Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
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.
I discovered Rachel Reid through this blog’s recommendations for M/M Hockey Recommendations. All it took was one story to know I had a new author for my auto buy list. Luckily for me , the author also loves to write M/M hockey romances so I’m absolutely overjoyed twice over.
Game Changers is one of her fabulous series that I just impatiently wait for that next story to fall. Tough Guy is the third installment and , again, just another outstanding tale of romance intertwined with the game of ice hockey and its players. It’s a game I’m fanatic about and deeply appreciate those authors that share my love as well as have the ability to not only understand the complexities of the game but of the players and their careers. It is a far cry from football, much closer in passion and spirit to baseball in what it takes sometimes to continue on because of the love of the sport.
In Tough Guy (Game Changers #3) by Rachel Reid, the author also writes about what happens when that passion begins to fade, what’s next. Something that can cut deep emotionally and mentally. Reid’s characterizations have been a major draw of her stories. They are layered portraits of real people, flawed, human, pained, and lovely. So easy to connect with, as you do here with both hockey star Ryan Price and musician Fabian Salah.
They have a complex back history, together and apart but when they mesh and reconnect, they are so endearing, so open, so, well perfect for each other, that the story just flew by as I was so engaged by their relationship and their path towards love.
By the end (as I feel with all the stories in this series) I was loathe to leave the couple behind. I had fallen for them and wanted to linger a bit longer.
Oh well, now to wait for the next story in the series. I hope Rachel Reid won’t make me wait too long.
I highly recommend this story and the entire series. And this author. What a splendid time you will have getting acquainted!
Cover art by Carina Press is just ok but doesn’t really relate to the storyline or character. Meh.
Sales Links: Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Book Details:
Cold cases, old enemies, ex-lovers, and vengeful spirits are making life dangerous for psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his boyfriend, homicide detective Vic D’Amato.
Hervé has Asperger’s, a specific kind of autism that makes him unable to interact with other people.
Based on the blurb, this book wasn’t quite what I thought it would be, so I struggled to rate it and review it without spoilers. This is billed as a paranormal erotic romance, and while that is true, it is so much more. Tags are spoilers, so as per usual, I will only give them when I think stories could be triggering to people. This book contains multigenerational family trauma, sexual abuse, incest, attempted suicide in first person, suicide, bipolar and OCD mental health issues, drug and alcohol abuse, and ghosts thrown in with kinky sex. Since this is told in a single first person point of view, I got very attached to this character, but talking about him is a spoiler. This story is not told in linear time, so it might be difficult to get into the first two or three times it goes from the present to the past, but then it seems very natural as he shares his life through memories. The characters become complex and multifaceted the more the book goes on–one minute I might hate a character and the next I felt sorry for them even though that doesn’t absolve them of their awful choices.
This story started slow for me. I got messed up by the out of order flashbacks until I got further in and was able to “anchor” the time in my own mind. I also wondered why anyone would be attracted to Dr. Grant Anderson, who, in his own words, was “…brusque. Rude. Insulting. Demanding. A perfectionist.” But by the end, I was Team Grant. I totally turned around and loved it. Apparently, I have a soft spot for crusty surgeons who only fall in love once and when they do, their insides turn to ooey-gooey love mush.