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Chicago Storm #1

Body Check: Eine Spicy Gay Sports Romance (Chicago Storm (Eine MM Hockey Romance Reihe) 1)

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Ein verdeckt schwuler NHL-Kapitän, der seit zehn Jahren niemanden an sich herangelassen hat. Ein Rookie, der sich weigert, sich zu verstecken. Und ein Mentoring-Auftrag, den keiner von beiden professionell überleben — oder persönlich widerstehen kann.

Luca Moretti hält die Chicago Storm durch pure Willenskraft und makellose Kontrolle zusammen — keine Skandale, keine Beziehungen, kein einziger Riss in der Maske, die er mit zwanzig aufgesetzt hat. Als ihm die Vereinsführung ihren Erstrundenpick zur Betreuung zuteilt, erwartet er einen weiteren Jungprofi, der geformt und weitergereicht wird. Theo Callahan, der offen bisexuelle Rookie mit einem Grinsen, das einen Zamboni zum Schmelzen bringen könnte, wird sein Problem.

Jetzt teilen sie sich Eiszeiten um fünf Uhr morgens und aufgeladene Stille — seine Hände, die Theos Haltung korrigieren, Theos Wärme, die ein Jahrzehnt aus Mauern zerlegt. Luca hat überlebt, indem er unsichtbar blieb. Theo drängt nicht, fordert nicht, versucht nicht, ihn ins Licht zu zerren. Er bleibt einfach. Und Luca hat Angst, dass das Sicherste, was er je gefühlt hat, genau das ist, was alles zerstören könnte, was er aufgebaut hat.

✔ Geoutet / Nicht geoutet
✔ Grumpy-Sunshine
✔ Kapitän & Rookie (erzwungene Nähe)
✔ Er hat sich zuerst verliebt (und härter)
✔ Touch-Starved mit Praise Kink
✔ Hurt/Comfort
✔ Kein gemeinsames Bett — eine leere Wohnung, die sich endlich wie Zuhause anfühlt

Heat Explizit 🔥🔥🔥
Herzzerreißend zärtlich, langsam brennender Angst, verdiente Freude
NHL Chicago
HEA. Chicago Storm,
Band 1 (verbundene Einzelbände)

Manche Masken brechen nicht. Sie schmelzen — um fünf Uhr morgens, auf frischem Eis, eine Berührung nach der anderen.

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2026

90 people are currently reading
132 people want to read

About the author

Piper Cross

2 books3 followers

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5 stars
38 (16%)
4 stars
59 (25%)
3 stars
74 (32%)
2 stars
38 (16%)
1 star
21 (9%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Paige.
1,330 reviews113 followers
March 30, 2026
Basic errors that even the most cursory of edits should have caught, the most egregious being that they play the conference semifinals, then the finals, then the semifinals again. Plus things like the hockey season only being a couple months long (if I counted the weeks right), flip flopping between Luca being closeted for 10 and 16 years, Theo being out for a minimum of six weeks with an injury then playing one handed maybe two weeks later, etc.

Strongly suspect AI was used.
Profile Image for Susi June.
304 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2026
I don't even know where to start.
On the first few pages I had hope, it seemed like a great light hearted romance, it took a turn pretty quickly though.
I had so many issues with this book.

So many contradictions.

The writing was not great. The sentences were short, which made it quick to read but it was so repetitive and weird.

Sometimes it felt like both povs got written by different people, that didn't talk to each other.

It was very shallow.

There really wasn't any relationship or longing, there was some tension and then they were together 3 weeks off page.

We just don't see their relationship because it was just some angsty book about a captain that "can't" come out, even though everyone is very queer positive. The reason why is revealed way later and it's okay, what ever, I get it.

It didn't feel emotional to me. It just annoyed me.

Theo was a sweetheart that didn't deserve how Luca treated him.

The timing doesn't add up at all! The hockey season was like 3 months and off season 2 months? That's not how a year works.

Maybe I'm wrong but the injuries didn't seem researched at all. I don't think you can play hockey again in week after getting a concussion. And a separated shoulder doesn't seem like something that can heal in 6 weeks. But then he played games after a while and THEN it was mentioned months later that he is now cleared for contact again? What?

His coming out, puh-lease.
'I smiled back. On the ice. In front of eighteen thousand people and a dozen cameras. I don't care anymore.'
I smiled back? Congratulations on your courage? Didn't know it's gay when two men smile at each other.

His captains speech.
'"This championship doesn't belong to me," I continued. "It belongs to all of us"'
Uhm duh. Yes my dude, it's a teamsport. There is no I in team.

I guess it's a debut novel. Sometimes they feel like babies, like the author wrote them for a long time, till they finally got released. This one does not. It feels rushed and could definitely used an editor. I read a few reviews saying it feels like AI and I agree. Or I guess I agree, never read ai and don't want to but this book feels weird. It could have been a good book, it just needed more depths.
Profile Image for Axalia.
1,285 reviews125 followers
February 24, 2026
Théo (22) et Luca (30) avec un Culomètre à 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨🍆

- Une bonne surprise. J'avais peur que ce soit une daube, mais à part quelques problèmes de traduction entre le vous/tu, cela reste une romance assez basique dans le monde du hockey.
- On a tous les codes d'un homme gay et sportif dans le placard, qui va devoir faire un choix quand la nouvelle recrue arrive et chamboule tout ce qu'il a construit durant des années.
- Il a des mots assez durs avec le jeune homme, ça m'a fait beaucoup de peine de le voir choisir la raison et de se renfermer dans la peur.
- Par contre, c'est fou comme Théo se blesse hyper souvent dans le récit, le pauvre homme !
- Si vous aimez ce genre de romance sportive, ce premier tome sera fait pour vous !
Profile Image for Toni.
548 reviews10 followers
March 17, 2026
Quick Read

Kindle EBook Read
151 Pages
MM Hockey Romance
Grumpy Sunshine
Forbidden
Age Gap (8 Years)
Forced Proximity
Teammates (Captain x Rookie)
Closeted MMC
Hurt/Comfort
Low Spice (Fade to black mostly)

This read more like a novella but was still short and fun. It addressed a lot of the same issues present today and represented in similar Hockey books. It was clearly written and the characters were likable but the book wasn't that deep that i was emotionally invested. Not a bad read.
Profile Image for Monzerrad.
142 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2026
This was a solid hockey romance with a strong emotional core, but some elements held it back from being a higher rating for me.

Luca’s internal struggle is clearly the heart of the story, and while I appreciated the depth of his conflict, there was quite a bit of repetition surrounding what he can’t and won’t do. At times, it felt like his actions were constantly circling the same fears, which slowed the pacing and made certain moments feel drawn out.

Theo is such a lovable character—his sunshine energy and genuine care for Luca really shine—but I didn’t feel like he was as fully developed as he could’ve been. I found myself wishing we had more of his point of view to better understand his motivations and inner world beyond how he shows up for Luca.

That said, I genuinely enjoyed Luca and Theo together. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the quiet, stolen moments between them were some of my favorite parts of the book. The themes of identity, legacy, and choosing happiness over expectation are meaningful and thoughtfully explored.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with characters I cared about, even if it didn’t completely hit the emotional depth I was hoping for. Fans of hockey romance and grumpy/sunshine dynamics will still find plenty to like here.
Profile Image for Avid Reader123.
326 reviews
January 28, 2026
dual pov angsty romance

This is a different book than what I had anticipated. A lot repetition on “cants” and “wonts” behind Luca’s actions. Doesn’t seem to jive with the immediate inclusivity of the entire team, team organization, NHL, etc. at the end of the story. While Theo is one of the main characters, he most definitely less developed of the two. Mainly closed door romance.
Profile Image for Bookaholic Lu.
74 reviews1 follower
April 1, 2026
Body Check mi ha fatto arrabbiare. È uno di quei libri che ti mandano fuori di testa perché da una parte hai scene emotivamente altissime, dall’altra refusi, errori e dettagli che non tornano e ti buttano fuori dalla storia proprio quando dovrebbe tenerti stretta. E la cosa peggiore è che non si compensano: più il libro riesce a colpirti, più diventa impossibile ignorare tutto il resto, perché è evidente che sarebbe bastato davvero poco, uno sguardo in più, un editing più attento, anche solo un beta reader, per trasformarlo in qualcosa di memorabile.
Luca Moretti è il capitano degli Chicago Storm, chiuso dentro una versione di sé costruita mattone su mattone nel corso di sedici anni: controllato, intoccabile, convinto che la vulnerabilità sia una debolezza che non può permettersi. Theo Callahan è il suo opposto in tutto… rookie, apertamente bisex, solare, capace di leggere Luca come fosse un libro scritto solo per lui, senza che Luca possa fare nulla per impedirlo. Ed è proprio questo riconoscimento silenzioso il cuore della storia: essere visti da qualcuno quando hai fatto di tutto per renderti invisibile è la cosa più terrificante e liberatoria che possa capitare.
Piper Cross costruisce l'arco emotivo di Luca con una mano sorprendentemente sicura. La sua paura non viene semplificata né giustificata, ma mostrata in tutta la sua complessità, con radici precise che affondano nell'adolescenza e nel peso di un padre che gli ha insegnato che nascondersi era l'unico modo per sopravvivere. E Theo paga il prezzo di quella paura in modo credibile e doloroso… ci sono momenti in cui lo senti vacillare, avvicinarsi pericolosamente all'idea di adottare la stessa bugia come strategia di sopravvivenza, e quei momenti fanno malissimo.
Il coming out nello spogliatoio, la conferenza stampa, il messaggio al padre bloccato subito dopo, la proposta sul ghiaccio dove è iniziato tutto… quando questo libro colpisce, colpisce davvero. ✨ Ed è proprio per questo che il resto fa così male.
Il tabellone dei playoff è un mistero quantistico: partite che esistono e non esistono, serie che non avanzano, gare che si moltiplicano… una stagione intera brucia in poche settimane, una scena cruciale appare duplicata come se due bozze fossero finite in stampa insieme, i tempi narrativi si riavvolgono senza preavviso e una spalla lussata con rischio chirurgico guarisce in tempo per la Stanley Cup. Piper Cross scrive con il cuore e con un orologio rotto. 😄
Il materiale emotivo era lì, solido e vero, e meritava una cura che non ha ricevuto. È la frustrazione di chi ha visto qualcosa di bellissimo trattato con troppa leggerezza.
Voto: 3,5 stelle. Più di una lettura semplicemente piacevole, ma con troppi inciampi per arrivare dove avrebbe meritato. 💞
Profile Image for Dave.
114 reviews3 followers
February 6, 2026
Amazing!

God!! This book! I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. And I smiled my arse off at the end. Piper Cross is wonderful at telling this genre of story. I am definitely adding Piper to my search settings.
Theo and Luca are so beautiful together. They were meant to be with each other. “The fates” caused Theo to, literally, run into Luca. The part about being scared to death over people finding out is written so honestly that my heart clenched every time Luca let his fears win. It’s real and scary as feck. You wonder if anyone will still be there when all is said and done. My father is exactly the same as Luca’s. Poor guy. 🫤
I hope that Luca & Theo appear in book number two as supporting characters. Maybe one of the team gets up to something at their wedding and that’s where the story for book two gets started. 🤞
I enjoyed this so much that I sincerely hope that this becomes a 3 or 4! (or more!!) book series about The Chicago Storm.
Profile Image for Pixie.
260 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2026
This story follows a hockey captain, Luca, and a rookie, Theo, he's assigned to mentor. Theo is a bundle of sunshine who refuses to hide who he is from anyone, whereas Luca is his polar opposite. Closed off, single minded, and so deep in the closet one might wonder if he even knows who he is anymore. Luca feels an intense draw to the rookie, but fights it tooth and nail, until he finally snaps and gives into the temptation. There was a lot of drama and intensity in this book. Piper Cross does a good job of showing how much hiding can impact someone. Living authentically can be so hard, especially if your authentic self could jeopardize a career that you worked so hard to achieve. I was heartbroken for these two men. Luca had a growth arc to be proud of, and Theo showed what it really meant to forgive.
Profile Image for ANGEL ALBERTO.
11 reviews
March 30, 2026
Tal vez 2.5⭐

Me entretuvo, y está bien para pasar el rato, aunque realmente faltó desarrollo en trama y personajes. En momentos, no creía la historia ni el "amor" que se profesaban los personajes. Todo sucedió muy rápido.

Otro punto es que a mí en lo personal no me gusta el insta love, y eso fue lo que sucedió aquí. Aún así, el libro es atrapante y se leé en una sentada. Una de los cosas buenas que podría resaltar; logra reflejar bien el miedo que muchas personas de la comunidad sentimos al "salir del closet" , también las dudas y ese constante pensar al "que dirán"

Es un libro para pasar el rato, con todo y sus fallos en la traducción. Me atrapó y se me hizo interesante, pero hasta ahí.

Por cierto, una escena más picante no hubiese estado mal JSJSJSJ

PD: hay partes que parecen hechas por IA
Profile Image for Kara McCall.
144 reviews
March 13, 2026
Delightful Read

The story of this book is beautiful. It shows the struggle of how society puts pressure on people who are different and the strength it takes to overcome fear. I did feel the timeline was off,. As a hockey fan, the amount of time from the start of training camp to the championship game for the cup, was too short. There were some inconsistencies with how events occurred and I felt lost and confused as a result. I feel the author writes beautifully and can keep the reader entertained. If you are looking for a quick read, I recommend this standalone.
Profile Image for indibookdumps.
254 reviews
February 16, 2026
this book just felt rushed tbh (it was only 150pages) but like it was just too rushed and felt everything happened to quickly. like it would of been way better longer and actually building up that connection and relationship.

it was annoying how theo kept bringing up how he was just a secret hookup all the time (after there problems were worked out) and luca would say sorry then theo would be like noo it's fine... well maybe stop bringing it up then??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Philip.
11 reviews5 followers
February 28, 2026
Hi everyone. I'm from Australia, and - 1. we don't have ice hockey, and 2. we don't have ice (like at all), and 3. I think we would outlaw the game anyway.

So I read this love story without the "ice hockey technicalities" and - instead, concentrated on the characters, which I thought well-developed, and realistic IMHO. Love works in strange ways, and this story did resonate with me. Congratulations Piper. Looking for more on Luca and Theo's journey.
Profile Image for Amanda Davis.
53 reviews6 followers
Read
March 5, 2026
Cute Short Story

Even though this books was less than 200 pages it was a fully realized story beautifully written. There were parts that I thought were rushed a little bit that had me wishing it was longer, but for the most part I do not feel like I missed out on anything. This was definitely more of a fade to black story which honestly I didn't mind. Definitely a good quick cute book to read
Profile Image for Miranda Bickford.
36 reviews3 followers
February 4, 2026
Body Check has SUCH good bones for what I believe is Piper’s debut! it’s missing some of the meat of the story like more details on the mmc’s time together and more looks into their lives off the ice and friendships with their teammates. Overall I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see more from Piper!
Profile Image for Marie MARIONETTE.
200 reviews2 followers
February 6, 2026
Short novel so a bit fast pace but not rushed.
Theo came into Luca’s life and turned it upside down.

The 3rd act breakup hurts (bc Theo is precious and deserves everything) and still gets to you even though it is again a fast pace book.

My favorite moment?
Lucas saying to his teammates « if He will forgive me » & Theo is actually standing behind him answering « He will forgive you ».
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tanya.
15 reviews
February 10, 2026
wish there was more depth in the storyline, characters and plot. this book has so much potential for that, but it felt rushed and things were skipped/missed and not explored properly. otherwise it was a good quick book to read.
Profile Image for Katarra C.
57 reviews18 followers
February 11, 2026
I don’t know. It was okay but it really just felt like a mix of a Game Changer & Heated Rivalry rip off.
Profile Image for Inés Agraso.
4 reviews1 follower
April 2, 2026
No encontre por ningun lado el spicy que prometía en la descripción.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews