Breakaway

Power Play #2

by Chris Savage, Virtual Voice (Narrator)

His hands shake after every fight. The only person who makes them stop is the one person he can't let in.

Wes Chen is the Atlanta Reapers' enforcer. He hits, he bleeds, he sits in the penalty box while the crowd chants his name. Then he goes home alone and bakes bread at 2 AM because kneading dough is the only thing that stops his hands from shaking.

Nobody knows about the bread. Nobody knows about the shaking. Nobody knows that the man the league calls a weapon is quietly falling apart.

Then Luca Moretti shows up. New equipment manager. Italian grandmother's biscotti in one hand, unsolicited kindness in the other. He's warm where Wes is cold, loud where Wes is silent, and completely unbothered by the fact that Wes has responded to every attempt at friendship with what the team calls his "murder face."

Luca doesn't care about the murder face. Luca sees what's behind it.

When an injury forces Wes into Luca's care every morning, the distance between them starts to collapse. Gentle hands on bruised ribs. Tea delivered without being asked. A sticky note that says "For Grumpy" with a smiley face. And a slow, terrifying realization that the feelings Wes is developing for this man don't fit any category he's ever built for himself.

Wes has never wanted a man before. He's never wanted anyone like this. And the thing about breaking away from everything you thought you were is that you can't go back to who you were before.

Breakaway is a grumpy/sunshine MM hockey romance with a bi-awakening that will wreck you, an enforcer who bakes his feelings, an equipment manager who fights with biscotti, and an HEA worth every bruise. Second in the Power Play series. Can be read as a standalone. Dual POV. No cliffhanger. KU enrolled.

grumpy/sunshine, bi-awakening, hurt-comfort, forced proximity (injury), touch starved, found family, he falls first

Genres: Hockey, M M Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Romance

Audible Audio

Published March 28, 2026

Reviews

[Engrossed Reader]

The weight of this book taking a space in my queue is gone. 77% is close but no cigar. DNF and I am happy with the decision.

I could give a toss about the therapeutic benefits of baking and people bringing in baked goods to work.

After reading a couple of books with a similar writing style, I can't stomach anything remotely alike.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

[ancientreader]

Very smooth, flat writing, rich in sentence-fragment lists. There's an all-too-familiar canned quality here that one might almost call robotic. I would like to think I'm wrong about that.

[Bianca Swart]

4.25

My heart. This was so precious. The love between these two was so beautiful. Aggggggg
The patience and understanding between them. No, my heart can't take it. I absolutely loved them both. This was just so sweet

"Luciano, the world is cold. Be the warm thing."

"First: you cannot love someone into openness. They have to choose it. Second: you can make the choice easier by being the kind of person it feels safe to choose."

"Thank you." "For what?" "For knocking. When everyone else walked past." "You were worth knocking for."

[Penelope]

2.5⭐️
this was cute

[Ruf Mud]

So good, lived the emotional connection but…..

I’m a slut and needed at least one fully penetrative s*x scene, like come on!!!! Talk about leaving a girl with the worst blue balls ever- after all of that want and longing we get nothing!

[Lily]

I LOVED the first book of this series, and I was so excited for this one. This wasn't bad, there were just a few things for me that had me feeling some kind of way.

First, we never get a description of what Luca looks like, while we are constantly reminded exactly how tall and exactly how much Wes weighs. I dont need all that detail, but I need something to get a better picture in my mind. They mention he used to play hockey, and that he's Italian from New York, that he loves his family, but that's pretty much it.

Second, there were some things that were literally the same from book one. Like the whole 'thank you for knocking' thing which I may be not remembering it correctly, but I thought was literally almost line for line from the first book. Maybe I'm wrong? And there was never any mention of Mik telling his teammates and Luca about the refrigerator joke, but somehow Luca knows about it? I was a little lost.

Third, in the first book, Wes comes up to Mik and is struggling with feeling out of place on the team, as even though it's not mentioned in this book at all, but he's Asian American and presumably the rest of the team is white. I was confused as to why that wasn't expanded on in this book, which I felt like that scene was leading to, but idk 🤷‍♀️

How does this man have THIS much free time during hockey season to not only bake bread for his boo thing, but multiple other players? Also, if no one knew he baked, how did some of the veteran players know and have gotten bread from him before? 🤔 Maybe I missed something?

Them exchanging 'i love yous' for the first time was a little underwhelming and also Wes was high key giving off demi vibes (as a demi girlie, hi 🙋‍♀️) and the timing just felt off. At least Cole and Mik had been together for at least a few months, with date nights and everything, before they said it. I just struggled with feeling the chemistry between Luca and Wes. Maybe it's just a me thing, but I feel like they literally JUST started this situationship when they said that.

This author has a very unique writing style, and I like it, but some of the things these characters say people would never say in real life. Like Luca telling Wes, "when you see the shadow cross my face, when the secrecy scrapes against the old stuff, don't pretend you don't see it" (page 91). Like...what does that even mean? 😅

[Deena Cates]

Moments of Excellence.

I mostly enjoyed this book, and there were some truly excellent moments. And there was a lot of continuity issues. A lot of reputations. It’s clear the author has a formula. Amber glow, a small crack in the wall…..etc.

Did I love it. No. I actually loved Book 1 But once I read Book 2 and so much of it felt the same, it was a little off putting. Will I read book 3. Yes. Will I review it. Probably not. Would the review say this exact same thing. Likely.

Bottom line. Good not great book. Easy read. Perfect for a lazy Sunday with nothing major going on. Keep your expectations reasonable and you will enjoy this book and likely the series. I know I will.

[Marion]

Fair story, needs content editing

I enjoyed the story, but found myself confused often. I had a hard time, keeping the location, straight, and the characters’ body positioning straight, and who was where at what time and in relation to whom. This book would have benefited from some more editing, although I do appreciate the grammar was mostly correct. The other thing I really do not understand is at the end when they talk about the grandmothers. Is Helen Chen a grandmother? She is a mother, for sure, but if she is a grandmother that is never mentioned or discussed, which made it a bit weird for that to pop up many times at the end of the book.

[Shelle Pennington]

Lovely book. This is only my 2nd book of this author and I am ready to click 'follow'. In my other review I mentioned the melody of the words as being something that was very soothing, and this book has the same feeling. I want to read the next one, but I also do not want to gulp down everything so that I am left wanting afterward. It is one of the best words of praise I can offer. I want to fly through every book but know that if I do I will not savor....and these books deserve to be savored.

[Kaitlin]

Good

So I don’t typically read books written by men. Especially romance books. I will say, however, that I enjoy the character development. It’s not fluffy and the internal dialogue feels flatter than what I’m used to, but not in a bad way if that makes sense. It’s straightforward and pretty linear. It doesn’t make for a particularly emotional read, but the stories are solid and enjoyable. Honestly, sometimes I think we need a change of pace and a different perspective. I’ll keep reading the series ❤️

[Paddy Waymark]

4.9

A beautiful, humourous, hockey story. It contains sourdough bread, dumplings, biscotti, pizelles and two men who meld their cultural backgrounds with great food and love.
Wes is a taciturn enforcer, who thaws slowly under the steady love and care of Lucas, the team’s equipment manager. Wes is not a happy man, despite his skill in mashing hockey players into the boards. Baking is his escape, his emotional outlet, his medicine. Lucas sees him, all of him.
This story is tender, touching and warm. Read it, you’ll feel better. The Atlanta Reapers team is a winner.

[Kaite]

Who knew bread would make me cry?

Seriously though, who knew I would cry over the poetic description of bread and baked goods so astutely used to lay bare the fragile beginnings of love? I’m both weeping and smiling at my Kindle. A book I had no idea I needed but I’m confident has changed something about my world view. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would.

[Redwoodgirl25]

To be Seen

To be seen is to be loved. To have someone pay attention to the things that you think nobody ever will. But when someone does and still loves all of it is beautiful. This is what the story is all about and I absolutely loved it. Such a beautiful love story. The Quiet enforcer and the warm Italian who brings all the warmth one could need.

[Heidi]

I absolutely love these two characters. I want more of their story, frankly. Yes, some things were oversimplified or near impossible. But I just love the way I felt getting to know these two men and how they got to know each other. Give me more.

[AuntieChrist]

This was a long wait for nothing to happen. It’s a short book with short plot and I’m mad i hoped 2nd book in series would be an improvement.

No real development. Low spice. Lots of repetition, which may be the author’s style.

[Danielle V]

Tough guy/Game misconduct meets Role Model but make Harris an ex-hockey player turned equipment manager… then add a bunch of poetry about sourdough… which frankly I’m here for.

Look, the characters and plot are 4 stars… even the prose are gorgeous… the editing and clarity are horrendous which makes it super hard to follow.

[Laura C. Turner]

This is the first book written by Chris Savage that I have read and I am really impressed.
The characters are fully fleshed out, the dialogue is almost poetic, and the love story is realistic and unrushed; a growing affection between two men that eventually flourishes.
I am now officially a Chris Savage fan. Next book please!!

[Amy]

3.5 stars.

[Dark Side of the Book]

This book is calmer than the first one, but still good.
Love here is like a bread done with the carrying hands.

[Kobie]

Still enjoying this author.

[Jessica]

I really liked this series