Shots on Goal

Stick Side #3

by Amy Aislin

Recently traded to the newly formed Vermont Trailblazers, professional hockey player Roman Kinsey needs to focus on helping the team win games and filling the stands, not on the blond, bespectacled part-timer who works at the library he volunteers at. He knows all too well that outing himself equals heartache and ridicule…or worse.

Cody Evans, psych major and grad school hopeful, notices everything and thinks too much. But he doesn’t know what to think when he sees Roman reading to kids. The rugged hockey player just doesn’t look like the type. But it stirs something in him, something he’s never felt before.

When the library is threatened with closure, Cody enlists Roman’s help. As they get to know each other better...much, much better...they realize that they have more in common than books. But Roman’s keeping a big part of himself from his team, and giving in to his feelings for Cody might be more than he’s willing to risk.

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

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2020

About the author

Amy's lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she's read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she's been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn't at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada's largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter here: http://bit.ly/AmyAislinNewsletter

Reviews

[ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

[reread: 26/10/21]

“I haven’t said I love you in a really long time,” Roman had whispered last night when they’d gone to bed, cuddled into each other. “It feels good to say it to you.”

im the biggest whore for grumpy heroes who melt inside for the right person🥺 and im also the biggest sucker for watching the grumpy arsehole with walls around his heart a mile high, melt and let everyone see the soft centre inside.

Surprised into laughter, Roman opened the door, stepped out, and headed across the parking lot. Cody looked up then, and the smile that pulled his lips upward made Roman’s steps falter and his chest tingle.
When was the last time someone had been happy to see him?

dont mind me... just sobbing at Roman :)

again, im as invested in the individual character growth in Amy‘s books as i am with the romance. watching Roman blossom into the man he was always meant to be warmed my heart so much, eurgh.

grumpy heroes truly are my kryptonite. watching them get all shy and flustered, blushing and smiling... after acting like they have a heart made of ice?? best thing ever.

But then Cody laughed, the sound hitting Roman right where he thought he’d been dead for a long time, and when Cody turned to him to get him to share in on the joke, something shifted in his chest that made him think there might be hope for him yet.

Roman is probably a close second fave, right behind my baby Dan from book two. they both just make my heart hurt. i want to rank this series in my fave order... but don’t think id be able to??😭 it would bring too much pain to my soul, like choosing my favourite child.

also, shoutout to the asexual rep again in this book!! the author really explores different sexualities in all of her books which is always a plus ;)

He was sunk. Sunk in Roman’s orbit. In Roman’s eyes when they regarded him with earnestness or amusement or anything in between. Sunk in the quiet way he viewed the world.

this book really is the definition of found family. Roman deserved love so much and in the end he got it🥰 im seriously just on a rereading binge now to reminisce with all my old faves... i already wanna reread Rory and Kris’ book and i read it less than a week ago😭

Roman’s throat closed, chest squeezing. Cody was magic. Everything about him was sparkly and unique and perfect, and Roman had been gone over him ever since Cody had given him his scarf.

********original review, 26/01/21, 5 stars⭐*********

adored this omg. i devoured it in one sitting. was sweet and wholesome with just the perfect amount of angst and turmoil. Roman made my heart hurt in the beginning with all he’d been through, and his detached, arsehole demeanour wasn’t a turn off, in fact it totally made sense with everything that happened to him. it wasn’t exaggerated to cause conflict and he genuinely had to work through his trauma and it wasn’t used as some cheap plot device but provided heartfelt, genuine character development. so watching him fall in love with Cody was just so satisfying and wholesome :))) highly recommend !!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually really sweet and cute. The prologue was so heartbreaking I was actually a bit disappointed when it ended and we jumped forward to the story. Story itself was good and enjoyable. Good addition to the series, it actually might even be my favorite in the series.

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this one is my favourite so far.

Sorry! I didn't get a chance to write the rest of the review so here it is 😁

I loved pretty much everything about this latest ice hockey romance from Amy. There was such a great dynamic between Cory and Roman and I loved how Cory's demisexuality was explored and was part of the plot without it being made into a big deal

There was plenty enough sports to keep me interested and I liked how each of the MCs had issues relating to trust and feelings of abandonment to deal with, but coming from completely different situations.

Another really solid entry in this series.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

[anouk♡ semi-hiatus · Rating 5 out of 5]

YESSS CODY! 🥰
I’ve been wanting to read his story since the first book and I’m so happy right now 🥹. I love this guy. He’s so sweet, outgoing, cute and loyal. His interaction with Mitch has been on point since the first book and again, his witty humor didn’t disappoint. 💕

Mr. Roman Kinsey *sigh*. 🤤
We’ve met him briefly in the second book of this series and I didn't really have an opinion about him. He was introduced as the asshole of the group. I love a grumpy/sunshine trope, so I was ready.
Even though Roman is a bit grumpy, mostly in the beginning.. he’s just a big sweetheart and him and Cody are goals. ❤️

One of his cutest moments:
"I haven't said I love you in a really long time," Roman had whispered last night when they'd gone to bed, cuddled into each other. "It feels good to say it to you.”

Much like the other books of this series, it’s a very well-executed, slow burn romance, with a lot of character development and a bunch of familiar faces if you read the books in order (which you don’t have to, but I think it makes it even better). This entire series is going to be my go to comfort read whenever I’m in a reading slump.

This book is not as steamy as the other ones, they do talk about sex, have a lot of chemistry and the kissing scenes are🔥.
But it’s way more 'safe for work’.

Honestly, I’m a major Amy Aislin fan at this point and my conclusion is that everyone should read these books.😌

[Papie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was sweet and…nice? Cody was adorable, and I liked Ronan a lot. But something was off.

No heat? There was blackout sex scenes. Why? 😭
The weird ex best friend story?
The side romances on the team?
The library shut down story?

None of it kept my attention. At first I was smiling and swooning, but then I got a little bored. 🤷‍♀️

[BWT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I don't even know how I apparently skipped book two, The Nature of the Game , but thankfully it didn't impact my enjoyment reading Shots on Goal at all. Also, I have purchased The Nature of the Game and will be definitely reading it.

BUT! On to the review of book three in the Stick Side series Shots on Goal, an absolutely lovely one-sitting read that I couldn't power through fast enough. Something about the way Aislin writes makes me forget how much I usually dislike a book that has big time jumps, or an emotionally-stunted hero, and just got me to settle in and enjoy it.

I loved Cody from the beginning, but it definitely took me time to warm up to Roman. Luckily, there's a good dose of hurt/comfort/healing that got me there pretty quickly and I was very happy with the way their romance plays out.

I'm always delighted if I find a quote or a life lesson in a book, and there's this line in Shots on Goal that felt like it slot a missing puzzle piece in my life:

"My problems don't invalidate yours."

And isn't that the truth? How many times have you found yourself not wanting to "burden" someone else with something happening in your life because "they have it worse" or "they've got their own problems"? That line just shook me to the core and had me take a moment to put the book down and really take personal stock, but I felt like it was an epiphanous moment of clarity for me personally.

It's no secret I'm a sucker for a romance centered around hockey and I really, really enjoyed this. Shots on Goal got me out of my own head for a few hours, gave me a little insight into relationship dynamics, and while it wasn't perfect, it was fun, sweet, and lovely, with a great happy ending, and just what I needed.

Recommended.

Advanced Review Galley copy of Shots on Goal provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

[any · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS IS SO CUTE!!! I was excited for cody’s book

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series! I love character driven stories, and each book builds on each character we've met so far, which is my favourite thing with series like this.

Cody and Roman were really cute together and just desperate to be chosen by each other and not left behind 🥰 I'm also a sucker for any story with a librarian - just life goals 😍

[Arena♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

so did i skip an entire day of school and read instead? yes
do i regret it? no
will i regret it when i receive an email from school? uhhh

so i should've probably read the second one before jumping into this one but the promise of a demisexual rep was too good to pass up on. and i love grumpy//sunshine heroes and this one totally hit the mark

'Roman had spent years making sure nobody got too close to him and now he was crushing on a guy trained to look beneath the surface.'

Roman has had a tough past with trusting people, he's been betrayed by people who were supposed to love him and doesn't let anyone get too close. but Cody? he sees right through him. Cody was someone Roman never anticipated.

'Cody looked up then, and the smile that pulled his lips upward made Roman’s steps falter and his chest tingle.
When was the last time someone had been happy to see him?'

Roman hides behind his tough exterior and asshole behaviour, but really, he just needed someone to love him, to tell him he was needed. and Cody was perfect for him. he didn't let Roman hide himself, and was patient and loved him like Roman needed.

He was sunk. Sunk in Roman's orbit. In Roman’s eyes when they regarded him with earnestness or amusement or anything in between. Sunk in the quiet way he viewed the world.'

and Roman too was right there when Cody needed him. i honestly loved them both sm and i can't wait to read more by Amy Aislin.

"I haven't said I love you in a really long time," Roman had whispered last night when they'd gone to bed, cuddled into each other. "It feels good to say it to you."

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

 3.5 Stars

Reviewed on January 7, 2020

Format: Kindle Edition

Shots on Goal is an easy to read , contemporary, MM, sports , hurt/comfort romance. It's low on angst , low on steam and high on sweet and cuteness.

Even though is being promoted as a standalone , I suggest you read previous two books ; as I had to do. Overall, I was entertained reading this book. I liked it but don't love it. I prefer more UST and heat in my romance novels.

Received and read a copy of Shots on Goal through LesCourt and am leaving my unbiased feedback.

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had loved book 1 and 2 and was looking forward to this, mainly because I hoped to find great mature characters, chemistry and lots of feelings just like in the first 2 books in the series, without the mother-issue looming in the backstage.

Ok there wasn't the mother-issue, but sadly I couldn't connect with one of the main characters either.
Cody felt like a whiny teenager and not an adult.
He was emotionally dependent on his best friend Mitch in my opinion, and getting closer to Roman just added another person on whom he got emotionally dependent (I'm no psychologist, but it felt to me this way). He showed nearly no character development.

Roman on the other hand was amazing. His past had influenced his actions and social dealings a lot, but he tried and succeeded to open up to others.

For me this contrast didn't work, Roman pushing himself, and Cody whining. Subsequently Roman to me always felt like an adult and Cody felt like a teenager, and with that dynamic in my head I couldn't enjoy the story very much.

I liked the demi representation a lot here, and I appreciated that in this installment there was a lot less sex as Cody's didn't care much for it (it felt genuine that here there wasn't any sex on page, either, contrary to the other books).

3 stars.

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Enjoyed this one. The male characters throughout the series have all been really good...hated Mitch and Dan's mum, but hey, you can't have everything 😏. Is this the end of this series? No idea, but everyone seems to be paired up at the end of this story so maybe? And it would definitely help to read the entire series, as characters thread throughout the stories.

Have to say though that there is not really a lot of hockey in the series, it's character driven.

[Imanewreader ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

review (2020)
4 stars

rep - gay demisexual mc, gay mc2
tw - homophobia


well, well, well !!

mc1 : bookworm demisexual librarian (WITH GLASSES!!)
mc2 : gloomy athletic pro hockey player

that was cute !! i think that's my favorite book of the series, even though i miss Dan and Ash.

edit (2023)
5 stars

yea. deserves the 5 stars. it's soft, it's cute, it's sweet, it's adorable. it's everything i need and more.

edit (2024)
MY BABIES. MY PRIDE AND JOY

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. Just no.




I'm not saying I want an extra erotic novel. I get that this is a romance. I get it.

That being said, for anyone interested in this book, let me tell you upfront, that it has absolutely ZERO spice. Not only spice, forget spice, it has zero romantic physical encounters, it does have a kiss or two, but since the chemistry between Kinsey and Cody is practically non-existent, I personally wasn't invested.

When Cody, as a demisexual, finally got intimate for the first time in his life and did so with Roman, who's had a pretty shitty life and doesn't do relationships, it went like this;

"When he was inside Cody, when Cody was around him, Roman just barely managed to keep his heart from tumbling into love as he came too."

That's it. That was the only time they were intimate and that's the only sentence that talks about it. It's over before you know it.




The story dragged on and on with so much insignificant events and developments, that I fast-read the last third of the book.

THE ONLY THING that got me interested was the dynamic between Roman and Kas and for a moment there I had my hopes up that the author will really turn the story in a different direction, hell, in my opinion the MC's should have been Roman and Kas!
But it just got lost in the story, they didn't even become friends after all that, just...nothing.


I'm not sure if I even want to continue the series.
So far I loved Mitch and Alex, of course, but the best couple and the best book was from Ash and Dan. And looking at reviews, the last two books aren't really up there with those two.

It's a shame, really, because the author painted this wonderful Universe, great places, wonderful characters, she should have just spiced it up a little bit and these books would have been a total delight.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman and Cody are the best couple in this series. I’ve read it twice now, and it still breaks my heart how bad everyone treated Roman and how lonely he was, until Cody came along ❤️

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

I have been reading this series out of order - I haven't even read book #1 and #2. The only full length title I've read so far is the last book Star of the Game. This one was on sale when I bought it.

So, the first time I met Roman Kinsey and Cody Evans was when they became cameos in a more recent Aislin's book, A Touch of Maple - there they were husbands already, had a daughter named Ella and another son named Quinn, and Roman already retired from Vermont Trailblaizers after eleven seasons. In fact, in that book, Roman was the Traiblazers' team’s director of player engagement. Roman was 39 there, and he was 25 here. They caught my attention because they felt so COZY.

Gah, this is another winner from Aslin. Seriously, I need to backtrack all of the Stick Side books! This book opened with a Prologue that BROKE MY HEART! Reading what happened to Roman that made him put all those inner walls and not easily trust anyone. ALTHOUGH, I admit I wasn't completely happy with the way it ended up between Roman and Kas in the end - I thought Kas get off a little too easily. He needed to make a big bang apology to Roman, despite the fact that he was only teenager at that time. That was my biggest upset from this book.

ANYWAY, it wasn't about Roman and ex-best friend Kas, though. This was about Roman and Cody! OMG what a couple. I loved Cody so much! I loved Cody for being able to see past Roman's act, and loved Roman for what he truly was. A wonderful man, a natural leader when he wanted to be, someone that the team could look up to. I mean, Roman made those cookings for his team!! I sudenly remembered Captain Bobby Nash from 9-1-1 (God rest his soul!).

And I believed when Roman loved someone, like he loved Cody, it was ALL THE WAY THROUGH!!

I loved the way Aislin written both men's insecurities and how they dealt with it. Cody with his issues of having a father who wasn't around, a feeling of always left behind, no matter that his father fought for his country, and his parents actually were still together and loved each other. Then Roman, of course.

I thought these two was wonderful, WONDERFUL together!

[Tare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but the save the library storyline took up waaaaaay too much page time and I was BORED 😮‍💨

Things I loved:
- Mitch and Cody's friendship 🥺
- Roman's domestic skills (love a man that can cook and cook well)
- Roman's entire team. I would've happily ate up so much more about the Trailblazers

[mich ⚘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Roman had spent years making sure nobody got too close to him and now he was crushing on a guy trained to look beneath the surface.”

After losing everything Roman loved letting anyone get close again is just not something he is willing to risk. He shapes himself into a prickly hockey player with a don’t fuck with me attitude. He throws himself into the game showing his team he’s worth keeping even if he doesn’t form relationships and he’s fine with it. Just fine. Things change when he is traded to a newly made team with a coach who thinks forming bonds is the best thing possible.

With the trade comes the job of reading to small children at a library where a cutie who is way too observant and isn’t letting Roman’s attitude stop him from really getting to know him. Cody is a part time librarian, demisexual sweetheart who sets his eyes on Roman and is determined to figure out his true character.

The romance that kindles between Roman and Cody happens kind of fast...it’s not really a slow burn but there are plenty of back and forth happening between them while Roman deals with putting his past to rest and on top of that comes a surprise return of someone from his past who halts any progress Roman was making. But, once they get things figured out it’s pretty low angst from there.

I quite enjoyed watching Roman stumble through trying to form relationships with his teammates and watching Cody be a great support system for him — and him for Cody. They both have their own fears they’re trying to lay to rest and it felt real in how it took them a little bit to figure out how to do just that.

And, here are some nice touches to include that helped make this a win for me :

— prickly hockey players who have a secret love for cooking and are as soft as they come
— small children getting on said hockey player for not doing the right voices for reading
— getting to know some interesting side characters and getting small glimpses of their own love stories

Side note, I made the mistake of not reading the other two books in the series first and I quickly realized I should have as there are frequent mentions and showings of characters from previous books.

4.5 stars for this low angst and low steam read that provided plenty of sweetness and smiles.

———

~~ ARC was given in exchange for an honest review by A Novel Take PR ~~

[Zak · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I am doing this review a little different from the others. Let me know what you think.

Dear Roman,
You have learned a lot to know where you belong and what it means to be a family, even if that family is your teammates. Also, learning how to not be afraid of your past takes some weight off for a possible brighter future, which it has with Cody and your teammates. I also think that giving Kas a second chance is the right thing to do, even if it is hard because holding onto that anger is not the answer, even if it seems to be the easiest thing to do. Letting go of the past also taught you how to trust and be part of a team. If you are on a team that cannot trust you, you might need to pull your head out of your ass and as coach Donvan said time to put your big boy pants on. I do not know what it is like to face the challenges of coming out, but have friends like Ash and Dan, Mitch and Dean, Ritz and Honeybun, and Kas and Cotton did show you that they will have your back. Speaking of relationships, they take work and patients to have a fruitful one, especially if it is long-distance. In the end, it all works out in the end.
Your Reader,
Zak

Dear Cody,
You always seemed to be everyone's rock and giving them free therapy advice. Well here is some free advice. DO NOT PSYCHOANALYZE EVERYTHING!!! Sometimes life is messy and you cannot do much about it, but when things get tough you can figure out how to make things suck less. When life gives you limes, you try your best to make lemonade. As for your father issue, do not be quick to judge that he did not want you, or cared about you. They can only do their absolute best. In the end, your father did want to start a relationship with you and was part of your life, if you have not figured that part out. Take a page from Roman's book he had no parents after whoever outed him and no support. In the end, sometimes life is not simple, it is messy and sometimes can be complicated, but there are times that are joyous. Also, you are your own person, do not let your fears control how you want to live your life.
Your Reader,
Zak

[BiblioFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Around 3.5 stars. Enjoyable, but nothing earth shattering. I might rate it more harshly at a different time, but I think right now the gentleness of it worked in my favor.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5* rounded up.

I mean, this was sweet but something about it just wasn't exciting to me.

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I loved the previous books in this series, so I was excited to dig into this one. I absolutely loved Roman and I thought his story was interesting, but frankly, I found Cody boring. He was just so blah and I found for me, there was no chemistry between Cody and Roman.

I don’t say this often, but I think Roman was paired with the wrong guy. There is another person that entered the story about halfway through who I thought would have made a much more interesting romantic interest for Roman.

What can I say? They can’t all be winners. I thought the story was well-written and flowed well, but maybe it just wasn’t for me. Give it a shot maybe you’ll feel differently.

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Star: This was the best book of the series so far. I absolutely loved Roman and Cody. I’m also happy to report that although there was plenty of conflict in the story, the author avoided the dreaded third act break up. 🥳🥳🥳 After all the dramallama and back and forth in the last book, it was refreshing!

It never made sense why the author made Cody a psychology major. He never had a clue about stuff. Then he applied for a master’s program in library science. Now THAT made total sense. The psychology stuff was just ridiculous.

One of the errors I found:

“Mitch? But didn’t he get drafted by Boston?”

“Yeah, and he’ll live there during the season—or **on Rhode Island if he gets sent to their AHL team.

**Just a note to acknowledge that Rhode Island is NOT AN ACTUAL ISLAND! People who live there live IN Rhode Island, not ON Rhode Island. (Especially if it’s in Providence like it’s mentioned in this book for Boston’s AHL development/farm team.) This is said by someone who was born and raised there. 🙋🏻‍♀️

[Elsa Bravante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jugadores de hockey con una historia de lo más mona. Me gusta mucho esta serie, la estoy disfrutando, muy recomendable.

[DJO · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute-ish story but eh. The MCs were a bit dull, their chemistry nothing very thrilling. They both had a tendency to overthink things, esp Cody. Dude, your grad program’s only two years long, your friendship with Mitchell is solid, and Roman clearly wants to be with you. Chill out already.

This is book three in this series and I haven’t read the predecessors. But the story was populated with lots of Trailblazer teammates who clearly either have had a story or are going to have a story and I can’t help but sigh over how unrealistic it is to have so many gay people on one professional hockey team. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea but statistics would strongly suggest it ain’t so. And I don’t know why I choose to complain now—the concept of a team or family or fraternity with a statistically improbable number of gay people is rampant in the MM romance world anytime a series is involved. I get it, I do, and it's sort of cute. But mostly it's tiresome.

Can I just say how weird the pooping on the couch discussion in regards to Ritz and Honeybun was? I could’ve done without that visual.

I had other issues with the story, things that made it feel unrealistic, predictable, or contrived, but I'm just gonna leave off here.

[Amy Aislin]

Shots on Goal is on $0.99 SALE until 09/17/2020.

Amazon: http://readerlinks.com/l/1429734
Apple: http://readerlinks.com/l/1429735
B&N: http://readerlinks.com/l/1429736
Kobo: http://readerlinks.com/l/1429737

[Apolishedreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fave in the series. Review to come.

[Boyanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

30/08/2023 - re-read - still a meh book

[Zaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

Awwww c'était trop mignon !
Une fois n'est pas coutume, je me suis "goinfré" les trois tomes de cette série coup sur coup, histoire de bien rester dans cette ambiance douce et vraiment cool, histoire aussi de bien garder en tête tous les personnages et l'impression que j'avais sur eux. Je n'ai pas lu les résumés de tous ces tomes, du coup ça a été la surprise à chaque fois, en particulier pour ce tome 3 ! J'étais vraiment ravie de voir que Cody avait droit à son histoire mais dans un premier temps, j'ai un peu craint de lire une sorte de redite du 1er tome, dans la mesure où, comme Alex, Cody est demisexuel (dieu que c'est vilain cette expression). Or non, pas du tout !

Donc ouais, encore une fois je me suis régalée avec la plume de l'auteure, j'aime cette douceur et cette tendresse qu'on trouve ici, le couple est adorable comme tout, et j'ai vraiment pris plaisir à suivre chacune de leurs interactions. Ce que j'ai adoré aussi, c'est cette magnifique amitié entre Mitch et Cody, ils sont géniaux tous les deux. C'est super aussi de voir l'évolution de Roman, de le voir s'ouvrir aux autres, gagner en confiance et trouver ainsi sa place au sein de sa nouvelle équipe.
J'ai apprécié aussi qu'Amy Aislin n'en fasse pas trop sur les difficultés surmontées par Roman dans sa jeunesse, parce que j'avais été fortement agacée par l'aspect "soapesque" de la mère de Mitch & Dan (et des péripéties qui en découlaient) dans les tomes précédents.

La romance est belle et fluide, c'est agréable à lire, encore une fois, je trouve que c'est le genre de lecture doudou qui fait du bien, et c'est joliment écrit, bref, une bien jolie série à découvrir ! ❤

[Meagan (FranticVampireReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so, so much! I loved the blatant demisexual rep and the much more subtle queer platonic relationship rep that we got. I also really liked the grumpy x sunshine dynamic that we got!

Okay, so. Cody is one of my favorite characters in this book. He’s such a little bundle of anxiety and fierceness and love and sunshine. I loved that he was so open about his demisexuality and that his experience was so different from Alex’s (On The Ice). It was just really nice. I also really loved the way Cody and Mitch had this (at least in my opinion) queer platonic relationship. You can see the threads that bind them together in something stronger than friendship, that they will be in each other’s lives for forever, and that they will always be a safe place for each other. It was just so lovely to see that relationship playing out from Cody’s perspective.

And we can’t forget Roman! He was honestly so sweet under his gruff exterior. I loved that he tried to portray this badass-don’t-fuck-with-me kind of person and under all of that was someone who desperately wanted to make friends on his team. I also really loved that Roman was so into cooking/baking and reading. And maybe the fact that he and Cody fell in love at the library. It was so cute!

As you can see, I fell for this one hard! It was just so good. I’m gonna give this one a solid five stars and I can’t wait to read the next one!