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Vinny Gets a Life
Thomas is maybe kind of in love with him, but he doesn’t want him, which he thinks is supposed to be part of it.
Words: 58,371.
Words: 58,371.
222 pages, ebook
First published February 8, 2016
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 25, 2026
I think I can say with utmost confidence (while not having read many lol) that Taylor Fitzpatrick does hockey in fiction better than anyone else.😳
I seriously needed something lighthearted as a palate cleanser after my previous emotionally heavy reads, and I don’t think I could have chosen better. Lovely and comforting slice-of-life story about Thomas Vincent (alias Vinny), an NHL backup goalie and a guy who’s been in love with his friend and teammate Anton for years. Vinny also doesn’t want Anton.
Yes, Vinny is asexual, and I adored the shit out of him, he needs to be protected at all costs. I loved how tactile he is, and how the guys around him aren’t afraid to provide all the cuddles he wants 🫠
Anton is a grump whose sole sweet spot is Thomas. Guys, I LOVE when a standoffish character with a resting murder face picks that one person he’s a softie with, and gets freakishly possessive over them. It scratches some itch in my brain. (Although Anton getting a girlfriend throughout the story earned him a very unimpressed Look from me 🤨)
While this was a light read, it still has the right amount of angst and hurt/comfort to keep it engaging. But more than the relationship between Vinny and Anton, and all the pining, it’s the side characters and the locker room dynamic that had me giggling the most. And as I mentioned earlier, it truly feels like I’m reading about professional hockey players, not just guys who sometimes go on the ice and are fooling around most of the time.
The story had the perfect amount of romance for me - which probably means not quite enough for seasoned romance readers. It ends on a lovely note, but very much a HFN (and like I need twice the amount of chapters!)
You’re kind of dropped in the middle of the characters right from the start, which is a little disorientating, but I took it in stride, and after twenty minutes of reading, I had a handle on most of the names mentioned (and there was David/Jake cameo!!!). It’s definitely a part of the big You Could Make a Life universe and it shows, but it still can pretty much be read as a standalone. And it’s free on AO3, love that ❤️
There were a few things I pouted over a bit (How old are the guys? They felt anywhere between 19 and 30. And what about the Connors storyline, I wanna know more about that but it just fizzled out!), but I wouldn’t be surprised if I could get the bigger picture only after reading everything TF has put out.
Huge thank you to dearest Drache, who put all the chapters into one document and was kind enough to provide! ❤️🤗
I seriously needed something lighthearted as a palate cleanser after my previous emotionally heavy reads, and I don’t think I could have chosen better. Lovely and comforting slice-of-life story about Thomas Vincent (alias Vinny), an NHL backup goalie and a guy who’s been in love with his friend and teammate Anton for years. Vinny also doesn’t want Anton.
Yes, Vinny is asexual, and I adored the shit out of him, he needs to be protected at all costs. I loved how tactile he is, and how the guys around him aren’t afraid to provide all the cuddles he wants 🫠
Anton is a grump whose sole sweet spot is Thomas. Guys, I LOVE when a standoffish character with a resting murder face picks that one person he’s a softie with, and gets freakishly possessive over them. It scratches some itch in my brain. (Although Anton getting a girlfriend throughout the story earned him a very unimpressed Look from me 🤨)
While this was a light read, it still has the right amount of angst and hurt/comfort to keep it engaging. But more than the relationship between Vinny and Anton, and all the pining, it’s the side characters and the locker room dynamic that had me giggling the most. And as I mentioned earlier, it truly feels like I’m reading about professional hockey players, not just guys who sometimes go on the ice and are fooling around most of the time.
The story had the perfect amount of romance for me - which probably means not quite enough for seasoned romance readers. It ends on a lovely note, but very much a HFN (and like I need twice the amount of chapters!)
You’re kind of dropped in the middle of the characters right from the start, which is a little disorientating, but I took it in stride, and after twenty minutes of reading, I had a handle on most of the names mentioned (and there was David/Jake cameo!!!). It’s definitely a part of the big You Could Make a Life universe and it shows, but it still can pretty much be read as a standalone. And it’s free on AO3, love that ❤️
There were a few things I pouted over a bit (How old are the guys? They felt anywhere between 19 and 30. And what about the Connors storyline, I wanna know more about that but it just fizzled out!), but I wouldn’t be surprised if I could get the bigger picture only after reading everything TF has put out.
Huge thank you to dearest Drache, who put all the chapters into one document and was kind enough to provide! ❤️🤗
January 27, 2026
Reread 01/2026
Trying to counterbalance in my mind the hellscape that are current politics/news with light comfort reads.
Ace rep for the win ♥️
Loved Vinny, didn't really get Tony (but as before, for Vinny's sake I hope he's everything Vinny needs).
5 stars obviously, it's free on AO3.
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Read 09)2025
Beautiful and heartwarming.
I loved Thomas (Vinny).
This story has one of the best ace rep's I've read so far.
The story is written in single pov (Thomas) third person present tense. Thomas loves Anton, but because they do not communicate well about the important things (feelings.. relationships... ) I admit there were things about Anton that I didn't really get. Thomas is happy in the end, so that's all that matters to me, though.
Their teammates Fou and Carmen were awesome secondary characters, I loved them for Thomas.
This is free on AO3 so it gets 5 stars.
Ps I need much more romances with ace characters!!
Trying to counterbalance in my mind the hellscape that are current politics/news with light comfort reads.
Ace rep for the win ♥️
Loved Vinny, didn't really get Tony (but as before, for Vinny's sake I hope he's everything Vinny needs).
5 stars obviously, it's free on AO3.
----------------
Read 09)2025
Beautiful and heartwarming.
I loved Thomas (Vinny).
This story has one of the best ace rep's I've read so far.
The story is written in single pov (Thomas) third person present tense. Thomas loves Anton, but because they do not communicate well about the important things (feelings.. relationships... ) I admit there were things about Anton that I didn't really get. Thomas is happy in the end, so that's all that matters to me, though.
Their teammates Fou and Carmen were awesome secondary characters, I loved them for Thomas.
This is free on AO3 so it gets 5 stars.
Ps I need much more romances with ace characters!!
November 9, 2021
In short:
It is adorable.
It is free.
Read it.
It is adorable.
It is free.
Read it.
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March 28, 2021
4.5 stars!
Always lovely to read a romance with an ace MC who gets his HEA. High on sparkly infatuation and not too heavy on angst. It didn't take many chapters for Vinny to make me adore him! I'm already hooked on this hockey universe and it continues to entertain. The story beside the romance in this book (vague because spoilery) was handled very well too, including great side character reactions. It's rare I find the sides as interesting as the MCs, but here they were integral to the story progression.
Always lovely to read a romance with an ace MC who gets his HEA. High on sparkly infatuation and not too heavy on angst. It didn't take many chapters for Vinny to make me adore him! I'm already hooked on this hockey universe and it continues to entertain. The story beside the romance in this book (vague because spoilery) was handled very well too, including great side character reactions. It's rare I find the sides as interesting as the MCs, but here they were integral to the story progression.
June 11, 2021
Mon Dieu, Vinny! Mon Dieu! :''')
So sweet!
I'm inadvertently comparing this to Impaired Judgement, because that's what I read first from the author and in my mind nothing can come close to it. It's also quite a bit longer so there is more room for development.
But I loved Vinny. I think we all have a little Vinny inside us, we just want everybody to like us. Vinny just takes it a bit hard when it doesn't happen.
Vinny plays hockey. Vinny has a best friend who also plays hockey, maybe probably better then he does. Vinny is in love.
The story ended on a positive note but more or less it's left to the reader to imagine the rest. I kind of wished there was one more chapter, but also that last scene was so perfect that one more chapter might have just ruined it.
Way to make me cry, Vinny!
So sweet!
I'm inadvertently comparing this to Impaired Judgement, because that's what I read first from the author and in my mind nothing can come close to it. It's also quite a bit longer so there is more room for development.
But I loved Vinny. I think we all have a little Vinny inside us, we just want everybody to like us. Vinny just takes it a bit hard when it doesn't happen.
Vinny plays hockey. Vinny has a best friend who also plays hockey, maybe probably better then he does. Vinny is in love.
The story ended on a positive note but more or less it's left to the reader to imagine the rest. I kind of wished there was one more chapter, but also that last scene was so perfect that one more chapter might have just ruined it.
Way to make me cry, Vinny!
March 3, 2024
3.5 stars**
December 2, 2024
'I'll break up with her if you want.'
Ah, yes. The normal everyday things friends say to each other.
Also, what's with the running joke about goalies being.....odd? What am I missing? It's been referenced in too many books by too many authors to be a coincidence.
Anyway. This was cute. A bit too short. The ending felt a little abrupt but maybe that's because I wanted more. The resolution felt a little too convenient but there's hope that there may be more about them in future so.
Ah, yes. The normal everyday things friends say to each other.
Also, what's with the running joke about goalies being.....odd? What am I missing? It's been referenced in too many books by too many authors to be a coincidence.
Anyway. This was cute. A bit too short. The ending felt a little abrupt but maybe that's because I wanted more. The resolution felt a little too convenient but there's hope that there may be more about them in future so.
November 20, 2021
Full disclosure? I tend to react with excess aggression toward characters who share my own social anxieties and fears of communication because I hate that aspect of myself and I get so angry at others for wrecking their lives and friendships the way I have over the course of my life during moments where I'm not strong enough to fight the anxiety. So when I say that this work pissed me off several times, know that I say it in the most contradictory way possible. I say it not as a negative, but rather with a sense of affection. It absolutely made me want to grab both Vinny and Tony and shake them vigorously for being such absolute dunderheads on several occasions... but only because I related so much to Vinny and felt a strong emotional connection to both of them.
I loved them, like they were friends who I wished nothing but happiness (and togetherness) for. Vinny is a wonderful, sensitive guy. Tony is rough around the edges, but hiding a big heart behind that gruff exterior. Their friendship dynamic is just... *chef's kiss* - at least until Vinny starts overthinking things and making the decisions which made me grumpy for aforementioned reasons.
Even the side characters were developed and interesting. Fourns and Chloe are great friends to Vinny, and very well fleshed-out. Meg is the sassy best friend done right. And Carms is somewhere between annoying and relatable in a way which just feels real. I thought, during the first few chapters, that I'd never get a handle on who everyone was or what their personalities were, but the characters are so well-written that they developed unique entries in my memory rather quickly and keeping up was fairly easy - even though everyone has at least three names by which they're referred.
This is just... it's good. I don't know how else to describe this. It's a bit more angsty than I'd have maybe preferred so it didn't quite prove to be a mood booster for me like I'd hoped, but I still enjoyed it a lot and I'm glad I read this when I did. The vast majority was enjoyable, engaging, and well-written (though in need of an editor, but I can't fault it for that since it's from AO3 and not an actual ebook release). I liked most of it - loved it, in fact... except for one thing.
I honestly kind of hated the final chapter (installment? On AO3, this is technically a series of individual works and not a singular work with chapters). Or, well, I hated the last chunk of the penultimate chapter and the beginning of the final chapter.
In that portion, Vinny goes from a softhearted, gentle guy who means well to an absolute jerkass. He overreacts to a perceived intention, refuses to listen to the truth, blows up, dies on the hill of his misconception without listening, and acts unjustly angry and cruel toward Tony because of that. But then, barely a few paragraphs later, it's all brushed over and the argument just dies out and suddenly they're all friendly and compassionate again without Vinny ever apologizing for the misconception and the way he acted because of it. Yet Tony apologizes for his misconstrued actions and even for his own, confused emotions. It feels kind of toxic and imbalanced - and like the sudden shift to happy resolution is unearned. There really should have been more time dedicated to letting the situation cool down and recovering from it!
Considering the resolution which followed was incredibly adorable and an amazing ending to the story (albeit one which left me wanting more), I felt a bit jilted by the precursor. It was everything I wanted for them, tainted by circumstances to which I'm particularly sensitive. It was a delicious-looking slice of cake with my least favourite icing on top. Sure, I was able to eventually scrape the icing off and enjoy the cake beneath, but some traces of the flavour remained and I was still left with a cake that had no icing. Icing-free cake is sad.
That issue and the typos (of which there are sadly many) are the only reasons I'm not rating this five stars, though. So don't let the fact I'm more verbose and kind of intense when describing things I dislike fool you. I still very much loved the majority of this collection. Those issues were annoying but not by any means overbearing. The cake may be sad and free of icing, but it's still a damn good confection.
This is also the first story I've read in which an asexual partner found someone who As well as only the second story wherein the character's asexuality wasn't their sole defining trait. It's kind of sad how hard it is to find ace or demisexual characters, especially written in the context of romance. I don't necessarily have a vested interest in that regard, since I'm bi and aro, but I love fictional romance and I love reading about a wide variety of characters. So I'll celebrate well-written inclusion anywhere I find it, even if I'm not part of the group being included.
And this is well-written. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Seriously, don't let the fact I'm an absolutely grumpy grumpface lately deter you, if you're interested in this! It's intriguing and often adorable with well-developed characters.
I adore the writing style and I think the characters are going to stick in my mind for a while. I want more from this continuity - more from the characters themselves, in fact. I want to see what comes of the relationship... but not enough to suffer through tumblr to find the pieces the author shared there. I quit that site for a reason, and I don't want to melt my laptop with its bloated coding or fall back into the unhealthy trappings of the constant popularity contest by creating an account again. Hopefully they'll show up as cameos in the author's other AO3 works and/or novels.
I loved them, like they were friends who I wished nothing but happiness (and togetherness) for. Vinny is a wonderful, sensitive guy. Tony is rough around the edges, but hiding a big heart behind that gruff exterior. Their friendship dynamic is just... *chef's kiss* - at least until Vinny starts overthinking things and making the decisions which made me grumpy for aforementioned reasons.
Even the side characters were developed and interesting. Fourns and Chloe are great friends to Vinny, and very well fleshed-out. Meg is the sassy best friend done right. And Carms is somewhere between annoying and relatable in a way which just feels real. I thought, during the first few chapters, that I'd never get a handle on who everyone was or what their personalities were, but the characters are so well-written that they developed unique entries in my memory rather quickly and keeping up was fairly easy - even though everyone has at least three names by which they're referred.
This is just... it's good. I don't know how else to describe this. It's a bit more angsty than I'd have maybe preferred so it didn't quite prove to be a mood booster for me like I'd hoped, but I still enjoyed it a lot and I'm glad I read this when I did. The vast majority was enjoyable, engaging, and well-written (though in need of an editor, but I can't fault it for that since it's from AO3 and not an actual ebook release). I liked most of it - loved it, in fact... except for one thing.
I honestly kind of hated the final chapter (installment? On AO3, this is technically a series of individual works and not a singular work with chapters). Or, well, I hated the last chunk of the penultimate chapter and the beginning of the final chapter.
In that portion, Vinny goes from a softhearted, gentle guy who means well to an absolute jerkass. He overreacts to a perceived intention, refuses to listen to the truth, blows up, dies on the hill of his misconception without listening, and acts unjustly angry and cruel toward Tony because of that. But then, barely a few paragraphs later, it's all brushed over and the argument just dies out and suddenly they're all friendly and compassionate again without Vinny ever apologizing for the misconception and the way he acted because of it. Yet Tony apologizes for his misconstrued actions and even for his own, confused emotions. It feels kind of toxic and imbalanced - and like the sudden shift to happy resolution is unearned. There really should have been more time dedicated to letting the situation cool down and recovering from it!
Considering the resolution which followed was incredibly adorable and an amazing ending to the story (albeit one which left me wanting more), I felt a bit jilted by the precursor. It was everything I wanted for them, tainted by circumstances to which I'm particularly sensitive. It was a delicious-looking slice of cake with my least favourite icing on top. Sure, I was able to eventually scrape the icing off and enjoy the cake beneath, but some traces of the flavour remained and I was still left with a cake that had no icing. Icing-free cake is sad.
That issue and the typos (of which there are sadly many) are the only reasons I'm not rating this five stars, though. So don't let the fact I'm more verbose and kind of intense when describing things I dislike fool you. I still very much loved the majority of this collection. Those issues were annoying but not by any means overbearing. The cake may be sad and free of icing, but it's still a damn good confection.
This is also the first story I've read in which an asexual partner found someone who As well as only the second story wherein the character's asexuality wasn't their sole defining trait. It's kind of sad how hard it is to find ace or demisexual characters, especially written in the context of romance. I don't necessarily have a vested interest in that regard, since I'm bi and aro, but I love fictional romance and I love reading about a wide variety of characters. So I'll celebrate well-written inclusion anywhere I find it, even if I'm not part of the group being included.
And this is well-written. I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Seriously, don't let the fact I'm an absolutely grumpy grumpface lately deter you, if you're interested in this! It's intriguing and often adorable with well-developed characters.
I adore the writing style and I think the characters are going to stick in my mind for a while. I want more from this continuity - more from the characters themselves, in fact. I want to see what comes of the relationship... but not enough to suffer through tumblr to find the pieces the author shared there. I quit that site for a reason, and I don't want to melt my laptop with its bloated coding or fall back into the unhealthy trappings of the constant popularity contest by creating an account again. Hopefully they'll show up as cameos in the author's other AO3 works and/or novels.
January 3, 2022
4.5 stars
Holy shit I love Vincent Thomas so much!!!!! How did I not know Taylor Fitzpatrick had an asexual hockey romance??!
I'm pretty sure I could happily read 100 more chapters of these two, and that is my only complaint here. That ending would not have satisfied me without all the extras on her Tumblr, but with them it was absolute magic.
Also very cool to get a story with a backup goalie as the MC. That made for a really interesting glimpse at a position you don't read much about in hockey romances.
Holy shit I love Vincent Thomas so much!!!!! How did I not know Taylor Fitzpatrick had an asexual hockey romance??!
I'm pretty sure I could happily read 100 more chapters of these two, and that is my only complaint here. That ending would not have satisfied me without all the extras on her Tumblr, but with them it was absolute magic.
Also very cool to get a story with a backup goalie as the MC. That made for a really interesting glimpse at a position you don't read much about in hockey romances.
February 6, 2023
an ace protagonist?? in *my* hockey romance?? it's more likely than you think!!! <333
no but fr, even though there are ofc many ways to exist as an ace person, Vinny really reminded me of someone very dear to me and it made me get emotional af over this made up hockey player. plus, Vinny is an extremely soft person who just wants everyone to like him and isn't very confident, so,,,kinda calling me out here, Taylor??
also a more general note but so much of these stories is about food preparation and eating?? like I'm pretty sure all of these boys are more often depicted cooking than working out? which is so freakin valid bcs seriously who cares about bench pressing when we can read 27 scenes of protagonists making omelettes. it's just common sense if you think about it.
no but fr, even though there are ofc many ways to exist as an ace person, Vinny really reminded me of someone very dear to me and it made me get emotional af over this made up hockey player. plus, Vinny is an extremely soft person who just wants everyone to like him and isn't very confident, so,,,kinda calling me out here, Taylor??
also a more general note but so much of these stories is about food preparation and eating?? like I'm pretty sure all of these boys are more often depicted cooking than working out? which is so freakin valid bcs seriously who cares about bench pressing when we can read 27 scenes of protagonists making omelettes. it's just common sense if you think about it.
September 17, 2021
Interesting take on an asexual romance.
Thomas reminded me a bit of Charlie in Charlie Sunshine.
Thomas reminded me a bit of Charlie in Charlie Sunshine.
February 2, 2022
This Taylor Fitzpatrick person is very good at the words. She has forced me to read sports books. Sometimes there are secret sports words that are unknown to me. But not too many. There are also not too many descriptions. That's cool with me. Description is a waste of words, what are you a lookist? There's so little description here, when she described 3 character's different playoff beards it nearly jumped out of the book and slapped me. It's mostly all just the thoughts of Thomas Vincent, hockey ace. Notice he has two first names, different people use different forms of different ones at different times, which made it a bit confusing in the beginning. I don't even like to give people or pets one name, much less four. Don't be greedy Thomas Tommy Vinny Vincent. Also, he thinks of his parents and his love interest's parents by their proper names, which is sick, and wrong. Stop it. This is one of those books where everybody knows the two dumbasses are in love except the dumbasses. It's very cute. There are some characters here that were referenced in Coming In First Place. Probably some hockey things too, but I didn't pay any attention to those. Since the author has not put out the next David book yet, I may be forced to read more old ones.
November 3, 2025
i’ve only known thomas vincent for one day but if anything happens to him i’m going to kill everyone in this room and then myself
January 5, 2024
Sofffffffft
(I mean, a little communication would have gone a long way. But soffffffffffft)
(I mean, a little communication would have gone a long way. But soffffffffffft)
Read
January 16, 2026Logging this to account for the many ao3 series in the YCMAL extended universe that for sure amount to more than a book so I should get to count for at least one
December 26, 2022
Ace MC done right!
Really liked it!!
Really liked it!!
December 29, 2021
3.5
Cute story with an ace protagonist, and hockey, which you don't have to like to love the fic.
The not entirely convincing part for me was the ending, because . Still, very enjoyable.
Cute story with an ace protagonist, and hockey, which you don't have to like to love the fic.
The not entirely convincing part for me was the ending, because . Still, very enjoyable.
January 12, 2024
Love Vinny. Anton's a cutie.
July 22, 2025
Why is he so ADORABLE. That's a grown ass man! Also a hockey player! Why is he so baby :(<3??
March 16, 2025
This one was a bit strange for me because for the first half I wasn’t sure where it was going to go and for the second half I wasn’t sure it was going to have a happy ending (or at least an ending that I would like).
I really enjoyed reading a story with an ace character- it’s something I haven’t read before and don’t know much about.
I really enjoyed reading a story with an ace character- it’s something I haven’t read before and don’t know much about.
January 26, 2026
Very sweet and lovely, thank goodness. After the clusterF disaster that was You Could Make a Life, I needed this win. A charming and entertaining hockey romance by a master.
Thomas "Vinny" Vincent is the Habs backup goalie and beloved by his team. He's ace. And he's very in love with his best friend, Anton. Alas, all is hopeless.
Or is it?
Anton is surprisingly a bit possessive and acting odd any time Thomas is hanging out with other people. Anton is asking Thomas to help him choose a house. Choose his furniture. Move in and be roomies. Despite Anton's mother, Thomas's best teammate and other best friends, and Thomas himself suspecting moving in with Anton is a self-harming idea. Because while no one says it aloud (the "oh, honey" sentiment was beautifully done...no one saying it, but, the acknowledgement was powerful), people know Thomas truly loves Anton.
When Thomas's close friend the starting goalie (Fournier) is traded, Thomas faces a hostile new teammate, new starting goalie Connors (dick!), adding layers of tension to the read and opportunities to show the team sticking up for Thomas in professional and kind ways. Loved it. Loved that they start calling him Bambie for his big brown mournful eyes 👀.
Anton hooks up with girls and gets a girlfriend in the book. All off page, though one morning-after ONS turns out to be an amazing person and becomes a good new friend for Thomas, a fellow goalie, in the PWHL. Ha ha ha that was SO funny seeing Veronique and Thomas bond, and Anton get all bent out of shape about it! Anton's girlfriend, Amanda, is never on page, and while Anton disappears for a while seeing her and a lonely Thomas realizes he needs to expand his friendship horizons and reach out to his other People, and does so, seeing Anton realize Thomas isn't just sitting around in his roommate box waiting for Anton to get home is satisfying.
Eh, I'm petty, what can I say.
They are co-dependent, attuned to each other, clearly more than friends without the sexual desire...where can this possibly go?
Somewhere very sweet and right for them. Tentatively. Ends on a very fragile new step, cuddling in the same bed, and both open to seeing where it goes. Lovely.
Only complaint is it's written with secondary characters dropping in from nowhere. Such as, all of a sudden there's a teammate named Carmen (Santos), who becomes important. All of a sudden, Thomas has a best friend, Megan, who's never been mentioned before. SCs names are thrown around without much context, and it was a chore to try to figure them all out for the first several chapters. But about halfway in, I was fine and keeping up with it.
HFN, pro hockey players, ace hero, best friends who are in a relationship but only everyone else knows it, friends to...romance, not lovers. OW action/drama, all off page, but we're not in Anton's POV so it really doesn't matter/didn't upset me because the focus stayed on Thomas. Thomas Feels his Feelings but keeps on going. Not safe for me but in a way that I didn't mind and just enjoyed Thomas's POV. Recommended.
Thomas "Vinny" Vincent is the Habs backup goalie and beloved by his team. He's ace. And he's very in love with his best friend, Anton. Alas, all is hopeless.
Or is it?
Anton is surprisingly a bit possessive and acting odd any time Thomas is hanging out with other people. Anton is asking Thomas to help him choose a house. Choose his furniture. Move in and be roomies. Despite Anton's mother, Thomas's best teammate and other best friends, and Thomas himself suspecting moving in with Anton is a self-harming idea. Because while no one says it aloud (the "oh, honey" sentiment was beautifully done...no one saying it, but, the acknowledgement was powerful), people know Thomas truly loves Anton.
When Thomas's close friend the starting goalie (Fournier) is traded, Thomas faces a hostile new teammate, new starting goalie Connors (dick!), adding layers of tension to the read and opportunities to show the team sticking up for Thomas in professional and kind ways. Loved it. Loved that they start calling him Bambie for his big brown mournful eyes 👀.
Anton hooks up with girls and gets a girlfriend in the book. All off page, though one morning-after ONS turns out to be an amazing person and becomes a good new friend for Thomas, a fellow goalie, in the PWHL. Ha ha ha that was SO funny seeing Veronique and Thomas bond, and Anton get all bent out of shape about it! Anton's girlfriend, Amanda, is never on page, and while Anton disappears for a while seeing her and a lonely Thomas realizes he needs to expand his friendship horizons and reach out to his other People, and does so, seeing Anton realize Thomas isn't just sitting around in his roommate box waiting for Anton to get home is satisfying.
Eh, I'm petty, what can I say.
They are co-dependent, attuned to each other, clearly more than friends without the sexual desire...where can this possibly go?
Somewhere very sweet and right for them. Tentatively. Ends on a very fragile new step, cuddling in the same bed, and both open to seeing where it goes. Lovely.
Only complaint is it's written with secondary characters dropping in from nowhere. Such as, all of a sudden there's a teammate named Carmen (Santos), who becomes important. All of a sudden, Thomas has a best friend, Megan, who's never been mentioned before. SCs names are thrown around without much context, and it was a chore to try to figure them all out for the first several chapters. But about halfway in, I was fine and keeping up with it.
HFN, pro hockey players, ace hero, best friends who are in a relationship but only everyone else knows it, friends to...romance, not lovers. OW action/drama, all off page, but we're not in Anton's POV so it really doesn't matter/didn't upset me because the focus stayed on Thomas. Thomas Feels his Feelings but keeps on going. Not safe for me but in a way that I didn't mind and just enjoyed Thomas's POV. Recommended.
December 5, 2021
“Vinny Gets a Life” is my favorite story in he YCMALverse. My friend, Lucy rec’d it to me and it was love at first read. Thomas Vincent, human sunshine, is in love with his best friend, Anton Petrov, but he thinks that’s stupid because it’s not like he wants to be with Anton like that, but the fact remains that he’s in love with him. Anton is made of 100% authentic grump, but is usually nothing but smiles when it comes to Vinny. Their teammates joke about their relationship, which is that of best friends. As far as anyone knows…or says. Things go along as usual until Anton wants to buy a house and wants Vinny to move in with him. From there, it’s a painfully enlightening journey that includes girlfriends, best friends, breaking up, moving out, and cuddling.
January 2, 2025
4,5 stars rounded up because this is a Taylor Fitzpatrick story on AOL3.
I loved Vinny and Tony to pieces. This is an a-sexual love story between two hockey teammates and yes, there's a lot of frustration here, a lot of what could have been solved with proper communication, but still, it felt like it was just who these guys were. Tony needed time to figure himself out, Vinny needed time to find the courage to tell Tony. It just felt...right. If that makes sense.
Anyway, this is my first read of this year and I'm happy it's a TF one.
I loved Vinny and Tony to pieces. This is an a-sexual love story between two hockey teammates and yes, there's a lot of frustration here, a lot of what could have been solved with proper communication, but still, it felt like it was just who these guys were. Tony needed time to figure himself out, Vinny needed time to find the courage to tell Tony. It just felt...right. If that makes sense.
Anyway, this is my first read of this year and I'm happy it's a TF one.
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August 8, 2025Excellent ace romance, but I felt like the story ended without resolving so many of the questions and situations that were being so well setup. We were just left with an optimistic happy-for-now coming-together moment as a conclusion without seeing any of the in-relationship struggles that were going to immediately follow.
Yes I know about the side stories and I've read a bunch of them already, but it's not the same though it does answer some of my wants.
Yes I know about the side stories and I've read a bunch of them already, but it's not the same though it does answer some of my wants.
January 4, 2024
Dear, sweet Vinny. I loved reading a hockey romance with an ace MC. And one who's not a superstar.
I especially loved his relationship with Fournier, Chloe, and the girls. Protect Vinny cuz he's the best.
I especially loved his relationship with Fournier, Chloe, and the girls. Protect Vinny cuz he's the best.
August 22, 2024
Cute! Ace rep. TF does it all. Would’ve read thousands of thousands more words.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2025
Another tale from the YCMAL universe, from Thomas Vincent’s POV, backup goalie for the Montreal Canadiens (Habs). His and Anton’s (D-Man) story. Overlaps with Marc and Dan
July 26, 2025
Vinny is too precious for this world.
December 22, 2025
3.5 stars
I really liked the ace representation. Kinda wanted to see more of them figuring out how to be a couple, that would’ve been nice.
I really liked the ace representation. Kinda wanted to see more of them figuring out how to be a couple, that would’ve been nice.
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