I love a good hockey story, and these authors make a great team in that regard. I’ve really enjoyed their stories thus far. Fitting that the hockey playoffs are finally taking place in real life which helps put me in the mood to read more of them in my off time. In this installment, we have Bellzie, whom we have met previously on the winning team Venom. He has decided a change is needed in his life and has taken on the challenge of helping his home town team in Miami, who has some serious team/winning issues. When he gets settled in, he is reunited with his childhood friend, Micah, who has followed his own dreams and become a marine animal caretaker with a focus on rehabilitation of the animals and education of the public.

Daniel is a divorced father of two who has an amazing relationship with his ex-wife. They realized they are better friends and remain so to this day providing a wonderful environment for their kids. Daniel had hoped to make a difference with his new team but finds it much more challenging than expected. He is not as young as he used to be, so although he is just coming off of a Stanley Cup win, his numbers are beginning to drop making him more likely to be traded (although he has a no-trade one year contract with the Venom)

When he and Micah reconnect, their friendship re-blossoms picking up right where they left off as kids. It is clear from the get go that they have great chemistry. There isn’t much angst in this story, other than some hesitation from Micah about the possibility of Daniel being traded and leaving him for hockey just as he did all those years ago. But aside from some internal musings on Micah’s side, there is little friction caused, as Daniel pretty much includes Micah in all of his decisions, thought processes, etc.

While this was a sweet and enjoyable story, it was not one of my favorites. It was missing something that I believe for me was the hockey and team interaction aspect. In the previous books, we had all of the other teammates chipping in (they do make appearances here, which was awesome), but with the exception of one player on the new team, I was hoping for a trade more than anyone involved. I loved how things turned out and the direction of Daniel’s life ended taking. It really was a perfect outcome, and while it was great all around for everyone involved, it felt lackluster to me. If you love guys with pets, this will be a win for you, as Daniel has a herd of rescue dogs, and Micah has a cat, and of course, Silver the dolphin. As with the previous books, I’m already looking forward to whatever these authors come up with next and hope we don’t have to wait too long to get it.

Trade Deadline is the third romance in Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn's Hat Trick series, which follows queer hockey players. This installment follows Daniel “Bellzie” Bellamy, a divorced father who loves his time on the ice but is searching for more meaning in his life, and Micah Kelly, his childhood best friend. Their friendship picks up right where they left off when they're reunited, as do Micah's long-hidden feelings for Daniel.

While this was a little too low-conflict for me, readers who enjoy low-conflict and friends-to-lovers will find a lot to love here. Daniel and Micah read like undeniably good people who deserve to have more joy and happiness in their lives, and who are deeply respectful of each other and Daniel's family as they navigate the changes from newly reacquainted friends to lovers to more.

This is the third book in the series, new readers should have no trouble jumping in!

I love a M/M hockey romance. Daniel's life is changing - he's gone through a divorce, he's moving to a new team and a new town, and he's contemplating the end of his career and what comes next. When Daniel reconnects with childhood friend Micah, the chemistry is immediate. Such a cute story and I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Daniel and his ex-wife as they navigated life after divorce. I especially liked that Daniel's sexuality wasn't a big crisis that he had to deal with. Daniel and Micah were both comfortable in their own skin and it was really refreshing. I would read more from this series/by this author.

I am a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers romance and this one delivers. In their youth, our mains were best friends, first kisses, first crushes, and now finally in love. There were so many potential hazards in this book I was almost scared to read it. Any time there are ex-wives, children, and a bisexual character - I fear the worst. To my eternal delight, Tammy was wonderful and supportive, the kids were precious and suitably childlike, and no one makes any biphobic comments! Huzzah!

The romance was very sweet, the sex was hot, and Morley deserves his own fanfic-esque enemies-to-lovers spin off. Actually, while we are at it, can I get a short story prequel where Tammy pegs Daniel? I have been thinking about that since he mentioned it....

Thank you for the review copy. This book was so good. I am including in a future sports romance recommendation episode.

It’s been a hot while since I’ve read this one but I remember it fondly.

I’ve quite enjoyed both Daniel and Micah on their own and also as a couple. And while I love having my Hockey Players and their love interests on the same team or even on rivaling teams – a certain Heated Rivalry comes to mind immediately – it was refreshing to read about Micah living a totally different life and the complications that come with that clash of needs. Also he is just plain adorable while at work so there’s that.

Their romance is also build on a long-ish friendship if you’re not counting the years they lost sight of each other and I’m a sucker for that. I can’t get into insta love and it feels always more realistic for me if there is a relationship bevore the romantic relationship.

Daniel is bisexual and I love that there were never any problems regarding this in his marriage to his ex wife. But he also reads somewhat demi for me too, especially considering this quote:

He found that familiarity always made him want the other person more.
kindle position 1622

Honestly there are quite a few quote gems in Trade Deadline so it was a enjoyable read with just the right amount of soft drama for a relaxed reading session.

It took me a very long time to finally pick this up because I had this weird phase were ice hockey romances were just too repetitive for me and I usually love those romances.

When I finally picked Trade Deadline up, I read it in one go and I liked it. I didn't love it but I liked it.

I especially liked the open conversation between Micah and Daniel, that doesn't happen that often in the books I usually read. It was a refreshing change. Also this was super low angst in my opinion and barely has any conflict between the two protagonists.

It was a good read for chilling on the couch. If you are looking for something highly emotional and tear-jerking this book is not it for you but it was overall a nice and comfy book to enjoy.

Rating: 3 stars

This was an incredibly satisfying end (?) to this series. Goodreads states another might be upcoming, but the authors do not.

In this novel, we move away from the Venom as Daniel reaches his mid-30s immediately after their Stanley Cup win. He's given an option, to be signed for a single other year with Venom, or to be traded to another team - the team of his home town growing up in Miami.

It's the latter option that he takes, which is where he comes across his childhood friend Micah in the stands at one of his games.

The thing I love about this book is that it spends several chapters introducing both characters before they even meet. This is fantastic because it means that both characters have a whole lot of backstory built in - particular Micah who we haven't seen in any previous books in this series.

His work at in a zoo is something he is just as passionate about as Daniel is about ice hockey. The big difference between them is that Micah loves his work the whole way through. Daniel, however, is at a crossroads in his life where he's trying to figure out both how much longer he wants to be playing ice hockey, and whether he wants to continue to play for the team that he moved to at the beginning of this book.

There is a reasonable amount of angst in the plot, but it is plot with two very well developed characters. It was a very good send off for the series as a whole.

Fans of Rachel Reid will love this hockey romance from Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn. Third in the series, Trade Deadline lives up to the expectations set by its predecessors. If you're a sports romance fan, this one's for you.

I liked both of the earlier Hat Trick books, and much like those, Trade Deadline is low on angst and high on wit, steamy romance, and likable characters. That said, there's just something about Daniel and Micah that pulled me in and held me tighter than the earlier couples in the series. To be honest, I'm not even sure what that something was, but for whatever reason, I was all in and invested in Daniel and Micah getting their happily ever after. These two make such a sweet couple, and I love how they talk through issues. There are a couple of things that could've been big problems, but I really like how those things are dealt with. The romance is engaging and sexy, and the conclusion is absolutely perfect for Daniel and Micah. We also get to catch up with other characters from the series while this one still works as a standalone for those who haven't met the rest of Daniel's team, including Morley who is still my favorite character in the series even though he hasn't gotten his own HEA. This one doesn't have as much gameplay as the first two books, but it makes sense for this story, and it's still loads of fun.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The character development was subtle in a myriad of ways, and the plot moves along quickly enough to keep interest. I could have used a little more expansion around the ending of the book, but on the whole found the experience very enjoyable.

The writing was generally speaking up to the standard set by the previous books, but I found the plot and characters to be considerably less engaging and charming. All the same, the novel is entertaining and definitely worth checking out if you enjoyed the rest of the series.

I really love this series and I was looking forward to this book.

Unfortunately this one didn't deliver for me.

I loved seeing the other characters from previous books, and 'Bellzie' and Micah are super cute. For me, this one was missing something, maybe a bit of the tension and grittiness that book 1 and 2 of this series had. Everything was just a little idyllic and shiny, which pulled me out of the story a few times.

It's a fine conclusion to this series, but I was wanting more.

This is the third book in the Hat Trick series. I read and reviewed Off the Ice and Goalie Interference. I really liked Trade Deadline and found it to be a quick read. It’s a childhood friends turned friends again turned lovers story. Daniel Bellamy and Micah Kelly grew up together – they were best friends and each other’s first kiss. It’s years later, when Daniel joins a new hockey team in his hometown, that the two reconnect.

I really loved both of these guys. Daniel is divorced, with two kids, and his family is just fantastic. He has a great relationship with his ex, but I appreciated that the two were still adjusting to each other finding new love. As for Micah, he’s a marine biologist, and I thought it was great that he had his own career that he loved and worked really hard for, and it wasn’t all Daniel and hockey. For the most part, both Daniel and Micah are open and honest with each other, so while they both have fears and insecurities, it doesn’t really lead to annoying miscommunication, which is always a plus!

This was a very sweet novel with little to no angst. Everyone got along, and nothing massively bad happened in any of the side plots. What’s not to like?

Another goal scored for Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn. I love this series and I really liked this book. The best part about the for me was that this is a second chance at love kind of story because these guys were close friends during childhood until Daniel moved away for hockey.

I love them and their journey to get to know each other again and falling in love. Friends to lovers, second chance at something that both of them hoped for but never knew was a possibility before... it made for golden times. It's sweet and wonderful.

Daniel just won the Stanley Cup with his team he should feel happier, but he feels like he’s not needed anymore in the Venoms. When his agent gets him a deal with the latest last place on the league, he and his family move to Miami. Micah sees news of his old childhood friend/crush just having won the cup and returned to Miami, of course he decides to go see a game in hopes maybe Daniel will recognise him, even if that feels like a foolish hope. When Daniel does recognise him, a new start for the boys will begin. But Daniel’s team is doing awful and their fans boo them, Micah is scared Daniel will want to be traded to another team and end their love.
I enjoyed this new book of the Hat Trick series, can’t wait to see who the next book focuses on next.

I'm a fan of sports romances and hockey themed ones in particular. I read and enjoyed Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn's Off the Ice and while I missed the second in the Hat Trick series, Goalie Interference, I got back into the game with Trade Deadline. It's a well told story of a man ready for his career to take a new turn, and a chance for him to reconnect with an old friend.

Daniel Bellamy has realized his lifelong hockey dream and just won the Stanley Cup but after 14 years playing for the same team, and with retirement starting to loom larger on the horizon, he decides that playing for a struggling team in his home city of Miami where his parents still live is the right choice for the time. And moving back puts him in contact with his childhood best friend, Micah Kelly. Micah is an animal care specialist who works at the local aquarium and he hasn't forgotten Daniel, or their burgeoning teenage relationship that ended when Daniel went away to play hockey. As adults, they can rekindle that friendship, but can it also lead to something more?

There are a couple of things that I really like about this story that make it definitely worth putting on your to-read list. Firstly, I think it's interesting how Daniel has to come to grips with going from working with a team that has been very successful and where's he's highly regarded to a team that has mixed feelings about his arrival. This is especially true because it was Daniel's choice to move, and also because his dreams of helping the team don't pan out the way he thought they would. Now don't get me wrong – he's not egotistical and he doesn't think that he's going to 'save the team' or have dreams of bringing them to a Stanley Cup. He's more interested in mentoring them and sharing his skills. But it turns out to be a rougher ride than he expected, and as the hockey year goes on, he has to think about what's going to come next.

Secondly, I really appreciate the mature way he and his ex-wife Tabby deal with their divorce. They have two children, and they had an amicable split and have stayed friends. She moves to Miami so that Daniel can continue to see the kids, and the hockey spouse lifestyle has never been an issue for their relationship. Because Daniel's parents live in Miami and she knows Daniel only has a few years of hockey playing left, she makes it clear to Daniel that regardless of his choices after this year, she'll stay with the kids in Miami, knowing that he plans to eventually retire there anyway. Daniel's relationship with his kids is strong, and it's really nice to see a divorced couple that get along so well. She also knows that Daniel is bisexual, and encourages his relationship with Micah.

Thirdly, the romance is a sweet slow burn of friends moving on to lovers. Daniel's last sexual partner was his wife, and he's never had a relationship with a man before. Micah is a really nice, friendly person and his crush on Daniel never really abated (and he's followed Daniel's hockey career). Daniel is so happy to see his old friend at one of his early season games and I just really enjoyed how they can easily pick up their friendship and eventually reveal their attraction to each other, leading to some sexy scenes that include nervous but eager first time sexual experiences. Micah is not some young twenty something guy though. He has a career he loves and a home that he's not going to leave, something Daniel has to consider as they grow closer. There's no big misunderstanding or jealous ex or manufactured drama. There's just two guys figuring out if, and then how, they can get their happy ending.

It wouldn't be a hockey romance without hockey, so there are plenty of on-ice scenes, locker room tension, and friendships and conflict with teammates old and new. Micah's job is one you don't see often and there's a good amount of time spent at the aquarium too. It's an enjoyable romance that doesn't shy away from honest discussions and emotional highs and lows but makes the happy ending the stronger for it.

This review will be posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link.

A fun read with enjoyable characters. Childhood crushes who rediscover each other with a predictable result. The warning in the beginning was really weird and out of place to me as it didn't pertain to the plot at all as I see it, but I guess it might be applicable for some people.

This was an okay read for me. Micah and Daniel rekindling their relationship was sweet but I felt like it didn't wow me like the first two books? I can't exactly pinpoint why.

Some things I enjoyed:

Tabby and Daniel's relationship. No evil ex here. Just two people who realize they've fallen out of love and have a cordial divorce.

Silver, the dolphin. Silver has a few appearances but that was cute.

The walkie talkies that Daniel and Micah get as grown ups which was a nostalgic gift from their childhoods.

Micah's relationship with Tabby and the kids.

I am intrigued by Morely though. I've been interested in him since Ryu and Army's book annnd I see we're getting a spin off book after this so i'm hoping it's his :)