Jerry Cooke

3.25⭐️ - A touching and spicy story of acceptance and change for a tired Hockey enforcer

Ryan has always had to play the role of the hard man on the ice, starting beef to distract the opposition and support his team. He's been traded so often that he doesn't feel like he's got anywhere to call home and it's no different now he's with the Toronto Guardians. All this moving around has definitely made it hard to find any lasting romance, especially when he's a giant of a man who likes pretty, petite guys. Guys like Fabian, the son of his host family when he was a young hockey player, his first proper crush and somebody he's not seen in years.

Fabian hates Hockey. All the big bros, the noise.. everything. With his parents billeting during his high school years, he had a lot of time to resent all the guys that passed through his house. All except for Ryan, the unwieldy red-haired player was the only person who'd made him feel respected in that time. He's not thought of him in years though, so it's a big shock when he appears at his department store counter.

Despite all the time that passed, the natural connection they initially felt has only grown stronger, so it seems natural that Fabian should be Ryan's guide to the LGBTQ village in Toronto that that latter has recently moved to. As they get closer and find all the ways they work together, it comes directly at odds with the psychically descriptive playing that Ryan is required to do and makes him question his future in the sport.

This wasn't my favourite of the series, but it was still a really well done story, highlighting the way in which an NHL career can cause major struggles for players with all the transfers and inability to be authentically themselves. Fabian is a great match for Ryan and it's lovely to see how the world is continuing to grow.

4.25⭐️ - A fierce rivalry leads to years of secret liaisons in this enemies-to-lovers romance that's as hot as the ice is cold!

Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two of the hottest properties in pro hockey, tied for first place coming up to draft time, but under all that rivalry hides an undeniable mutual attraction. As time passes, that attraction leads to a number hookups kept out of the public eye, but as their careers advance and they end up as captains of rival teams, it becomes more and more pressing for them to keep things under wraps. When the desire to be a proper couple comes head-to-head with the need for secrecy, it becomes a question of what's more important - their hockey careers, or their feelings for each other.

I went into this having watched up to episode five of the TV adaptation, desperate for more, and so I already knew many of the plot points that were going to come up, but it didn't reduce my enjoyment at all. Getting to hear both of Shane and Ilya's internal monologues gave so much more insight into the way in which their relationship plays out and it was really lovely to get that full perspective. The yearning they have for each other is palpable and the greater world of connected teams was really lovely, seeing how the scenes at the end of Game Changer played out from the boys' perspective ^-^

4.75⭐️ - A phenomenal dark and atmospheric fantasy with hidden past, found family, and complex machinations at play!

Lady Imogen Nel has spent her life as a ward of the king of a small land, sequestered in a high mountain keep, and has been expected to make frequent blood offerings to the king's god. She's also a siren. She keeps the to herself though, because the king happens to be a hunter of sirens (and proud of it) and so being small and unthreatening to survive is what she relies on. When a tall handsome king of a land across the water shows up at a ball, she finds it a pretty good excuse to get the hell out of there. As she finds her way to the new kingdom and has to content with new magics, political pressures, and creepy mage seers, she realises that fate may have far more in store for her than she original imagined.

This was an amazing story with fantastic world building. The romance was slow burn and complex, with a lot of warring feelings. There's not just a one-bedroll trope, but also a one-horse trope, and plenty of steamy forbidden love. I absolutely devoured this and I can't wait for the continuation of the story.

Thoroughly recommend!