Game Changers Series by Rachel Reid
My audiobooks for the last month have been the Game Changer series by Rachel Reid and honestly, I didn’t want them to end. Hands down, one of the best hockey series I’ve ever read.
Description:
New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter takes his pregame rituals very seriously. In this case, it’s not just a lucky smoothie he’s craving—it’s the man who made it.
Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic…and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.
Kip knew there was more to Scott’s frequent visits than blended fruit, but he never let himself imagine being invited back to Scott’s penthouse. Or kissed with reckless abandon, never mind touched everywhere all at once. When it happens it’s red-hot, incredible and frequent, but also only on Scott’s terms and always behind his closed apartment doors.
Scott needs Kip in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career…like introducing the world to his boyfriend. Kip is ready to go all-in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?
Mini Review:
This is the book that got me addicted to the Game Changer series so of course it holds a special place in my heart. Scott and Kip were both adorable and I kept rooting for them throughout the book. Side note: I don’t recommend this book on audio. As a New Jersey girl, the attempted Brooklyn accent for Kip was the worst thing I’ve ever heard.
Description:
Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.
Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.
Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.
As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option…
Mini Review:
Shane and Ilya are my heart. As a warning going in, this book is a HFN but we do get their HEA in book 6. Honestly, I feel like I deserve a medal for my self-control of not immediately reading book 6 after finishing Heated Rivalry. Shane with his sweetness and Ilya with his snarky mouth and big heart are just everything. I’m not the biggest fan of flashbacks but they are so important to the development of Shane and Ilya’s relationship that I honestly didn’t mind at all. This book is so freaking sexy too!
Description:
They have nothing in common—so why does Ryan feel most like himself whenever he’s with Fabian?
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.
Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.
Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.
Mini Review:
This book was really a punch in the feels. I spent the entire time wanting to give big, awkward, anxious Ryan a giant hug. Not to worry though, Fabian takes care of him. Tough Guy does not shy away from the realities of living with anxiety and is just so relatable. And steamy. Can’t forget steamy.
Description:
New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…
Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.
Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.
Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.
Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.
Mini Review:
If I had to pick, Common Goal is probably my least favorite book in the series which isn’t saying much because it’s a solid 4 star read. I really liked the friends with benefits/teaching arrangement between Eric and Kyle and watching Eric really learn a lot about himself. In addition to the fun and sexy times, this book had a lot of heart and support too.
Description:
Troy Barrett has been freshly traded to Ottawa after calling out Dallas Kent during a team practice. He wants to be a better person, and the weird, scrappy energy of the struggling Ottawa team seems like the place to…well. It seems like the only place that will have Troy right now.
Fortunately the Ottawa team includes Ilya Rozanov and Wyatt Hayes, and also includes an adorable social media manager, Harris Drover. Harris is the opposite of Troy in every way: friendly, cheerful, chatty, and goofy with a booming voice, a startlingly loud laugh, and Pride pins all over his denim jacket. Definitely not the sort of person Troy would normally associate with, and yet…
Mini Review:
I wasn’t psyched at all for a book about Troy Barrett but man oh man, does this story work. Troy gets a redemption arc and really grows throughout the book into a character I respect. But Harris was the knock out here. I think I smiled every time he was on the page. And Troy caring for him in simple ways, like with cake pops and an apple pin, made me grin from ear to ear.
Description:
The sequel is finally here! Shane and Ilya’s story, first seen in Heated Rivalry, continues in this long-awaited hockey romance from Rachel Reid.
“Everything you could want from this magnetic couple! A passionate, sexy, emotional sequel that grips your heart! Shane and Ilya forever!” —#1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely, author of Hopelessly Bromantic
To the world they are rivals, but to each other they are everything.
Ten years.
That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family…from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?
Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship…Ilya wants it all.
It’s time for them to decide what’s most important—hockey or love.
It’s time to make a call.
Mini Review:
I knew going in that I was going to love The Long Game but I didn’t realize I could love it this much. There was just everything I could have wanted in Ilya and Shane’s HEA. Adorable dogs, emotional support, mental health rep, and scenes so hot I thought my ears would catch fire. And tears of sadness and happiness all combined. If this is the end of the series, I’d be happy but I’d also love for a book about Luca and to have even more cameos by Ilya and Shane. Seriously, I’d be ecstatic if they made cameos in every future book I read. My heart was bursting with joy and love by the end of this book.
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Somewhere Lost In Books 
I’ve only read the first book in this series, but I also loved it. I didn’t realize they got an HEA later on. I might have to go back and read that or all of these at some point. I love the mini reviews.
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Book 2 has a HFN and then revisits the couple in book 6
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Got it
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