Such a fun read! I loved the hockey background to such a great story and romance. Sweet sexy and so funny. A must read for any hockey fan.

The book didn't hook me at all. After about half of it I stopped reading it altogether.
The idea of the story got me interested in the first place because I just developed a little obsession with hockey romances. So far, so good. But the book didn't really work as a romance for me. The two main characters didn't get much time together - there were no conversations from which you could draw the idea that they have things in common or get to know each other again after all this time apart. Instead the times they do meet and talk are mentioned in a quick sentence on the side. Simply: there is no real credible development of their relationship. At some point Daniel asks his ex-wife whether she would be okay with him dating Micah - and you never know where it came from. They are still so far away from knowing each other - at least from the reader's perspective since they get denied the knowledge of what Daniel and Micah talk about when they indeed meet.
Speaking of the ex-wife: she is a real sweetheart and gets to actually talk to both men more often and deeper than they do to each other - and the reader actually gets to see the dialogue - which also doesn't help the credible development of the men's relationship at all. It feels like three good friends and their perfect kids hanging out.
Also the book itself is quite repetitive at times. One example: yes, they both got lucky to have been able to follow their dreams. It's a reoccurring topic in the story without really adding to it.

To sum it up: I neither felt a connection to the book and its characters nor did I see any deep connection between the two main characters which would justify their suddenly being intimate together.

Very different tone from the previous one, this was sweet and slow and cute as f*. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the atmosphere or the setting and it did feel like I was told but not shown about a lot of things. At the same time, I was told about a lot of things so it depends on what you like.

Characters 6
Atmosphere 4
Writing style 4
Plot 6
Intrigue 5
Logic 8
Enjoyment 6

Sad to say, but Trade Deadline didn’t really work for me in the way I expected. I loved the idea of a second chance romance combined with an out-for-you vibe. I was excited these tropes were combined with a recently divorced father of two. And I love hockey in general, so hockey and romance is usually a double win for me. Unfortunately, as much as I loved all these elements of Trade Deadline and despite enjoying the characters, I never felt a spark.

I completely understand the appeal of an easy, low conflict romance, but I still need something that snags my attention and Trade Deadline lacked it. Everything from Daniel’s career, divorce, relationship with his ex, and relationship with Micah was easy- to the point that it felt a bit boring. Daniel and Micah’s romance is sweet and tender with some good heat, but I wasn’t invested in them. Similarly, the writing and dialogue is good, but I never felt compelled to keep reading. In short, I could take it or leave it.

The major source of conflict in Trade Deadline stems from Daniel’s hockey career, specifically his new team. While I certainly found parts interesting, this sports romance focuses much more on what is happening in the background versus on ice and even that was a bit anticlimactic. One of the reasons I never hesitate to grab a hockey romance by these authors is because they love and know the sport well, so I’m promised some good sports elements as well as romance. While I definitely got a unique hockey storyline, Trade Deadline ended up feeling a bit muted and I have to admit that I was disappointed it wasn’t a bigger hit with me.

*eARC received via Netgalley. The publisher and authors had no influence over this review*

Trade Deadline is book 3 in the Hat Trick Series by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn but I think this book can certainly be read as a stand-alone because each book features a different player and although knowing the team would add to the enjoyment it’s not essential. This is Daniel Bellamy’s story and boy does he have a tale to tell. Daniel has always been open about being bisexual but he is now at point in his life where he needs a companion, his ex wife will always hold a special place in his heart because she is the mother of his children but he now needs someone special to come home too, could that person be his childhood best friend Michah.....
This is a story about two friends reconnecting and realising they both want more than friendship, it’s about trust as Michah is introduced to Daniel’s family but most importantly it’s about love. This book is sweet yet steamy, it has the perfect mix of passion and humour and it you are looking for an entertaining MM romance look no further than Trade Deadline.

Trade Deadline is an adorable sports romance following two intriguing and fun men.

I have to say, I really enjoyed this! I was seeking some more sport romances to add to my repertoire and this one fit just perfectly!

Micah and Daniel knew each other back in the day, and have since reunited and start a fabulous, little relationship. Daniel's an NHL player who isn't quite sure what's next, and Micah works with animals at the aquarium (one of the most random yet lovable jobs I've ever seen in a romance novel, just saying). Along the way we meet their friends and coworkers, and Daniel's ex and children, and see all of the excitement this relationship can bring.

The romance itself is adorable, and there's just enough smut to make this book feel sexy.

I did find this book didn't have much drama or tension in it, but if you're seeking a sweet and fluffy contemporary romance, then this book is for you. I also had hoped for a little more hockey in it, but this book was more focused on romance so it's understandable.

Overall, this book is a great sports romance read for those who are craving one!

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I did receive this ARC for a review. I wish I liked it better because I love Avon Gale’s original hockey series Scoring Chances but I have not been successful in getting into any of this spinoff series.

Daniel and Micah are cute but boring. They are both in their thirties but read to me like teenagers. Daniel is in his last years of professional hockey and Micah is a marine biologist, which was cool. Nothing really happened and the drama over will they won’t they stay together practically bored me to tears. If you liked the rest of this spinoff series you’ll probably like this one but it was not for me.

I had fun with this one. Both MCs were extremely likeable and so easy to root for.
Danny and Micah were childhood best friends who find eachother again years and years after their paths first diverged.
This was a sweet friends to lovers romance sure to put a smile of your face.

This was my first introduction to this series and I've definitely added Book 1 & 2 to my tbr.

Daniel Bellamy is the captain of the Stanley Cup winning Atlanta Venom, and he's evaluating his life and career goals. Though he's satisfied, he's not sure that he's truly happy. He's in his mid 30s, recently amicably divorced, and feeling a bit unsettled--especially as he's really beginning to embrace his bisexual side. He has two young kids, and his ex-wife is beautiful and lovely, but really she's his best friend after all these years together.

Daniel is presented with an opportunity to move from the Venom to his childhood hometown of Miami, to play for the Thunder, a perennial cellar-dwelling team. For Daniel, it would bring him close to his retired parents, and allow him to share his experience on a top team with guys who are struggling to make it to the playoffs. His ex is willing to relocate her home, too, so they can continue to co-parent their kids. She likes the idea of having the grandparents nearby, and they all dote on Daniel's rescued dogs--of which there are many.

So, they all make the move. And...Daniel's new team is a challenge. There are interpersonal issues with his new captain--who thinks Daniel is there to take over the team. The stands are either empty or filled with fans of the opposing team, and the coaching staff seems to be on autopilot. In short, Daniel is having the worst season of hockey ever--even if his personal stats aren't horrible. One bright spot, however, is the reconnection he makes with his childhood best friend, Micah Kelly. Daniel had a fierce crush on Micah as a teen, but he moved to Chicago to play juniors hockey, and he's not been back too often since. They lost touch, and Micah blamed himself for taking a chance and kissing Daniel just before he left.

Micah is gay, and was disowned by his parents in high school when he was outed. He worked hard to complete high school while couch surfing, and paid his way through both college and grad school to become a marine biologist. He currently manages a refuge and rescue aquarium where sea animals injured in the wild get brought for treatment and rehabilitation, or permanent care if they can't be safely returned to the wild. Micah has struggled to find a steady relationship, because he works long hours and his partners weren't always respectful of that. And, he's kinda always had a residual crush on Daniel, who he's been able to keep tabs on via social media. Their reconnection was a bit of kismet--Daniel seeing him in the nearly empty stands of a game--and their friendship picks up easily. Almost too easily.

Micah has abandonment issues--because of his family abandoning him. He doesn't want to get too close to Daniel, only to have him get traded, or worse: return to his family. It takes a bit of convincing, actually for Micah to take Daniel's interest and attraction seriously. Daniel is not a player, in the sexual sense. He craves stability and a long-standing love. He will always love his ex-wife, they both agree it will only be platonic. And, the career move may be a reality--with the Thunder still having chemistry and play issues, they might trade Daniel to another team for financial or player considerations. So, while Daniel's personal life seems to be soaring, his professional life is a hard slog. The one saving grace there is an entry into pee-wee hockey, which his 5 y/o daughter seems to love. And, the juniors team is really hoping to meet Daniel and gain insight into getting into hockey as a career.

This is a really sweet reconnection romance for Daniel and Micah. They have insecurities and vulnerabilities, and they do the hard work of discussing them, once their fling shapes up to be something quite more permanent. I loved watching this blended family share experiences and holidays together. Micah really fits Daniel's life and friend spheres, as well. Daniel's decision-making, as the trade deadline approaches, is the main focus of the conflict, but Micah has a big decision t make, too. Will he be happy having Daniel in his life even part-time, if a trade takes him far from their home in Miami? There's a lot of good people in this story, and some yummy sexytimes, as Micah shares his own expertise in the art of loving a man. I enjoyed this story, and couldn't stop turning the pages, thoroughly charmed by the low angst and total sweetness of these men falling in love. The epilogue is as delicious an HEA as I've recently read.

If you like hockey romance, this might be a good pick for you.

3.5 stars for me

This was an enjoyable MM read. Easy story with very little angst and plenty of sweet moments. Micah & Danny have history & when they reunite again things become more. I will check out more books from this writing duo.

This is book 3 in the Hat Trick series. I would say this can be read as a stand alone novel. The other characters make a few brief appearances but nothing drastic where you feel like you are stepping into the middle of a story.

Daniel Bellamy has just won the Stanley Cup but still feels something is missing in his life. He goes for a career chance and moves back to his hometown to play for the Miami Thunder. There, he meets Micah Kelly, his first kiss from many years ago.

Give this book a try if you're in the mood for
-Friends to lovers – these men were friends years ago and are rekindling it
-M/M romance
-Second chance-ish – though a full relationship wasn't established, they had a first kiss together

This book was just kind of meh to me. I didn't think the characters were together as much as I wanted them to be. There was a lot of alone time for each of them, with it being a little more on Daniels side versus Micah. Which was a good thing for me because unfortunately I found Micah just so bland. I didn't like his character much at all. I didn't really see why or how they loved each other?

I did like the hockey bits. My husband plays hockey so it was nice to see that in a book.

2.5 rounded to 3 stars.

Bellzie has found himself at a new phase in his life and career. The past has made it's way to the present and it changes everything. Micah and Daniel have both changed since they were best friends, but they've also achieved their dreams. The friends, teammates and animals help them both forge forward to what they've always wanted.

An enjoyable friends to lovers, slow burn, low angst hockey romance.
Best friends as children, Daniel and Michah were separated when Daniel moved away to focus on hockey. Now he's back in town to play for his hometown team with his two children and ex wife. Micah has been living his dream as well, becoming a marine biologist and focusing on caring for hurt animals. When they manage to reconnect the friendship picks up right where it left off as does the crush that both men had on each other as boys. Micah is always nervous about Daniel taking off again to keep following his hockey dream and that plays into his worries of being in a relationship with Daniel. That is offset however by how much their feelings develop, their attraction that burns bright and how lovable Daniel's children are as well as his ex wife who is also one of his best friends. Daniel is so happy with the relationship that now has the chance to grow between them but is really struggling with how hard hockey is at the moment with his current team. There's a lot that he needs to think on regarding his career whilst also considering his relationships with his family, including Micah.
I enjoyed reading this one, an easy read that gives you lovable characters. Daniel tries so hard to stay positive with everything and both men are very passionate about their careers. It may not be my favourite of the series but I loved finally getting Daniel's HEA after reading his other teammates find theirs.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and am happily giving a review.

This is a very sweet and fluffy sports romance without much sports. There is barely any angst - just two mature men who are learning to blend their lives together. Daniel's ex-wife and best friend is completely supportive and Micah isn't jealous of their relationship. The kids are angels and no drama there either. In fact everyone is just a little too perfect. I also missed the hockey in this hockey sports romance. Their are a few scenes but really not much at least compared to the two previous books which I enjoyed more than this one. I will say the epilogue was really cute and definitely made me smile.

It was okay. As a fan of the first two books this one didn’t capture my attention as much.

The love story was cute and both MCs were good but something was missing. There was no tension, no conflict, nothing. The only ‘issue’ was resolved super quickly.

This series is good but this one was not my favorite.

Daniel Bellamy was one of my favorite characters from the first two books, so I was excited to see him get his own story. It did not disappoint. Even though Daniel struggles with his career throughout the book, the sheer amount of sweetness keeps the angst light. I especially loved Daniel's relationship with his ex-wife. Often the ex is portrayed as evil incarnate, but this story shows that sometimes two people can love each other and not want to be together. As much as I loved Daniel, Micah stole my heart with his sense of humor, his compassion, and his general good nature. It was also nice to see the couples from the first two books again. Can't wait for the next book!

It is an okay read.

It is a well written hockey romance with likable characters and an adorable dolphin. It is also book #3 in Hat Trick series but it can be read as a standalone.
The story is quite simple and unfortunately very predictable and extremely SWEET. Even though I really liked Micah, how good he was with kids, how passionate about dolphins and all animals, he reminded me of a harlequin heroine. He was cute, but boring :( I didn't really believe in his relationship with his childhood best friend, Daniel. I don't think they would have anything in common after 20 years apart. What is more everything was too easy, all hard decisions about job, relationships was made without much thought.

The story had a potential, but even though I am a huge fan of hockey m/m love stories, I was very disappointed this time. I wish there was more HOCKEY here, more real emotions between MCs and well, some believable problems/drama.
This is not a high heat book and I skipped the few sex scenes (they were definitely not what I like).

Oh what a sweet read this was… ❤ A lot less dramatic than the last book (Goalie Interference), but that’s not a bad thing. 😉 It had a lot to do with the characters though. I mean, who didn’t love Bellzie? And Micah? He was just as sweet.

So, before you think that Trade Deadline was a sappy read that had little to do with the usual hockey machoism, don’t worry. There was still a lot of hockey and the tension that goes with the uncertainty of trades and a team that just didn’t mesh. Daniel found himself in a situation that he never thought he’d see himself and it scared him. His stability came from his ex-wife, his kids and eventually, Micah.

This series has always had at least a loose sense of family, but it was really strong in Trade Deadline and I think that’s what I liked about it most. That and the dogs… and the kids… and the passion that both Micah and Daniel had for the careers that they chose for themselves. Not everyone is that lucky. Them finding each other again was just icing on the cake.

I really enjoyed Trade Deadline. Daniel is struggling to find the passion he once had in hockey. He hopes by getting traded it will bring that back but it is reconnecting with his first love Micah and bringing hockey back to the basics.
I thought Micah was adorable. He was sweet and never forget Daniel. He was ready to support Daniel at all costs.
There were a few storylines that were left unanswered. I would have liked to see his ex-wife getting a happy ending too.

I was provided a copy of this book for a honest review.

I'd give this a straight 3 -- it was okay, but I didn't love it (which disappointed me).

What I liked:
~ Daniel and Micah -- both are great characters, and I enjoyed being in each of their heads throughout the story.
~ seeing Seb and Tristan again -- they are still my favorite pair of the series.
~ Micah's unique job -- I really enjoyed learning more about marine biology and how humans can intervene and help with marine mammals.

What wasn't as strong:
~ the chemistry between the two -- for me, it wasn't there at all. We're <i>told</i> that they still have feelings for each other, but I didn't really feel it. It was lackluster, to say the least, and it's a shame since both characters are great people.
~ the plot -- <spoiler>it didn't work for me having Daniel leave his beloved Venom only to completely falter on the new team. Now I get that it's realistic -- it probably happens far more often than we realize -- but I don't always read for reality. Instead, I want to see the improbable (though still possible) come true. Especially for someone as interesting as Daniel, I really wanted more. Even his new job wasn't fleshed out as much as it could have been. In fact, imo, that could have saved the weaker plot right there -- having him more involved with the kids and getting to see his enthusiasm grow on the page (instead of simply being told what was happening).</spoiler>
~ the tension -- for me, there wasn't any. It simply started and ended on a very even keel with no real ups and downs throughout.

I will still look for more of this series, simply because I thought the first one was so amazing. But the two after it were not nearly as strong (for me); hopefully the next one will return to the intensity of the first. :)