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Hockey Ever After #1
Winging It
Hockey is Gabe Martin's life. Dante Baltierra just wants to have some fun on his way to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Falling for a teammate isn't in either game plan. But plans change. When Gabe gets outed, it turns his careful life upside-down. The chaos messes with his game and sends his team headlong into a losing streak. The last person he expects to pull him through it is Dante. This season isn’t going the way Dante thought it would. Gabe’s sexuality doesn’t faze him, but his own does. Dante’s always been a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy, and having to hide his attraction to Gabe sucks. But so does losing, and his teammate needs him, so he puts in the effort to snap Gabe out of his funk. He doesn’t mean to fall in love with the guy. Getting involved with a teammate is a bad idea, but Dante is shameless, funny, and brilliant at hockey. Gabe can’t resist. Unfortunately, he struggles to share part of himself that he’s hidden for years, and Dante chafes at hiding their relationship. Can they find their feet before the ice slips out from under them? Winging It is the first book in the hot, hilarious, heartfelt Hockey Ever After series. If you like witty banter, friends to lovers, and sports romance, you’ll love Winging It.
282 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2015
922 people are currently reading
7678 people want to read
About the author
Ashlyn Kane
33 books511 followersAshlyn Kane is a thirtysomething writer, editor, procrastinator, and dog mom. She likes cheese, puns, and hockey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 927 reviews
November 18, 2022
This was a surprisingly good, warm, hockey player coming out story. In real life, we're still waiting for that first out NHL player, and I hope it goes something like this - not without issues, and not without pain, but with a real up-side and a lack of melodrama.
Gabe Martin is a player at the top of his game, although his team, the Nordiques, are more often toward the bottom of the standings than the top. He's gay but closeted, and has been content with that. He has no intentions to come out or make waves, and while he wouldn't mind having a steady boyfriend, the last guy he dated turned out to be mainly after his money. A couple of his teammates know he's gay and are okay with it, which keeps him from total isolation, but he does hold back from the team a bit especially when they go out to party. He's content, though, with a quiet personal life and playing excellent hockey.
Dante Baltierra has been with the Dekes for a year now, although an injury kept him out for half of his rookie year. He's fun, open, cheerful, and possessed of a great ass in a lockerroom full of fit athlete bodies. Gabe loves skating and playing on a line with him, and tries not to notice anything else. Then Gabe's ex-boyfriend outs him, and suddenly he's coping with a lot more than fighting an attraction to a straight teammate. Until Dante reveals he's not that straight, after all.
The coming-out in this book was well done, in the plausible reality of a team without a lot of homophobia and a coach who is a woman. (I appreciated that touch, allowing a strong female character in a book about male pro sports, and giving a plausible other PR issue the team is already dealing with. First female coach in the sport would be tough too.) Gabe was sweet and beautifully hesitant, clumsy with relationship issues, and confused but loving with Dante. Dante is excellent - fun, brave and undaunted in going after what he wants.
The angst may be a little low, in truth. Recent events have revealed how many bigots still lurk around, willing to be vile in the name of homophobia, but the Michael Sam situation has shown it likely that at least on the surface, there would be general acceptance of a gay player. The under-surface negative issues were perhaps skimped here, but the result was a warm, fun read. I loved that the author also avoided a few clichés, and created two real, believable guys who didn't get everything tied up in a pretty bow. Well done.
ETA 2022: This has been rereleased in a new version, also very good, but slightly different in feel. In the new book, we get Dante's POV alongside Gabe's - this gives us some fun time with a great MC, but steps down the poignancy a little by removing some uncertainty. I was a little thrown by the renaming of secondary characters (but understand the impetus; if you're doing a reread, there's an author's note.) Both versions remain on my favorite hockey fiction list.
Gabe Martin is a player at the top of his game, although his team, the Nordiques, are more often toward the bottom of the standings than the top. He's gay but closeted, and has been content with that. He has no intentions to come out or make waves, and while he wouldn't mind having a steady boyfriend, the last guy he dated turned out to be mainly after his money. A couple of his teammates know he's gay and are okay with it, which keeps him from total isolation, but he does hold back from the team a bit especially when they go out to party. He's content, though, with a quiet personal life and playing excellent hockey.
Dante Baltierra has been with the Dekes for a year now, although an injury kept him out for half of his rookie year. He's fun, open, cheerful, and possessed of a great ass in a lockerroom full of fit athlete bodies. Gabe loves skating and playing on a line with him, and tries not to notice anything else. Then Gabe's ex-boyfriend outs him, and suddenly he's coping with a lot more than fighting an attraction to a straight teammate. Until Dante reveals he's not that straight, after all.
The coming-out in this book was well done, in the plausible reality of a team without a lot of homophobia and a coach who is a woman. (I appreciated that touch, allowing a strong female character in a book about male pro sports, and giving a plausible other PR issue the team is already dealing with. First female coach in the sport would be tough too.) Gabe was sweet and beautifully hesitant, clumsy with relationship issues, and confused but loving with Dante. Dante is excellent - fun, brave and undaunted in going after what he wants.
The angst may be a little low, in truth. Recent events have revealed how many bigots still lurk around, willing to be vile in the name of homophobia, but the Michael Sam situation has shown it likely that at least on the surface, there would be general acceptance of a gay player. The under-surface negative issues were perhaps skimped here, but the result was a warm, fun read. I loved that the author also avoided a few clichés, and created two real, believable guys who didn't get everything tied up in a pretty bow. Well done.
ETA 2022: This has been rereleased in a new version, also very good, but slightly different in feel. In the new book, we get Dante's POV alongside Gabe's - this gives us some fun time with a great MC, but steps down the poignancy a little by removing some uncertainty. I was a little thrown by the renaming of secondary characters (but understand the impetus; if you're doing a reread, there's an author's note.) Both versions remain on my favorite hockey fiction list.
September 22, 2019
Changed my original rating from 4 to 5 stars, since I have read this book approximately 10 times, and I still LOVE it.
And here's why:
- Fantastic friends up the wazoo.
- The right amount of relationship-angst (for me) considering Gabe's career, his life as a professional athlete, his late personal development and growth and his Narnia-days.
-Dante is a fantastic MC, and so goddamn understanding and mature compared to Gabe in regards to their relationship, which is fun, since he's the 'crazy' one.
- Also a VERY special place in my heart for Kitty<3 (And his apology vodka!)
Beware this is HEAVY on the hockey, but I, for one, thought it was amazing to finally have a book where they actually play, train and diet accordingly!
One of the best MM-sports romances out there IMO.
And here's why:
- Fantastic friends up the wazoo.
- The right amount of relationship-angst (for me) considering Gabe's career, his life as a professional athlete, his late personal development and growth and his Narnia-days.
-Dante is a fantastic MC, and so goddamn understanding and mature compared to Gabe in regards to their relationship, which is fun, since he's the 'crazy' one.
- Also a VERY special place in my heart for Kitty<3 (And his apology vodka!)
Beware this is HEAVY on the hockey, but I, for one, thought it was amazing to finally have a book where they actually play, train and diet accordingly!
One of the best MM-sports romances out there IMO.
January 9, 2016
Oh how I love those hockey boys, and this book put them directly in the spotlight and was a fantastic read. Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James obviously know their hockey, and they even include a Hockey 101 guide in the book to help newbies.
Gabe "Banksy" Martin is a twenty five year old professional hockey player in the NHL. (FYI, be prepared for a bit of early confusion as you figure out who-is-who. Every player has a real name and a teammate appointed nickname and throughout the book, characters are called by their first, last and nicknames.) Banksy plays for the Quebec City Nordiques and has developed a very close relationship with several of the players. Those friends and his family know he is gay but he is in the closet with the entire team and the public. An old boyfriend sends him down the river by outing him to a tabloid and Banksy has to deal with the headache of his teammates and the press knowing his private business. Meanwhile, he is in serious lust with twenty year old straight Dante "Baller" Baltierra and works very hard to keep his feelings under wraps. Of course, he isn't as careful as he thinks he is and eventually Baller figures it out and the two start a sexual relationship.
I really loved Gabe and Dante together. (The boys make a pact to only call each other by their first names when they are alone and it becomes a major aphrodisiac for both of them.)
Baller was panting, wrecked, his lips swollen. Begging to be abused further. “Fuck,” he repeated. And then he hesitated, because he couldn't—could not—call the man he was sleeping with a stupid, childish nickname given by a bunch of overgrown boys. Not even if he wanted to. So he lowered his voice and tried something different. “Dante.”
Dante moaned and arched his hips up. Was that—?
“Dante,” he said again, and Dante let out another noise. Gabe’s stomach tightened, because that was definitely approval. “You like that, eh? Like it when I say your name?” He leaned in, placing his mouth right next to Dante’s ear. “Dante.” The whimper he got in response was beyond gratifying.
The sex here is hot and the dirty talk just elevated it to an even higher level. Unfortunately, these two have a serious problem communicating their feelings to one another and it does put a few bumps in the road on their HEA. (Unfortunately for them, not us! The angst was delicious.)
Now, while I gave the book 5 stars and am highly recommending it to my GR friends, I was ticked off by the ending. We finally have the boys happy and together and then we are taken to an epilogue two years in the future. Normally I love that, but I felt a bit cheated that more wasn't explained about what they had been up to during that time. Of course they are still together, but there were a few unanswered questions. It felt more HFN than HEA. But that was my interpretation. Yours may be quite different. The only penalty I gave the book for this was that it didn't make my absolute favorites shelf. Otherwise, it'd probably be there.
Highly recommended for all M/M romance lovers! This is a lovely book with red-hot sex to satisfy even the pickiest reader.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
June 9, 2025
“Fuck, you’re good at this. You should-you should teach me.”
Gabe had been doing a decent job ignoring his own cock, but he wasn’t a saint-that image made him groan. “You’re a menace.”
After spending several years wasting time on the AHL because his coach was racist, Dante Baltierra is ready to show the world latinos can play hockey too. This is going to be his year. But, after seeing one of his teammates kissing another guy, Dante realizes that he’s also bi. He hates hiding, but he doesn’t know if he can be latino and queer and still survive the league.
Gabe is the star of his hockey team, but he’s hiding one big secret that could change everything: he’s gay. He’s spent all his life making sure not to drink around his teammates, not to interact more than it was necessary, not to talk about himself. The more isolated he is, the safest.
But one photo changes everything.
I’ve read so many hockey romances that I really appreciate when authors are able to make me care about the characters, make me remember their names and their struggles. Dante and Gabe felt real and also very different. This was written by two authors, I don’t know if each wrote one POV or not, but the end result was that their POVs were not interchangeable, as it often happens in mm romance books.
My favorite part was Gabe’s character arc: seeing how he went from hiding to, slowly, let the world see him. Even though there were fans who hated him for being queer, at the end of the book I felt he realized he was actually happier being out. He was playing better than ever, he finally could form real bonds with his teammates and party with them without having to worry about hiding his sexuality. He showed the world you could be the best player on your team and also like men.
Dante was a ray of light. He was impulsive, but never without thinking. While Gabe overthought everything, Dante let himself act. He was confident in who he was and he didn’t let haters dictate how he was going to live his life.
It seemed like the authors wanted to give a positive message without taking away from the hardships of being latino/queer. Dante could have spent the book complaining about the racism he suffered. Instead, he decided to use that rage to work harder to be his own role model. He wanted to be the spotlight and show the world he could be latino, queer and a great hockey player. The same way with Gabe: he was happier after he was out, despite all the drama with the media and the fans.
I enjoyed seeing Dante and Gabe become best friends before anything else happened. I’m a huge fan of the quote ‘romance is friendship set on fire’. They were attracted to each other, but you could also see how they made sense as a couple; they always knew what the other needed.
My other favorite thing was all the secondary characters: it was such a pleasure to see the team together. I loved Flash and Ollie, but I had a soft spot for Kitty. He was responsible for so many of my favorite moments (the maple syrup scene killed me). I really hope we’ll see him again in future books.
And then Dante, whose presence Gabe had completely forgotten about in his surprise of seeing Kitty, yelled from the kitchen, “Hey, Gabe, where do you keep the maple syrup?”
Kitty met Gabe’s eyes.
Gabe panicked. “Um.”
On cue, Dante emerged from the back of the house. “Breakfast is just about-uh. Hi, Kitty.” He flushed.
Kitty looked at Gabe. “I’m hope maple syrup is for breakfast.”
The book lost me a bit at the end because I don’t really care about hockey and that part was more about that. There wasn’t much more to add to the romance, so it could have ended sooner, but it was a short part so I didn’t mind a lot.
Overall, I see why all of you have been loving this series. I’m really glad I gave it a try. Winging It deals with themes I’ve read before, but the execution made it feel like it was something new. The main characters were beautiful together and the secondary characters made the book even more special. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
↬ Hockey Ever After:
1. Winging It: 3.5 stars
2. Scoring Position: 3.75 stars
3. Unrivaled: 2.5 stars
April 26, 2024
3,25 stars.
Guess I should have read this years ago when I first put it on my tbr list because of glowing reviews of friends and readers I follow.
The authors' note explains that they changed a lot of things in the new edition (05/2022), even something as drastic as going from one pov (Gabe's) to alterning pov.
This edition wasn't bad, but sadly I wasn't blown away by it, either.
The MCs were fine, the secondary characters were fine (aside one ott villainous grandma), the plot was fine (aside the grandma-side-drama and the third act breakup). How the forced outing and the following weeks were handled felt realistic.
A (non spoilery) side note on the third act breakup.. I rarely read a more lucklaster and unnecessary third act breakup than this one.
To see how easily Gabe and Dante broke up after all was anticlimactic. They just stopped. Obviously they got together after a few weeks, and I was happy for them, but the whole issue felt constructed and meh.
I loved that the authors put women in leading positions, the coach and general manager both were women.
Guess I should have read this years ago when I first put it on my tbr list because of glowing reviews of friends and readers I follow.
The authors' note explains that they changed a lot of things in the new edition (05/2022), even something as drastic as going from one pov (Gabe's) to alterning pov.
This edition wasn't bad, but sadly I wasn't blown away by it, either.
The MCs were fine, the secondary characters were fine (aside one ott villainous grandma), the plot was fine (aside the grandma-side-drama and the third act breakup). How the forced outing and the following weeks were handled felt realistic.
A (non spoilery) side note on the third act breakup.. I rarely read a more lucklaster and unnecessary third act breakup than this one.
To see how easily Gabe and Dante broke up after all was anticlimactic. They just stopped. Obviously they got together after a few weeks, and I was happy for them, but the whole issue felt constructed and meh.
I loved that the authors put women in leading positions, the coach and general manager both were women.
November 26, 2022
Let me start by saying this book just got Re-edited and Re-released. In case you are reading older reviews complaining about it dragging, I think a lot was edited out.
Now. Did I love this? A seriously awesome, bisexual discovery, hot romance full of hockey? YES! YES! YES!
I loved everyone on the team, they were all fun and well written and I’d love to hear more about them. I adored Dante and Gabe. Dante a little more than Gabe.
As a Quebecer, I usually roll my eyes at the terrible French and the cliché French Canadian players in hockey books. But these authors were smart enough to keep the French minimal, and not throw “tabarnak” around every other page. I laughed a little at some old people names (Jacques, Pierre, Yvette, it’s like reading a book from the 70s), but it didn’t really bother me.
And the Nordiques might be long dead, but it was hard for this Montreal girl to root for them! Habs forever.
Now. Did I love this? A seriously awesome, bisexual discovery, hot romance full of hockey? YES! YES! YES!
I loved everyone on the team, they were all fun and well written and I’d love to hear more about them. I adored Dante and Gabe. Dante a little more than Gabe.
As a Quebecer, I usually roll my eyes at the terrible French and the cliché French Canadian players in hockey books. But these authors were smart enough to keep the French minimal, and not throw “tabarnak” around every other page. I laughed a little at some old people names (Jacques, Pierre, Yvette, it’s like reading a book from the 70s), but it didn’t really bother me.
And the Nordiques might be long dead, but it was hard for this Montreal girl to root for them! Habs forever.
June 7, 2023
3.75 ⭐️ reading this series all out of order but I love how they are truly an ode to hockey. You are not just being told the MCs are hockey players and then never hear about it again. You are fully immersed in the experience of being a hockey player with them.
December 13, 2024
*November 2024 re-reading by audio. The narrator is Nick J. Russo and I love to listen to him, so this will be a perfect re-read!*
Loved it again, realised I missed the make up sex though 🫣😆 But wonderfully narrated by Nick, just like I expected. Not sure what to think of his French accent, it sounds accurate but it was kind of too much? Anyway, still 4 stars.
Original 2020 review:
Second time reading because a new, revised version of this book will be out October 18th. This new version is definitely an improvement to the first one. All my reasons for my previous 3 star rating and the things that didn’t work well for me have been worked on and it really turned this book into a better version of the previous one.
One of my issues with the first version was that I had problems connecting to the mc's. I felt Gabe was a bit distant, even when reading his pov, and Dante's voice was lacking. Plus, there was so much hockey semantics, that I lost interest. BUT, having said that, this version was so much better!
Gabe is funnier, less distant. We get to know him much better, even though in essence he hasn't changed all that much. But he seems more human, if that makes sense. And it was a delight to get into Dante's head. He was this funny guy, but with a lot more depth to it. His worries about his parents and his abuela, about his position in the team, about partly returning to the closet for Gabe's sake. It all made a lot more sense in this version of the book. I changed my rating into 4 well deserved stars, and highly recommend this book to any mm hockey romance fan out there.
I kindly received an advanced copy from Gay Book Promotions and this is my honest, unbiased review
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved it again, realised I missed the make up sex though 🫣😆 But wonderfully narrated by Nick, just like I expected. Not sure what to think of his French accent, it sounds accurate but it was kind of too much? Anyway, still 4 stars.
Original 2020 review:
Second time reading because a new, revised version of this book will be out October 18th. This new version is definitely an improvement to the first one. All my reasons for my previous 3 star rating and the things that didn’t work well for me have been worked on and it really turned this book into a better version of the previous one.
One of my issues with the first version was that I had problems connecting to the mc's. I felt Gabe was a bit distant, even when reading his pov, and Dante's voice was lacking. Plus, there was so much hockey semantics, that I lost interest. BUT, having said that, this version was so much better!
Gabe is funnier, less distant. We get to know him much better, even though in essence he hasn't changed all that much. But he seems more human, if that makes sense. And it was a delight to get into Dante's head. He was this funny guy, but with a lot more depth to it. His worries about his parents and his abuela, about his position in the team, about partly returning to the closet for Gabe's sake. It all made a lot more sense in this version of the book. I changed my rating into 4 well deserved stars, and highly recommend this book to any mm hockey romance fan out there.
I kindly received an advanced copy from Gay Book Promotions and this is my honest, unbiased review
⭐️⭐️⭐️
My original review:
I liked Ashlyn Kanes' American Love Songs quite a lot. I enjoyed her writing, and though this book has quite a different setting (rockstars vs hockey gods) I was curious enough to pick it up.
Where I live, there is hardly a hockey culture, or it has to be fieldhockey, which is a complete different sport. But I do like to watch those hot ice hockey jocks :) So, I usually enjoy reading about them too, even though I am not familiar with all the rules and the play itself. When going into this, I knew there was quite some talk about the game itself, but I thought it wouldn't bother me a whole lot. I was wrong, unfortunately. It did bother me, I skipped quite some parts when it was all about the game that went on and on. That's not my only complaint, though. Even if the writing was good, I didn't really connect with Gabe and Dante as a couple, and not with them individually. I didn't dislike them, but just didn't feel them.
The beginning of the story felt promising, but eventually I started losing interest, specially in things going on outside their relationship. I didn't get why Gabe kept Dante at a certain distance, also why he was so afraid to trust him enough that he wanted more out of their relationship than just sex. So, considering what I expected, I must admit that I was a bit disappointed in this, but I'm sure diehard hockeyfans will love this a lot!
April 22, 2015
I really wanted to love this one but it was just ok for me. The story didn't pick up for me until after 37%, and even after I still had to push myself at times to finish. This felt very long at times.
I had a hard time with Gabe's character. He'd often mention how young Dante was, but Dante was usually the more mature one. I felt like he had to do a majority of the work for the relationship to get going.
I also would have preferred if the story had been told from an alternating POV. I wish we could've been inside Dante's head. He was my favorite part of the book and why I finished it rather than DNFing it. There were scenes in the book I wanted to delete and instead add in Dante's thoughts.
I do want to mention that the book is well written, and I can certainly see why it rated high with others. 3 Stars.
February 21, 2018
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Where's my 5 stars books?*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Umm, it's safe to say that this book was not for me. At all. I couldn't connect to none of the characters, nor did I actually like any of them There was also no spark between the characters. I didn't like the main character; right-winger for the Dekes hockey team, Gabriel ‘Gabe’ ‘Banksy’ Martin (25). His love interest and team mate; left-winger, Dante ‘Baller’ Baltierra (20, turns 21 later in the story) wasn't necessary bad, but since Gabe was so... closed, we barely got to know Dante. Also, I didn't like the ending, and I never felt like Gabe and Dante were a couple. I felt like Dante tried to in a relationship, yet Gabe was ashamed and didn't really appreciate Dante. Overall, I sorta regret reading this one, which I had coming since I decided to read this one even though I had already shelved it as a ‘checked-wont-read’. I should really start to listen to my own decision and stick to them...
Dante met his eyes and quirked half a smile. “Pirates and ice cream?” Under other circumstances, Gabe might hoard their ritual a little more selfishly. But like fuck could he leave their pet rookie to deal with this on his own. He could share for one night.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Standalone.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Dante ‘Baller’ Baltierra?
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Probably not.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Not really.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating -2 stars.
November 30, 2022
“So. Last night… happened. And now he was in a relationship with his teammate, who was immune to sexuality crises and into pegging.”
A cute, funny and sexy hockey romance. Bi-awakening. Grumpy/sunshine. Starchy/sassy. Quintessential white boy/latino spitfire.
A cute, funny and sexy hockey romance. Bi-awakening. Grumpy/sunshine. Starchy/sassy. Quintessential white boy/latino spitfire.
November 15, 2022
4.5 Stars!
Adorei esse livro, estou começando a entender mais sobre o esporte e achando interessante. Os personagens dessa história são bem divertidos, mas quem me conquistou foi Dante, é um ótimo personagem. Gostei do Gabe tbm, e dos outros integrantes do time. Uma treinadora porreta ( lugar de mulher é onde ela quiser!) 💪 Os dekes se mostrou um time diferente e gostoso de acompanhar.
Adorei esse livro, estou começando a entender mais sobre o esporte e achando interessante. Os personagens dessa história são bem divertidos, mas quem me conquistou foi Dante, é um ótimo personagem. Gostei do Gabe tbm, e dos outros integrantes do time. Uma treinadora porreta ( lugar de mulher é onde ela quiser!) 💪 Os dekes se mostrou um time diferente e gostoso de acompanhar.
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December 8, 2024
3.5 stars ☆
this would have been a solid four stars if it wasn’t for . regardless, i thought this was a good start to the series! i adored both mcs, as well as most of the side characters, and i loved how Dante just went straight for it the moment he saw an opportunity to be with Gabe. 😭🤣 looking forward to reading the rest of the series as well! 🥹
this would have been a solid four stars if it wasn’t for . regardless, i thought this was a good start to the series! i adored both mcs, as well as most of the side characters, and i loved how Dante just went straight for it the moment he saw an opportunity to be with Gabe. 😭🤣 looking forward to reading the rest of the series as well! 🥹
dnf
May 12, 2015DNF at 29%
One of the reviewers here said that "I think you really need to love your hockey to get the most out of this book and I completely in tune with that review. Some of my friends (including the Indonesians who don't know or understand hockey) said that it could be read without extensive knowledge of hockey but I respectfully disagree. I thought this had quite a heavy "hockey culture", with all the talks about the game, the activities surrounding the game, the myth prior to the game, the conversations about the games between the players, and heck, even the hockey players' nicknames.
And man, the nicknames gave me headache! Gabe = Banksy (and the newspaper articles called him "Martin") and Dante = Baller, and so on and so forth. I was too distant with these characters to keep track, and I never really a big fan of story that is written that way, with one character's name in the description but being called others in conversations.
I felt disconnected with the characters. I know that I was only early in the book, but I wasn't feeling the chemistry between Gabe and Dante (apart from Gabe said to be having a crush with Dante, but still in the closet). I wasn't inspired to know further about these people. So this is where I raise my white flag. No rating for DNF book, of course.
Sorry, Nichole! I hope I have better luck next time with your recommendations
One of the reviewers here said that "I think you really need to love your hockey to get the most out of this book and I completely in tune with that review. Some of my friends (including the Indonesians who don't know or understand hockey) said that it could be read without extensive knowledge of hockey but I respectfully disagree. I thought this had quite a heavy "hockey culture", with all the talks about the game, the activities surrounding the game, the myth prior to the game, the conversations about the games between the players, and heck, even the hockey players' nicknames.
And man, the nicknames gave me headache! Gabe = Banksy (and the newspaper articles called him "Martin") and Dante = Baller, and so on and so forth. I was too distant with these characters to keep track, and I never really a big fan of story that is written that way, with one character's name in the description but being called others in conversations.
I felt disconnected with the characters. I know that I was only early in the book, but I wasn't feeling the chemistry between Gabe and Dante (apart from Gabe said to be having a crush with Dante, but still in the closet). I wasn't inspired to know further about these people. So this is where I raise my white flag. No rating for DNF book, of course.
Sorry, Nichole! I hope I have better luck next time with your recommendations
November 18, 2025
How did I not know this hockey romance was sliding about out there waiting for me to pick it up? Well, I sooooo happy I did because the story was fantastic!!
I love MM sports romances. My favorite, by far, are hockey romances. This one is a total win for me.
Was it perfect? No.
Sometimes the writing lost me, confused me. That's OK, I picked up the story soon enough.
This has a lot of hockey talk. A lot. If hockey isn't your jam, then it may prove too much. For me, it really centered the story and helped to cement the guys in their world. There was no doubt by how they talked and acted, by what they did, that these were professional hockey players. Kudos on characterization to the authors.
The story follows one season of the Quebec City Nordiques, or The Dekes. It follows the relationship between a 25 year-old left winger, Gabe and a 20 year-old right winger, Dante. One is gay and mostly closeted. One will find out he is not straight.
The guys are fun to watch & the team is great--fantastic interaction!
The sex is super HOT and fun. Nothing like competitive professional athletes with professional level muscles going at it in bed!
My rec? Hell, yes!
I love MM sports romances. My favorite, by far, are hockey romances. This one is a total win for me.
Was it perfect? No.
Sometimes the writing lost me, confused me. That's OK, I picked up the story soon enough.
This has a lot of hockey talk. A lot. If hockey isn't your jam, then it may prove too much. For me, it really centered the story and helped to cement the guys in their world. There was no doubt by how they talked and acted, by what they did, that these were professional hockey players. Kudos on characterization to the authors.
The story follows one season of the Quebec City Nordiques, or The Dekes. It follows the relationship between a 25 year-old left winger, Gabe and a 20 year-old right winger, Dante. One is gay and mostly closeted. One will find out he is not straight.
The guys are fun to watch & the team is great--fantastic interaction!
The sex is super HOT and fun. Nothing like competitive professional athletes with professional level muscles going at it in bed!
My rec? Hell, yes!
October 19, 2022
As someone whos’s french canadian, i’m never going to not want to read a book set in Quebec, thats about hockey. That sounds like absolute heaven in a book for me. And turns out I really enjoyed this one. This book had so much hockey in it, and as someone who’s highlight of my month so far has been scoring really good tickets to see my favourite hockey team play, that was an absolute joy to read. I just loved how much hockey there was in this one and I had the best of time reading it.
Also, the romance was quite cute and there was a lot of really hot sex scenes. So it made for a pretty good reading experience in my book. I really liked the relationship progression in this one, it was fun to read and also felt quite realistic.
It might just be a me thing since I actually live in Quebec, but I wish that this book had more specific and detailed elements about the city and their lives there, it just felt like any general city and not Quebec in particular, but that just be on me.
Overall, this was quite an enjoyable book and I had a good time reading it.
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest opinion
Also, the romance was quite cute and there was a lot of really hot sex scenes. So it made for a pretty good reading experience in my book. I really liked the relationship progression in this one, it was fun to read and also felt quite realistic.
It might just be a me thing since I actually live in Quebec, but I wish that this book had more specific and detailed elements about the city and their lives there, it just felt like any general city and not Quebec in particular, but that just be on me.
Overall, this was quite an enjoyable book and I had a good time reading it.
I received an arc of this book and this is my honest opinion
Read
December 20, 2022DNF @ 68%
Not working for me for several reasons.
~~~~~~~~~
OK I’m back to share these reasons 😆 I almost gave this a rating because it was bugging me so much. This story had all the right ingredients: hockey romance, sprinkling of friends-to-lovers, bi-awakening, first loves, etc etc. Somehow despite all this everything fell so incredibly FLAT. There was no sexual chemistry between Gabe and Dante, and it wasn’t that they tried to write it in and it didn’t work, it just simply did not exist on the page. Like where was the yearning?? Where were the deep feelings?? Where was the heart?? Where was the tension?? It truly felt like friends who just happened to be f-cking and that was not the intention because they start an actual relationship pretty much immediately. The part done well was their friendship because it did feel very genuine. That said, it also felt very platonic. I know we shouldn’t compare books but a certain other highly popular friends-to-lovers hockey romance balances the friendship and the romance very well. In that book I could believe they were both best friends and in love. I think there was just a certain level of emotion lacking in this story that Gabe and Dante’s dynamics felt similar to their dynamics with other friends on the team.
Outside of all this the book just felt super long and mundane if I’m being honest. I’m surprised this is the edited down version because I can’t believe there use to be even more. Well this may just be a me thing but the book was sadly a miss 🤷🏻♀️
Not working for me for several reasons.
~~~~~~~~~
OK I’m back to share these reasons 😆 I almost gave this a rating because it was bugging me so much. This story had all the right ingredients: hockey romance, sprinkling of friends-to-lovers, bi-awakening, first loves, etc etc. Somehow despite all this everything fell so incredibly FLAT. There was no sexual chemistry between Gabe and Dante, and it wasn’t that they tried to write it in and it didn’t work, it just simply did not exist on the page. Like where was the yearning?? Where were the deep feelings?? Where was the heart?? Where was the tension?? It truly felt like friends who just happened to be f-cking and that was not the intention because they start an actual relationship pretty much immediately. The part done well was their friendship because it did feel very genuine. That said, it also felt very platonic. I know we shouldn’t compare books but a certain other highly popular friends-to-lovers hockey romance balances the friendship and the romance very well. In that book I could believe they were both best friends and in love. I think there was just a certain level of emotion lacking in this story that Gabe and Dante’s dynamics felt similar to their dynamics with other friends on the team.
Outside of all this the book just felt super long and mundane if I’m being honest. I’m surprised this is the edited down version because I can’t believe there use to be even more. Well this may just be a me thing but the book was sadly a miss 🤷🏻♀️
January 31, 2025
“Swallowing is not part of the Rookie Cocksucking course.”
4.75⭐️
Ah to go back to a lovely Hockey romance featuring two dudes who just wanna fuck and love. Love that for them. This was more emotional than I was expecting and a lot more funny. I saw a lot of negative comments but apparently there was a longer version that got cut down? I dont know what they took out but I found this to be really good, so I assume it was jus fluff, though I like fluff. I like just meandering in a story and getting to know the characters and having just lazy days with them so if that was it, I miss it because I wanted more. I wanted to read more about Gabe and Dante, I wanted more dating, more fucking, more romance. I just enjoy them being together. I think this is a really cute book and I really want to continue the series. I enjoy sports romance in the MM genre. I liked the side characters and the relationship between the team and the main characters a lot as well and would of loved to have an even deeper dive into all their dynamics. I think the next book in the series is of a couple on a different team which will be sad but hey not everyone on the hockey team can take pipe so lets be realistic here. Anyways I think this is a good story with a little bit of drama, some pretty good sex and some pretty great romance. I would of liked more bonding and romantic gestures/ scenes but I take what I can get and eat it up.
4.75⭐️
Ah to go back to a lovely Hockey romance featuring two dudes who just wanna fuck and love. Love that for them. This was more emotional than I was expecting and a lot more funny. I saw a lot of negative comments but apparently there was a longer version that got cut down? I dont know what they took out but I found this to be really good, so I assume it was jus fluff, though I like fluff. I like just meandering in a story and getting to know the characters and having just lazy days with them so if that was it, I miss it because I wanted more. I wanted to read more about Gabe and Dante, I wanted more dating, more fucking, more romance. I just enjoy them being together. I think this is a really cute book and I really want to continue the series. I enjoy sports romance in the MM genre. I liked the side characters and the relationship between the team and the main characters a lot as well and would of loved to have an even deeper dive into all their dynamics. I think the next book in the series is of a couple on a different team which will be sad but hey not everyone on the hockey team can take pipe so lets be realistic here. Anyways I think this is a good story with a little bit of drama, some pretty good sex and some pretty great romance. I would of liked more bonding and romantic gestures/ scenes but I take what I can get and eat it up.
August 30, 2016
After several years I have finally got my hands on this book (libraries are awesome things!). I have to say that I'm pretty happy with what I got. It seemed like a pretty realistic portrayal of what I think would happen if a hockey player got outed (both the good and the bad) and the whole thing with Gabe's buddy Dante was freaking hot. And I'm glad the authors went the way of bisexual instead of gfy for this.
This had a lot of the humor that I've come to love out of hockey books, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.
This had a lot of the humor that I've come to love out of hockey books, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.
April 6, 2023
I really liked the way this book was structured and written. To me, it didn't feel like the primary focus was on Dante and Gabe's relationship, but, instead, the effect their relationship had on them as people. At times, the two of them being a couple took a backseat to team dynamics and the way each of them handled a less than accommodating hockey season. Gabe had been outed but had no idea how to actually be out. Dante had been bi for a total of five seconds before he wanted to announce it to the world. The two of them couldn't have been more different in their approaches to life, but they brought out the best in each other, both on and off the ice. I loved how real it all felt and that it wasn't some whirlwind romance where one would die without the other (no shade, but it wouldn't have worked in this book). It wasn't gooey or fluffy or OTT in any way. The declarations were hesitant and reserved. The gestures weren't grand. The sex scenes were hot, but the authors didn't inundate the book with them. The third act bleak moment wasn't my absolute favorite, but I loved the resolution. All in all, it was a well-paced, sweet story with great characters and a super happy ending. I'll definitely be reading the second book in the series.
January 8, 2016
Wow...this book was long, but I really enjoyed the storyline. Sports books for me are always a hit or miss and this one, I truly enjoyed reading. I actually understood everything that was going on and I was quite interested in the game and all the players. Which is another thing I really liked...all the secondary characters. The writing style also really pulled me in.
Now as far as Dante and Gabe are concerned...they were very cute and hot together, but I do have some things that bothered me. One being we only get Gabe's pov. I loved Dante's character and I would have loved his pov..I really wanted to be in his head and know what was going on in there.
What also bothered me, is that Gabe must be the most clueless boyfriend ever !! I understand not being experienced in having a relationship, but he was really a moron at times. Seriously pissed me off. If he just would have said half the things he was thinking, his and Dante's relationship would have been so much better.
I was also a bit dissapointed about the romance in this one. It was seriously lacking...probably because Gabe was a bit of an idiot. Now don't get me wrong...I did like the guy and I don't think he was doing it on purpose. He was just fucking clueless.
The last thing that bothered me was the " fade to black" and rushed sexscenes. Sure there were some hot scenes, but this book is freaking long and it could have used some more hotness !!
Also the epilogue...2 years later ??? I wanted to know what happend in between...I wanted to know if Gabe finally manned up and said " I love you" back !!! Because this is a romance book and I seriously needed that !!!
Maybe all of the above sounds like a negatieve review but it really isn't, because they are all just personal preferences. I still loved the heck out of this one, and I just couldn't stop reading. I definetely felt a connection with all the characters which for me was a big plus.
So eventhough there were some things that annoyed the shit out of me, I'm still giving this one 4 stars, because I didn't feel like skimming anything...not even all the hockey-stuff, and let me tell you..there is a whole lot of hockey going on :)
Now as far as Dante and Gabe are concerned...they were very cute and hot together, but I do have some things that bothered me. One being we only get Gabe's pov. I loved Dante's character and I would have loved his pov..I really wanted to be in his head and know what was going on in there.
What also bothered me, is that Gabe must be the most clueless boyfriend ever !! I understand not being experienced in having a relationship, but he was really a moron at times. Seriously pissed me off. If he just would have said half the things he was thinking, his and Dante's relationship would have been so much better.
I was also a bit dissapointed about the romance in this one. It was seriously lacking...probably because Gabe was a bit of an idiot. Now don't get me wrong...I did like the guy and I don't think he was doing it on purpose. He was just fucking clueless.
The last thing that bothered me was the " fade to black" and rushed sexscenes. Sure there were some hot scenes, but this book is freaking long and it could have used some more hotness !!
Also the epilogue...2 years later ??? I wanted to know what happend in between...I wanted to know if Gabe finally manned up and said " I love you" back !!! Because this is a romance book and I seriously needed that !!!
Maybe all of the above sounds like a negatieve review but it really isn't, because they are all just personal preferences. I still loved the heck out of this one, and I just couldn't stop reading. I definetely felt a connection with all the characters which for me was a big plus.
So eventhough there were some things that annoyed the shit out of me, I'm still giving this one 4 stars, because I didn't feel like skimming anything...not even all the hockey-stuff, and let me tell you..there is a whole lot of hockey going on :)
November 27, 2015
No puedo darle más de tres estrellas, ha habido momentos en que no sabía si estaba leyendo una novela romántica o un tratado sobre hockey.
Dentro del marco de la NHL y un equipo de hockey se enamoran Dante y Gabe, para el primero supone descubrir que es bisexual, para el segundo los acontecimientos harán que sea el primer jugador de hockey que admite su homosexualidad, aunque sea porque es empujado a ello. Cuando por circunstancias se hace pública la condición sexual de Gabe he de admitir que se me hizo un nudo en la garganta, pero momentos como esos ha habido poco en todo el libro. Los autores profundizan muy poco en las consecuencias de que algo así suceda además de ser poco realista en un país como Estados Unidos. Por otro lado, la relación de los protagonista está muy difuminada, la trama está muy poco estructurada y parece que sabemos cómo se desarrolla su relación a saltos, sin saber muy bien lo que sienten. Además, la historia está contada desde el punto de vista de Gabe, lo que nos permite conocerle mejor, pero el personaje de Dante es terriblemente esquemático, muy simple.
No es un libro aburrido pero el hockey está tan presente que es más protagonista que la propia pareja, una pena, prometía más.
Dentro del marco de la NHL y un equipo de hockey se enamoran Dante y Gabe, para el primero supone descubrir que es bisexual, para el segundo los acontecimientos harán que sea el primer jugador de hockey que admite su homosexualidad, aunque sea porque es empujado a ello. Cuando por circunstancias se hace pública la condición sexual de Gabe he de admitir que se me hizo un nudo en la garganta, pero momentos como esos ha habido poco en todo el libro. Los autores profundizan muy poco en las consecuencias de que algo así suceda además de ser poco realista en un país como Estados Unidos. Por otro lado, la relación de los protagonista está muy difuminada, la trama está muy poco estructurada y parece que sabemos cómo se desarrolla su relación a saltos, sin saber muy bien lo que sienten. Además, la historia está contada desde el punto de vista de Gabe, lo que nos permite conocerle mejor, pero el personaje de Dante es terriblemente esquemático, muy simple.
No es un libro aburrido pero el hockey está tan presente que es más protagonista que la propia pareja, una pena, prometía más.
February 9, 2025
I liked this, but something about the build-up to Dante confessing his romantic feelings for Gabe felt lacking. Dante was definitely there for Gabe when he was outed by a past partner, but to me, though they had great sexual chemistry, their relationship felt like more like friends with benefits than anything else. They had different approaches to how they presented themselves to the world, and it was nice seeing how this affected their relationship and ultimately brought them closer.
The hockey aspect of this story is strong. You never forget that these guys are on a team and playing a sport.😅 I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator didn't really make their voices distinctive, so it was hard to tell who was speaking to whom. Also, antics aside, Dante did not come across as being only 22 years old. I was surprised every time I was reminded of just how young he was. 3 stars
The hockey aspect of this story is strong. You never forget that these guys are on a team and playing a sport.😅 I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator didn't really make their voices distinctive, so it was hard to tell who was speaking to whom. Also, antics aside, Dante did not come across as being only 22 years old. I was surprised every time I was reminded of just how young he was. 3 stars
August 18, 2017
Winging it is a fun, relaxing, slightly humorous, next to no angst m/m hockey romance. It's pretty decent for what it is: 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.
Gabriel Martin - or Banksy is a right winger for the Quebec City Nordiques. Gabe is out to a couple of friends on the team, but otherwise firmly in the closet. He just wants to play hockey and doesn't want any attention for anything else. At 25 Gabe is comfortable with his sexuality but not with relationships - and has never actually had a serious relationship - possibly due in part to the fact that he is spectacularly awful when it comes to communicating and talking about feelings. He does however have a serious crush on his 20 year old teammate Dante Baltierra - also known as Baller - and yes, everyone does realize that is a horrid nickname but it stuck anyway. Gabe isn't too worried about his crush because Dante is clearly a very healthy, straight young male enjoying all the perks that come with being a professional hockey player to the fullest - so what's the harm - it's not like anything is ever going to happen.
The only worry when Gabe and Dante start forging a friendship is that Gabe could get his heart broken; because the loud, exuberant, and at times childlike (in a ridiculous, endearing way, not an icky way) Dante just seems to gravitate towards the quieter, more serious, self labeled "boring" Banksy. It's pretty adorable watching their friendship develop and Dante isn't put off at all when he discovers that Gabe is gay by accidentally walking into Gabe's away game rendezvous while sharing a hotel room (Baller's hookup just wanted to eat ice cream and cry about her ex. boyfriend so it was an unexpectedly early night for him). Baller's first response was "I wish you'd told me you like guys, I wouldn't have tried so hard to hook you up with chicks last season".
WInging It doesn't go for the Gay For You trope. Dante is only 20. He's engaged in some sexual experimentation requiring a degree of open-mindedness, but he's not realized that he's Bi until he finds himself attracted to Gabe. Dante, being Dante - and thus exuberantly open minded - after an initial hiccup - approaches his attraction with a good degree of enthusiasm. There's some drama when Gabe gets outed by a disgruntled former hook up, disappointed in the fact that Gabe didn't become the meal ticket he was hoping for - and Gabe becomes; against his will - the first openly gay NHL player. Then the next thing you know - Banksy and Baller aren't just having hot sex but a pretty darn cute relationship - in spite of Gabe's complete lack of relationship skills. The scene where the team finally tells Gabe and Dante that they're aware of their relationship is almost laugh out loud funny. Apparently while the team is very happy for the 2 of them "felicitations and all that", Dante is so enthusiastic...and loud....that no one wants to be stuck losing sleep in the room next door on away games.
The secondary characters - the rest of the hockey team, the coach, the GM - are all well developed and for the most part endearing characters. There's family stuff, and coming out as a couple stuff and basically Winging It really is just a light, feel good, heart warming story.
Gabriel Martin - or Banksy is a right winger for the Quebec City Nordiques. Gabe is out to a couple of friends on the team, but otherwise firmly in the closet. He just wants to play hockey and doesn't want any attention for anything else. At 25 Gabe is comfortable with his sexuality but not with relationships - and has never actually had a serious relationship - possibly due in part to the fact that he is spectacularly awful when it comes to communicating and talking about feelings. He does however have a serious crush on his 20 year old teammate Dante Baltierra - also known as Baller - and yes, everyone does realize that is a horrid nickname but it stuck anyway. Gabe isn't too worried about his crush because Dante is clearly a very healthy, straight young male enjoying all the perks that come with being a professional hockey player to the fullest - so what's the harm - it's not like anything is ever going to happen.
The only worry when Gabe and Dante start forging a friendship is that Gabe could get his heart broken; because the loud, exuberant, and at times childlike (in a ridiculous, endearing way, not an icky way) Dante just seems to gravitate towards the quieter, more serious, self labeled "boring" Banksy. It's pretty adorable watching their friendship develop and Dante isn't put off at all when he discovers that Gabe is gay by accidentally walking into Gabe's away game rendezvous while sharing a hotel room (Baller's hookup just wanted to eat ice cream and cry about her ex. boyfriend so it was an unexpectedly early night for him). Baller's first response was "I wish you'd told me you like guys, I wouldn't have tried so hard to hook you up with chicks last season".
WInging It doesn't go for the Gay For You trope. Dante is only 20. He's engaged in some sexual experimentation requiring a degree of open-mindedness, but he's not realized that he's Bi until he finds himself attracted to Gabe. Dante, being Dante - and thus exuberantly open minded - after an initial hiccup - approaches his attraction with a good degree of enthusiasm. There's some drama when Gabe gets outed by a disgruntled former hook up, disappointed in the fact that Gabe didn't become the meal ticket he was hoping for - and Gabe becomes; against his will - the first openly gay NHL player. Then the next thing you know - Banksy and Baller aren't just having hot sex but a pretty darn cute relationship - in spite of Gabe's complete lack of relationship skills. The scene where the team finally tells Gabe and Dante that they're aware of their relationship is almost laugh out loud funny. Apparently while the team is very happy for the 2 of them "felicitations and all that", Dante is so enthusiastic...and loud....that no one wants to be stuck losing sleep in the room next door on away games.
The secondary characters - the rest of the hockey team, the coach, the GM - are all well developed and for the most part endearing characters. There's family stuff, and coming out as a couple stuff and basically Winging It really is just a light, feel good, heart warming story.
Read
October 24, 2022DNF at 23%. Paint-by-numbers hockey romance with clunky writing, unnecessary repetition (did Dante miss most of his first season with a concussion? Are we sure?? It's only been mentioned 4 times in the space of 10 pages!), and paper-thin characters -- we learn more about Dante's hockey ass than his personality, or maybe Dante's hockey ass is his personality 🤔. Forced outing bad enough, but the team PR person telling an unwillingly outed, traumatized person that they've been "lying by omission" is beyond gross. As if being told that they're a liar -- about something that they have absolutely no obligation to reveal -- is supposed to make them feel better???
F*ck no. That sound you hear is me peacing out.
F*ck no. That sound you hear is me peacing out.
January 25, 2025
Enjoyed the story overall. Really related to Gabe, especially after coming out and having to find himself still though a big hurdle was completed. Enjoyed Dante’s story and where it was going overall. Just felt the drama was extremely forced tbh. Then the ending became too rushed for the drama was happened. Still, the idea of the whole story and outcome was cute.
June 21, 2022
This is getting 5 stars for keeping a smile on my face all the way through!!!
As a Canadian hockey fan who also went to university in Quebec, I loved this and had lots of fun reading it. I think it's probably one of the best "sports" romances as the authors do know their hockey. There are so many bang on references to life in the NHL today including mentions of a lot of the current players, hockey teams and cities and all of their various idiosyncrasies. Plus lots of great Quebec references, like Toupie and Binou!
The romance was sweet too. Gabe has been in the NHL for about 6 years. He's gay, but closeted -- wanting everyone's focus to be on his hockey playing skills rather than his sexual preferences. Dante (nicknamed Baller) is a second-year player on Gabe's team (the fictional Quebec Nordiques). He's a loud, flirty party-boy with an oft-mentioned hot ass. Gabe and Dante get closer (as friends) once they start playing on a line together. Gabe's got a bit of a crush on Dante and his hot ass. Once Gabe gets outed, Dante is incredibly loyal to Gabe and their friendship deepens and the attraction grows. Gabe is on the clueless side when it comes to relationships (I kind of liked this -- made him seem like a real "guy") so Dante must take the lead through most of the relationship. The book follows Gabe and Dante through the ups and downs of this one "coming-out" hockey season. The boys face lots of problems during the year: on and off play, injuries, PR issues and occasional problems with other homophobic players but overall this has a somewhat light, low-angst sort of feel. There is a HEA (of course!) but I would definitely read a sequel if the authors decided to write about the boys a couple of years down the road.
I recommend this one if you enjoy m/m sports romance, hockey or things Canadian and/or Quebecois!
As a Canadian hockey fan who also went to university in Quebec, I loved this and had lots of fun reading it. I think it's probably one of the best "sports" romances as the authors do know their hockey. There are so many bang on references to life in the NHL today including mentions of a lot of the current players, hockey teams and cities and all of their various idiosyncrasies. Plus lots of great Quebec references, like Toupie and Binou!
The romance was sweet too. Gabe has been in the NHL for about 6 years. He's gay, but closeted -- wanting everyone's focus to be on his hockey playing skills rather than his sexual preferences. Dante (nicknamed Baller) is a second-year player on Gabe's team (the fictional Quebec Nordiques). He's a loud, flirty party-boy with an oft-mentioned hot ass. Gabe and Dante get closer (as friends) once they start playing on a line together. Gabe's got a bit of a crush on Dante and his hot ass. Once Gabe gets outed, Dante is incredibly loyal to Gabe and their friendship deepens and the attraction grows. Gabe is on the clueless side when it comes to relationships (I kind of liked this -- made him seem like a real "guy") so Dante must take the lead through most of the relationship. The book follows Gabe and Dante through the ups and downs of this one "coming-out" hockey season. The boys face lots of problems during the year: on and off play, injuries, PR issues and occasional problems with other homophobic players but overall this has a somewhat light, low-angst sort of feel. There is a HEA (of course!) but I would definitely read a sequel if the authors decided to write about the boys a couple of years down the road.
I recommend this one if you enjoy m/m sports romance, hockey or things Canadian and/or Quebecois!
November 3, 2024
"I'm a sodomite, Abuela." is a sentence I legitimately never thought I'd read anywhere, ever 💀
So, yay. Brand new sentence.
This was nice, if a little formulaic for a hockey romance. I enjoyed reading it, though, even if Gabe was giving off HEAVY Shane Hollander vibes.
In case that's unclear, Dante was the more open 'Who cares?' MC and Gabe was the 'I care!' MC.
But Dante was also very much the 'harbors resentment until the inevitable explosion' type, so that was HIGHLY entertaining.
Especially because Gabe made rookie mistakes about the birthday thing, so it felt sort of deserved.
My favorite thing was how naturally their relationship progressed, and the fact that they actually spoke about what they wanted before doing anything sexual. No lust-fuelled impulse sexual encounters here.
Oh, and the fact that Dante immediately demanded a relationship. 💀
A year ago, I'd have given this 4+ stars, but sadly, it's getting to the point where it's almost impossible to find a hockey romance that actually feels new.
And unfortunately it's hard to rate a story without the context of every other similar story that you read before it.
Is it worth a read? Sure. Will it penetrate your psyche to the point that you'll inevitably compare every hockey romance after to it? No.
So, yay. Brand new sentence.
This was nice, if a little formulaic for a hockey romance. I enjoyed reading it, though, even if Gabe was giving off HEAVY Shane Hollander vibes.
In case that's unclear, Dante was the more open 'Who cares?' MC and Gabe was the 'I care!' MC.
But Dante was also very much the 'harbors resentment until the inevitable explosion' type, so that was HIGHLY entertaining.
Especially because Gabe made rookie mistakes about the birthday thing, so it felt sort of deserved.
My favorite thing was how naturally their relationship progressed, and the fact that they actually spoke about what they wanted before doing anything sexual. No lust-fuelled impulse sexual encounters here.
Oh, and the fact that Dante immediately demanded a relationship. 💀
A year ago, I'd have given this 4+ stars, but sadly, it's getting to the point where it's almost impossible to find a hockey romance that actually feels new.
And unfortunately it's hard to rate a story without the context of every other similar story that you read before it.
Is it worth a read? Sure. Will it penetrate your psyche to the point that you'll inevitably compare every hockey romance after to it? No.
March 13, 2025
A wonderfully romantic and very well-written read...with some ice hockey thrown in 🏒🥅🎿🎿🥅🏒. 5 'Stanley Cup' gold medal shiny stars from me, puddle of goo big time. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Closeted hockey star Gabe and the rookie with the very enticing backside, Dante, are great friends on the only team in the NHL coached by a woman, the Quebec City Nordiques. Dante apparently has no idea that Gabe fancies him (yeah, right) cos he has a different girl every night, but not everything is as straightforward...or as obvious as it seems.
I absolutely adored Dante, I quite often wanted to clip Gabe upside his head but loved him too for being so clueless/oblivious...insert your own word here. The secondary characters were brilliant especially Fifi, Chef and Yorkie, and my only real disappointment was the 2 year gap at the end of the story and a rather rushed ending. I would LOVE a sequel, I really would.
For those worried about the ice hockey aspect, there is a glossary at the back but it really is self-explanatory, and anyone with a thirst for seeing padded-up guys being pummelled against screens should be fine with this, hehe.
Closeted hockey star Gabe and the rookie with the very enticing backside, Dante, are great friends on the only team in the NHL coached by a woman, the Quebec City Nordiques. Dante apparently has no idea that Gabe fancies him (yeah, right) cos he has a different girl every night, but not everything is as straightforward...or as obvious as it seems.
I absolutely adored Dante, I quite often wanted to clip Gabe upside his head but loved him too for being so clueless/oblivious...insert your own word here. The secondary characters were brilliant especially Fifi, Chef and Yorkie, and my only real disappointment was the 2 year gap at the end of the story and a rather rushed ending. I would LOVE a sequel, I really would.
For those worried about the ice hockey aspect, there is a glossary at the back but it really is self-explanatory, and anyone with a thirst for seeing padded-up guys being pummelled against screens should be fine with this, hehe.
December 26, 2015
I dont mind sports talk if there was enough romance to compensate for it. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to its full romantic potential. Gabe's character didnt do anything for me, he was boring. Dante was great though and should've been given more focus. It was just ok. If you are looking for an excellent hockey themed story, I recommend Heart in Hand
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