sarabeckman617's review
4.0
This was a wonderful slow burn hockey romance. It’s only one point of view and I kinda wish we got to see inside of Brady’s head, but that would make it a very different book.
I love the members of the hockey team! It was such a lovely, motley group. As someone who likes hockey but never played, it was great to experience a newbie hockey journey through Nick’s eyes.
If you like Check Please!, but kinda wish it was about adults and not college kids, then this is the hockey romance for you.
I love the members of the hockey team! It was such a lovely, motley group. As someone who likes hockey but never played, it was great to experience a newbie hockey journey through Nick’s eyes.
If you like Check Please!, but kinda wish it was about adults and not college kids, then this is the hockey romance for you.
claire_melanie's review
4.0
A lot of actual hockey and the slowest of slow burns. Great chemistry between the two MCs though kept me hooked
katestermonster's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lindsayb09's review
4.0
I'll admit that I kinda stagnated somewhere around the 70% mark. I read the first 50% or so in one long go because I was so into it, and then I stalled out and forgot about it for a while. It's pretty long, as far as romances go, and there are sort of starts and stops when it comes to character/relationship progression. I would consider the stuff in between to be filler, exactly, and of course I enjoy reading about hockey anyway, but there's a lot of different phases to their relationship, and some progress a lot more quickly than others.
I like both Nick and Brady as characters. I appreciate some of the nuance of Brady's issues and how Nick is patient with them, while also acknowledging his own fears and emotional needs (eventually). They make a good team once they finally get all their shit together.
I liked the wider cast of characters as well. You've got literally an entire hockey team AND an extended family, but it never feels hard to track people or keep them straight.
Overall it was a very cute read, and great for a hockey fan. I don't think I would put it on the re-read list, but I would definitely pick up the next book in the series.
I like both Nick and Brady as characters. I appreciate some of the nuance of Brady's issues and how Nick is patient with them, while also acknowledging his own fears and emotional needs (eventually). They make a good team once they finally get all their shit together.
I liked the wider cast of characters as well. You've got literally an entire hockey team AND an extended family, but it never feels hard to track people or keep them straight.
Overall it was a very cute read, and great for a hockey fan. I don't think I would put it on the re-read list, but I would definitely pick up the next book in the series.
fishreads's review
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Injury/Injury detail
elizabethbri's review
slow-paced
3.0
It was a slow book. I don’t love one person pov, and this book did not do a great job of compensating for the lack of the other MC pov. I feel like I didnt know him at all! Why did Nick even like Brady when Brady was barely even warm to him?
chelseasofia's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
nannyfeline's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I got to the end of this book and was so disappointed I couldn't find anything else by this author. There are some missing (sex) scenes on the author's AO3 page, which is lovely, but I wanted more! I'm really hoping to see more books (especially LGBTQ+ sports/hockey novels) from Heard in the future.
Romances are known for a lot of will they/won't they angst. Sure, there may be some slow-burn build up, but it's a fait accompli that the main characters are gonna bone at some point, even if it's off-screen (like in this book). In part because this book is only from the POV of one of the two main characters and in part because the non-POV character is a real closed book, there were several points throughout the story when I despaired of the two guys ever getting together. I just wanted to bash their heads together (or just one of them, really) and tell them to get on with it. But in a good way!
As the story builds out and the characters develop, not just our two leads but the entire group surrounding them, I fell in love with pretty much everyone in this book.
And there was a lot of good Capitals/Penguins rivalry, and I AM HERE FOR IT. (The Pens are in the 2023 Cup playoffs in my heart, if nothing else.)
Romances are known for a lot of will they/won't they angst. Sure, there may be some slow-burn build up, but it's a fait accompli that the main characters are gonna bone at some point, even if it's off-screen (like in this book). In part because this book is only from the POV of one of the two main characters and in part because the non-POV character is a real closed book, there were several points throughout the story when I despaired of the two guys ever getting together. I just wanted to bash their heads together (or just one of them, really) and tell them to get on with it. But in a good way!
As the story builds out and the characters develop, not just our two leads but the entire group surrounding them, I fell in love with pretty much everyone in this book.
And there was a lot of good Capitals/Penguins rivalry, and I AM HERE FOR IT. (The Pens are in the 2023 Cup playoffs in my heart, if nothing else.)
netslummer's review
5.0
Okay so this is an incredibly sweet, adorable, EXTREME slow burn romance. I really enjoyed it. The story plays out over the course of a year and four months following Nick Porter as he joins an adult beer league hockey team, meets Brady Jensen, and spends pages and pages and pages pining over the unbelievably hot grump.
Brady warms up and things get kinda adorable when you realize both guys are into it but are too in their own heads about it.
The book is a little bit of a slog in the middle because you're exhausted and just need these two adorable idiots to kiss but I still managed to finish this in literally one day.
Edit: Okay so a day later I'm still thinking about these adorable dummies and have upped this to just straight 5/5 rather than 4.5/5.
Brady warms up and things get kinda adorable when you realize both guys are into it but are too in their own heads about it.
The book is a little bit of a slog in the middle because you're exhausted and just need these two adorable idiots to kiss but I still managed to finish this in literally one day.
Edit: Okay so a day later I'm still thinking about these adorable dummies and have upped this to just straight 5/5 rather than 4.5/5.
dylan_wilder's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
3.75 / 5
Hockey Bois is not a book that I'd recommend broadly. I think it appeals to a niche type of reader: those who like the slowest of slow burns; the hockiest of hockey books; and true to life depictions of relationships between two men who aren't entirely sure where they lay on the sexuality spectrum. There is zero steam, also, so take that as you will. I enjoyed this book, but I'm not sure I quite fit into the niche audience that it is perfect for.
The budding romance in this is one that takes a long time to flower. I loved it. I went into this 'cuz everyone is saying it's a slow burn (definitely is), and I love books where the main characters pine for each other for hundreds of pages. This most definitely is the case here. You don't get any smooching until the page count where 90% of romance books are in their epilogue, and even then, the turbulence isn't gone yet. These boys have a LONG journey ahead of them at the start of the book until they're able to confront their attractions; the ebbs and flows; the one step forwards/two steps back. I can see why this might be frustrating to readers who just want to get to the chase. Let me stop you here: there isn't one.
Then there's the hockey. The 'hockiest of hockey' as I intelligently put it. I do not watch/play/follow sports at all, my only exposure to them comes from books about boys kissing. If you are not a hockey fan, this might not be for you. I was able to overlook it but I could tell I was missing out on a lot of the fun. The vast majority of the banter between the love interests and the side characters is centered around hockey references. Hockey strategies, hockey players, hockey teams, infamous moments in hockey history, hockey tournaments. My god. HOCKEY. (I just realized after posting this review that the author has a companion glossary for this book to help with the hockey references. GOD SEND. I wish I’d known before reading!)
This story is 40% hockey, 40% characters talking about hockey, 15% side characters interjecting their thoughts on the main relationship, and 5% actual on page romance. As I said: this book is best suited for a niche reader, I didn't entirely fit the bill but I still really enjoyed my time with these guys.
Hockey Bois is not a book that I'd recommend broadly. I think it appeals to a niche type of reader: those who like the slowest of slow burns; the hockiest of hockey books; and true to life depictions of relationships between two men who aren't entirely sure where they lay on the sexuality spectrum. There is zero steam, also, so take that as you will. I enjoyed this book, but I'm not sure I quite fit into the niche audience that it is perfect for.
The budding romance in this is one that takes a long time to flower. I loved it. I went into this 'cuz everyone is saying it's a slow burn (definitely is), and I love books where the main characters pine for each other for hundreds of pages. This most definitely is the case here. You don't get any smooching until the page count where 90% of romance books are in their epilogue, and even then, the turbulence isn't gone yet. These boys have a LONG journey ahead of them at the start of the book until they're able to confront their attractions; the ebbs and flows; the one step forwards/two steps back. I can see why this might be frustrating to readers who just want to get to the chase. Let me stop you here: there isn't one.
Then there's the hockey. The 'hockiest of hockey' as I intelligently put it. I do not watch/play/follow sports at all, my only exposure to them comes from books about boys kissing. If you are not a hockey fan, this might not be for you. I was able to overlook it but I could tell I was missing out on a lot of the fun. The vast majority of the banter between the love interests and the side characters is centered around hockey references. Hockey strategies, hockey players, hockey teams, infamous moments in hockey history, hockey tournaments. My god. HOCKEY. (I just realized after posting this review that the author has a companion glossary for this book to help with the hockey references. GOD SEND. I wish I’d known before reading!)
This story is 40% hockey, 40% characters talking about hockey, 15% side characters interjecting their thoughts on the main relationship, and 5% actual on page romance. As I said: this book is best suited for a niche reader, I didn't entirely fit the bill but I still really enjoyed my time with these guys.