Hidden Scars

Rating:
3.5 ⭐
Rounded down to 3

Summary:
Top-tier hockey jock Preston is forced to switch schools. At his new school, he is forced to room with his teammate, Jeremy. Preston has been abused by his father for years, which causes him to shut everyone out and live a life devoid of love and of anything other than hockey, the gym, and sleeping. Jeremy begins to find cracks in Preston's cold mask that he uses to shut out everyone, and is able to see a side of Preston that others cannot. The two find love in each other and Preston's father gets what he deserves.

Review:
I mostly skimmed the parts about hockey (I know and care very little about the sport), but I enjoyed the book for the most part. Preston was incredibly unlikable in the beginning. I understand that it's due to the abuse and everything, but it was a little too unrealistic–growling at literally everything everyone said or did. His change was sweet, but it did seem a bit quick to me. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. I liked the love and warmth that Preston felt from Jeremy's family.

It's funny how ordinary this book appears at first glance. Gay, hockey enemies to lovers with daddy issues. A pretty common trope, one that I've read before, so I wasn't expecting anything too great about this. 

Oh my god was I wrong. This ended up being definitely one of the best MM romances I've ever read. 

I love how the Daddy issues isn't just a plot point to increase the length of the novel, but Preston's entire character is built around that. You can see how his trauma affects his everyday life, into his strict perfectionism, his refusal to seek help, and his constant inner voice telling him he's worthless. 
It was so heartbreaking to read. 

Jeremy is literal gold. He was so amazingly understanding of Preston's struggles and was so gentle with him. 
I love how delicately this was handled.


Oh the spice though... It was so good. What a perfect package of a book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.