Chris M
Added to listPaper & Inkwith 30 books.
Tough Guy has the familiar warmth of Rachel Reid’s hockey romances. Ryan’s anxiety and his search for a quieter life are written with care, and Fabian brings an energy that keeps the story from feeling too heavy. There’s a softness to the writing that makes the book easy to settle into.
I didn’t completely connect with their relationship, though. Something in the balance between Ryan and Fabian never fully clicked for me, even if their individual arcs were strong and thoughtfully handled. Still, the tenderness running through the story made it a genuinely enjoyable read, and one I’m glad I picked up.
Tough Guy has the familiar warmth of Rachel Reid’s hockey romances. Ryan’s anxiety and his search for a quieter life are written with care, and Fabian brings an energy that keeps the story from feeling too heavy. There’s a softness to the writing that makes the book easy to settle into.
I didn’t completely connect with their relationship, though. Something in the balance between Ryan and Fabian never fully clicked for me, even if their individual arcs were strong and thoughtfully handled. Still, the tenderness running through the story made it a genuinely enjoyable read, and one I’m glad I picked up.
The Farmer’s Son by C.C. Black is a tender story about Emery, a boy marked by loss and hardship. With parents gone too soon and the weight of living with his aunt pressing down, trouble seemed to follow him everywhere. Everything begins to change when she takes him to a friend’s farm, where the quiet rhythm of the land and the presence of Hayden offer him something new: belonging, hope, and the first glimpse of love.
It’s a gentle journey of resilience and self-discovery, where Emery’s city restlessness meets Hayden’s deep-rooted farm life. Together they show how even the hardest beginnings can open into something brighter, and how love can take root when two very different worlds slowly learn to meet in the middle.
The Farmer’s Son by C.C. Black is a tender story about Emery, a boy marked by loss and hardship. With parents gone too soon and the weight of living with his aunt pressing down, trouble seemed to follow him everywhere. Everything begins to change when she takes him to a friend’s farm, where the quiet rhythm of the land and the presence of Hayden offer him something new: belonging, hope, and the first glimpse of love.
It’s a gentle journey of resilience and self-discovery, where Emery’s city restlessness meets Hayden’s deep-rooted farm life. Together they show how even the hardest beginnings can open into something brighter, and how love can take root when two very different worlds slowly learn to meet in the middle.
I have one big problem with this book. It’s "I want more!" I want more Aiden, I want more Kai.
Ice‑olated Feelings unfolds almost entirely in the hockey arena, and that’s exactly where their attraction starts to crack through the cold. There’s something so quietly intimate about the way Aiden and Kai connect out there, passing drills, sharing glances, and building the kind of tension that grows in the small spaces between plays. Their chemistry develops in these subtle, steady moments on the ice, and it feels so natural you barely notice how deep it’s gotten until you’re fully wrapped up in it.
But finishing it made me wish for everything happening beyond the boards. All the off the ice pieces, the late night conversations, the awkward first steps, the little moments where they realized this was becoming something real. There’s so much room for a full novel here, one that lets us see how they fell for each other when the skates came off.
It’s warm, it’s tender, and it left me hoping CC Black decides to expand Aiden and Kai’s story into something bigger.
I have one big problem with this book. It’s "I want more!" I want more Aiden, I want more Kai.
Ice‑olated Feelings unfolds almost entirely in the hockey arena, and that’s exactly where their attraction starts to crack through the cold. There’s something so quietly intimate about the way Aiden and Kai connect out there, passing drills, sharing glances, and building the kind of tension that grows in the small spaces between plays. Their chemistry develops in these subtle, steady moments on the ice, and it feels so natural you barely notice how deep it’s gotten until you’re fully wrapped up in it.
But finishing it made me wish for everything happening beyond the boards. All the off the ice pieces, the late night conversations, the awkward first steps, the little moments where they realized this was becoming something real. There’s so much room for a full novel here, one that lets us see how they fell for each other when the skates came off.
It’s warm, it’s tender, and it left me hoping CC Black decides to expand Aiden and Kai’s story into something bigger.
Added to listQuick Reads & Quiet Momentswith 42 books.
Time to Shine follows the familiar romance arc of two people meeting, falling in love, facing a hurdle, and finding their way to a happily‑ever‑after, and Rachel Reid makes that classic journey feel warm and rewarding. The characters are easy to love, their chemistry feels natural, and the barrier between Landon and Casey, with his return to his team and the injury that brings him back, adds just enough tension without weighing the story down. The ending leaves a quiet, contented glow, and while it may not break new ground, the emotions feel honest and the whole experience is simply enjoyable.
Time to Shine follows the familiar romance arc of two people meeting, falling in love, facing a hurdle, and finding their way to a happily‑ever‑after, and Rachel Reid makes that classic journey feel warm and rewarding. The characters are easy to love, their chemistry feels natural, and the barrier between Landon and Casey, with his return to his team and the injury that brings him back, adds just enough tension without weighing the story down. The ending leaves a quiet, contented glow, and while it may not break new ground, the emotions feel honest and the whole experience is simply enjoyable.
