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The Sin Bin: West Coast #1
Breakaway
The last thing Ravi Chandola needs is to define his career by a single mistake he made off the ice. But it’s not that easy when you’re the captain of an NHL team and the press is always watching, waiting to pounce.
And to make matters worse, Ravi now has community service under the supervision of a former professional figure skater who hates him with a fiery passion. But things aren’t so simple when it comes to ice king Adrien Fischer.
He’s hot but cold.
He’s soft but sharp.
And in spite of telling Ravi there can never be anything between them, Adrien can’t seem to stay out of Ravi’s orbit.
Ravi’s life is complicated enough without this man who can’t seem to make up his mind, but as much as Ravi wants to walk away, he knows he’s in it for however long Adrien will have him. So what hope does he have left? Just a miracle that the ice king’s heart will thaw and allow Ravi in.
Breakaway is the first book in the Sin Bin: West Coast series featuring the fictional NHL Team, the Denver Huskies. This story contains bad geography, a best friend with feelings-burritos, platonic cuddling, cute squirrels, spicy food, and of course a happily ever after.
And to make matters worse, Ravi now has community service under the supervision of a former professional figure skater who hates him with a fiery passion. But things aren’t so simple when it comes to ice king Adrien Fischer.
He’s hot but cold.
He’s soft but sharp.
And in spite of telling Ravi there can never be anything between them, Adrien can’t seem to stay out of Ravi’s orbit.
Ravi’s life is complicated enough without this man who can’t seem to make up his mind, but as much as Ravi wants to walk away, he knows he’s in it for however long Adrien will have him. So what hope does he have left? Just a miracle that the ice king’s heart will thaw and allow Ravi in.
Breakaway is the first book in the Sin Bin: West Coast series featuring the fictional NHL Team, the Denver Huskies. This story contains bad geography, a best friend with feelings-burritos, platonic cuddling, cute squirrels, spicy food, and of course a happily ever after.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2022
303 people are currently reading
886 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Lindsey
143 books1,393 followersE.M. Lindsey is the author of MM contemporary romance. She presently lives and works in the southeastern United States.
EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.
EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
August 19, 2022
DNF at 41%
My 2 stars are for Ravi and Felix, the 2 characters that I really enjoyed, but Adrien is insufferable. Having lost a leg doesn't give you the right to treat people like shit after 3 years (he mentioned a therapist at the beginning, but nothing was said about them after the accident). And one could argue that he treats Ravi like shit because he thinks he chose to get drunk and drive (causing an accident without victims aside of himself) but after lots of talk he still treats him bad, but the cherry on top for me was when he treated Nolan like shit, implying Nolan never had felt lost or something (Nolan, who lost his chance at the NHL even before playing there, thanks to a teen mistake). So yeah, I can't go on.
My 2 stars are for Ravi and Felix, the 2 characters that I really enjoyed, but Adrien is insufferable. Having lost a leg doesn't give you the right to treat people like shit after 3 years (he mentioned a therapist at the beginning, but nothing was said about them after the accident). And one could argue that he treats Ravi like shit because he thinks he chose to get drunk and drive (causing an accident without victims aside of himself) but after lots of talk he still treats him bad, but the cherry on top for me was when he treated Nolan like shit, implying Nolan never had felt lost or something (Nolan, who lost his chance at the NHL even before playing there, thanks to a teen mistake). So yeah, I can't go on.
September 17, 2022
Being a die hard fan of E M Lindsey, I have read almost everything they have written and I gotta say that this may be the first time I really did not like one of the MCs. Not liking a mc makes it so hard to like the story, but Ravi made it worth it to me.
In this one we have Ravi, who due to someone else drugging him, has an accident and was charged with DUI.
Adrian was an Olympic hopeful who lost his leg in the accident. And is not a pleasant person. He was the one I really did not like.
These two eventually work it out and fall in love. Believe me, I was shocked that I loved the ending.
I really liked the best friends in this so I will be reading the next one.
John Solo did a great job with the narration and I really enjoyed it.
In this one we have Ravi, who due to someone else drugging him, has an accident and was charged with DUI.
Adrian was an Olympic hopeful who lost his leg in the accident. And is not a pleasant person. He was the one I really did not like.
These two eventually work it out and fall in love. Believe me, I was shocked that I loved the ending.
I really liked the best friends in this so I will be reading the next one.
John Solo did a great job with the narration and I really enjoyed it.
June 20, 2025
A contemporary romance where the initial animosity is valid and did not require mental gymnastics to justify. I mentally gave this 2 stars just off that after chapter one.
Adrian lost his leg(and his Olympic figure skating dreams) after a drunk driver hit him shortly after winning the world championship. Moving on with his life, he opens a rink where he teaches children living with disabilities to skate.
Ravi, captain of the Denver NHL team, woke up in a hospital bed with no memory of why he ended up crashing his car and an inexplicable DUI charge—he doesn't understand how he could have been that dumb, given he's generally not a drinker. He ends up sentenced to serving 500 hours of community service at (you guessed it) Adrian's rink.
Two things I was thankful for right off the jump.
#1. Ravi was NOT the driver who caused Adrian to lose his leg(we had no timelines between the prologue where Adrian got into the accident and the end of chapter one where Ravi did, so I legitimately worried about that because I don't know if the power of love is strong enough to overcome that, and if it was meant to, I don't know if I could suspend disbelief enough to buy it.)
#2. The reader gets to know in chapter one(while Adrian loses his memory) that he's drugged with ketamine by a reporter who offers him a tablet meant to be a painkiller for his migraine, and in the ensuing disorientation, he's dealing with the effects of the migraine, the drug AND trying to get away from the reporter who's advancing on him when he ends up fleeing the establishment and getting into his car.
Exceptionally happy about this one because while I'm all for a redemption arc, I wasn't too psyched about the idea of an MC who was a drunk driver falling in love with someone who lost a lot because of one.
Plus, it packed a double punch when these two met up the first time and Adrian was understandably mean to him, while Ravi didn't feel like he even had a right to try and explain because even he doesn't know how on earth he could have driven drunk(and genuinely feels like he deserves the heat).
Doesn't help that Ravi is really into Adrian, who can't stand the sight of him. And Adrian has to constantly fight himself - and his traitorous dick during masturbation(and failing FYI) because he can't BELIEVE he's into someone who did such a thing.
Love when people have to fight their feelings. And because I knew the background neither of them had, it was even more endearing when they were able to find a connection in spite of that. Who knew that Adrian could ever get to a point where he'd say to Ravi 'I don't hate you for making one bad decision.'?
Of course the circumstances come to light and it gets resolved. But another thing I loved is how realistic the romance was(without stripping away the romance, if that makes sense)
They didn't put too much pressure on their budding relationship. Ravi didn't pull all nighters while he had home games in order to spend all his free time with Adrian, and Adrian didn't make that a complication. A huge chunk of their early relationship was spent texting and on video calls while Ravi was away.
I've had this on my TBR for months and never had the inclination to listen because I lowkey thought it would be boring but I'm happy to have been wrong.
That said, I HATED the voice the narrator did for Ravi. He sounded both hoarse and world-weary the entire time. Gah.
Adrian lost his leg(and his Olympic figure skating dreams) after a drunk driver hit him shortly after winning the world championship. Moving on with his life, he opens a rink where he teaches children living with disabilities to skate.
Ravi, captain of the Denver NHL team, woke up in a hospital bed with no memory of why he ended up crashing his car and an inexplicable DUI charge—he doesn't understand how he could have been that dumb, given he's generally not a drinker. He ends up sentenced to serving 500 hours of community service at (you guessed it) Adrian's rink.
Two things I was thankful for right off the jump.
#1. Ravi was NOT the driver who caused Adrian to lose his leg(we had no timelines between the prologue where Adrian got into the accident and the end of chapter one where Ravi did, so I legitimately worried about that because I don't know if the power of love is strong enough to overcome that, and if it was meant to, I don't know if I could suspend disbelief enough to buy it.)
#2. The reader gets to know in chapter one(while Adrian loses his memory) that he's drugged with ketamine by a reporter who offers him a tablet meant to be a painkiller for his migraine, and in the ensuing disorientation, he's dealing with the effects of the migraine, the drug AND trying to get away from the reporter who's advancing on him when he ends up fleeing the establishment and getting into his car.
Exceptionally happy about this one because while I'm all for a redemption arc, I wasn't too psyched about the idea of an MC who was a drunk driver falling in love with someone who lost a lot because of one.
Plus, it packed a double punch when these two met up the first time and Adrian was understandably mean to him, while Ravi didn't feel like he even had a right to try and explain because even he doesn't know how on earth he could have driven drunk(and genuinely feels like he deserves the heat).
Doesn't help that Ravi is really into Adrian, who can't stand the sight of him. And Adrian has to constantly fight himself - and his traitorous dick during masturbation(and failing FYI) because he can't BELIEVE he's into someone who did such a thing.
Love when people have to fight their feelings. And because I knew the background neither of them had, it was even more endearing when they were able to find a connection in spite of that. Who knew that Adrian could ever get to a point where he'd say to Ravi 'I don't hate you for making one bad decision.'?
Of course the circumstances come to light and it gets resolved. But another thing I loved is how realistic the romance was(without stripping away the romance, if that makes sense)
They didn't put too much pressure on their budding relationship. Ravi didn't pull all nighters while he had home games in order to spend all his free time with Adrian, and Adrian didn't make that a complication. A huge chunk of their early relationship was spent texting and on video calls while Ravi was away.
I've had this on my TBR for months and never had the inclination to listen because I lowkey thought it would be boring but I'm happy to have been wrong.
That said, I HATED the voice the narrator did for Ravi. He sounded both hoarse and world-weary the entire time. Gah.
November 27, 2022
Ravi and Adrien don’t have a "love at first sight" intro. They are pretty much forced together by fate....and that same fate has a terrible sense of humor since it also puts the two guys on opposite sides of similar sets of circumstances. Those circumstances have had a significantly negative impact on Adrien’s life. The initial sparks between them are mostly of one-sided hate. when the truth is slowly revealed over the course of the book it shows that Ravi isn’t who Adrien first assumed he was. It didn't really matter anyway because Adrien is already falling for the other man. The most obvious theme of the story is that a good person can once in a while do something bad, and another person has the capability to find it in themself to look past and forgive it. The characters were wonderful and unforgettable. Ravi is the team captain for the Denver Huskies, the local NHL team. He is under intense scrutiny and now has to perform community service for a night that he can't even remember but seems to haunt him everywhere he turns. Adrien is a figure skating superstar who had his Olympic dreams shattered by a drunk driver. It is three years later, and he still hasn't fully come to terms with it. In addition to the two main characters here, I absolutely loved their two best friends, Felix and Nolan. I hope they have a story of their own soon.
August 8, 2022
This had a very tense and emotional beginning. Two converging stories that you knew were going to collide, and you can’t wait to see where it will take you.
Adrien is, in many ways, still raw from an accident that changed his life 3 years ago and ended his figure skating career. When Ravi comes to his rink for his community service, after a terrible mistake made one night, Adrien is less than impressed, even if he is ridiculously attracted to the gorgeous hockey player.
The more time they spend together though, the more they are drawn to the other and their rough edges and pain are soothed. They are lovely together and I really enjoyed their connection.
I also loved Ravi’s teammates/friends who were a lot of fun and completely adorable, I love forward to more of them.
EM Lindsey always writes stories with characters who are perfectly imperfect in the most beautiful and real way. Giving humans acceptance, love and a beautiful happy ending. This story was no different.
Adrien is, in many ways, still raw from an accident that changed his life 3 years ago and ended his figure skating career. When Ravi comes to his rink for his community service, after a terrible mistake made one night, Adrien is less than impressed, even if he is ridiculously attracted to the gorgeous hockey player.
The more time they spend together though, the more they are drawn to the other and their rough edges and pain are soothed. They are lovely together and I really enjoyed their connection.
I also loved Ravi’s teammates/friends who were a lot of fun and completely adorable, I love forward to more of them.
EM Lindsey always writes stories with characters who are perfectly imperfect in the most beautiful and real way. Giving humans acceptance, love and a beautiful happy ending. This story was no different.
August 20, 2022
It was an ok read. Enemies to lovers or better said one MC with a chip on his shoulder and another who just took it lol. I enjoyed it but it was lighter than I expected. I think the best part in the book was the sex though.. It was 🔥 with a very light dom/sub dynamics .
August 20, 2022
3.5 stars
Very enjoyable, emotional story. I read this fast and didn’t want to put it down. I really liked both characters! Was happy to have a POC main character, and especially to have some of his experiences as an Indian man in a very white sport mentioned.
There were some editing issues, where one character’s name was used when it should’ve been the other, and this always bothers me and pulls me out of the story. It’s often hard enough just to keep track of two characters with the same pronoun lol. I also felt like the story wrapped up a bit too quickly, with the characters moving on from fuck buddies jarringly fast.
Also, I just don’t love finishing a romance novel and reading that the main characters barely see each other.
Very enjoyable, emotional story. I read this fast and didn’t want to put it down. I really liked both characters! Was happy to have a POC main character, and especially to have some of his experiences as an Indian man in a very white sport mentioned.
There were some editing issues, where one character’s name was used when it should’ve been the other, and this always bothers me and pulls me out of the story. It’s often hard enough just to keep track of two characters with the same pronoun lol. I also felt like the story wrapped up a bit too quickly, with the characters moving on from fuck buddies jarringly fast.
Also, I just don’t love finishing a romance novel and reading that the main characters barely see each other.
August 20, 2022
Terrifically hot,
violated, skating men
trade trauma, find love.
violated, skating men
trade trauma, find love.
March 9, 2023
The injustice in the beginning infected my whole morning. The story was quite avarage and predictable. Narration was good.
Read
January 8, 2023DNF - no rating
Didn't really like one of the MCs, and since Lindsey has plenty of other great books with characters I would be into...time to throw in the towel. It's me, not you.
Didn't really like one of the MCs, and since Lindsey has plenty of other great books with characters I would be into...time to throw in the towel. It's me, not you.
August 19, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Breakaway is the first book in E.M. Lindsey’s new Sin Bin: West Coast series. The series takes place in the same world as Lindsey’s similarly titled Sin Bin series with Marina Vivancos. However, while some of the familiar teams and players are mentioned casually here, this book stands alone and the series will focus on different teams and players, so you definitely don’t need to have read the other series to enjoy these.
I say this time and again, but Lindsey is such a master with character development and this book is no exception. The story sets up these men in immediate conflict.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Breakaway is the first book in E.M. Lindsey’s new Sin Bin: West Coast series. The series takes place in the same world as Lindsey’s similarly titled Sin Bin series with Marina Vivancos. However, while some of the familiar teams and players are mentioned casually here, this book stands alone and the series will focus on different teams and players, so you definitely don’t need to have read the other series to enjoy these.
I say this time and again, but Lindsey is such a master with character development and this book is no exception. The story sets up these men in immediate conflict.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
January 6, 2024
The story in itself was interesting because of the confrontation between a disabled mc after a life altering accident and a kind of celebrity hockey player who has to do community service after a DUI-accident.
Another interesting aspect for me was the indian heritage of Ravi, which could have promised a lot of insight in this (for me) exotic heritage for a good story. But we don’t get much aside of the mentioning of delicious indian food.
Something about the writing felt off for me, and I think the mc's gave in to their obviously first only visual attraction for each other way too easy.
Aside of all this, I didn’t like how Luca was represented. I certainly hope that we Germans don’t lose all our personal pronouns while speaking english.
And there is certainly no crappy, cheap German beer to be found 😬
Another interesting aspect for me was the indian heritage of Ravi, which could have promised a lot of insight in this (for me) exotic heritage for a good story. But we don’t get much aside of the mentioning of delicious indian food.
Something about the writing felt off for me, and I think the mc's gave in to their obviously first only visual attraction for each other way too easy.
Aside of all this, I didn’t like how Luca was represented. I certainly hope that we Germans don’t lose all our personal pronouns while speaking english.
And there is certainly no crappy, cheap German beer to be found 😬
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2022
3 stars for the story
2 for the narration
This was overall enjoyable, I didn’t love the story or characters but it was a nice little filler. Despite some heavy topics, this book remains on the lighter side.
The only let down for me was the narration by John Solo which I really did not enjoy at all.
2 for the narration
This was overall enjoyable, I didn’t love the story or characters but it was a nice little filler. Despite some heavy topics, this book remains on the lighter side.
The only let down for me was the narration by John Solo which I really did not enjoy at all.
August 19, 2022
As usual, EM Lindsey approaches every subgenre and trope by crafting beautiful, emotional stories of people who are real and complex. Breakaway was no different and I gobbled this book up in one sitting.
Our heroes are former figure skater, Adrien Fischer, who was forced to retire early after being hit by a drunk driver right at the cusp of his fledgling Olympic career, and Ravi Chandola, captain of the Denver Huskies ice hockey team and facing community service after being charged with a DUI. His community service organisation? The skating rink run by Adrien and whose icy reception at being faced with someone committing the same offence that tanked his skating career is going to make this a long year of hours.
I adored these two characters. I cannot resist a prickly character who puts up walls for their own protection and Adrien was all this and more. We see him still trying to reconcile many of his struggles and also adjust to finding himself as a skater with a prosthetic leg. On top of all this, and a pesky, awful ex who just won’t disappear, he has such a crush on the handsome but sad hockey captain haunting his rink. Ravi also glommed his way into my heart instantly. Not only do I love seeing an unapologetically South Asian character, especially in spaces people don’t expect us, but the emotional arc he experiences in this book immediately pulled me in. Without spoiling any plot points, Ravi has to learn to lean on his teammates, and even the slowly thawing Adrien who Ravi cannot help but admire and slowly fall for. The intimacy between these two characters was so raw and deeply intense, and allow both of them to be vulnerable in ways they have not allowed themselves to experience. This HEA felt so well deserved and *Breakaway* was all I wanted from an EM Lindsey book and then some.
Breakaway is out TODAY, and I highly recommend this 5 star read for the gorgeous storytelling, authentically portrayed characters, and great representation.
CW’s: on-page, non-consensual consumption of ketamine as a roofie. No assault takes place but that is the intent. Brief moments of panic attacks and other minor triggers for PTSD, mentions of a past, off-page assault, and ableist language. Please also note that there are low-key elements of a D/s sexual relationship.
Our heroes are former figure skater, Adrien Fischer, who was forced to retire early after being hit by a drunk driver right at the cusp of his fledgling Olympic career, and Ravi Chandola, captain of the Denver Huskies ice hockey team and facing community service after being charged with a DUI. His community service organisation? The skating rink run by Adrien and whose icy reception at being faced with someone committing the same offence that tanked his skating career is going to make this a long year of hours.
I adored these two characters. I cannot resist a prickly character who puts up walls for their own protection and Adrien was all this and more. We see him still trying to reconcile many of his struggles and also adjust to finding himself as a skater with a prosthetic leg. On top of all this, and a pesky, awful ex who just won’t disappear, he has such a crush on the handsome but sad hockey captain haunting his rink. Ravi also glommed his way into my heart instantly. Not only do I love seeing an unapologetically South Asian character, especially in spaces people don’t expect us, but the emotional arc he experiences in this book immediately pulled me in. Without spoiling any plot points, Ravi has to learn to lean on his teammates, and even the slowly thawing Adrien who Ravi cannot help but admire and slowly fall for. The intimacy between these two characters was so raw and deeply intense, and allow both of them to be vulnerable in ways they have not allowed themselves to experience. This HEA felt so well deserved and *Breakaway* was all I wanted from an EM Lindsey book and then some.
Breakaway is out TODAY, and I highly recommend this 5 star read for the gorgeous storytelling, authentically portrayed characters, and great representation.
CW’s: on-page, non-consensual consumption of ketamine as a roofie. No assault takes place but that is the intent. Brief moments of panic attacks and other minor triggers for PTSD, mentions of a past, off-page assault, and ableist language. Please also note that there are low-key elements of a D/s sexual relationship.
August 26, 2022
DNF @ 7%. This book starts with the main character getting obviously roofied and then unfairly charged with a DUI… which he pleads guilty to. I capital-H Hate when authors have this kind of thing as a plot point (especially when the character is rich enough to pay lawyers who know better). It sends such a terrible message about the legal system - ie, you should just give up and not fight back against unfair charges, or at least that lots of people do that and it’s normal/not a big deal.
Look… if you are innocent of the charges, don’t lie under oath and plead guilty so you have a criminal record for the rest of your life, without at least telling the truth about what happened to a lawyer who’s literally being paid to help you. !!!!
There are enough real problems with the criminal justice system, there’s absolutely no reason for authors to be making up fake ones.
Look… if you are innocent of the charges, don’t lie under oath and plead guilty so you have a criminal record for the rest of your life, without at least telling the truth about what happened to a lawyer who’s literally being paid to help you. !!!!
There are enough real problems with the criminal justice system, there’s absolutely no reason for authors to be making up fake ones.
March 17, 2024
This had a lot of interesting elements but didn't really work for me.
Pros: disability representation, BIPOC MC in a predominantly white sport, caring and funny friends, some decent spice, figure skater + hockey player sterotypes had a bit of role reversal in the bedroom that was unexpected
Cons: wholly unbelievable, irritating MC, "enemies" to lovers was a flip of a switch out of nowhere, ending felt flat, didn't feel justice for the wrongdoing that was a major theme in the book, surface level exploration of BIPOC MCs culture, something about the writing style just didn't speak to me.
Pros: disability representation, BIPOC MC in a predominantly white sport, caring and funny friends, some decent spice, figure skater + hockey player sterotypes had a bit of role reversal in the bedroom that was unexpected
Cons: wholly unbelievable, irritating MC, "enemies" to lovers was a flip of a switch out of nowhere, ending felt flat, didn't feel justice for the wrongdoing that was a major theme in the book, surface level exploration of BIPOC MCs culture, something about the writing style just didn't speak to me.
October 4, 2022
I enjoyed Ravi and Adrien's story. Two male skaters who are enemies due to similar circumstances with opposite outcomes. It didn't have as much angst as I'm used to in an enemies-to-lovers story but more of Adrien being a jerk to Ravi. It was sweet once they managed to clear the air.
The narration was great, and I enjoyed John Solo performing all the characters.
The narration was great, and I enjoyed John Solo performing all the characters.
August 26, 2022
DNF @ 56% when the MCs are suddenly friendly enough to have sex: WTF?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2024
2⭐️ I liked this until about 50% in - I felt like it went from 0-100 far too quickly, and I just didn't gel with the characters as much as I wanted to.
August 20, 2022
Trust E.M. Lindsey to only need a prologue in order to make me cry… This story grabbed my heart right from the start and didn’t let go - Breakaway was such an amazing, emotional read with lots of tension and steam!
Adrien and Ravi were so different and initially I had a hard time seeing them together, but they had an abundance of sexual tension and chemistry between them and I enjoyed every second of their story. There are several triggers in this book so please read the content warning and be kind to yourself while reading.
Adrien was so fierce and I adored him. His hostility towards Ravi could be justified and I liked how Adrien was able to let go of it once he got to know Ravi better. Ravi was just a complete sweetheart and I loved the sweet moments between them - especially since any scenario like that seemed impossible at first.
I also loved the dynamic and the mild D/s power exchange between them, it was so hot and well written. Seeing Adrien being comfortable and finally finding someone he could be himself around was precious.
It’s not quite as dark and angsty as some of Lindsey’s books, but still a very emotional and partly angsty read - and a great start of a new series. Ravi’s teammates made me laugh several times and there were some great side characters that I hope will get their own stories eventually!
Adrien and Ravi were so different and initially I had a hard time seeing them together, but they had an abundance of sexual tension and chemistry between them and I enjoyed every second of their story. There are several triggers in this book so please read the content warning and be kind to yourself while reading.
Adrien was so fierce and I adored him. His hostility towards Ravi could be justified and I liked how Adrien was able to let go of it once he got to know Ravi better. Ravi was just a complete sweetheart and I loved the sweet moments between them - especially since any scenario like that seemed impossible at first.
I also loved the dynamic and the mild D/s power exchange between them, it was so hot and well written. Seeing Adrien being comfortable and finally finding someone he could be himself around was precious.
It’s not quite as dark and angsty as some of Lindsey’s books, but still a very emotional and partly angsty read - and a great start of a new series. Ravi’s teammates made me laugh several times and there were some great side characters that I hope will get their own stories eventually!
August 21, 2022
Another great series start combining two of my favorite things: hockey and E.M. Lindsey. In this book, we meet Ravi, a player for the Huskies, who has something traumatic and terrible happen to him at the beginning of the book. We also meet Adrien, a rising figure skater, who had his Olympic dreams shattered by a drunk driver. Adrien was so prickly and hostile towards Ravi, who was fulfilling community service at Adrien's rink. Poor Ravi took it because he thought that he deserved the pain and punishment for what happened. Both of these characters were so deeply fleshed out, and I felt for both of them. Their circumstances, though unfair and painful, brought them together. I loved their relationship and the glimpses of Adrien's dominant side. It fit these two so well.
The side characters were fascinating as well. Adrien's bestie, Nolan, and Ravi's teammates were the perfect compliments to our main characters. I am very interested in the next story featuring Nolan, Marko, and Luka. I also adore Felix and cannot wait to see his story as well.
As with all E.M. Lindsey books, I was drawn in from the prologue and could not put it down. I truly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it!
I received an ARC from the author for my honest review
The side characters were fascinating as well. Adrien's bestie, Nolan, and Ravi's teammates were the perfect compliments to our main characters. I am very interested in the next story featuring Nolan, Marko, and Luka. I also adore Felix and cannot wait to see his story as well.
As with all E.M. Lindsey books, I was drawn in from the prologue and could not put it down. I truly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it!
I received an ARC from the author for my honest review
September 19, 2022
Wow. E.M. Lindsey just continues to take my breath away. The way they write….it gets me every time. They continue to be one of my most treasured authors. Ravi, what a delightfully bristly character. A hockey star because he’s in love with the game, captain because of his skill, but riddled with anxiety and insecurity. His friendships are heart-skippingly good. Their camaraderie fills you with joy. They are there for one another and so comfortable together. Adrian is strong. Opinionated. A care giver. The way he handled Ravi’s conflict was fantastic. Man, I just really fucking enjoyed and loved this book, just like the other Sin Bins. Please give me more E.M. They’re amazing. You’ve helped me fall in love with hockey.
Now, John Solo. He has become one of my most favorite narrators. He knocked it out of the fucking park. His voice is amazing, I’d listen to him read the personal ads. So fucking talented.
Now, John Solo. He has become one of my most favorite narrators. He knocked it out of the fucking park. His voice is amazing, I’d listen to him read the personal ads. So fucking talented.
September 1, 2022
Hm, yeah. I really wanted another Marina Vivancos book in this universe and got this. It's good, it's sexy and, after a week, I don't remember it, despite all the trauma. Bummer.
August 19, 2024
This one went from 0 to 60 in so little time.
I didn't believe in their attraction or the relationship.
This my first EM book tho so I'll try something else.
I didn't believe in their attraction or the relationship.
This my first EM book tho so I'll try something else.
September 12, 2022
My second book from the author. Same rating. Maybe not for me.
September 21, 2024
dnf audiobook 54%
i loved ravi, the hockey player. he was such a sweetheart but i hated this entire „he was date rape drugged and escaped but caught a diu charge for it“. it was stupid. this man has big money, and a good lawyer and we are supposed to believe he just rolled over and took the charge? that he did not demand a full blood panel test when the police „hurried“ and refused to look further into it? and that he accepted the charge knowing he is innocent, especially not standing up to disabled mmcs bullying KNOWING he did not do what disabled mmc is punishing him for?
i loved that ravi was not white, and gay. but there has been barely any representation of it besides mmc ordering, cooking or talking about indian food.
now to the other one. adrian. the perpetual victim. it was mentioned a couple times that he had a therapist and by god he needs to call him, because hes fucked in the head. the way he kept bullying and dunking on ravi, putting him down to make himself feel superior under the guise of „ravi could have been the one that cost me my leg in that accident“. no. the man who drunkenly drove into him and caused the accident that cost him his leg is in PRISON. it is not RAVI. justice has been served. but his entire personality is formed around being the victim.
from the beginning on he projected his trauma and insecurity onto ravi and bullied and demeaned him. he always had an attitude and tried to push ravis buttons, in hope to rile him up & have cause to further abuse him. but ravi never fell for it or reacted to it which made it painful to read, i ust wanted to slap adrian and get him away from ravi.
then right before they are suddenly friendly enough to fuck adrian gets racist. loved how ravi stood up against him and called him out. but it wasnt supposed to be racism, it was just adrian being a raging cunt :))))
what made me dnf was how they went from barely being on speaking terms to being „friendly“ and instantly fucked. the sex scene included ravi knowing that adrian still partially hated him and therefore was not gentle to him. that it might be the penance for what he did.. bro what??? ravi did NOTHING and ravi knows it. ravi was date rape drugged and escaped said rape. then kept being harassed by the attempted rapist, had a panic attack caused by a trigger and shortly afterwards gets fucked roughly by a man about whom he knows still hates him and thinks this is what he deserves? penance for the crime he never committed???
author what the fuck is your problem
i loved ravi, the hockey player. he was such a sweetheart but i hated this entire „he was date rape drugged and escaped but caught a diu charge for it“. it was stupid. this man has big money, and a good lawyer and we are supposed to believe he just rolled over and took the charge? that he did not demand a full blood panel test when the police „hurried“ and refused to look further into it? and that he accepted the charge knowing he is innocent, especially not standing up to disabled mmcs bullying KNOWING he did not do what disabled mmc is punishing him for?
i loved that ravi was not white, and gay. but there has been barely any representation of it besides mmc ordering, cooking or talking about indian food.
now to the other one. adrian. the perpetual victim. it was mentioned a couple times that he had a therapist and by god he needs to call him, because hes fucked in the head. the way he kept bullying and dunking on ravi, putting him down to make himself feel superior under the guise of „ravi could have been the one that cost me my leg in that accident“. no. the man who drunkenly drove into him and caused the accident that cost him his leg is in PRISON. it is not RAVI. justice has been served. but his entire personality is formed around being the victim.
from the beginning on he projected his trauma and insecurity onto ravi and bullied and demeaned him. he always had an attitude and tried to push ravis buttons, in hope to rile him up & have cause to further abuse him. but ravi never fell for it or reacted to it which made it painful to read, i ust wanted to slap adrian and get him away from ravi.
then right before they are suddenly friendly enough to fuck adrian gets racist. loved how ravi stood up against him and called him out. but it wasnt supposed to be racism, it was just adrian being a raging cunt :))))
what made me dnf was how they went from barely being on speaking terms to being „friendly“ and instantly fucked. the sex scene included ravi knowing that adrian still partially hated him and therefore was not gentle to him. that it might be the penance for what he did.. bro what??? ravi did NOTHING and ravi knows it. ravi was date rape drugged and escaped said rape. then kept being harassed by the attempted rapist, had a panic attack caused by a trigger and shortly afterwards gets fucked roughly by a man about whom he knows still hates him and thinks this is what he deserves? penance for the crime he never committed???
author what the fuck is your problem
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2022
This is the first book in this series and I did enjoy it. It is well written and easy to read. This is the story of Ravi and Adrien. Ravi is the team captain for the Denver Huskies, the local NHL team. He is under intense scrutiny and now has to perform community service for a night that he can't remember. Adrien is a figure skating superstar who had his olympic dreams shattered by a drunk driver. It is three years later and he still hasn't fully come to terms with it. It was explosive when they meet. Both need to forgive themselves before they can move forward in life. This is their story. I didn't enjoy it as much as I anticipated. Adrien was spiteful and mean to me. And Ravi, he was far too accommodating. As a captain on a team sport, one would think that he would have more backbone and strength. I found this to be more of an okay read. I absolutely loved both their best friends. Felix and Nolan were much more relatable characters to me and I really look forward to reading their stories. Overall, I liked the book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
September 14, 2022
So we have Adrien who is on the verge of making it to the Olympics when his skating career ends due to a drunk driving causing him to have his leg amputated. Ravi is an NHL star who was charged with DUI and ended up wrecking his car in a single vehicle accident. Needless to say, Arden hates him from the minute he walks in to perform his court order community service. I understand where Adrien was coming from, but the hatred was a bit OTT for me. Eventually, he comes to see that Ravi is really a good person and the walls start to come down. What actually happened to Ravi was horrible, and to think these things happen all the time. I love the secondary characters and can’t wait to continue on with this series. John Solo as always did an amazing job bringing these characters to life.
I received a copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest opinion
I received a copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest opinion
February 13, 2023
While this technically isn’t insta-love, it feels like it a bit because while an appropriate amount of time passes it’s off page e.g. “a few weeks later…”. Also, Ravi and Adrian don’t share a lot of page time together which also adds to the insta-love feel. Luckily as this is a relatively short book the off page time doesn’t go on for too long either, and as the book progresses they are together more. It’s mostly that they don’t spend much time together before they’re falling in love.
However it’s a sweet relatively low angst story other than what happens to Ravi (check TW). The relationship itself is pretty low key in a good way. I loved how Ravi and Adrian really took care of each other emotionally, and Adrian’s dominance in the bedroom was hot yet not over the top.
However it’s a sweet relatively low angst story other than what happens to Ravi (check TW). The relationship itself is pretty low key in a good way. I loved how Ravi and Adrian really took care of each other emotionally, and Adrian’s dominance in the bedroom was hot yet not over the top.
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