The story of two first years from very different backgrounds playing on the same college hockey team and both vying for the next #1 NHL draft pick. So naturally, they hate each other. Until they…don’t. But can their budding romance survive their passion for the game and the status that comes with being picked first?

I adored this – and the youth are apparently calling it – Boy Love romance. It’s both a feel-good warm-hug read while also tackling issues of depression and anxiety in college-age folks. Definitely recommended, if you like this sort of thing (and why wouldn’t you? It’s lovely.) ( )

I've read a few ice hockey romances but this one has its own specialness, and is up there with my favourites.

It is about youth depression, taking your own path, finding friendship. The two young men, newly minted men, since they both turn 18 in the novel, find attraction and connection where they least expected it. Jayden is a star on what he has earned himself; Mickey is from hockey royalty. But they've both worked hard - does that explain why they are college freshman at 17? And both hope to be picked for the draft? by year's end. Not that their lives haven't been hockey and only hockey since they could stand on skates.

I found the whole hockey house thing fascinating. And the depression Mickey suffers very realistic, and handled well by the author - I assume there's a story there. Mickey comes off as surly, and unapproachable, yet he craves acceptance. He has zero idea how to get it or what he needs.

Mickey and Jaysen's love story is tender, no macho in sight, though it wasn't clear to me what they do aside from 'making out'. The scenario of Mickey adoring his 5 sisters was heartwarming. I admired Jaysen for being brave enough to close the distance with Mickey. ( )

Look closely at the cover. If you go a little marshmallowy and say awwwww with heart eyes then you will love this book. The chemistry between Mickey and Jaysen was so well written and swoon-worthy. This YA book was also actually about sports and the play by plays were action packed and entertaining. I don't know if it was a case of 'the right book at the right time' but I honestly loved this. All the other amazing characters made the story rich and meaningful. It dealt with mental health issues in a respectful way. I haven't had this 'squeee' feeling about a YA romance book in a while! Yes it's predictable and hits some standard tropes but it really worked for me and I listened to it in one sitting!

CW: Sexual content but not explicit, depression/mental health, anxiety ( )

Short, yet surprisingly tedious. ( )

Picked this up for the sports setting, got a heaping dose of great representation as a bonus.

The author is a Buffalo Sabers fan (sending all the strength in the world to them, though at least it isn't the Flyers) and the college hockey setting read a little more realistically than what you generally get with hockey romance. While the hockey world is the basis on which the character's rivalry is built, as well as the cause of the underlying conflict, it isn't really the focus of the story. The more important topic, at least in my mind, is mental health and the intense pressure kids can be under without any way to really cope with it. Every action and choice gets ecplipsed by the question "How will this affect my future career in the league?"

There's also a lot of commentary on the disparity between the attention women's hockey gets in contrast with men's hockey (for example, a promising male prospect is already a lot more of a hot commodity than an Olympic medal winning female player) and there's pretty organic feeling representation of different sexualities. We get straight, gay, bi, and poly characters and they aren't really used as devices to have discussions about their sexualities, instead just existing and living life.

The main character has been heading toward a career in professional hockey since his conception, as both his parents (as well as a grandparent) are all past pro players, and he's basically been raised (largely by billet families) to become the first over all pick in his draft class. Because of his untreated depression and anxiety he's mostly just going through the motions and pushing himself for fear of failure more than any real passion for the sport, and it all starts coming to a head during the year leading up to the draft.

Over all this was a really good YA sports romance with the rivals-to-lovers trope. Good writing, well crafted characters, and minimal toxic masculinity. ( )