Fanboys: A Hockey-Adjacent MM Short Novella

by Andie Elliott

An MM romance about MM romance

Dash Dalton might be roommates with the team captain, but he doesn’t know a thing about hockey. The cute guy in the stands seems to, though.

Caleb Geller is a huge hockey fan. Just not for the usual reasons—not that he’s telling the hot guy in the stands that.

Fanboys is a short and sweet hockey-adjacent 15,000-word MM college romance novella.

Genres: Hockey, LGBT, M M Romance, Contemporary, Novella, College, Sports

71 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2026

About the author

Andie Elliott is a huge fan of coffee, chocolate, cute furry things, and, above all, stories. She is a sucker for a good romance and an even bigger sucker for a good rom-com. She has been writing since she was a kid (and still can’t read her own handwriting).

Reviews

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars. Dnf 65%.
Not really feeling it. This started cute, got very cute, then CUTE - DO YOU FEEL THE CUTENESS YET?
Can an author try too hard to be cute? Yes. This one did.

Also. Dash having figured out his sexuality decade(s) earlier than other people *cough* (me) *cough* ....
"Hell, I knew since I was about five, and I knew my friends and family would be cool."

Five???

[acalithas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! I loved the concept of the storyline. Very adorable quick read!

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 It was a cute short story.

[meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fanboys: ★ ★ ★ ★

Andie Elliott

I think pretty much any song would do it for me, as long as Dash is the one playing it.

Two bros chilling in the bleachers, trying to learn hockey and they're not gay.

Tropes:
– Friends to lovers

This was really sweet! Low stakes and just a fun time. I honestly thought that they were so adorable. I love a cute lil novella; always makes my heart happy.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two first year college men seemingly, to me, adorable but a touch virginal, so sweet in their slow, shy growing friendship. A lovely tale.

[Shelle Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but now I'm terribly invested in Gavin's story. Any chance that is the next story????

[fishreads (back? from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dash Dalton, is an openly gay university freshman majoring in theatre, rooming with the hockey captain of Green Mountain State University Stags. Dash hasn't got a first clue about hockey or sports in general, but his roommate Gavin seems like a nice guy. When Dash decides to check out the team's practice he finds somebody else in the stands.

Caleb Geller, just like Dash is a freshman, but unlike Dash he is a hockey fan. He fell in love with hockey reading MM hockey romances and coming to Green Mountain State University is his first chance to experience watching it live.

Both Dash and Caleb can't help noticing one another. When Dash approaches him and starts asking questions about hockey, Caleb, despite his shyness, is more than happy to answer all of Dash' questions.

This was a sweet story about two college freshmen crushing on each other while watching hockey practices. Except the whole theme of fanboying over hockey players because you're a fan of MM hockey romances felt a bit too self-indulgent for my taste. I know it's a thing, God knows I became a hockey fan after reading some hockey fanfiction, but it made me feel slightly uncomfortable reading it. It overshadowed Dash and Caleb's characterizations. It prevented me from connecting with them as characters and it really didn’t make me feel all that invested in their developing romance.

Themes: dual POV, university, hockey fanboys, inexperience

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hockey Adjacent fans miss signals but come to be the cute couple.

This is a low-angst, "hockey adjacent" love story with a happy ending. Dash Dalton is both impressed and frightened to learn that his dorm roommate, Gavin West, will be the new Green Mountain State University Stags hockey captain. Why would a junior who is the hockey captain want to room with a freshman in a two-bed dorm room? Especially one who is a theatre major.

Turns out he's a really nice guy, and Dash wants to know more about this hockey thing, so he stops by one of their practices to watch. Not knowing much about hockey, he eventually is seated next to Caleb Geller, his opposite. That's because he is a certified hockey fan, knows the moves and what they do in practice, and is appreciated by the hockey team for his support.

Dash gets a quick lesson in hockey from Caleb, whose comforting seat next to him during practices allows the two to talk more about hockey and each other. When a romantic moment occurs, Dash leaves the scene.

A "Grand gesturing" scene develops between the two. This is an easy read, a gay-affirming story about a hockey captain who participates in grand gestures, and a narrative about awakening at college.

[Fabigail Cohen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok this little novella is adorable. As someone who has never watched a hockey game but has read a ridiculous number of hockey romances, I totally got these two kids. And what is it about hockey, anyway? I know skaters in general have great butts, but that can't be all of it. Why aren't there, say, basketball romances? Or tennis? Why is it hockey?

But. This is very cute, and very short. So you might as well read it!

[PJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS was a fun, sweet book. I've loved everything I've read from Elliott thus far, and this book is no different.

Reader me says:
Kudos to Andie Elliot for turning this idea into a novella. With absolutely no disrespect to any of the hundreds-if-not-thousands of MM hockey books out there, making their existence part of this story was incredibly fresh and clever. (I mean, seriously, had I realized that SO many hockey teams were all full of hot guys yearning for MM love, I would have started attending games ages ago. I had more hair then and everything.....*pout*)

But seriously, this was pretty adorable, capturing the uncertainties of first crushes and first love. Dash and Caleb are really sweet MC's.

Loved it, it gets a five star rating from me.

*clears throat*

But editor me is piping up to say:
As much as my cold black Gen X heart loved this story, the references in the book were just a wee bit outdated - I have to assume Elliot may also be a Gen X'er? Harvey Fierstein and Judy Garland....hmm, I think a young theater gay would have different references. The John Cusack boom box thing too....though it's explained that Dash's mom watched that movie, and anyway, that one might transcend generations.
Minor nitpicks from my editorial brain.....

[Brown One Gem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Sweet

Not much more to say. Read it in one sitting. Kinda along the lines of YA/New Adult. No steam. But great character development and scene setting. I was definitely rooting for these 2 cuties. This feels like a prequel to an actual hockey romance and if so, I’ll definitely read it.

[Janette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute & quick - there’s not a lot of substance, and it kind of felt like the set up for a future hockey romance. Overall, it didn’t really make me want to read more, because the characters felt a little generic and didn’t pique my interest. It’s a great read for a low angst, low stakes palette cleanser.

[Brittany Michaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hockey Romance with a twist

If you like hockey romances but want a twist this is for you. Our boys meet at hockey practice but not as players. Dash is supporting his roommate, the team captain. Caleb is a hockey romance fan. No spice so if you're looking for heat this isn't it. If you want a sweet, cute, quick read this is a good one.

[Mom Needs Coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

This is cute and quick, definitely something I'd recommend when in need of a small pick me up. I'd read the hockey series (that I assume might be happening) as long as the books promised to be as sweet as this.

[Eric Weimar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and sweet

Dash and Caleb's story was fun and sweet.
Two self proclaimed nerds who find happiness in each other, bonding over m/m hockey books.
Also like the tie-in with the other stores

[Dwight Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great author !

I’ve read several books by this author. I’ve really enjoyed reading all of them. These books read well and always have interesting plots and situations. The characters are often adorably cute. Five stars !! Looking forward to more from this writer!

[Pietro Andrade · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.50
A nice fun little novella, not much to say besides that I enjoyed it. While there is not much you can do in 71 pages this book did something not a lot of something but just enough for me to enjoy it

[Elise H · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute!!
And the HR ref 😁

[Jenette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was short and sweet and I may or may not have grinned at a few very specific moments that call out HR.

[Dana Graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute novella

I would really be interested in reading a full length novel about thee adorable fanboys Dash and Caleb. Really cute

[tash · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a cute read and i think this deserves to be developed into an actual book

[Gabrielle Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and fun

Short and sweet, an easy and fun read! Caleb and Dash are super cute together, and props to Gavin for not being a dick!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and sweet. I hope there will be more in this world.

[Selenay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this, but I wish it would have been a lot longer. Like some glimpses into their relationship and such.

Also, am I the only one that really wants a Gavin/Luke story? :D

[Kasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable. I enjoyed it. Cute meeting and the getting to know eachother, in shared interests. Super cute. 🩵

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was short and sweet. The mm romance book references and HR were cute. I would love to know more and Gavin, of course.