This is an MM hockey romance about a player and a member of the medical staff. Paul has just started working for a pro hockey team, and after a short chat with a player, they end up kissing in the parking lot. He knows he has to stop things before it affects his job, even though the kiss was hard to forget. Bryce is figuring out how to co-parent with his ex-wife and thinking about his future in hockey, since his body doesn’t bounce back as it used to at his age. He’s never felt this kind of attraction before, not even with other men, but both he and Paul know their careers—especially Paul’s—could be at risk. As their feelings grow, the fear of being found out gets stronger. Will they tell the truth before someone else does and risk everything, or will keeping it secret ruin their chance at something real? This was an easy read, but it didn’t stand out to me. The characters had some chemistry, though Paul sometimes came across as preachy when talking about homophobia in sports. The story started off slow and then sped up at the end, and some things were left out, like the daughter’s reaction and what happened with their jobs. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but there were a lot of grammar mistakes, which made it hard for me to focus on the story at times. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I approached the book with the question:
Is this just another hockey romance?
My answer is yes and no.
We have the typical issues with being out as a gay/bi hockey player, homophobia in the locker room, toxic masculinity and so on.
But I guess these issues just come with the sport, so there isn't much room to change that.
Luckily, we can't get enough of the forbidden romance trope, right? Because Bryce, the hockey player, and Paul, the athletic trainer, "really shouldn't be doing this"…
There's always a certain allure to the forbidden 😋
The two main characters are in their 30s, act mature and are emotionally intelligent, which made the story refreshingly atypical. They actually talk things through and listen to each other. So it’s a very angst-free and comforting story.
I did miss a bit of tension and some edges, but if you’re looking for something feel-good, this is the perfect choice.
The author has a very consistent, fluid writing style. Really pleasent to read!
A few typos slipped through but it didn’t bother me too much.
Probably one of the most well written books I’ve read in a little while.
Daniel White was able to take two characters and create a well written sports romance without losing the communication factor.
What I expected to happen didn’t. There was no 3rd act break up which generally happens more often than not.
The characters were likeable, human and communicative. It was like reading a real life romance playing out in front of you. It was everything you expect from reality not fiction.
There was playful banter but also real life factors that impact not only sports stars but also family and friends.
Would have loved to see more development of them as people before delving into the romance side of things or even more of the push and pull that happened at the start.
Looking forward to book 2 (if there is a book 2) normally you can kinda tell who the next characters might be but with this book it could be a complete standalone, who knows! Either way I’m here for it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thanks to BookSiren for an advanced copy of this amazing book.
White is a new to me author, but after finishing this book I'll gladly be reading more of his books and hopefully more in this series!
While hockey romances are a dime a dozen, what sets this book apart is the amazing writing and character development and plot!
Bryce is a veteran for the Nashville Stockmen- so veteran in fact that he's approaching the very end of his hockey career. And yes, for the majority of it he has been in the closet. Then along comes Paul a physio who has transferred from a baseball team and knows absolutely nothing about hockey- which absolutely dumbfounds Bryce!
When that initial flame of attraction starts burning brightly, what we get is the author showing us the fears of both Bryce and Paul- one isn't downplayed in favour of the author, but rather both are treated as equally important.
A forbidden hockey romance story, with a hockey player and trainer for his team-this seems to be a popular trope this year. While there was the usual, “we need to keep this hidden stuff” trope, I did like Bryce(the hockey player) was all in right from the start with Paul(the trainer.) Bryce, previously married to a woman, was all for embracing his bi-side; Paul was a little leery at first, as he was gay and did not really want to hide, but he was willing to put aside his doubts about Bryce as his feelings developed. I think with the characters being a bit older(30ish) it helped that they talked things through and actually listened to one another. Wow, actual adults, being adults! Overall, not a bad read. I would give this authour another shot. I received an ARC for my honest review.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If I have a penny every time I read a romance story about hockey player and trainer this year I’d have three, guess it’s a popular pairing?
This book is a sweet treat for my lonely heart, the writing feels very grounded and makes me believe that love like this can be real. Both MCs are very mature emotionally which is refreshing in sports romance I feel. I enjoyed every moment from beginning to end. Highly recommend if you are looking for a cozy low angst hea romance
I really did enjoy reading this book but would I recommend it? No.. so that is why I rounded it down to 3 stars here
What I did like about this book is the forbidden romance between Paul and Bryce with Paul being the athletic trainer and Bryce as a hockey player. I enjoy reading about how their relationship developed and how they went to where they ended up in their relationship
Thank you to Booksirens and Daniel for this ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily
I love a good forbidden hockey romance! Paul is the teams new athletic trainer and Bryce is a hockey player on the brink of retirement. Bryce is recently divorced and closeted. They both embark on a hidden romance while trying to navigate working together. I love how it was an insta love romance and they couldn't get enough of each other! Throughly enjoyed it!
A well written sports romance This story had everything, chemistry, a well paced story and great spice. I also really liked the communication between the mc´s and how they fixed their issues.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.