Rachel Reid

Transforming into an Unlikely ROLE MODEL–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a brand-new M/M contemporary hockey romance from Rachel Reid. ROLE MODEL is the fifth book in her Game Changers series, which features two rival hockey players finding love with each other. All the books in the Game Changers series are standalone romances. Check out my reviews for GAME CHANGER, HEATED RIVALRY, TOUGH GUY, and COMMON GOAL to catch up with other yummy stories.

Role Model coverAbout the book:

Troy Barrett has been freshly traded to Ottawa after calling out Dallas Kent during a team practice. He wants to be a better person, and the weird, scrappy energy of the struggling Ottawa team seems like the place to…well. It seems like the only place that will have Troy right now.

Fortunately the Ottawa team includes Ilya Rozanov and Wyatt Hayes, and also includes an adorable social media manager, Harris Drover. Harris is the opposite of Troy in every way: friendly, cheerful, chatty, and goofy with a booming voice, a startlingly loud laugh, and Pride pins all over his denim jacket. Definitely not the sort of person Troy would normally associate with, and yet…

My Review:

Troy Barrett has been a bully and a follower, as well as a skilled hockey player, but he’s done cowering from the bigger bullies in his life: his father and his best-friend and teammate Dallas Kent. It seemed the best way to keep the spotlight off his personal life–not that he has much of one, because it’s really hard to be a closeted pro athlete. He’d been on the hot shot Toronto team for years, but after calling out league golden boy Kent as a rapist, well, now he’s persona non grata, and his team promptly traded him to the cellar-dwelling Ottawa Centaurs. He’s teaming up with all-stars like Ilya Rozanov and Wyatt Hayes, but he’s honestly hoping to get moved someplace else–except that’s even less likely than Kent being non-guilty of the (multiple) accusations against him.

Troy has a bad reputation in the league, behaving badly will do that, but he knows he must build relationships to survive. Thing is, Troy is pretty ashamed of himself, and it makes it hard for him to reach out or ask for help. Also, he’s bruised emotionally because his one-and-only boyfriend–someone Troy had considered coming out for–has just come out to be with another man. Thankfully, the Ottawa players are decent to him–they just want him to play his best hockey. They might not be amped for winning all the time, but they are also not a toxic bunch. In fact, they are super friendly, and–more importantly–they believe he’s telling the truth about Kent, even if Troy’s only going on his intimate knowledge of situations and experiences with Kent–without directly having witnessed an assault. It’s almost too good to be true to be accepted instead of a pariah, and it also comes with an unlikely friendship with the social media manager for the Centaurs, Harris Drover. A native of the Ottawa area, Harris’ family owns a local apple orchard and cider brewery. Harris is the sunniest flower in the garden with flair and flamboyant panache. He’s a consummate smiler and unapologetic cheerleader for all things Ottawa, and Troy lets Harris help him get acquainted to the city, team, and fanbase. And Troy just absorbs Harris’ positive energy for the balm it is.

Harris is way attracted to Troy Barnett, not that he’d ever imaging he was gay–or interested. But, hey, he needs an image makeover, and Harris knows how to do that. Photo ops with sick kids, and puppies, and funny interviews for the fans help Troy see that there are folks in the world who are willing to accept him. Troy starts using his own social media to raise awareness for sexual assault survivors and domestic violence victims. He takes it a step further and begins actively donating to those charities. And, he’s finally playing up to his full potential, helping to lead Ottawa closer to a playoff berth. It’s also awesome that Troy and Harris connect on a more personal level.

I loved Troy learning to love himself, and being an awesome human–and finding real love for himself. His relationships with his mom and dad are multilayered and divergent–which was important to see. His mom is amazing, while his dad is NOT, and Harris’ family are entire delight. But, specifically, I think this is the first book that really shows a player coming out and then continuing to play during the aftermath. I know Game Changer had a coming out, but it was late in the book. Troy’s situation was more fraught, especially with the vitriol he’d already been facing over the Kent issue. This made his HEA all the more sweet, I felt. Plus, life-threatening situations always add interesting conflict, and that was 100% true for Troy and Harris, who clung to one another rather than walk away.

This was a great catch up book for the series, with lots of close-ups on Ilya, who is a perennial fave of fans. Also, as more and more players come out publicly, it seems like we have another Ilya-centered book in the offing. I cannot WAIT!!

Interested? You can find ROLE MODEL on Goodreads, Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and Kobo. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Rachel 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.
Rachelle co-hosts a comic book podcast called Living Between Wednesdays.

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.

The first two books in her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series, Game Changer and Heated Rivalry, are both available now from Carina Press. Book five is coming soon!

You can catch up with Ms. Reid on her website, Goodreads, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Working Toward a COMMON GOAL–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a brand-new M/M contemporary hockey romance from Rachel Reid. GAME CHANGER is the fourth book in her Game Changers series, which features two rival hockey players finding love with each other. All the books in the Game Changers series are standalone romances. Check out my reviews for GAME CHANGER, HEATED RIVALRY, TOUGH GUY, to catch up with other yummy stories.

About the book:
New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…

Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.

Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.

Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.

Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.

My Review:
Eric Bennett is a tall, broad silver fox looking retirement from professional hockey in the face. He’s bisexual, but not really out, though he’s wanting to experiment with men for the first time ever. He’s a bit shy, and not really into the meat market approach to finding a partner. He has met Kyle, a young, sexy bartender, several times because he works at the same bar where Eric’s teammate’s new fiance, Kip, has been employed. Turns out that Kyle is a graduate student in ancient art and architecture, and Eric is an art connoisseur and collector. They seem to have more in common than a mutual friend, and that leads Kyle–who is always attracted to Mr. Wrong–to impulsively offer to teach Eric the ways and means of sexytimes with men.

Kyle has had a long-time crush on his friend, Kip, and seeing him happily engaged only spotlights Kyle’s loneliness. Kyle decide to really focus on his schooling, but he’s still more than willing to give sex lessons to Eric, and their chemistry could melt glaciers–let alone hockey rinks. They also get along out of the bedroom, with Kyle admiring and appreciative of Eric’s sense of style and his intelligence. Who knew Harvard graduated hockey gods? The more time they spend, the more they each begin to fall, but there’s a big age gap that unsettles Eric. And, he’s totally afraid he’s taking advantage of Kyle’s youth and winsomeness, especially when he learns of Kyle’s history of being used by older men.

Their happily ever after seems to be in jeopardy until Eric comes to his senses, realizing that losing Kyle to his own insecurities is not the way he should approach his new, and empty, life after hockey. It’s a very sweet reunion, and the sexytimes are fun and playful throughout. I loved the resolution here, and I look forward to more of these delicious hockey romances in the future.

Interested? You can find COMMON GOAL on Goodreads, Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and Kobo. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Rachel 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.
Rachelle co-hosts a comic book podcast called Living Between Wednesdays.

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.

The first two books in her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series, Game Changer and Heated Rivalry, are both available now from Carina Press. Book five is coming soon!

You can catch up with Ms. Reid on her website, Goodreads, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Cover Reveal for WHAT HE REALLY NEEDS


Hi there! Today I’m sharing a cover reveal for a M/M contemporary romance from Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood. WHAT HE REALLY NEEDS features two old school friends reconnecting–and finding unexpected love amid a contentious lawsuit. The book drops 3/20.

About the book:
Cayo Suárez, who is gay, and Ben Roth, an admitted Oblivious Straight Guy, were roommates in law school, but two years after graduating, they have lost touch. After an accidental meeting, Cayo invites Ben to stay with him while Ben looks for his own apartment. There’s only one complication, but it’s a big one—Cayo has been in love with Ben since they met.

What begins as a heartwarming reunion of old friends heats up quickly, and Ben starts to wonder if he’s as straight as he always thought he was. Cayo and Ben reconnect in a most unexpected way, but their jobs complicate things. Cayo works for low-income people at Legal Assistance, and Ben works for the man.

When Ben and Cayo become involved in a controversial case, powerful people with a lot to lose seize control of the situation. They want to bend the case’s outcome to their own nefarious ends, and they’ll destroy anyone who tries to stand up to them. Will Cayo and Ben find a way to save Ben’s career, and their budding relationship, before it’s too late?

What He Really Needs is an action-packed book full of warmth and humor, a first-time bisexual awakening, a healthy dose of suspense, steamy sexy times, and an extraordinary happy ending.

Interested? You can pre-order WHAT HE REALLY NEEDS on Amazon.

About the Authors:
Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and enjoy travel, friends, dogs, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Josh and Ryan love writing, and the romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men.

You can catch up with Ryan and Joshua on their website, Goodreads, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Battling a HEATED RIVALRY–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a Throwback Thursday review for a M/M contemporary hockey romance from Rachel Reid. HEATED RIVALRY is the second book in her Game Changers series, which features two rival hockey players finding love with each other. All the books in the Game Changers series are standalone romances. Check out my reviews for book one, GAME CHANGER, or book three, TOUGH GUY, which I highly recommend.

About the book:
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…

My Review:
Russian Ilya Rozanov and Canadian Shane Hollander are star hockey players who meet the first time as teenagers at the Junior World Championships. They are both team captains, and Shane’s disappointed his team loses to the cocky Russian. And, he’s not best pleased to go second behind Ilya in the NHL draft a couple of years later. They play for rival teams, but Shane has more endorsements and acclaim due to his boy-next-door looks and charming personality. Ilya thrives on conflict, and he’s got a penchant for low and dirty cutdowns.

Over these years, Ilya and Shane come into closer and closer contact, and there’s a current of attraction that they do not understand, but they do not resist either; Ilya is bisexual and Shane is gay–both are closeted. And, when they come together it’s incendiary. And confusing. Ilya tends to like dominance games, and Shane’s deep need to release tension favors a submissive role in the bedroom.

Their on-ice rivalry leads to explosive sexytimes–but over the years they begin to talk more than simply hook up, and Ilya and Shane develop a secret camaraderie that they cannot reveal–so many of their teams’ promotional activities center on their intense rivalry and competitiveness. Even if Ilya and Shane wanted to come out, they don’t feel they are able to do so and begin a public relationship with one another. Not yet, but they are making plans that will enable them to have a private life and share their growing deep love for one another without making headlines.

This was a really interesting and surprisingly tender love story for two very different men. Ilya suffers the scars of losing his beloved mother to depression/suicide, and growing up without affection from his dysfunctional family. Shane has bee well-loved by his parents, who might understand his sexuality, but he doesn’t want it to define him–or the direction of his career. There are glimmers of the first book, especially the scene where their fellow hockey player comes out to applause, which puts a new perspective on how they could live their own lives. I liked how that dove-tailed and enabled these guys to make choices that would support, versus alienate, them. It’s probably the most fraught of the three books in this series, but ends on a hopeful note.

Interested? You can find HEATED RIVALRY on Goodreads, Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Rachel 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.
Rachelle co-hosts a comic book podcast called Living Between Wednesdays.

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.

The first two books in her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series, Game Changer and Heated Rivalry, are both available now from Carina Press. Book three is coming soon!

You can catch up with Ms. Reid on her website, Goodreads, and twitter.

Are you a hockey fan? I am honestly not, because all my winter sports effort goes into wrestling–which my kids do and my hubs coaches. Still, I’ve been reading hockey romance for years now, and have more book reviews coming in that sub-genre over the next month or so. Feel free to share some of your fave hockey romance titles in the comments.

In the meantime, thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Falling For the TOUGH GUY–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a brand new M/M contemporary hockey romance from Rachel Reid. TOUGH GUY is the third book in her Game Changers series, but is a standalone romance.

About the book:
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.

My Review:
Veteran Ryan Price is a defenseman and enforcer for the Toronto Guardians hockey team. It’s not a role he relishes, but his bulk and size have pinned him into the situation, so he goes to battle on the ice, and throws more punches than shots on goal. He’s new to Toronto, having been recently traded after having a spectacular meltdown on the bench of his previous team during a game, though his anxiety struggles are being medically managed for the most part. Ryan is gay, and he’s never hidden it, but he’s also never broadcast it–not that he’s had many friends, or boyfriends, to speak about it. His social anxiety, size and reputation usually keep him isolated, even from his own teammates. Ryan’s self-esteem is pretty low, despite being a pro hockey player.

On this team, however, the back-up goalie Wyatt seems determined to make friends with Ryan. He sits with him on flights, helping him to manage his deep-seated fears, and invites him to a local kids club where Wyatt volunteers. This relationship is the first that Ryan cultivates in years. The second, is a reconnection to Fabian Saleh, a boy he lived with in his teens, since Fabian’s family regularly hosted junior hockey players. Fabian is out and fabulous, having a genderqueer sensibility. He keeps a day-job at the drug store nearest Ryan’s new condo in the heart of Toronto’s queer village. Fabian is a first-rate violinist, though, and Ryan has many memories of listening to Fabian play back in his childhood home. Fabian’s rabid hockey fan family has never been that supportive of Fabian, his music or his life. It turned Fabian away from hockey, but he never forgot Ryan, the shy boy who made more of an effort to see Fabian play back then than Fabian’s own parents did.

Ryan had a big regret of never kissing Fabian back when they were young, but he’s not going to make the same mistake again–even if he’s terrible in bed. His meds and his anxiety often make him unable to perform, but Fabian’s outre look has his libido perking up big time–and Fabian’s happy to go at Ryan’s pace–even if Ryan is a hockey player. Fabian’s friends adore Ryan, even wishing to scoop him up if Fabian doesn’t make a claim, and Ryan’s so happy to be accepted by Fabian’s posse–and hear the fantastic music he makes. For a couple of months it seems things are going really well for Ryan, but then Wyatt is traded and he loses that close friendship. Then, he hurts his back on the ice, and the recovery is…bad. Fabian is mad that Ryan won’t take time off from the season to heal, and Ryan’s frustrated that Fabian keeps harping at him. With all his pain meds on top of his anxiety meds it’s an untenable situation.

With a break looming, both Fabian and Ryan are searching their souls. Should they make up? Should Ryan quit hockey? What would help them find the right path to mutual happiness? There are some really touching moments of deep introspection here, while each man figures out how to live a true and happy life. Ryan gets a chance to connect with an old teammate who offers him a chance to explore his passion for hockey in a low pressure situation. Could this be the first step to Ryan taking care of himself–first and foremost? The resolution is tender and awesome, with Ryan and Fabian being the support one another needs–right when they need it. I loved how each man found his personal happiness, and that magnified their joined happiness. Each man is a little bit broken, and to see both healed and whole in each other and in the end was so cool. I loved how uninhibited Fabian is, and how he coaxes Ryan out of his shell by his sheer exuberance. Not only that, Ryan developing a support network for himself was so great to experience. I really liked both of these characters a lot, and I liked the little glimpse of Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, from the second book in this series, that we get at the end.

Interested? You can find TOUGH GUY on Goodreads, Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Rachel 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.
Rachelle co-hosts a comic book podcast called Living Between Wednesdays.

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.

The first two books in her Game Changers m/m hockey romance series, Game Changer and Heated Rivalry, are both available now from Carina Press. Book three is coming soon!

You can catch up with Ms. Reid on her website, Goodreads, Facebook and twitter.

Are you a hockey fan? I am honestly not, because all my winter sports effort goes into wrestling–which my kids do and my hubs coaches. Still, I’ve been reading hockey romance for years now, and have more book reviews coming in that sub-genre over the next month or so. Feel free to share some of your fave hockey romance titles in the comments.

In the meantime, thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!