Face Off

Alpha Omega Hockey #2

by Marina Vivancos

Orion’s life turns upside down when someone outs him as the first Omega in the NHL…that anybody knows of. Now, he has to wrestle with the decisions he made throughout his life to keep that secret hidden—including the man he left a decade earlier.

Problem is, that man is Gabriel McKenna, Captain of the Queen's Hounds. Seeing as Orion captains the Brooklyn Cats, their relationship is more one of hate than love at the moment.
Or so he wants to tell himself.

Orion has enough difficulties dealing with idiots on the ice thinking they can put him on his knees just because they know he’s an Omega. He doesn’t need to suddenly reconnect with his old flame. Doesn’t need to deal with the feelings he thought he’d buried long ago.

Orion is trying to escape the memories of the best year of his life, but the past is catching up with him. After the way Orion left, after all the fights on the ice, he doesn’t know if he deserves a second chance…
But he might want one anyway.

This book is a steamy rivals-to-lovers story with a complicated past. It is the second book in the Alpha Omega Hockey series but can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Omegaverse, Sports, M M Romance, Second Chance, Romance, Hockey, Enemies To Lovers

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2023

About the author

When Marina was a child she couldn’t sleep. Night after dissolving night she just couldn’t sleep. Nothing much worked – until she started making up stories in her head. Suddenly, the transition into unconsciousness was a smooth dive into calm waters.

Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.

You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.

Reviews

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-read January 2025

Exactly what I needed right now.


re-read March 2024

Still perfection. 🫠

At least almost. MV intended to come back to these characters so I let it slide that the end of this book was less than a satisfying ending. But one year and two books in the series with a 10yrs time jump later, she didn't and it doesn't look like she would. But hell, I love this book, this story so much, I f* let it slide again. But I'm mad about it, okay?


4.5***** stars

“I…I’m sorry, you know. For not trying harder with us, all those years ago.“

I loved this sooo much more than the first book. Which is probably not surprising as this one is a second-chance romance.


Two captains of two rival New York Hockey teams and a secret they kept for over a decade —that they had been in love once upon a time.

Falling in love with Gabby had been easy. Painless. […] talking about the future casually, as if it were a given they’d share it.

A decade later, Orion wouldn’t be able to get over how thoughtless it had all been.

Maybe you remember that the first book in the series ended with Gabby, the Hound’s captain, being confronted by reporters with the big news that Orion, the Cat’s team captain, they just had won against had just been outed as an Omega and Gabby’s vicious reaction (basically a Fuck Off!) to it. That’s where this book starts.


The vibe of this book felt a lot different than the last, maybe due to our main characters being older, more mature and more confident in their career and it was nice!

So after more than ten years after their breakup they get kind of thrown together again and it’s not long before the amor cracks and they can’t resist the other any longer.

“I don’t. Orion—hey. Orion. Come on, look at me.” […] “Baby, it would kill me to leave right now. I’d do it if you asked, but…” He bent to lap at Orion’s scent gland. “It’d fucking kill me to leave you like this. I’d go crazy if you were alone, and if anybody else touched you…”

Look at me, that’s my fucking kryptonite!!

And Gabby, so silently possessive was HOT AS FUCK!! I loved their chemistry, the inevitability of their connection. And in bed, Jesus! —they were on fire!

THE INTENSITY, the hurt feelings, the pining, the longing —shit, this book gave me exactly what I crave in my romances and what I specifically love about this trope.

What I love about the omegaverse in this series is that we get something we rarely get in others that make this even more special: like an alpha’s rut and the omegas’ nesting. Gawd people, THE NESTING!!! That was so uber precious. So so sweet. One of the best moments in both books.



Overall this was an amazing read for me and I fell hard and fast for Gabby & Orion and their beautiful story!



At first I was disappointed with the ending as we only get a HFN and there were a few parts of their reuniting missing for me. But then Marina Vivancos announced her future plans for this series and I am so pleased and excited to hear that we will come back to these guys in whichever form MV chooses and even more of what’s to come.


**************
Omega Alpha Hockey Series:

Book 1 - Fresh Ice - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - Face Off - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Overtime
Book 4 - Florida: Broken Ice - 4.5 stars ♡
Book 5 - Full Body Hit: Part 1 - 4.25 stars
Book 6 - Full Body Hit: Part 2 - dropped / 3.0 stars

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nobody is more surprised than me that I didn’t enjoy a Marina book!😔 Loved the first one but this did not work for me at all. I didn’t feel nearly enough of an emotional connection between the guys to care about their relationship and I feel like I’ll forget about this book by tomorrow honestly.🤷🏼‍♀️ I didn’t even care about the jealousy scenes!!!! Sad. The majority of the book felt as though everyone was talking about hockey or the omega suppressant plot line so maybe that’s why my interest was barely there. But I do feel silly complaining about these things being heavily apparent because it’s akin to me turning on Succession and being like everyone shut up with the business talk!!!!! It’s a book about omega / alpha dynamics and they are hockey players so… Long story short - this felt too bogged down by outside elements for *me* to get invested in the romance. We would get small glimpses of an emotional connection but never a full picture. It would stop almost as soon as it started. And for being so short it felt so so so long. Maybe that’s because I was having a bad time but still!!!!🙆🏼‍♀️ But I didn’t hate this hence the two stars but I’m definitely more sad that I didn’t enjoy this because I was anticipating it so much. Oh well😢 At least there was nesting!!!!!🥰

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

Orion’s body had spent more than a decade longing. Ten years of wandering, lost. This is what it felt like to finally be home.

This series feels like I’m rereading my fave hockey romances, with the added sweet twist of omegaverse.
Face Off felt a little shorter and less captivating than Fresh Ice, but still a lovely read.
I enjoyed seeing Orion and Gabby rekindle their lost love, mend their broken hearts and fall for each other all over again.
I also loved that we got more resolution to Alonso and Levy’s story.

Again, their ending felt unfinished, just like the previous book. Hopefully we get more of these couples.

Tropes and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Lovers to rivals to lovers
- Second chance
- Hockey captains
- Omegaverse (alpha X omega)
- Rimming
- Coming untouched
- Scenting
- Nesting
- Toys
- Intercrural
- Knotting
- Strict top/bottom

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
Hockey romances with lovers to enemies to lovers will always be a winner for me

[alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Face Off throws us right into the thick of where Fresh Ice drew the curtains, into Orion's mind the moment he's outed as an Omega and left to brave the aftermath in the choppy seas of a superficially supportive league. but through this public reveal and happenstance, bridges - albeit flimsy - begin to form and link his and his past love Gabby's worlds after years of distance apart.

compared to the first book, there's an extra spicy kick derived from the unspoken grief shared between these two former lovers. they revolve about the fringe of each other’s circles, occasionally daring to toe the invisible boundaries separating them so, but too frightened to take a leap both giant and bold. this back-and-forth won't be for everyone with its inclusion of the infamous Miscommunication™, but the way MV translates conflict into words has it going down so smoothly. objectively i know it’s angst and heartbreaking, but subjectively, i feel like i’m taking a light afternoon stroll for some vitamin d. diet angst? or am i simply turning into someone who lives off angst as sustenance? does this make any sense? probably not, but i digress 😆

once again, i don’t know this author well enough to tell you how the characters and story's progression place on the MV scale, but perhaps the angsty second chance element can give what majority of my book friends felt was missing in the first book. i may have enjoyed book 1 a teensy tiny bit more personally (based on my vague recollection of the story), but when all is said and done, i also devoured this in a single sitting, and there's simply no better ringing endorsement than that.

last but not least, every time MV writes about nesting, GAH i feel so tender inside :') to many more nesting scenes in the future 🥂

Thank you to GRR and the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of the book - this is my honest review :)

[thosemeddlingkids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sports romance + omegaverse is a great concept, I'm really enjoying this series. This is second chance romance between two rival hockey captains. The book begins with a forced outing, one of them has been a secret omega all along! Gasp.

I loved seeing cameos of the MCs in book 1, but you don't need to read it to enjoy this one, they are just cute little rookies looking for advice.

I think I will have to reread this one starting around the 70% mark and onward, I loved the nesting and intimacy building between these two, so stinking cute! Also, I think the hockey was handled a bit better in this one than the first book, and less info dumping.

I love the vibes and emotions that Vivancos can bring into such a short book. This one was no different. Gabby was precious buying a whole ass fancy popcorn machine so they would have movie theater popcorn at home, he was adorable bringing over things 'just in case' to help out with a heat. Just, sweetest alpha.

[nark · Rating 2 out of 5]

yawn

[Papie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
I loved it, but not as much as book 1. I think I just didn’t live Orion as much as Alonso.

Loved
Gabby
Second chance romance
Fun world building
Hockey
Hot sex
Made me swoon.
“I don’t think so. I think…you just make me…I never got over you. It was so crazy—a dozen fucking years and I just couldn’t let go. Sometimes it scares me, how much I want to…own you. Be owned by you.”

Didn’t love
It dragged a lot near the end. It felt way longer than it was.
It was a little too easy and smooth sailing.

Made me laugh
The nesting. I think I was expecting something more like making sure your house is perfect (like pregnancy nesting) and not a giant messy pile of sheets, blankets and your SO’s dirty laundry.
The nest was kind of disgusting, but it smelt too good to do anything about it. They just put a clean sheet over the base of it and Orion snuggled into the sheets while Gabby brought him an electrolyte drink and some food.

[Iz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, this one too was even better on the re-read ♥️

_____________


"Face Off" was freaking wonderful.
I managed to literally inhale this book in one, short, blissful afternoon and immediately had the urge to read it again. And again.

"Fresh Ice", Levy and Alonso's story, was one of my favourite books of 2022, and I was really curious to see if Orion and Gabby would manage to surpass them.

And now, a whole day later after finishing it, I'm still not sure if they did, because this novel was both precisely what I expected from Marina Vivancos' incredibly talented writing skills and not at all.
"Face Off" is delightful. It's emotional and steamy and frustrating and sweet and gorgeous. It's also a second chance romance and the Vivancos (i.e. the most emotionally angsty omegaverse writer there is at the moment) and that particular trope (i.e. the angstiest trope ever) combo is a ruthless one. And Orion and Gabby's second chance at love had me simultaneously tearing my hair out in frustration (seriously, those two are lovable idiots, but idiots nonetheless) and tearing up because *sobbing noises* their soulmate love had me in a complete chokehold and ugh, they were both so damn perfect for each other.

In some ways, "Face Off" was less angsty than "Fresh Ice", because Orion has it a thousand times better than Alonso: he hasn't spent his life wreaking havoc on his body, he's got loving parents and a few good friends in his corner, and he's perfectly content with his designation. He still has to deal with a ton of issues, especially after he was forcibly outed, but he's had the opportunity to accept and explore himself in healthier ways than Alonso.
In other ways, "Face Off" is worse, an emotionally charged punch to the gut in book form: the romance between Alonso and Levy, regardless of Alonso's issues and fears, felt light-hearted and good and fun; Orion and Gabby's romance is anything but that. It's packed with misunderstandings and distrust and fear and disappointment, but also heart-breaking pining, a soulmate kind of yearning, unstoppable hunger and tension and deep, deep love, ten years in the making.
So yes, they're both different from each other and "Face Off" is different from what I expected, but it still managed to make want to crawl in a corner and sob my eyes out.

"You played good, though. Two assists. Very hot.” Gabby winked, and heat shivered through Orion, the rumble of tectonic plates shifting.

Obviously, there isn't only pain: there's also romance and humor, hockey and team shenanigans, sweetness and a ton of steam. And yes, Marina Vivancos does not disappoint in those regards: surprise heats and ruts, scenting and knotting, AND the holiest omegaverse element, e.i. nesting? Yes, it's all there.
Needless to say, I loved every single second of my time with this book, both the painful and the scorching hot ones.

I was also supremely happy with how much page time Alonso and Levy get: their book ends on a solid, but cliffhanger-y, HFN and although I'd definitely sell a few vital organs for another book about them (Alonso goes through A LOT during this book and I'd be curious to read his POV about it), I was very satisfied with how they were left off. On the other hand, Orion and Gabby's story ends on a very, very happy HEA: yes, I cried.

I'm so curious to see if Marina Vivancos will gift us with another book from this hockey omegaverse series! I sincerely hope so because there's so much more left to be explored, especially after everything that happens in this book.

Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.

[Morgan ♓︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - an angsty, smutty omegaverse novella that hits the spot if you’re in the mood for second chance lovers, rivals to lovers, and all the best parts of aob like nesting, scenting, suppressants drama, possesiveness, etc

I had a good time and hope there will be more books in this series because I enjoy this author’s writing 🙏🏻 her dialogue feels very natural and her writing just flows well. I definitely gotta read more of her books.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Orion and Gabby way more than Alonso and Levy, but it still felt like their book was unfinished?

Like, after all the talk of them going public and officially mating I expected to see that happening in their book, but it just ends!

I already want to read the next book, but it's frustrating to not have each couples story finish in their own book 🤷🏼‍♀️ I understand why book one's plot was continued in this book because it tied in with Orion, but I don't understand why there's essentially a 'cliffhanger' around them mating...

[Ash🍉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to GRR for the arc ❤️️

Face Off starts exactly where Fresh Ice left off, with Orion being outed as an omega. In this omegaverse world that Marina Vivancos has created, gender and sexuality works different than in our world. Alpha and omega relationships are the norm, and alpha x alpha or omega x omega are considered queer relationships. Omega's aren't openly banned from sports, but it is heavily implied that omegas don't go as far in the professional field as alphas do. This is why Orion has hidden the fact that he's an omega since hes a processional hockey player, but now his secret is out.

Gabby is the captain of the another hockey team, and someone who's been Orion's rival for many years. In Fresh Ice there was hints of something going on between Orion and Gabby, but we find out the truth in this book. Gabby and Orion have a big history, and with everything going on with Orion the two of them begin to get closer again.

I really enjoyed this read, there was a lot of emotion in it and my heart was breaking seeing these two be together but still hiding how they truly feel. Second-chance romances wouldn't be my favourite trope but this was done really and I could completely understand the reason why these two needed a second chance.

I haven't read a lot of omegaverse books, but I like the way that in this world the heats and ruts aren't super sexualised which is what seems to be the norm in most books. It was something I really appreciated when I read the first book too. There's no need to find someone to spend the heat or rut with, and they aren't driven mad by sexual desires. Its as much about caring for their partner as it is helping them through their urges.

I feel like this could be read as a standalone. Alonso and Levy show up from book one, and we see a sort of continuation of Alonso's story from where things with him left off, but I think that part of the story could be understood without reading book one first if you wanted to skip it. This book also ended with an epilogue and things seem mostly wrapped up in a nice bow. I'm not sure if there will be a third book but I'd be happy to read more and I'd also love to see how everyone is doing post book two.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet omegaverse hockey story. I enjoyed the first book, but thought the pacing was a little off. This one improves on some of the tiny issues I had with the first book, but does still end a little abruptly.

The worldbuilding is minimal, but the dynamics of the alpha and omega are layered on top of our real world homophobia and to a lesser extent misogyny. The hockey is there for a very good reason; the passion Orion (and Gabby) feel for the sport is what drives them to keep playing and why Orion leaves Gabby to pursue that passion over their connection. I highlighted several passages where Orion is thinking about how most people don't understand the kind of passion that drives the need to compete professionally, which really strengthened the romantic conflict for me.

We get to see Alonso and Levy (which is good, bc I wanted more of them), but their appearances don't detract from the main relationship in this book, and are rather a way to show Orion dealing with his new role as the first 'out' Omega in the league.

I loved that there was no third act break, especially with this being a second chance romance. The communication, once it started, was * chef's kiss *

There's some great moments, and the feels are always present with Vivancos' stories, but at times the hockey and omegaverse parts seem to compete with each other? Or maybe they're competing with the romance? I think it either needed to feel more like a fantasy AU or more contemporary. That being said, I will read anything Vivancos writes and really only judge her books against other of her books.

I received an advanced copy from Gay Romance Reviews and these are my honest opinions.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so. Orion's kind of a self-centered dick, yeah? How do you blindside someone with a dumping and then get mad when you create a whole narrative in your head about how quickly they seem to be moving on from you?

He's Shane Hollander levels of bad, and y'all know I don't make that accusation lightly. He literally chose hockey over Gabby. And now he's rewriting history. The AUDACITY of this bitch.

Oh my God. These men. Their love language is snapping at each other and then sex🤦they never talk about anything.

Not to mention, Orion's been with others during his heats but he has the gall to be jealous of Gabby potentially having spent another Omega's heat with them(he hasn't by the way) or having spent his rut with an omega (again, he hasn't). Gah. Double standards, much?

Orion clearly has some degree of a praise kink but THIS MAN DOES NOT DESERVE ANY PRAISE! Guards!

I loved you so much I chose something else over you. I loved you so fucking much, that what we had wasn't worth a conversation. I held you in such high esteem that I fucked you over - and then hit you in a game afterwards because you didn't seem appropriately broken up over it. That's what Orion sounds like by the way. This is psychopathic, I swear. You know what, Shane? Stay of execution. People out here are WILDING OUT.

I understand that Orion was young. 19 is young. But you shouldn't get to fuck up this monumentally, not fix it for ten years, and STILL only get off with one measly speech (not even an apology, people, an explanation. A justification for why you fucked over someone you claim to have loved so much.) I wish Gabby stood on business a bit.

It feels like Orion was only willing to take a chance on them when it was easy, maybe BECAUSE it was easy, he'd already been outed, he had nothing else to lose. I hate when couples come together like this. Where's my 'in spite of everything' love?
WHERE'S MY 'FUCK EVERYTHING ELSE' LOVE? Not here, that's for sure.

Also what's with this fear that Gabby would pull out of things? Gabby couldn't pull out of anything (or anyone) to save his damn life. Be fucking for real. It's always Orion with the bullshit 🙄

I think beyond just asking for forgiveness, it matters how you go about it. Like, this man eventually said he was sorry but it was one measly throwaway line.

Maybe my issue is that sure, he apologized but he didn't really make amends. We didn't get to see him make a different choice this time around. We didn't get to see him put his neck on the line for anything.

And Gabby. Gabby's just that guy that's always there waiting. Loving too much he can't see straight. I wanted to pity him but what's the point of pitying him when he's on cloud nine? This man is just happy to be involved and just..... ugh.

This book brings me back to the age old question of do I give a rating best on a great resolution or hard fought HEA that I can get behind, or do I rate based on how intense the ride was, the feelings it evoked, even though I wanted to throw my phone against the wall multiple times(hey, anger is a valid emotion)?

I'm giving this 4. Because I felt a lot of things, and I like books that make me feel. Not a 5 because I want to respect the MCs in my 5 star books a little bit. And I'm not quite sure I do here. Either of them.

Also, I don't think I've ever really read a book solely from the POV of the offending MC. The emotional criminal, so to speak. Bold choice from the author. It's nice to see the delusion and justification from the front seat.

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it!

It went like this:

Insta friendship
Secret revealed
Insta attraction
Sex
Laughs
Sex
Love
Hell, I can’t do this
Breakup & Heartbreak
Resentment
On ice rivalry
Rivalry
Resentment
Rivalry
Outed
Oops sex
Rivalry
More oops sex
Rivalry
Texts
Calls
Heat
Love
Sex
Sex
Sex
HEA

Have fun, ‘cause I did!

[Moraa (vacation hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely fantastic and the tension between Gaby and Orion, the almost hate sex??? Off the charts! 📈

[Em’sBookNook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh this was even better than the first. I loooooove a second chance romance. The tension, the history, the reconnect. Delicious.

I could have read 5 books about Gabby and Orion. I liked that we got to see little parts of their beginning.

This series is probably going to be my new personality.

[The Secret Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5
Steam: 4
PoV: single, 3rd person
Genre: paranormal romance, omegaverse, MM
Tropes / tags: hockey, second chance, secret relationship

I love this story so much, and I keep coming back to Orion and Gabby's story whenever I need an emotional and tender second chance romance.

[firnag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eng 🇬🇧 (in Ita sotto 🇮🇹)

This book is beautiful! It was even better than the first one.
Loved Orion, Gabby and their relationship ❤️ the fact that they already had a past made their relationship even deeper, closer and more heartfelt for me. I liked so much that their bond is almost visceral 😍 they have an intimate and absolute connection on so many levels.
Loved the banter they exchanged, these two are intense, deep but also funny! I found myself smiling several times while reading.
Also enjoyed following two characters who are more mature than in the previous book (most of the time lol), with their own issues to deal with.
There is definitely more angst here than in Fresh Ice; however, imho this helped make their reunion even more beautiful, satisfying and well-constructed!
There are times when Orion and Gabby don't communicate, and I would have liked to throttle them a bit for that, but when they then do, when they open up to each other completely... 😍
Aaand this novel is hot! Super hot, good quality hot 🔥 it is in my opinion the hottest I have read from this author 🥵
Besides, I loved seeing Alonso and Levy again! They’re always so close and cute, and their story is progressing too, especially regarding Alonso's health. This is something I would have liked to read, in fact I had mentioned it in my review of the first book as well.
Also liked seeing how close the members of the teams are, especially Orion's team, after the events mentioned in the epilogue of Fresh Ice. Even if it doesn’t quite work that way in reality, it's still nice for me to read about it.
I would have liked to read a double point of view, or at least some scenes from Gabby's pov. I would also have liked to see Alonso, Levy and Ollie's reactions to Orion and Gabby's relationship! But those are minor things. Really enjoyed the book, and definitely recommend it! I like this world Marina Vivancos has created and hope to have the opportunity to explore it further in the future 🥰

I received an Arc of this book from GRR, whom I thank, and this is my honest review.

Ita 🇮🇹

Questo libro è bellissimo! Mi è piaciuto anche di più del primo.
Ho adorato Orion, Gabby e la loro relazione ❤️ il fatto che avessero già un trascorso ha contribuito per me a rendere il loro rapporto ancora più profondo, stretto e sentito. Ho amato il fatto che il loro legame sia quasi viscerale 😍 che abbiano una connessione intima e assoluta, a così tanti livelli.
Mi sono piaciute le battute che si scambiano, questi due sono intensi, profondi ma anche divertenti! Più volte mi sono ritrovata a sorridere per i loro botta e risposta.
Mi è piaciuto anche il fatto di seguire due personaggi (quasi sempre lol) più maturi di quelli del libro precedente, con i loro problemi da affrontare.
C’è sicuramente più angst qui che in Fresh Ice; questo però ha contribuito a rendere ancora più bello, soddisfacente e ben costruito il loro riavvicinamento!
Ci sono momenti nei quali Orion e Gabby non comunicano e avrei voluto strozzarli un pochino per questo, ma quando poi lo fanno, quando si aprono completamente l’uno con l’altro… 😍
Inoltre, questo romanzo è hot! Super hot, hot di buona qualità 🔥 inoltre è secondo me il più hot che ho letto di questa autrice 🥵
E poi ho amato ritrovare i protagonisti del primo libro! Mi è piaciuto tanto rivedere Alonso e Levy, sempre uniti e dolci, e che non siano solo due comparse ma che anche la loro storia vada avanti, soprattutto per quanto riguarda la salute di Alonso. È una cosa cosa che avrei voluto vedere, infatti l’avevo menzionata anche nella mia recensione del primo libro.
Mi è piaciuto tanto anche vedere quanto sono affiatati i membri delle squadre tra di loro, soprattutto in quella di Orion, a seguito degli eventi menzionati nell’epilogo di Fresh Ice. Anche se nella realtà non è proprio così che funziona, per me è bello comunque leggerne.
Mi sarebbe piaciuto se ci fosse stato un doppio punto di vista, o almeno qualche scena dal pov di Gabby. Inoltre mi sarebbe piaciuto anche assistere alle reazioni di Alonso & Levy e di Ollie alla relazione tra Orion e Gabby! Ma si tratta comunque di minuzie. Il libro mi è piaciuto molto, e lo consiglio decisamente! Mi piace questo mondo che ha creato Marina Vivancos e spero di avere occasioni di esplorarlo ulteriormente in futuro 🥰

Ho ricevuto un Arc di questo libro da GRR, che ringrazio, e questa è la mia onesta recensione.

[Shonee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Completely lacking the charm, chemistry, and emotion of books 3 and 4. Seriously, did these guys even like each other?
The most boring heat scene I’ve ever read.

[rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ah, I don’t know. This wasn’t bad or anything but I didn’t love it either. The characters and their history together were boring me more than anything else.
And there were no surprises in the plot. I knew what I was getting and it didn’t knock my socks off.

[Alastair · Rating 2 out of 5]

M/m, omegaverse, hockey, friends to lovers to enemies to lovers..., Ku, second chances, characters in their 30s
Spice: low
Angst: low
Plot: Orion is outed as an omega and so he now has the chance to live his truth. Orion and Gabby (captains of opposing teams) had a quick and dirty fling in their rookie season but since it's all been forgotten about. Hasn't it?
My opinion: despite this book being rather short, I just couldn't seem to sink into it. The plot just didn't capture my attention. The back and forth between Gabby and Orion felt tedious and perhaps even a bit childish after awhile. Orion trying to make Gabby jealous. Gabby inevitably rising to the bait. Perhaps this book was just a miss for me personally.

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF ~16%

Like reading somebody's partially filled in outline, and I truly couldn't have cared less about the characters and their non-existent connection.

[S.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a little wary of reading this book – although I liked the first one in the series, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. But this book actually blew me away! I was engrossed from the very first page when Orion was outed as an Omega – the first one to actually be known about in the Hockey league.

The story is told with some flashbacks – to his rookie year when he met Gabby and how things progressed between them, to how things were now where he and Gabby were known to throw down on the ice. It was fascinating, painful and engrossing to see how things progressed – from the way Orion accidentally became the Omega to go to for all of the others hidden in the league, to the way things between he and Gabby moved forward now that what could be seen as the major barrier being removed.

I felt for Gabby the most – he had no idea why Orion ended things between them all those years ago, and his bitterness was understandable. Yet this wasn’t one of those silly misunderstandings that make you roll your eyes – Orion’s reasons were more than valid, and the fact that they managed to talk about it and see each other’s point of view was special.

The relationships Orion had built up over the years were a pleasure to read, and the fact that his team completely had his back was refreshing – it would have been easy for there to be a complete 180 in how his team-mates treated him once they knew.

I also have really enjoyed the fact that Orion is a man of colour, yet that’s not made a big deal of. He just is. Instead of it being used as a plot point, it was just a fact in the story and that was incredibly refreshing.

The sex between Orion and Gabby was extremely hot – the nesting scene for some reason made me tear up and squirm in equal measure – and this book has completely reaffirmed my desire to read more of Vivancos’ work. It was a pleasure to read – from the hockey games, to the relationship building, the chirping – everything. An easy 5/5 from me.

I received an ARC from GRR.

[Nessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so wasnt going to like this one because again kind of a miscommunication is a big part of the initial story. But.... the second chance romance with good chemistry is irresistable for me🥰 Second chance stories always leave me kind of sad because even after the HEA, I cant get over the wasted years. But I guess in this one, the fact that they were so young kind of softened the blow a bit. Also the miscommunication not being sole reason of the initial break up. But their chemistry was just so amazing. Their growing interactions, reminicing of their rookie years as captains🥲 Even though we read from Orion's POV, I think Gabby was such an amazing MC. Still Emilio and Beau are my favorites but these 2 are definetly a close second.

Story:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chemistry:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Angst:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Banter:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing quality:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶🌶🌶

[Adaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two in the series, can be read as a standalone.

I enjoyed this book more than the previous one. I still think omegaverse plus hockey make it quite hard to handle both properly. But it was done much better this time. The Omega in the book is very different. Orion is older, a stablished player with a much better handle about what being an omega is. Especially when it comes to safely hid his omega status.

Second chance romances can be a hit or miss, especially when it comes to the reason they first broke up, but it worked very well here. 18 year olds making dumb decisions is very realistic.

If you like omegaverse and/or hockey I recommend this book. It also has great nesting.

[Jess in Romancelandia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s better than enemies to lovers? Rivals to friends to lovers to you-broke-my-heart-so-sort-of-enemies to friends to lovers.

Basically, I’m a goner for any sort of complicated backstory between our protagonists and oh boy is there some complex emotional history between Orion and Gabby in Face Off.

After being outed as an omega in the hockey league, circumstances draw Orion back towards his first love and current rival, Gabby, leading the two to grapple with the heartbreak and resentment of what happened between them ten years earlier.

As usual with Marina Vivancos’ romances, she excels at drawing sympathetic, intricate portraits of both main characters. Although this is a short book, I felt I knew Orion and Gabby extremely well by the end of it and I was desperate for them to work through their problems and skate off into the sunset, as is the true meaning of romance.

I’m usually on the fence with ABO dynamics - I think some romances do them differently whereas in others they’ve felt quite shoehorned in, but I think Marina Vivancos’ interpretation of the trope is really original and convincing, particularly when it comes to considering how prejudice would weave its way into a society with this dynamic.

As for the steamy scenes? Excellent as always.

Overall verdict: if you’re looking for a steamy and immersive omegaverse romance with a strong emotional core, check our Face Off.

*Note: I received an ARC from GRR but all opinions in this review are my own - honesty is the policy folks, especially for books*

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really hockey.
No real conflict. But hot damn!
Incredible sex.

[Bookbingewithsteph · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh hell yeah, I needed this one 🙌🏼