For me, a good enemies-to-lovers romance has layers of dislike wrapped in scintillating sex that leads to the inevitable "maybe there's more to this MC than I thought." Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn's Goalie Interference brought all the goods.

Emmitt is a new member of the Venom, his first NHL team. The problem? He's working in tandem as goalie, when he wants to be starter. Enter Ryu, the team's current goalie who assumed he had the starting position in the bag. Only he's in the running against the cocky rookie Emmitt, and Ryu isn't feeling it...

At first. But the challenge Emmitt brings as well as his bratty mouth has Ryu itching to give Emmitt another way to stay busy.

The dynamic between these two was perfect for a rivalry. They're both gunning for the same spot, but they also have a lot in common, both vying for their parents' attention and approval, only in different ways. Ryu's parents are happy for his career, but they want the best, and not being starter for his NHL team means he isn't the best.

Emmitt has done a lot to get accolades and praise from his father, but hockey isn't football and frustration has him more determined than ever to get the starting spot. They both have an intensity to them, only Emmitt has the goofball spot down, while Ryu brings the seriousness and sobriety to the pair. They were fun to watch play off the other--both on and off the ice.

I also love the cultural rep here. Ryu is Japanese American and Emmitt is black, and I really appreciated how the authors dug into the whiteness of hockey overall and brought to light misconceptions and cultural and societal expectations. It was really well done.

The side character and blood brother atmosphere was icing for me. I'm excited to see more of Morley, in particular. He was a hoot! I'm excited to see what's next in the Hat Trick series.

4 stars!

Overall this was a quick and entertaining read. However I felt that the characters lacked heart. There was not much in the way of individual development before their romance kicked off. Because of this the scope of the story felt a little flat.

Curse you my insatiable thirst for Hockey Romance! Why do you always make me so hopeful only for me to end up slightly disappointed?

I had mixed feelings about the first book in this series, but I thought that was mostly the teacher/student aspect of it, so I really wanted to give Avon Gale another shot. Because Hockey!!! Hockey Romance!!! GOALIE ENEMIES TO LOVERS!!
And I did like some of the earlier books of Avon Gale a lot, so was definitely hoping that the disappointed feeling I had with the first book would be a one-time thing.

Alas, it wasn't so.

Part of it was a style thing. I didn't really connect to the writing voice in this at all. It all kind of felt overly explanatory and repetitive. I'm definitely not an expert, but I've been a hockey fan for a long time now, have watched hours of post-game interviews and I'm sorry, but this isn't how hockey people talk. So much of the dialogue felt overly obvious and too... clean. Even when they were thinking about dicks and fucking, the writing still felt weirdly detached and too polished.

I was really into the conflict and set-up of the story, two goalies competing for the same starting position. And when this conflict rose up, I got really into the story. I even cried at some point. However, because they're both goalies, the issues and conflicts overlap a lot, and that didn't help the repetitiveness. On the other hand, I did appreciate how differently they dealt with the issues between them, since they were two very different people personality wise.

In fact, I really liked both Ryu and Emmitt as characters, loved their quirks and personalities, loved their drive and the relationships with their friends. I even really liked the enmity and tension between them at the start of the story and how that developed into a sort of enemies with benefits situation. Alas, the actual romance kind of seemed to happen off-page. Or at least I wanted more of it.

The ending felt a little rushed too, and again I felt like I wanted more. Normally that's a good thing, when a book grabs me so much I want more and more of it after it's finished, but this time I mostly felt unsatisfied.

All in all, there's a bunch of stuff in the good column and a bunch of stuff in the not good column and I'd probably give this 2.5 stars. But there was one personal squick I really didn't like: (view spoiler) , so I'm rounding it down.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This is book #2, from the series Hat Trick. This book can be read as a standalone novel. To avoid spoilers, and to better understand the series I recommend reading this series in order intended by the authors. You can catch the review for Off The Ice, the first book in this series, by clicking here: OFF THE ICE REVIEW.

Emmitt has the opportunity to move up to the NHL, when a trade gives him the ultimate chance. Not having as much family support as he would have liked - he still gives it his all. Then he finds out there is a catch.

Ryu is already a successful goalie who gives his team everything he has. Then the challenge is given to work harder or lose your place. This is normal for the NHL, but what he does not expect is to be attracted to his nemesis. If only he could make the feelings go away.....

Such an exciting and well paced story. I love the banter, the humor, and so much more. The heat starts out sizzling and grows till it is almost a complete bonfire. I was not able to put the book down, and eagerly read this in one sitting.


***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review, by Netgalley and its publisher.

I'm always iffy on enemies to lovers stories, but this was very well done. There was no insta-love or lust, the build up to the relationship was fairly realistic and the way things played out when there was hardship seemed plausible. All in all an enjoyable read. I haven't read the first book in the series, but it's not at all necessary.

Superb second book in the series by Piper Vaughn and Avon Gale. This is Ryu story. He was on the first book and it's really nice to see him come to life in this book. It was a bit disappointing to find out that Emmitt was Black all the way to chapter 5, a little bit sooner would I been nice. On a plus side, I absolutely loved the way the story between them develops at an even pace. It wasn't just about the sex. We get to see them go from enemies to lovers. We learned a lot about Hockey play in the process. This was an amazing M/M read. Bring on book 3.
I voluntarily reviewed this ARC on my own voluption and the opinions expressed here are all mine.

4.5 Stars!

Sports.
Enemies to lovers.
Plenty of steam.
Low drama.

What's not to love?

Great addition to the series. I'm digging this writing duo.

Really, really hope Morley gets a story.

A very interesting read- the conflict was very real in this book. The characters were compelling and the story new and refreshing.

The second novel in Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn’s Hat Trick series Goalie Interference is an enemies-to-lovers story about rival goalies, Ryu Mori, and Emmitt Armstrong competing for the starting spot. Both characters were both likable and believable. I cared about them and their stories.

Being on vacation makes reading harder so it took a bit for me to finish this. Although that wasn't the only reason.

Unlike the first book, this one didn't drew me in like Sebastian and Tristan did. Maybe it was the whole Prof/Student and power exchange theme of the first book or the expectations I had for Ryu based on what he had said on Off the Ice.

I loved that the story had 2 people of color, Emmitt being African-American and Ryu being Japanese-American, that it was dual POV, about their feelings and thoughts about them fighting for the goalie starting position and progressing to teammates and accepting and even liking playing in tandem.

But that's just it! I know more about them as goalies than them as a couple. I know they had epic fucks and Emmitt was being drilled through the mattress but I didn't see it! They faded to black and I wanted to read and see the intensity they had as enemies-to-lovers and competitors for the starting position in the bedroom and not just a couple BJs and HJs! I wanted to see them together forging their relationship and not snippets here and there through internal monologues.

All in all I was wavering between 3 and 3.5 stars but in the end there were more scenes between Emmitt and Morley talking than of Ryu and Emmitt.

Still I can't wait for Trade Deadline and I'm curious of who is it about since I'd love to read Morley's and Bellamy's stories... or 1 story if they are paired up or something.

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **

My favorite trope is enemies to lovers and Goalie Interference hits all the marks! Emmitt is a little bratty and cocky but for some reason, that doesn't annoy reserved goalie Ryu as much as he thought it would. With the complication of the two goalies finding themselves in lust with each other while competing for the starting goalie spot when the team goes to play for the Stanley Cup, feelings will be hurt along the way. But can it be... Are the boys falling for each other? This book has just the right level of angst and of course a HEA!

Technically second in the series, but it can definitely be read as a stand alone. Two hockey players competing for the starting spot is going to be a disaster right? Except the mutual attraction proves to be too much for both and friends with benefits begins. I loved how two people who are so very different can become so important to each other and eventually fall in love even though they are still competing against each other. The additional aspects of two people of color playing a sport known for being so white being addressed head on but not as the focus of the story was also a delight. The authors managed to create two characters who represent the less focused on parts of the sports stars. Add in showcasing their lives and families outside of sports created a powerful narrative that was a joy to read.

* 3.5/5 *
Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais je suis complètement fascinée par les joueurs de hockey, c'est vraiment un sport qui me fait rêver. Du coup, j'ai un gros faible pour les romances avec des hockeyeurs, et si c'est du M/M, eh bien c'est encore mieux !

Ici, en plus du hockey, on a un autre trope qui me plaît bien, à savoir le 'ennemies-to-lovers', qui est en fait plutôt ici du 'frenemies-to-lovers'. En effet, Ryu & Emmitt sont tous les deux goals dans l'équipe de Venom (en NHL, soit l'élite du hockey nord-américain). Les dirigeants & entraîneurs de l'équipe n'ont pas nommé de titulaires, du coup, les deux héros se retrouvent en concurrence pour obtenir le poste convoité de gardien en titre. Si Ryu n'en est pas à sa première année de NHL, Emmit évoluait jusqu'ici dans la ligue inférieure, c'est donc un grosse promotion pour lui, et le rêve de toute une vie ! Si dans les premiers temps, leurs rapports sont tendus, Emmit & Ryu vont nouer une certaine amitié, jusqu'à ce que celle soit ... et plus si affinités. ^^ J'aurais voulu que les tensions entre eux durent plus longtemps, je suis restée sur ma faim en ce qui concerne cette promesse que me faisait miroiter le résumé.

Les auteurs ont mis en scène des personnages 'de couleur', et abordent ainsi la question de la représentativité des Afro-Américains et Asiatiques dans une NHL très très blanche. C'est un aspect du récit que j'ai trouvé intéressant. La question de la culture et de l'origine est aussi très marquée pour Ryu, qui subit la pression de ses parents, pour qui les émotions ne doivent pas être montrées et dites, et l'excellence doit être atteinte.

La romance est mignonne et sexy, mais c'est très compliqué pour eux d'être à la fois amants et concurrents ... Ce qui fait que je suis moyennement convaincue sur leurs chances à plus long terme, mais enfin bon, on a quand même un HFN !

Petit point bonus pour un personnage secondaire : Morley, qui m'aura fait beaucoup rire, même si je trouve que c'est un copier/coller complet de Blake, personnage secondaire inoubliable Him & Us, la géniale série de Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy).

Une sympathique romance dans l'ensemble donc !

This M/M sports romance features two goalies on the same professional hockey team competing for the starting position. When their initial enmity turns to attraction, both Ryu and Emmitt are surprised, but as the season progresses, both their professional and personal lives come together and they realize everything is better together. Although the second entry in the Hat Trick series, this can be read as a stand-alone. I am definitely looking forward to the last book in the series.

Goalie Interference was actually better than I expected, though I'd still say it's more like 3.5 stars than four. Gale and Vaughn are good writers and they actually depict games, so that's a big plus. Ryu Mori plays as the goalie for the Atlanta Venom. The team hires another goalie, Emmitt Armstrong, and these guys have to fight for the spot in the limelight. First they hate each other and this tandem thing until they start to grave for one another and soon they are friends with benefits. Then that turns into something more. So, quite simple in a sense, but effectively done. Ryu's character works and he's very interesting and I liked that he's the solid one of the two. Emmitt is harder to grasp and somehow he didn't feel like a black character for me. Of course the topic of them being of different race was touched, but too lightly for me.

I just wish stories like this took more time to develop the hate into love. Ryu and Emmitt hit it off too soon and it's always weird when sex is the only thing guys ever think (and blowjobs). I do enjoy the lovely dovely approach, but at that point the most interesting part is already behind. There's drama in the book too, but gladly not about getting caught or something alike, but actually something games-wise. I always want to read about sports and happily the book has more of it than just training. Thus I'd say this is one of the better stories if you're into sports and guys loving other guys.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As Zuzu says below, this is enemies to lovers done right.

Aside from differing personalities, the MCs have the external obstacle of both being goalies for the same team.

The characters were both likeable and believable. I cared about them and their stories.

I have been having trouble finding books to enjoy lately, and this was a rare success for me.

Recommended!

I just loved Ryu and Emmitt’s story! I am a huge hockey fan, and I absolutely love sports romances. Throw in a closeted athlete and I’m sold! This was a must-read book for me that I’ve had on my “I cannot WAIT for this book to come out” list forever. The authors did not disappoint because this was everything I hoped it would be and more! It was definitely worth the suspense. This story had a lot of emotion that I didn’t expect, but really made the story that much more impactful for me! After all, what’s a good sports romance without emotion! I loved the competition between Ryu and Emmitt, but most of all I loved them getting to the point of showing their vulnerabilities to each other. If you love a good enemies to lovers story with a dose of hockey, closeted athletes, and quick wit then this a must-read for you too! I couldn’t recommend this book more. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next from these two authors! I’m crossing my fingers on who gets the final story!

Even though we see Sebastian & Tristan from the first book, you can read this as a stand-a-lone. Ryu is an NHL goalie who is now ready to be the starter on the Atlanta Venom, he has earned it. Emmitt has been called up from the minors after having an amazing season. Ryu thinks that he is an automatic shoe-in as a starter, the coaches have other ideas. They are going to have to compete for the position. But what ends up happening is that they kind of tag team the position. Initially I did not like Emmitt at all. He was way to cocky for me. I know that athletes have large egos but he was a little to much. Real quick I have to say, I LOVE MORLEY! I hope he gets his own book as he needs to settle down. Anyway, we see these two battle for not only the Stanley Cup, but the starting position. They are also battling their attraction to each other, well Ryu more so as Emmitt is basically a man-whore. He is also bisexual & lets the team know in solidarity with Tristan. This makes Ryu guilty as he has not come out as gay & feels that he should have been the one to stand with Tristan. I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers here, as it wasn't overly done, as well as reading about the game itself as I love hockey. I'm glad that Emmitt's dad came around in the end as he has always given Emmitt the impression that he is disappointed in that he didn't go the football route. Also Ryu's parents come around as well showing their support finally for their son. I don't like that they are not out as a couple especially to the team.

This one worked pretty well for me. I love enemies-to-lovers anytime, and though they weren’t contentious for too too long I did get some good banter so I’m satisfied on that front. The relationship developed at a pretty good pace, but I would’ve enjoyed seeing a little more steam. Lots of mentioned sex but not too much on page.

You can spot the “big drama” coming from a mile awhile and I didn’t really buy into it at all. Also, they’re still in a secret relationship by the end of the book so it’s firmly HFN.

Overall it was a cute read and I’ll definitely be reading any more to come. Hopefully Morley next!

Emmitt and Ryu's story was a great second installment in the Hat Trick series, it was a fun, entertaining enemies to lovers read. I enjoyed seeing more from Tristan and Sebastian, the MCs from book one, and I like going along with Emmitt and Ryu as their relationship developed from adversarial to something a lot more smexy. All in all a very enjoyable read.