Offside: A Steamy Hurt/Comfort Forbidden Forced Proximity Found Family MM Hockey Romance

by Piper Cross

A defenseman hiding a bad shoulder in a contract year. A physical therapist who records the truth. And the one empty hour in the training room that only one player ever books.

Colt Bishop has lasted ten years in professional hockey by being bigger than the other man and never asking for help. He plays through a shoulder that's been grinding since June, keeps his face still on the PT table, and admits to weakness only when the truth becomes impossible to hide. When the joint gives out on a clean hit in September, every degree Declan Pryce measures becomes evidence for the people deciding Colt's future.

Declan is the Storm's physical therapist, and his hands have known Bishop's shoulder for two seasons. He knows every place Colt holds tension, every breath he locks down, and every flicker of pain he refuses to show. And he's stopped pretending not to notice that Colt keeps booking the one hour when the training room is empty, leaving them alone.

But Declan is responsible for Colt's care. His notes could determine Colt's contract. He cannot be both the man evaluating him and the man who wants him. Yet every empty hour Colt books makes that line harder to see—and more dangerous to cross.

✓ The defenseman and the team physical therapist
✓ Hurt/comfort and one very bad shoulder
✓ A quiet bisexual awakening
✓ First time with a man
✓ A professional ethics dilemma
✓ Size difference
✓ Slow burn to scorching
✓ Found-family locker room

Heat Explicit, open door
Quiet, physical, honest
Chicago, pro hockey training room
HEA.
Chicago Storm Book 4, a connected standalone

Genres: Hockey

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2026

Reviews

[Tris]

This story didn’t sit well with me. By the second chapter I had my reservations and since it was just a very short novella I forced myself to finish it.

This is a double bi-wakening type of story and both MCs at the start are kinda with someone else. This was my first red-ish kinda flag - it doesn’t make sense to me how in such a short book you can make a full blown relationship out of two brand new MCs who are kinda already in other types of “situationships”.

Putting aside that. I really did not feel the connection with the characters or feel the development of their relationship. Bishop is a pro hockey player with a long term shoulder injury and Declan is his team physician. There are rules against such relationships and whilst their struggle to make it work should’ve been interesting I wasn’t into it.

They didn’t work for me and Declan really rubbed me the wrong way. By the end, with the third act pouting and self-righteousness, he was quite a dislike-able character.

I liked Bishop but Declan didn’t act like he put Bishop first.

[Brittania Odden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't going to read this book, I was going to stop at book three, I just didn't have the patience anymore after three books with the same "one is so quiet and reserved and the other is happy and friends with everybody" but I gave in and read it....and I'm sorry, but these two feel like they have absolutely ZERO chemistry. Seriously. Every single part of their relationship is a discussion. Not even banter or chatting, but actual discussions. I was so bored.

[Shelle Pennington · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the series. But my enjoyment of the universe with all it's quirky people helped me enjoy it more. It was very slowly paced for such little character building. So much was made about his health and their issues. But nothing about who they were.

[Stella Hunter · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

Basically ai slop

[Alice Bloomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

A sweet read. The story is nice and I like the characters but at 180 pages it’s a bit short, quick and could do with some more plot.