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Hockey Gods and Monsters #1
Suckerpunch
A rookie goalie with a secret and a handsome yet hotheaded defenseman clash in the locker room and on the ice—but their shared desire to make the playoffs might help them move from enemies to lovers.
When the goalie for the Seattle Cascades hockey team is injured while drunk driving and Alex Fanning is recruited to take his place, Alex thinks his dream has come true. But to hold on to his hopes, he must keep his vampire heritage secret as the sport moves to ban Paranormals. The sexy but infuriating defenseman Sasha Petrov won’t make that easy. The injured goalie was his best friend, and he resents Alex’s presence—maybe even enough to use his bloodline against him.
Tensions mount, but the realization that there’s more to their feelings than animosity hits both men like a punch to the gut. Alex and Sasha’s newfound friendship promises passion, but a shocking betrayal could cost them all the ground they’ve gained.
When the goalie for the Seattle Cascades hockey team is injured while drunk driving and Alex Fanning is recruited to take his place, Alex thinks his dream has come true. But to hold on to his hopes, he must keep his vampire heritage secret as the sport moves to ban Paranormals. The sexy but infuriating defenseman Sasha Petrov won’t make that easy. The injured goalie was his best friend, and he resents Alex’s presence—maybe even enough to use his bloodline against him.
Tensions mount, but the realization that there’s more to their feelings than animosity hits both men like a punch to the gut. Alex and Sasha’s newfound friendship promises passion, but a shocking betrayal could cost them all the ground they’ve gained.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
10 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
May 28, 2022
M/m hockey romance, but make one of the guys a vampire. Okay... I'll bite.
Heh. Sorry.
I'm not interested in reading about vampires, but the premise seemed so out-there that I couldn't resist having a look. If you're a fan of urban fantasy and its typical creatures — vampires, fae, succubi, etc — you'll recognize this familiar "normals are prejudiced against us paranormals, so we have to hide our true nature" setup. But then there's — hockey! I have to admit, it caused me some cognitive dissonance.
Going in, I somehow had the preconception that this author was good, which... well. I made it to 26%, and there was nothing driving the story forward. I could have stuck around a bit longer waiting for things to happen, but I found the writing style intolerable. It was utterly one-dimensional and devoid of any depth whatsoever. Everything was exactly as it appeared on the surface, all served up to the reader without a milligram of nuance or subtext or ambiguity. Everything was explained, sometimes more than once, just in case the reader wasn't smart enough to catch it the first time around. Nothing was left to be inferred. Nothing was hinted at. Everything was all spelled out. If this book was a puddle of water, it would be exactly one molecule deep.
The characters seemed childlike in their lack of complexity. And childlike in the one-dimensionality of their thoughts, actions, speech. I found myself thinking it was rather like reading a children's book — but then I remembered that the last middle-grade book I read, A High Five for Glenn Burke, was actually much richer, deeper, and more nuanced than this book for adults. Like, it had actual subtext! Imagine that!
So, sadly, this was a DNF and new-to-me author #30 of 2022 is not a keeper.
Heh. Sorry.
I'm not interested in reading about vampires, but the premise seemed so out-there that I couldn't resist having a look. If you're a fan of urban fantasy and its typical creatures — vampires, fae, succubi, etc — you'll recognize this familiar "normals are prejudiced against us paranormals, so we have to hide our true nature" setup. But then there's — hockey! I have to admit, it caused me some cognitive dissonance.
Going in, I somehow had the preconception that this author was good, which... well. I made it to 26%, and there was nothing driving the story forward. I could have stuck around a bit longer waiting for things to happen, but I found the writing style intolerable. It was utterly one-dimensional and devoid of any depth whatsoever. Everything was exactly as it appeared on the surface, all served up to the reader without a milligram of nuance or subtext or ambiguity. Everything was explained, sometimes more than once, just in case the reader wasn't smart enough to catch it the first time around. Nothing was left to be inferred. Nothing was hinted at. Everything was all spelled out. If this book was a puddle of water, it would be exactly one molecule deep.
The characters seemed childlike in their lack of complexity. And childlike in the one-dimensionality of their thoughts, actions, speech. I found myself thinking it was rather like reading a children's book — but then I remembered that the last middle-grade book I read, A High Five for Glenn Burke, was actually much richer, deeper, and more nuanced than this book for adults. Like, it had actual subtext! Imagine that!
So, sadly, this was a DNF and new-to-me author #30 of 2022 is not a keeper.
Did Not Finish
October 14, 2019dnf at 30%
I'm bored and Sasha behaves like a twelve-year-old. I don't see myself liking this story or caring about the characters.
I'm bored and Sasha behaves like a twelve-year-old. I don't see myself liking this story or caring about the characters.
January 18, 2021
After reading Whiteout I saw what other books the author had and found this! Hockey! Then I started reading and saw that it was a vampire hockey player? I didn't know that little detail but I kept reading.
Was it good? I would say decent, the writing was good but the development of the ideas were really weird, when there was a problem the characters procrastinated for so long that it dragged and made me feel that the author didn't have any other way to make this interesting, so that was a little disappointing. The romance was also weird, they hated each other but they really didn't and the reasons for the feud were so childish, I dunno, I think this story needed more thought.
To me it is an interesting world because there are all kind of paranormal creatures but if the content is gonna be like this one, it will not work for me. Still, I would read the next book if there ever is one. Decent try. 🤭❤
Was it good? I would say decent, the writing was good but the development of the ideas were really weird, when there was a problem the characters procrastinated for so long that it dragged and made me feel that the author didn't have any other way to make this interesting, so that was a little disappointing. The romance was also weird, they hated each other but they really didn't and the reasons for the feud were so childish, I dunno, I think this story needed more thought.
To me it is an interesting world because there are all kind of paranormal creatures but if the content is gonna be like this one, it will not work for me. Still, I would read the next book if there ever is one. Decent try. 🤭❤
October 6, 2019
So look. I picked this up because I was amused by the premise of a hockey romance where one of the characters was a vampire. I fully expected to start it, mock it a bit, and then put it back down. Well I'm eating my words because I pretty much loved everything about this and devoured in it two sittings.
I loved our main characters, Sasha and Alex. They both felt fully fleshed out and real and I was rooting for them hard from the very beginning. This is an enemies to lovers situation (yes please) and it's a skill to set that up with neither character being at all unlikeable. It was easy to see them falling for each other because they were both so lovable. And once they started actually talking to each other and Sasha started feeling protective of Alex...it was very good.
This was also well plotted/paced (not always the case with romances) and part of the reason I couldn't put this down was wanting to find out how it would be resolved. The vampire thing also felt like it fit? It wasn't campy, was important to the plot, and also fit surprisingly well in a hockey book. The NHL is a notoriously intolerant league that slowly maybe sort of getting better. So adding being anti-paranormal to the list worked for me and was obviously a new and interesting source of tension. Also, again, just very good vampire sex.
But the thing I loved the most here? The hockey. I love, love, love hockey and have put down many a hockey romance for getting things wrong (factually or tonally). And here, the hockey was both so so good and front and center. How much the guys love it, the culture of a locker room, the "all for the boys" mentality, and of course, having enough hockey in a book so that it was more than just a romance about characters who happened to play hockey.
There were a few things that I would have liked more of. We don't get much background on the paranormal world or Alex's family. This was far from instalove, but I could have done with a touch more romance development before they fully caught feelings for each other. But all in all, I enjoyed this a five star amount, so that's what I'm giving it. Can't wait for the next one.
I loved our main characters, Sasha and Alex. They both felt fully fleshed out and real and I was rooting for them hard from the very beginning. This is an enemies to lovers situation (yes please) and it's a skill to set that up with neither character being at all unlikeable. It was easy to see them falling for each other because they were both so lovable. And once they started actually talking to each other and Sasha started feeling protective of Alex...it was very good.
This was also well plotted/paced (not always the case with romances) and part of the reason I couldn't put this down was wanting to find out how it would be resolved. The vampire thing also felt like it fit? It wasn't campy, was important to the plot, and also fit surprisingly well in a hockey book. The NHL is a notoriously intolerant league that slowly maybe sort of getting better. So adding being anti-paranormal to the list worked for me and was obviously a new and interesting source of tension. Also, again, just very good vampire sex.
But the thing I loved the most here? The hockey. I love, love, love hockey and have put down many a hockey romance for getting things wrong (factually or tonally). And here, the hockey was both so so good and front and center. How much the guys love it, the culture of a locker room, the "all for the boys" mentality, and of course, having enough hockey in a book so that it was more than just a romance about characters who happened to play hockey.
There were a few things that I would have liked more of. We don't get much background on the paranormal world or Alex's family. This was far from instalove, but I could have done with a touch more romance development before they fully caught feelings for each other. But all in all, I enjoyed this a five star amount, so that's what I'm giving it. Can't wait for the next one.
August 29, 2021
Enjoyable, with excellent characters, but there's an huge amount of things going on here -- the hockey, the romance in the closet, the paranormal creature in the closet (haha), the injured alcoholic best friend who wants to get rid of the replacement player who might be the the love of his life. It's just a lot going on. At one point, I had no idea if this author would be able to pull it all off. And she does. Mostly. (Maybe) spoiler: So I REALLY hope there's going to be a book 2 in this series, if not a book 3 to pick up some other characters that I'm sure are out there waiting for their time in the spotlight.
May 17, 2020
This review is also posted on my blog.
Note: This book has been self-published by the author and is no longer owned by Dreamspinner Press, so I have removed my notes and comments regarding them in this review.
I could have loved this book. PNR with hockey mixed in? This is surprisingly VERY MUCH my thing - see the West Hell Magic series. My biggest issue with this book though is the ending. I can overlook a lot when it comes to world-building, and in this case, the lack of world-building. But the ending is pretty hard to overlook. I was okay with the cliffhanger we got from the author with Heels Over Head, but I had a hard problem with it here because it's the second time she's done this. Yes, the book is an enjoyable read because the characters are wonderful, but the lackluster, definitive ending will probably leave you feeling bitter.
Trigger warnings for alcoholism, emotional manipulation, and anxiety.
There's a lot to unpack in this book. Alex was a goalie in the AHL, and when drunk driving sidelines the goalie on the NHL team, the Seattle Cascades, Alex gets called up to be the backup to the backup. It's everything he's ever wanted. And yet. He's worried about his team finding out he's gay. He's also scared that people will find out he's Para - or a Paranormal in that he is a vampire.
We see the fear of being discovered as queer a lot in m/m romance, but being worried about being paranormal is something new to the genre, I think? Or at least, I haven't been lucky enough to run across more books like this. I think this book could have done more explaining the paranormal side of things. There's a lot of discrimination and hatred towards Paras in this world and Alex lives with a lot of anxiety and fear at one day being kicked out and banned from doing the one thing he loves most in this world - playing hockey. It's a struggle for Alex all throughout this book and we see a lot of backhanded comments or outright disdain from his fellow teammates and it's pretty difficult to read. My heart breaks for Alex, and Sasha doesn't make Alex's time on the team any easier.
Sasha is best friends with the guy who gets arrested for drunk driving - Ed. Sasha looks up to the guy because Ed's been his mentor ever since Sasha joined the team. Sasha was new to America and didn't know much English when he arrived. He almost feels like he owes something to the guy and this is what starts the heated animosity Sasha feels for Alex when Alex first shows up in the Cascades locker room.
I wouldn't necessarily say this was enemies-to-lovers. Sasha hates Alex when it looks like Alex is replacing Ed, but Alex just wants to stay away from Sasha because of something that gets said in the locker room. This book is a fated mates book, which I wasn't expecting. I admit, I did find this annoying since I'm not a fan of that trope and didn't know about this beforehand.
This book IS interesting in that we see what kind of vampire rules apply to Alex. He's half-vampire, but it's never really explained exactly HOW he's half-vampire. We don't really even know that much about his parents, or who taught him how to survive or if it's something he's just learned along the way. We don't know how Paranormals were discovered or revealed to the human community or even how many different types of Paranormals there are. There's mentions of the different beings here and there in the book, but nothing is EXPLAINED. And I'm sorry to see that there's so much missing from this book, when there could have been more. This story is more character driven, but if you look too deeply into the story, you'll definitely discover a lot of holes.
The characters are great, and I started to love the secondary characters as well, like Alex's best friend, Shawn, and the only other Russian on the team, Mikhail. Will there actually be more books in this series or is it intended as a standalone? I would love to return to this world again, and not just to relieve us all of the cliffhanger, but to see if Paras can play more openly in sports.
I did like seeing that the Russian in this book is written out in the Cyrillic script. Probably not so much for physical copies of the book, but in e-book form, this makes the Russian a lot easier to translate just by highlighting the words on my Kindle.
I read this book basically all in one sitting, and I could have easily rated this 4-stars because I adore the characters and because we finally got a PNR m/m hockey book, but the cliffhanger at the end really made me want to throw the whole book away. So, I guess I'm compromising by giving this 2-stars. Considering the ending, I do hope that we get more books in this universe.
Note: This book has been self-published by the author and is no longer owned by Dreamspinner Press, so I have removed my notes and comments regarding them in this review.
I could have loved this book. PNR with hockey mixed in? This is surprisingly VERY MUCH my thing - see the West Hell Magic series. My biggest issue with this book though is the ending. I can overlook a lot when it comes to world-building, and in this case, the lack of world-building. But the ending is pretty hard to overlook. I was okay with the cliffhanger we got from the author with Heels Over Head, but I had a hard problem with it here because it's the second time she's done this. Yes, the book is an enjoyable read because the characters are wonderful, but the lackluster, definitive ending will probably leave you feeling bitter.
Trigger warnings for alcoholism, emotional manipulation, and anxiety.
There's a lot to unpack in this book. Alex was a goalie in the AHL, and when drunk driving sidelines the goalie on the NHL team, the Seattle Cascades, Alex gets called up to be the backup to the backup. It's everything he's ever wanted. And yet. He's worried about his team finding out he's gay. He's also scared that people will find out he's Para - or a Paranormal in that he is a vampire.
We see the fear of being discovered as queer a lot in m/m romance, but being worried about being paranormal is something new to the genre, I think? Or at least, I haven't been lucky enough to run across more books like this. I think this book could have done more explaining the paranormal side of things. There's a lot of discrimination and hatred towards Paras in this world and Alex lives with a lot of anxiety and fear at one day being kicked out and banned from doing the one thing he loves most in this world - playing hockey. It's a struggle for Alex all throughout this book and we see a lot of backhanded comments or outright disdain from his fellow teammates and it's pretty difficult to read. My heart breaks for Alex, and Sasha doesn't make Alex's time on the team any easier.
Sasha is best friends with the guy who gets arrested for drunk driving - Ed. Sasha looks up to the guy because Ed's been his mentor ever since Sasha joined the team. Sasha was new to America and didn't know much English when he arrived. He almost feels like he owes something to the guy and this is what starts the heated animosity Sasha feels for Alex when Alex first shows up in the Cascades locker room.
I wouldn't necessarily say this was enemies-to-lovers. Sasha hates Alex when it looks like Alex is replacing Ed, but Alex just wants to stay away from Sasha because of something that gets said in the locker room. This book is a fated mates book, which I wasn't expecting. I admit, I did find this annoying since I'm not a fan of that trope and didn't know about this beforehand.
This book IS interesting in that we see what kind of vampire rules apply to Alex. He's half-vampire, but it's never really explained exactly HOW he's half-vampire. We don't really even know that much about his parents, or who taught him how to survive or if it's something he's just learned along the way. We don't know how Paranormals were discovered or revealed to the human community or even how many different types of Paranormals there are. There's mentions of the different beings here and there in the book, but nothing is EXPLAINED. And I'm sorry to see that there's so much missing from this book, when there could have been more. This story is more character driven, but if you look too deeply into the story, you'll definitely discover a lot of holes.
The characters are great, and I started to love the secondary characters as well, like Alex's best friend, Shawn, and the only other Russian on the team, Mikhail. Will there actually be more books in this series or is it intended as a standalone? I would love to return to this world again, and not just to relieve us all of the cliffhanger, but to see if Paras can play more openly in sports.
I did like seeing that the Russian in this book is written out in the Cyrillic script. Probably not so much for physical copies of the book, but in e-book form, this makes the Russian a lot easier to translate just by highlighting the words on my Kindle.
I read this book basically all in one sitting, and I could have easily rated this 4-stars because I adore the characters and because we finally got a PNR m/m hockey book, but the cliffhanger at the end really made me want to throw the whole book away. So, I guess I'm compromising by giving this 2-stars. Considering the ending, I do hope that we get more books in this universe.
March 27, 2021
It was certainly different from most sports romances I've read. It was not my favorite but I did like it a lot. I loved the paranormal mix to the book. Still hoped there would be a little crime involved though. And halfway through the book I was ready to bet my library that Merks would be the problem at the end. Or at least Alex's secret coming out. But both didn't happen and I felt like the author was a little on the 'safe' side the whole time.
October 1, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.75 stars
This book sounded really great to me with a paranormal world within the world of professional sports and a half-vampire goalie. However, there was a lot missing for me with this book, and ultimately it was not a satisfying read by the conclusion. Alex is beyond excited to have been called up the NHL, even if it is on a trial basis. He has a good friend, Carter, on the team and Carter is the only one that knows both of Alex’s secrets. Alex and Sasha get off to a heated start where there is the misplaced animosity that Sasha feels for Alex being there, as well as the attraction the men feel for each other. Sasha’s scent is intoxicating to Alex and, for the first time, he has a more difficult time controlling his paranormal side.
There is absolutely no world building here and we never learn anything about Alex. We are not told of his background and we learn nothing about his half-vampire heritage. Alex needs to feed and he has to have secret meetings in order to do this and the fake girlfriend trope is used. But when things aren’t going well and Alex has physical setbacks, there is not one other vampire he encounters and he has no one to talk to that might be able to offer assistance with his issues. There are other Paranormals besides vampires, but Alex has no way of knowing who they are and he was completely on his own and there was no explanation given of the paranormal world.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
2.75 stars
This book sounded really great to me with a paranormal world within the world of professional sports and a half-vampire goalie. However, there was a lot missing for me with this book, and ultimately it was not a satisfying read by the conclusion. Alex is beyond excited to have been called up the NHL, even if it is on a trial basis. He has a good friend, Carter, on the team and Carter is the only one that knows both of Alex’s secrets. Alex and Sasha get off to a heated start where there is the misplaced animosity that Sasha feels for Alex being there, as well as the attraction the men feel for each other. Sasha’s scent is intoxicating to Alex and, for the first time, he has a more difficult time controlling his paranormal side.
There is absolutely no world building here and we never learn anything about Alex. We are not told of his background and we learn nothing about his half-vampire heritage. Alex needs to feed and he has to have secret meetings in order to do this and the fake girlfriend trope is used. But when things aren’t going well and Alex has physical setbacks, there is not one other vampire he encounters and he has no one to talk to that might be able to offer assistance with his issues. There are other Paranormals besides vampires, but Alex has no way of knowing who they are and he was completely on his own and there was no explanation given of the paranormal world.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
September 24, 2019
This was a very fun read! First time reading this author's work and I really liked it. This book has
✔Hockey player
✔ Russian MC
✔Paranormal
✔Dual POV
I've never read a hockey paranormal romance and this one is quite good. Sasha and Alex are super hot together! Lots of pining and UST!! Ofcourse there were moments I wanted to knock their heads together and scream at them to get their heads out of their asses. The misunderstandings wouldn't have happened if only they listened to each other.
The side characters are really great! I especially loved Shawn, Alex's bestie. He's super supportive. And Heather was an amazing character too.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
✔Hockey player
✔ Russian MC
✔Paranormal
✔Dual POV
I've never read a hockey paranormal romance and this one is quite good. Sasha and Alex are super hot together! Lots of pining and UST!! Ofcourse there were moments I wanted to knock their heads together and scream at them to get their heads out of their asses. The misunderstandings wouldn't have happened if only they listened to each other.
The side characters are really great! I especially loved Shawn, Alex's bestie. He's super supportive. And Heather was an amazing character too.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
September 29, 2024
It took NO convincing when my friends asked me to read this gay vampire hockey romance and tbh I had a GREAT time! I wish there were more in this series that I could dive right into!
October 4, 2019
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
5 Stars
Spoiler-Free Review
Suckerpunch is the first installment in the Hockey Gods and Monsters series. Elyse Springer is a new-to-me author.
I need to be honest, I struggled at the start of the novel, simply because the writing style wasn't to my reading tastes, as well as the sheer amount of characters dropped in such a short amount of time. But I just rolled with it, because the novel has so many of my favorite tropes, and I'm sure glad I did.
Alex is moving up to the NHL, so there's tons of angst and insecurity, worrying whether or not he's good enough to play with the professionals, fearing he'll hurt the team's win record. But that isn't the only thing Alex is afraid to have revealed... not only is he gay in a macho male-dominated sport, where he fears being outed, but he's also Para (half vampire) in a league that is contemplating genetic testing.
Sasha is a Russian. Why do I bring that up? Because no matter what, I read his narration in a Russian accent. No joke, I couldn't stop myself. First it was distracting, then it was annoying, then I just found it amusing, all of this directed at myself for continuously reading in a cheesy Russian accent, making Sasha sound like Vlad the Impaler (extra irony, Sasha is human)
Enemies-to-lovers, sl0w-burn, fated mates (without the insta-love but a heavy dose of lust that is ignored) Sasha 'hates' Alex for taking his BFF/Mentor's position on the team, while Ed is healing from a car accident. The biggest problem, Ed is pushing Sasha to lie, to say it wasn't a DUI, his second DUI, and that he doesn't have an addiction problem.
Sasha and Alex butt heads, with a whole lot of tasty angst. Sasha is afraid to upset Ed by enjoying Alex's company. Alex is afraid to come out in all ways, because his lifelong dream was finally realized. Not only fearful, but how sneaky he has to be in order to 'eat'. Then eating becomes a real issue, and boy does the angst flow then.
Awesome story, even with the difficult start and my incessant need to create Russian accents in my head. The only other issue I had was the ending. It just ended. I actually turned forward and back twice to see if I was missing pages. It just ended, without a sense of an ending. Not a cliffhanger per se.
I look forward to more in this series, and highly recommend to those who enjoy the tropes I listed above, combined with sports elements.
5 Stars
Spoiler-Free Review
Suckerpunch is the first installment in the Hockey Gods and Monsters series. Elyse Springer is a new-to-me author.
I need to be honest, I struggled at the start of the novel, simply because the writing style wasn't to my reading tastes, as well as the sheer amount of characters dropped in such a short amount of time. But I just rolled with it, because the novel has so many of my favorite tropes, and I'm sure glad I did.
Alex is moving up to the NHL, so there's tons of angst and insecurity, worrying whether or not he's good enough to play with the professionals, fearing he'll hurt the team's win record. But that isn't the only thing Alex is afraid to have revealed... not only is he gay in a macho male-dominated sport, where he fears being outed, but he's also Para (half vampire) in a league that is contemplating genetic testing.
Sasha is a Russian. Why do I bring that up? Because no matter what, I read his narration in a Russian accent. No joke, I couldn't stop myself. First it was distracting, then it was annoying, then I just found it amusing, all of this directed at myself for continuously reading in a cheesy Russian accent, making Sasha sound like Vlad the Impaler (extra irony, Sasha is human)
Enemies-to-lovers, sl0w-burn, fated mates (without the insta-love but a heavy dose of lust that is ignored) Sasha 'hates' Alex for taking his BFF/Mentor's position on the team, while Ed is healing from a car accident. The biggest problem, Ed is pushing Sasha to lie, to say it wasn't a DUI, his second DUI, and that he doesn't have an addiction problem.
Sasha and Alex butt heads, with a whole lot of tasty angst. Sasha is afraid to upset Ed by enjoying Alex's company. Alex is afraid to come out in all ways, because his lifelong dream was finally realized. Not only fearful, but how sneaky he has to be in order to 'eat'. Then eating becomes a real issue, and boy does the angst flow then.
Awesome story, even with the difficult start and my incessant need to create Russian accents in my head. The only other issue I had was the ending. It just ended. I actually turned forward and back twice to see if I was missing pages. It just ended, without a sense of an ending. Not a cliffhanger per se.
I look forward to more in this series, and highly recommend to those who enjoy the tropes I listed above, combined with sports elements.
September 30, 2019
I found this to be an engaging and refreshing read – a rather unique blend of hockey and paranormals, which is what attracted my attention when the ARC was announced. I felt Elyse did a splendid job of bringing hockey to life on the page via locker room time, practice, and traveling for games. The sweat, the gear, the banter. It felt alive and vivid. This is HOCKEY, baby! #GoWild! #GoCascades!
The paranormal aspect was adroitly interwoven into the sports theme and mostly from Alex’s point of view: half human, half vampire, 100% dedicated goalie. Paranormals are part of society, but not always accepted. I welcomed the glimpses of the Russian and Swedish viewpoints on paras, which really rounded out the hockey and prejudice settings very nicely. Elyse didn't get into the details of why there are now paranormals in society, which I appreciated. I could just accept this is the status quo, and enjoy the HOCKEY!
Alex’s relationship with Sasha was an interesting give and take, push and pull. I greatly appreciated this wasn’t a “Mate!” type book, and that our paranormals don’t always know instinctually what is going on. Combined with the well integrated sub-plots, there was just the right amount of apprehension, angst, and romance by all characters. I was even okay with the misunderstanding (and not a Big Misunderstanding, whew!). The supporting cast of friends were just that, supporting, and didn’t fall into my dreaded “Tell All Bestie” scenario. I actually would have liked to have seen more from Heather and Mikhail, and hopefully in coming books we will!
My one small issue with the book was it ended far too soon. YES! I NEEDED an epilogue! I needed MORE Sasha! MORE Alex! MORE Cascades! Seriously though, I really could have used one more chapter to pull everything together.
Which to me is a good sign. I was left wanting more and the author elicited an emotional response out of me (in a good way). I am looking forward to more in the Hockey Gods and Monster’s series.
Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
The paranormal aspect was adroitly interwoven into the sports theme and mostly from Alex’s point of view: half human, half vampire, 100% dedicated goalie. Paranormals are part of society, but not always accepted. I welcomed the glimpses of the Russian and Swedish viewpoints on paras, which really rounded out the hockey and prejudice settings very nicely. Elyse didn't get into the details of why there are now paranormals in society, which I appreciated. I could just accept this is the status quo, and enjoy the HOCKEY!
Alex’s relationship with Sasha was an interesting give and take, push and pull. I greatly appreciated this wasn’t a “Mate!” type book, and that our paranormals don’t always know instinctually what is going on. Combined with the well integrated sub-plots, there was just the right amount of apprehension, angst, and romance by all characters. I was even okay with the misunderstanding (and not a Big Misunderstanding, whew!). The supporting cast of friends were just that, supporting, and didn’t fall into my dreaded “Tell All Bestie” scenario. I actually would have liked to have seen more from Heather and Mikhail, and hopefully in coming books we will!
My one small issue with the book was it ended far too soon. YES! I NEEDED an epilogue! I needed MORE Sasha! MORE Alex! MORE Cascades! Seriously though, I really could have used one more chapter to pull everything together.
Which to me is a good sign. I was left wanting more and the author elicited an emotional response out of me (in a good way). I am looking forward to more in the Hockey Gods and Monster’s series.
Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
October 13, 2019
The fact that I read this in one sitting says it all.
Okay so I really adored this because it combined two of the things I love - a hockey romance and the paranormal.
So we have a world where it is known that Paranormals exist and are integreted with 'humanity' but since they're actually pretty much human too, you don't know who is who. But, as always, there's a lot of discrimination against paranormals.
Alex aka 'Phantom' is a half vampire, and a kick ass goalie. I enjoyed him a lot as a character, he was dependable and snarky.
"Wait, he's being stubborn? God, Phantom, it's like the vampire myth is real after all and you can't see yourself in the mirror."
Sasha has already been on the team for a while when Alex joins and instantly dislikes him because he has taken his friends spot. His friends start to threaten him from how much he complains about Alex.
Ensue the angst!
This was a delightful slow burn with sweet concerned friends and a lot of hockey action with just the right amount of paranormal mixed in.
Can't wait for the rest of the series! Hoping we get a certain werewolf book next.
Okay so I really adored this because it combined two of the things I love - a hockey romance and the paranormal.
So we have a world where it is known that Paranormals exist and are integreted with 'humanity' but since they're actually pretty much human too, you don't know who is who. But, as always, there's a lot of discrimination against paranormals.
Alex aka 'Phantom' is a half vampire, and a kick ass goalie. I enjoyed him a lot as a character, he was dependable and snarky.
"Wait, he's being stubborn? God, Phantom, it's like the vampire myth is real after all and you can't see yourself in the mirror."
Sasha has already been on the team for a while when Alex joins and instantly dislikes him because he has taken his friends spot. His friends start to threaten him from how much he complains about Alex.
Ensue the angst!
This was a delightful slow burn with sweet concerned friends and a lot of hockey action with just the right amount of paranormal mixed in.
Can't wait for the rest of the series! Hoping we get a certain werewolf book next.
Read
December 9, 2019This book was not great for plot, but had nice characters and made me laugh a couple of times. Could've done without the 'vampire guy looks really young for his age' thing. The little social media posts felt gimmicky. The end felt really sudden. Other than those things, I guess it was a fun ride. I know nothing about hockey but could tell the author really cared about the sport, and about portraying it accurately.
March 10, 2024
A pleasant surprise! I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book. A half-vampire hockey player? It turned out to be a solid story. The characterization is great, the storyline is interesting and has some great real life parallels, the writing is quality. The relationship could have been better written. The over use of interruptions and refusing to talk to each other was a little weak. However, the couple did form a solid friendship and then some lust was thrown in and it got interesting. The spice level is moderate, personally I would have preferred a bit more but it wasn’t too lacking. I am disappointed to see the series hasn’t continued. While the couple gets a solid HEA, several things in the story are left open that I would have assumed would have been wrapped up in subsequent books. Since this was published in 2019, I think I am out of luck as far as finding out anything further.
January 16, 2022
ahhh what a nice little gay story! i enjoyed every chapter of this book, it’s not groundbreaking or anything like that but it’s well written and with enough world building and sports stuff to make it complete and interesting. i adored their relationship <3 the main characters were also soooo easy to like too!
October 1, 2019
I was kinda worried if I would enjoy two of my favorite genres being mixed together to make this book but I have to say, it really worked for this book. This is definitely one of those slow build up romances. I honestly began to question whether these two men would get it together or not but in the end love wins out. This book is both a sports read and a paranormal romance as well. I was definitely surprised by how much I really enjoyed his book. I will definitely be following this series as it comes out.
Alex has loved hockey since he was three years old and his dad put him on th ice for the first time. So now 20 years later to be playing the sport he loves so much and maybe one day to make it to the NHL, it is a dream come true for Alex. On thing that stands to still his career is anyone was to ever find out that he is para. Being Para means that the individual is both human and paranormal. Though this is part of the world, but even still humans are not accepting nor wanting them on the team thy ply for. So Alex has to work hard to hide that part of him.
Hiding this side of him ha not been an issue so far, or at least that is until he finally has his dream come true and the NHL makes the call for him to ply professionally. When he arrives at his new team, most are welcoming but one in particular is not, Sasha. Sasha is not happy about having a new goalie replace his best friend even though he knows that Ed is unable to play. So Sasha gives Alex the cold shoulder even though he finds him very attractive. When another player Shawn goes to introduce Alex and Sasha, Alex realizes two things, one Sasha does not like him and two, Sasha smells better then anyone Alex us ever encountered before.
After the not so haooy reception from Sasha, Alex decides to avoid him. That works at first but as the sexual attraction between them rises, so does their tempers as well. That is when the coaching staff decides to step in and make these two travel buddies in hopes to have them work their crap out. And that is what these two do. But not without guilt of liking Alex on Sasha’s part because of his best friend.
When the attraction between these two becomes too much, how will Alex tell Sasha his secret? How will Sasha handle the fact that Alex is para? And when Ed finds out not only is Sasha and Alex together but that Alex is a para, what will Ed do in order to seek his revenge on both men?
This was a great read! I will definitely be reading this series as it comes out. I look forward to more books in this series in the future!! Definitely a recommended read!!
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
Alex has loved hockey since he was three years old and his dad put him on th ice for the first time. So now 20 years later to be playing the sport he loves so much and maybe one day to make it to the NHL, it is a dream come true for Alex. On thing that stands to still his career is anyone was to ever find out that he is para. Being Para means that the individual is both human and paranormal. Though this is part of the world, but even still humans are not accepting nor wanting them on the team thy ply for. So Alex has to work hard to hide that part of him.
Hiding this side of him ha not been an issue so far, or at least that is until he finally has his dream come true and the NHL makes the call for him to ply professionally. When he arrives at his new team, most are welcoming but one in particular is not, Sasha. Sasha is not happy about having a new goalie replace his best friend even though he knows that Ed is unable to play. So Sasha gives Alex the cold shoulder even though he finds him very attractive. When another player Shawn goes to introduce Alex and Sasha, Alex realizes two things, one Sasha does not like him and two, Sasha smells better then anyone Alex us ever encountered before.
After the not so haooy reception from Sasha, Alex decides to avoid him. That works at first but as the sexual attraction between them rises, so does their tempers as well. That is when the coaching staff decides to step in and make these two travel buddies in hopes to have them work their crap out. And that is what these two do. But not without guilt of liking Alex on Sasha’s part because of his best friend.
When the attraction between these two becomes too much, how will Alex tell Sasha his secret? How will Sasha handle the fact that Alex is para? And when Ed finds out not only is Sasha and Alex together but that Alex is a para, what will Ed do in order to seek his revenge on both men?
This was a great read! I will definitely be reading this series as it comes out. I look forward to more books in this series in the future!! Definitely a recommended read!!
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
October 9, 2019
Alright, so I wanted to give this book 4, maybe even 5 stars but alas here I am with my average 3 stars.
The world this book is based on is never explained in depth. We get some basic (and I mean basic) glimpses on what humans think about Paras (as the book call them and which include, so far, vampires, faes, succubus and werewolves) BUT that is all we get. We don’t know how the supernaturals came to be known to humans. Apart from the main character, who’s half vampire, we only know of 2 other Paras.
The MC is a half vampire. How did that happened? Are half vampires common or rare? What is the difference between a full on vampire and a half vampire? Which one of his parents was the vampire and which one was the human? How do other vampires feel about a half one? Is there any nest of vampires somewhere?
So many basic questions are left unanswered and to top it all off? That ending. Uffff.
That ending left me empty as FUCK and like nothing was solved, not really.
And God, let’s not even talk about the Russian all throughout the book. If you’re Russian, you will love it. The author used an actual Russian person so kudos for that but ffffuck. I lost count on how many times I had to open Google Translate to see what the fuck one of the MC was saying in the middle of a very important scene (like in the middle of a sex scene? I don’t want to Google what the character said? It breaks the scene and the immersion). I hate this in every single book authors do this. At least put the translation somewhere
PS: I wasn’t feeling what the blurb promised me? A enemies to lovers romance? Yeah no. They only sort of glared at each other for like 2 chapters and then all the “enemies” part was gone and they were friends AND lovers like, maybe weeks or months later. So is insta-love as well. Fuck me.
I suppose this book is #1 in a series or something? I don’t care, the ending was empty, boring and basic anyways.
The world this book is based on is never explained in depth. We get some basic (and I mean basic) glimpses on what humans think about Paras (as the book call them and which include, so far, vampires, faes, succubus and werewolves) BUT that is all we get. We don’t know how the supernaturals came to be known to humans. Apart from the main character, who’s half vampire, we only know of 2 other Paras.
The MC is a half vampire. How did that happened? Are half vampires common or rare? What is the difference between a full on vampire and a half vampire? Which one of his parents was the vampire and which one was the human? How do other vampires feel about a half one? Is there any nest of vampires somewhere?
So many basic questions are left unanswered and to top it all off? That ending. Uffff.
That ending left me empty as FUCK and like nothing was solved, not really.
And God, let’s not even talk about the Russian all throughout the book. If you’re Russian, you will love it. The author used an actual Russian person so kudos for that but ffffuck. I lost count on how many times I had to open Google Translate to see what the fuck one of the MC was saying in the middle of a very important scene (like in the middle of a sex scene? I don’t want to Google what the character said? It breaks the scene and the immersion). I hate this in every single book authors do this. At least put the translation somewhere
PS: I wasn’t feeling what the blurb promised me? A enemies to lovers romance? Yeah no. They only sort of glared at each other for like 2 chapters and then all the “enemies” part was gone and they were friends AND lovers like, maybe weeks or months later. So is insta-love as well. Fuck me.
I suppose this book is #1 in a series or something? I don’t care, the ending was empty, boring and basic anyways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2019
This book has everything to make happy:
1. Enemy to lovers premise
2. A Russian character (Love the accent)
3. Supernatural world
And yet I was so disappointed. I thought this was going to be full of tension, secrets, and chemistry. but it wasn't.
The stories are about a world where the supernatural coexist with humans, but unfortunate they suffer discrimination. To this part everything is cool.
Alex is a vampire and the rules say that as a supernatural he can't play any sports in a competitive way with humans. This is because it is asssume that his super side offers him an advantage against humans. this part is the most exciting of this paranormal world: the supernatural people have a supernatural side and a human side. and when they are in a human side they don't have any advantage. they 99% equal to humans and only 1% different. (or at least that is how I understood)
So we have Sasha, the sexy Russian that feels an animosity against Alex because he is 'ussurping' his friend place as a goalie. I thought that there really was a kind of rivalry, jealousy, something intense that would mix with the lust and attraction that is to be expected, or that at least I expected. to me, there wasn't something of the kind there.
but everything went too fast and without that spark of chemistry.
They at first do not like each other, this is due to Sasha and his concern for his friend and a misunderstanding in the ice. but there was nothing else, the attraction was fast but not believable. and when it was revealed who or rather what Alex was, it was so anticlimactic. and then Shasha goes and tells his friend, and I'm like: WTF!!! Everything on that end turns out Okey, but still.
I don't know, it just wasn't as entertaining as I imagined. I'm more excited to see if there are other couples.
1. Enemy to lovers premise
2. A Russian character (Love the accent)
3. Supernatural world
And yet I was so disappointed. I thought this was going to be full of tension, secrets, and chemistry. but it wasn't.
The stories are about a world where the supernatural coexist with humans, but unfortunate they suffer discrimination. To this part everything is cool.
Alex is a vampire and the rules say that as a supernatural he can't play any sports in a competitive way with humans. This is because it is asssume that his super side offers him an advantage against humans. this part is the most exciting of this paranormal world: the supernatural people have a supernatural side and a human side. and when they are in a human side they don't have any advantage. they 99% equal to humans and only 1% different. (or at least that is how I understood)
So we have Sasha, the sexy Russian that feels an animosity against Alex because he is 'ussurping' his friend place as a goalie. I thought that there really was a kind of rivalry, jealousy, something intense that would mix with the lust and attraction that is to be expected, or that at least I expected. to me, there wasn't something of the kind there.
but everything went too fast and without that spark of chemistry.
They at first do not like each other, this is due to Sasha and his concern for his friend and a misunderstanding in the ice. but there was nothing else, the attraction was fast but not believable. and when it was revealed who or rather what Alex was, it was so anticlimactic. and then Shasha goes and tells his friend, and I'm like: WTF!!! Everything on that end turns out Okey, but still.
I don't know, it just wasn't as entertaining as I imagined. I'm more excited to see if there are other couples.
October 28, 2019
I loved this book! Elyse Springer's Heels Over Head is one of my faves, and I really like her writing style. This book didn't disappoint. I enjoyed reading about the world she created, the hockey part, the team, the discrimination about Para people - they're all interesting and there wasn't a moment where I was bored. I also liked the fan Tweets and article bits; they added a nice depth and realism to the story.
Both MCs are super likable, and we knew from the start they'd be so good together. And the vampire sex was damn hawt! I can't wait for the second book in the series. Kudos to Elyse Springer for creating such an interesting universe.
Both MCs are super likable, and we knew from the start they'd be so good together. And the vampire sex was damn hawt! I can't wait for the second book in the series. Kudos to Elyse Springer for creating such an interesting universe.
October 14, 2021
Phenomenal!!
That was even better than I expected. I had no idea this book even existed before I stumbled upon it. The minute I found out what it was about, I grabbed it. Talk about something I never knew I needed. Paranormal hockey players....oh yeah! This book fit perfectly into my month of spooky reads and I literally just devoured it. I literally couldn't put it down. I needed to see Sasha fall for Alex, Alex to find his place in the team and see that jerk Eddie get what was coming to him. Such a great story, terrific characters, some surprises and a bit of angst and emotion thrown in for good measure. I want more of the Cascades.
That was even better than I expected. I had no idea this book even existed before I stumbled upon it. The minute I found out what it was about, I grabbed it. Talk about something I never knew I needed. Paranormal hockey players....oh yeah! This book fit perfectly into my month of spooky reads and I literally just devoured it. I literally couldn't put it down. I needed to see Sasha fall for Alex, Alex to find his place in the team and see that jerk Eddie get what was coming to him. Such a great story, terrific characters, some surprises and a bit of angst and emotion thrown in for good measure. I want more of the Cascades.
February 25, 2020
This was so much fun! It was great hockey with lots of authentic information that illustrated the author’s knowledge of the sport. It had a compelling alt universe that demonstrated a layer of bigotry that can be used to illustrate any number of biases that are surely occurring in the sport (and in our nation).
The romance was so sweet – slow burn, full of miscommunication and sexual tension.
I loved the HEA and I really hope this is the beginning of a long series because I can’t wait to see more from this world!
Recommended!
5 of 5 stars
The romance was so sweet – slow burn, full of miscommunication and sexual tension.
I loved the HEA and I really hope this is the beginning of a long series because I can’t wait to see more from this world!
Recommended!
5 of 5 stars
November 29, 2025
4.5
I had a really great time reading this gay hockey romance x paranormal (vampire MMC who plays hockey and has to hide he’s a vampire ???? I was so in when I read the synopsis!!!!)
It was funny, and I really love the mix between light fantasy and sport !
But I’m a little bit confused by the ending? It was so abrupt and it’s like nothing was resolved ? Kinda anticlimactic 😭 I wish we had more !!
I had a really great time reading this gay hockey romance x paranormal (vampire MMC who plays hockey and has to hide he’s a vampire ???? I was so in when I read the synopsis!!!!)
It was funny, and I really love the mix between light fantasy and sport !
But I’m a little bit confused by the ending? It was so abrupt and it’s like nothing was resolved ? Kinda anticlimactic 😭 I wish we had more !!
October 26, 2019
3.5 stars
October 30, 2019
Loved this. Great world building and plot line. Totally flipped over the interactive Twitter and Imgur feeds that I could click to. Please be more...
August 16, 2020
Definitely an interesting combination: a sports romance with a paranormal spice... that didn't take up too much space yet made things interesting.
Most of the time.
Other times, the book had a few minor... inconveniences and flaws, like the Spanish Telenovela Drama type communication, where any topic that needed to be discussed was 1) ignored, postponed, made more complicated 2) crashed around their heads 3) just so one of them would storm out and that somehow successfully evade any attempt at solving it at a timely and adult fashion.
Let's also not forget about the "Russia is pretty much still in dark ages and Russians are close-minded and can never speak English or accept gay" which was really irritating. I said it before but let me repeat myself: I may not be from Russia, I am actually from that small country (my! mine! she actually used my own country for one of the hockey players) that is MUCH closer to Russia both geographically and culturally and while I understand there is relatively recent history of some authoritarian regime, from which we are still "recovering", I would dare to say the representation was still harsh. (My parents visited Russia, if nothing else, and they said it was the height of civilization.) But than there was also Canada, which was also pretty stereotypical...
Those are pretty much the issues that made this book from great to... pretty good. Since the romance relationship was central and how they managed to botch it up was just painful to watch.
Most of the time.
Other times, the book had a few minor... inconveniences and flaws, like the Spanish Telenovela Drama type communication, where any topic that needed to be discussed was 1) ignored, postponed, made more complicated 2) crashed around their heads 3) just so one of them would storm out and that somehow successfully evade any attempt at solving it at a timely and adult fashion.
Let's also not forget about the "Russia is pretty much still in dark ages and Russians are close-minded and can never speak English or accept gay" which was really irritating. I said it before but let me repeat myself: I may not be from Russia, I am actually from that small country (my! mine! she actually used my own country for one of the hockey players) that is MUCH closer to Russia both geographically and culturally and while I understand there is relatively recent history of some authoritarian regime, from which we are still "recovering", I would dare to say the representation was still harsh. (My parents visited Russia, if nothing else, and they said it was the height of civilization.) But than there was also Canada, which was also pretty stereotypical...
Those are pretty much the issues that made this book from great to... pretty good. Since the romance relationship was central and how they managed to botch it up was just painful to watch.
September 1, 2025
Alex is a minor league hockey player; he's also a vampire. After a major league goalie is injured in a drunk driving accident, Alex's friend on the team, Shawn, recommends he be the new goalie. Though Shawn knows Alex is a vampire, a potential new law banning Paras (paranormals) from professional sports means Alex doesn't want to share that. And Alex's arrangement with a model and succubus for feeding means no one knows he's gay, either - which becomes a problem as the mutual attraction between Alex and another player, Sasha, continues to grow.
I decided to read this after a coworker at the library brought it to my attention - a gay vampire hockey romance? It's exactly what you'd expect. The first half was enemies to lovers, the second half was mostly smut. There were a lot of plotlines in this, with the old goalie jealous of his replacement and the political laws. It kept the story moving right along. The snippets of tweets and social media posts from the fans worked well as transitions, though the links probably worked better in the ebook. I am not from the world of hockey fandom but apparently it is a Thing. This sets up like it will be the first in a series, given that other players on the team are also Paras.
I decided to read this after a coworker at the library brought it to my attention - a gay vampire hockey romance? It's exactly what you'd expect. The first half was enemies to lovers, the second half was mostly smut. There were a lot of plotlines in this, with the old goalie jealous of his replacement and the political laws. It kept the story moving right along. The snippets of tweets and social media posts from the fans worked well as transitions, though the links probably worked better in the ebook. I am not from the world of hockey fandom but apparently it is a Thing. This sets up like it will be the first in a series, given that other players on the team are also Paras.
May 31, 2024
Alex is called up to the majors to play for Seattle after their goalie is injured in an accident. Sasha is best friends with the injured goalie and doesn't want to like Alex due to his allegiance to his friend, but as they are forced to spend time together, Sasha realizes he likes Alex just fine. Alex is trying to keep his half-vampire heritage hidden since it could be career-ending if it were to come out. Sasha is torn between his friend and the guy he is starting to fall in love with.
I like Alex and Sasha; they are both good characters, but I don't connect with either of them that much. I wanted to like this book, and overall, it was a good book. However, some of it felt superfluous to the story and just there to cause drama, which didn't need to be added. I might read more from this author to see if the author's style didn't agree with me or this specific book.
I like Alex and Sasha; they are both good characters, but I don't connect with either of them that much. I wanted to like this book, and overall, it was a good book. However, some of it felt superfluous to the story and just there to cause drama, which didn't need to be added. I might read more from this author to see if the author's style didn't agree with me or this specific book.
March 18, 2025
Super fun concept for a romance, executed in a focused, interesting way. The beginning of the book is the weakest part—it's made choppy and hard to get into by the frequency of the media/social media snippets, and it feels like the gears of the core relationship grind and catch quite a bit before finding a more natural-feeling rhythm. I'm glad I persevered, though, because things do smooth out once the story gets off the ground.
I appreciate that Springer doesn't give in to the genre-wide tendency to drag the ending out into a lots of final-feeling chapters and an unnecessary epilogue. This was true of the other book of hers I've read as well, and I think it shows a lot of authorial confidence. I would love to read more in this universe and see her work out the early-career kinks, but given that she doesn't seem to have published since 2019 I'm afraid I'll never get the chance.
I appreciate that Springer doesn't give in to the genre-wide tendency to drag the ending out into a lots of final-feeling chapters and an unnecessary epilogue. This was true of the other book of hers I've read as well, and I think it shows a lot of authorial confidence. I would love to read more in this universe and see her work out the early-career kinks, but given that she doesn't seem to have published since 2019 I'm afraid I'll never get the chance.
May 13, 2020
Kind of wish for more towards the end of the book!! It ended quickly and I felt like some issues were still not solved (which I guess could be solved in sequels, but so far there are none out so who knows...). I do have to say that this is the first sports book that's also a paranormal fantasy book and it was very different/unique/special in its own way.
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