It's Time To Change The Game

I recently finished reading Game Changer by Rachel Reid. This is book #1 in the Game Changer series.

**POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT**

  Rating: 3/5 stars

"Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic...and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.

Kip knew there was more to Scott’s frequent visits than blended fruit, but he never let himself imagine being invited back to Scott’s penthouse. Or kissed with reckless abandon, never mind touched everywhere all at once. When it happens, it’s red-hot, incredible, and frequent, but also only on Scott’s terms and always behind his closed apartment doors.

Scott needs Kip in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career…like introducing the world to his boyfriend. Kip is ready to go all-in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?"

These two meet when Scott stops by Straw+Berry to order a smoothie and is served by Kip. The connection is instant. These two stupid fools jump into a relationship faster than a speeding bullet. Although it is Insta lust/love, I felt the chemistry between Kip and Scott from the get-go. They were too cute for my taste, but I have to admit, once in a while, I like to bathe in sugar and honey, and these two gave me that.

The first half of the story was sweet and hot! It focused on Scott and Kip getting to know each other. This part had A LOT of Sex! That became repetitive.

The second part is where it all comes together, after the honeymoon sex-fest bliss fades; Kip is really hit with the downside of dating a closeted athlete. I got frustrated with both Kip and Scott. They love each other deeply, but Scott is reluctant to come out of the closet and treats Kip like his dirty little secret, and Kip is afraid to push, yet he wants to do normal couple things. I just wanted to shake them both.

For a debut book, this is well-written and a feel-good story; we have enough doses of banter. It is cute without being cheesy, and the author got me invested enough to continue with this series. The MCs are so likable, and the other supporting characters are amazing too.

Overall, I really did have a good time with this book. Recommended when you are in the mood for some sugar rush, cuteness overload, and low angst read.

Check out Game Changers, and discover what happens when you change the game.

I recently finished reading Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid. This is book #2 in the Game Changers series.

**POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT**

  Rating: 3/5 stars

"Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented; he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.

As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option."

Hockey romances have always been hit or miss for me. I love the elements of found family usually established between teammates, and I also enjoy the cozy, winter vibes that the hockey brings to the book. But the aspects that usually draw me away from the hockey romance genre as a whole are the utter cheesiness of it - the vast ego of the captain of the hockey team, MMC, clashing with the bookworm loner FMC, has never been something I look for. So when I saw that this book followed TWO hockey players who have been in rivalry ever since their rookie year, I was immediately hooked.

Heated rivalry had officially captured my attention.

The book started well. The pacing was great, and I enjoyed the time jumps - the story was fun and easy to keep track of. Part one flew smoothly, and I was actually kind of understanding why this book was so massively popular. Part two was also intriguing - we started to learn more about Shane and Ilyas' backstory, something I really enjoyed.

Part three was, underwhelming to say the least - their relationship was developing (slowly, but surely), but apart from that, nothing really happened. Part four was even worse, the abrupt ending mixed with the lengthy smut scenes and a quick “I love you” made a catastrophic and unsatisfactory ending.

I mean, is it too hard to actually have one (1) conversation without it resulting in fucking or making out? I guess we will never find out.

The relationship in itself was fine. I mean, there was nothing really groundbreaking about it, and all the yearning and pining I was promised was quite undistinguished. Apart from maybe one or two jealousy scenes, there was nothing really innovative. I mean, sure, they had been hooking up ever since they were 18, but apart from that…the relationship was very, very, very bland.

The miscommunication and just genuine avoidance of each other in the book was so silly - sure, being gay and bisexual in the hockey industry isn’t gonna be all sunshine and rainbows, but why were they acting like sneaking into each other's hotel rooms to hook up was an FBI mission?

They were cute. They had their moments, but they did really act like a stereotypical gay couple written by a women- it felt as if I had already read the book; there was nothing really original about it.

Most of the time in romance books, I really do enjoy the spice, but I’ve never been a big fan of insta lust - I like when the characters burn for each other and want to give in so bad, but can’t. It felt like their whole relationship was centered around lust, even after they had confessed their love to one another.

Overall, if you enjoy spicy, fast-paced hockey romances, you should definitely pick this up. Otherwise, you’ll probably feel indifferent towards it. I’m so excited to go binge-watch the show, though

Check out Heated Rivalry, and discover what happens when the rivalry gets heated.

Happy Reading :)