3 Hockey Romances – Home Ice, Boyfriend, & Game Changer

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Home Ice by Aven Ellis
Narrator: Andrea Emmes
Series: Dallas Demons #1
Published by Tantor Audio on August 8, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Sports
Length: 7 hours 57 minutes
Pages: 283
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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Kylie Reed vowed she'd never pick up a man in a bar.

So falling into a gorgeous ginger's lap, tossing a glass of wine on him, and then hoping he asks for her number while in a bar would be a trifecta of wrong, right?

Organized, rule-loving, and cautious to a fault, Kylie Reed is waiting for the perfect moment to live her dreams—when she has a house, when she meets her husband, when she has been at her visual display job a little while longer. All of her dreams are saved for later—as that seems to be a safer place than taking a risk to actually live them.

Yet Kylie finds all her rules bending when she falls into the lap of gorgeous Harrison Flynn, captain of the Dallas Demons hockey team. Harrison harbors his own fears for the future, ones he keeps close to the vest. He's intrigued with the brown-eyed beauty who proceeds with caution, while she's drawn to the sexy man who pushes boundaries and functions in chaos. The phrase opposites attract has never been truer . . .

While the attraction is hot, is that enough to make a relationship work? Can they face their fears for a future they both want? Will this relationship end before puck drop? Or will they find home ice together?

This was good! I liked both Kylie and Harrison a lot. We don’t see Harrison actually playing hockey in this story but we see what it is like to live with his stardom. Kylie meets Harrison by literally falling into his lap and they end up talking without her having any idea who he is. Harrison loved the fact that Kylie saw him for himself instead of the money and fame that others seemed to focus on. They had a few instances where problems could have been avoided with a simple conversation but they usually didn’t let things go on too long. I thought that they worked well as a couple and liked the chemistry that they shared.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Andrea Emmes did a good job with the story. I was surprised that Kylie had such a strong accent at first but it made sense since the story was set in Texas. I thought that she also did a great job of capturing Harrison’s Boston accent. I thought that she had a very pleasant voice and had no problems listening to this book for hours at a time. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this audiobook to fans of sports romance.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Tantor Audio.

Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen
Narrator: Jason Clarke, Emma Wilder
Series: Moo U #1
Published by Tuxbury Publishing LLC on October 12, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Romance / New Adult
Length: 7 hours 6 minutes
Pages: 246
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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The dreamiest player on the Moo U hockey team hangs a flyer on the bulletin board, and I am spellbound:

Rent a boyfriend for the holiday. For $25, I will be your Thanksgiving date. I will talk hockey with your dad. I will bring your mother flowers. I will be polite, and wear a nicely ironed shirt…

Now everyone knows it’s a bad idea to introduce your long-time crush to your messed-up family. But I really do need a date for Thanksgiving, even if I’m not willing to say why. So I tear his phone number off of that flyer… and accidentally entangle our star defenseman in a ruse that neither of us can easily unwind.

Because Weston's family is even nuttier than mine. He needs a date, too, for the most uncomfortable holiday engagement party ever thrown. 

There will be hors d'oeuvre. There will be faked PDA. And there will be pro-level awkwardness…

Boyfriend is a full-length book for Weston and Abbi! 

*******

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Storylines in this book: fauxmance, fake boyfriend, holiday dating, holiday romance, pretend boyfriend, college romance, new adult romance.

Sarina Bowen never seems to disappoint! I have been a huge fan of this author for some time but I somehow missed grabbing this book when it was released. Weston and Abbi were great together. They both had some family issues that they needed to work out and I loved how they naturally stepped in to help each other. The chemistry between them was amazing. I loved the setup of the story with Abbi hiring Weston to be her fake date for Thanksgiving. I found this to be a really fun romance filled with incredibly likable characters.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Jason Clarke and Emma Wilder did an amazing job with this story. I have enjoyed both of these narrators’ work in the past so I knew that I was in for a treat when I picked up this audiobook and I was not disappointed. I thought that both narrators did a great job of bringing the characters to life which only added to my enjoyment. I would recommend this book to other readers. I cannot wait to read more of Sarina Bowen’s work!

Game Changer by Rachel Reid
Narrator: Tor Thom
Series: Game Changers #1
Published by Carina Press, Tantor Audio on October 8, 2019
Genres: Fiction / Romance / LGBTQ+ / Gay
Length: 10 hours 15 minutes
Pages: 430
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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“Reid’s hockey-themed Game Changers series continues on its red-hot winning streak.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review for Common Goal

New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter takes his pregame rituals very seriously. In this case, it’s not just a lucky smoothie he’s craving—it’s the man who made it.

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?

USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Reid

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

I really enjoyed this story! Kip and Scott were great and I loved the chemistry that they shared. Scott is a well-known professional hockey player. He is in the closet and has no plans for that to change. When he meets Kip at a smoothie shop, the attraction is instant. They eventually start seeing each other but it is always in secret at Scott’s apartment. I really felt for both of these characters as they worked through their issues and I loved that it was obvious just how much they care for one another.

I listened to the audiobook and I hate to say it but I had some problems with the narration. I couldn’t stand the voice that the narrator used for Kip and it really took me out of the book. The rest of the voices were fine so all was not lost. I still found a lot to like about the book but I really wish that the narrator would have used a different voice for Kip. I cannot wait to read more of this series!

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