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Power Play #1
Icing
He's the last person I should want. He's the only person I do.
Cole Briggs was Chicago's golden boy—until he came out and they traded him to a team that doesn't exist yet. Now he's the face of the Atlanta Reapers, an NHL expansion franchise built from castoffs and second chances. He's ready to prove Chicago wrong. He's ready to lead. He is absolutely, categorically not ready for Mikhail Volkov.
Mik is six-foot-three of cold Russian granite with a scar through his eyebrow and the emotional range of a parking meter. He doesn't talk. He doesn't smile. He hip-checked Cole into the boards two years ago and never even apologized. And now, thanks to the world's worst housing coordinator, they're sharing a hotel room for training camp.
One room. One bed. One Russian who won't stop being shirtless.
Cole can't stand him. Mik won't look at him. The tension between them could melt the ice they play on. And when a road trip, a snowstorm, and a single hotel room conspire to put them exactly where neither of them wants to be—close enough to stop pretending—the thing they've been fighting turns out to be the thing they can't live without.
But Mik has spent his entire life in the closet, and Cole has spent his entire career being the NHL's most visible out player. Going public means risking Mik's family, his career, and everything he's built behind his mask. Staying secret means asking Cole to go back into the dark he fought so hard to leave.
The ice doesn't care who you love. The world does.
Icing is an enemies-to-lovers MM hockey romance with scorching heat, a grumpy Russian defenseman, a golden boy with a chip on his shoulder, and an HEA that'll make you ugly-cry on public transit. First in the Power Play series. Dual POV. No cliffhanger. KU enrolled.
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, only one bed, forced proximity, secret relationship, coming out, he falls first, bi MC/gay MC
Cole Briggs was Chicago's golden boy—until he came out and they traded him to a team that doesn't exist yet. Now he's the face of the Atlanta Reapers, an NHL expansion franchise built from castoffs and second chances. He's ready to prove Chicago wrong. He's ready to lead. He is absolutely, categorically not ready for Mikhail Volkov.
Mik is six-foot-three of cold Russian granite with a scar through his eyebrow and the emotional range of a parking meter. He doesn't talk. He doesn't smile. He hip-checked Cole into the boards two years ago and never even apologized. And now, thanks to the world's worst housing coordinator, they're sharing a hotel room for training camp.
One room. One bed. One Russian who won't stop being shirtless.
Cole can't stand him. Mik won't look at him. The tension between them could melt the ice they play on. And when a road trip, a snowstorm, and a single hotel room conspire to put them exactly where neither of them wants to be—close enough to stop pretending—the thing they've been fighting turns out to be the thing they can't live without.
But Mik has spent his entire life in the closet, and Cole has spent his entire career being the NHL's most visible out player. Going public means risking Mik's family, his career, and everything he's built behind his mask. Staying secret means asking Cole to go back into the dark he fought so hard to leave.
The ice doesn't care who you love. The world does.
Icing is an enemies-to-lovers MM hockey romance with scorching heat, a grumpy Russian defenseman, a golden boy with a chip on his shoulder, and an HEA that'll make you ugly-cry on public transit. First in the Power Play series. Dual POV. No cliffhanger. KU enrolled.
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, only one bed, forced proximity, secret relationship, coming out, he falls first, bi MC/gay MC
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
April 23, 2026
⸺ 2 stars ✩⋆˚࿔
⤿ short review (rant) incoming:
Me: Mom, can we have Heated Rivalry?
Mom: We have Heated Rivalry at home.
Heated Rivalry at home:
Cheap tactics such as this annoy me. And the thing is: once I’m annoyed, I stop being fair. Icing isn’t long; I could finish it in a single evening, but I’ll refrain from doing so, simply because I’m not into wasting my time. I don’t want to sound disrespectful. From what I've read so far, the story is pretty cute, and the author’s prose doesn’t feel half bad, but, as I said, inspiration can only go so far as the reader’s willingness to ignore it. For example: Enemies to lovers. And take the word "enemies" with a grain of salt, because they had barely a single misunderstanding on the ice, which was quickly resolved. Freckles. Seriously, were the freckles necessary? Russian MMC, who jokes about vodka, reads Dostoyevsky (because duh??), hides his sexual orientation and feels suffocated by his homeland's politics. Not to mention the relationship defining conversation over a phone call (at least it was with the MMC's sister 👍).
Do I need to continue?
To any aspiring authors that might be reading this review: don’t do this shit. It’s wonderful to feel inspired by others, sure, people often start their writing journey through fan-fiction or personal spins of more popular books, but this feels like a cash grab, trying to gauge Heated Rivalry fans into giving Icing a chance, and while this might have worked on some, I’m too petty to ignore the similarities. I’m not saying this book is bad; it’s not straight-up plagiarism. In fact, the more you read, the more originality you find. I was considering giving it three stars at first, but after tossing and turning under the duvet at night, I decided to drop it to two. I’m glad others enjoyed it. I’m not bashing the author’s writing style, and I don’t have anything personal against him, just… Well, this wasn’t necessary and could’ve been easily avoided with a couple of clicks. That's all.
⸺ Dnf'ed at the 43% mark. ⟢
At least they swapped positions in the bedroom, I guess.
⤿ short review (rant) incoming:
Me: Mom, can we have Heated Rivalry?
Mom: We have Heated Rivalry at home.
Heated Rivalry at home:
𑣲⋆˙⟡⋮ my thoughts 🏒 ꒱
Cheap tactics such as this annoy me. And the thing is: once I’m annoyed, I stop being fair. Icing isn’t long; I could finish it in a single evening, but I’ll refrain from doing so, simply because I’m not into wasting my time. I don’t want to sound disrespectful. From what I've read so far, the story is pretty cute, and the author’s prose doesn’t feel half bad, but, as I said, inspiration can only go so far as the reader’s willingness to ignore it. For example: Enemies to lovers. And take the word "enemies" with a grain of salt, because they had barely a single misunderstanding on the ice, which was quickly resolved. Freckles. Seriously, were the freckles necessary? Russian MMC, who jokes about vodka, reads Dostoyevsky (because duh??), hides his sexual orientation and feels suffocated by his homeland's politics. Not to mention the relationship defining conversation over a phone call (at least it was with the MMC's sister 👍).
Do I need to continue?
To any aspiring authors that might be reading this review: don’t do this shit. It’s wonderful to feel inspired by others, sure, people often start their writing journey through fan-fiction or personal spins of more popular books, but this feels like a cash grab, trying to gauge Heated Rivalry fans into giving Icing a chance, and while this might have worked on some, I’m too petty to ignore the similarities. I’m not saying this book is bad; it’s not straight-up plagiarism. In fact, the more you read, the more originality you find. I was considering giving it three stars at first, but after tossing and turning under the duvet at night, I decided to drop it to two. I’m glad others enjoyed it. I’m not bashing the author’s writing style, and I don’t have anything personal against him, just… Well, this wasn’t necessary and could’ve been easily avoided with a couple of clicks. That's all.
⸺ Dnf'ed at the 43% mark. ⟢
𑣲⋆˙⟡⋮ post scriptum ꒱
At least they swapped positions in the bedroom, I guess.
June 1, 2026
May I interest you in:
🏒 MM sports romance (hockey dah)
🏒 forced proximity
🏒 dual POV
🏒 mid level steam
🏒 MM sports romance (hockey dah)
🏒 forced proximity
🏒 dual POV
🏒 mid level steam
July 4, 2026
this has to be AI, right?
i got to page 2 and it says, “the locker room smelled like tape and sweat and that cheap body spray Jonah kept buying in bulk from Costco, and honestly? It smelled like home.”
i immediately came to GR & there are lots of other comments that indicate an AI-likeness + the lack of editing or proofreading would indicate this was at the very least, heavily edited with AI.
and how are books 1-6 published from march-may 2026???
BOO.
i got to page 2 and it says, “the locker room smelled like tape and sweat and that cheap body spray Jonah kept buying in bulk from Costco, and honestly? It smelled like home.”
i immediately came to GR & there are lots of other comments that indicate an AI-likeness + the lack of editing or proofreading would indicate this was at the very least, heavily edited with AI.
and how are books 1-6 published from march-may 2026???
BOO.
Did Not Finish
May 1, 2026DNF. A lot of the prose felt like reading those really long AI Facebook posts, the repetitive ones that say stuff like, “His silence was louder than any statement. It was a revolution.”
June 13, 2026
We all know that after the success of sports romance adaptations on TV, the book world has been flooded with new stories featuring this trope. “Icing” is one of them. After the success of “Heated Rivalry” on HBO, I became curious about how other authors write hockey romances — and MM romances in particular.
This book is short, only about two hundred pages. We meet Cole and Mike, two golden boys on the ice who supposedly can't stand each other.
But do they really hate each other?
Or are they just pretending?
Mikhail Volkov, aka Mike, is a quiet guy. He keeps all his emotions locked away and focuses only on hockey. He's one of the best players on the team.
Then there's Cole Briggs — the face of the Alpha Reapers. The golden boy who seems to have everything he could ever want. Living the dream, while also fighting for his future.
The day he has to play on the same line as Mike becomes both a beginning and an ending for him.
Will he lose himself?
Or find true love?
“Icing” was a nice read. Maybe not a perfect story, but still an enjoyable one. As an MM romance, it contains some spice, but with only two hundred pages, I don't think the book needed more. Too much spice would have overwhelmed the plot.
Chris Savage found a really good balance between the story and the romance.
If you're looking for a light hockey MM romance, “Icing” is definitely worth checking out.
And now?
I'm off to read book two.
This book is short, only about two hundred pages. We meet Cole and Mike, two golden boys on the ice who supposedly can't stand each other.
But do they really hate each other?
Or are they just pretending?
Mikhail Volkov, aka Mike, is a quiet guy. He keeps all his emotions locked away and focuses only on hockey. He's one of the best players on the team.
Then there's Cole Briggs — the face of the Alpha Reapers. The golden boy who seems to have everything he could ever want. Living the dream, while also fighting for his future.
The day he has to play on the same line as Mike becomes both a beginning and an ending for him.
Will he lose himself?
Or find true love?
“Icing” was a nice read. Maybe not a perfect story, but still an enjoyable one. As an MM romance, it contains some spice, but with only two hundred pages, I don't think the book needed more. Too much spice would have overwhelmed the plot.
Chris Savage found a really good balance between the story and the romance.
If you're looking for a light hockey MM romance, “Icing” is definitely worth checking out.
And now?
I'm off to read book two.
June 30, 2026
Actual rating: 2,75🌟
April 29, 2026
editing
For me, the choppy writing, repetition, and need for proofreading took away from the story. There was some stereotypes in the novel, in my opinion. Short read with some spicy scenes.
For me, the choppy writing, repetition, and need for proofreading took away from the story. There was some stereotypes in the novel, in my opinion. Short read with some spicy scenes.
April 24, 2026
not spicy
I like the characters in this book, but it seemed very blocky, and like it was written following a very basic how-to-write-a-hockey-romance-novel pattern. There are explicit scenes, but the book is not spicy; you could read it to a child and that kid would be fine. I don’t plan to read the rest of the series.
I like the characters in this book, but it seemed very blocky, and like it was written following a very basic how-to-write-a-hockey-romance-novel pattern. There are explicit scenes, but the book is not spicy; you could read it to a child and that kid would be fine. I don’t plan to read the rest of the series.
March 29, 2026
3.5
I loved Mik
"You have spent your whole life surviving, when will you start living?"
"You feel like you were made for me."
"You are my everything."
"This was what it was supposed to feel like. Not desperate. Not stolen. Just two people who wanted each other in the daylight."
"I didn't look at him. I didn't need to. I felt him the way I felt my own heartbeat. "
I loved Mik
"You have spent your whole life surviving, when will you start living?"
"You feel like you were made for me."
"You are my everything."
"This was what it was supposed to feel like. Not desperate. Not stolen. Just two people who wanted each other in the daylight."
"I didn't look at him. I didn't need to. I felt him the way I felt my own heartbeat. "
June 2, 2026
Were there issues with this book? Yes. Did I sometimes get confused about the dialogue, time frame, etc.? Also yes. Did I just love the way these characters getting to know each other made me feel? Yes. I jumped right to the next book, which I loved in the exact same way.
April 10, 2026
A pretty cover on a good book.
Maybe if this was the first hockey romance I have read, I would have felt differently. If this was my first gay romance, I would look at it in a new light. If I didn't read way too many books before coming across this one, I would highlight the flowery (but not too overdone) language that trnaformed this story into something a bit more special.
But I am here after Heated Rivarly, after reading the book years ago, before it was fashionable. After reading plenty of hockey gay romance. I am not that impressed.
The book was nice but as a reader, since I can't go through it as a person, I have already "lived" through the shame, the pain, the confusion and fear of... well, everything in this book. I know it can't even come close to what real people experience but... this is fiction and yes, as a reader, I am no longer here. I am no longer in the closet. I mentioned this before but let me repeat myself:
I now expect my "closeted" romance books to be a few steps ahead.
A hockey book I would prefer/enjoy is about someone who is already to out to his family and at least one friend, who supports him. Their high school/college teams probably knows and they have experienced acceptance from this side as well. They don't think about being outed but how can they come out, when and how to tell people (mainly the coach and their teammates). They will acknowledge potential problems but won't lose any sleep over it or if they feel bad, it passes quickly. After the first book in the series, after the first public coming out, the following books lose even more of those mentions. The new MC isn't afraid of the press, they are annoyed. Maybe they will even flaunt their new boy toy and proclaim their right to live their life and that while they don't invite the public to their bedroom, they won't hide for their fragile sensibilities. Any homophobic characters are no longer normal, they are the exception and are shunned by the world/characters around.
Icing, just like Heated Rivarly, could have been worse. I don't want to spoiler so let me just say that if there was a scale for this openness, from "repressed, has to be convinced to even acknowledge the truth" to "boys kissing is generally expected, accepted and only bad people act like they have to tolerate it" - this book would be almost in the middle.
Mostly, this book was nice. I smiled and I rooted for them but it never crossed into anything more and to be clear, I had the exact same experience with Heated Rivarly. I even tried re-reading it after the serial and... it was too boring, ok? Some things (art) you only need to experience once. And that's okay. This book was pleasantly short? That seems a bit harsh but what I mean is that the book had only as many pages as it needed to tell this story, not more, not less. There was no unneccessary 3rd act breakup.
I am sure some people would find this book transformative, relevant, cathartic... the best I can do is: recommend. I enjoyed the book - at around (my) 3 stars.
Maybe if this was the first hockey romance I have read, I would have felt differently. If this was my first gay romance, I would look at it in a new light. If I didn't read way too many books before coming across this one, I would highlight the flowery (but not too overdone) language that trnaformed this story into something a bit more special.
But I am here after Heated Rivarly, after reading the book years ago, before it was fashionable. After reading plenty of hockey gay romance. I am not that impressed.
The book was nice but as a reader, since I can't go through it as a person, I have already "lived" through the shame, the pain, the confusion and fear of... well, everything in this book. I know it can't even come close to what real people experience but... this is fiction and yes, as a reader, I am no longer here. I am no longer in the closet. I mentioned this before but let me repeat myself:
I now expect my "closeted" romance books to be a few steps ahead.
A hockey book I would prefer/enjoy is about someone who is already to out to his family and at least one friend, who supports him. Their high school/college teams probably knows and they have experienced acceptance from this side as well. They don't think about being outed but how can they come out, when and how to tell people (mainly the coach and their teammates). They will acknowledge potential problems but won't lose any sleep over it or if they feel bad, it passes quickly. After the first book in the series, after the first public coming out, the following books lose even more of those mentions. The new MC isn't afraid of the press, they are annoyed. Maybe they will even flaunt their new boy toy and proclaim their right to live their life and that while they don't invite the public to their bedroom, they won't hide for their fragile sensibilities. Any homophobic characters are no longer normal, they are the exception and are shunned by the world/characters around.
Icing, just like Heated Rivarly, could have been worse. I don't want to spoiler so let me just say that if there was a scale for this openness, from "repressed, has to be convinced to even acknowledge the truth" to "boys kissing is generally expected, accepted and only bad people act like they have to tolerate it" - this book would be almost in the middle.
Mostly, this book was nice. I smiled and I rooted for them but it never crossed into anything more and to be clear, I had the exact same experience with Heated Rivarly. I even tried re-reading it after the serial and... it was too boring, ok? Some things (art) you only need to experience once. And that's okay. This book was pleasantly short? That seems a bit harsh but what I mean is that the book had only as many pages as it needed to tell this story, not more, not less. There was no unneccessary 3rd act breakup.
I am sure some people would find this book transformative, relevant, cathartic... the best I can do is: recommend. I enjoyed the book - at around (my) 3 stars.
July 27, 2026
Don’t bother, reader.
It feels like the author (I couldn’t find ANY info about him, see male photo on amazon, yet almost a dozen books, and none of my hockey-addicted book pals have heard of him or his books) had collected bits and pieces from successful stories (loaned A LOT from HR! and a couple of others) and patched the bits together without finesse.
Also, I’m really only learning the finer details about hockey, but so much doesn’t feel right. Would a winger and a d-man really train as if they were on the same line (according to my hockey-expert-friends NO)? The intense training sequence reminds me of Winging it by Kane/James but there, Baller and Gabe are line mates, and we don't only get the info that they trained intensely but actually HOW the trained! The trauma-via-clean-hit can be found in A.L. Heard's excellent Drop the Gloves but there it's not just an entry point which gets dropped immediately but an important element of why MC1 holds back in the friend-/relationship with MC2 and the Stolperstein which has to be overcome for them to have a future and for MC1 to mature in the NHL. Here: just a mention, then what?
Here: Mik, the Russian's, emotional phone call is giving Heated Rivalry vibes. So many details and elements used in Icing seem inspired by other well-known books (and yes, there're only so much original story threads, so making the story itself 3-D is so very important).
Some tropes (only one bed, forced proximity) are just used conveniently, but also NOT elegantly to further the story along and bring the two MCs close together. However, a botched room reservation seems soooo far-fetched. Yes, the author wants the MCs HAVE to share a room and just one bed, but for one, an NHL team admin should be able to insist that the hotel comes up with a solution as sleep is incredibly really important for the players! And one MC offering to sleep on the floor? Echt jetzt?!?
Also, even I have seen plenty of clips and interviews with real life players that sleeping in one (large) bed is done fairly frequently if there's no other option and hockey teams are close knit enought that you don't think twice about it. No sexy misunderstandings included!
I found the sparse style - which is usually something I prefer to verbose ramblings, rather pompous in Icing. And there's no build up of the attraction, they are both mesmerized by the other - how convienient!
On GR, a number if readers suspected at least AI editing at work. AI is incredibly competent these days, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was employed. The story comes across - to me at least -, as kind of soulless.
To be honest, I read about half, skimmed the rest.
It feels like the author (I couldn’t find ANY info about him, see male photo on amazon, yet almost a dozen books, and none of my hockey-addicted book pals have heard of him or his books) had collected bits and pieces from successful stories (loaned A LOT from HR! and a couple of others) and patched the bits together without finesse.
Also, I’m really only learning the finer details about hockey, but so much doesn’t feel right. Would a winger and a d-man really train as if they were on the same line (according to my hockey-expert-friends NO)? The intense training sequence reminds me of Winging it by Kane/James but there, Baller and Gabe are line mates, and we don't only get the info that they trained intensely but actually HOW the trained! The trauma-via-clean-hit can be found in A.L. Heard's excellent Drop the Gloves but there it's not just an entry point which gets dropped immediately but an important element of why MC1 holds back in the friend-/relationship with MC2 and the Stolperstein which has to be overcome for them to have a future and for MC1 to mature in the NHL. Here: just a mention, then what?
Here: Mik, the Russian's, emotional phone call is giving Heated Rivalry vibes. So many details and elements used in Icing seem inspired by other well-known books (and yes, there're only so much original story threads, so making the story itself 3-D is so very important).
Some tropes (only one bed, forced proximity) are just used conveniently, but also NOT elegantly to further the story along and bring the two MCs close together. However, a botched room reservation seems soooo far-fetched. Yes, the author wants the MCs HAVE to share a room and just one bed, but for one, an NHL team admin should be able to insist that the hotel comes up with a solution as sleep is incredibly really important for the players! And one MC offering to sleep on the floor? Echt jetzt?!?
Also, even I have seen plenty of clips and interviews with real life players that sleeping in one (large) bed is done fairly frequently if there's no other option and hockey teams are close knit enought that you don't think twice about it. No sexy misunderstandings included!
I found the sparse style - which is usually something I prefer to verbose ramblings, rather pompous in Icing. And there's no build up of the attraction, they are both mesmerized by the other - how convienient!
On GR, a number if readers suspected at least AI editing at work. AI is incredibly competent these days, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was employed. The story comes across - to me at least -, as kind of soulless.
To be honest, I read about half, skimmed the rest.
July 29, 2026
Ugh I should’ve listened to the reviews and not read this. 3 stars was GENEROUS. The writing style was choppy and just stating facts over and over. Or telling us what day it was. It was a Thursday. Or talking about their scars. We get it. They have scars! I could’ve looked past all that if not for so many continuity errors.
For example: a picture of them leaving a restaurant is posted online. Cole’s friend and teammate Jonah lets him know about it in private. Jonah says he knows he and Mik have something going on but it’s not his business. 3 chapters later when they come out to their coach and Jonah, Cole acts surprised that Jonah already knew and asked him how long he had known. 😳
Another example: Cole tells us about his father not speaking to him, even at holidays around the table, for 2 years. Then when he sees his father, he says he’s surprised how much he’s changed in 2 years of not seeing them. But he did see him, at holidays, around the table. 🙄
Or how about when Mik tells Cole, HIS TEAMMATE, that he got benched during the game. And Cole says I know, I watched the game?!?!? Um yeah, you were there 🤦♀️
There’s honestly more! I highlighted so many errors and had to keep referencing back to make sure I wasn’t mis-remembering. I’ll leave you with this direct quote: “I had been inside other men. I had not been inside any of them.” End quote. Clear as mud!
For example: a picture of them leaving a restaurant is posted online. Cole’s friend and teammate Jonah lets him know about it in private. Jonah says he knows he and Mik have something going on but it’s not his business. 3 chapters later when they come out to their coach and Jonah, Cole acts surprised that Jonah already knew and asked him how long he had known. 😳
Another example: Cole tells us about his father not speaking to him, even at holidays around the table, for 2 years. Then when he sees his father, he says he’s surprised how much he’s changed in 2 years of not seeing them. But he did see him, at holidays, around the table. 🙄
Or how about when Mik tells Cole, HIS TEAMMATE, that he got benched during the game. And Cole says I know, I watched the game?!?!? Um yeah, you were there 🤦♀️
There’s honestly more! I highlighted so many errors and had to keep referencing back to make sure I wasn’t mis-remembering. I’ll leave you with this direct quote: “I had been inside other men. I had not been inside any of them.” End quote. Clear as mud!
March 31, 2026
I liked the book. As I said in my initial post about 16% in I appreciated the musical quality of the authors prose. There were a few errors that could have been fixed in editing, but they were not continuity issues.... I cannot stomach a continuity issue... that is just lazy.
There are some things about Russian toward the end of the book that is simply not plausible, but the author was going for a full HEA so I will respect it. TBH it should be this way every where, but alas people will need to have many more years to come to grips with this... and the current American government is dismantling all progress made thus far.
But I'm looking forward to the other books. I like the family they've created. This is what sports should be. A group of individuals putting everything aside and working together for a common goal.... Hopefully we as humankind can emulate that in our daily lives.
There are some things about Russian toward the end of the book that is simply not plausible, but the author was going for a full HEA so I will respect it. TBH it should be this way every where, but alas people will need to have many more years to come to grips with this... and the current American government is dismantling all progress made thus far.
But I'm looking forward to the other books. I like the family they've created. This is what sports should be. A group of individuals putting everything aside and working together for a common goal.... Hopefully we as humankind can emulate that in our daily lives.
July 31, 2026
The story and writing is good but the editing is so slopshod.
Here I am barely 10% into the book and a big gaping crater of a plot hole occurs. Cole goes “mik is closeted and Russian” like excuse me?? Where did this come from. How do you know he is closeted or even gay/bi. This just comes out of no where and just grrrrrrr ambushes me cos no where has it suggested that Mik is closeted and no one in the team mentions this nor does Cole think this in any previous chapters.
Plot holes. The ruination of a good book
Wow now Cole knows about Mike’s dad’s violence but yet Cole wasn’t told of this until the NEXT chapter. Like seriously - this train wreck is just running away
I’m not even going to edit my live review notes. The story is good and the MCs were pretty great. The editing let everything down.
Here I am barely 10% into the book and a big gaping crater of a plot hole occurs. Cole goes “mik is closeted and Russian” like excuse me?? Where did this come from. How do you know he is closeted or even gay/bi. This just comes out of no where and just grrrrrrr ambushes me cos no where has it suggested that Mik is closeted and no one in the team mentions this nor does Cole think this in any previous chapters.
Plot holes. The ruination of a good book
Wow now Cole knows about Mike’s dad’s violence but yet Cole wasn’t told of this until the NEXT chapter. Like seriously - this train wreck is just running away
I’m not even going to edit my live review notes. The story is good and the MCs were pretty great. The editing let everything down.
June 12, 2026
I couldn't get past the writing style.
Half the time felt like just a dump of thought that made no sense. Others was ok we on track.
I hate that there are things with no resolutions.
Start with the conflict because of the hit Mik gave Cole.. that feeds the tension betweenthem at least from Cole side, then is forgotten like it never happened, it was such a big deal and a good plot line to build on the enemies to lovers but nope gone to never be addressed again.
There is a game Mik is benched and nothing about Cole, nothing on why he was not there the whole scene read like Cole was not even a player. Cole even says he watched the game, why did he watch the game vs play.. nothing.
Half the time felt like just a dump of thought that made no sense. Others was ok we on track.
I hate that there are things with no resolutions.
Start with the conflict because of the hit Mik gave Cole.. that feeds the tension betweenthem at least from Cole side, then is forgotten like it never happened, it was such a big deal and a good plot line to build on the enemies to lovers but nope gone to never be addressed again.
There is a game Mik is benched and nothing about Cole, nothing on why he was not there the whole scene read like Cole was not even a player. Cole even says he watched the game, why did he watch the game vs play.. nothing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2026
I really enjoyed this story. Take one hockey player who came out two years ago and his Russian teammate who refuses to accept his preference and you get this great story. Cole has decided his Russian defenceman, Mikhail, is a jerk as he sits in the corner and doesn't say anything to anyone just reads Russian classics. Mikhail was beaten by his father when he discovered he preferred males to females so has kept his secret even though he moved to the USA. Their forever is slow but they get there in thee end. I look forward to reading more in the series. Do not miss this book.
May 8, 2026
A Very Good Hockey Book
Ever since Heated Rivalry, everyone has jumped on the M/M and they've been really bad, not this book. This book was well written and kept me hooked from the first page. The MCs and the supporting cast were likeable, and the story had a great flow. My one complaint is the ending. This was my first Chris Savage book and I bought one more before I finished this one. I highly recommend this book.
Ever since Heated Rivalry, everyone has jumped on the M/M and they've been really bad, not this book. This book was well written and kept me hooked from the first page. The MCs and the supporting cast were likeable, and the story had a great flow. My one complaint is the ending. This was my first Chris Savage book and I bought one more before I finished this one. I highly recommend this book.
July 15, 2026
I almost DNF’d this book but powered through since it was short.
The hotel room with one bed- a pivotal moment when they are at an away game in Carolina… WAS IN THE WRONG CITY!!! The most BASIC thing to double check is what city the Canes play in.
There also were some formatting complaints from me as far as it was hard to distinguish the text messages. Could have been italicized or name: text.
I did wonder if this was written by AI or helped by AI.
The hotel room with one bed- a pivotal moment when they are at an away game in Carolina… WAS IN THE WRONG CITY!!! The most BASIC thing to double check is what city the Canes play in.
There also were some formatting complaints from me as far as it was hard to distinguish the text messages. Could have been italicized or name: text.
I did wonder if this was written by AI or helped by AI.
June 1, 2026
⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I think I’ve read so many hockey romances at this point that this one felt quite familiar, with a lot of the tropes and beats you’d expect from the genre.
The writing was also a little choppy at times.
That said, if you’re newer to hockey romances, you’ll likely enjoy this one.
There’s plenty here that makes the genre so popular, and it’s an easy read.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I think I’ve read so many hockey romances at this point that this one felt quite familiar, with a lot of the tropes and beats you’d expect from the genre.
The writing was also a little choppy at times.
That said, if you’re newer to hockey romances, you’ll likely enjoy this one.
There’s plenty here that makes the genre so popular, and it’s an easy read.
June 1, 2026
Short book, could’ve been shorter by half when you take out the verbatim repetition.
Frustrating read. Sometimes difficult to remember who was speaking. Lots of inconsistencies in storyline.
Plot devices introduced as foundational were abandoned. If you have 4 hours and want to read the same paragraphs every other chapter, this is for you.
Frustrating read. Sometimes difficult to remember who was speaking. Lots of inconsistencies in storyline.
Plot devices introduced as foundational were abandoned. If you have 4 hours and want to read the same paragraphs every other chapter, this is for you.
May 17, 2026
"I did not touch him. I did not move. I lay perfectly still and felt the warmth of his hand across the gap and thought about Dostoevsky and suffering and the question of whether it is braver to build a wall or to let one fall."
May 28, 2026
i enjoyed myself. it was quick and easy to read, and some of the lines chris savage wrote were INSANE (in a that’s-literature-on-a-Beautiful-level type way). overall it was nothing special honestly and i don’t think i will think about it again…
June 29, 2026
Badly edited - some scenes reference things that haven't happened yet, like the chapters were re-ordered but not edited to reflect the change. Large chunks read like AI and borrow heavily from other books in the genre.
August 7, 2026
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I actually cried at the internal conflict these guys had. It’s such a fluffy mm hockey romance concept but the exploration of the deeper social and political issues was stunning.
I actually cried at the internal conflict these guys had. It’s such a fluffy mm hockey romance concept but the exploration of the deeper social and political issues was stunning.
March 15, 2026
3.5 stars. While this didn’t blow me away, it was a pretty good story. I’m looking forward to reading the next ones.
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April 30, 2026dnf, didn't realise it was going to be such a HR copy.
May 21, 2026
DNF at 48%. The choppy writing style here, with short sentences, isn’t my jam. It makes every sound cold. Detached. Clinical. Like delivering thoughts without actual heat behind them.
May 29, 2026
Very similar to Heated Rivalry but they’re on the same team.
May 31, 2026
Emotionally resonant
This story is well written and developed, and draws you into the feelings of the characters. A couple of minor continuity issues that did not detract.
This story is well written and developed, and draws you into the feelings of the characters. A couple of minor continuity issues that did not detract.
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