Jay (jayreviewsmm) (741 books)

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Jay is Currently Reading

Jay is currently reading

Coach's Challenge (Scoring Chances, #5)

by Avon Gale (欧宝娱乐 Author)

bookshelves: forbidden-romance, ha-ha-funny, hockey, dirty-talk, mature-adults, mm-romance, pro-athlete, sports-theme, currently-reading

Reading for the 2nd time

read in June 2017

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Jay said: " 4 stars 鈥� When it comes to fun and quick reads, right now my favorite series that鈥檚 still in progress is Avon Gale鈥檚 Scoring Chances. Coach鈥檚 Challenge is the fifth book in this double-minor-league hockey series, and it largely fits the same style an 4 stars 鈥� When it comes to fun and quick reads, right now my favorite series that鈥檚 still in progress is Avon Gale鈥檚 Scoring Chances. Coach鈥檚 Challenge is the fifth book in this double-minor-league hockey series, and it largely fits the same style and quality that fans of the series have come to expect. But even though I liked this one enough to rate it 4 stars, in comparison to the first four books in the series, this one left me wanting.

As has been the pattern so far in the series鈥攖wo books in Jacksonville and two books in Spartanburg鈥攖he action switches to a new city, Asheville, North Carolina. Up to now, the Ravens have been the most hated team in the ECHL because their playing style goes beyond aggressive into the realm of bullying, injurious, and particularly homophobic. As an out-and-proud gay man and former NHL player whose career was ended by the same man he has now replaced, the new head coach, Troy Callahan, is hoping to change that. Shane North is another new addition to the team, one that Troy is not thrilled about because Shane鈥檚 reputation for aggression on the ice won鈥檛 make Troy鈥檚 job of changing the Ravens鈥� image any easier. Of course, his attraction to the man won鈥檛 either. For his entire career, Shane has been dogged for not living up to the potential everyone saw in him when he was signed for his rookie season. Now well into his thirties, Shane wants to end his career on his terms, but doing that while playing on a team that has had its sense of team beaten out of them as much as the Ravens鈥� has makes that impossible. Before long, he finds himself being involved with the team鈥� and its head coach.

There is plenty to like about Coach鈥檚 Challenge for fans of the series. As with the previous titles in the series, the plot is uncomplicated and unencumbered by unnecessary drama, the characters are easy to like though not particularly deeply developed, and the writing befits the setting in that it鈥檚 simple and full of good banter and hockey talk. This last point, in particular, is one of my favorite parts of the series. There were plenty of times where I would find myself smiling and shaking my head while thinking that hockey players are SO weird, I love it! Put all of this together, and it鈥檚 a story that reads easily and quickly.

The relationship between Troy and Shane is also easy to like, mainly for fans of dirty-talking guys. The forbidden nature of their relationship adds to this as well. With Shane in his midthirties and Troy well into his forties, they鈥檙e both mature adults who understand that hooking up has to potential to create many problems for them, but they acknowledge it and do it anyway. It also means that the ultimate problem they have is fairly predictable because this is, after all, a forbidden romance. Like the other books in the series, though, this conflict鈥檚 resolution is satisfactory even if it is clearly on the easy side for the simple reason that the author鈥檚 universe is a bit ahead of our own in its accepting of homosexuality, particularly in professional sports. While this isn鈥檛 a problem for me as a reader, it鈥檚 worth noting because it does perhaps straddle the line of modern realism just a touch.

The only real issue I had with Coach鈥檚 Challenge is that the romantic development felt weaker than the other books in the series because the transition between Troy and Shane hooking up and their having feelings for one another felt less like a build than a mutual realization that what they were doing wasn鈥檛 just fucking anymore. While it doesn鈥檛 fit in with either of their personalities to express deep feelings to each other, it shouldn鈥檛 prevent the narrative from showing the reader that their feelings are growing all along the way. There is some of this after the book鈥檚 midpoint but not enough to get me over the hump of believing that their eventual love for one another came mostly from sexual compatibility rather than them developing the deep emotional connection on which love should be based.

Don鈥檛 get me wrong, the sexy times in this story are some of the hottest I鈥檝e read this year. I鈥檓 not kidding. Hot. As. Fuck. And I wouldn鈥檛 want the author to change them at all. But having the sex threaten to set your tablet aflame isn鈥檛 a valid excuse to skimp on developing the relationship arc so as to prevent me from having the idea that the number one reason a couple is perfect for each other is that they鈥檙e fucking hot together in bed. To me, that鈥檚 what erotica is for. This is romance. And unfortunately, I needed more romance here in order to get the great feels out of this story that I was missing. I got good feels from it, but can you blame me for wanting the great ones too?

With five books in the series completed, I鈥檝e noticed a bit of a trend. I love the series and really like all the books in it, but I like the second book for each team better than the first. Coach鈥檚 Challenge might well fit that trend too because the author has set book six up to be the story of a character named Xavier, who has appeared in each of the last three books now, and the more I get to know him, the more I want his story. So bring it on, Avon Gale! I鈥檓 due (and ready) for a good wowing!

The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of Coach's Challenge in exchange for this fair and honest review.

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Jun 08, 2017 03:45PM · see review