rating because it's a travesty that the overall rating on GR in no way reflects the integrity of this book's narrative quality.
And Ok yeah, if you want jock-bro energy and pages of flippant sex then this hockey romance is very much not for you.
It's no secret that I'm not a super fan of closet stories.
But guess what? Look around.
You can no longer say "it's the 21st century" or "2025" to deride the fear to be who you are and love who you love.
VITRIOLIC HATE, VIOLENCE AND BIGOTRY ARE PLATFORMED WHEN THAT SH!T SHOULD BE SHUT TF DOWN!
2025: NHL'S CODE OF CONDUCT IS WHERE EXACTLY? THE NHL K N O W I N G L Y GIVES CONTRACTS TO RAPISTS AND PREDATORS.
THE LEAGUE IS A CESSPOOL OF INEQUITY AND GARBAGE HUMANS ON THE ICE, OFF THE ICE, IN THE ARENAS, AND WATCHING FROM WHEREVER THEY GUZZLE FOX NEWS AND CRY ABOUT WOKENESS.
Barnes very much captured the excruciating reality of shutting down under the weight of decades of fear, and all the anxiety over the lack of safety and support Tom had LIVED, from 18 years old till now. To protect himself, because no one else would in a hypermasculine arena like pro hockey. To strive in a league where slurs and malicious power dynamics make the 2SLGBTQIA+ community vulnerable to instability, insecurity, bigotry and discrimination.
But ofc ymmv.
On my end, I've read a ton of MM Hockey and I thought Two for Holding was fantastic!! True to Barnes' narrative style, which I've loved since discovering her Hudson Valley Murder Mysteries series, this story was well-written, immersive and emotionally earnest.
The MCs and their teammates were strong and engaging characters. And though the plot was one we've seen before, it's a tried and true one that allowed the San Francisco Sea Lions to grow in their own way through the challenges posed by the new energy on the ice (trade), and the coaching staff (new coach) drama.
Tom and Jax were the most precious babes! I LOVED their yearning heart-space so much! Teammates dkng down on the dl will never get old for me!
Jax was a smoke-show, and his whole beingness was the sunshiney, charismatic, rags-to-riches bae we love to love! But it was in the portrayal of team captain Tom, where Barnes' astute capture of his multifaceted, aching texture of wants and needs stole my heart. Usually the "C" carries an aura of steadfast competence and leadership in the room. But I loved how Tom was closed up from more than hockey talk, and that he was inspired by Jax to grow and change and open up like only F E E L I N G truly loved could do.
ahhhh I'm living for Luca and Breezy rn stg! They're so fire already and I could read their chemistry forever!
I absolutely CANNOT WAIT for every single book in the Minor Penalties series, because S.B. Barnes is a brilliant author who adds much needed dimensionality and awareness in the MM Hockey subgenre which should be platformed and shown more respect than the rating on GR implies.
January 27, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. I felt like author's love for the sport shines through, the characters are relatable, the plot is interesting, it's carefully and well written, and it's quite funny in places while also being touching and hot. It felt very realistic both in a hockey and a characterisation sense. There were a handful of times I would have suggested a line edit, although they were few and far enough in between that it didn't bother me much. There were also a couple of plot points that felt a little loose to me but again not enough that it hugely affected my reading experience.
Overall I had a great time reading this and am looking forward to the next in the series.
spoilers ahead for some more detail
Overall I had a great time reading this and am looking forward to the next in the series.
spoilers ahead for some more detail
June 8, 2026
Okay, this book completely caught me off guard.
I went into it expecting a mediocre read with an okay romance, something light to pass the time, but damn if this book did not exceed expectations. It was sooo good. The chemistry felt incredibly natural, the spice was great, and the side characters were actually memorable instead of just existing to fill space.
I'm especially happy with the author for a bunch of reasons. First and most importantly, this book felt real. We had douchebags on the team trying way too hard to be politically correct. We had a character cheating on his wife, which, for some reason, I rarely see in books despite it being something that unfortunately happens all the time. We had homophobia, but it wasn't cartoonishly evil or overdone. It was vague, subtle, and realistic.
Everything about the environment screamed real life.
And thank God the team wasn't portrayed as one giant happy family where everyone's entire personality revolves around the main couple. You know the type: "We called it!" or "We've always known!" or somehow every teammate is obsessively invested in the protagonists' relationship. I was so glad this didn't happen.
Secondly, there wasn't some huge main villain. Because honestly, in real life there usually isn't. Sometimes circumstances are the problem, sometimes people are flawed, and sometimes things are just messy. That felt much easier to relate to.
Now, coming to the main characters.
Oh, they were absolutely adorable.
We got to see Tom slowly come to terms with his sexuality, but thankfully it wasn't done in that frustrating way some books handle it, where characters lash out repeatedly, hurt each other, disappear for a while, and then come back with a grand love confession. Tom's journey felt gradual, thoughtful, and completely in line with his personality.
And then there's Jax.
Jax was an absolute banger of a character. He was funny, lovable, chaotic, and honestly carried so many scenes.
I have to mention this line because I laughed way harder than I should have:
"Jax had to get out of there immediately before he suggested Tom cut out the middleman and fuck Jax instead, and then maybe marry him and have his babies while they were at it."
Oh God. He was the absolute best.
I genuinely have no complaints. The romance worked, the characters worked, the humor worked, and the world felt authentic without trying too hard. This was one of those books that completely exceeded my expectations, and I could not be happier about it.
I went into it expecting a mediocre read with an okay romance, something light to pass the time, but damn if this book did not exceed expectations. It was sooo good. The chemistry felt incredibly natural, the spice was great, and the side characters were actually memorable instead of just existing to fill space.
I'm especially happy with the author for a bunch of reasons. First and most importantly, this book felt real. We had douchebags on the team trying way too hard to be politically correct. We had a character cheating on his wife, which, for some reason, I rarely see in books despite it being something that unfortunately happens all the time. We had homophobia, but it wasn't cartoonishly evil or overdone. It was vague, subtle, and realistic.
Everything about the environment screamed real life.
And thank God the team wasn't portrayed as one giant happy family where everyone's entire personality revolves around the main couple. You know the type: "We called it!" or "We've always known!" or somehow every teammate is obsessively invested in the protagonists' relationship. I was so glad this didn't happen.
Secondly, there wasn't some huge main villain. Because honestly, in real life there usually isn't. Sometimes circumstances are the problem, sometimes people are flawed, and sometimes things are just messy. That felt much easier to relate to.
Now, coming to the main characters.
Oh, they were absolutely adorable.
We got to see Tom slowly come to terms with his sexuality, but thankfully it wasn't done in that frustrating way some books handle it, where characters lash out repeatedly, hurt each other, disappear for a while, and then come back with a grand love confession. Tom's journey felt gradual, thoughtful, and completely in line with his personality.
And then there's Jax.
Jax was an absolute banger of a character. He was funny, lovable, chaotic, and honestly carried so many scenes.
I have to mention this line because I laughed way harder than I should have:
"Jax had to get out of there immediately before he suggested Tom cut out the middleman and fuck Jax instead, and then maybe marry him and have his babies while they were at it."
Oh God. He was the absolute best.
I genuinely have no complaints. The romance worked, the characters worked, the humor worked, and the world felt authentic without trying too hard. This was one of those books that completely exceeded my expectations, and I could not be happier about it.
October 31, 2025
MY OPINION: I haven’t read the first two books by this author, but this fell into the type of book I like to read as an ARC. I had some trouble with this book. The good news is I never DNF and kept chewing through since writing a whole book is hard to read through, and the author did pull up their stars in the last 25% of the story.
It’s a story of two hockey players, both on a team that has some struggles, and together they start pulling it back together.
Jax is new to the team and was immediately given an ‘A’, which was odd but was necessary for the story. There is a lot of time spent playing hockey, interacting with hockey players, and talking about what will make the game better. This is great, and being a hockey fan, keeping track of the choices and what they were doing as a team worked.
The subplot about the coaches was odd at best, and I didn’t get why they were still employed by an NHL team since they weren’t winning. I believe the GM would have identified and addressed these issues. It doesn’t feel realistic to me. The teaser at the end kind of explains things, but it was a weird part of the story. That lost me on being realistic.
The two men finding each other, figuring out an HFN, and realizing being alone isn’t what they want in life was engaging. For me, this is a happy ending for now; the epilogue really doesn’t give us a look at a future for them. The fact that the romance behind hockey being accepting of queer men is a painful reminder throughout the book, crashing into the reality of the situation with its single openly gay player. I guess I am not a fan of the truth.
The last 25% of the book was quite emotional. These two men must accept reality in ways that capture all the emotions. It tugged hard at my heart and, in a lot of ways, redeemed the book for me. It really brought so much heart to the story. There are some great spicy moments between the men, and Jax figuring out what Tom wants and needs is a treat. Overall, I liked the book even though it was a little tough to get through. Lots of hockey, and this isn't a book about what life would be like in the NHL where gay players were a thing; it’s hard to look at what hockey is right now.
It’s a story of two hockey players, both on a team that has some struggles, and together they start pulling it back together.
Jax is new to the team and was immediately given an ‘A’, which was odd but was necessary for the story. There is a lot of time spent playing hockey, interacting with hockey players, and talking about what will make the game better. This is great, and being a hockey fan, keeping track of the choices and what they were doing as a team worked.
The subplot about the coaches was odd at best, and I didn’t get why they were still employed by an NHL team since they weren’t winning. I believe the GM would have identified and addressed these issues. It doesn’t feel realistic to me. The teaser at the end kind of explains things, but it was a weird part of the story. That lost me on being realistic.
The two men finding each other, figuring out an HFN, and realizing being alone isn’t what they want in life was engaging. For me, this is a happy ending for now; the epilogue really doesn’t give us a look at a future for them. The fact that the romance behind hockey being accepting of queer men is a painful reminder throughout the book, crashing into the reality of the situation with its single openly gay player. I guess I am not a fan of the truth.
The last 25% of the book was quite emotional. These two men must accept reality in ways that capture all the emotions. It tugged hard at my heart and, in a lot of ways, redeemed the book for me. It really brought so much heart to the story. There are some great spicy moments between the men, and Jax figuring out what Tom wants and needs is a treat. Overall, I liked the book even though it was a little tough to get through. Lots of hockey, and this isn't a book about what life would be like in the NHL where gay players were a thing; it’s hard to look at what hockey is right now.
July 12, 2026
2.5 stars
I liked the story just fine several points I didn't like
1) how much they try to shove down your throat that if you don't support queer rights and aren't vocal about it you are a bigot. And if you don't come out you cannot live a full life. In my opinion not every journey is the same. You can just want to watch hockey without being pelted to death about their orientation. Players can also want to be left alone and have a right to privacy and just play hockey. This book doesn't leave that grey acceptance however. If you don't come out you don't support the movement. And if you don't come out you make it harder for the next generation..... Yeah I never like that about mm sport books. Your responsibile for yourself not for making it easier for a next generation. Is it admirable if they do so? Yes. Do I get annoyed where mc's get guilt tripped or blamed when they say "I just want to play (insert sport) and I don't want them focus on my private life... Also yes
2)I like skilled mc's and the ineptitude of the entire team just erked me
3)Phil is shown as the good guy. But when he finds out Morrison isn't a real coach he tries his best but doesn't find a new coach which leads to trout doing whatever he wants with all the consequences and he should know because it cost him his knee
4) Some sentences were worded in such a way that I had to read them several times before I could understand what the writer meant.
What I did like:
1) the mc's were relatable and The problems between our mcs didn't seem contrived but real
So while I liked this book just fine. I won't be reading the other books in this series. Morris just erked me. It's fine if you take a job to be undercover but he is responsible for the health, mental and physical, for his player. And not only doesn't he take care of their health. He also doesn't know how hockey is played. So he is toying with something that could cost players their future. Probably cost Phill his future and probably others as well.... So no matter how important that story is. He could is a shitty person. He could have hired and assistant if he couldnt coach himself. But noo... So nope not reading the next book.
I liked the story just fine several points I didn't like
1) how much they try to shove down your throat that if you don't support queer rights and aren't vocal about it you are a bigot. And if you don't come out you cannot live a full life. In my opinion not every journey is the same. You can just want to watch hockey without being pelted to death about their orientation. Players can also want to be left alone and have a right to privacy and just play hockey. This book doesn't leave that grey acceptance however. If you don't come out you don't support the movement. And if you don't come out you make it harder for the next generation..... Yeah I never like that about mm sport books. Your responsibile for yourself not for making it easier for a next generation. Is it admirable if they do so? Yes. Do I get annoyed where mc's get guilt tripped or blamed when they say "I just want to play (insert sport) and I don't want them focus on my private life... Also yes
2)I like skilled mc's and the ineptitude of the entire team just erked me
3)Phil is shown as the good guy. But when he finds out Morrison isn't a real coach he tries his best but doesn't find a new coach which leads to trout doing whatever he wants with all the consequences and he should know because it cost him his knee
4) Some sentences were worded in such a way that I had to read them several times before I could understand what the writer meant.
What I did like:
1) the mc's were relatable and The problems between our mcs didn't seem contrived but real
So while I liked this book just fine. I won't be reading the other books in this series. Morris just erked me. It's fine if you take a job to be undercover but he is responsible for the health, mental and physical, for his player. And not only doesn't he take care of their health. He also doesn't know how hockey is played. So he is toying with something that could cost players their future. Probably cost Phill his future and probably others as well.... So no matter how important that story is. He could is a shitty person. He could have hired and assistant if he couldnt coach himself. But noo... So nope not reading the next book.
October 31, 2025
Thanks so much S.B. Barnes and Gay Romance Reviews for the book. I was given this book as an advance review copy (ARC) for free, and I am leaving this review completely voluntarily.
This is book one in the Minor Penalties series - and yep, it’s a MM hockey romance (in case the cover didn’t already scream that at you).
This story follows Jax, a newly traded player who’s loud, flashy, and not afraid to take up space, and Tom, the Sea Lions’ team captain who’s been quietly retreating into himself after too many seasons without a trophy. When Tom gets called out for not exactly making Jax feel welcome, he tries to fix that. It’s awkward at first but as the two start spending more time together, Jax slowly coaxes Tom out of his shell and realizes he might be catching feelings along the way.
It’s a slow burn, so don’t expect these two to be tangled in sheets by chapter four. The tension builds gradually, and There are some cute moments between them that made me smile.
Now, I’ll be honest, there are a lot of hockey romances out there right now. The market is flooded, so a author really has to do something special to stand out. I liked this story. It had charm, emotional depth, and good character work. Did it completely wow me? No, not really. It was a good read, just not one that knocked me off my feet.
Also, I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I grabbed the ARC, and there are definitely some cliffhangers left hanging for side characters. I’m a little torn; I like setup for future books, but I also wanted a more complete wrap-up here.
That said, I’ll probably check out the next book in the Minor Penalties series and decide then if I’m sticking around for the full lineup.
Happy reading friends,
~ Maebae 💚
I’m a fellow book lover reviewing the good, the bad, and everything bookish in-between. All thoughts, opinions, and reactions are completely my own. I wasn’t paid, sponsored, or influenced in any way.
This is book one in the Minor Penalties series - and yep, it’s a MM hockey romance (in case the cover didn’t already scream that at you).
This story follows Jax, a newly traded player who’s loud, flashy, and not afraid to take up space, and Tom, the Sea Lions’ team captain who’s been quietly retreating into himself after too many seasons without a trophy. When Tom gets called out for not exactly making Jax feel welcome, he tries to fix that. It’s awkward at first but as the two start spending more time together, Jax slowly coaxes Tom out of his shell and realizes he might be catching feelings along the way.
It’s a slow burn, so don’t expect these two to be tangled in sheets by chapter four. The tension builds gradually, and There are some cute moments between them that made me smile.
Now, I’ll be honest, there are a lot of hockey romances out there right now. The market is flooded, so a author really has to do something special to stand out. I liked this story. It had charm, emotional depth, and good character work. Did it completely wow me? No, not really. It was a good read, just not one that knocked me off my feet.
Also, I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I grabbed the ARC, and there are definitely some cliffhangers left hanging for side characters. I’m a little torn; I like setup for future books, but I also wanted a more complete wrap-up here.
That said, I’ll probably check out the next book in the Minor Penalties series and decide then if I’m sticking around for the full lineup.
Happy reading friends,
~ Maebae 💚
I’m a fellow book lover reviewing the good, the bad, and everything bookish in-between. All thoughts, opinions, and reactions are completely my own. I wasn’t paid, sponsored, or influenced in any way.
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