Winging It

3,5 stars for a book that started out great but took a dive in the second half

I had a hard time rating this book because for almost all the way through to the halfway point this was a five star read for me. The teammates and their banter was fun to read a out, the romance was cute and hot in equal parts but then it reached its peak and began free falling.

The story got dragged out and their relationship felt like it got pushed into the backseat until we got presented with a dumpster fire filled with drama, some of which felt too forced for my taste. Honestly felt more like something I expect to find on wattpad.
The drama gets dragged out way too long for my liking, with not enough return for putting up with it.
Honestly, for the time I spend waiting for any sort of return the conclusion felt lackluster. Overall the second half needs editing badly because the good parts of the book deserve better than what they got.

This was recommended to me as a “feel good” romance and it definitely qualifies as one. Sweet, funny and hot romance between two young hockey players on the same fictional NHL team. There is some angst as Gabe is outed, and then as his relationship with Dante becomes public, but there is lot of support from teammates and management so the turmoil is minimized. The aforementioned teammates are hysterical, as is Gabe's utter cluelessness about how to be in a relationship. I can definitely see myself returning to this book for a comfort re-read.

ReRead March 2023
3.5 Stars rounded up.

I like the book. I still do, for all the reasons I liked it the first time around. It will never be able to be a five star read for me for one reason though: Gabe is the sole narrator. I much prefer my romances to be have a dual (or trio, if I'm reading a poly triad) narration. This book would have especially benefited from it for me, because Gabe already knows he's gay, already has a crush on Dante at the beginning of the story. Dante, from appearances on the other hand, has his bisexual awakening thanks to Gabe and comes to terms with it during the course of the story. (Specifically the first half.) There's no question in my mind which narration I'd rather have.

(Still good hockey. Still amazingness of Kitty and Coach. ReRead mainly in prep to continue the series now that there is a series to continue. Don't regret it. ... Want to read more hockey.)


Original Review

There's a lot I could say about hockey (that I love as a sport and hate for the misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic language that permeates it) but this book is a fiction. It's a fiction about the first openly gay player in the NHL (which we still don't have) who happens to be on the first team coached by a woman (which we finally got two years ago). (And, all in all, it wouldn't surprise me if his coming out was easier because his coach was a woman.) Gabe and Dante were both likable, but there were several secondary characters that stole the show. (Coach, Kitty, Fifi...) And, really, I was here more for the hockey than the romance. (Side note: I did, however, like the dynamics of their relationship. It was interesting and different.)