4.5* Thankfully for this Brit, this is light on all things hockey! A good tale with...

... decent, very different leads.

This is my first but not last book by these authors, and I'm already looking forward to books 2 and 3, due out later this year. No spoilers, but we meet one of the leads from book 2 here, and I suspected the guy was gay from his descriptions, insight and the amount of page time he was getting, and, I think at the end of the tale we find out who's going to be one of the leads from book 3, a bi guy who has kids. I can't wait for both, because this tale itself was an excellent intro to these authors writing as a duo, though I have read PV co-authored books before and enjoyed them.

So, as a Brit, we don't do hockey as a rule and it's not really even on our radar, ergo I was pleased that this isn't full-on hockey speak, or else I'd have been doing a Sebastian myself, eyes glazing over... I think we get enough explanations of the game so that fans of hockey romances will be satisfied.

It's a really decent tale that felt real and I can imagine how hard it must be for sportsmen in ultra macho sports to come out, especially in USA 2019, though yes, it's not easy in any country, I don't think. I know that we Brits have many closeted sportsmen, but it's heartwarming that we're accepting as a public (not sure about fellow sportsmen, hence the secrecy, but I hope that's changing, too) and that some, admittedly retired ones, have been able to come out.

I liked both guys, but I had a real soft spot for the gentle, sweet, thoughtful giant that was Tristan, than the more sedate (in appearances only), serious professor that was Sebastian. And he was a Sebastian, not a Seb for me, though I think Seb did make a one-off appearance in the tale. I thought their romance was realistic and I liked that the authors didn't do the somewhat trope-y 'student-professor forbidden stuff', as that's been done too much in het romances and has me eye rolling. But, at the same time, the tale lost a 0.5* for me because at the end, we'd learned that Tristan had outed himself for his love, and yet we never got to see him and Sebastian at one of the latter's official functions, or saw them as a couple with the latter's friends. That was actually pointed out by Sebastian's maths professor friend RJ, and I do think for the sake of quid pro quo, it would have been nice for Sebastian to be a bit more open with his colleagues and friends. It wasn't a deal breaker for me, but when your bestie points it out and you agree, as a reader it makes me want to see that interaction. It felt like Tristan was a bit 'forced' (too strong a word, but read and you'll see why I've used it) for his love and because he didn't want to lose his guy, and yet his guy kind of got it all his own way. I'd have liked to see it reciprocated from Sebastian's side of things, is all.

I saw an Authors' Note saying that the book had been previously published and has been lightly edited and updated. I could tell where this took place, and it's both a bit nice and a bit 'stand up', which I appreciated. I do think people whose voices can be heard, and who can influence and who might be able to make a difference, should speak up, and I've seen a couple of respected authors in MM speak up in the last year, openly and critically and honestly so, and I admire that. Here, there's a comment about players standing for the national anthem - read and make your mind up about the authors' stance - I applaud them. And, there are a couple of comments about macho sports/men and men not being meant to cry; here, satisfyingly, it was an attempt to organically bring in the idea of toxic masculinity and trying to overcome/erase it, and again I applaud the authors. Right now in current pop MM tales, too many authors are jumping on the 'let's erase toxic masculinity' and the 'let's erase bi-erasure' bandwagons, but they're doing it so... plantedly and inorganically, talking the talk and not walking the walk. Refreshingly, here, none of the actual words are used, but I 'saw' more of the actions - well, where the toxic masculinity issue is concerned, I mean, and I suspect I've heard a loud hint re the authors' future tackling of bi-erasure. Kudos to them!

This is a really good tale and I can't wait for more by this duo.

ARC courtesy of Carina Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

Tristan Holt is a defenseman for the Atlanta Venom, an NHL team. Tristan is practical enough to know that getting his college degree is a good idea even though he is a pro athlete, so he is also taking classes toward a business degree. There he meets hunky professor Sebastian Cruz whose scowl gets Tristan all hot and bothered.

Sebastian is a sociology professor and working toward tenure. He doesn’t think much of the sexy student in sweatpants who he assumes is an entitled jerk, especially when he catches the guy cheating. But when the situation gets straightened out and it turns out Tristan is innocent, Sebastian finds him even hotter. But Sebastian knows getting involved with a student is a very bad idea.

The attraction between the men continues to bloom fiercely throughout the summer session, and as soon as the class is over, Tristan makes his move. Sebastian tries to hold out, but he can not deny his feelings for Tristan, and soon the men begin dating. It is not all smooth sailing though, as Tristan is not out and the NHL has no openly gay players. Even as the connection deepens between the men, the fact that Tristan is in the closet is a stumbling block for the openly gay Sebastian. Now the men have to figure out if the love they share is enough to get through the conflict between them.

I really have enjoyed this author duo (both together and separately), so I was excited for their latest hockey-themed series and Off the Ice was definitely a great start. It is a fun sports romance with a touch of “hot for teacher” and a lot of sexiness.

I’ll admit things did start somewhat rocky for me. Sebastian sees Tristan in class and immediately assumes he is an entitled jerk based purely on his appearance (Sebastian doesn’t bother learning his students’ names, so he assumes that Tristan wrote the crappy paper that makes him look like a spoiled brat based solely on Tristan’s looks). He then accuses Tristan of cheating based only on the word of another student, again due to his own prejudices against Tristan. Sebastian doesn’t even bother getting proof of the cheating before accusing Tristan. So this was a rough beginning, mostly because Sebastian comes across as an ass to me. He is lecturing on sociology and prejudices and the way our experiences inform our judgments on people, etc and yet he does literally the same thing to Tristan, as well as to other students in the class. And yes, this turns into a learning moment for him as he realizes his mistakes, but by that time I had sort of a bad taste in my mouth about him, especially as he still is judgey about some other students. This whole set up felt somewhat contrived to get the guys together, as well as a little on the preachy end toward readers, but mostly it just left me not really loving Sebastian for being sort of a jerk. Particularly because this “learning moment” is resolved early in the book and never really addressed again in terms of Sebastian’s character growth.

Once I got past this early section, however, I really enjoyed this story. The chemistry between these guys is amazing and the book is all kinds of sexy. The guys play a bit on the naughty student/stern professor vibe in all kinds of fun ways, and there is a little bit of a dominant/submissive thing between them that works well in the bedroom. But I also loved that in addition to the sexy times, we also really see these guys connect on other levels as well. I loved watching them get to know one another and really settle in to this comfortable, loving relationship over the course of the story.

I also enjoyed the hockey elements and I think the book walks a good line between really feeling like a sports romance, but also not overwhelming the uninitiated hockey reader. Sebastian is totally new to the sport, so we are able to learn along with him. The authors are clearly fans of the game, so there is a lot of detail, but I didn’t feel like it took over the book. It was nice to see the camaraderie among the players and we get some nice hints of future books to come.

The main conflict here is about Tristan coming out and how that would affect his life as an athlete in the NHL given that there are no openly gay players. I think this was explored in some interesting ways, though I would have liked it addressed a little more in depth in terms of consequences. Ultimately, I did feel like the resolution is a bit too easy and honestly somewhat unrealistic, again given Tristan’s job. Mild spoiler: [spoiler] The idea that some folks could know he is gay, but that somehow this would stay a secret among his team seemed highly unrealistic too me. Not one person from this group would ever tell anyone? [/spoiler] So it did feel a little bit like fantasy, but mostly I think it works all right given that the tone of the book is not particularly angsty.

So Off the Ice was a really nice start to a new series. It is a lot of sexy, sportsy fun and I am really looking forward to more books to come!

I was immediately hooked when I started reading Off the Ice. I liked the initial dynamic between the student and the professor, Tristian and Sebastian. It certainly isn’t a new concept in romance novels but the authors kept their story fresh and new throughout the book.

Despite his profession and work and life experience, Sebastian judged Tristan on his looks and overall demeanor. Sensation had to eat crow to get on Tristan’s good graces again but these men couldn’t stay away from each other.

I liked watching them grow and explore as individuals and also as a couple. This couple also tinkered a bit with a D/s relationship that I enjoyed.

I also liked how Sebastian’s friend continued to support him and Tristan’s family and teammates. We’re given a few leads for possible next books in the series. I’m looking for to reading more from these authors.

Cute and sexy.

'Off the Ice' hit some high notes for me - a hockey player with a heart of gold, hot for teacher, some kink, and lots of relationship development.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Sebastian at first. He's a bit of an ass, and definitely high-and-mighty in his ivory tower of academia. But turns out Tristan's all for it!

The two men spend weeks lusting after each other in class. And once the final grades are submitted and it's no longer unethical, it's no-holds-barred.

The sex in this book is deliciously dirty. And there's lots of it. Is there anything hotter than a big muscled jock wanting to be bent over, spanked, and ridden rough until dawn? I don't think so.

The relationship grows gradually. Neither man expects it to happen, but Tristan and Sebastian like each other for a lot more than just the physical chemistry.

I appreciated that the two men were open and honest with each other, and talked things through as their relationship and feelings progressed.

But around two-thirds in, things started dragging just a bit for me. It might have been the repeated sex scenes, or maybe Sebastian's slight douchey-ness being prolonged.

Whatever it was, I thought the second half of the book could have been tightened up.

Regardless, I enjoyed 'Off the Ice' and was happy to see Sebastian and Tristan get their happy ending. This book doesn't necessarily add something new to the closeted athlete trope, but it's an easy and sexy read if you're looking for that!

I love a great sports romance and it's even better when its centered around a sport I love the best - hockey. I thought Sebastian and Tristan were an excellent opposites-attract pairing & a surprise too. Athlete & professor is a kink I never knew I had. I DO.

The conflict is believable and real - and I loved that the authors didn't try to make either side a winner here. Instead, they focused on the relationship and the feelings these men have for each other despite their best attempts not to give in to them or make their partner into someone they aren't.

I can't wait for more from this world.

I didn't think this was anything special. It is an ok story but if you read a lot of m/m then you may have read similar stories before.

I am not sure I liked Sebastian that much especially the way he kind of pressured Tristan to come out. I think Tristan would have come out gradually in his own time and own way, and to think Sebastian was a professor too! He should have known better.

So this story didn't interest me that much. There was a dom/sub relationship that didn't seem to fit the characters and that didnt help either.

This book was just not for me but others might like it.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I read this book straight through in less than two hours. The build-up between Tris and Seb was tantalizing and I loved how the sociology class worked into how Seb originally felt about Tristan, it gave this story more of a real-life feel. This was funny, sultry and not predictable, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop in the end and it didn't and I loved that.

reviews shared on V's Reads, Goodreads, B & N and Amazon: https://vsreads.com/2018/01/08/tense-attraction-off-the-ice-a-review/

Tristan Holt is a pro hockey player in Atlanta on his summer hiatus and taking college courses to finish his degree in business management. He's interested in his sociology class, and his sexy professor, Sebastian Cruz, an out and proud gay Puerto Rican man who never quails at speaking truth to power. Prof Cruz can't help noticing fit and burly Tristan, either. Unfortunately, Sebastian makes some wrong assumptions, and levels an accusation that reveals all of his own prejudices.

Tristan not only calls Sebastian out on it, he accepts Sebastian's apology, and that allows Tristan to feels safe enough to not only reveal his hidden sexuality, but also his deep attraction. Not that they can do anything about it. But...summer school is over soon, and Tristan wouldn't mind his austere professor taking him well in hand. If Sebastian is willing to take that next step.

The chemistry between them is intense, and their mutual love of classic rock and muscle cars helps draw them closer. Tristan is a 23 year old pro athlete, and Sebastian is a mid-30s professor, but they share a love of learning, too, and Sebastian's prejudices are settled once he gets to know Tristan up close and very personally. The biggest hurdle they face is Tristan's unwillingness to come out. There are gay players in the NHL, but none of them are out and on an active roster; Tristan doesn't want to be the vanguard player. Tristan hasn't even come out to his parents or teammates, and he's rather confident they won't mind. Sebastian isn't pushing Tristan to come out...at first, but, the longer they date, the more Sebastian realizes that he can't just be Tristan's public "friend."

This conflict felt real, as did the anguish. They have to take a step back, and think about their lives, careers and goals. Sebastian takes the advice of his good friend to really examine his motives, and his decisions. Sebastian is a prickly guy, who is sometimes self-righteous, but he's also humbled by Tristan's quiet dignity, and his kindness. Sebastian wishes his relationship with his own parents was as loving and accepting as Tristan's is with his family. Tristan's personal life and his professional face are two very separate spheres, but he recognizes the need to be honest with his closest friends and family. I liked how this shook out, with Tristan being happier in his relationships. There's a lot of hot moments, and some good discussion of prejudice, in the context of wealth, power and professional sports. I'm looking forward to reading more in this new series. Expect some interesting power plays in the bedroom and on the ice, and teammate shenanigans. There's heart with the heat, and even a "hot for teacher" reference that brought me back to sixth grade.

i'm sad to say almost nothing about this book worked for me.

which is a surprise, because i enjoyed other books by avon gale (in fact, i adore her book empty net). everything felt undeveloped in this book: the romance, the characters... but especially the romance. it started out well, but quickly went off the rails for me, though that might be a me problem instead of the book's. as an asexual reader, i wasn't exactly impressed by how sebastian and tristan's relationship was only about sexual attraction/sex at the beginning, and when it changed to romantic feelings i wasn't that invested to actually care about them.

i'm not sure i'll read the next books, though i might because of how much i enjoyed gale's other novels. 2 stars for off the ice

I really enjoyed this one -- the writing, the story, the romance. And especially the hot, slightly kinky sex. Yes, please, gimme more! :) I'm looking forward to the rest of this series and Tristan's teammates getting books.

Off The Ice was a fun, sexy read with a whole lot of heart at the center. Tristan, the seeet Wisconsin athlete meeting the scowly Professor, Sebastian, was such an interesting ride to take. Their chemistry was well written and adorable. But then it was also very passionate and hot when necessarily so it was a nice mixture for reading. Tristan and Sebastian went through tough times but ultimealy came out of it together. The hockey was fun to read about too and I just want to read more!

Off the Ice is so much more than I had been expecting. I figured it would be a super angsty professor/student taboo, forbidden tale. But it really wasn't that. It's not angsty, for one, and yes, Sebastian is Tristan's professor, but they don't get together until after Tristan's class with Sebastian is over. What Off the Ice ended up being is a nicely realistic, even sweet, but still steamy, romance.

Tristan is a professional hockey player with the Atlanta Venom. But, he's smart and knows that he may not always be able to rely on hockey for an income, so he's determined to get his degree as a backup plan. In his sociology class, his professor is a hot, scowly Puerto Rican man named Sebastian Cruz, to whom Tristan is immediately attracted. But, Sebastian, for all his sociologically minded brain, has preconceptions about Tristan, and when those preconceptions come back to bite him in the butt, I was cheering for the way Tristan handled the situation, and the way he handled Sebastian. And then the way Sebastian ends up handling Tristan when they slowly evolve into lovers (after the sociology class is completed)...H O T !!!!

But, there are more obstacles to their relationship than just the age gap or the fact that Sebastian was Tristan's professor when they met. There's the fact that Tristan is not out. He is to himself, but he's not to his family and he's decidedly not to his team, who are his second family. There are no out professional hockey players and Tristan definitely does not want to be the first. Sebastian, though, is out and not about to go into the closet for anyone, even the young man he's fallen in love with. So how can these two make a relationship work?

Off the Ice really resonated with me. I absolutely fell in love with Tristan and Sebastian, especially Tristan; they are perfect for each other. Sebastian understands Tristan's need to let go in the bedroom, and Sebastian is more than happy to control him, spank him, humiliate him, and order him around in the bedroom. And Tristan is more than happy to let go and let Sebastian take the reigns in the bedroom. Outside the bedroom, though, their relationship is even and equal, and I love the way they were with each other, how they complemented each other. And of course, I love their intimate, steamy connection. There were shades of kink, but nothing OTT, and it was very loving, and so freaking HOT!

Really the only reason I didn't 5 star this is because the epilogue, while sweet and sexy, wasn't definitive enough about the status of their relationship. I prefer epilogues to give a large peek into the couple's future and to cement the fact that they are together, happily in love, and preferably married, or at least on their way to that. Off the Ice's epilogue was a little too undefined for my tastes. Aside from that, though, Off the Ice checked all my boxes. Alpha hero - check. Sweet hero - check. Dirty, dirty sheet times - check. Loving, organically evolving romance - check. And to top it all off - sports - check!

If you love your sports romances with two hot heroes, one who's a hockey playing sweetheart, and one who's a scowling, bossy Puerto Rican professor, be sure to put Off the Ice on your TBR list now. I can't wait for more from these two authors if Off the Ice is an indication of how all their collaborations will be!

Hot hockey player Tristan, and his professor Sebastian. The authors pull off a great story without the ick factor of a professor and student relationship. Looking forward to the next two in the series.

I haven't read sports romances centering around hockey before, so this was a refreshing take on that field, instead of the usual American football centered M/M romances. I grew up with a father who's a big hockey fan, so I truly were excited about this. Indeed, all things hockey were great in the story - the games especially and the atmosphere of cheering for your favourite team. Basically, everything that had to do with hockey was absolutely great.

However, it was the romance and one of the main characters which made the story not so enjoyable for me. Tristan was absolutely sweetheart and I loved him because he was so real with his struggles and enthusiasm for both studies, hockey, family, and relationships. Tristan and the hockey were the best parts of the story. Sebastian, the grumpy professor, was really unlikable character. He was demanding and seemed to dislike his students to the point where the reader is left wondering why he's a professor in the first place. He was the definition of university professor whose lectures students usually avoid. Even outside of classroom, Sebastian was rude and quite selfish. He didn't seem to have any redeemable qualities, which is why I had a hard time understanding why Tristan fell for him.

On that note, there really wasn't romantic chemistry. Sexual chemistry yes, but outside of that the relationship felt a bit too forced upon a reader. Then again, everyone else seem to love the book, so it might just be me. I just couldn't understand Sebastian, and the dominant/submissive kink that developed during the story was not my cup of tea either - in fact, I ended up skipping most of the sex scenes altogether.

I had a hard time deciding between three and two stars. Tristan, his teammates and the hockey were good and enjoyable, and the beginning of the story was interesting and quite captivating. On the other hand, Sebastian, the lack of romantic chemistry, and the sex that wasn't my cup of tea, made the story drag, and the last half of the story was less captivating than the beginning. In the end, the story just seems to be something that wasn't for me, even if I loved the hockey parts and Tristan.

This is the first in a series about the NHL Venom out of Atlanta. It looks as though we may get some more interesting stories out of this group of athletes. For now, this book is about Tristan. He has been in the NHL for a few years but decides in his free time to finish his college degree. What he doesn't expect is his smoking hot sociology teacher.

Tristan and Sebastian have tons of chemistry from the start. Both put off and deny their attraction. The relationship is somewhat taboo because they met as student/teacher, but they didn't act on their feelings until after Tristan finished the class. What I enjoyed was that they started hot and heavy, no strings, but quickly realized they made pretty good friends too.

Great hockey action in the story. Lots of steamy action between Tris and Seb-whew! And some great comic relief from the secondary characters. Wonderful commentary on the social dynamics of the pro athlete and what society expects of that person.

Looking forward to more by this duo. Can't wait to see Tristan's teammates find their HEA as well.

I loved these characters! This is a gorgeous sports themed, age gap romance. Low on drama and high on reality.

Sebastian is a rather uptight college professor who doesn't hesitate to admit his mistakes. Tristan is a hard working student in Sebastian's summer class. Tristan is also a pro hockey player who Sebastian mistakes for a cheater. (Shame on you Sebastian!)

It's lust at first sight for these two. But their situation requires extreme caution and secrecy. I loved navigating those choppy waters with them as they got to know each other.

Great romance read!

I loved everything about this book: from the writing to the characters to the plot. Add hockey to the mix and I was a happy reader. A very promising start to a new series.

This book had a few things that would've made it a insta-buy if I hadn't received it for a review from Netgalley. It had awesome writing with two incredible characters that actually sounded real and not cardboard cut outs of what they should sound like. It featured hockey players, which is my favorite sport to read and watch. And, of course, the author. Love to see more of these guys.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I've read one other book by this writing duo. I liked Permanent Ink, their first book in their Art & Soul series, but I definitely liked this one better. Both books involved a characters that were years apart. I don't have a problem with "May/December" romances, I just like the way it was handled in Off the Ice better. ;)

I may have liked Sebastian a little less in the beginning of Off the Ice if readers hadn't gotten both characters' POV. Actually, even with it, I was a little disgruntled with his automatic assumption that Tristan was a 'dumb jock' type of student. Those early encounters said a lot about both characters though and the way Tristan handled the situation made me respect him even more. Sebastian did finally win me over, but not before he screwed up a couple more times.

This is one of those books that had supporting characters that actually made the story. Without Sebastian's friend R.J. he may not have gotten as far with Tristan as he did. He was a great sounding board for Sebastian, but he also didn't pull any punches. He let Sebastian know when he was being an idiot. Doesn't everyone need a friend like that?

I also loved Tristan's family and the team mates that he he was close to that he pretty much considered family. Coming out for him could have cost him a lot and I would have respected him either way.

I'm really happy that this book is part of a series. There's more than one character I'd love to get to know better. This writing duo is off to a great start with the Hat Trick series.

This is my first book Avon Gale and my third by Piper Vaughn. I was a little scared to start this book! I just read a hockey book by another author (that didn’t work out for me.) So I was hoping this hockey book different. I’m so glad I didn’t shy away from this book!
I really enjoyed this book!
Teacher/student books are my ultimate weakness! Add a guy still in the closet and willing to come of for the other person! You just had me right from the start!

This book really did it for me. I love how everything unfolded in this book! It had the right amount of sports talk. I don’t watch hockey. But I felt it was explained well enough where I didn’t feel lost.

I loved Sebastian and Tristan. They worked together. I loved how they they didn’t play childish games with each other. There was never any long dragged out angst moments between them. And I absolutely loved their sex scene!

I’m really looking forward to Ryu’s story and hopefully Bellzie too!!