Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Game Changer

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Game Changer by Rachel Reid

14 reviews

allingoodtime's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Sometimes I actually remember to jot down where I get a book recommendation. This is one of those times. The downfall of this is that I see how long I waited to get around to reading something that I saw a recommendation for. Trust me on this one…if you like romance and hockey, don’t put this book off. Back in January 2020 (yep, almost 2 years ago) I saw a Twitter thread that had me writing this book down. I didn’t take meticulous notes, but it seems like @kkielyauthor had asked for recs and this book was mentioned by @JenReadsRomance. At the time I still hadn’t even started listening to the Fated Mates podcast, of which Jen is one of the hosts. Now, almost 2 years later I know to trust when Jen recommends a book. I’ve read many that were recommendations from the Fated Mates podcast. I figured I need to get to this one since I am most definitely a hockey romance super fan.

Scott and Kip have such wonderful chemistry from the very start. There is something shy and innocent about the way they meet. The way they go about building their relationship is very sweet. Unfortunately, some of that innocence and sweetness has to do with Scott being in the closet due to his career. I think you can imagine where the conflict comes in with this story.

Kip is amazingly calm and understanding with Scott. Not so much because Scott is a sports idol in their city, but because Kip realizes very early on that what they have together is special. He understands how coming out can and will impact Scott’s career. But how much secrecy can Kip handle? After a while, it’s no fun to be someone’s secret.

For Scott’s part, there is an intense inner struggle. He doesn’t seem to be ashamed of being gay, but he’s been without a traditional family his whole adult life. His hockey teams, fellow players and coaches, have been his family since he was a teenager and lost his mom. This has made it extremely hard for Scott to find anyone he can talk to about his sexuality. Kip makes him want to change all that, but there is a lot at risk.

There are parts of this story that are totally heartbreaking. Scott is hurting and not sure how to handle things so he shuts down. Kip is hurting and trying so hard to wait things out, but it’s turning him into an introverted and unsure person when he was always more extroverted and somewhat confident in himself. Of course, this being a romance, there is the guaranteed HEA for this couple. And they both deserve that happiness.

I’m very much looking forward to reading more in this series. The author does a beautiful job in writing the highs and lows both. Plus, I can always do with more hockey romances in my life!

edit 10/4/23
I just finished the audio version of this book and wanted to add a note. I was still engrossed in this story and didn't want it to end. I love listening to this first book after having completed the series. I got excited when I saw certain characters even if they didn't have a real story in this one. A good portion of the story I loved the narrator, but did not really enjoy his voice for Kip. I think it's the same thing as if you see the movie version of a beloved book and the characters don't look how you'd imagine. The voice was very different from what I imagined and it took me quite a few chapters to fall into the characterization. This story has stuck with me for years so I'm changing my rating from 4.5 to 5 stars.

Content Warnings