Ryu Mori has had a stellar season as goalie for the Atlanta Venom. So when he’s called into management’s office, he’s expecting to hear he’s the new starting goalie for the team, not that some new guy—an incredibly hot, annoyingly bratty rookie—is here to compete for his spot.
Not everyone gets to play in the best league in the world. Emmitt Armstrong knows that, and he’s not about to waste the opportunity after grinding his way from the bottom to the top. If the Venom is looking for a meek, mild-mannered pushover, they’ve got the wrong guy.
Ryu doesn’t want to admit the other goalie’s smart mouth turns him on. Beating Armstrong at practice feels good, sure, but there are other, more fun ways to shut his rival up.
In this league, it’s winner takes all. But there’s more to life than winning, and if Emmitt and Ryu can get past their egos and competitive natures, they might just discover they work better as partners than they ever imagined possible.
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| 2.75 Hearts |
Ryu Mori’s within reach of his goal - being the new starting goalie for the Atlanta Venom. He’s trained hard and has the stats to prove it. Until promising upstart Emmitt Armstrong transfers to the team, setting off a race for the starting goalie position.
I really liked Ryu in book 1. He was the calm, dependable, and quiet friend that Tristan needed. He may come across as cold at times, but that’s just introversion.
Emmitt is the opposite of that - a complete extrovert. He’s loud and a bit brash. But he’s equally loyal, and committed to the game and the team.
The two men definitely start off on the wrong foot. Neither man is a dislikeable character, but the competition for starting goalie and opposite personalities inevitably set the stage.
But it’s also undeniable that both men feel attracted to each other. As the weeks pass, the mutual dislike and attraction build.
Until finally they give in. And it’s hot.
Nothing like a lot of angry sex to really break the ice!
Or, as Ryu and Emmitt look at it, just a bit of stress relief. I was all for their arrangement - rivals on the ice, and rivals with rough sex in the sheets.
Feelings inevitably enter the picture. It was very sweet to see the two men gradually open to each other, and share bits and pieces of themselves that they hadn’t expected to.
I swooned just a bit when Emmitt and Ryu finally had the talk and agreed that they wanted to be more than just fuckbuddies.
Of course, the major obstacle remains throughout the book - the competition for starting goalie. It continues to affect their relationship after they decide to get serious.
The situation became repetitive at times, but ultimately it was an entertaining plot. And despite the angst, Ryu and Emmitt manage to come out at the other end with a stronger relationship.
But I wasn’t entirely sold on the ending. It’s a HFN, with some major points still unresolved.
Overall, this was a likeable enemies-to-lovers hockey romance, with some angst and a lot of hot and sweet. I’m hoping we get to see Ryu and Emmitt’s story wrapped up in a short follow-up or in a book 3!
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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