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Game Changers #3
Tough Guy
alternate cover edition of ASIN B07WDLS4PJ
They have nothing in common—so why does Ryan feel most like himself whenever he’s with Fabian?
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.
Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.
Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.
They have nothing in common—so why does Ryan feel most like himself whenever he’s with Fabian?
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.
Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.
Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.
312 pages, ebook
First published January 13, 2020
312 people are currently reading
4,424 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Reid
12books3,644followersRachel Reid is the pen name of Rachelle Goguen. She chose it because it is much easier to say, spell and remember than Rachelle Goguen!
Rachel writes cute, romantic smut, mostly about hockey players. Her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series is available from Carina Press.
Rachel/Rachelle lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has always lived there, and it's looking like she probably always will. She has two boring degrees and two interesting kids.
Rachel writes cute, romantic smut, mostly about hockey players. Her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series is available from Carina Press.
Rachel/Rachelle lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has always lived there, and it's looking like she probably always will. She has two boring degrees and two interesting kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,379 reviews
April 1, 2022
“I don’t want to alarm you, but I’m quite fond of you, Ryan Price.�
I ended up binge-reading this series and sad to say that this was the only installment I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.
However, if you know me well, I don’t think it comes to anyone’s surprise. Despite how was a huge recommendation, a lot of my friends doubted my enjoyment of that. Meanwhile, I’m pleased to say those who told me to please give this a chance because they did believe I’d enjoy it were absolutely correct. It also doesn't surprise me to know that the book many of my friends didn’t love is the one I ended up loving.
Tough Guy is exactly the type of opposites attract I love. I haven’t read many MM romances where two characters are opposites like Fabian and Ryan–the tough, viking/lumberjack looking hunk of a man who plays hockey and punches other players, and the proud, femme boy who wears nail polish, bright eyeshadow, eyeliner, and sings. You have two characters who couldn’t look any more different, yet they work so well together. And I adored every second of them.
I had no doubts I would love Ryan. An orange (literally, a ginger) soft and gentle giant of a teddy bear who is misunderstood. There’s no redemption, but his character has qualities about him that make him intimidating and, unfortunately, comes with big expectations. This is one thing I really appreciated about this, as much as I hate it, because of the toxic hockey industry. Not only for its homophobia, but for its manly expectations of how and what a hockey player should be life. It really isn’t until a couple years ago that more hockey players started coming out. Hell, it wasn’t until July 2021 when Luke Prokop became the first NHL player to come out as gay and make NHL history. Sports industries, in general, have this mindset of what constitutes an active, sports player. And it’s seen here in Tough Guy. Ryan is hiding, and despite him looking the way he does and being a player that is known for his physical appearance and fights, he’s scared, hiding, and doesn’t like hurting others. His portrayal of a character felt authentic and real because of the expectations vs reality scenarios he was put in a lot: his type of men are the opposite of what “man� means; hunk of a guy who has anxiety; scared of planes; has pretty much no friends besides one of his teammates; is actually not the happiest when playing hockey and feels like he’s doing it for others and not himself. In other words, I loved him, and I felt every moment of hurt he felt. His emotions and feelings felt so real, and while they were valid, I appreciated the effort the author made in constructing how he felt to be seen as not okay to show the reality of hiding yourself.
I had heard this was one one of the angstiest of the series, and while it wasn’t “angsty� by my definition, it still didn’t hide from the brutal truths of a couple things. I loved the mental health portrayal of Ryan’s anxiety and general fear. His character has two masks, the real one and the fake one. But it’s the fake one that makes his character power through. He feels disappointed and, for someone his size, weak for how he is. While he doesn’t get addicted to his anxiety meds, he does come to realize he can get addicted, even experiences a moment of highness because of them. Throughout his scenes where his anxiety is shown (like on the plane, or when he’s with Fabi’s friends), he feels a sense of discomfort, like he doesn’t belong where he is. In regards to what I previously mentioned, I loved the portrayal here because it again went to show expectations versus reality. There’s the justification of judging a book by their cover–Ryan is expected and seen as a specific person, while inside, he’s someone else and wishes he could show it.
And then you have Fabian Salah.
Fabi is the complete opposite of Ryan. Effeminate and proud, Fabi wears his pride on his sleeve. Fabi doesn’t care what others think, and I loved him for it all. He’s an aspiring musician who works part-time to earn some money and spends the rest of the time performing in small venues to gain an audience. He’s the opposite of Ryan in every form–glamorous, out, and unapologetic. While he’s not a twink, he’s still a foot shorter than Ryan, slim, and a proud, femme boy. Despite what happens towards the end, I felt like Fabi understood Ryan in areas that others didn’t. Some may also describe Fabi was judgemental, but could I really blame him? Fabi has never liked hockey, mostly because of how jocks acted with him when he was young. While judging without knowing and making stereotypes isn’t really the route I’d take, I’m a firm believer in saying some stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason: because they’re real.
Ryan and Fabi don’t exactly fit the childhood friends to lovers trope, Fabi and Ryan were friends at 17 when the two lived together. Despite having strong thoughts about jocks, Ryan was able to be one of the only players who proved Fabi why they aren’t all the worst. Despite the fact that they both developed a crush on each other during their teenage years, while Fabi was out, Ryan wasn’t, which caused the two to send each other mixed singles of unsureness. Thirteen years later, they reunite, and it’s a chance they use to catch up and see where the future leads them. This is where I found most of my enjoyment to come in through. I love it when two characters who later fall in love actually become friends first, no matter how they felt about each other before. Seeing the small build-up of their friendship slowly become something more and bigger is always a highlight. In this case, Fabi and Ryan’s friendship is already there, although a little strange, but the two use a couple days that turn to weeks to catch up and grow that friendship that was slowly wearing down. These types of situations really allow me to better understand the feelings they develop for each other. Even if they already have some sort of attraction, the simple fact that they don’t act on them instantly and instead take some time to get to know each other better allows the development to progress nicely and show an emotional connection building up. Most of it is due to the small things they notice about each other, which always makes me grin like a fool because there is nothing better than character a noticing things about character b that character b wasn’t even aware of. There’s also nothing better than seeing the two characters have more than one proper conversation where they do nothing but talk about anything. Fabi and Ryan shared a lot of intimate and domestic moments between them where, even if the tension was there and the need and urge to get together was becoming more difficult, the two still took it slow and steady to make sure they were both ready.
Now, because this was the only book I loved from this series, here are some honorable mentions:
When Ryan carried Fabi’s gear without hesitation despite his back hurting
“Yeah, but he’s beautiful. And charming. And has a ton of friends who all do interesting things. And he plays music that’s, like, the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard.�
“Okay, so this charming, beautiful man has been hanging out with you?�
“We haven’t really been hanging out. I went to his show last night, though, and I...walked him home after.�
Colleen’s face lit up. “Ryan! That’s adorable! Did you carry his books?�
Ryan flushed. “I carried his gear.�
“Aw. Did he kiss you good night?�
“Let’s change the subject.�
Them just hanging out and talking, like at the coffee shop, ramen place, and bookstore
Fabi brushing his delicate fingers over Ryan’s bruised knuckles (don’t judge me, I’m a sucker for this)
Ryan being adorable and flushing when Fabi was teasing him in a flirtatious way
Ryan purchasing, downloading, and listening to all of Fabi’s music and listening to it all day (I repeat, he purchased the music)
It turned out that Fabian’s music was available online. Ryan had discovered this on the Thursday after Fabian’s show, and he’d immediately purchased and downloaded everything he could find. He’d spent most of that day listening to all of it. When he’d decided, late in the afternoon, that he really needed to get some groceries for dinner, he brought his earbuds so he could continue to listen as he walked to the store.
Ryan brushing his fingers on the spot Fabi kissed him
And then Fabian stretched up and kissed Ryan on the cheek. Ryan was caught so off guard by it that he just stood there stiffly, barely registering what was happening until it was over. “Good night, Ryan.�
Fabian turned and walked away so quickly that Ryan could only mumble “good night� to his retreating back as he brushed his fingers against the spot where Fabian had kissed him.
Fabi watching Ryan’s hockey matches just because of him
But there was a text message on his phone.
From Fabian.
You scored a goal!
Ryan checked, and then double-checked, to make sure the message was from Fabian. Because it didn’t make any sense that he had watched the game. Then Ryan texted back, You watched the game?
Fabian: I was at a bar to see a friend’s band and the game was on.
Ryan: And you watched it?
Fabian: Not closely. But I saw a blue jersey with “Price� on the back so I watched for a bit.
Fabi constantly admiring Ryan, trying to show him he is beautiful no matter how much he disagrees because of their clear differences
“I wouldn’t look like you,� Ryan said hoarsely.
“Have you ever felt beautiful, Ryan?� Was Fabian’s face even closer now?
“No.� Ryan laughed as if the question were ridiculous. “Of course not. Look at me.�
“I am looking at you.� Fabian reached out and tucked a strand of Ryan’s hair behind his ear. “You don’t think you’re beautiful?�
“I—� Ryan could only imagine what the two of them, side by side, must look like right now. The stark difference between Fabian’s staggering beauty and Ryan’s old weathered barn of a body.
Fabian was stroking his hair freely now, his fingertips gliding over Ryan’s scalp, then down his cheek into his beard. Ryan wasn’t sure when he’d closed his eyes, but when he opened them, Fabian was looking at him like he was something precious.
Fabi’s praise and Ryan’s need of it
The mood was effectively killed anyway, so Ryan decided to go for broke. “I need...instruction.�
Fabian’s eyes widened. “Like...domination?�
“No! No. That’s not what I mean. I just need a lot of...� It took a moment, but Ryan found the right word. “Reassurance. That what I’m doing is good. Because otherwise I just spend the whole time worrying that I’m doing everything wrong.�
Ryan getting Fabi Mikimoto pearls because he thought they’d look good with the black jumpsuit Fabi owns
“Thank you. I have something for you too. I hope it’s not too much. I don’t have a lot of experience buying gifts for men I’m dating.�
“Well, let’s see how you did,� Fabian teased as he took the box. When he opened it, he gasped. “Ryan, are these Mikimoto pearls?�
“Maybe? I forget the name.�
“Holy fuck. Ryan, are you serious here?�
“If you don’t like it I can—�
“Like it? Ryan, it’s gorgeous.� He carefully pulled the long, white-gold chain from the box. The necklace was dotted with black pearls and tiny diamonds.
“I thought it would look good with that black jumpsuit you have.�
“God, it will. I can’t believe this. Is this really for me? I own this now?�
Ryan laughed. “It’s yours. The lady at the store was really excited about it. She assured me my ‘wife� would love it.�
“She does love it. I want to put it on, but it won’t go with this sweater.�
Them trying out the sex toy Vanessa gave Fabi and laughing about it
“Ryan nodded, still biting his lip to hold back laughter, and pressed the bottom button.
“Ow! Fuck! Stop! Take it out!�
Ryan removed the toy as fast as he could without hurting Fabian. “What did it do?�
“God, it was, like, pinching the inside of my ass. It was not a good feeling.�
Ryan frowned at the toy as if he was thinking about punching it, which made Fabian laugh. “Just throw it in the sink.�
Ryan darted to the bathroom, where he presumably dropped the terrible toy into the sink, and returned to the bed. “So it’s not getting a good review?�
They both cracked up, laughing until they became tangled in each other on the bed. “Oh god,� Fabian wheezed, “this was supposed to be such a sexy evening.�
Fabi sitting on a stool to kiss Ryan so he doesn’t have to bend or lift him up because he’s a foot shorter (there is something about height differences that get to me).
Adding on to that, every moment of interaction in this was so easily visible, sometimes it felt like I could see the interactions in real life. Fabi’s friends, especially, would probably and usually be the type I could easily get annoyed with. Meddling side characters, in general, are a pet peeve of mine. Luckily, Fabi’s friends here didn’t feel that way. They were supportive in the true friendship way–supportive, teasing, and loving. As I was reading, I also noticed their dialogues were clear to see. They never felt fake or forced, but the flow of them felt natural and even essential. They always felt necessary for the current situation, and they gradually added to the plot and characters. I thought they took just the right amount of page time, which can be quite rare for me to say. As for Ryan, one of his only and close friends is Wyatt, who starts off as a player in his team but later gets traded. He was supportive from the start and was patient with Ryan in every way. His sincerity was real.
I also had different feelings about the unnecessary miscommunication towards the end compared to others. Before reading this, I had heard about it. But even though I was expecting it, it also wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. For me, it didn’t seem like Fabi gave Ryan an ultimatum because I didn’t think he ever really told Ryan to make a decision. More or so, Fabi made the decision for him and Ryan (which is usually the case of the miscommunication trope, which is why it leads to miscommunication in the first place). Did I think what Fabi did helped the situation? Absolutely not. I thought it could have been handled differently. I hated how little Fabi really thought of the entire situation and of Ryan. I thought if he was someone who loved Ryan, he would have been there for him and helped him. I wished he had given Ryan time. However, I could also understand where Fabian was coming from. Ryan tells him he doesn’t understand his situation, which Fabi takes as an insult and epiphany because, as he realizes, he really doesn’t. But part of this has to do with how Fabi doesn’t understand because Ryan doesn’t let him understand. They both hid from each other, but mostly Ryan. He hides his pain and pretends he’s okay. He forces himself to act differently for the sake of Fabi. There were already signals that were alerting the future misunderstanding. So despite how much I loved Ryan, and how upset it made me that Fabi couldn’t be there for him when he needed all of his support, I can’t be mad at him when Ryan also had a role in the situation. In my opinion, misunderstanding (in books, at least) is always caused by both characters. Even if one is hurting more than the other, there’s always fault at both ends.
So even with the dreaded miscommunication at the end, I really enjoyed this. I had high hopes for most of this series, but maybe the hype every book has received made my expectations too high. Despite this, I’m glad I still gave it a chance, and happy that I managed to really enjoy this one.
“Fabian. Look at me.� That was probably a mistake because Ryan forgot how awful his mouth looked. He noticed Fabian’s flinch when he turned his eyes up. Ryan tugged him closer. “My life is a fucking mess, but the one thing I know for sure is that I like being with you. And I would like to be with you as much as possible.�
February 3, 2020
*3.75 stars*
is a very different book from , which was one of my favorite books of 2019. It's a more... angsty story, a lot weightier, and though I enjoyed it, I didn't adore it like the second in the series.
I loved the fact that we get a confident, femme MC. I'm always into books with MCs who play with gender and blur the lines, and so Fabian was a real pleasure to read. I adored his confidence, and though he edged towards too judgmental and unsupportive of Ryan at times, he was a sweet character with an amazing group of friends. In fact, I think he had the best friend group I've read about in a long time.
Ryan really touched me. As an anxious person with a child who suffers from anxiety, I really related to him and his struggles. He is a gentle giant, even with his job as an enforcer. I loved that he was so very different from the typical male romance MC. He was so sweet and so earnest that my heart really went out to him. Also, his sexual difficulties aren't usually discussed in romance, which I found to be refreshing. Real relationships have challenges and aren't all sex, all the time (well, most of the time!).
While I found the pairing to be really lovely and with great chemistry, I found the plot to be slightly slow. I read the book quickly, but I didn't feel that urgency to finish that I do with a 5-star read.
If you want an opposites attract romance with some hockey angst to boot and MCs that you don't usually see in romance, this will be the story for you. I think is on a great roll with this series.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|||
is a very different book from , which was one of my favorite books of 2019. It's a more... angsty story, a lot weightier, and though I enjoyed it, I didn't adore it like the second in the series.
I loved the fact that we get a confident, femme MC. I'm always into books with MCs who play with gender and blur the lines, and so Fabian was a real pleasure to read. I adored his confidence, and though he edged towards too judgmental and unsupportive of Ryan at times, he was a sweet character with an amazing group of friends. In fact, I think he had the best friend group I've read about in a long time.
Ryan really touched me. As an anxious person with a child who suffers from anxiety, I really related to him and his struggles. He is a gentle giant, even with his job as an enforcer. I loved that he was so very different from the typical male romance MC. He was so sweet and so earnest that my heart really went out to him. Also, his sexual difficulties aren't usually discussed in romance, which I found to be refreshing. Real relationships have challenges and aren't all sex, all the time (well, most of the time!).
While I found the pairing to be really lovely and with great chemistry, I found the plot to be slightly slow. I read the book quickly, but I didn't feel that urgency to finish that I do with a 5-star read.
If you want an opposites attract romance with some hockey angst to boot and MCs that you don't usually see in romance, this will be the story for you. I think is on a great roll with this series.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|||
May 1, 2022
3.75 stars
Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected. Especially the first half of the book. Loved the dialogues, the pacing was just right for me and the story had a very natural flow.
The second half of the book had some ups and downs.
When I started this, I wasn't sure how I would feel about Ryan. He is not the type of character I would expect to like, but he really grew on me. He is such a sweetheart and I actually found him very relatable.
His relationship with Fabian was mostly very sweet, but I felt like it was lacking something more.
There were some great side characters in this story. I loved Wyatt. He was such a wonderful friend to Ryan. I also really liked all of Fabian's friends. I enjoyed every scene with them, their banter was super fun and genuine. This author really knows how to write dialogues that sound natural and realistic.
I started listening to this story on audio, but I'm afraid I didn't get very far. The narration didn't work for me at all, so I switched to ebook.
**
Re-read 4/2022: Enjoyed it even more this time around. Full 4 stars.
Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected. Especially the first half of the book. Loved the dialogues, the pacing was just right for me and the story had a very natural flow.
The second half of the book had some ups and downs.
When I started this, I wasn't sure how I would feel about Ryan. He is not the type of character I would expect to like, but he really grew on me. He is such a sweetheart and I actually found him very relatable.
His relationship with Fabian was mostly very sweet, but I felt like it was lacking something more.
There were some great side characters in this story. I loved Wyatt. He was such a wonderful friend to Ryan. I also really liked all of Fabian's friends. I enjoyed every scene with them, their banter was super fun and genuine. This author really knows how to write dialogues that sound natural and realistic.
I started listening to this story on audio, but I'm afraid I didn't get very far. The narration didn't work for me at all, so I switched to ebook.
**
Re-read 4/2022: Enjoyed it even more this time around. Full 4 stars.
January 11, 2020
Didn't love it.Didn't hate it.It was ok.
Maybe I was,unfairly,comparing it to book two which was one of my favourite books from last year.Was I expecting that same intensity? Most definitely.But,to be fair,this was a completely different book.
Let's start with the positives....
Fabian He is my absolute favourite type of character.Femme( enough said really)...I loved everything about him.I could wax lyrical all day about him.
Ryan,on the other hand....I had mixed feelings about him.At times I kind of melted and at times he just irritated me( the inner thoughts started to bore me).
Overall,I loved these two guys together.I got their connection and chemistry,I really did.But something just wasn't pulling me into this one.I stalled around half way and never really got going again.
Review copy provided from the publisher,via NetGalley.
December 19, 2019
I liked this one.
Book 2 will forever be my favourite book ever. I went into this one with zero expectations and tried really hard not to compare it to book 2. I think i succeeded.
This is the story of Ryan the hockey enforcer and Fabian the aspiring Indie Musician. It is some sort of second chance thingy/the one that got away thingy.
I liked both characters, Ryan is a giant teddy bear, he struggles with anxiety, i wanted to hold him and wrap him in a warm blanket. Fabian is the complete opposite of Ryan, He is femme, confident out and proud, who loves to wear eyeliner, lipstick and lace. Me likey him alot.
So why only 3?
The writing is good and the story flowed so well. This one deals with some I felt like the beginning dragged, it only picked up for me at around 40%. The MCs spent too much time in their head. I also missed the hockey in this one. I like Fabian and his friends but they took away some page time. I found myself zoning out then i had to go back and read again to see what i missed. Ugh!!
The relationship between Ryan and Fabian was just ok, it didn't give me butterflies, there was something missing, huh? Maybe some intense chemistry and hot, hot sex? Or maybe it was the build up. Ryan and Wyatt on the other hand! Made me all tingly, their conversations were what gave me butterflies. Those two got mad bromance chemistry.
Overall, it was an ok cute story, the writing was good, the characters likable enough. Oh! and we got Ilya and Shane cameo. Me is good.
ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Book 2 will forever be my favourite book ever. I went into this one with zero expectations and tried really hard not to compare it to book 2. I think i succeeded.
This is the story of Ryan the hockey enforcer and Fabian the aspiring Indie Musician. It is some sort of second chance thingy/the one that got away thingy.
I liked both characters, Ryan is a giant teddy bear, he struggles with anxiety, i wanted to hold him and wrap him in a warm blanket. Fabian is the complete opposite of Ryan, He is femme, confident out and proud, who loves to wear eyeliner, lipstick and lace. Me likey him alot.
So why only 3?
The writing is good and the story flowed so well. This one deals with some I felt like the beginning dragged, it only picked up for me at around 40%. The MCs spent too much time in their head. I also missed the hockey in this one. I like Fabian and his friends but they took away some page time. I found myself zoning out then i had to go back and read again to see what i missed. Ugh!!
The relationship between Ryan and Fabian was just ok, it didn't give me butterflies, there was something missing, huh? Maybe some intense chemistry and hot, hot sex? Or maybe it was the build up. Ryan and Wyatt on the other hand! Made me all tingly, their conversations were what gave me butterflies. Those two got mad bromance chemistry.
Overall, it was an ok cute story, the writing was good, the characters likable enough. Oh! and we got Ilya and Shane cameo. Me is good.
ARC kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
March 19, 2022
“my life is a fucking mess, but the one thing i know for sure is that i like being with you. and i would like to be with you as much as possible. i’m happy when i’m with you.�
🖤
i enjoyed this more than i thought i would. i didn’t dnf this, despite it dragging a little towards the end, so i count that as win!
this book had the whole opposites attract thing that i tend to usually like. however, i am very sad to announce that didn’t love the mcs together that much lol.
Ryan stole my heart from the very beginning, while i had trouble fully connecting with Fabian, or liking him in general tbh.
Ryan is the epitome of don’t judge a book by its cover. he’s this big, intimidating looking dude, but under the surface he’s super shy, awkward, has anxiety, has low self esteem, is terrified of flying. he’s just such giant teddy bear.🥺 so gentle and sweet. i love him.
“maybe this isn’t obvious,� Ryan said, “but i’m a fucking mess.� oh Ryan, baby, i just wanna wrap you in a blanket and hide you from the world.🖤
the way i related to this man� i have horrible anxiety and the thought of talking to people sometimes literally makes me want to vomit, so seeing him struggle so much with social interaction was really sad, since i know exactly how all that shit feels. however, in a way, it was also nice seeing a character have the same struggles i have. gotta love realistic anxiety representation.
“he wished he could just wear a sign that said - i’m sorry. i am terrible at socialising. please don’t take it personally.� maybe i should do that…🧐�
as i mentioned, i had trouble connecting with Fabian. he’s a musician. he’s artsy, super confident, loves attention and praise. Fabian is relaxed when it comes to human interaction, he’s quite laid back in general. he’s very unlike Ryan, who overthinks everything.
“i hope you don’t think you’re getting the better end of this deal, Ryan, because i have never been with anyone who makes me as happy as you do.�
i know that being completely different is the whole point of opposites attract� but i just found something missing from their relationship.
me not loving their relationship in general clearly wasn’t enough, because the inevitable dumb plot twist that you see from a mile away came along.
🏒 spoilers incoming. look away if you don’t want to be spoiled for this book! 🏒
the break up was SO fucking stupid. i knew it was coming, because Fabian clearly couldn’t stand the fact that Ryan is a hockey player, who constantly fights people on the ice, but WHY would you break up with a person you love, instead of trying to sort out the actual problem like a normal person? the way he just left didn’t slide for me AT ALL. my sweet gentle giant Ryan just deserved better than that.🙄 he needed actual support and love at that moment, not for his asshole boyfriend to LEAVE him. the whole situation was just so fucking dumb.
and yeah, sure, Ryan clearly doesn’t love hockey as much as he used to, and the whole situation of him not taking time off to actually heal was terrible, but STILL, it’s not Fabian’s fucking decision on whether Ryan plays or not. that slight pressure i felt from him towards Ryan to quit hockey made me silently fume. like who the fuck would walk away from an actual NHL career just like that??🙄 nobody!
anywayssss� i’m glad that Fabian later realised that he was acting like an asshole and sort of apologised, but i’m still a little salty as you can tell.🤣
🏒 end of spoilers. 🏒
this had some great side characters. i actually really liked Fabian’s friend group. also, Wyatt was such a wonderful friend to Ryan, i absolutely love their friendship.
the random Ilya appearances made me SO happy.🥰🙈😌 the way this man just instantly steals the show is un-fucking-believable. i adore him. the little moment at the end we got of Shane/Ilya made me actually laugh out loud. i love them.🥺
to sum up, this book definitely wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. it’s just there, existing. since i loved Ryan so much, i can’t help but feel a little bit sad that i didn’t love this book that much. but at least i have a new mc to add to my long list of favourites. 🥰
i enjoyed this more than i thought i would. i didn’t dnf this, despite it dragging a little towards the end, so i count that as win!
this book had the whole opposites attract thing that i tend to usually like. however, i am very sad to announce that didn’t love the mcs together that much lol.
Ryan stole my heart from the very beginning, while i had trouble fully connecting with Fabian, or liking him in general tbh.
Ryan is the epitome of don’t judge a book by its cover. he’s this big, intimidating looking dude, but under the surface he’s super shy, awkward, has anxiety, has low self esteem, is terrified of flying. he’s just such giant teddy bear.🥺 so gentle and sweet. i love him.
“maybe this isn’t obvious,� Ryan said, “but i’m a fucking mess.� oh Ryan, baby, i just wanna wrap you in a blanket and hide you from the world.🖤
the way i related to this man� i have horrible anxiety and the thought of talking to people sometimes literally makes me want to vomit, so seeing him struggle so much with social interaction was really sad, since i know exactly how all that shit feels. however, in a way, it was also nice seeing a character have the same struggles i have. gotta love realistic anxiety representation.
“he wished he could just wear a sign that said - i’m sorry. i am terrible at socialising. please don’t take it personally.� maybe i should do that…🧐�
as i mentioned, i had trouble connecting with Fabian. he’s a musician. he’s artsy, super confident, loves attention and praise. Fabian is relaxed when it comes to human interaction, he’s quite laid back in general. he’s very unlike Ryan, who overthinks everything.
“i hope you don’t think you’re getting the better end of this deal, Ryan, because i have never been with anyone who makes me as happy as you do.�
i know that being completely different is the whole point of opposites attract� but i just found something missing from their relationship.
me not loving their relationship in general clearly wasn’t enough, because the inevitable dumb plot twist that you see from a mile away came along.
🏒 spoilers incoming. look away if you don’t want to be spoiled for this book! 🏒
the break up was SO fucking stupid. i knew it was coming, because Fabian clearly couldn’t stand the fact that Ryan is a hockey player, who constantly fights people on the ice, but WHY would you break up with a person you love, instead of trying to sort out the actual problem like a normal person? the way he just left didn’t slide for me AT ALL. my sweet gentle giant Ryan just deserved better than that.🙄 he needed actual support and love at that moment, not for his asshole boyfriend to LEAVE him. the whole situation was just so fucking dumb.
and yeah, sure, Ryan clearly doesn’t love hockey as much as he used to, and the whole situation of him not taking time off to actually heal was terrible, but STILL, it’s not Fabian’s fucking decision on whether Ryan plays or not. that slight pressure i felt from him towards Ryan to quit hockey made me silently fume. like who the fuck would walk away from an actual NHL career just like that??🙄 nobody!
anywayssss� i’m glad that Fabian later realised that he was acting like an asshole and sort of apologised, but i’m still a little salty as you can tell.🤣
🏒 end of spoilers. 🏒
this had some great side characters. i actually really liked Fabian’s friend group. also, Wyatt was such a wonderful friend to Ryan, i absolutely love their friendship.
the random Ilya appearances made me SO happy.🥰🙈😌 the way this man just instantly steals the show is un-fucking-believable. i adore him. the little moment at the end we got of Shane/Ilya made me actually laugh out loud. i love them.🥺
to sum up, this book definitely wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. it’s just there, existing. since i loved Ryan so much, i can’t help but feel a little bit sad that i didn’t love this book that much. but at least i have a new mc to add to my long list of favourites. 🥰
December 3, 2019
4.25
Honestly, I intended to wait to read this until closer to its release but I am currently muddled in a reading desert complete with tumbleweeds and the occasional snake so... I needed a slam dunk.
AND that's what Reid delivered in the third of the Game Changers series which, by the way, was completely different in tone to its predecessors. I found myself impressed with Reid's range and ability to straddle the line between sweet and meaty. Let it be known, I'm not averse to closeted characters and Ryan is in no way wearing Pride boxers in the locker room but it was a nice change of pace to have a hockey player who doesn't morph into a closet monster at the drop of a hat.
Tough Guy features a ginger gentle giant that will pull on the heartstrings of even the most callous of readers. Ryan struggles with anxiety and body image issues both of which run deep. My heart broke for him more than once and I appreciated that the magic peen panacea wasn't trotted out. All his life he's found it difficult to connect with people both personally and professionally which has landed him on the trading block multiple times.
Which is how he lands in Toronto and with a little help from the serendipity gods has a chance run in with his high school crush, Fabian, or should I say a second chance run in? Full disclosure, I'm kind of a sucker for the unrequited love being requited trope especially when both parties were moony over each other.
Fabian is Ryan's polar opposite: femme, confident, extroverted and loves the spotlight. He's an emerging local singer/songwriter who at one point was chosen for the Toronto Symphony. In short, super talented, super adorable, gives zero fucks what anyone thinks of him and, needless to say, has to carry the bulk of the lets get reacquainted portion of the relationship early on for obvious reasons. The scales do balance with Ryan treating Fabian like he's the center of the universe and Fabian's almost preternatural ability to temper Ryan's mental health issues which is a must for me as a romance reader with a squishy marshmallow center.
The relationship evolves realistically and Ryan's angst was offset by Fabian's easy-breeziness coupled with their obvious chemistry. However, while they are enamored of each other Tough Guy is considerably less sexy than the other books in the series. It's more of a quiet sexiness with one BAJANGAJANG scene that was worthy of a reread. For science. Which proved my hypothesis that jazz hands and some primal... vocalizations really enhance the experience. True story.
Also, Tough Guy's secondary characters were on point! All of them. They were fantastic and fun including a certain Russian who makes a couple of appearances which you know I was 100% on board with. #1-FAN
If you're a fan of the series, sports romance, opposites attract, second chances or someone who can appreciate a significant size difference in their reads then give Tough Guy a whirl. I, for one, am hoping these two turn up again as the series continues.
p.s. It can probably be read as a standalone, though I would never recommend that. Because Ilya.
p.p.s. Sorry. I talked a lot about a Rachel Reid book. Again.
An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I intended to wait to read this until closer to its release but I am currently muddled in a reading desert complete with tumbleweeds and the occasional snake so... I needed a slam dunk.
AND that's what Reid delivered in the third of the Game Changers series which, by the way, was completely different in tone to its predecessors. I found myself impressed with Reid's range and ability to straddle the line between sweet and meaty. Let it be known, I'm not averse to closeted characters and Ryan is in no way wearing Pride boxers in the locker room but it was a nice change of pace to have a hockey player who doesn't morph into a closet monster at the drop of a hat.
"You're a giant, orange teddy bear with deep pockets!"
Tough Guy features a ginger gentle giant that will pull on the heartstrings of even the most callous of readers. Ryan struggles with anxiety and body image issues both of which run deep. My heart broke for him more than once and I appreciated that the magic peen panacea wasn't trotted out. All his life he's found it difficult to connect with people both personally and professionally which has landed him on the trading block multiple times.
Was it possible for your heart to hold on to a ridiculous crush for thirteen years?
Which is how he lands in Toronto and with a little help from the serendipity gods has a chance run in with his high school crush, Fabian, or should I say a second chance run in? Full disclosure, I'm kind of a sucker for the unrequited love being requited trope especially when both parties were moony over each other.
"There's always been something about you. I've always been drawn to you. Is that weird?"
Ryan considered it. "I don't know. But I feel the same way."
Fabian is Ryan's polar opposite: femme, confident, extroverted and loves the spotlight. He's an emerging local singer/songwriter who at one point was chosen for the Toronto Symphony. In short, super talented, super adorable, gives zero fucks what anyone thinks of him and, needless to say, has to carry the bulk of the lets get reacquainted portion of the relationship early on for obvious reasons. The scales do balance with Ryan treating Fabian like he's the center of the universe and Fabian's almost preternatural ability to temper Ryan's mental health issues which is a must for me as a romance reader with a squishy marshmallow center.
The relationship evolves realistically and Ryan's angst was offset by Fabian's easy-breeziness coupled with their obvious chemistry. However, while they are enamored of each other Tough Guy is considerably less sexy than the other books in the series. It's more of a quiet sexiness with one BAJANGAJANG scene that was worthy of a reread. For science. Which proved my hypothesis that jazz hands and some primal... vocalizations really enhance the experience. True story.
Also, Tough Guy's secondary characters were on point! All of them. They were fantastic and fun including a certain Russian who makes a couple of appearances which you know I was 100% on board with. #1-FAN
If you're a fan of the series, sports romance, opposites attract, second chances or someone who can appreciate a significant size difference in their reads then give Tough Guy a whirl. I, for one, am hoping these two turn up again as the series continues.
p.s. It can probably be read as a standalone, though I would never recommend that. Because Ilya.
p.p.s. Sorry. I talked a lot about a Rachel Reid book. Again.
An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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January 24, 2022
Tough Guy is book three in the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid. I loved this book but I think I also struggled with it the most of this series so far. Only because one of the characters just broke my heart. Read on and I’ll tell you about him.
Ryan Price is thirty one years old. He had a gift for hockey since he was a kid. But with his huge size and strength, he was always placed in the position of enforcer. The guy whose job it was on the ice to fight. And fight he did. He was feared. But off the ice, Ryan struggled with so many issues. He was painfully shy, had severe anxiety, and the constant fighting on the ice was taking a toll on his body. He was on anxiety medications which were also causing him problems.
Ryan, as all pro hockey hopefuls did, spent a year with a host family when he was seventeen. It was there that he formed a tentative friendship with the seventeen year old son of the family he lived with. He had a huge crush on him but never acted on it. He was still struggling with accepting his own sexuality back then. Now, Ryan has once again been traded to the Toronto Guardians. He’s exploring his new neighborhood when he sees him, that boy who is now a man that he crushed on all those years ago, right in front of him!
Fabian Salah was raised in a family that loved hockey, which was the furthest thing from anything that interested him. When they realized he was never going to be into sports, he just kind of got forgotten. Fabian can’t stand hockey as a result, or hockey players. Except one. The boy from his teenage years that he had a crazy crush on that stayed with his family. And now here he is, and Fabian is just as smitten with him as he was all those years ago.
Ryan struggles with just about everything, his own body image, how to talk to others. But somehow it’s easier with Fabian. The more time they spend together, the stronger his feelings are for him. To him, Fabian is the most beautiful human being he’s ever seen. How could he ever be anything to him?
As I said, watching Ryan struggle was painful for me. He had a supportive family but everything was just so difficult for him. Fabian was perfect for him in that way, he accepted his struggles and just seemed to know how to help him. But Fabian still has very strong feelings about the world of hockey. And he can see what it’s doing to Ryan. Can he stay quiet and support Ryan no matter what? Is he strong enough to support Ryan in something that he knows will eventually ruin him, if it hasn’t already?
These two were so sweet together. It was a pretty emotional book. I really enjoyed seeing the effect that Fabian had on Ryan. I love this series. This book was just the hardest for me so far. The next book in the series, book four, is Common Goal. I can’t wait to read it.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
Ryan Price is thirty one years old. He had a gift for hockey since he was a kid. But with his huge size and strength, he was always placed in the position of enforcer. The guy whose job it was on the ice to fight. And fight he did. He was feared. But off the ice, Ryan struggled with so many issues. He was painfully shy, had severe anxiety, and the constant fighting on the ice was taking a toll on his body. He was on anxiety medications which were also causing him problems.
Ryan, as all pro hockey hopefuls did, spent a year with a host family when he was seventeen. It was there that he formed a tentative friendship with the seventeen year old son of the family he lived with. He had a huge crush on him but never acted on it. He was still struggling with accepting his own sexuality back then. Now, Ryan has once again been traded to the Toronto Guardians. He’s exploring his new neighborhood when he sees him, that boy who is now a man that he crushed on all those years ago, right in front of him!
Fabian Salah was raised in a family that loved hockey, which was the furthest thing from anything that interested him. When they realized he was never going to be into sports, he just kind of got forgotten. Fabian can’t stand hockey as a result, or hockey players. Except one. The boy from his teenage years that he had a crazy crush on that stayed with his family. And now here he is, and Fabian is just as smitten with him as he was all those years ago.
Ryan struggles with just about everything, his own body image, how to talk to others. But somehow it’s easier with Fabian. The more time they spend together, the stronger his feelings are for him. To him, Fabian is the most beautiful human being he’s ever seen. How could he ever be anything to him?
As I said, watching Ryan struggle was painful for me. He had a supportive family but everything was just so difficult for him. Fabian was perfect for him in that way, he accepted his struggles and just seemed to know how to help him. But Fabian still has very strong feelings about the world of hockey. And he can see what it’s doing to Ryan. Can he stay quiet and support Ryan no matter what? Is he strong enough to support Ryan in something that he knows will eventually ruin him, if it hasn’t already?
These two were so sweet together. It was a pretty emotional book. I really enjoyed seeing the effect that Fabian had on Ryan. I love this series. This book was just the hardest for me so far. The next book in the series, book four, is Common Goal. I can’t wait to read it.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
June 24, 2024
|| 3.5 stars ||
�First read: May 2022 | �3.5 stars
�Second read: April 2023 | �3.5 stars
This was so cute, adorable, wholesome and even a little bit touching.
Ryan is the literal embodiment of a gentle giant. He is so sweet and shy that it was incredibly easy to love him. That's why it was also rather regretful to see that he has such low self-esteem, a constant feeling of anxiety and a clear case of depression. Ryan is just a big ball of nerves and insecurities, and my heart broke for how he has gone 13 years in the NFL without anyone giving him the love and attention he clearly deserved.
Fabian, on the other hand, was basically the complete opposite: he was confident, happy, fun, flamboyant, and just generally satisfied with life (except for his dating habits). Like Ryan, I found it very easy to like him. He just seemed like he was so well put together and was simply a great person to be around, and I love that. Especially considering he had such a tough time growing up with his ‘masculine� hockey loving family, which made it extra beautiful to see how he came out the other end feeling so happy with himself and his life!
Ryan and Fabian's relationship was one I genuinely found extremely sweet. Fabian was so good for Ryan, but I also appreciated that it wasn't like he 'cured' Ryan. As long as Ryan was in that horrible environment of being a NFL enforcer, there was no way he would ever be truly happy, and even then, Ryan's issues are likely also just a part of who he is.
I can understand why dating someone like Ryan would be hard, and although I can see why some people might be a little bit annoyed by some of Fabian's actions (such as the break-up scene), I felt it was understandable, and the best thing for Fabian to do for himself. You can't live your life for someone else, and even if both of them were miserable apart, it makes sense for Fabian to not want to be around such self-destructive behaviour.
Nonetheless, Fabian was generally like a bright light in Ryan's extremely dark life, and my heart swooned every time it was obvious how much Ryan adored Fabian. Fabian encouraged Ryan to open up, do new things, experience joy, and be the sweet and gentle guy he was deep inside beneath that tough exterior. It was so lovely.
Another thing I really appreciated in this book (aside from the mental health portrayal and sweet relationship dynamic) were the genuine friendships between Ryan and Wyatt but also Fabian and his group of friends. Both were such authentic displays of friendship, and I found it heart-warming to read. I loved those parts so much.
I am sure this book could have done some things differently to make it even better, but all in all I thought this was incredibly cute and very enjoyable!
'Game Changers' series:
1. Game Changer - 2.0 stars
2. Heated Rivalry - 5.0 stars
3. Tough Guy - 3.5 stars
4. Common Goal - 2.5 stars
6. The Long Game - 4.0 stars
�First read: May 2022 | �3.5 stars
�Second read: April 2023 | �3.5 stars
This was so cute, adorable, wholesome and even a little bit touching.
Ryan is the literal embodiment of a gentle giant. He is so sweet and shy that it was incredibly easy to love him. That's why it was also rather regretful to see that he has such low self-esteem, a constant feeling of anxiety and a clear case of depression. Ryan is just a big ball of nerves and insecurities, and my heart broke for how he has gone 13 years in the NFL without anyone giving him the love and attention he clearly deserved.
Fabian, on the other hand, was basically the complete opposite: he was confident, happy, fun, flamboyant, and just generally satisfied with life (except for his dating habits). Like Ryan, I found it very easy to like him. He just seemed like he was so well put together and was simply a great person to be around, and I love that. Especially considering he had such a tough time growing up with his ‘masculine� hockey loving family, which made it extra beautiful to see how he came out the other end feeling so happy with himself and his life!
Ryan and Fabian's relationship was one I genuinely found extremely sweet. Fabian was so good for Ryan, but I also appreciated that it wasn't like he 'cured' Ryan. As long as Ryan was in that horrible environment of being a NFL enforcer, there was no way he would ever be truly happy, and even then, Ryan's issues are likely also just a part of who he is.
I can understand why dating someone like Ryan would be hard, and although I can see why some people might be a little bit annoyed by some of Fabian's actions (such as the break-up scene), I felt it was understandable, and the best thing for Fabian to do for himself. You can't live your life for someone else, and even if both of them were miserable apart, it makes sense for Fabian to not want to be around such self-destructive behaviour.
Nonetheless, Fabian was generally like a bright light in Ryan's extremely dark life, and my heart swooned every time it was obvious how much Ryan adored Fabian. Fabian encouraged Ryan to open up, do new things, experience joy, and be the sweet and gentle guy he was deep inside beneath that tough exterior. It was so lovely.
Another thing I really appreciated in this book (aside from the mental health portrayal and sweet relationship dynamic) were the genuine friendships between Ryan and Wyatt but also Fabian and his group of friends. Both were such authentic displays of friendship, and I found it heart-warming to read. I loved those parts so much.
I am sure this book could have done some things differently to make it even better, but all in all I thought this was incredibly cute and very enjoyable!
'Game Changers' series:
1. Game Changer - 2.0 stars
2. Heated Rivalry - 5.0 stars
3. Tough Guy - 3.5 stars
4. Common Goal - 2.5 stars
6. The Long Game - 4.0 stars
August 13, 2021
Another fabulous entry in this ice hockey series from Rachel Reid.
I love how each book has been different in narrative, tone and in the romance it tells and this one could be my favourite of the lot because I just adored Ryan Price and everything about him.
Fabian was also an interesting character, but I took longer to warm up to him because, while he was wonderful mostly in the way he intuitively understood Ryan's fears and anxieties, he also had a serious chip on his shoulder which I didn't think really was earned to the degree he exercised it.
That's a minor quibble though in a book which is otherwise a beautiful slow burn romance, one in which two men who are as different as light and dark can find common ground in their appreciation of what makes the other unique.
Fabian was unashamedly queer, Ryan quietly so, but he also wasn't closeted and didn't hide his attraction to Fabian.
Ryan's clinical anxieties were handled with consideration by the author, I never felt like they were overplayed or that they were brushed aside with the properties of magical dick.
The emotional connection between them, and Ryan's joy in just finding his anxieties put aside long enough to enjoy Fabian's sexual release was a very powerful narrative.
There's a lovely guest appearance from our favourite mouthy Russian and his all-American secret ice hockey superstar boyfriend and I loved how their book was brought into this one with a subtle nod and hint.
All round another great addition to what's been, for me, a really brilliant series of sports romances.
#ARC kindly received from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review
I love how each book has been different in narrative, tone and in the romance it tells and this one could be my favourite of the lot because I just adored Ryan Price and everything about him.
Fabian was also an interesting character, but I took longer to warm up to him because, while he was wonderful mostly in the way he intuitively understood Ryan's fears and anxieties, he also had a serious chip on his shoulder which I didn't think really was earned to the degree he exercised it.
That's a minor quibble though in a book which is otherwise a beautiful slow burn romance, one in which two men who are as different as light and dark can find common ground in their appreciation of what makes the other unique.
Fabian was unashamedly queer, Ryan quietly so, but he also wasn't closeted and didn't hide his attraction to Fabian.
Ryan's clinical anxieties were handled with consideration by the author, I never felt like they were overplayed or that they were brushed aside with the properties of magical dick.
The emotional connection between them, and Ryan's joy in just finding his anxieties put aside long enough to enjoy Fabian's sexual release was a very powerful narrative.
There's a lovely guest appearance from our favourite mouthy Russian and his all-American secret ice hockey superstar boyfriend and I loved how their book was brought into this one with a subtle nod and hint.
All round another great addition to what's been, for me, a really brilliant series of sports romances.
#ARC kindly received from the author via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review
January 12, 2020
I am a huge fan of this series and the second book,Heated Rivalry is definitely one of my all times faves. I have fallen head over heels on love with Ilya and I don't think I will be recovering anytime soon
I don't even want to !!
So, of course, there was never any question about me reading this third book in the series, which by the way can be read as a stand-alone. I don't know why you would want to do that since I just told you about Ilya and his awesomeness... but you could.
Now as much as I enjoyed this one, it just wasn't the same. I knew that before I even started it that it would be. All these three books are pretty different from one another. This one was a bit heavier on the hurt/comfort/emotional side.
Now it isn't that this book wasn't good, it is just that the second book left such a huge impression on me, that my expectations for this one were maybe a bit too high. I know that isn't fair because they are completely different books...but I can't help how I felt either.
Ryan and Fabian were definitely sweet together...and did I mention HOT... they were definitely HOT as well ;)
Also, there are some awesome appearances from my all-time favorite Russian hottie !!
So even though this book did not surpass the previous one (it is gonna be hard to top anyway) I did still enjoy reading it and I am very curious what is gonna be next from this author ;)
An ARC was provided to
in exchange for an honest review
November 20, 2019
Everyone knows that Heated Rivalry was my favorite read of 2019. I'm basically obsessed, especially with Ilya. I was nervous to read this just because I loved book two so much. I was lucky enough to get an ARC and I absolutely LOVED it. I mean, it's different. Let's just get that out there now. It's different from the first two books in the series and really different from book two but that's one of my favorite things about it. I love that Rachel stayed true to Ryan and Fabian's story and Ryan's character and told this story authentically and as it came to her. I really loved Ryan. He's a gentle giant. Honestly, he's different from any character I've read and he just really touched my heart. He stood out and she went there in ways I'm not sure others would have done and it made me a fan for life. Fabian was great and he and Ryan were great together, but man I just wanted to hug Ryan and be his friend and tell him how wonderful he was. Great book, great series!
July 26, 2024
I waited for SO LONG before heading into book 3 because I felt like there was NO WAY in FUCK, any book could compare to the feral rat love of book 2????????
There's a reason we are all feral for Ilya and I almost knew it my soul that book 3 wouldn't be able to compete and I feared I'd insta-hate it or insta-compare it to book 2.
I admit
Even if it doesn't get to the 5 star goodness of book 2... This was a solidly sweet, feet kicking time!
The first half of this book was incredibly strong, and it fizzled a bit second half for me.
But that's a reflection of me and not the book, because I like the chase, the awkward build up, the uncertain flirty interactions and the anxiety in the beginning parts of working out another person.... and this book was FULL of that.
Ryan was so fucking endearing, he's just a big ole skin-vibrating-levels of anxious bean.
I AM FUCKING WEAK A BIG TALL MAN AND HIS SMOL FEMININE NAIL POLISH WEARNING BOYFRIEND.💅🏻
And, as much as this book really doesn't focus on the size difference between the mc's, it does focus on how fucking huge Ryan is, so of course my brain decides, hmmmm yes, size difference is a thing you love.
There's a reason we are all feral for Ilya and I almost knew it my soul that book 3 wouldn't be able to compete and I feared I'd insta-hate it or insta-compare it to book 2.
I admit
Even if it doesn't get to the 5 star goodness of book 2... This was a solidly sweet, feet kicking time!
The first half of this book was incredibly strong, and it fizzled a bit second half for me.
But that's a reflection of me and not the book, because I like the chase, the awkward build up, the uncertain flirty interactions and the anxiety in the beginning parts of working out another person.... and this book was FULL of that.
Ryan was so fucking endearing, he's just a big ole skin-vibrating-levels of anxious bean.
I AM FUCKING WEAK A BIG TALL MAN AND HIS SMOL FEMININE NAIL POLISH WEARNING BOYFRIEND.💅🏻
And, as much as this book really doesn't focus on the size difference between the mc's, it does focus on how fucking huge Ryan is, so of course my brain decides, hmmmm yes, size difference is a thing you love.
May 14, 2022
� 4.25 Stars *:･ﾟ�
I'm so pleasantly surprised. I feel warm. And content. This was such a sweet, healthy, and adorable romance. I'm terribly impressed with how unique and fresh the characters and storyline are. Rachel Reid goes against stereotypes, against fetishy fantasies that women who write mm often do, and she wrote a beautiful, soft, wonderful love story. As usual, my review has quotes and talks about moments so there may be minor spoilers. Serious/larger spoilers are always under spoiler tags.
Regarding the characters, I felt that both were good, but one stood out to me: Ryan.
As mentioned, this is a sweet, low angst, low drama, smooth friends to lovers, second chance romance between Fabian and Ryan (duh). The set-up and side plot were so incredibly well-crafted. Both love interests had their own, personal, fleshed-out lives. For instance, Ryan of course has Wyatt, but Fabian has a lovely friend group:
Their convos are so funny and genuine.
The romance in this book felt so organic, so lovely, so natural. So horribly, head-bashingly adorable. There's one moment, where Ryan is joined by Fabian in the shower, and he washes. Fabian's. Hair. This tenderness and softness killed me.
And the way that sex was handled in this book was so positive. Ryan has difficulty finishing usually, due to his anxiety medication, so Ryan and Fabian just enjoy the process sometimes. And Fabian was a pretty good sport about it too. Honestly, I found Fabian's dirty talk or whatever to be a real turn off and I didn't like it at all? But, Ryan also explains to him that he needs validation because of his performance anxiety, and Fabian is more than happy to adhere to that :) even outside of sex too, he just reminds Ryan of his self-worth, which is so fucking cute.
And sometimes, they just kiss. I find that so lovely :( they just love being with eachother. Their love is so pure and genuine, I could go on and on about how cute they are.
They're just genuinely so cute and perfect for each other.
Now I'm just gonna quote dump, sorry. They're so cute and the world needs to know about it. Especially Ryan, my favourite gentle giant with the softest, biggest heart.
Ryan carrying Fabian to the bed and putting him to sleep ☹️☹️☹️
Them waking up in the morning together and Ryan just staring in admiration until he can't resist touching Fabian.
Or:
Or:
When Ryan's back hurt and Fabian was finally able to come and see him so he took care of him :((
Also there was one moment that took me outt LMAOOO FABIAN WAS KINDA RELATABLE PLS:
And seeing Ilya? Ohmygod, I love that man so much. I genuinely feel like I know him personally.
<333 And did I mention that they said that this is an all genders camp and that Ryan coaches a 13 year old girl ☹️☹️. They're so perfect.
I really did not expect
The few things that lowered the rating for me were probably the sex (the dirty talk was meh and I don't really like it when ppl come on eachother?😭😭 Like...why? Ok waterguns. But to each their own ofc.), Fabian in general, and the 3rd act conflict. This review is so messy, I'm kind of bothered by it, but maybe I'll fix it up later sometime. I just want to mention that I'm really impressed with how responsible and respectful Rachel Reid has been with her representation and unstereotypicalness (def not a word but whatever). This was truly a love story, not an mm fetish. And Ryan is a truly unforgettable mmc, I'll love him forever. Thank you Elena for this recommendation, I'm so glad I loved it as much as you did! <3
"Have you ever felt beautiful, Ryan?" Was Fabian's face even closer now?
"No." Ryan laughed as if the question were ridiculous. "Of course not. Look at me."
"I am looking at you." Fabian reached out and tucked a strand of Ryan's hair behind his ear. "You don't think you're beautiful?"
Fabian was stroking his hair freely now, his fingertips gliding over Ryan's scalp, then down his cheek into his beard. Ryan wasn't sure when he'd closed his eyes, but when he opened them, Fabian was looking at him like he was something precious.
━━━━━━━━━━� � ━━━━━━━━━━�
I'm so pleasantly surprised. I feel warm. And content. This was such a sweet, healthy, and adorable romance. I'm terribly impressed with how unique and fresh the characters and storyline are. Rachel Reid goes against stereotypes, against fetishy fantasies that women who write mm often do, and she wrote a beautiful, soft, wonderful love story. As usual, my review has quotes and talks about moments so there may be minor spoilers. Serious/larger spoilers are always under spoiler tags.
Regarding the characters, I felt that both were good, but one stood out to me: Ryan.
� Ryan Price (H) is a teddy bear, a cinnamon roll that looks like he could kill you. But he's an absolute angel, I love him so dearly. Unfortunately, he's an "enforcer" for his hockey team, which means he has to beat people up for his team, basically, no matter how much he hates it. He suffers anxiety which doesn't mix so well with hockey, but I believe the author did so well in writing his character. He's a bulky, masculine, hairy man whose type is feminine, beautiful guys. And I think that's lovely. He likes iced chai lattes (same), his comfort book is Anne with an E and he carries it everywhere with him, and he's terribly smitten with Fabian :]
� Fabian Salah (H) was alright. Honestly, I didn't love him so much. I loved what he represented and what Rachel Reid was trying to do with his character. I love how he wasn't afraid to be feminine, how he did his makeup and his nails, and how he wore lace underwear proudly and shamelessly. But his character itself fell a bit flat. I just didn't love his diologue, how he spoke. I struggled to understand what Ryan liked about him. He was just a pretty bland character personality-wise. But, he's musically driven, rather than being involved in hockey, like the other characters in the past books. He's becoming quite successful in singing and playing the violin at gigs, good for him.
� Wyatt (sc) was a pretty great side character. He's Ryan's friend. It was lovely to see both male love in this book, but also healthy and kind male friendship. I really do see Rachel Reid improving her books and aspects of them in many ways, which was so delightfully impressive. Wyatt supports and cares about Ryan. He's the only one on Ryan's team that isn't homophobic, misogynistic and careless. He's an ally 😌 and has a lesbian sister. He's married to his wife, but makes it clear that he is supportive of Ryan. I can't wait for this to be the norm someday, or something that I'm able to see. He talks to Ryan on flights to calm him down too, and calls to check in and tell Ryan important things personally. Really such a refreshing addition to the story.
As mentioned, this is a sweet, low angst, low drama, smooth friends to lovers, second chance romance between Fabian and Ryan (duh). The set-up and side plot were so incredibly well-crafted. Both love interests had their own, personal, fleshed-out lives. For instance, Ryan of course has Wyatt, but Fabian has a lovely friend group:
� Vanessa (sc) was a fun side character. I would say she's a slight stereotype of what people mock as "extreme feminists" that are sex-positive, feminist, lesbian whatever. But I still really appreciate the inclusion of sapphic side characters in this mm romance. I've read a good handful of bad mm romances lately that left me disappointed in their harmful portrayal of women and sapphics. Sometimes they fetishised them irrelevantly, and sometimes, they pretended they didn't exist at all. But this book...didn't. And that made me really smile.
� Marcus is so funny. I love him sm. His friendship with Fabian and with the rest of the friend group is so obviously genuine. And it's so refreshing, again, to see a black character in these types of romances. So many are just set in a world of white people (ahem off-campus exhibit A, but I have more exhibits too) and I'm so happy to see a major romance author really killing it with the representation right now. It's making my heart so happy. I know it's the bare minimum, I really do, but I'm just so pleased with the direction in which Rachel Reid is going in making her books inclusive and unproblematic.
� Tarek (sc) was kind of forgettable? Not necessarily in a bad way, I just question his significance in the story. Oh and did I mention that everyone in Fabian's friend group is gay or lesbian? Icons.
Their convos are so funny and genuine.
"So, new plan," Marcus said, clapping his hands together. "Fabian breaks up with Claude, and then he marries the gay hockey player and they have big, dumb babies together."
"You're an idiot. And Claude and I are not together."
"Your mouths were together last week," Tarek pointed out.
The romance in this book felt so organic, so lovely, so natural. So horribly, head-bashingly adorable. There's one moment, where Ryan is joined by Fabian in the shower, and he washes. Fabian's. Hair. This tenderness and softness killed me.
Fabian frowned at the bottle of Head & Shoulders that Ryan handed him. With a heavy sigh, he squeezed some out and gave the bottle back to Ryan.
"Can I?" Ryan asked, his hands hovering above Fabian's scalp. It was possible that Fabian had a very specific lathering method, but Ryan hoped his love of having his hair played with would win out.
Fabian nodded and closed his eyes. Ryan dug his fingers in, trying to massage Fabian's scalp as much as clean his hair. Fabian turned and leaned back against Ryan's chest.
"God, that feels incredible," he moaned. Your hands are so strong."
It felt good to be using his strong hands to care for someone, for a change.
And the way that sex was handled in this book was so positive. Ryan has difficulty finishing usually, due to his anxiety medication, so Ryan and Fabian just enjoy the process sometimes. And Fabian was a pretty good sport about it too. Honestly, I found Fabian's dirty talk or whatever to be a real turn off and I didn't like it at all? But, Ryan also explains to him that he needs validation because of his performance anxiety, and Fabian is more than happy to adhere to that :) even outside of sex too, he just reminds Ryan of his self-worth, which is so fucking cute.
“I feel so ordinary,� Ryan said, then immediately looked embarrassed about saying it. He ran a hand through his hair and over his beard, a gesture that Fabian already recognized as a nervous habit.
“Just an ordinary seven-foot-tall hockey star. So boring,� he teased.
Ryan blushed. “I’m not seven feet tall.�
“Did I underestimate?�
And sometimes, they just kiss. I find that so lovely :( they just love being with eachother. Their love is so pure and genuine, I could go on and on about how cute they are.
� Ryan carrying Fabian's music equipment and walking him home.
� Ryan washing Fabian's hair.
� Fabian making Ryan mint tea.
� Ryan worrying about smudging Fabian's lipstick because he likes it so much (he's everything).
� Fabian having heart-shaped nipple piercings.
� Ryan usually being afraid of flights, but can't stop smiling on one the day after because he can't stop thinking about last night.
� Ryan volunteering to teach kids hockey with Wyatt.
� Ryan getting Fabian flowers.
� Fabian getting Ryan a colourful scarf and Ryan getting Fabian a diamond/pearl neacklace for christmas.
� Ryan letting Fabian fix up his makeup (he'd been crying) before a serious talk. (Just so respectful.)
� Ryan obsessing and listening to Fabian's music, even while going to the grocery store
They're just genuinely so cute and perfect for each other.
"You're staring," Fabian said.
"Probably."
"You can get a better look over here."
Now I'm just gonna quote dump, sorry. They're so cute and the world needs to know about it. Especially Ryan, my favourite gentle giant with the softest, biggest heart.
Ryan blinked. "We are not a good match."
"Not at all. Want to make out?"
"Yeah. Bedroom?"
"Yes please."
Ryan carrying Fabian to the bed and putting him to sleep ☹️☹️☹️
"You're face was so beautiful when you did that. Holy god."
Fabian half crawled, half slumped into Ryan's lap. "Thank you." He rested his head on Ryan's shoulder and closed his eyes. Ryan began stroking his hair, and Fabian was suddenly dangerously comfortable.
"You're sleepy," Ryan observed.
"Nope," Fabian murmured, but he ruined his argument by yawning.
Ryan chuckled, then wrapped his arms tight around him and stood, carrying Fabian like a child and resting him gently on the bed with his head on a pillow.
Them waking up in the morning together and Ryan just staring in admiration until he can't resist touching Fabian.
Finally, when he could no longer resist, he nuzzled Fabian's hair, then kissed his temple. Fabian squirmed in his arms and sighed. Ryan could see his lips curl up into a drowsy smile. "This bed rules."
Ryan didn't think he'd ever fully appreciated how great his bed was until last night. He'd slept better than he had in ages. He tightened his arm around Fabian, pulling him closer.
"You ever gonna let me go?" Fabian teased.
"Nope."
Fabian giggled. "I have to pee!"
Or:
Fabian caressed Ryan's cheek with the back of his hand. "You're too good to be true, Ryan Price."
Or:
"Can I suck you?"
"Oh, I suppose," Fabian said with an exaggerated sigh.
When Ryan's back hurt and Fabian was finally able to come and see him so he took care of him :((
"How are you feeling?"
Ryan grimaced. "Still sore."
Fabian took Ryan's hand and tugged him toward the elevator. "It just so happens that I am in the mood for a day of doing absolutely nothing but loafing around with my adorable boyfriend."
Also there was one moment that took me outt LMAOOO FABIAN WAS KINDA RELATABLE PLS:
"Can I-?"
"Yes!" Fabian practically yelled. He slapped a hand over his mouth, embarassed. "I mean, yes.
You may. Please."
And seeing Ilya? Ohmygod, I love that man so much. I genuinely feel like I know him personally.
Ilya finished his cigarette. "Wyatt Hayes is a good guy."
"He is. I miss him."
"He said you help out at the place with kids? Play hockey with them?"
"Oh." Ryan looked at the ground, embarassed that Wyatt had been talking about him to Ilya Rozanov. "Yeah, When I can. Which isn't often."
"You like it?"
"I do. I like kids."
Ilya nodded. What are you doing this summer?"
Ryan was having a hard time keeping up with Ilya. "I don't know. Might go back home to Nova Scotia. Why?"
Ilya fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. "Give me your number. We are organising these camps for our charity. Me and Shane. Hollander, I mean." He looked oddly embarrassed for a moment. "They are hockey camps for kids. They will be in Ottawa and Montreal this summer. We could use help."
<333 And did I mention that they said that this is an all genders camp and that Ryan coaches a 13 year old girl ☹️☹️. They're so perfect.
I really did not expect
The few things that lowered the rating for me were probably the sex (the dirty talk was meh and I don't really like it when ppl come on eachother?😭😭 Like...why? Ok waterguns. But to each their own ofc.), Fabian in general, and the 3rd act conflict. This review is so messy, I'm kind of bothered by it, but maybe I'll fix it up later sometime. I just want to mention that I'm really impressed with how responsible and respectful Rachel Reid has been with her representation and unstereotypicalness (def not a word but whatever). This was truly a love story, not an mm fetish. And Ryan is a truly unforgettable mmc, I'll love him forever. Thank you Elena for this recommendation, I'm so glad I loved it as much as you did! <3
━━━━━━━━━━� � ━━━━━━━━━━�
January 13, 2020
HEATED RIVALRY, book two in the Game Changers series, was one of my favourite reads of last year. It came as a complete surprise considering the romance and tone of book one which, while far from bad, was just nothing like the follow up. As a result I was trying to lower my expectations for book three and went in to this one just hoping it ranked somewhere in the middle. And, for the most part, I got my wish.
Ryan inwardly cringed at how rude he must have seemed. He wished he could just wear a sign that said I'm sorry. I am terrible at socializing. Please don't take it personally.
There are a few elements in this installment that make it stand out � but I don't want to spoil the nitty gritty of it all � but more or less the majority of my enjoyment came from Ryan. This soft cinnamon roll was dealing with so much, while also thinking so little of himself, and yet despite how contrary to his personality it was, he was always expected to be a fighter. The tough guy (heyyyoooo). He was a bundle of contradictions and I enjoyed how Reid explored that.
Opposite him is a non-hockey player but who comes from a long line of hockey supporters and, when he was young, his family often billeted players, too. But Fabian has no interest in the sport or the typically homophobic alphajerkholes who play it. Except there was that one exception from thirteen years ago..
.. who happens to be Ryan.
This was one of the cuter reunion romances, though not quite a second-chance, and while Fabian didn't always wow me on page, I did like him. Though I'll admit I thought he was most enjoyable when amongst his friend group.. who were hilarious. I'm such a sucker for a friend group.
"Price! Thank god you are here. This goblin is bothering me."
"Eat my nuts, Rozanov!"
"No fucking thank you."
" Sorry! Sorry. I shouldn't laugh. "
"Don’t encourage Rozanov."
" I think I might love him. "
The romance between these two, the intimacy involved, is one of the things that stands out to me. Beyond just Ryan, full stop. Adding to the fun were cameos by a certain Russian player and, I mean, any page with Ilya is a page you're going to love.
So, yes, this definitely wasn't a new favourite but I did enjoy this read. I do want to say, though, that these endings give me actual whiplash. They are the most abrupt and I don't understand why. As a result, and because of my overall love for the series and this author, I don't want them to end. Please will there be more. I ain't too proud to beg.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at .
Ryan inwardly cringed at how rude he must have seemed. He wished he could just wear a sign that said I'm sorry. I am terrible at socializing. Please don't take it personally.
There are a few elements in this installment that make it stand out � but I don't want to spoil the nitty gritty of it all � but more or less the majority of my enjoyment came from Ryan. This soft cinnamon roll was dealing with so much, while also thinking so little of himself, and yet despite how contrary to his personality it was, he was always expected to be a fighter. The tough guy (heyyyoooo). He was a bundle of contradictions and I enjoyed how Reid explored that.
Opposite him is a non-hockey player but who comes from a long line of hockey supporters and, when he was young, his family often billeted players, too. But Fabian has no interest in the sport or the typically homophobic alphajerkholes who play it. Except there was that one exception from thirteen years ago..
.. who happens to be Ryan.
This was one of the cuter reunion romances, though not quite a second-chance, and while Fabian didn't always wow me on page, I did like him. Though I'll admit I thought he was most enjoyable when amongst his friend group.. who were hilarious. I'm such a sucker for a friend group.
"Price! Thank god you are here. This goblin is bothering me."
"Eat my nuts, Rozanov!"
"No fucking thank you."
" Sorry! Sorry. I shouldn't laugh. "
"Don’t encourage Rozanov."
" I think I might love him. "
The romance between these two, the intimacy involved, is one of the things that stands out to me. Beyond just Ryan, full stop. Adding to the fun were cameos by a certain Russian player and, I mean, any page with Ilya is a page you're going to love.
So, yes, this definitely wasn't a new favourite but I did enjoy this read. I do want to say, though, that these endings give me actual whiplash. They are the most abrupt and I don't understand why. As a result, and because of my overall love for the series and this author, I don't want them to end. Please will there be more. I ain't too proud to beg.
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at .
December 27, 2024
3/5
Despite the rating, I was pretty excited to read the story about Ryan and Fabian. It has a lot of tropes I love, opposite attracts, gentle quiet giant/extroverted confident musician and second chance, but only when there is a good reason behind it. I really wish I could give it 4 stars or more, but I end up not being as connected to the story as I thought I would be.
Ryan and Fabian’s relationship was really cute and real. They had known each other from the past when they were teenagers and their feelings, even in all the time that had passed, never really burned out.
I’m rarely say something about the smut, but here I have to say something about it. I mean, I know that not everyone will think this way, but I actually love the smutty scenes, they were finally realistic. They communicate in them and not everything always went how it supposed to, which I love, because sex is about experimenting and trying new things, even if they don't always worked out. The 'break up' at the end was unnecessary, but it was resolved fast, which I was thankful for.
Fabian’s friends, and especially Vanessa were one of the reasons why I like the book. I can only wish to have this type of friendship.
This series is honestly amazing, not every book, but most of them even though I had only read 3 of them. I love how Rachel Reid made a series about hockey, but somehow manage to make every book different and unique in its own way.
Despite the rating, I was pretty excited to read the story about Ryan and Fabian. It has a lot of tropes I love, opposite attracts, gentle quiet giant/extroverted confident musician and second chance, but only when there is a good reason behind it. I really wish I could give it 4 stars or more, but I end up not being as connected to the story as I thought I would be.
Ryan and Fabian’s relationship was really cute and real. They had known each other from the past when they were teenagers and their feelings, even in all the time that had passed, never really burned out.
"And what kind of guys are you into?� You. Exactly you. “Um.�
Ryan could not believe he was trying to
describe his perfect man to his perfect man."
I’m rarely say something about the smut, but here I have to say something about it. I mean, I know that not everyone will think this way, but I actually love the smutty scenes, they were finally realistic. They communicate in them and not everything always went how it supposed to, which I love, because sex is about experimenting and trying new things, even if they don't always worked out. The 'break up' at the end was unnecessary, but it was resolved fast, which I was thankful for.
“I had this overwhelming feeling of relief. Like this was what I’d been waiting for. This was what was missing. You.�
“That’s how I felt,� he said quietly. “Like I’d finally found you. I didn’t know I’d been looking but...I found you.�
Fabian’s friends, and especially Vanessa were one of the reasons why I like the book. I can only wish to have this type of friendship.
This series is honestly amazing, not every book, but most of them even though I had only read 3 of them. I love how Rachel Reid made a series about hockey, but somehow manage to make every book different and unique in its own way.
January 12, 2020
I think book 2 set the bar too high for me. I liked this one well enough, but it certainly did not wow me.
I liked both characters a lot, Fabian for being confident and fabulous, Ryan for being a big teddy bear (an anxious one). I just did not love them together. They definitely had a connection but I didn't feel great chemistry, I'm afraid.
I liked the beginning a lot, it was very engaging. After a while, though, the characters would spend so much time in their heads, I was almost bored.
Overall, an ok read. Great writing, though.
I liked both characters a lot, Fabian for being confident and fabulous, Ryan for being a big teddy bear (an anxious one). I just did not love them together. They definitely had a connection but I didn't feel great chemistry, I'm afraid.
I liked the beginning a lot, it was very engaging. After a while, though, the characters would spend so much time in their heads, I was almost bored.
Overall, an ok read. Great writing, though.
January 14, 2020
Audio 3 Stars
Story...3.75 Stars
Sweet, low angst romance. I really enjoyed it, and really appreciate the fact that the author wrote 3 different romances in the series and didn't go the cookie cutter route. 👍🏽👏🏽
Story...3.75 Stars
Sweet, low angst romance. I really enjoyed it, and really appreciate the fact that the author wrote 3 different romances in the series and didn't go the cookie cutter route. 👍🏽👏🏽
December 9, 2019
Solid 4 Star Read!
Great addition to the series. Rachel Reid is definitely an auto-buy author for me.
I can't say this was my favorite, it didn't quite hold my attention like the other two.
But I really loved Fabian and Ryan. Ryan was sooooo sweet. They had good banter, which was led mostly by Fabian.
I thought they really complimented each other. They had great chemistry. And while Ryan wasn't exactly a virgin, sex hasn't always been enjoyable for him. Fabian really tried to change that for Ryan.
I also really liked the secondary characters - Fabian's friends and also Wyatt.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Great addition to the series. Rachel Reid is definitely an auto-buy author for me.
I can't say this was my favorite, it didn't quite hold my attention like the other two.
But I really loved Fabian and Ryan. Ryan was sooooo sweet. They had good banter, which was led mostly by Fabian.
I thought they really complimented each other. They had great chemistry. And while Ryan wasn't exactly a virgin, sex hasn't always been enjoyable for him. Fabian really tried to change that for Ryan.
I also really liked the secondary characters - Fabian's friends and also Wyatt.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
July 21, 2021
it was... okay. i don't know what to say more than that.
March 20, 2022
**word of caution: read this after you've experienced the book yourself for there will be plenty of spoils!**
(after much deliberation, i've decided to up this rating above HR 🙈 I KNOW WHAT A SHOCKER)
[4.75] i told myself i wouldn’t write another 10-page essay for a book in this series and yet here i am 🤡
sleep? who dat?
from what i’ve seen, this book doubly suffers from being the immediate follow-up to Heated Rivalry, the Cult Classic�, so truthfully it warrants a reread or two to fully appreciate.
while i loved HR, it didn't impact my personal enjoyment of this installment because they were such fundamentally different stories. the contrast to the first two books is blindingly stark, from star hockey players at their peak and with a voracious appetite for the game, to the lone & replaceable enforcer who’s fallen out of love with the sport.
there was much left unexplored in terms of hockey's not-so-positive aspects, which is why i have to give it to Tough Guy for shining a spotlight on such issues.
- Ryan. the most endearing gentle giant 🥺 clinically anxious, naturally shy, terrified of flying, has insecurities for days, struggles with his place in hockey now that he’s lost sight of his passion, and shoehorned into the role of enforcer when all he wants to do is contribute to the team without using his fists 🤧
the mental health rep in his character was phenomenal, and i mean uncanny enough to occasionally forget that i was reading about a fictional character and not reflecting on my own past experiences. too many eerily similar moments/thought processes LOL who else rehearses their orders while waiting in line and then blanks out when they reach the counter? 🙋🏻♀�
- Fabian. our larger-than-life femme queen and solo musician with the most fabulous outfits (i need him to go shopping with Shane one day 🛍�)! harbors a hatred for hockey because his family would house junior hockey players, many of whom proved to be homophobic jocks who've adopted the problematic behaviors rampant within hockey culture, and would always choose hockey over him (exhibit a: his entire family went to his sister’s playoff game instead of his big recital 💀 but don't fret! Ryan showed up instead 😭💖).
also MANTIES!!!
- the relationship. opposites attract with the softest undertones, starting from their near kiss on the ferry as teens and picking up again when fate gives them a second chance 14 years later.
Ryan is often trapped in his head and his daily interactions with the world hammer in how anxiety permeates every facet of his life. i found it sweet how he slowly came out of his shell and became more comfortable in his skin in front of Fabian as they grew more and more besotted with each other 🥺
their first time having sex was *perfection*! Ryan’s upfront about his performative anxiety and the side effects of his meds in the bedroom, and Fabian intuitively knows exactly what Ryan needs to feel worthy and whole as a human being, which was everything to me. love the message that orgasms aren’t the end all be all, and that intimacy can be felt in other ways that are just as potent 👏
(btw i would LOVE more details/scenes of their youth together, like how Ryan would lie in bed in his room in the basement whenever Fabian practiced the violin just to listen to him play. there resides an equal parts bittersweet and heartwarming tone in the solace they find in each other at a time when they both feel so alone, and i would eat that up like a buffet 😌)
- the conflict & resolution. feel free to skip this entire introspective section as i'm incapable of not being verbose 😂 otherwise, buckle up your seatbelts because this is going to be a doozy *cracks knuckles*
- the epilogue. in emotionally lighter news, the epilogue gave me life 😇
Ilya pinning Shane against the wall (i respectfully request a play-by-play of the events leading up to this moment 🤲), Shane looking like “he would never smile again,� Ilya basically admitting to Ryan that they’re in a long-term relationship–that's the good stuff 😌👌
do i spot a fellow Shane/Ilya shipper?? 🤝
…where he then promptly moves on because he has his own man to see. gotta love how chill he is 😎
- a few other great scenes.
the sex toy eval 😂😬
Ryan threw out his back but still wants to kiss Fabian so badly that he has him sit on a kitchen stool so he could do so without bending down or lifting him up 🥺
the indirect kiss because of Ryan’s injured mouth: As a compromise, Fabian retrieved one of his hands from Ryan’s, kissed the tips of his fingers, and pressed them gently to Ryan’s lips. It was one of the sweetest kisses Ryan had ever received.
and not to undermine the significance of the scene, but why did i envision Ilya like the deceased father apparition in movies who, in this case pulling up in a Mercedes SUV, appears to guide his son who's strayed from The Path 😂 "Find something that makes you happy, Price. Hold on to it." you bestow that fatherly wisdom 😆🙌
****final thoughts****
gimme Ryan/Fabian cameos in the future because i must see Ryan thriving now that he’s starting with a clean slate and has a new passion for making hockey a more positive and inclusive sport for everyone 🥰
on a side note, as much as i get that there’s a job that needs to get done, we need to stop this culture of celebrating players/idols/etc. for performing while injured. forcing people to ignore their bodies is exploitative and reckless 😤
ﾟ･�+�+｡･ﾟ･�+�+｡･ﾟ･�+�+｡･ﾟ･�+�+｡･�
ﾟ･�+�+｡･ﾟ･�+�+｡･ﾟ･�+�+｡･ﾟ･�+�+｡･�
(after much deliberation, i've decided to up this rating above HR 🙈 I KNOW WHAT A SHOCKER)
[4.75] i told myself i wouldn’t write another 10-page essay for a book in this series and yet here i am 🤡
sleep? who dat?
from what i’ve seen, this book doubly suffers from being the immediate follow-up to Heated Rivalry, the Cult Classic�, so truthfully it warrants a reread or two to fully appreciate.
while i loved HR, it didn't impact my personal enjoyment of this installment because they were such fundamentally different stories. the contrast to the first two books is blindingly stark, from star hockey players at their peak and with a voracious appetite for the game, to the lone & replaceable enforcer who’s fallen out of love with the sport.
there was much left unexplored in terms of hockey's not-so-positive aspects, which is why i have to give it to Tough Guy for shining a spotlight on such issues.
- Ryan. the most endearing gentle giant 🥺 clinically anxious, naturally shy, terrified of flying, has insecurities for days, struggles with his place in hockey now that he’s lost sight of his passion, and shoehorned into the role of enforcer when all he wants to do is contribute to the team without using his fists 🤧
the mental health rep in his character was phenomenal, and i mean uncanny enough to occasionally forget that i was reading about a fictional character and not reflecting on my own past experiences. too many eerily similar moments/thought processes LOL who else rehearses their orders while waiting in line and then blanks out when they reach the counter? 🙋🏻♀�
- Fabian. our larger-than-life femme queen and solo musician with the most fabulous outfits (i need him to go shopping with Shane one day 🛍�)! harbors a hatred for hockey because his family would house junior hockey players, many of whom proved to be homophobic jocks who've adopted the problematic behaviors rampant within hockey culture, and would always choose hockey over him (exhibit a: his entire family went to his sister’s playoff game instead of his big recital 💀 but don't fret! Ryan showed up instead 😭💖).
also MANTIES!!!
- the relationship. opposites attract with the softest undertones, starting from their near kiss on the ferry as teens and picking up again when fate gives them a second chance 14 years later.
Ryan is often trapped in his head and his daily interactions with the world hammer in how anxiety permeates every facet of his life. i found it sweet how he slowly came out of his shell and became more comfortable in his skin in front of Fabian as they grew more and more besotted with each other 🥺
their first time having sex was *perfection*! Ryan’s upfront about his performative anxiety and the side effects of his meds in the bedroom, and Fabian intuitively knows exactly what Ryan needs to feel worthy and whole as a human being, which was everything to me. love the message that orgasms aren’t the end all be all, and that intimacy can be felt in other ways that are just as potent 👏
(btw i would LOVE more details/scenes of their youth together, like how Ryan would lie in bed in his room in the basement whenever Fabian practiced the violin just to listen to him play. there resides an equal parts bittersweet and heartwarming tone in the solace they find in each other at a time when they both feel so alone, and i would eat that up like a buffet 😌)
- the conflict & resolution. feel free to skip this entire introspective section as i'm incapable of not being verbose 😂 otherwise, buckle up your seatbelts because this is going to be a doozy *cracks knuckles*
- the epilogue. in emotionally lighter news, the epilogue gave me life 😇
Ilya pinning Shane against the wall (i respectfully request a play-by-play of the events leading up to this moment 🤲), Shane looking like “he would never smile again,� Ilya basically admitting to Ryan that they’re in a long-term relationship–that's the good stuff 😌👌
Ryan couldn't help but smile at them. Suddenly things made a lot more sense. "Your secret is safe with me," he promised.
do i spot a fellow Shane/Ilya shipper?? 🤝
…where he then promptly moves on because he has his own man to see. gotta love how chill he is 😎
- a few other great scenes.
the sex toy eval 😂😬
Ryan threw out his back but still wants to kiss Fabian so badly that he has him sit on a kitchen stool so he could do so without bending down or lifting him up 🥺
the indirect kiss because of Ryan’s injured mouth: As a compromise, Fabian retrieved one of his hands from Ryan’s, kissed the tips of his fingers, and pressed them gently to Ryan’s lips. It was one of the sweetest kisses Ryan had ever received.
and not to undermine the significance of the scene, but why did i envision Ilya like the deceased father apparition in movies who, in this case pulling up in a Mercedes SUV, appears to guide his son who's strayed from The Path 😂 "Find something that makes you happy, Price. Hold on to it." you bestow that fatherly wisdom 😆🙌
****final thoughts****
gimme Ryan/Fabian cameos in the future because i must see Ryan thriving now that he’s starting with a clean slate and has a new passion for making hockey a more positive and inclusive sport for everyone 🥰
on a side note, as much as i get that there’s a job that needs to get done, we need to stop this culture of celebrating players/idols/etc. for performing while injured. forcing people to ignore their bodies is exploitative and reckless 😤
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➀ Tough Guy - 4.75�
� Heated Rivalry - 4.7�
� The Long Game - 4.6�
� Role Model - 4.3�
� Common Goal - 3.2�
� Game Changer - 2.7�
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December 18, 2019
3.5 stars
I found this author only recently, when I read and fell in love with book 2, Heated Rivalry - which was a 5 star book for me and honestly is hard to top.
Ryan Price was this huge enforcer, ginger beard, hard muscles, gently bear in the inside, and he was attracted to the very opposite of what everyone would have imagined. He was confident in his feelings, but didn’t flaunt them. I loved his softer side, especially since he was such a fearsome character on ice.
Fabian Salah, a former childhood friend, was artistic, and very feminine compared to Ryan. It was an interesting change from the status quo of regular MM books and Fabian and Ryan made a great opposite attract couple.
Although I really enjoyed the writing and characters, the book wasn’t as captivating as I hoped. It was slower, it had less hockey than I would have liked, and even though I really enjoyed the couple, Ryan and Fabian didn’t enthrall me the same way Ilya and Shane did.
Overall I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t a favorite.
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
I found this author only recently, when I read and fell in love with book 2, Heated Rivalry - which was a 5 star book for me and honestly is hard to top.
Ryan Price was this huge enforcer, ginger beard, hard muscles, gently bear in the inside, and he was attracted to the very opposite of what everyone would have imagined. He was confident in his feelings, but didn’t flaunt them. I loved his softer side, especially since he was such a fearsome character on ice.
Fabian Salah, a former childhood friend, was artistic, and very feminine compared to Ryan. It was an interesting change from the status quo of regular MM books and Fabian and Ryan made a great opposite attract couple.
Although I really enjoyed the writing and characters, the book wasn’t as captivating as I hoped. It was slower, it had less hockey than I would have liked, and even though I really enjoyed the couple, Ryan and Fabian didn’t enthrall me the same way Ilya and Shane did.
Overall I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t a favorite.
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2024
Come for the opposites-attract love story, stay for the staring-longingly-into-the-distance Ilya appearances.
May 13, 2020
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR PROVIDING ME WITH THIS COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
I won't lie. Fabian and Ryan are no Ilya and Shane but that's my problem. This sequel to the Ilyaverse was very sweet. There was a lot less focus on hockey and a lot more focus on Fabian and Ryan.
Ryan is an enforcer for the Guardians and is disillusioned with his job but feels trapped. Fabian is an indie musician who can play a mean violin. They knew each other when they were younger and bump into each other in Toronto. Fabian still carries an aversion to hockey players that he developed when his parents did a billet thing for young hockey players.
But Ryan is like no other hockey players. He isn't homophobic, a macho bully. He's actually a teddy bear. A six ft seven teddy bear with severe anxiety. I've never wanted to hug a fictional character more.
Ryan and Fabian's great love adventure's only misstep was coming after Ilya. Nobody's gonna top that. And yes, we get some Ilya in this book.
I won't lie. Fabian and Ryan are no Ilya and Shane but that's my problem. This sequel to the Ilyaverse was very sweet. There was a lot less focus on hockey and a lot more focus on Fabian and Ryan.
Ryan is an enforcer for the Guardians and is disillusioned with his job but feels trapped. Fabian is an indie musician who can play a mean violin. They knew each other when they were younger and bump into each other in Toronto. Fabian still carries an aversion to hockey players that he developed when his parents did a billet thing for young hockey players.
But Ryan is like no other hockey players. He isn't homophobic, a macho bully. He's actually a teddy bear. A six ft seven teddy bear with severe anxiety. I've never wanted to hug a fictional character more.
Ryan and Fabian's great love adventure's only misstep was coming after Ilya. Nobody's gonna top that. And yes, we get some Ilya in this book.
December 28, 2022
2.5 stars
I loved the first two books in this series and wanted to love this one so much, but I was soooo bored by this plot and didn't feel really any connection between the couple. I will admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the narrator of the audiobook, so that may have hindered my enjoyment of the story, but not a whole lot happened in this book beyond them hanging out together. This was super low angst and focused on Ryan adjusting to finally seeking help for his anxiety and depression and the other hero 100% accepting him with no judgement at all, which I really loved seeing in this book, but the story itself just didn't keep my interest and I wanted a lot more from the romance.
I loved the first two books in this series and wanted to love this one so much, but I was soooo bored by this plot and didn't feel really any connection between the couple. I will admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the narrator of the audiobook, so that may have hindered my enjoyment of the story, but not a whole lot happened in this book beyond them hanging out together. This was super low angst and focused on Ryan adjusting to finally seeking help for his anxiety and depression and the other hero 100% accepting him with no judgement at all, which I really loved seeing in this book, but the story itself just didn't keep my interest and I wanted a lot more from the romance.
May 7, 2023
I'm going to be honest. I didn't have high hopes for this one. I've found the first two books in the series rather frustrating to put it mildly, but I've been working through my Storytel audio library and needed something to listen to, so I thought I'd give it a shot. And I'm glad I did. This is by far my favorite book in the series so far. I loved Ryan and Fabian. And I especially loved that Ryan didn't feel a need to be closeted.
January 11, 2025
The book: Fantastic, really explored the negative sides of hockey and mental health and was handled so beautifully. I would trust Rachel Reid to write my obituary, enough said.
The narration: Oh dear�.
I immediately recognized this guy from his portrayal of Bear in Whiskey & Sin because he does unfortunately only have about four distinct voices he can manage which is fine but you see the problem comes up when you have a character that cannot use one of these four voices, such as a Russian perhaps? I just about died and then rolled over in my grave when Ilya spoke because the only way I could describe it was a bullfrog attempting to speak English with a distinctly British accent and also a mouth full of nail. I mean props for trying I guess but I don’t think I have ever cringed so hard at an audiobook in my life and I also HATE the way this man says the word cock but that’s probably just me being a natural born hater
The narration: Oh dear�.
I immediately recognized this guy from his portrayal of Bear in Whiskey & Sin because he does unfortunately only have about four distinct voices he can manage which is fine but you see the problem comes up when you have a character that cannot use one of these four voices, such as a Russian perhaps? I just about died and then rolled over in my grave when Ilya spoke because the only way I could describe it was a bullfrog attempting to speak English with a distinctly British accent and also a mouth full of nail. I mean props for trying I guess but I don’t think I have ever cringed so hard at an audiobook in my life and I also HATE the way this man says the word cock but that’s probably just me being a natural born hater
September 14, 2021
3.5 stars. Hockey romances are like crack for me, and I inhaled this one in a day. It was sweet and romantic, though there were a lot of serious issues going on for both of these men. I loved both Ryan and Fabian, and I loved how they clicked, despite how unlikely they may have looked from the outside.
Until I was super unhappy with that, even though I understood it. Kind of. It was the way it happened that upset me.
Still, in the end I was happy with how things worked out for both of them. would be a tough act for any book to follow but I enjoyed this for the most part and look forward to the next. 💜
Until I was super unhappy with that, even though I understood it. Kind of. It was the way it happened that upset me.
Still, in the end I was happy with how things worked out for both of them. would be a tough act for any book to follow but I enjoyed this for the most part and look forward to the next. 💜
January 7, 2020
I read this one immediately after and unlike most of my reading friends, is by far my favorite of the two.
I have a soft spot for wounded hero characters. Ryan stole my heart from early on. A gentle giant with a giant sized heart forced into an untenable position. Although I didn't understand what made him the way he was, I still empathized with his problems.
Glamorous, talented Fabian could have easily stolen the show. Except for "the break up". You know, the one we always dread in our romance reads. I was not a happy camper - but I never am with these.
These two seemed completely incompatible, but their attraction to each other was palpable.
Since I read the two books back to back, not comparing them is impossible for me. In comparison, is a four star read.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
I have a soft spot for wounded hero characters. Ryan stole my heart from early on. A gentle giant with a giant sized heart forced into an untenable position. Although I didn't understand what made him the way he was, I still empathized with his problems.
Glamorous, talented Fabian could have easily stolen the show. Except for "the break up". You know, the one we always dread in our romance reads. I was not a happy camper - but I never am with these.
These two seemed completely incompatible, but their attraction to each other was palpable.
Since I read the two books back to back, not comparing them is impossible for me. In comparison, is a four star read.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
June 25, 2022
I knew the chances of any other couple in this series coming close to Ilya and Shane were low, so I didn’t go into this one with huge expectations. I’m not sure if that ended up helping or not.
In theory, this book is very good, I can see why some readers liked it more than I did. The characters are different than the usual m/m MCs: Ryan is a professional athlete who’s made a career out of I really liked Ryan.
Fabian was, technically, a great character, too. I say ‘technically� because I can see the author did a very good job with him and with this pairing—they are far from what you’d expect, but they work together—the problem was that I didn’t connect with him, at all. Maybe it’s the fact that not a single aspect of his personality resonated with me. I have nothing against any of those things and men loving those things, but I was bored out of my mind just mentioning them, so it was difficult for me to care much about his character.
The romance was…fine, I guess. There were parts of it I really liked, especially
I also didn’t like much how the hockey thing at the end of the book was handled. The almost made me drop my rating, especially because In the end it wasn’t as bad as I feared and since I realize the whole book would have worked better for me if I had connected more with Fabian’s character, I’m going with 3 stars.
Even though I got more out of than the entire rest of the book. It’s good to know they’re still amazing together. 🥰
In theory, this book is very good, I can see why some readers liked it more than I did. The characters are different than the usual m/m MCs: Ryan is a professional athlete who’s made a career out of I really liked Ryan.
Fabian was, technically, a great character, too. I say ‘technically� because I can see the author did a very good job with him and with this pairing—they are far from what you’d expect, but they work together—the problem was that I didn’t connect with him, at all. Maybe it’s the fact that not a single aspect of his personality resonated with me. I have nothing against any of those things and men loving those things, but I was bored out of my mind just mentioning them, so it was difficult for me to care much about his character.
The romance was…fine, I guess. There were parts of it I really liked, especially
I also didn’t like much how the hockey thing at the end of the book was handled. The almost made me drop my rating, especially because In the end it wasn’t as bad as I feared and since I realize the whole book would have worked better for me if I had connected more with Fabian’s character, I’m going with 3 stars.
Even though I got more out of than the entire rest of the book. It’s good to know they’re still amazing together. 🥰
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