Two for Roughing

Minor Penalties #4

by S.B. Barnes

The right power play converts when you least expect it.

If there’s one thing missing in Kilian Howard’s life, it’s dignity. Talent, good looks, and social skills wouldn’t go amiss either, but more than anything, he longs to be taken seriously. With everyone on his team treating him like a child, including the second hockey coach in two years threatening to bench him for not being good enough, is it any wonder Kilian turns to a virtual stranger in the form of Damir Denisov to explore some very adult needs?

Damir is more than willing to engage with Kilian’s clumsy attempts at seduction. Kilian might be a menace on the ice, but he’s sweet in bed. As a gay, Muslim Russian, Damir’s life has been a long sequence of rejection for one or the other part of his identity, and the pressure is getting to him. Kilian is at first a welcome distraction and then one of the only people to understand Damir’s situation.

When Kilian is traded to Damir’s team, what worked as a long-distance situationship becomes much more complicated than either of them anticipated. With Damir’s support, can Kilian overcome his self-doubt and find a place in the world of hockey? Or will Kilian’s desire to become the queer role model he never had force Damir to abandon their budding relationship to protect himself?

Genres: Hockey, Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Sports Romance, Fiction, Hockey Romance

408 pages, ebook

Published September 15, 2026

About the author

S. 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.

Reviews

[Sandy Kay]

Whoops. Early dnf, not rating. I think I would have enjoyed this one, bc the initial MC hookup in the opening was both refreshingly unexpected and hot, and I loved their dynamic and personalities.

But when the book really starts, that hookup happened 11 months ago, and the story then includes info about other hookups meanwhile, and then one very detailed gratuitous on-page bathroom club hookup for one hero, and I am out. Not for me. Major eww for me, and added nothing to plot or character to have in real-time rather than as a background mention. Broke me away from romance.

Those of you who don’t mind reading about MCs having sex with other people after the MCs have been together, still try it if the storyline appeals, because the MC personalities are enjoyable and the writing is strong!

I loved what @Evelyn had to say about this book, and I was looking forward to reading it from the way she described them together even with just the one encounter:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So if you are more sex positive than I, check that out, and perhaps this will be the new hockey romance of your dreams. Best wishes! 🩷

I appreciate having the ARC from GRR, and didn’t rate as I didn’t make it far enough. Again, I do think many folks will enjoy the story.

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

🏒⛸️📸

Oh noooo it's over?!? I'm actually supremely saddddddd about this, because this series was like comfort food to me and I'll miss these Sea Lions & Firecrackers messy hockey bois ngl. Each installment was such a good time, and this final book was a very lovely wrap to the Minor Penalties series that I've loved from the start!

Two for Roughing was cute, hot, kinky, and Kilian and Damir's sweaty beginnings had me in a puddle on the floor 😏

I don't read feminization kink too often, but whenever I do and it lands instead of making me cringe, I have zero control of my body temp, the goooooood shivers, or whatever my face is doing whenever the MC growls "pretty girl" 🫠 and I very much love that for me🙂‍↕️

All the juicy heat aside, there was quite a bit going on in this that made me feel EXTRA-protective of Kilian. I was feeling very destabilized and emotionally all over the place on his behalf, and was impressed that Damir was the epitome of a staunch and sturdy character, who wasn't JUST that way because of their kinky bedroom fun.

They'd had their "new love" dumb dumb moments for sure though. At one point (late enough in the game for this to be a headscratcher), they were just feeling all these big feelings but neither of them chose to open up their talented mouths to talk about where they were at emotionally… yes yes I know.

But I r e a l l y felt like Kilian and Damir had another level to them, beyond Kilian's sexy brat energy needing a firm hand.

They were sweet together, and Damir was a stunning cook that had me looking up recipes. But I dunno, I still wanted a bit more of THEM chilling and falling in love. There were so many things outside of their relationship constantly popping off, needing to be addressed and or managed. So then ofc there would be a bit of self-reflection and or musing on those issues, more than soft vibes and cuddly daydreaming together.

They're both really young though, so I do get it.
I just would have enjoyed a touch more intimacy.

Also, I would have loved a larger dose of the Kilian who'd made it through to the other side of everything bad that went down.
The Kilian who'd shown his resilience after withstanding that period of awful, isolating, disheartening betrayals. I legit cried for him. I was super emo over the way he'd shut himself down to protect himself. His career, his friendships, his family, his love life on the dl. The pressure and the stakes were so high, and the hit to his self-esteem on the ice too. I really felt for him.

Because in the beginning of this book, Kilian had caught a lot of "new adult not so good @ adulting" heat from his old teammates,
to then surviving something that could have killed his career,
and becoming a role model for the 2slgbtqia+ community after everything he'd gone through. He'd grown so much and I would have loved to spend some more down time with him and Damir in love.

This was still a great read though, and the ending was a happy sweet one, full of love and hugs and friends forever energy. I'll miss this series, but I'm looking forward to whatever S.B. Barnes releases next because I'm such a fan and I'm sure it'll be another winner just like Minor Penalties was for me! Can't wait!

[Lily Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this. It was different than the first books since it takes places mainly with a different team but the Sea Lions are in a good portion of the story.

Kilian was a great character. I’m glad he got his story because in the last book he didn’t come off in a great light. He really was a sweetheart though and I’m glad he found his true authentic self.

I loved seeing a Muslim in a book, especially a hockey book where he has twice the issue with coming out. Damir was so good for Kilian and he was caring and loving and so sweet. The light kink was a great addition to the book.

I am disappointed that these characters didn’t say “I love you” outright to each other. I wish we got that.

I’m sad that this series is ending but I am excited to see what SB Barnes will write next!

ARC received by author for review
All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

this has become one of my favorite hockey series and i truly cannot recommend it enough! it’s heavily interconnected, so read the whole series in order!

kilian is a bit of a mess but isn’t that truly just a gay experience? i loved seeing his growth & him just becoming more himself in this book! and i loved to see his dynamic with damir and how both of them thrived.

this series has never shied away from the hard topics and issues in major hockey, and in this book everything really comes to the forefront. the support kilian needs is there and he’s not doing it all alone, not anymore.

this truly is one of my most recommended hockey series because the hockey is so good AND it talks about the issues. highly recommend the whole series & i’m so sad it’s over.

thank you to the author for the eARC.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and am sad to see it come to an end. And still, despite having rated this author at least 4 stars, mostly 4.5 or 5 stars, for every book (and I've read them all), I was a little hesitant to dive into this one. I'm not one to seek out feminization kink, and when I saw it among the tropes/marketing, I proceeded with a bit of caution. I needn't have worried. This author works magic on tropes I normally don't enjoy and makes me understand/appreciate them. That being said, I'm sure fans of that kink would find this pretty tame, but I really appreciated how it worked to deepen both MCs characters.

This is the the longest book in the series, and I think it needs that space to show us both characters and all they're dealing with. Damir is the more layered character, so many labels that many would believe to contradict each other, but he defies those contradictions. The author thanks a couple of people for helping her to make Damir's character feel more real and relatable; I can't speak to the authenticity of the portrayal, but it felt sensitive and real.

Kilian is a scrappy ginger fighter, hissing and scratching his way through life, sometimes afraid to take a risk but not going to back down from one; all the time secretly wanting someone to pet him calmly, tell him he's pretty, and let him rest. He's an alley cat who wants a home.

Damir finds himself willing to be that home. He's compiling recipes to try; hell, he's probably measuring for curtains and ordering jerseys with his number for Kilian to wear around the house. He's come to a point where he knows that being a partner to Kilian will bring a lot of complications and very possibly unintended negative consequences, but is prepared to risk them all because this is his life and why should he have to pretend to be something he isn't just because it's easier for other people? (I mean, isn't that the question most of us should examine, really?)

I probably do too much in my ARC reviews (thanks to GRR for the review copy, of course!) but this series deserves more love. I don't recommend starting with this book, because it really does build and there are some nice payoffs along the way, but if you're looking for a new hockey series that has both swoon and social awareness, that loves the sport but isn't afraid to call out the worst aspects of the game and its culture, here it is!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely the best of the series

With each successive book in this series, my rating went up a star so you have some idea of how I felt about each book. Breezy was my favourite character all along and his and Luca's story in Two for Charging was good. As for the rest of the long list of characters, I would definitely rather leave 'em than take 'em.
Kilian Howard (Howie) had not shown himself in his best light so far but here, meeting the real person and seeing what he had to contend with from his team, his coaches, his agent , and his Dad, I felt sorry for him. He was only twenty and it was hard to remember how young he was in the previous books. In his own story he showed just how mature he actually was, compared with all his juvenile teammates.
Damir Denisov was a complex charcter too. A Russian Tatar, gay, Muslim... those were definitely three strikes against him, although he kept his sexuality a close-guarded secret. His path crossed with Kilian on the ice then an unexpected hot hookup afterwards left lasting memories for each man. Then there was a time jump to when their romance actually started, after Kilian was suddenly traded to Damir's team.
I liked the two of them together, with the stoic and disciplined Damir housing Kilian and feeding him so well (his love language, that made me extremely hungry every time he made dishes from scratch). They really complemented each other, and Damir's care and attention to Kilian gave him the courage he needed to finally be comfortable in himself, on the ice, and with his sexuality.
Damir's teammates were equally as juvenile as Kilian's. The team captain, Lissy, in particular was unfathomable, with his questionable behaviour in the locker room and even more spectacularly inexcusable behaviour when out anywhere with the team. I truly didn't understand the need to write him in that fashion. And Damir's roommate, Ketchup, was not written well either. He wasn't trying at all to make the most of the chance he'd been given to play in the first team and why would any hockey player act like that? Being sent back down again was pretty much a foregone conclusion for him.
I thought the ending was a bit abrupt but that's because I wanted to see more of them happy, in love and settled.

[Luca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5⭐

First of all, thank you to the author, S.B. Barnes, for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for "Two for Roughing"! I really enjoyed it!

I found it really interesting to see a hockey team that is accepting and queer-friendly right off the bat. Based on an outside perspective and what I know about hockey culture, the reality is often very different. We also get the idea that the Sea Lions are the exception in this universe, rather than the norm, because Kilian mentions a little about the locker room culture he grew up in and expected to continue in the NHL, and he is immediately pulled aside by the team for a homophobic comment. I loved Kilian's journey--hearing how he figured out that he's gay, starting to accept that, getting outed (and blindsided by finding out during an interview), all of the pain that goes with it, and then seeing him get more comfortable and truly be himself.
I appreciated the insight into Damir's thought process on deciding what he really wanted out of life, figuring out what's really important to him. Because it's not enough that he's a brown man in a white-dominated sport, as well as being visibly Muslim, but he's also gay--something that is not only not allowed in his home country, but is also commonly thought of as not okay within his religion. He's had to struggle with knowing that, being visibly Muslim, he has a lot of people looking up to him, and he has to wonder what happens if he comes out. Would he be an example of who not to be like in his religion, or would he be someone queer Muslim kids need to see and look up to? He has to actually grapple with the implications of being gay and being out--it's not a simple decision. I liked hearing about some of his more complicated thoughts about his religion, specifically the quote, "Damir wasn't sure he wanted forgiveness for the crime of being himself." As a queer person raised in the church, that one hit hard. It's a feeling that myself and many other queer folk raised in religion have struggled with. How do you reconcile the message that god created you perfectly with your identity as a queer person when people are constantly preaching that homosexuality is a sin, that it's unacceptable to be transgender? Do I really want forgiveness from someone who doesn't accept me as I am? While I haven't held onto my faith, it was really nice to see that Damir holds onto his, and maybe gets closer to it. He makes his practice work for his life. Praying helped him make the decision to work towards a life with Kilian, a life where he can be out.
The way people were talking about Damir was heartbreaking, though unfortunately realistic to being in the public eye, especially considering that he is a brown, Muslim man in post-9/11 America. Islamophobia is practically normalized. He's playing in a white-dominated sport where racism is still rampant. It kind of blew my mind that the other players on the Firecrackers were completely unaware of what was being said about him (to be fair, I realized pretty quickly that this team fits more into typical hockey stereotypes). I appreciate that the team was cool about his religion and respected that he doesn't go out on Fridays, and when he does go out, he doesn't drink. They don't really think about his religion, so I guess it shocked them that other people do think about it and are cruel about it. I also love that the team is so accepting when they find out that Kilian is gay. They have their questions about how to handle it, but they listen when Damir says they should just continue treating him the same, which ends up being the right move. Don't get me wrong, the helicopter thing is weird and uncomfortable, but by not changing how they act towards Kilian, they prove that they aren't uncomfortable or homophobic.
I love that both boys have supportive parents! The conversation between Kilian and his dad was so necessary--there had been such a lack of real communication between them because of hockey, so it was very important that they actually hashed everything out. Also, neither one of them was the "bad guy" in this scenario. They both did some things right, and they both did some things wrong. Damir's parents were so understanding despite being faced with the news that their son would no longer be able to come home. I really loved the bit where his father says that it isn't his place to judge, and he specifies that it's not because he's disappointed, but because Damir knows his own mind and heart better than another person ever could, and his father trusts him to make his own choices. That message is so important, especially when there are so many parents out there who use religion to justify their intolerance, or claim that they know their child better than they know themselves.
I loved having the little social media bits at the beginning of each chapter. I think they provided some important background for the upcoming chapter and gave us a little look into what the public is thinking. If I had one gripe, it would be that I wish there was more detail about the public's reaction to Kilian's outing. We got a little bit, but not very much, and I think hearing more of that would have been able to give some more depth to how Kilian is dealing with being outed. He seemed to recover from it pretty quickly. That being said, I do understand that isn't the point of the book, so I'm not too upset. The focus is meant to be primarily on Damir and Kilian, with the general public being very minor side characters.
I think it would be interesting to see what happens after the end of the story for Kilian and Damir. Does everything go smoothly with Damir's green card? Do they manage to stay low-key enough while waiting for that (considering several teammates accidentally found out like, a day or two after they started dating and talked about keeping it quiet for now)?

Some final notes:
"A letter from Kilian Howard" at the beginning of chapter 14 made me cry. That is all.
I really loved all of Damir's "why are straight men like this" moments.
Breezy's acespec! I so very rarely see myself represented, so this was a very nice surprise!
They are so very bad about being casual with each other. Right off the bat, we see them thinking things that are Very Not Casual.
I appreciated that the lack of communication about both liking each other and wanting to date was resolved with minimal amounts of angst and no catastrophic miscommunication.
"I don't have to think you're incompetent to take care of you." Really good reminder for anyone who won't ask for help because they don't want to be seen as weak or helpless (including myself).

Overall, really good book! It was a nice, light, fluffy read, and I think it dealt with some heavier topics really well. I would have liked to see more exploration of the fallout of Kilian's outing with the public and NHL, especially given how several Sea Lions players came out right after.

[Arcturus170 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy and this is my honest review.
4.25*
I really enjoyed most of this book. I loved everything about Damir, just as a guy, to his internal struggles and character arc, to the consideration of his religious beliefs, and to the importance of his family. Damir is five stars. What drew me to the book was the kink 😅 and also, the Muslim MC. I hadn’t read a MM romance with a Muslim MC before and it really intrigued me. I’m so glad I picked it up! As an outsider to most religions, I’m really impressed with the balance in how religion is talked about here. Damir’s beliefs are grounded in family and culture, yet he’s also honest about the friction with who he is as a queer person. He nurtures the most important parts of his background, from cooking, to his close relationship with his mother, to being a visible Muslim figure for younger people and the community. He also has struggles with many aspects of his identity and living in the US, not least of which is having to watch the alcohol and substance abuse around him, but also the micro-aggressions to outright hate speech. This book has so much depth for Damir and I really appreciated it. He’s amazing.

My frustration with the book is about the off-page drama between Kilian and his old team in San Francisco. I didn’t read the prior books and I would suggest other readers not make my same mistake. That drama is not in this book, but it’s a huge source of angst for Kilian. I think I would call this a high-angst book due to Kilian’s character arc. It’s frustrating to live in that high angst for a good chunk of the book but not know the background. Apparently, there was a cheating scandal, rotten coaching, and Kilian behaving badly. The problem with using all of that to motivate the MC in this book is that I didn’t see the damage or its effects, so I can’t really value the struggle and the redemption here. Kilian values the opinions of a whole team of characters that I and Damir don’t know. I wish there was investment in getting Damir to know those people and the earlier drama, because that seems like a good way to bring the reader along.

The book uses a format where each chapter starts with a media clip. It grew on me as time went by because the media exposure plays such a big role in the story. I really, really wish the book had begun with a media summary of all the things the San Francisco team had to overcome in the prior season. It would make sense in the format, and then I could actually know what happened in the prior book(s) to drag Kilian down to rock bottom. It would save me a lot of angst while explaining Kilian’s.

The ARC was labeled with “Prior reading recommended but not essential” and I respectfully disagree. Prior reading is pretty essential to understanding Kilian and his struggles in this book.

The MCs themselves have low-ish to medium angst. There’s some miscommunication and generally frustrating behavior, but I think their interactions are mostly positive. When the MCs talked, I really paid attention. They have great conversations about real things with curiosity and honesty. In particular, the discussions of Muslim and gay issues in sports are interesting and thoughtful.

Considering it drew me to the book, I should at least say that the kink and the spice are excellent. There’s emotional connection from the get-go, and unexpected moments of tenderness throughout. I enjoyed seeing those times when an encounter could end in different ways, with Kilian focusing on the worst outcomes, but Damir surprising him each time. I leave this book thinking about how desperate Kilian was to be seen for his inner vulnerability, and how emotionally overwhelming it was to finally have that. There’s a spicy scene where Kilian feels that overwhelm, and then I got emotional, and all through it, Damir is holding him, etc., and it’s amazing. Surprising, tender, hot, authentic, uncertain, exceptional. It’s a beautiful moment in the book.

The ending is… HFN. I think the last sentence wants to be that HEA, but it’s not quite. The book doesn’t have an ILU scene and that weighed on me when I realized it was over. In the moment, it feels like they have time to develop. Things are left more or less how they are. No declarations or plans. And everything has to stay quiet because of politics and immigration. The epilogue is just another chapter after a short skip to the end of the season. It’s hopeful, but I wanted more, especially as this is the end of the series. That’s all we get for them, sadly.

I’m hoping for a bonus epilogue, maybe. 🤞

I think I’ll read this book again after reading the prior books. I enjoyed the author’s writing and the flaws in the characters that allow for growth. 🩵

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who's been rating this author's books 2* and 3* at best, I'm glad I gave it one last shot. Because this one was perfection for me.

I've been saying for ages that this author always has a good premise but falters with the execution. Not this time.

I loved both MCs to bits. Individually and as a couple.

Having seen where Kilian started from in the other books, casually calling others slurs to a point where he's described as '... an insecure, scared young man barely out of his first season who so desperately needed someone to stand up for people like him that he had done it himself.'

Felt like a proud parent. The previous book ended with him being heartbroken that he'd discovered his team had a lot of queer players and none had felt like they should reach out to him so he didn't feel so isolated with his newfound realizations about himself.

Sure, they had their reasons, but I'll reserve my judgement on that.

This starts shortly after that, except he's hooking up with the most perfect Russian Muslim player from another team.

I don't use the phrase most perfect lightly. Damir is everything.

Everything. Friend. Lover. Hydration sensei so Kilian's cum will stop tasting like battery acid. Hockey cheerleader. Spanking Seargeant-at-Arms. Defender. Chef. Roommate. Silent guy who stands around scowling so people fear to be homophobic.

And that's not to say he wasn't a well fleshed out MC on his own. As a gay Muslim Russian, he's very experienced with being 'other' and as a hockey player, he understands more than even Kilian how staying closeted lets him have a measure of freedom to be himself in the small ways he can carve out for himself.

He can't have much. But he's never needed more than he has so he's found a way to be okay with what's available.

But Kilian chafes at the constraints. I loved how he turned his disappointment and disillusionment from nobody being there for him into becoming the person he wanted to look up to.

And I love TF out of Damir for never once holding him back from that or putting his (very valid) fears ahead of that.

Even if he has SO MUCH to lose. And they have very realistic (if sad) conversations about what's at stake.

Lmao of course these two are somehow STILL dumb enough to think they're casual and that each one likes the other but it isn't mutual because what's a good romance without a healthy dose of dumbassery.

But this time, a lot of it isn't annoying because you can sort of see why they think that way? A lot of general stuff gets said that's open to interpretation.

Well. Except that one time when one mentions that their first time (specifically his first time, ever) was perfect and the other somehow finds a way to assume he still didn't do enough.

Dude. This man just told a bus full of his teammates that his first time was perfection and described going into subspace and how amazing that was(tbf he didn't know he was describing subspace) and now everyone's envious of him.

YOU did that. How are you pulling a negative from that?

Still. Perfection.

Caveat. This author's MCs tend to spend A LOT of time in their own heads and I've complained about that before. It's the same case with this one so your mileage may vary.

I just loved these two so fucking much I didn't care. I wanted every thought they had.

I love that this started out with Kilian feeling like he had nothing and no one and ended up with him having perfect Damir who would literally walk hand in hand with him into the valley of the shadow of death because if anyone deserved a soft landing, it's Kilian.

And I know I've had my beef with the San Francisco Sea Lions so I'm not unbiased but the Chicago team is so much more fun and such a perfect place for someone like Kilian.

Even in spite of the helicopter dick thing that sometimes happens in the locker room.

Fucking finally. This was so damn perfect I could cry.

[Lor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly Enjoyable Continuation of a Great Series

This author is an automatic buy for me because I LOVED books 1 and 3 in this series (book 2 was insane (in a bad way) and I pretend it doesn’t exist). I love the characters in this series, so I was glad to read more about them. However, this book was not a great romance novel by any stretch of the imagination.

I really disliked how it took so long for the MCs to end up in the same place even though we already knew the trade would happen from reading book 3. It felt so repetitive, and it stilted the development of their relationship. Moreover, it repeated Kilian’s completely irrational and immature reaction to everyone’s coming out in the last book. It was painful to read again and went on for so long.

I also hated reading about Kilian hooking up with other people in so much detail after his first encounter with Damir. I find that very stressful and I understand it was part of his exploration or whatever, but I did not enjoy it. The side character Liam was also unhinged and evil for no apparent reason.

The relationship between the MCs was just not convincing. It was hard to understand when they actually fell for each other and how. Sure, they had some conversations about intense topics—you have to, generally, to get into a serious relationship with someone—but the connection between the two was not well developed. There was no tension or chemistry. I was also disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of their relationship once they were officially exclusive and communicating better with one another. It felt like there was a lot of build up to nothing. Was there love? It was never really said. I didn’t feel it between them. It felt like there was sex, kink, and exploration, but not love. It was in Damir’s character to protect and nurture people around him and in Kilian’s to stand up for what he believed in after he got into trouble for casually using slurs; but at no point did it feel like there was a real love or passion between the two. The relationship was missing something. Oh, and at one point Damir tells Kilian that his c*m tastes bad because he’s dehydrated. That is so awkward and rude and not sexy. The constant reminders that Kilian is an incompetent child bride were overkill.

Additionally, I don’t think I liked either MC enough to read 400 pages about them getting to the place in their relationship at which they ultimately arrived. I just needed more. More personality from both. More feeling. More everything. I really liked Ketchup. I’d be interested to read more about him.

I loved catching up with Tom, Jax, Breezy, and Luca, but this book is being shelved with book 2 in the pile of books that I probably would not reread.

2.5 stars rounding up because I like the side characters and the author.

[Samantha Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since the ending of 2 for charging I've been counting the days until I could read what comes next.
I'm grateful that the Author didnt just plunge us into the immediate aftermath of the trade but instead showed us the lead up to that point from Howie's POV. So we see his actual thoughts and feelings which explain his reactions to things. This really makes you want to bundle him up with a cozy blanket, give him a hug and be there for him. I was starting to really dislike the Sea lions and wondered if this story would ruin the previous ones for me. Much like Fair Catch by CE Rocco ruined caught stealing or The Substitute by JR Gray and Andi Jaxon ruined The Penalty. But around 40% I came around to Breezy, Luca, Jax and Phil again. As we went through the thought processes of Killian and how he looked back on the incident.

I love how deeply and culturally developed Barnes makes the characters. I know of the culture surrounding Hockey and the culture of lgbtq+ communities. I know more about the stereotypical imposed opinions on the Muslim community than I would ever want. So it seems like a story with queer Muslim rep will be important to those of that community. I like how Damir struggles bringing all his identities together. The Hockey player. The Muslim. The Gay man. The Russian/Tatar. Killian is the first person Damir has let in and genuinely seemed interested in knowing more of the food and history and all things Damir. I love a good motherly/fatherly side character and Damirs mom is definitely top notch. She calls Damir to ask about Killian and how people are acting around the first gay hockey player. She talks about an old friend and makes the more subtle hints that maybe she knows the real Damir and she accepts him.

I keep forgetting that Killian is the first out player because of the environment of the Sea lions and the community they built gives a bit of a false security when it comes to other teams, players, locker rooms etc... The Firecrackers don't change a thing about their locker room ediquette ,which makes Killian feel like he belongs, even though "it's disgusting* 😂 and it's nice to see him finally being himself and relatively new teammates accept him for himself. He doesn't feel the same outsider- ness like with the Sea lions, he's doesn't feel like he's treated like a child.

I have basically only covered half of the books but I feel like people don't usually read reviews that are too long and I probably could've just eliminated most of it but it felt so important. So if you've made it this far, you're going to have to read the book to see how their story ends.

[Michelle Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so I've enjoyed this entire series (there's been some hit and miss but for the most part a solid series) - but this one is by far my favorite. We met MMC Kilian earlier in the series as the young rookie on the Sea Lions and we got to watch him make some mistakes with his teammates and this stories continues with him feeling lost and alot not part of the "cool kids" on the team. I'm so glad that we get to see Kilian's story continue. At the beginning he talks himself into a hook up with our other MMC Damir who's a player on a different team. They have a few more interactions with each other but finally Damir gets the hint that Kilian would like to hook up again and it's "on" from there. Kilian is a farm boy from Canada and he's coming to terms with his sexuality and we watch him struggle to walk the line of "manly hocky player" and the lace wearing version of himself he'd like to be. Then he's traded to Damir's team and shortly after he's traded he's outed. Damir was an amazing MMC - he's also used to being on the outside - he's a gay, Russian, Muslim, Tatar. ALL the green flags - he's a "carer" not just for Kilian but his teammates (he's the Captain alternate on his team). And as such, Damir decides that Kilian is going to come live in his condo when he joins the team. So we get to see alot of the care happen in those moments. These two are just super sweet with each other and totally bring out the best and I was honestly sad to see their story end (honestly we could have used one more smexy scene... lol) There is feminization during sex and some D/s dynamics - specifically that they fall into some D/s moments without proper negotiation and preparation. I felt like this was the one major weak spot for me. Damir has the experience and know he needs to "do better", but I just like either the author preferred to "side step" that or I'm not sure what happened - but that sub plot didn't sit with me. S.B.'s characters spend ALOT of time in their own heads and so we get to know ALOT of what they are thinking and feeling. There's not true second act break up - but the miscommunication trope is in play - but they some how manage to stumble through without an actual break up (thank you S.B. for that!). I'm not super sad to see the Sea Lions series end (I mean seriously what Captain let's an 18 YO rookie live on his own?? LOL) and I think each story got better through the series - so maybe we'll get the Chicago team next. Thanks GRR for a chance to ARC read!

[Pontiki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Killian plays hockey but isn’t invested in doing better, struggling with his sexuality and having no one to talk to. He hooks up with Damir, who’s on another team, and they seem to be compatible in their kink preferences.

Then Killian is suddenly traded and is on Damir’s team, and he moves in as a third roommate. Damir likes Killian, but he also plays the role of guardian over all the younger players because he’s disciplined, eats healthily, and as a Muslim doesn’t drink.

He’s used to the barbs about him online, but Killian stands up for him, stating that bigotry and bullying are unacceptable. He wants to come out himself but isn’t ready, so he and Damir keep things on the down low, until someone sends pictures of him dancing at a gay club.

Killian makes a statement about his sexuality and is followed by other players, so he’s free to be with Damir, but he knows it’s complicated.

Damir has been struggling with returning to Russia, where it’s not safe to be out and he’s already a minority as a Muslim. He questions his faith, which his father taught him, but he’s unsure if he believes fully, yet he comes to realize he wants to feel hopeful and he renews his prayers on his own terms.

He talks to his parents about not coming back and they both know and understand he wants to stay with Killian, giving him their blessing. He and Killian talk it through and he applies for a green card, both of them knowing it will be a long road to safely being together publicly, but it will be totally worth it.

The complex character that is Damir was worthy of 5 stars, Killian speaking out against Islamophobia and then coming out was excellent, as was his bravery to experiment sexually with Damir.

Unfortunately, the kink is darker than I expected and wasn’t described well in the warning section. There’s a layer of psychological frailty that I don’t think was handled well. At best, this kink isn’t my thing, at worst, it should have been written in a better way when the lines were being crossed. That component of the book was a 1 star, so overall I have to give this only a 2.

It’s too bad, this story has a lot of merit but the sexual component takes over and doesn’t allow the characters and plot to be the focus, which made the relationship feel superficial and untrue.

This is a miss for me. I received this ARC for free and am providing my honest review with thanks.

[Dalegendaryreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book!

Killian's not having a great time in his hockey team, and he formed a tentative situationship-friendship with Damir, a hockey player in another team. However, Killian got traded to Damir's team and now lines got blurred.

This is book 4 in the series and ngl, I was really confused the first few chapters that it took me a while to get to know our characters, the team, and the gist of the world.

One, the book started spicy back-to-back, I was really side eye-ing myself and asking what have I got into. Once I got past that though, everything was smooth sailing.

Two, I love our characters. Killian's a baby, I mean, a twenty year old professional athlete and I was really rooting for him to get his sht together because he's a good person albeit a chaotic one. Damir, on the otherhand, was such a chill person. He takes responsibility seriously. He just want what's best for his team and the people around him.

Three, the representation in this book was top notch. I personally haven't read a Russian Muslim gay hockey player in ever and I read close to a thousand books now so that's saying something. I love that Damir represented that well and the author had sensitivity readers to ensure Damir is a good character. His character is carrying a lot, of being in a closet, having this sense of being an 'other', and many more, and yet he's so well-rounded. There's a plot twist so I am not gonna share more.

Four, idk what I expected but I thought this was a queer-normative hockey world but alas it is not. There's a plot twist so I am not gonna share more. But I didn't expect that to happen in this book but it was still refreshing to see Killian owning to it, and how he stood his chin up and took a stand even though it kills me to see him suffering because no one should go through that.

Five, I think this is the last book in the series and I am not probably gonna read the previous book but I really enjoyed this one. It was so refreshing for two adult people be adult about their relationship in the end. The characters communicated, they established boundaries and they put in the work in their relationship.

This is my first book read by this author, and it's not gonna be the last.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

On one hand, I was wondering how long, reasonably, this series could go on without getting overly silly in its base premise. On the other, I'm so sad that this is the last one!

Look, anybody who's even vaguely aware of romance has probably heard of Heated Rivalry at this point. I contend that this series is approximately 200% better than the books (and, look, if someone wanted to make a film version of this series, I would be first in line to watch). I've said it before, but the way Barnes engages with intersectional issues and actually digs deeper into toxic masculinity, etc., is soooo refreshing. Trans rep. Intersectional rep. Actually discussing boundaries and consent. THANK YOU.

Now, shall we talk about rep for a second? Because I would love, in a non-hypothetical sense, to have more #OwnVoices books with characters like Damir. I'm not going to pat myself on the back for reading diversely here, because to the best of my knowledge, Barnes is not writing from experience here. She also doesn't include notes about what kind of research she did for the story, and there were a few places here where Damir's scenes felt a little... How to put this. Explanatory? I would be curious to know what Muslim and/or Tatar readers would think of how she handled these topics. As far as an OwnVoices take on the relationship between Islam and LGBTQIA+ issues, Lamya H's "HIJAB BUTCH BLUES" is a great book that delves deeper into some things Barnes touches on here.

All this to say: I loved this book. I also hope that readers will, or already are, actually engaging with intersectional narratives.

*Zac Oyama voice* But enough about that. Great characters, the spice is spicin', and I'm sorry to see this series end. If you only read one really gay sports series... Go read The Prospects, and also read these books. :D

I received an ARC through GRR, which has not impacted my rating.

[CatOnABlueBackground · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all 4 of the books in this series and enjoyed all of them. I really wanted to give this one 5 stars - but the dom/sub/kink stuff kind of threw me. It's definitely mild and not over the top, and the entire plot doesn't revolve around it, but still, I'd have preferred not to read it (& did skip quite a bit of it).

Even so, there's plenty of plot. Kilian plays for the SeaLions - the same team we've read about with the other gay players in the first 3 books. Interesting enough, Kilian doesn't fit in with them - he thinks he's the only gay player on the team because no one talks to him about that, and he really doesn't have a nice time with them. He hooks up with Demir from the Firecrackers one night after the teams play each other. They have a really good time together, but then it's quite some time before they hook up again. They had SUCH a good time they can't forget each other. Eventually Kilian gets traded to Demir's team after getting outed by a reporter and this is when the romance really gets going.

It's Kilian who ends up being the first out gay player in the league, despite the number of gay players on the SeaLions - which was a surprise. After reading so much about the sealions, it was an absolute surprise that someone else stepped up first. I was also surprised that it wasn't a Sealions book - although those characters are a major part of this book.

The romance is a slow burn. This author likes to tell us the backstory of her main characters - which I suppose can make the story seem slow for some. Personally I enjoy everything she has to tell us. The spice was medium (in amount) - but again, the type was not my cup of tea. Lots of found family - many recurring characters from the other 3 books.

I really love this series and hope there will be more.

[Alina · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Review of an advanced readers copy provided by the author

I've read the previous books in the series so I'm quite used to the fact that this authors characters spend quite a lot of time in their own heads, which to me personally is completely fine; if you don't enjoy that, this one might not be for you.

There is a lot, and I mean a lot, more talk about, and exploration of kinks in this book, compared to it's predecessors.
While I personally usually don't enjoy reading about some of the kink stuff that much, I personally really enjoyed that both of them at some point acknowledged, that they should've talked way more about kinks, boundaries etc.
I feel like that's missing in a lot of books. I get that reading about it isn't necessarily thrilling, but it's completely skipped over in a lot of books, which I think it shouldn't be.
So kudos to the author for at least having the characters acknowledge, that there should've been way better communication about it.
While Damir has made a lot of experiences in the past with other partners, Killian is completely inexperienced, but quite willing and wanting to learn from Damir.
I also liked that while Damir is queer, and muslim, and russian it wasn't his entire personality, but simply parts of it.

One thing I personally didn't enjoy, but I guess is a thing of preferance, is that I don't enjoy the MCs hooking up with other people once they've been together.

All in all i quite liked reading this book and am exited for the authors next works.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me while I WEEP because this series is ending and I am going to miss it so so terribly.

This book surprised me with how swiftly it became a favorite. Not only of this series, but of the year, and honestly it's a book I guarantee I'm gonna reread many times and it'll definitely end up on my all time favorites list. Which of course means my review is going to be rambly and nonsensical, because I have the hardest time talking about things I love and I loved this so so very much.

Killian has been through it. We saw that at the end of book 3 and have continuously seen how he has a hard time finding his footing in the world. And being in his head made that so much clearer (and so much more painful really). He is hurting and needs someone to show him that everything will be okay and AH Damir is just so so so beyond perfect for that. Like truly, he was made to help Killian figure it out and feel cared for and loved and it was just so beautiful. I cried a tremendous amount while these two fell in love and honestly, they felt so real I already miss them.

Now if self discovery and crying and all that is not selling you, the kink? The kink was absolute perfection. Their chemistry completely lit the page on fire and every scene was so perfect. It not only brought the heat, but the way it added to the emotions and their love story? Beginning to end this book worked for me and I'm just wildly in love with it.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM
Dual POV
Hockey romance
Starts with a bang
Rookie/veteran
Dom/sub
Lingerie
Caretaking
Self discovery

Rating: 4/5 - I really enjoyed this book and I could see myself re-reading
🌶️: 4/5 - there was an overflowing handful of explicit intimate scenes
🏒: 4/5 - a good amount of hockey in this

TLDR: Such a good hockey romance. Espy Barnes is officially one of my new favorite hockey romance authors.

I had such a good time with this book. I really loved the character growth from one of our MCS. I thought the aspect of culture representation was really interesting and really well done. And also it was pretty hot. I loved the pining and the caretaking. I just had a really good time all around with this book. The series as a whole is great. I would recommend this series to anybody who likes hockey romance. You could read them as standalones but with the overlapping timeline I think the best way to do it is to read the series in order. And I loved the overlapping timeline. I don't think I've ever seen another series do so much of that overlapping timeline and give so many moments from multiple points of view. Overall just really well done and I will be recommending this to everybody who asks.

Ultimately, I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a hockey romance that's actually about hockey. You could jump straight to this book, but I would suggest reading at least book three first.

Thank you to the author, and Gay Romance Reviews for the advanced review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars

This is the fourth and final book in the Minor Penalties series, and Barnes does a great job tying everything up. These books do not need to be read in order for the reader to understand everything. There is not really a through plot and they stand alone pretty well. But the series is heavily interconnected, with some aspects taking place concurrently, and I think it works best when read in order.

In the previous book, we see Killian’s real time reaction to learning about his team members’ sexuality, but here it’s pretty glossed over. This book focuses on the aftermath of that, on Killian’s state of mind, and on his burgeoning relationship with Damir. Killian always, from the very beginning, seems young and naïve, but a person who is striving to be better. And he showcases that here. The reader really gets inside his head, what motivates him, and where his hang ups are.

All in all, this was probably my favorite of the series and a strong end for them. I found the book a little lengthy, and a little bogged down in certain areas. But overall, I’ve enjoyed my time with the Sea Lions and if you’re a fan of hockey romance that actually shows hockey, then definitely check this series out.

Read Kris’s review in its entirety here.

[Kayleigh insta: mmbooksl_t · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
3.5🌶️
REVIEW: Kilian Howard isn’t the best hockey player ever, partly because he lacks chemistry with his team. Desperate for a connection he seeks out a rival team player who he suspects to also be gay but not out and begs him to fuck him. Damir is a gay Muslim Russian but he isn’t out and doubts he will ever come out due to his religion and fear for his parents reputation back in Russia. His chemistry with Kilian is not off the charts immediately with him able to tap into Kilians deepest hidden kinks.
A year later Kilian is traded to Damir’s team and Damir offers him the guest room. They manage to resist each other for a while, but no one plays Kilian’s body like Damir and they are soon regularly sleeping together or having kinky phone sex. Damir finds himself wanting something he can never have. When Kilian is blindsided and all attention turns to Kilian for more than just his skating, they have some heavy and difficult decisions to make.

I really enjoyed this. I’ve read so many hockey romances (haven’t we all?!) but this one introduces something new in the form of religion that may not look too kindly on homosexuality. I loved the feminisation and seeing Kilian accepting that part of himself. Damir explaining aftercare and why safewords were important was so perfect and his need to take care of Kilian despite being a “big Russian bear” was so cute!

[Jarrod Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet Ending!

This was a good standalone, and an even better finale to the series. The characters and their stories are interesting because they aren't standard tropey checklists - Muslim Russian, semi-femme hockey player, and neither of them has a simple, cookie-cutter personality. I love a flawed character that does dumb shit but for reasons you can understand.

What I appreciated most as a reader of the series was that I really didn't like Kilian in the previous books, or for a good chunk of this one. I wasn't initially thrilled about having a whole book focus on him, especially away from the team I've fallen in love with throughout the series. I wanted him to do better, and make better choices. So I was genuinely surprised, pleasantly, that I was rooting for him and the romance as this book moves along, because him 'doing better' is such a part of his character arc. And it's always impressive and satisfying when the author changes my mind about one of their characters.

And I loved that there were 'series finale' moments with other characters, which make it feel natural in the way that isn't fabricated. Of course these characters would interact with others in this world, without it being an Avengers-style meetup for the sake of fan service.

I'm sad to see the series go, but very happy to have it and to see what S.B. does next!

[Doddy Sausman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally devoured this book. I’m a fast reader, but there’s such spareness and concision to S B Barnes’ writing, I had to consciously slow myself down reading it; the text just flows so smoothly over whichever bits of my brain are required for reading. I can’t think of many other romance writers I like who develop characters like S B Barnes. I know, as a reader, I’m meant to find the characters appealing, but few romance characters lodge in my brain and heart like S B Barnes’ characters do. I adored Damir. Him and Breezy are the standout characters from the series for me (not that I didn’t like all the others, too). It’s not that the plot/story is unimportant to me, but it’s complex and believable characters I really relish; both Kilian and Damir are exactly that. The fact that the story here is compelling is just so well enhanced by the excellent characters. I want to root for the MCs, and I couldn’t have rooted harder for these two!

I started the book knowing it would be the last in the series, so I was hoping some loose ends would be tied up, and they were; satisfyingly so. I’m a bit bereft knowing that’s the last we’ll see of all the characters - at least in any substantial form - but I can’t wait to see what S B Barnes writes next. Meanwhile, I’ll be going back to the beginning and re-reading the whole series.

[Babara-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

SWEET KILLIAN GETS HIS STORY!💕🏒⛸️🪷

The fourth book of the series brings us back to the locker room incident when Killian Howard made a big boo-boo and this is where he gets his redemption, a hockey family and a love he never expected!

Internal homophobia is a horrible feeling where you suppress your true sexuality until it gets awakened in the truest way like with Killian Howard a 19 year old virgin who only kissed a girl in the eleventh grade until years later he encounteres a broody hockey rival that piqued all his interest and kinks…

Damir Denisov 26, Muslim, Russian in the closet and so protective, sweet- a true home-maker who loves to cook and Killian Howard’s sexual awakening…

They meet on and off the ice and it’s fireworks and then Killian gets traded to Damir’s team the Chicago Firecrackers where they become roommates and so much more!

This is where Killian can express his deepest desires and kinks and finds a place and man where he belongs… until he gets outed in the most unfair way…

I do not appreciate what the San Fransisco Sea Lions did to Killian and how they made him feel alone, uneducated regarding his sexuality, however they do redeem themselves in a heartfelt way!

I hope there is more in store for the Chicago team- Firecrackers with warm, sweet and zany teammates!

I voluntarily received an ARC from GRR for an honest, non biased review.

[SuzanneTT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Up until the ending mostly a five star read. I really liked the way the author dealt with Kilian’s insecurities, his coming-out letter was a clear high-light. I also appreciated the issue of Damir being not only a closeted hockey player but also a muslim and a tartan minority in Russia. And I even liked the way the kink was handled in this book, which is normally not so much my cup of tea.
However, I was disappointed by the ending which was too rushed, with too many lose ends which could have been (better) exploited: The firecrackers losing in the first game of the play-offs (again, so there was finally no improvement in their play in spite of Kilian’s and Damir”s chemistry?). Damir finally getting a green card (and not just mentioning that it’s more complicated than anticipated), his public coming out as a Russian Muslim (the coming out to the team was also somehow rushed over, nearly a non-event), the team members’ drug use (no obvious consequences? I’m not an expert and drug use probably exists in the NSI, but when it affects the game and when the captain is “initiating” the rookies, I would have expected our MCs to take some kind of action to address the issue. Which would also have been a nice way of showing how they work as a couple). And last but not least a nice epilogue of the two of them living happily together !
So overall a solid 4 stars for me.

[Bethany (Bee_TheBibliophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the Minor Penalties series and dare I say my unexpected favorite of the series? Kilian and Damir were SO different from the other couples in this series and ultimately taking us away from the Sea Lions organization definitely did this story a lot of favors.

Kilian and Damir find themselves on the same professional hockey team after a few steamy encounters and an unexpected trade, throwing them both for a loop, but kind of in a good way. These two work so well together even though they could not be more different. They play off of each other so well and really compliment one another - Damir being a caregiver and Kilian needing someone to care for him, Kilian being handy and Damir not having a clue what to do…it was fun to read.

I wish we could have seen a little more relationship growth between them once they decide to be together. Kilian went through the wringer with the Sea Lions in the previous books, so seeing him happy and thriving a bit more would have been nice. And I feel like we lost some of Damir’s story somewhere - I kept waiting for more about him with not much to share. Ultimately I enjoyed this book but would have loved a series epilogue, showing more than telling us how everyone’s doing.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth and final book in the Minor Penalties series. Each book can be enjoyed as a standalone read but I would recommend reading the series in order. This is the story of Kilian Howard and Damir Denisov. Kilian is a young hockey player who is having struggles playing his best and gelling with his team. Damir is a hockey player as well but for another team. Damir is a gay, Muslim Russian who must forever hide who he is to protect himself and his family in Russia. The two meet and hook up. But then a year later, Kilian is traded to Damir's team. Damir offers Kilian his guest room as he usually is a guiding figure to the new players. Their long-distance understanding is now changed to daily interaction. There are changes ahead for both men. This is their story. I received a complementary advanced review copy of this book from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review. The book is written well and is easy to read. I enjoyed watching a Kilian slowly gains confidence and grows into the person he is supposed to be. I liked that characters from the earlier books show up in the final book. It makes the series come full circle. I enjoyed this book. Go Sea Lions!

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

“Two for Roughing” by S.B. Barnes is part of the ‘Minor Penalties’ series and features Damir, a Muslim Tatar on the Chicago Firecrackers hockey team, and Killian, a young San Francisco Sea Lions player who is struggling to establish himself, on his team and in life. A sizzling one-night stand gets complicated when they end up on the same team.

This adult contemporary gay hockey romance reminds us that there are multiple aspects of bigotry and responses to it. I liked Killian’s courage in taking on trolls and ached for his confusion and search for a place where he can be comfortable, but I was a little dismayed by his immaturity and disregard for his own safety. I also should have paid better attention to the content warning, as I became uncomfortable with this particular kind of kink (feminization during sex) even as I accept that there are indeed different strokes for different folks. As always, I enjoyed cameos by those who were featured in previous books in the series, and I continue to learn more about hockey and the nuances involved. The growth of the relationship between these two was heartwarming, and it was fun to get a glimpse into a different team.

A copy of this title was provided for review

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one turned out to be a little more emotional than I anticipated, but I'm not complaining. I do love that squeeze to the heart on occasion. Damir and Kilian were definitely interesting characters with many layers and depths. They were easy to get invested in.

I'll admit the beginning of the book felt a little abrupt and maybe I wasn't used to the writing style yet coming in at book 4 in the series, but I'm glad I kept going because I ended up really enjoying this book and these characters.

Denisov and Kilian particular brand of kink was unexpectedly hotter than I anticipated. The dirty talk alone had me gasping and kicking my feet. Their opposites attract dynamic was so fun. Kilian is such a chaotic hot mess, and Denisov was such a caretaking king.

I thought the topics brought to light were important and not often talked about. I found that refreshing and handled well.

Tropes:
Hockey
Rivals
Teammates
Age-gap
Friends with benefits
Coming out
Coming of age
Kink
Feminization
D/s dynamic
Brat
Caretaking
Dual 3rd person POV

Check TW

Book 4 in the Minor Penalties series can be read as a standalone.

Thank you, GRR and S.B. Barnes, for the opportunity to read this book.

[Jenna]

**I received an electronic ARC through GayRomanceReviews.**

SB Barnes presents the fourth installment in the Minor Penalties series, Two for Roughing. Readers turn their attention to Kilian and Damir. Kilian has hooked up with Damir in the past, but a trade to Damir's team suddenly creates more complications along with the closer proximity.

As a gay, Muslim member of a Russian ethnic minority, Damir as a character has a rarely featured perspective within MM romance from what I have seen. Barnes seemed sensitive to the cultural diversity that comes with a character of his background and handled his personal struggles with care. Kilian was also an interesting character as an individual struggling to find his groove within the major leagues and within his queer identity.

This whole series is one that I tend to read slower than other MM hockey romances, but the characters are well-developed and seem to have more variety than is common for the genre. Would happily recommend to those interested.