What do you think?
Rate this book
Next Season
When Nick Miles is traded from Buffalo to Philadelphia, he's thrilled -- having spent most of his career in the AHL, Nick is looking forward to playing full-time in the majors...even if it is for the worst team in the National Hockey League. Upon arriving in Philly, Nick learns he'll be sharing a house with Everett Sparrow, the popular forward from Buffalo's NHL team who isn't quite as excited about the trade as Nick.
As Everett comes to terms with playing for a losing team with no hope of a playoff run, Nick is adjusting to the demands of being a full-time NHL hockey player. As the two settle in to their new home and their new team, they realize they have more in common than just hockey. With the team's focus firmly set on next year, can Nick and Everett find something lasting for themselves as the season draws to a close?
(This teammates-to-roommates-to-lovers story is approximately 20,000 words and originally appeared in the 2016 charity anthology, "Changing on the Fly." This has been republished minor edits and a new cover, but no major content changes.)
As Everett comes to terms with playing for a losing team with no hope of a playoff run, Nick is adjusting to the demands of being a full-time NHL hockey player. As the two settle in to their new home and their new team, they realize they have more in common than just hockey. With the team's focus firmly set on next year, can Nick and Everett find something lasting for themselves as the season draws to a close?
(This teammates-to-roommates-to-lovers story is approximately 20,000 words and originally appeared in the 2016 charity anthology, "Changing on the Fly." This has been republished minor edits and a new cover, but no major content changes.)
56 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2019
80 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Avon Gale
29 books1,342 followersAvon Gale lives in a liberal Midwestern college town, where she spends her days getting heavily invested in everything from craft projects to video games. She likes road trips by car, rock concerts, thunderstorms, IPAs, Kentucky bourbon and tattoos. As a queer author, Avon is committed to providing happy endings for all and loves to tell stories that focus on found families, strong and open communication, and friendship. She loves writing about quirky people who might not be perfect, but always find a place where they belong. In her former life, Avon wrote fanfiction at her desk while ostensibly doing work in non-profit fundraising for public radio and women’s liberal arts education, and worked on her books in between haircuts and highlights as a stylist. Now she’s a full-time writer, delighted to be able to tell stories for a living.
Avon is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.
Enjoy fantasy with a bit of a kinky, darker edge? Check out Avon's fantasy books, co-written with author Fae Loxley, under the pen name Iris Foxglove!
Avon is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary Agency.
Enjoy fantasy with a bit of a kinky, darker edge? Check out Avon's fantasy books, co-written with author Fae Loxley, under the pen name Iris Foxglove!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
December 29, 2019
*3.5 stars*
I always enjoy Avon Gale's hockey books, especially when she writes alone, and I was expecting to enjoy Next Season. And I totally did, even if I wanted it to be longer, hotter, and more romantic. The same style, just... more
I really liked the set up to the story. I liked the contrast between the rookie and seasoned player, and I adored the glimpses of some of the characters from her other series. There was a ton of potential there, but I felt like the book was in fast-forward mode. There were parts of the story that felt like they needed more time to fully develop but were rushed through for expediency.
Still, a very solid read, and a great reminder of why I enjoy Avon Gale so much.
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
I always enjoy Avon Gale's hockey books, especially when she writes alone, and I was expecting to enjoy Next Season. And I totally did, even if I wanted it to be longer, hotter, and more romantic. The same style, just... more
I really liked the set up to the story. I liked the contrast between the rookie and seasoned player, and I adored the glimpses of some of the characters from her other series. There was a ton of potential there, but I felt like the book was in fast-forward mode. There were parts of the story that felt like they needed more time to fully develop but were rushed through for expediency.
Still, a very solid read, and a great reminder of why I enjoy Avon Gale so much.
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
Read
November 24, 2019This was an easy read that reminded me of how very much I loved the first few books in the author's Scoring Chances series. Those early books, like this story, have a feeling/mood/tone I can't quite figure out how to explain... I get a sense of positivity from them, a sense that the world is a good place, that there are good people out there, that it's possible to find joy and to live a happy life. I guess what I'm saying is that they give me a real HEA feeling, one that's about more than just romance.
Her later work and her collaborations have done nothing for me, unfortunately. But this little story made me nostalgic for Scoring Chances 1-3, which are in my perpetual reread rotation, and made it likely that the next reread will be sooner rather than later. I don't usually give star ratings to short stories, but suffice it to say that this one was pleasant and agreeable, though slight, and left me in a better mood than when I started. Sometimes that's all I ask for.
Her later work and her collaborations have done nothing for me, unfortunately. But this little story made me nostalgic for Scoring Chances 1-3, which are in my perpetual reread rotation, and made it likely that the next reread will be sooner rather than later. I don't usually give star ratings to short stories, but suffice it to say that this one was pleasant and agreeable, though slight, and left me in a better mood than when I started. Sometimes that's all I ask for.
November 25, 2024
Hmm. Not sure about this one.
I liked the writing style, the story was sweet.
It's a novella so there isn't much character development obviously, but the lack of chemistry between Nick and Everett lessened my enjoyment.
I liked the writing style, the story was sweet.
It's a novella so there isn't much character development obviously, but the lack of chemistry between Nick and Everett lessened my enjoyment.
July 2, 2021
I miss Avon Gale, hopefully we'll have something new from her soon.
This is a really sweet couple, not as snarky or witty as her other hockey romances, but I enjoyed the honest emotion between these two guys. Lovely story.
This is a really sweet couple, not as snarky or witty as her other hockey romances, but I enjoyed the honest emotion between these two guys. Lovely story.
December 28, 2019
2.5 stars. I liked many of the hockey books in the past however this one felt short and undeveloped to me. Both characters just felt like whatever with little chemistry. It just felt as if it was a story of convenience, and kind of like a repeat of the past books just cut off.
April 9, 2021
I was delighted to get another Avon Gale hockey story, and as always her men and their love of the game and each other hit a sweet spot for me. Nick is a low level player who has shuttled up and down between the NHL and the AHL. Just when he's called back up to play a few games on a Stanley-Cup-playoff-bound team, he finds out he's been traded, along with star player Sparrow, to a team with no hope of contention.
The upside to the upheaval, moving, a new bunch of teammates, and the loss of the chance at a playoff slot, is that he's staying in the NHL, instead of shuttling back down again. The other upside, surprisingly, turns out to be Sparrow, with whom he's sharing temporary quarters in a rented townhouse. They begin getting along more easily than Nick ever imagined. Too well, in fact, because Nick is gay with no intention of ever being out to his straight teammates, and Sparrow is hot and all too close in proximity.
Nick has no plans to become a gay player poster child. He saw what happened to Michael Sam - he's not the kind of star who can overcome a focus on his personal life with sheer brilliance on the ice. If he comes out, that's going to be the sole thing anyone remembers about him for the rest of his career. But as he makes friends on the team, and they take him out to party, and push him to pick up girls, staying in the closet becomes more and more uncomfortable.
Until in an unguarded moment, it's Sparrow he says "I'm gay" to. And after shocking himself with that truth out loud, he's even more shocked when Sparrow tells him they play for the same team, in more than one way.
I liked both these guys, liked the realism of their hesitances, and their concerns, and the development of their love. This was a novella, and could have been a novel, with a bit more detail and time spent getting to know the guys and watching them connect. But it was free when I got it, and I have no complaints.
It ends on a HFN moment. I would happily spend more time with these guys, but I finished this story with a smile on my face.
The upside to the upheaval, moving, a new bunch of teammates, and the loss of the chance at a playoff slot, is that he's staying in the NHL, instead of shuttling back down again. The other upside, surprisingly, turns out to be Sparrow, with whom he's sharing temporary quarters in a rented townhouse. They begin getting along more easily than Nick ever imagined. Too well, in fact, because Nick is gay with no intention of ever being out to his straight teammates, and Sparrow is hot and all too close in proximity.
Nick has no plans to become a gay player poster child. He saw what happened to Michael Sam - he's not the kind of star who can overcome a focus on his personal life with sheer brilliance on the ice. If he comes out, that's going to be the sole thing anyone remembers about him for the rest of his career. But as he makes friends on the team, and they take him out to party, and push him to pick up girls, staying in the closet becomes more and more uncomfortable.
Until in an unguarded moment, it's Sparrow he says "I'm gay" to. And after shocking himself with that truth out loud, he's even more shocked when Sparrow tells him they play for the same team, in more than one way.
I liked both these guys, liked the realism of their hesitances, and their concerns, and the development of their love. This was a novella, and could have been a novel, with a bit more detail and time spent getting to know the guys and watching them connect. But it was free when I got it, and I have no complaints.
It ends on a HFN moment. I would happily spend more time with these guys, but I finished this story with a smile on my face.
April 14, 2022
2.5 rounded down
Solid story bones, but something about the writing style here felt a little stiff and awkward. It's a novella, and I don't think the story was well suited for it--the pacing was a rushed.
Solid story bones, but something about the writing style here felt a little stiff and awkward. It's a novella, and I don't think the story was well suited for it--the pacing was a rushed.
September 25, 2021
3.5 stars
Rounding up because no faffing about being dramatic and angsty. Simple, uncomplicated and sweet.
Rounding up because no faffing about being dramatic and angsty. Simple, uncomplicated and sweet.
December 15, 2020
Not the best execution
Not the best execution but it was a good sentiment. My problem with this short novella was that it was mostly all tell and very little show. So that was a bit of a bummer 😕
But the sentiment of the story was nice. About being brave and being actually ready to come out to the world. Although, seriously, it’s 2020 and it’s still an issue to be LBGTQIA+??? Our grandkids will look back and see how utterly backwards their ancestors were 😩
Not the best execution but it was a good sentiment. My problem with this short novella was that it was mostly all tell and very little show. So that was a bit of a bummer 😕
But the sentiment of the story was nice. About being brave and being actually ready to come out to the world. Although, seriously, it’s 2020 and it’s still an issue to be LBGTQIA+??? Our grandkids will look back and see how utterly backwards their ancestors were 😩
August 24, 2021
Fun, quick, easy, very sweet, and actually a lot more attachment to the characters than I thought I'd get in something so short!
November 30, 2019
This was a nice short from Avon Gale.
I started out thinking it was not a meant for each other romance, but a romance of convenience. But by the end I felt the love.
I started out thinking it was not a meant for each other romance, but a romance of convenience. But by the end I felt the love.
November 21, 2019
Short and sweet. I like Avon Gale’s Power Play series a lot and this was a light amuse bouche in that vein. I would have enjoyed spending more time with these two. We don’t get much of a sense of Everett since the story is told from Nick’s perspective but this is a novella so that’s pretty understandable. This is a safe bet for anyone who likes her other books.
November 9, 2019
3.5 stars
It's a nice enemy-to-lovers story, sort of. I mean, Everett is acting like a jackass to Nick in the beginning, although he has a good reason. I really, REALLY LIKE Nick. He's lovely. Too bad that the story is only written from Nick's perspective. I never warm up to Everett, and it doesn't help that I don't know his thoughts.
It's a nice enemy-to-lovers story, sort of. I mean, Everett is acting like a jackass to Nick in the beginning, although he has a good reason. I really, REALLY LIKE Nick. He's lovely. Too bad that the story is only written from Nick's perspective. I never warm up to Everett, and it doesn't help that I don't know his thoughts.
March 9, 2020
Fun & Short
Quick and easy hockey novella with a veteran center and a rookie D-man. This could easily have been a novel—I would have truly relished more character development instead of what felt like an abridged novel.
Still—it’s hockey and hit guys!! And it’s Avon Gale!
My rec? A must read for MM hockey fans.
Quick and easy hockey novella with a veteran center and a rookie D-man. This could easily have been a novel—I would have truly relished more character development instead of what felt like an abridged novel.
Still—it’s hockey and hit guys!! And it’s Avon Gale!
My rec? A must read for MM hockey fans.
October 27, 2019
A lot more meh than a I thought it would be.
September 26, 2021
Positively Fluffy & Adorably Sweet
This is a story about two young men on a hockey team falling in love, obviously. They face issues like casual homophobia from teammates, uncertainty on how far to go publicly while very much in a private relationship, and whether to come out as the first openly gay players in the NHL - a thing which hadn't yet happened in the real world when this was published. There's a lot of interesting substance here, with plenty of potential for the standard trappings of romance: angst, poor communication, jealousy, etc.
But, thankfully, those don't happen here. This isn't a soul-crushingly pessimistic world. The homophobia they face is mostly people using "gay" to mean "stupid" - most willing to stop when they are taught better - with only one brief encounter with someone who actually used an off-page/unwritten slur. The only communication issues are believable, realistic, and minor. The only jealousy is more an emotional reaction to having a crush. This story takes place in a world which just... It feels nice. It feels comfortable and sweet and like there are stakes here but not high ones. It's a nice, positive universe.
The characters are fun and engaging. The story flows well. And I have a big grin on my face, feeling happier for having read this wonderfully fluffy story.
Honestly, the only thing keeping this from being a five-star experience for me is the handful of grammatical errors. They're few and far between, but each of the ones I encountered made me stumble and re-read the passage affected just to comprehend what was intended.
This is a story about two young men on a hockey team falling in love, obviously. They face issues like casual homophobia from teammates, uncertainty on how far to go publicly while very much in a private relationship, and whether to come out as the first openly gay players in the NHL - a thing which hadn't yet happened in the real world when this was published. There's a lot of interesting substance here, with plenty of potential for the standard trappings of romance: angst, poor communication, jealousy, etc.
But, thankfully, those don't happen here. This isn't a soul-crushingly pessimistic world. The homophobia they face is mostly people using "gay" to mean "stupid" - most willing to stop when they are taught better - with only one brief encounter with someone who actually used an off-page/unwritten slur. The only communication issues are believable, realistic, and minor. The only jealousy is more an emotional reaction to having a crush. This story takes place in a world which just... It feels nice. It feels comfortable and sweet and like there are stakes here but not high ones. It's a nice, positive universe.
The characters are fun and engaging. The story flows well. And I have a big grin on my face, feeling happier for having read this wonderfully fluffy story.
Honestly, the only thing keeping this from being a five-star experience for me is the handful of grammatical errors. They're few and far between, but each of the ones I encountered made me stumble and re-read the passage affected just to comprehend what was intended.
April 5, 2020
The closet.
No, wait. *Clears throat*
*Reaches deep into oneself and sets a deep, scary-sounding voice*
It’s… the CLOSET. The place, the feeling, the scare. The star and the archnemesis of Many… including, in some instances, ours, the readers.
Don’t worry, I am not blaming. You kind of expect it in a) queer fiction and definitely in b) sports romance, though one can argue it’s fiction so that’s a great place to pretend and transform sport industry and certainly, my own experience is positive enough I do not expect to always have this specific problem in every sports thing. (Just for reference, Eden Finley Fake Boyfriend has a nicely handled closet problem *snickers*).
But yeah, the closet problem is kind of really felt in this one.
It does not help Guy is shy. But then he admits it in That situation.
Definitely surprised by his attitude to hockey but I guess it mashes with the rest – in other books, getting in the right team and position is a matter of life and death and is basically everything players ever worry about. Our Guy gets a good spot on a bad team and his feelings are almost non-existent.
But it was short, it wasn't too angsty and I read it in two sitting before bed and it was good enough for that so... recommend.
No, wait. *Clears throat*
*Reaches deep into oneself and sets a deep, scary-sounding voice*
It’s… the CLOSET. The place, the feeling, the scare. The star and the archnemesis of Many… including, in some instances, ours, the readers.
Don’t worry, I am not blaming. You kind of expect it in a) queer fiction and definitely in b) sports romance, though one can argue it’s fiction so that’s a great place to pretend and transform sport industry and certainly, my own experience is positive enough I do not expect to always have this specific problem in every sports thing. (Just for reference, Eden Finley Fake Boyfriend has a nicely handled closet problem *snickers*).
But yeah, the closet problem is kind of really felt in this one.
It does not help Guy is shy. But then he admits it in That situation.
Definitely surprised by his attitude to hockey but I guess it mashes with the rest – in other books, getting in the right team and position is a matter of life and death and is basically everything players ever worry about. Our Guy gets a good spot on a bad team and his feelings are almost non-existent.
But it was short, it wasn't too angsty and I read it in two sitting before bed and it was good enough for that so... recommend.
February 6, 2024
I don’t know if anything will top this authors Scoring Chances series. I liked this little novella well enough but it felt like only part of a story. I know Novella‘s are short, but I just wanted so much more. Perhaps it’s a sign I should start rereading the series. Love this author, and I hope they come out with something new soon.
July 8, 2021
4.5 Really good! I didn't expect to get to like the characters this much in such a short story, but I did!!
August 4, 2021
3.5 stars
Read
January 24, 2022Why do I feel like I’ve read this?? But it’s not on my gr?????
Just realized I have read this. Guess I’ll reread it cause my memory of it is not great 😂😂
Just realized I have read this. Guess I’ll reread it cause my memory of it is not great 😂😂
December 29, 2019
This was actually quite dull :(. It wasn't a bad book, it could have been a lot better if there was more of a conflict. It could also have been longer.
I loved the Scoring Chances series and this had the feeling of these books which was a big positive for me. I just wished that the conflict in their relationship was given more space so that there was more of a storyline. I have to say that I am very dissapointed with the writing of Avon Gale lately, especially in her collaberations.
I loved the Scoring Chances series and this had the feeling of these books which was a big positive for me. I just wished that the conflict in their relationship was given more space so that there was more of a storyline. I have to say that I am very dissapointed with the writing of Avon Gale lately, especially in her collaberations.
March 19, 2021
Very cute.
I enjoyed this, but it felt like, to me, 'Next Season' was meant to be a co-written book. Written in Nick's third-person POV, it felt like Everett Sparrow's POV was missing and as a result the book felt unfinished to me. Regardless it was still a fun, quickie that has a bit of heat and plenty of feels for being a short story.
Single, third person POV, hockey sports romance short story featuring teammates to lovers, some heat, and a happy ending.
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this, but it felt like, to me, 'Next Season' was meant to be a co-written book. Written in Nick's third-person POV, it felt like Everett Sparrow's POV was missing and as a result the book felt unfinished to me. Regardless it was still a fun, quickie that has a bit of heat and plenty of feels for being a short story.
Single, third person POV, hockey sports romance short story featuring teammates to lovers, some heat, and a happy ending.
3.5 stars
January 23, 2020
So rushed. The relationship and characters have zero time to develop I know nothing about Everett 50% aside from that he's a hockey player. A ton of telling, almost zero showing. Even for a short book.
September 29, 2021
3 stars.
So this is a short, only 60 pages or so. While I thought the characters and premise had promise, I think they would have been better served by a longer story — maybe 100-120 pages.
We just raced through everything. It covers an entire year — the initial transfer, living together before coming out, coming out to each other, hookups, dating, moving into separate homes, I love yous, coming out to the team, planning to move in together and come out to the world.
That is SO MUCH to try and squeeze into 60 pages, and it just didn’t work for me. Felt almost like I was reading the outline telling me they fall in love, rather than the final version letting me see them fall in love.
Contains: both athletes, both closeted, teammates, roommates, single POV (Nick)
CW: homophobia, mention of slurs
Steam: 2.5/5🔥
So this is a short, only 60 pages or so. While I thought the characters and premise had promise, I think they would have been better served by a longer story — maybe 100-120 pages.
We just raced through everything. It covers an entire year — the initial transfer, living together before coming out, coming out to each other, hookups, dating, moving into separate homes, I love yous, coming out to the team, planning to move in together and come out to the world.
That is SO MUCH to try and squeeze into 60 pages, and it just didn’t work for me. Felt almost like I was reading the outline telling me they fall in love, rather than the final version letting me see them fall in love.
Contains: both athletes, both closeted, teammates, roommates, single POV (Nick)
CW: homophobia, mention of slurs
Steam: 2.5/5🔥
January 27, 2021
A cute hockey-based short, though the focus stayed mostly on locker room issues as far as the hockey went. And the trade. It's single POV from Nick, we don't hear inside Everett at all and I kind of wish we had. I couldn't quite connect with him as a character. Fairly low steam, but that's not too surprising. It reads a bit like a cliffnotes version of some of Gale's other hockey books, obviously due to the fact that it's a novella. Enjoyable overall.
December 10, 2019
3.75 stars
Short and cute.
Short and cute.
added-it
April 8, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/8/2021)! 🎁
May 3, 2021
It was fine. Too much hockey, not enough chemistry.
January 12, 2023
Nothing memorable, but a cute read with no angst.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews