I love this one... the beautiful dynamic between Kip and Scott was really well done.

It was a sweet read. Sometimes a bit bitter but both men were gorgeous together.
Scott exploring his boundaries and found out he just can’t give in....and Kip with that fact decreases his own...
Give at take... sometimes more give than take... really well written.

Their sexiness together and soon their love making was wonderful done.

it was a very smooth written journey. I love it how it was put together. Both personalities were lovable and even with a concept which was done before by other authors I really enjoyed this one hard, and this one need a place on the shelf.
It was a solid read, the building up was good and convincing and all well worked out.

Kindly received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Kip is a 25-year-old college graduate with a degree in history, working in a smoothie shop, living at home with his parents. Scott Hunter is the country’s biggest hockey star. The two men meet when Scott walks into Kip’s work to buy a smoothie and a whirlwind, although secret, romance ensues.

After the initial excitement of our couple getting together, you can start to see the imbalance in their relationship. With Scott firmly in the closest, the relationship takes place pretty much in Scott’s penthouse apartment, leaving Kip isolated and lonely when Scott is away playing hockey and feeling uncomfortable about not being able to share the news of his relationship. That coupled with the difference in where the men are in their lives socially and financially, it wasn’t hard to see the troubles coming as the shine of their secret relationship started to wear off.

I wanted desperately for Kip and Scott to get their happy ending. I could understand where each man was coming from when the inevitable troubles arose, but I was, for the most part, on Kip’s side. Seeing both men struggle with trying to do the right thing had my emotions all over the place.

This story is focused on Scott and Kip’s romance and there is also lots of really super-hot sex. Lots and lots of sex. By the middle of the book I was thinking “are they really at it again?” Not that I didn’t think they should be, but by that point I wanted to get on with the story. But looking back I think maybe spending so much time with Kip and Scott, both inside and outside of the bedroom, is part of what had me so connected to them and their story.

I’m a lover of m/m hockey romance and I absolutely adored Game Changer. I’m thrilled to have found a new series to sink my teeth into and I can’t wait to read more.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is a sweet and entertaining romance. When an NHL superstar orders a pregame smoothie, he can’t help but fall hard for the smoothie bar employee who serves him. Scott and Kip are both swoon worthy and both a little lost, but they can’t stay away from each other.

Kip’s narration saves this book from heavy handed use of tired sports romance tropes. And fortunately, most of the story belongs to Kip, not Scott. A university graduate working a minimum wage job and living with his parents, Kip will be familiar to millennials everywhere. Kip has solid friendships – but his friends are adulting without him. As they become successful and move on, Kip feels lonely and directionless. This is Kip’s slightly belated growing up story and I really loved his journey.

But if Kip’s story is fresh, Scott’s has been told too many times before. His closeted NHL star story reads like a paint by numbers m/m sports romance and as much as he is a likeable character, he never became a person I could really care about. It doesn’t help that there are a couple of moments where Scott hurts Kip badly enough that I wanted Kip to run from the relationship.

This is an entertaining read. Most of the romance is sweet and sexy and Kip is a fabulous character. However, with so many brilliant writers doing m/m hockey romance at the moment, new writers need to bring something fresh and exciting to the genre if they’re going to keep my attention.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, and I think it sets up future installments well. I am a big sports romance fan, and hockey stars certainly know how to get down and dirty with the best of them. I have to say that there has come a time where being the first to be open about being gay in a professional sport becomes less realistic, but now it is done, the rest of the series will build on a stronger platform.

For me, this was possibly more about Kip, the live-with-parents graduate working in a smoothie bar, and how he grows as he falls for Scott, the most famous hockey player in the country. Scott, a man who lives very deeply in the closet and who is not ready to be open about any relationship. Kip is supportive, inventive, and caring, yet embarrassed about his lack of... well, a suitable job, a better bank account, etc. It is fascinating meeting his friends and family, and also the contrast with his situation to Scott's is effectively used to explain some of Scott's reluctance, and his naivety when it comes to love and romance.

I did find that they fell rather quickly into a very serious (if private) relationship, and expressed their feelings for each other constantly, as if needing the reassurance. And whilst their closeting made them grow closer due to the intensity of their time together, it felt to me that they were more in lust than love for much of the story.

I loved the ending and am certainly keen to get the next book and find out more about this couple, and to see who will next be struck by cupid's arrow!

So hot, so touching, so good!

According to Goodreads, Game Changer is Rachel Reid's first published book and I found it really hard to believe. I thought this book was fantastic. I don't often give 5 stars to the first book I read by a new-to-me author but this story hit me in all of the right places.

I've read quite a few coming out stories involving professional athletes and this one stands up with the best of them for me. I felt so bad for in-the-closet pro hockey player, Scott, who meets Kip at the smoothie shop where he works. Scott's game had been in a big slump but after getting a smoothie from Kip things turn around. Afraid to jinx himself he goes back to get more smoothies. It doesn't hurt that Kip is really hot and flirts a bit with Scott.

Kip is super attracted to Scott but he's sure there is no way that Scott is gay, let alone interested in him. When it turns out that he's wrong he can't believe how lucky he is to have the attention of such a hot hockey superstar. The only thing that bothers him is that Scott isn't out and isn't eager to come out anytime soon.

This book hit me in all the feels. Kip and Scot are so hot together and it made me sad when it looked like things were going all wrong between them. It's a romance and carries Carina Press's Romance Promise so I knew there would at least be an HEA but that doesn't mean there weren't several nail-biting tense moments in the story.

My one regret is that it took me so long to finally get around reading this book. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I don't often purchase copies of books that I receive as ARCs but I had to grab a copy of this one.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

I love sports romances, so I was excited to read Game Changer.

When it came time to write my review, I wanted to find something about this book that was different — not just another “pro athlete in the closet” story. As the captain who feels a responsibility to his team, it seemed that Scott wanted to hide more for his team than for himself. He didn’t hate himself. He was just tired of hiding but didn’t want his coming out to distract the team during their Stanley Cup run.

Scott had put his personal life on hold for years. His loneliness broke my heart. Before Kip, he’d only indulged in sexual encounters during the summers. He would travel to exotic places where hockey wasn’t popular, like Italy, Greece or Brazil. He wouldn’t stand out among young, fit men looking for the same thing he was.

I loved Scott and Kip’s meet-cute in a coffee shop. It was fun that Rachel used athletes’ superstitious rituals that kept Scott going back to the coffee shop to get his blueberry smoothie. It had to be served by Kip as part of the good luck charm.

I loved the chemistry between Scott and Kip. Their time together in their private bubble was perfect. They were on the same wavelength in and out of bed. Kip was the first person Scott trusted to see more often than a one-night stand. Kip did not pressure Scott to come out, but hiding did eventually begin to wear on him. The resolution was very satisfying, and the epilogue was so heartening.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the dual POV. The locker room scenes had a realistic feel. I loved the banter between Scott and his teammates. There were a number of really strong secondary characters. This story could’ve been angsty, but it was sweet and hot, and the humor and banter gave it balance. I’m really looking forward to more from Rachel Reid.

https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/10/23/mary-grzesik-gay-sports-romance-rec-rachel-reid-interview/

I gave this one 3 stars because I’m torn…I really, really liked the story but had a few issues with the execution.

You can tell this is a first time author.

The author clearly knows hockey.

The pace of the story is very rushed and the dialogue between the characters is almost silly at times. It did get better as the story progressed but I almost put the book down a few times because I couldn’t get past the conversation. I eventually skimmed the sex scenes because there were so many of them.

I got whiplash several times because the scene transitions are non-existent and it took me a few minutes to figure out what happened. Honestly, if there isn’t a better way to change scenes add the character name or start a new chapter.

I did like Scott and Kip together…even though this is sort of Cinderella-like. This is a sweet story and there is very little angst which I appreciate. The supporting cast is strong. I think with experience this author is going to nail it.

¸.•´¸★*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.★¨*.¸¸.•`★¤4.5 stars: sports romance + a coming out story.¤★¨*.¸¸.*ˑ˞★

Through the pain of an earache and toothache, this book kept me afloat.

Scott was handsome, famous and on his way to winning his dream. For years the Stanley cup had been out of his grasp, but this year he was fighting for the championship. Like all athletes and their weird obsession, one stop in a smoothie shop, served but a cute boy bought him victory, and Scott was not about to break that chain.

At twenty five, Kip still lived at home and needed a change in his life. He never knew his achingly disappointing job serving smoothies would lead him to the greatest change of it all. Once Scott had made his feelings known, there was only one thing standing in their way.

Waddle through firsts, determination, unexpected love and the need to be released from the deep, dark closet. Follow Kip and Scott as they make their own rules as both try to retrieve that which had alluded them.

This was such a brilliant romance, I couldn't put it down I loved the two guys so much I had to keep reading until I knew they'd get their HEA. Kip is out and proud and when he meets hockey star Scott Hunter who strolls into the juice bar where he works, the chemistry is intense. But Scott is still in the closet and doesn't want the world to know he's gay. This book was hot, sexy and romantic and touched on some important issues including how our sporting heroes and the industry itself can be bigoted against gay people. This book had a lot of depth as well as a lot of sex and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Carina Press for a copy in return for an honest review.

Goodness, this book is simply adorable! From the meet-cute to the grand finale, everything is delightfully fluffy and low angst, and it stars a hot hockey player. Sold!

Kip is biding his time working at a smoothie shop while trying to figure out what to do with his life. He’s graduated from college with a history degree, but is struggling to find a job in his field, so he still lives with his parents. It feels like all of his friends are getting promotions and moving on to bigger and better things. Enter Scott, the star hockey player for the local team – well, he was the star, but now he’s having a bad run. His fortunes take a turn for the better after Kip makes him a blueberry smoothie, so naturally, that’s the reason he returns the next game day – and not because he’s interested in the cute smoothie-maker. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, both guys are head over heels into an adorable romance.

“Like I said, I’ve never dated anyone,” Scott said. “I’ve never… I thought I didn’t need to. That I could maybe live without that.”
Kip heard the past tense in what Scott was saying. “And now?”
Scott exhaled. “I don’t know. I feel like…maybe I hadn’t met the right person yet, you know?”
Holy shit.
“I’m just saying,” Scott said, “I don’t think it’s the smoothies.”


Both Scott and Kip are absolutely endearing. Scott’s the child of a single mom who died when he was a teen, and has now become a superstar hockey player through a combination of hard work and talent. Even though he loves his job and view his team as his family, he still feels lonely – partly, I’m sure, because he’s a closeted gay man who has to listen to his teammates talk about their girlfriends, wives, and kids. Kip, I think, is someone a lot of new adults can empathize with – an underemployed college graduate struggling to find his place in the world. Put the two together, and you’ve got a recipe for ridiculous cuteness. For instance, Kip finds it sexy that Scott wants to talk about his day with him. Scott hasn’t been in a relationship before, and Kip hasn’t been in any serious ones, so some of the cuteness comes from watching them stumble around like little baby ducklings trying to figure out how a relationship works – like when Scott keeps trying to give Kip expensive presents. I’m not a big fan of insta-love, so it was a bit eyebrow-raising how quickly they fall into a serious relationship. They go from meeting at the smoothie shop to Scott contemplating having Kip move in over the course of a few weeks. But, goodness, they’re just so heart-meltingly adorable together that I find it hard to get too worked up about it.

“It’s not a big deal,” Scott tried.
“It is a big deal, Scott! It’s a very big deal! You can’t just…change my whole life!”
“Why not?” Scott said softly. “You changed mine.”


Since Scott is closeted to everyone, their relationship has to be a secret, of course. There is some worrying from him over coming out as the first gay NHL player and how that would affect Kip’s life, but overall it’s pretty low angst. You would not think that book about a man stressing about the effects of coming out on his profession and relationships would be low angst, and yet, somehow, it is. At the same time, it doesn’t downplay the stress that Kip faces as Scott’s dirty little secret. Which all comes down to my main quibble with the book – it’s 100% a smoothie barista Cinderella fairy tale. Realistic it isn’t – well, except for the hockey bits, which seemed pretty well done to my hockey fan self. Again, though, I found Kip and Scott to be so ridiculously cute that I pretty much just shut off the part of my brain complaining about insta-love and everything else. Also, there’s a lot of sex. In-person sex, jerking off, phone sex, webcam sex… This is not something I’d normally complain about it, but there was so much of it I actually skimmed some of the later sex scenes.

Overall, though, this was the fluffy hockey romance I needed right now. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a sweet sports romance!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

If I’m going to any type of sporting event, it’s probably going to be ice hockey, which is just one reason that I love reading about hockey players. Game Changer is about Scott Hunter, captain of the New York Admirals, and Kip Grady, a history major that can’t find work in his field, so he works in a smoothie shop (I can totally understand Kip here…). Scott ends up meeting Kip at the smoothie place, and he keeps coming back when he has a game in New York. The two end up getting to know each other more and that’s when the relationship starts. However, this is very much a secret relationship. Only Kip’s best friend, Elena, knows, and Kip and Scott pretty much never leave Scott’s apartment.

I really felt for Scott, because being gay is something he’s always felt he had to hide. Hockey players, whether they are actually homophobic or not, like to use gay slurs all the time, so Scott told himself there is no way he could be a star hockey player and come out. It’s not until he falls for Kip that he realizes he finally has a big reason to want to come out, but it’s not as easy as wanting it. While I could definitely empathize with Scott, I felt really bad for Kip too. He was out, but he felt like he was back in the closet in a sense while with Scott because he had to sneak around and couldn’t talk to anyone but Elena about it. There is definitely some drama/angst here, but it was realistic and not overdone at all!

I thought Game Changer was a really good read. I liked that it was a nice mix of romance, friendships/family, and hockey. This is the first book in the Game Changers series, though the second one is a companion novel following a completely new couple.

This is the first book that I have read from author Rachel Reid, and I enjoyed it. As a fan of hockey, I always love when an author writes the hockey parts correctly, and you can feel their interest in the game as well. I liked both main characters and also the supporting characters. This wasn't a super fast read; rather it unfolded slowly.

Really enjoyed this debut novel.
I particularly liked Kip, he was really well written. I understood his actions and motivations for said actions.
I found Scott a little mechanical sometimes, but I suppose it's a defense mechanism due to never being able to be himself amongst professional athletes.

Scott's epilogue was where I finally got a true sense of the quiet but loving man that Kip fell for.

This book was very hot and passionate and occasionally felt as though this was used in place of character development.

Overall, this was a successful debut novel and I'd happily read more from Rachel Reid.

This was more of a 3.5.

As someone who’s never played a sport in life and doesn’t know much about team sports, it’s really surprising that I fell in love with sports romances this year, especially hockey romances. So when I saw this book on Netgalley, I really couldn’t resist and it was a sweet love story that I very much enjoyed.

Kip is a young, handsome, extroverted history major who is unhappy in his job as a barista and is quite unsure of what he wants to do in life. He has a great supportive family and awesome friends but seems slightly low on confidence which is supplemented by his huge college debt. But that doesn’t stop him from flirting with the gorgeous NY hockey team captain Scott.

Scott may have been in the closet for a long time, but he is tired of keeping his secret and is very lonely which is affecting his game too. So, when he meets Kip and feels that instant connection with him, he decides to take a chance for the first time in his life. Their chemistry is scorching hot right from the get go and it doesn’t take long for the declarations of love.

Their relationship definitely feels very insta, but the author makes it very believable. They are a very cheesy couple, completely moony over each other and quite perfect. The conflict is pretty obvious and predictable, but it did need to happen because for a long time in the book, Kip gave a lot of himself for the relationship but Scott was happy to keep it limited just to the four walls of his house. When they finally did resolve their issues, it was quick and sweet and the ending was very very romantic which I enjoyed.

I don’t usually mind reading romances which would probably put me in a sugar coma and I really did enjoy the love story here, but there were some things that could have been done better. There are a lot of sex scenes here and while I do like some steam in my romances, it got boring after a while. Kip and Scott’s conversations were a lot of fun and I would have liked to see more of that. The coming out of Scott is also made out to be a big deal throughout and while I really admired the way he did it, it was just too easy and we never get to see the consequences. However, it was nice to see him supported by his teammates and coach and wish that was the case in real life too.

Overall, this was a very charming, sweet and sexy love story with low angst, but it did manage to make me emotional sometimes. I would recommend it when you need some cheesiness in your life.

Game Changer was a perfect mix. It was an adorably sweet romance, and a sizzlingly dirty/sexy testosterone filled romp at the same time. I loved the characters and gobbled up their attraction and chemistry, and ached with sadness at the idea of someone who felt they were not free to pursue what their heart desired.

When Kip meets the gorgeous man in his smoothie shop one morning, he doesn’t even realize that he was speaking with the city’s most popular hockey star, Scott Hunter. But that didn’t stop him from fantasizing about Scott, and completely (internally) fan-boying the next time Scott came in. Kip was out and proud, but not flamboyant, and I liked that about him. He wasn’t a caricature but a real person, and the ambiguity in his sexual preference allowed cute bantering when they first met in order for Scott and Kip to determine if the other was attracted.

I loved the way each was surprised that the other was interested in them, and adored watching these guys get to know one another. I found it sad that Scott was so closeted and afraid of the ways in which he would disappoint those around him if he revealed his true sexuality, but the struggle appeared genuine, and my heart broke for these men. The interplay with Scott’s teammates painted a clear picture of his struggles, and I enjoyed the sports romance aspect of this book as well.

I did experience some unwelcome angst with the repetitive ways Kip expressed feelings of inadequacy at his life when compared to Scott’s. He constantly measured his successes, or perceived lack thereof, with those of his boyfriend, and found himself coming up short. However, he failed to see the good things he did have going for him and I wished this was something he would share with Scott, rather than just using it as a point of contention in arguments.

My angst aside, I found it amusing was that a review I read for Game Changer said that the reader was put off by the amount of sex in the book. It proves there is something out there for everyone, because I enjoyed each and every scene! And there were plenty. And they were hot!

Rachel Reid is a new-to-me author, and searching her after I finished reading the book, I was surprised to find that she is a new author. Period. Game Changer was well written, fun and sweet and sexy, and I’m glad to see there is a second book in this series. Muscled, aggressive hockey players?? Yes, please! This is an author that I will certainly be following!

Really enjoyed this one! It's a fantastic M/M romance that gives us a story of a closeted hockey player dealing with issues that professional athletes could face if they were to come out as well as how unfair a "secret" relationship can be on their partner. The story is fun, emotional, and steam. It's well written and the characters enjoyable. I highly recommend this one.

Game Changer is well-written and the characters are interesting. I was impressed that even the secondary characters are engaging and often witty and fun. Considering its length, I was surprised that the story is fairly low on angst. However, I finished this one with a middle of the road feeling. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't leave a big lasting impression either. With Scott being so closeted, I would've expected at least some angst about starting a relationship with Kip, but these guys go from zero to sixty really fast, which leaves a lot of lag time in the story with quite a lot of steamy time. Now, I've got nothing against steamy goodness, and these guys can't keep their hands off each other, but after so much, it becomes repetitive and starts to seem like so much filler. We do finally get some angst as Kip wants more from the relationship, but again, it's fairly low level and it's pretty obvious how it will all play out. It is primarily a feel-good read, but I felt like it needed to be tightened up some. A little less time between the sheets and a little more spent on relationship building could've made a big difference.
For me, this was an entertaining read for the most part, but there's really nothing to set it apart from any other book like it. It runs the standard formula of a closeted sports figure meeting Mr Out and Proud. There are no hiccups that we don't see coming, including the sweet and hopeful conclusion. All in all, it's a solid story and I'll be interested to see how this author's work grows with future books.

These two guys were easy to fall for. Kip was adorable and so was his crush on Scott. He didn’t know who Scott was when he came into the shop to get his first smoothie. It didn’t take him long to figure it out though and once he did, he became Scott’s biggest fan.

Kip didn’t want to be Scott’s secret boyfriend, but he was in too deep emotionally to confront him and risk the chance of losing him. He also wasn’t sure that Scott felt the same way.

I really felt for Scott. He was in a bad position with not just his team, but the whole league. Coming out was one thing, but risking everything to do it was a huge leap. He knew he had to do something though, because he wasn’t willing to lose what he and Kip had either.

The support that these guys had was great. Scott was on his own, except for his team, but a lot of them were like family. Kip had friends and family who were amazingly supportive. That made keeping his relationship a secret even more frustrating for Kip, but I loved that they were there for him no matter what.

The next book in this series is Heated Rivalry and it promises to be interesting. Stay tuned, because I can guarantee that I’ll be picking that one up as soon as it’s available. 😉

Game Changer has been on my radar ever since it was first added on the Riptide website. It will come to the surprise of no one that as soon as I saw it was a hockey romance, I wanted to read it. And I'm really glad that it found a new home with Carina Press!

Some of you might be like "oh she's gonna gush about another hockey romance", but seriously this is not just another hockey romance. Game Changer is a really engaging, romantic story about learning to be comfortable and happy with who you are but also to trust yourself to achieve more.

What I really appreciated was that as a reader who is also a hockey fan, I could just lean back and enjoy the hockey parts because I knew Reid as life-long hockey fan would get even the most insignificant rules of the sport right. This is not to say that non-hockey fans can't write great stories featuring hockey, I've read those too! But sometimes I feel like that the passion an author has for something really strengthens the story overall. Non-hockey fans will easily be able to follow the story too, because the story is told in dual point of views and Kip is a rather new fan of the sport.

Not only was the on-page hockey great, I also adored Kip and Scott. Kip is 25 years old and works as a barista in the juice-bar Straw+Berry to pay off the student loans he took on to get his degree in history. The job at Straw+Berry was supposed to be temporary, but as his friends continue to be successful in their fields, he feels more and more adrift; like he's at a standstill and not progressing any. I found that Reid did a great job of capturing that feeling a lot of young people face at the beginning of their career. This uncertainty pops up throughout the story and I really loved to see Kip mature.

Scott is a 28 year-old hockey player, playing for the New York Admirals in the NHL. He wanted to be a hockey player since he was a little kid, but always struggled with the fact that he was gay, when a lot of players just throw around slurs on the ice. He's deeply closeted and doesn't allow himself to be with any guy unless he is on vacation  during the off-season somewhere far away.

One thing that I really appreciated was how Reid portrayed the life and struggles of a closeted professional sportsman. To everyone else Scott is seemingly living his dream: he is a professional hockey player who can financially support himself by doing what he loves. But being a closeted gay man makes him lonely too. Looking from the inside his life is not so perfect and shiny as it seems, whereas Kip has a family he is close to and friends he can trust. Scott is keeping part of himself secret from everyone. But that changes when he meets Kip.

From the initial meeting there is a spark between them and for the very first time in his life Scott can't help but try to get close to that fascinating juice-bar barista. And gosh is it adorable how clumsy he is at first. At the same time it broke my heart a bit because this is reality for so many professional sportsmen out there. But boy does he make up for lost time! I don't think the expression burning up the sheets was ever more accurate than for these two.

I found both Kip and Scott to be very relatable, because I understood Scott's fear of coming out and being rejected by the people he trusts the most. And Kip - sweet precious Kip - I could really see myself in him and his insecurities about his job and the sense of aimlessness.

What I really enjoyed was that the conflicts both had to deal with were not related to their relationship. There was never a moment of doubt for me that they were a team and that whatever life would throw at them, they could handle it if they had each other. Naturally there was a bit of a power imbalance between both protagonists, because while Scott doesn't have to worry about money, Kip is living on a much smaller budget and he is adamant about paying his own way. That does lead to some tension between them because Scott - who grew up poor - wants to help Kip any way he can. I really liked how they found a compromise they were both happy with. Overall I just adored how they adapted and how supportive they were of each other.

By the end of Game Changer I felt like both Scott and Kip had come full circle. Scott is still Scott (obviously), but in some ways he changed so completely. Whereas he was so afraid of coming out to anyone at the beginning of the story he is more comfortable in his skin, confident in who he is and of course happy to live a free-er life with Kip by his side. I'm in awe of how Reid managed to write Scott's growth in a way that  felt so natural and fluid. Watching his transformation unfold was probably my favorite thing about this book. Though I also loved how Kip grew throughout the story to come out a bit more mature and confident by the end. 

I was kinda sad that their book was over, because these are guys I could just keep reading about, but I'm super excited for Ilya's book - which is next! - and one can hope that maybe Scott or Kip will make an appearance there.

3.5 cute stars

I was smiling all through while reading this book.

For a debut book this is well written and a feel good story, we have enough dose of banter. It is cute without being cheesy and the author got me invested enough to continue with this series. The MCs are so likable and the other supporting characters are amazing too.

M C 1: Kip! Like Carter, I like that name- Kip is an out and proud smoothie maker at Straw+Berry place, with a History degree that he has no idea how to use. I loved Kip, he is so adorable, loving, cute.

MC 2: Scott is a closeted hockey star and a sports celebrity. I liked Scott, he is charming, a great hockey player, and so cute. But at some point I wanted to slap him hard for dragging Kip back into the closet.

These two meet when Scott stops by Straw+Berry, to order a smoothie and is served by Kip. The connection is instant. These two stupid fools jump into a relationship faster than a speeding bullet. Although it is Insta lust/love, I felt the chemistry between Kip and Scott from the get go. They were too cute for my taste but I have to admit once in while I like to bathe in sugar and honey and these two gave me that.

The first half of the story was sweet and hot! it focused on Scott and Kip getting to know each other, this part had A LOT of Sex! that became repetitive. I like sex in my books, but here it was just too much, it felt like the sex scenes were used as page fillers. I hope book 2 rectifies that.

The second part is where it all comes together, after the honeymoon sex-fest bliss fades; Kip is really hit with the downside of dating a closeted athlete. I got frustrated with both Kip and Scott. They love each other deeply but Scott is reluctant to come out of the closet and treats Kip like his dirty little secret and Kip is afraid to push, yet he wants to do normal couple things. I just wanted to shake them both.

I would like to believe this is not the final copy, there was a problem with formatting that affected the POV changes.

Overall I really did have a good time with this book.

Recommended when you are in the mood for some cuteness overload, low angst read.

I love sports romances especially hockey and I love finding new authors so this book was a win win for me and it did not disappoint it was a great read.
A hockey player hiding in the closet afraid to be the first macho hockey player to announce he is gay but that’s all about to change when he falls for the love of his life, what starts off as a secret affair turns into a true love story when feelings take over. Kip and Scott had an instant attraction but agreed to hide their relationship because of Scott’s career hockey needed to come first but like all secrets they start to take their toll and it’s all comes to a head. Will Scott finally tell his team and the world that he is in love with a man......
This author has given us a beautifully written love story and she delt with all the issues of being a gay sportsman with compassion . This was a love story but it was also a journey for two guys I really connected with, I felt their pain and I felt their love and I can’t wait for more in the Game Changers Series and ore from Rachel Reid. Great job great read.

A good 3.5
This was a really cute story and the characters were so enjoyable. The pacing and POV switching created a really disjointed feeling, but I was able to work through those alright. I really appreciated the struggle that we got to see with Scott. It was just an internal struggle that was focused on himself, but one that really took into consideration those around him, his teammates, the league as a whole, etc. It really redeemed the storyline for me. I would have liked to see more development for Kip though. I felt like before their argument that it was something that could have been handled better with communication. As a reader, it is frustrating when you are seeing both sides and simple communication could really improve the situation.