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Penalty Box Players #1
Sticks and Stone
My name is Nova Stone and I was a ghost in my own life until a knock at the door changed my whole world.
Applying for guardianship of my infant half-brother was a no brainer, even if I hadn't known he existed. But that was before I met his uncles; two pro ice hockey players, and a CEO. They wanted to take Huey home with them and they were willing to pay me millions of dollars for the privilege.
When that didn't work, they managed to convince me that it would be better for my brother–and for me–if I moved into their Ann Arbor mansion. At first, I said hell no. I'd listened to true crime podcasts. I'd read the newspaper articles. But a week of sleepless nights and emotional breakdowns later, I relented.
They were helpful, I'd give them that. But they were also hot, and that was a problem. River with his brooding intensity, he was as huge as you'd picture an NHL enforcer to be. His foster brother Devan, who was mysterious and standoffish, and their best friend Rigby, the literal embodiment of a golden retriever in the body of a 6'2 pro athlete.
But I had to do what was right for Huey, and anyway, how could I ever choose? And I had to choose...right?
STICKS AND STONE is a reverse harem sports romance. There are definitely swear words and steamy bits. This book is a standalone.
Applying for guardianship of my infant half-brother was a no brainer, even if I hadn't known he existed. But that was before I met his uncles; two pro ice hockey players, and a CEO. They wanted to take Huey home with them and they were willing to pay me millions of dollars for the privilege.
When that didn't work, they managed to convince me that it would be better for my brother–and for me–if I moved into their Ann Arbor mansion. At first, I said hell no. I'd listened to true crime podcasts. I'd read the newspaper articles. But a week of sleepless nights and emotional breakdowns later, I relented.
They were helpful, I'd give them that. But they were also hot, and that was a problem. River with his brooding intensity, he was as huge as you'd picture an NHL enforcer to be. His foster brother Devan, who was mysterious and standoffish, and their best friend Rigby, the literal embodiment of a golden retriever in the body of a 6'2 pro athlete.
But I had to do what was right for Huey, and anyway, how could I ever choose? And I had to choose...right?
STICKS AND STONE is a reverse harem sports romance. There are definitely swear words and steamy bits. This book is a standalone.
396 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2022
1197 people are currently reading
6476 people want to read
About the author
Grace McGinty
64 books2,176 followersWhen I was nine, my grandmother and her friends used to read and swap Harlequin Mills and Boons novels. When I was busted reading one, they started sneaking me boxes full of strong heroines and rugged men. Thus started a long love affair with the romance genre.
Then I discovered urban fantasy, and fell in love with broody Alphas and sexy paranormals, and combining them together was a no brainer.
Then I discovered Reverse Harem.... Oh my. Why choose, am I right?
Then I discovered urban fantasy, and fell in love with broody Alphas and sexy paranormals, and combining them together was a no brainer.
Then I discovered Reverse Harem.... Oh my. Why choose, am I right?
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February 13, 20241. is huey in a coma?
2. why must he be named huey
3. mightn’t
2. why must he be named huey
3. mightn’t
June 5, 2023
*4.5* One of the most realistic contemporary reverse harem/poly (MMMF) stories I’ve read. Huge thanks to Katyana for encouraging me to read this story!!
The good:
✔️Found family
✔️Orphaned baby
✔️Two professional hockey players
✔️One billionaire CEO
✔️Slow burn until it isn’t 🔥🔥🔥
✔️Male praise kink
✔️Overprotective males
✔️No cheating
✔️One sex scene with all four together
The not so good:
◾️No MM/sword crossing
◾️Miscommunication trope
◾️Lack of serious character depth
◾️3/4 breakup
◾️OTT caricature of a “bad OW”
◾️Missing details about baby’s heath
◾️Missing details on her dad. What exactly happened?
The premise:
This story was written very well, but I think it would have been better either being a little longer, or broken up into two books. There just wasn’t enough time to delve into the backstory of all four characters with any kind of believable depth. It is mentioned a few times that they go to therapy, but I was really curious on how Nova deals with not only her parents death, but the fact that her father was cheating on her mother.
I was also very interested in learning more about the men, and their childhoods/upbringing.
Overall, a well-told, non-cheesy RH with lots of love. End with a HEA.
The good:
✔️Found family
✔️Orphaned baby
✔️Two professional hockey players
✔️One billionaire CEO
✔️Slow burn until it isn’t 🔥🔥🔥
✔️Male praise kink
✔️Overprotective males
✔️No cheating
✔️One sex scene with all four together
The not so good:
◾️No MM/sword crossing
◾️Miscommunication trope
◾️Lack of serious character depth
◾️3/4 breakup
◾️OTT caricature of a “bad OW”
◾️Missing details about baby’s heath
◾️Missing details on her dad. What exactly happened?
The premise:
Applying for guardianship of my infant half-brother was a no brainer, even if I hadn't known he existed. But that was before I met his uncles; two pro ice hockey players, and a CEO. They wanted to take Huey home with them and they were willing to pay me millions of dollars for the privilege.
This story was written very well, but I think it would have been better either being a little longer, or broken up into two books. There just wasn’t enough time to delve into the backstory of all four characters with any kind of believable depth. It is mentioned a few times that they go to therapy, but I was really curious on how Nova deals with not only her parents death, but the fact that her father was cheating on her mother.
I was also very interested in learning more about the men, and their childhoods/upbringing.
Overall, a well-told, non-cheesy RH with lots of love. End with a HEA.
December 13, 2022
I was so excited when I first heard about this book. A reverse harem sports romance?! Sign me up, babyyyy!
Unfortunately, Sticks and Stone did not end up giving what needed to be gave. :/
I genuinely think this book suffered from what I'm now dubbing RHSA syndrome. I think a lot of RH standalones tend to suffer the same issue; one regular length book is just not enough to successfully build out the plot, build the relationships between the characters, and ensure the characters all have depth to them. They end up needing to be fleshed out a lot more to give the story a fair go, and a lot of things end up feeling unfinished or practically untouched.
Here are a few examples of where I feel the book falls flat;
1. Nova loses her parents and is grieving only to end up with custody over her half-brother. She has a few moments in the book where she gets overwhelmed and breaks down a little, which is to be expected. But what I find odd is that, despite her well-deserved anger towards her father, I feel like we don't really get to see Nova actually grieve. We don't hear about her parents or her life with them, or even how things changed for her in the weeks after she lost them before Huey. It's odd.
2. At the start of the book, part of what makes Nova want custody of Huey is learning he has a heart condition. This condition is brought up a bit in the beginning and then we basically never hear about it again, which feels lazy or just not well thought out on the part of the author. I'd assume a baby with a heart condition would need regular checkups or some alterations to their daily care. We don't get that.
3. The characters lack some depth. We get very surface level stuff with them, but it basically ends with Rigby is a very empathetic and caring dude, and Devon & River are emotionally stunted and struggling because of their time in foster care. Even Nova doesn't have any substance to her past the fact that she's living with these guys and taking care of her baby brother. It makes it hard to connect to these characters when there's nothing to connect to.
4. I'm not saying a stalker plotline is ever super realistic. Of course, it has to be extreme because it's a book. That's ok. But I feel like in this story it was over the top and came a little out of left field. The stalker was obsessed with River and had a shrine of him, but some of her other actions didn't add up with what someone who was in love with him would do (ie, destroy his public image).
5. Daria. Is that her name? The girl Devon hires as a PI and her mountain of a boyfriend. They were so haphazardly thrown into this story that I genuinely couldn't understand what the hell was going on with their characters. They feel like plot devices to specifically handle the ending scene with the stalker.
My favorite part of this book? Rigby having a praise kink. God, I didn't know I needed that out of an MMC until this read.
All in all, the book is whatever.
I'm struggling with whether I want to rate it 2 or 3 stars because I can't quite decide if I genuinely disliked it or if it was just a 'meh' read for me.
So I'm landing on 2.5 stars (rounded up).
Unfortunately, Sticks and Stone did not end up giving what needed to be gave. :/
I genuinely think this book suffered from what I'm now dubbing RHSA syndrome. I think a lot of RH standalones tend to suffer the same issue; one regular length book is just not enough to successfully build out the plot, build the relationships between the characters, and ensure the characters all have depth to them. They end up needing to be fleshed out a lot more to give the story a fair go, and a lot of things end up feeling unfinished or practically untouched.
Here are a few examples of where I feel the book falls flat;
1. Nova loses her parents and is grieving only to end up with custody over her half-brother. She has a few moments in the book where she gets overwhelmed and breaks down a little, which is to be expected. But what I find odd is that, despite her well-deserved anger towards her father, I feel like we don't really get to see Nova actually grieve. We don't hear about her parents or her life with them, or even how things changed for her in the weeks after she lost them before Huey. It's odd.
2. At the start of the book, part of what makes Nova want custody of Huey is learning he has a heart condition. This condition is brought up a bit in the beginning and then we basically never hear about it again, which feels lazy or just not well thought out on the part of the author. I'd assume a baby with a heart condition would need regular checkups or some alterations to their daily care. We don't get that.
3. The characters lack some depth. We get very surface level stuff with them, but it basically ends with Rigby is a very empathetic and caring dude, and Devon & River are emotionally stunted and struggling because of their time in foster care. Even Nova doesn't have any substance to her past the fact that she's living with these guys and taking care of her baby brother. It makes it hard to connect to these characters when there's nothing to connect to.
4. I'm not saying a stalker plotline is ever super realistic. Of course, it has to be extreme because it's a book. That's ok. But I feel like in this story it was over the top and came a little out of left field. The stalker was obsessed with River and had a shrine of him, but some of her other actions didn't add up with what someone who was in love with him would do (ie, destroy his public image).
5. Daria. Is that her name? The girl Devon hires as a PI and her mountain of a boyfriend. They were so haphazardly thrown into this story that I genuinely couldn't understand what the hell was going on with their characters. They feel like plot devices to specifically handle the ending scene with the stalker.
My favorite part of this book? Rigby having a praise kink. God, I didn't know I needed that out of an MMC until this read.
All in all, the book is whatever.
I'm struggling with whether I want to rate it 2 or 3 stars because I can't quite decide if I genuinely disliked it or if it was just a 'meh' read for me.
So I'm landing on 2.5 stars (rounded up).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2024
Well, that was an adorable little read !!! It had quite a tragic beginning, but I always prefer characters to experience hardships at the start. From here, it can only get better and her situation got exponentially better.
I personally love the single mum trope, but in this instance, the parental dynamic was a little different. The situation that led to her adopting her son was a plot twist in a plot twist. It was messy but in the best way.
This was a RH, so the men were a mixed bag. We had the broody one, the indifferent one and the golden retriever. Despite the traits attached to them, they were all quite flawed men. Some more severely than others, but they never shied away from sharing their past.
Rigby is adorable, but it did get a little sickly sweet at points. Devan was the most apprehensive, yet the first to jump into the relationship. I found that a bit bizarre. River was my favourite, but that man punches a lot of walls. There were pros and cons to all of them ⚖️.
Another pro would be how supportive they were of the FMC. Her personality grew from becoming a mother, but also the additional confidence that they caused. Their day-to-day dynamic was very sweet and I could see how people were envious of their little family🏠.
I’m always a little apprehensive about picking up a RH book based in reality, as it seems so much harder to navigate. In fantasy RH, not as much time is dedicated to justifying their relationship. It’s more so accepted cause other mental sh1t is usually going on.
This obviously had a similar storyline, but it was only towards the end and a lot of the book focused on them being in this protective bubble. It was sweet 🍬
Solid 3.5✨
I personally love the single mum trope, but in this instance, the parental dynamic was a little different. The situation that led to her adopting her son was a plot twist in a plot twist. It was messy but in the best way.
This was a RH, so the men were a mixed bag. We had the broody one, the indifferent one and the golden retriever. Despite the traits attached to them, they were all quite flawed men. Some more severely than others, but they never shied away from sharing their past.
Rigby is adorable, but it did get a little sickly sweet at points. Devan was the most apprehensive, yet the first to jump into the relationship. I found that a bit bizarre. River was my favourite, but that man punches a lot of walls. There were pros and cons to all of them ⚖️.
Another pro would be how supportive they were of the FMC. Her personality grew from becoming a mother, but also the additional confidence that they caused. Their day-to-day dynamic was very sweet and I could see how people were envious of their little family🏠.
I’m always a little apprehensive about picking up a RH book based in reality, as it seems so much harder to navigate. In fantasy RH, not as much time is dedicated to justifying their relationship. It’s more so accepted cause other mental sh1t is usually going on.
This obviously had a similar storyline, but it was only towards the end and a lot of the book focused on them being in this protective bubble. It was sweet 🍬
Solid 3.5✨
April 19, 2023
Loved it!
Grace McGinty's work is always great to read. Very much enjoyed it. Would have killed for an extended epilogue. Recommend you check it out.
Grace McGinty's work is always great to read. Very much enjoyed it. Would have killed for an extended epilogue. Recommend you check it out.
June 16, 2023
This was over the top ridiculous at times but tell me why I ate it up. I wish it was more developed though. Everything was pretty surface level and I never really understood what drew the MMCs to Nova. It was a fast burn with a fast paced plot but it was so fun to read.
January 25, 2023
2.5/5 Great Spice, Okay Characters
***Spoilers Below***
The story has a lot of potential but the characters lacked depth. It felt like the author was constantly telling the reader what the main characters were like instead of showing us. There’s a lot of talk about Devan and River’s past, but no plot connecting them to it besides being protective of Huey. Nova’s character also fell flat. You could replace her as the love interest with anyone, and they would have the same level of chemistry.
One of the biggest issues for me were the loose ends of the story. We never really learned about how/why Alana and Nova’s dad got together. Huey’s heart condition is also kind of dropped as an interest. It seemed to be a big drive for Nova’s character to adopt him and then it’s never brought up. Huey, in general, doesn’t really have much point in the story besides kicking off how everyone meets. He feels more like a background prop than a character or plot development.
Andrea as the villain also seems to come out of no where. We see one interaction with her towards the beginning of the book and then nothing until the end. It didn’t feel believable that this random reporter, who just seemed like a jealous ex, was actually a psychopathic stalker willing to kill people.
There’s a lot of great spice in this book and definitely some cute relationship moments. Rigby, especially, is a sweetheart and had me smiling through a lot of the story. But the character development needed to be flushed out more. I’ve loved the author’s previous work, so I know this is an outlier for her. I’m excited to see what she writes next.
***Spoilers Below***
The story has a lot of potential but the characters lacked depth. It felt like the author was constantly telling the reader what the main characters were like instead of showing us. There’s a lot of talk about Devan and River’s past, but no plot connecting them to it besides being protective of Huey. Nova’s character also fell flat. You could replace her as the love interest with anyone, and they would have the same level of chemistry.
One of the biggest issues for me were the loose ends of the story. We never really learned about how/why Alana and Nova’s dad got together. Huey’s heart condition is also kind of dropped as an interest. It seemed to be a big drive for Nova’s character to adopt him and then it’s never brought up. Huey, in general, doesn’t really have much point in the story besides kicking off how everyone meets. He feels more like a background prop than a character or plot development.
Andrea as the villain also seems to come out of no where. We see one interaction with her towards the beginning of the book and then nothing until the end. It didn’t feel believable that this random reporter, who just seemed like a jealous ex, was actually a psychopathic stalker willing to kill people.
There’s a lot of great spice in this book and definitely some cute relationship moments. Rigby, especially, is a sweetheart and had me smiling through a lot of the story. But the character development needed to be flushed out more. I’ve loved the author’s previous work, so I know this is an outlier for her. I’m excited to see what she writes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2025
Reverse harem sports romance standalone audiobook with duet narration!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💜🩷💙💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: ☹️😄😍😮🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration
The heroine: Nova Stone - she has terrible anxiety, which got even worse on the night two cops showed up at her door to tell her that her parents died in a car accident. She had inherited everything from her parents including a chiropractic office for which the partner bought her out and the home she lived in. Weeks later she finds out that she has a half brother name Huey that she knew nothing about, and his mother died of a postpartum aneurism. She had been living like a ghost in her childhood home, wallowing in her grief and anxiety, so finding out that her father had an affair, and a baby was shocking.
The Heroes: River Cooper, Rigby Engman, Devan Mason - River was an NHL defenseman for the Ann Arbor Ice Caps. He had promised his foster sister Alana that he would take care of the baby if anything happened to her. He doesn’t want to let her down again, like he did when she got pregnant by a married man and ghosted. Rigby is River’s teammate and one of his best friends. Devan is another of Rivers best friends, his former foster brother and a billionaire businessman. He was smooth and emotionless, and used his money to get what he wanted. They were all products of their upbringing.
The story: Since Nova was the only blood relation of a six-week-old baby with a congenital heart defect, she feared that he wouldn’t be adopted if she turned down custody. Nova was now an orphan and since her brother was an orphan, she figured they were made for each other. She read every baby book, bought all kinds of baby furniture and prepared to get Huey. However, a week before she was supposed to be awarded the baby by the court, she found that the mother had been a foster child and some of her foster siblings had filed for custody. She also found that they were celebrities.
The guys are determined to do whatever they have to do in order to have access to baby Huey. They had loved Alana and had seen her as a sister. They offered Nova a bargain that she didn’t feel she could turn down. They would move her in with them and raise the baby together. Nova was alone and she knew that having the guys in his life would be what was best for Huey, since they obviously loved him and though she had enough money to raise him, she didn’t have the kind of money that they did.
The only thing I didn’t like about this story was that when the press gets wind of the unconventional relationship between the main characters, the heroine uses that as an excuse to bail, even though they were all very happy with each other. I hate it in books when people do weak things and use the reasoning that they are doing it for the other person or people.
This audiobook was told in multiple points of view via duet narration and was narrated by Shiloh James and Greyson Owens. Greyson has a nice voice which is very pleasant, and he is good at doing different voices for different characters. Shiloh James has a soft feminine voice which works well for this character, and I enjoyed the narration quite a bit.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💜🩷💙💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: ☹️😄😍😮🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration
The heroine: Nova Stone - she has terrible anxiety, which got even worse on the night two cops showed up at her door to tell her that her parents died in a car accident. She had inherited everything from her parents including a chiropractic office for which the partner bought her out and the home she lived in. Weeks later she finds out that she has a half brother name Huey that she knew nothing about, and his mother died of a postpartum aneurism. She had been living like a ghost in her childhood home, wallowing in her grief and anxiety, so finding out that her father had an affair, and a baby was shocking.
The Heroes: River Cooper, Rigby Engman, Devan Mason - River was an NHL defenseman for the Ann Arbor Ice Caps. He had promised his foster sister Alana that he would take care of the baby if anything happened to her. He doesn’t want to let her down again, like he did when she got pregnant by a married man and ghosted. Rigby is River’s teammate and one of his best friends. Devan is another of Rivers best friends, his former foster brother and a billionaire businessman. He was smooth and emotionless, and used his money to get what he wanted. They were all products of their upbringing.
The story: Since Nova was the only blood relation of a six-week-old baby with a congenital heart defect, she feared that he wouldn’t be adopted if she turned down custody. Nova was now an orphan and since her brother was an orphan, she figured they were made for each other. She read every baby book, bought all kinds of baby furniture and prepared to get Huey. However, a week before she was supposed to be awarded the baby by the court, she found that the mother had been a foster child and some of her foster siblings had filed for custody. She also found that they were celebrities.
The guys are determined to do whatever they have to do in order to have access to baby Huey. They had loved Alana and had seen her as a sister. They offered Nova a bargain that she didn’t feel she could turn down. They would move her in with them and raise the baby together. Nova was alone and she knew that having the guys in his life would be what was best for Huey, since they obviously loved him and though she had enough money to raise him, she didn’t have the kind of money that they did.
The only thing I didn’t like about this story was that when the press gets wind of the unconventional relationship between the main characters, the heroine uses that as an excuse to bail, even though they were all very happy with each other. I hate it in books when people do weak things and use the reasoning that they are doing it for the other person or people.
This audiobook was told in multiple points of view via duet narration and was narrated by Shiloh James and Greyson Owens. Greyson has a nice voice which is very pleasant, and he is good at doing different voices for different characters. Shiloh James has a soft feminine voice which works well for this character, and I enjoyed the narration quite a bit.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
March 26, 2023
Characters lacked depths and the baby was non-existent and used as a way to force the characters to spend time together. Hard to say this because I usually love this author’s work but this book was awful.
January 4, 2025
I’m probably over rating this bc I haven’t read an actual good book in awhile.
Been on a 2 star streak istg.
Anyway, I liked the plot, and all the characters. So I know I’ll like the rest of the series bc the side characters were good.
I didn’t like the third act break up, but I hate them all.
Nor did I like the petnames, but I also always hate those. Like you don’t need to be quirky and call someone little star. Just call them babe jfc
Oh I would have also liked more info on why tf her dad cheated on her mom with someone her age????? Why was there nothing more discussed about that.
Been on a 2 star streak istg.
Anyway, I liked the plot, and all the characters. So I know I’ll like the rest of the series bc the side characters were good.
I didn’t like the third act break up, but I hate them all.
Nor did I like the petnames, but I also always hate those. Like you don’t need to be quirky and call someone little star. Just call them babe jfc
Oh I would have also liked more info on why tf her dad cheated on her mom with someone her age????? Why was there nothing more discussed about that.
April 27, 2025
»Over my dead body. No one touches you but us.«
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒂 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Loved her although she cries a lot. She is sweet, caring and communicates well.
❥ 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒃𝒚, 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 ࣪⋆✮
I loved all of them.
Rigby is such a sunshine and golden retriever mmc with a praise kink. Devan was the broody CEO and River the mysterious and grumpy hockey pro.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book made me so happy and I had a fun time reading it. I loved „The Daymakers“ by this author and wanted to try other books by her and I wasn‘t disappointed. This is a very well done Why Choose romance set in a sports romance.
I enjoyed the plot and was glued to my kindle the whole afternoon. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I was there for it. I appreciate the fact that the author takes her time to build true relationships between the characters - not just sex. Of course this book is smutty and I was there for it regardless.
Nova and her men are great together. Their tension was amazing and the dialogue and banter so funny. I liked the dynamic between the men and with Nona they’re one family. All of them communicate well with each other so there is no misunderstanding. Their relationship was healthy and it was entertaining to read.
There were some plot holes and baby Huey (terrible name btw) was more of a side character but I can overlook those things.
Overall this was a very good why choose hockey romance.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 4/5
spice: 4/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, forced proximity, why choose, hockey romance, found family, from different worlds, grumpy x sunshine, golden retriever mmc, traumatic past, slow burn, adopted baby
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Sticks and Stone ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Break my Bones ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒂 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Loved her although she cries a lot. She is sweet, caring and communicates well.
❥ 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒃𝒚, 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑹𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 ࣪⋆✮
I loved all of them.
Rigby is such a sunshine and golden retriever mmc with a praise kink. Devan was the broody CEO and River the mysterious and grumpy hockey pro.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book made me so happy and I had a fun time reading it. I loved „The Daymakers“ by this author and wanted to try other books by her and I wasn‘t disappointed. This is a very well done Why Choose romance set in a sports romance.
I enjoyed the plot and was glued to my kindle the whole afternoon. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I was there for it. I appreciate the fact that the author takes her time to build true relationships between the characters - not just sex. Of course this book is smutty and I was there for it regardless.
Nova and her men are great together. Their tension was amazing and the dialogue and banter so funny. I liked the dynamic between the men and with Nona they’re one family. All of them communicate well with each other so there is no misunderstanding. Their relationship was healthy and it was entertaining to read.
There were some plot holes and baby Huey (terrible name btw) was more of a side character but I can overlook those things.
Overall this was a very good why choose hockey romance.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 4/5
spice: 4/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, forced proximity, why choose, hockey romance, found family, from different worlds, grumpy x sunshine, golden retriever mmc, traumatic past, slow burn, adopted baby
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Sticks and Stone ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Break my Bones ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 11, 2022
Investment in Happiness
Another great book from Grace Mcginty. This book was heartfelt and pulled at all of those heart strings. It was definitely not what I was expecting for a hockey book but loved it all the same.
Nova is in mourning. Having panic attacks at any sort of knock on the door after being told her parents were in a horrible car accident and didn't survive...It'll change a girl. Then one knock, decides to change her entire life, yet again. Turns out Nova has a half-baby brother and his mom also unexpectedly passed. Having get a second chance with a family is a no brainer and she decides to step up. Plot twist... Thennnnnn she finds out, this baby brother of hers comes with 3 no blood relation, very sexy, doting Uncles that also want to step up for him...
The book takes off from there. Nova was a great character. I loved that she was so different than many of Graces' other characters. She was strong when she needed to be, but also soft enough to know when to fight her battles. She was a great mother and all-around great person. The guys, River, Rigby and Devan were all very alpha, and very protective of Nova and the baby. I always love having a baby in stories, it really can show the truth depth of the character - A strong, territorial man but also a huge snuggly teddy bear around the little one. This book made me laugh, smile and brought me to my knees with the overall emotion from it all. (Another superpower of Grace Mcginty)
The author left it open to maybe do more in this world with other characters and I fully support that idea!!! *wink*wink*. lol. I enjoyed this story she created and thought it was super cute and am looking forward to more, even more from this group if that's where she decides!!!
*Overall 5/5
*Heat? 4/5
*Multiple first person POV
*MFMM (No MM)
*Stalking/Death/History of trauma
*Ends on HFN with 8 month later epilogue
Another great book from Grace Mcginty. This book was heartfelt and pulled at all of those heart strings. It was definitely not what I was expecting for a hockey book but loved it all the same.
Nova is in mourning. Having panic attacks at any sort of knock on the door after being told her parents were in a horrible car accident and didn't survive...It'll change a girl. Then one knock, decides to change her entire life, yet again. Turns out Nova has a half-baby brother and his mom also unexpectedly passed. Having get a second chance with a family is a no brainer and she decides to step up. Plot twist... Thennnnnn she finds out, this baby brother of hers comes with 3 no blood relation, very sexy, doting Uncles that also want to step up for him...
The book takes off from there. Nova was a great character. I loved that she was so different than many of Graces' other characters. She was strong when she needed to be, but also soft enough to know when to fight her battles. She was a great mother and all-around great person. The guys, River, Rigby and Devan were all very alpha, and very protective of Nova and the baby. I always love having a baby in stories, it really can show the truth depth of the character - A strong, territorial man but also a huge snuggly teddy bear around the little one. This book made me laugh, smile and brought me to my knees with the overall emotion from it all. (Another superpower of Grace Mcginty)
The author left it open to maybe do more in this world with other characters and I fully support that idea!!! *wink*wink*. lol. I enjoyed this story she created and thought it was super cute and am looking forward to more, even more from this group if that's where she decides!!!
*Overall 5/5
*Heat? 4/5
*Multiple first person POV
*MFMM (No MM)
*Stalking/Death/History of trauma
*Ends on HFN with 8 month later epilogue
June 24, 2024
Okay, Grace McGinty has become one of my favorite RH authors. She literally has me thinking if it could be like this in real life, I wouldn't mind giving it the old college try lol.
What a crazy premise this book had. My heart hurt for Nova and the emotional mine field of emotions she had to contend with. I really enjoyed this. Each of the guys were so different yet I loved them all and wouldn't have been able to choose either.
What a crazy premise this book had. My heart hurt for Nova and the emotional mine field of emotions she had to contend with. I really enjoyed this. Each of the guys were so different yet I loved them all and wouldn't have been able to choose either.
February 28, 2024
My first book by this author, but man, it won't be my last.
I really had a hard time putting this down, sneaking in a few pages between meetings at work today, or any other time I could wedge it in. It wasn't a super angsty story - it was a lovely story of some damaged people fitting together into a supportive whole.
I think this might be the first RH I've read that is really grounded in the real world, dealing with high profile people and the weird way the public would take that news. It was harsh, and shitty ... but that's pretty much how it would go, imo. People are judgey, and they like to tear down celebrities. And despite all the hockey dudes being utter - public - manwhores, it was of course the sweet woman that the media happily labeled a whore. It was appalling, but real (as much as it disgusts me to say). And I didn't begrudge Nova needing a minute to come to terms with it.
This book did definitely have steam, but it had a ratio of plot/story to sex that I dig - maybe 75% story, 25% smut. That kept it from feeling tedious - some RH books have like a 50/50 or even worse ratio, and I find myself skimming the smut by the halfway point, eager to get to the story bits. Here, it was more about these characters slowly coming together than it was constant sex, and that's my preference.
I really had a hard time putting this down, sneaking in a few pages between meetings at work today, or any other time I could wedge it in. It wasn't a super angsty story - it was a lovely story of some damaged people fitting together into a supportive whole.
I think this might be the first RH I've read that is really grounded in the real world, dealing with high profile people and the weird way the public would take that news. It was harsh, and shitty ... but that's pretty much how it would go, imo. People are judgey, and they like to tear down celebrities. And despite all the hockey dudes being utter - public - manwhores, it was of course the sweet woman that the media happily labeled a whore. It was appalling, but real (as much as it disgusts me to say). And I didn't begrudge Nova needing a minute to come to terms with it.
This book did definitely have steam, but it had a ratio of plot/story to sex that I dig - maybe 75% story, 25% smut. That kept it from feeling tedious - some RH books have like a 50/50 or even worse ratio, and I find myself skimming the smut by the halfway point, eager to get to the story bits. Here, it was more about these characters slowly coming together than it was constant sex, and that's my preference.
July 27, 2024
- a surprise baby adopted by his 24 years old half sister
- two hockey players and their investment genius friend
- a stalker
- a lot of media trouble
RTC
- two hockey players and their investment genius friend
- a stalker
- a lot of media trouble
RTC
December 12, 2023
4.5 stars
McGinty for the win, as always. These characters were fleshed out fairly well. Story was solid. My complaints are small, like suing or asking for a restraining order without thinking or even mentioning a police report or documented evidence, but it was little things that didn't really impact the story.
McGinty for the win, as always. These characters were fleshed out fairly well. Story was solid. My complaints are small, like suing or asking for a restraining order without thinking or even mentioning a police report or documented evidence, but it was little things that didn't really impact the story.
December 7, 2023
Sticks and Stone totally took my by surprise - yup it blew me away!!!
This book.... This new to me Author.. is getting all the stars from me and it is finding a cozy little space on my favourite book shelf and an Author shelf too - which means I will most certainly be reading more from her.
Grace McGinty's style of writing is perfect - it hit all the right tropes for me. The words flowed and it all connected leaving a truly beautiful story that I devoured in one sitting.
It has been a while since a new to me Author has surprised me - and I am all in - going to go binge read more from her.
This book.... This new to me Author.. is getting all the stars from me and it is finding a cozy little space on my favourite book shelf and an Author shelf too - which means I will most certainly be reading more from her.
Grace McGinty's style of writing is perfect - it hit all the right tropes for me. The words flowed and it all connected leaving a truly beautiful story that I devoured in one sitting.
It has been a while since a new to me Author has surprised me - and I am all in - going to go binge read more from her.
April 23, 2025
i wish i liked it more, but i can’t be bothered
January 3, 2025
Second read.
3.5 stars. I still had a fun time reading this. This was available on hoopla as duet narration, which is always fun. This is a polyamorous romance with three guys and one woman.
This 25 (?) year-old woman learns her dead dad left a baby from another woman and she decides to care for her baby brother. I loved how much she fought for him and how seriously she took to taking care of him. I am also glad there happened to be three amazing and gorgeous wealthy men ready to take care of her. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to be a single mom, trying to work from home and take care of an infant. So, thankfully, her time of struggling to make ends meet is short.
She's swept off to a mansion where she gets to know the uncles and then gets to KNOW the uncles. The beginning is SUPER sweet as they step up to care for her and the baby and there are multiple adorable interactions.
Then, we start seeing the adults getting to KNOW each other and the baby fades into the background. I regretted not having more adorable moments with the little guy, but there are some sexy times with the men.
Because this is set in the "real" world (albeit where you can be swept away and receive a new $100k car because it's the "safest on the market"), there is some tension with them entering into a polyamorour romance that gets MESSY.
We get drama (other women drama included) and third act breakups and everything.
But, our heroic polycule comes together and forces the world to accept their love.
Safety deets
- 2/3 guys are recovered manwhores with a LOT of women in their background. They apparently would hit it and quit it but some of those women weren't ready to be left behind and we get a BUNCH of shady females being b****** (not my favorite trope, but whatcha gonna do?)
- Lots of thinking about potentially hooking up with others as a way to cope but none of them go there for sure.
- Some trauma with a side dish of trauma (but it never really felt real to me or dragged the book to the dark side).
- All three men are gone for her... but not for each other. I appreciated how open they were with telling each other they loved each other though. I love healthy bromance.
- Lots of mention of therapy (everyone really does need it).
- HEA with all of them together and telling their story at the end. A bit trite, but hey, what part of this book wasn't?
- Great consent seeking from all the guys. Love consent kings!
First read.
4 stars.
I had a great time.
This book has lots of trauma and lots of drama. And yet, still a fun read.
3.5 stars. I still had a fun time reading this. This was available on hoopla as duet narration, which is always fun. This is a polyamorous romance with three guys and one woman.
This 25 (?) year-old woman learns her dead dad left a baby from another woman and she decides to care for her baby brother. I loved how much she fought for him and how seriously she took to taking care of him. I am also glad there happened to be three amazing and gorgeous wealthy men ready to take care of her. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to be a single mom, trying to work from home and take care of an infant. So, thankfully, her time of struggling to make ends meet is short.
She's swept off to a mansion where she gets to know the uncles and then gets to KNOW the uncles. The beginning is SUPER sweet as they step up to care for her and the baby and there are multiple adorable interactions.
Then, we start seeing the adults getting to KNOW each other and the baby fades into the background. I regretted not having more adorable moments with the little guy, but there are some sexy times with the men.
Because this is set in the "real" world (albeit where you can be swept away and receive a new $100k car because it's the "safest on the market"), there is some tension with them entering into a polyamorour romance that gets MESSY.
We get drama (other women drama included) and third act breakups and everything.
But, our heroic polycule comes together and forces the world to accept their love.
Safety deets
- 2/3 guys are recovered manwhores with a LOT of women in their background. They apparently would hit it and quit it but some of those women weren't ready to be left behind and we get a BUNCH of shady females being b****** (not my favorite trope, but whatcha gonna do?)
- Lots of thinking about potentially hooking up with others as a way to cope but none of them go there for sure.
- Some trauma with a side dish of trauma (but it never really felt real to me or dragged the book to the dark side).
- All three men are gone for her... but not for each other. I appreciated how open they were with telling each other they loved each other though. I love healthy bromance.
- Lots of mention of therapy (everyone really does need it).
- HEA with all of them together and telling their story at the end. A bit trite, but hey, what part of this book wasn't?
- Great consent seeking from all the guys. Love consent kings!
First read.
4 stars.
I had a great time.
This book has lots of trauma and lots of drama. And yet, still a fun read.
February 21, 2023
soooo slay! I absolutely loveddddd this. I find that a lot of times contemporary reverse harems are too dark for me to enjoy, but this book was totally sweet. just three guys head over heels for their girl. I do wish this was longer by ~50 pages, with a more fleshed out ‘dating’ period. I would love if this continues as a series with other couples, which I think was hinted at. anyways, I #recommend.
January 15, 2023
Some of my favorite paranormal reads of 2022 were Grace McGinty works… but this kinda fell flat for me. The whole point of the story is that there is a 24 year old woman who is granted custody of an infant half brother she had no idea about 12 weeks after both her parents die in a car accident. But, we hardly ever get to see that bond between the baby and MC develop? Whenever something dramatic/important to the romance plot of the book happens, the infant is put to bed or completely redacted from the scene until it’s over. It’s incredibly disappointing.
I also felt the conflicts of the story were awkward and forced with a lot of plot holes and missing facts. And the internal trauma of 2 main male love interests was mentioned as an excuse for their behavior, but never fully resolved/understood. Everyone lacked character development.
If you are only interested in reading for the smut, I wouldn’t bother with this either. There was 1 group scene and it just felt pretty mellow?
I also felt the conflicts of the story were awkward and forced with a lot of plot holes and missing facts. And the internal trauma of 2 main male love interests was mentioned as an excuse for their behavior, but never fully resolved/understood. Everyone lacked character development.
If you are only interested in reading for the smut, I wouldn’t bother with this either. There was 1 group scene and it just felt pretty mellow?
January 12, 2023
This was an okay read.. I honestly expected more but it just wasnt giving yk?? First of all Rigby and River,s name were too fucking close to each other that I got them so confused. Likee make their names a little different atleast! Couldve used Cooper or sumn. The first part about the story was just too unrealistic mann. Like it just didnt make any sense for her to move in with these guys just cause they gave their reports and shit?? They couldve rented her an apartment so she would be more comfortable plus she literally just met these guys too! And the way they all started hooking up was just random too? A couple of days really. Idk it just didnt feel right. The only realistic part on this was the media and the public going crazy about the story. I guess the RH part too but like damn idk. Something was just off with whole thing. But it was okayy. 3.25 stars?
February 25, 2025
take a shot every time she uses the contraction mightn’t
September 17, 2024
2.25 stars ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
･ ｡ﾟ☆:Sticks and Stone *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ
⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´
🎶
Nova Stone’s (h) life was a blur of monotony until a single knock on her door turned everything upside down. The knock brought news that she had a baby half-brother, Huey, whom she didn’t even know existed. Suddenly, applying for guardianship was a no-brainer, despite the complications that came with it. Enter Huey's uncles: River, the brooding NHL enforcer with a formidable presence; Devan, the mysterious and aloof foster brother; and Rigby, the charming and impossibly sweet CEO with a heart of gold (H). They wanted to take Huey in and offered Nova a staggering amount of money to make it happen. When that offer fell through, they convinced her that moving into their opulent Ann Arbor mansion was the best option for her and her new baby brother.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
I really struggled with how the romance unfolded in this book. The whole insta-love thing was just too much for me. There was no gradual development in the relationship; it felt like it jumped from zero to a hundred way too quickly. It seemed unrealistic, even for a book. Once Nova moved in with them, everything escalated so fast. They didn’t give her any time to adjust to her new environment or settle into her life before suddenly throwing their desires at her. It felt rushed and didn’t give the relationship the natural build-up it needed. What also bothered me was how their attitudes shifted. They started out by offering to pay her off and were upset about the custody decision, but then they just flipped and were all about her because she was attractive. It felt really odd and inconsistent. The story also seemed unfinished. There were so many plot points introduced that didn’t get resolved. It left a lot of loose ends and made the whole thing feel incomplete. Honestly, this book wasn’t my favorite from this author. It had potential, but the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
I really wish the book had delved more into the domestic life of Nova with Rigby, Devon, River, and the baby. It felt like there was a big gap in how their day-to-day life played out. There were so many unanswered questions, especially about the baby. Would Nova be raising her half-brother as her baby or her brother? The lack of exploration into these domestic scenes left me wanting more. And what about Nova’s cheating dad? She never really talked to the guys about how she felt about him or the situation with her mother. There were no meaningful conversations about her past or her emotions, making their interactions feel pretty superficial. It was frustrating that the idea of a polyamorous relationship seemed to emerge just because they all wanted her. Besides the baby, there didn’t seem to be much reason for them to be together, and the chemistry felt forced. The whole thing felt like it was more about being involved in the baby’s life rather than truly connecting with Nova. River and Devon had their own deep-seated issues, and they repeatedly mentioned that they’d choose each other over her if it came down to it. Honestly, it felt like there was something more going on between those two, like they had their own secret feelings for each other. It all added up to a pretty frustrating read for me.
[Rigby]
He was the only one who really showed genuine interest and emotional maturity throughout the book. From the beginning, he was bold about his feelings and took charge of the situation. It was clear he wasn’t going to wait around for the others to figure out what they wanted. Rigby knew he wanted Nova, and he wasn’t going to let the indecision of the others hold him back. He wasn’t interested in playing games or waiting for the other guys to get their act together. He recognized that River and Devon had their own deep-rooted issues, and he didn’t expect Nova to fix them. Instead, he focused on what he could control—his own feelings and his approach to the relationship. Rigby’s commitment to Nova and his willingness to take the lead were what made him so compelling. He was upfront about wanting her, and he didn’t shy away from expressing it. Even when it came to the polyamorous relationship, Rigby was pragmatic. He offered it as a solution because he wanted his friends to be happy, but he was also more than fine with just having Nova for himself if that was what it came down to. His efforts to get to know Nova and make her life easier were evident, and it felt like he was the only one truly putting in the work. The whole dynamic felt like it was skewed in his favor because of his strong communication and proactive approach. Rigby’s character was the most genuine and relatable, and it was clear he was the one who really made the effort to build something meaningful with Nova.
[River]
His change in attitude toward Nova felt pretty abrupt and left me scratching my head too. At first, he was super bitter and unsympathetic toward her because of the custody situation and his issues with her dad. It was like he had this deep-seated grudge that made him almost hostile. So when he suddenly shifts gears and starts trying to pay her off and invites her to live with him and the guys, it felt like a total 180. It would’ve been nice to see a more gradual shift or some clear explanation for why he went from being so resentful to being interested in her. The abrupt change didn’t really fit with his earlier behavior, and it left a lot of questions about his motivations and feelings. The book also hinted at his past and his therapy sessions, but it never really delved into how these aspects of his life affected his behavior or his relationship with Nova. It’s like the book touched on his insecurities and his past but didn’t follow through with meaningful exploration or resolution. This made his character feel inconsistent and incomplete. His development, especially how he resolved his issues and how it impacted his relationship with Nova, was a missed opportunity. It would’ve been great to see more depth and continuity in his character arc.
[Devon]
Honestly, Devan’s character was such a mixed bag for me. He really got under my skin sometimes because he had this tendency to lash out whenever things didn’t go his way. It felt like his go-to move was to push people away, which was super frustrating to watch. Remember that whole scene when Nova left the house? Devan was so quick to be like, “Well, if she doesn’t want us, then fine,” and he was ready to just move on. I get that he was hurt, but his reaction felt so petty. It was almost like he needed her to fight for him before he’d even consider fighting for her. It seemed like he was waiting for a reason to wallow in his own pity party instead of actually addressing his feelings. The guy was seriously sheltered and closed off. He didn’t want to let anyone in, and it was clear he had a lot of emotional baggage. The book touched on his issues, but it felt like it just scratched the surface. Devan’s struggle to open up and really connect could’ve been explored way more deeply. Instead, it seemed like he had to be nudged into caring and fighting for what he wanted, which felt pretty frustrating and kind of unfair to Nova.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
The pacing in this book felt way off—like everything was moving at lightning speed without giving the characters or their relationships any real depth. It was kind of jarring how quickly things escalated emotionally without much buildup. The characters themselves felt really one-dimensional, which made it hard to buy into the whole story. They didn’t seem to have much more to them beyond their immediate reactions and superficial traits. It was like they were just going through the motions rather than having real, nuanced interactions. Everything seemed to happen so fast, and because the characters weren’t fully fleshed out, their rapid changes in feelings and relationships didn’t feel earned or believable. It’s frustrating when a story has potential but doesn’t give the characters or their development the time and attention they need to really resonate.
･ ｡ﾟ☆:Sticks and Stone *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ
⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´
🎶
Home is wherever I'm with you. Oh, home, let me come home🎶
Nova Stone’s (h) life was a blur of monotony until a single knock on her door turned everything upside down. The knock brought news that she had a baby half-brother, Huey, whom she didn’t even know existed. Suddenly, applying for guardianship was a no-brainer, despite the complications that came with it. Enter Huey's uncles: River, the brooding NHL enforcer with a formidable presence; Devan, the mysterious and aloof foster brother; and Rigby, the charming and impossibly sweet CEO with a heart of gold (H). They wanted to take Huey in and offered Nova a staggering amount of money to make it happen. When that offer fell through, they convinced her that moving into their opulent Ann Arbor mansion was the best option for her and her new baby brother.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
I really struggled with how the romance unfolded in this book. The whole insta-love thing was just too much for me. There was no gradual development in the relationship; it felt like it jumped from zero to a hundred way too quickly. It seemed unrealistic, even for a book. Once Nova moved in with them, everything escalated so fast. They didn’t give her any time to adjust to her new environment or settle into her life before suddenly throwing their desires at her. It felt rushed and didn’t give the relationship the natural build-up it needed. What also bothered me was how their attitudes shifted. They started out by offering to pay her off and were upset about the custody decision, but then they just flipped and were all about her because she was attractive. It felt really odd and inconsistent. The story also seemed unfinished. There were so many plot points introduced that didn’t get resolved. It left a lot of loose ends and made the whole thing feel incomplete. Honestly, this book wasn’t my favorite from this author. It had potential, but the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
I really wish the book had delved more into the domestic life of Nova with Rigby, Devon, River, and the baby. It felt like there was a big gap in how their day-to-day life played out. There were so many unanswered questions, especially about the baby. Would Nova be raising her half-brother as her baby or her brother? The lack of exploration into these domestic scenes left me wanting more. And what about Nova’s cheating dad? She never really talked to the guys about how she felt about him or the situation with her mother. There were no meaningful conversations about her past or her emotions, making their interactions feel pretty superficial. It was frustrating that the idea of a polyamorous relationship seemed to emerge just because they all wanted her. Besides the baby, there didn’t seem to be much reason for them to be together, and the chemistry felt forced. The whole thing felt like it was more about being involved in the baby’s life rather than truly connecting with Nova. River and Devon had their own deep-seated issues, and they repeatedly mentioned that they’d choose each other over her if it came down to it. Honestly, it felt like there was something more going on between those two, like they had their own secret feelings for each other. It all added up to a pretty frustrating read for me.
[Rigby]
“Miss Stone? My name is Rigby Engman. We just wanted to formally meet you, if we could. River you’ve met, of course, and this is his brother, Devan Mayson. We’re in town for another day, and we’d really like to set up a meeting with you, just to discuss Huey.”
He was the only one who really showed genuine interest and emotional maturity throughout the book. From the beginning, he was bold about his feelings and took charge of the situation. It was clear he wasn’t going to wait around for the others to figure out what they wanted. Rigby knew he wanted Nova, and he wasn’t going to let the indecision of the others hold him back. He wasn’t interested in playing games or waiting for the other guys to get their act together. He recognized that River and Devon had their own deep-rooted issues, and he didn’t expect Nova to fix them. Instead, he focused on what he could control—his own feelings and his approach to the relationship. Rigby’s commitment to Nova and his willingness to take the lead were what made him so compelling. He was upfront about wanting her, and he didn’t shy away from expressing it. Even when it came to the polyamorous relationship, Rigby was pragmatic. He offered it as a solution because he wanted his friends to be happy, but he was also more than fine with just having Nova for himself if that was what it came down to. His efforts to get to know Nova and make her life easier were evident, and it felt like he was the only one truly putting in the work. The whole dynamic felt like it was skewed in his favor because of his strong communication and proactive approach. Rigby’s character was the most genuine and relatable, and it was clear he was the one who really made the effort to build something meaningful with Nova.
[River]
River seemed to give the surrounding crowd the stink eye. “Swap places with me.”
“Thank you. I promise I’m not normally like this.”
“Naw, it’s okay. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for all of us. I’d be worried if you didn’t want to cry.”
His change in attitude toward Nova felt pretty abrupt and left me scratching my head too. At first, he was super bitter and unsympathetic toward her because of the custody situation and his issues with her dad. It was like he had this deep-seated grudge that made him almost hostile. So when he suddenly shifts gears and starts trying to pay her off and invites her to live with him and the guys, it felt like a total 180. It would’ve been nice to see a more gradual shift or some clear explanation for why he went from being so resentful to being interested in her. The abrupt change didn’t really fit with his earlier behavior, and it left a lot of questions about his motivations and feelings. The book also hinted at his past and his therapy sessions, but it never really delved into how these aspects of his life affected his behavior or his relationship with Nova. It’s like the book touched on his insecurities and his past but didn’t follow through with meaningful exploration or resolution. This made his character feel inconsistent and incomplete. His development, especially how he resolved his issues and how it impacted his relationship with Nova, was a missed opportunity. It would’ve been great to see more depth and continuity in his character arc.
[Devon]
Devan squeezed my forearm. “He’s fine. Happy. Look at him,” he insisted softly, and I did.
“It’s probably just colic, but we can go and get him checked out if you’d like.”
“Why don’t you have a shower, and I’ll make some lunch?”
Honestly, Devan’s character was such a mixed bag for me. He really got under my skin sometimes because he had this tendency to lash out whenever things didn’t go his way. It felt like his go-to move was to push people away, which was super frustrating to watch. Remember that whole scene when Nova left the house? Devan was so quick to be like, “Well, if she doesn’t want us, then fine,” and he was ready to just move on. I get that he was hurt, but his reaction felt so petty. It was almost like he needed her to fight for him before he’d even consider fighting for her. It seemed like he was waiting for a reason to wallow in his own pity party instead of actually addressing his feelings. The guy was seriously sheltered and closed off. He didn’t want to let anyone in, and it was clear he had a lot of emotional baggage. The book touched on his issues, but it felt like it just scratched the surface. Devan’s struggle to open up and really connect could’ve been explored way more deeply. Instead, it seemed like he had to be nudged into caring and fighting for what he wanted, which felt pretty frustrating and kind of unfair to Nova.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
The pacing in this book felt way off—like everything was moving at lightning speed without giving the characters or their relationships any real depth. It was kind of jarring how quickly things escalated emotionally without much buildup. The characters themselves felt really one-dimensional, which made it hard to buy into the whole story. They didn’t seem to have much more to them beyond their immediate reactions and superficial traits. It was like they were just going through the motions rather than having real, nuanced interactions. Everything seemed to happen so fast, and because the characters weren’t fully fleshed out, their rapid changes in feelings and relationships didn’t feel earned or believable. It’s frustrating when a story has potential but doesn’t give the characters or their development the time and attention they need to really resonate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2024
I honestly loved this book! I almost didn't read it because of some of the negative reviews. But I'm glad I did!
It was so well paced. Lighthearted. The guys were adorable! I did really struggle to connect with the guys in the beginning, but by the end of the book I was a huge fan of theirs.
My only argument would be I wish we saw more of the baby! It was kinda like he was just expected to be there.
Rigby was my favorite! He was so playful. I enjoyed his relationship with everyone.
“Oh. My. God. He looks like sunshine, if sunshine was a buff human with a fucking ass sculpted from stone. Girl, if I was there, I’d high five you so hard right now…”
Devan was perfectly broody! And only soft with the guys and her! 😍
“Little Star, I’m exactly where I want to be right now,”
River... I struggled to connect with River for most of the book! He was rough around the edges. But once he started to really let Nova in I was sold!!
“You’re mine, River. I’m keeping you, and as long as you hold the baby, I’ll bitch fight any ex you have for the honor.”
All in all I really did enjoy this book. I didn't have to skim! It flowed really well! It was a solid RH
It was so well paced. Lighthearted. The guys were adorable! I did really struggle to connect with the guys in the beginning, but by the end of the book I was a huge fan of theirs.
My only argument would be I wish we saw more of the baby! It was kinda like he was just expected to be there.
Rigby was my favorite! He was so playful. I enjoyed his relationship with everyone.
“Oh. My. God. He looks like sunshine, if sunshine was a buff human with a fucking ass sculpted from stone. Girl, if I was there, I’d high five you so hard right now…”
Devan was perfectly broody! And only soft with the guys and her! 😍
“Little Star, I’m exactly where I want to be right now,”
River... I struggled to connect with River for most of the book! He was rough around the edges. But once he started to really let Nova in I was sold!!
“You’re mine, River. I’m keeping you, and as long as you hold the baby, I’ll bitch fight any ex you have for the honor.”
All in all I really did enjoy this book. I didn't have to skim! It flowed really well! It was a solid RH
December 31, 2022
Ice hockey, found family, reverse harem and tragic backstories… it’s like all of my favourite things rolled into one. The disability aspect was underutilised, but I also don’t really want to read about a baby dying from a heart defect… He was an adorable perfect baby, but at least kept her up and wouldn’t settle and had those aspects of realism.
The steam level is up there, and the angst levels are pretty low. Nova was just the right side of emotional mess to make me love her, because she kept getting back up. All the guys were great and distinct enough from each other that I didn’t keep getting them muddled. There is actual ice hockey in here too! I know I shouldn’t be surprised by that, but I’ve read quite a few books where they’re an ice hockey player in name only and there’s no actual ice hockey on page. I seriously enjoyed this and have already gone and borrowed another of the books on kindle because she is definitely worth further exploration.
The steam level is up there, and the angst levels are pretty low. Nova was just the right side of emotional mess to make me love her, because she kept getting back up. All the guys were great and distinct enough from each other that I didn’t keep getting them muddled. There is actual ice hockey in here too! I know I shouldn’t be surprised by that, but I’ve read quite a few books where they’re an ice hockey player in name only and there’s no actual ice hockey on page. I seriously enjoyed this and have already gone and borrowed another of the books on kindle because she is definitely worth further exploration.
December 7, 2022
Loooooooved this!!!
This story starts with Nova, a woman who’s parents have recently died in a car accident. A few months after that, she gets shocking news that her dad wasn’t the man she thought he was and inherits a bouncing baby boy that’s actually her half brother. Thanks, Dad! 🤬
That innocent baby comes with three gorgeous uncles that promised his mom that they’d take care of him if anything happened to her. Queue them showing up in Nova’s life to convince her to move in with them to raise Huey together.
I’m fully onboard with this random standalone sportsy story Grace has going on. If she wanted to do it more frequently, that would be A-Okay!!! First it was bull riders and now it’s hockey players. Maybe there’s some rugby players out there that need some why choose love next? 😀 💜
This story starts with Nova, a woman who’s parents have recently died in a car accident. A few months after that, she gets shocking news that her dad wasn’t the man she thought he was and inherits a bouncing baby boy that’s actually her half brother. Thanks, Dad! 🤬
That innocent baby comes with three gorgeous uncles that promised his mom that they’d take care of him if anything happened to her. Queue them showing up in Nova’s life to convince her to move in with them to raise Huey together.
I’m fully onboard with this random standalone sportsy story Grace has going on. If she wanted to do it more frequently, that would be A-Okay!!! First it was bull riders and now it’s hockey players. Maybe there’s some rugby players out there that need some why choose love next? 😀 💜
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