Review: Role Model (Game Changers #5) by Rachel Reid

Rating: 5🌈

I was getting ready for the release of The Long Game, the 6th in Rachel Reid’s fabulous hockey romance series, when I figured out I hadn’t read the 5th story yet!

Somehow I’d missed Role Model. Now was the time to fix that oversight! I’m so happy I did because Role Model is such a fantastic story.

It’s a standout in a truly great series of books as Rachel Reid gives a two remarkable men on a slow path to love and happiness. But the journey is about redemption for one, courage to recognize and acknowledge your true self, and the heart and passion another will give to understand and support him.

Troy Barrett is an incredible character. He’s so conflicted, full of pain, and we meet at at perhaps a time when everything he thought he had in his life that was solid and positive has been lost. His closeted boyfriend has dumped him, his best friend has turned out to be a monster who Troy has now reviled in public, and a team who he thought would support him has traded him to the lowest winning team in the league.

We feel everything this man is thinking, he’s numb, and stumbling.

We’re with him, certain he’s going to grow, just not sure how.

Then we meet the utterly engaging, Harris Drover, team media expert, and we see where Troy’s journey will begin. Harris is open, smart, people oriented, and openly gay. He’s also compassionate and sees in Troy an underlying pain that not immediately apparent to others. He also realizes Troy needs a friend. It’s the start of something beautiful.

They build their relationship over a puppy, a family, cider, so many elements… it’s amazing to be a part of this sexy, thoughtful romance. It’s added by a certain Russian player who also helps Troy see that living as a closeted gay man is denying himself a true life.

I have so much praise for Reid’s writing and characters here. They are relatable. The conflicts they face , within and without, are ones so many other members of the LGBTQIA community face , from themselves, their families, and their own societies.

It’s within the sports world or just a person trying to figure out their sexuality. Reid’s emotional turmoil and thoughtful communication has the ring of truthfulness to them.

I believe in Troy and Harris. I was emotionally connected to them throughout their story and I wanted to stay past the ending, a typical feeling for me on a Rachel Reid book , especially this series.

If you haven’t read Role Model yet I’m highly recommending it as well as the entire series. I’ve listed it below. The 6th is almost out.

Until then, check out and see if you’re caught up before The Long Game arrives!

Happy Reading!

Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer
Book 2: Heated Rivalry
Book 3: Tough Guy
Book 4: Common Goal
Book 5: Role Model
Book 6: The Long Game

https://www.goodreads.com › showGame Changers #5 – Role Model – Goodreads

Synopsis:

The highly anticipated fifth novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series sees a grumpy professional hockey player meet his match in an out-and-proud social media manager…

The hits just keep coming for Troy Barrett. Traded to the worst team in the league would be bad enough, but coming on the heels of a messy breakup and a recent scandal… Troy just wants to play hockey and be left alone. He doesn’t want to be in the news anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want to “work on his online presence” with the team’s peppy social media manager.

Harris Drover can tell standoffish Troy isn’t happy about the trade—anyone could tell, frankly, as he doesn’t exactly hide it well—but Harris doesn’t give up on people easily. Even when he’s developing a crush he’s sure is one-sided. And when he sees Troy’s smile finally crack through his grumpy exterior, well… That’s a man Harris couldn’t turn his back on if he wanted to.

Suddenly, Troy’s move to the new team feels like an opportunity—for Troy to embrace his true self, and for both men to surrender to their growing attraction. But indulging in each other behind closed doors is one thing, and for Troy, being in a public relationship with Harris will mean facing off with his fears, once and for all.