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r_cuartero's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
reigningrose's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.5
remba89's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
haley_salvatore's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
tayloraddison's review
5.0
i devoured this book. y’all i am so obsessed with nina and rhode! nina is such a strong character and she means so so much to me. i loved the anxiety and mental health rep and felt so seen. nina was so raw and inspiring and i love her sass and personality so much. she had me cracking up so many times. and rhode was perfection. i mean come on he’s a nhl cat daddy who cross stitches?! and his cats name is chicken?!! i can’t get over him. i understood his struggles and i am so happy that him and nina were able to overcome their obstacles and realize that who they truly wanted and needed was right in front of them. and the family dynamic between rhode and his team was so adorable! please please read this! you will cry and laugh til you cry. and if that’s not enough to convince you then do it for chicken!!!
amberisalwaysreading86's review
3.0
I jumped at the chance to receive a review copy of a new-to-me author, especially when it featured one of my absolute favorite sports romance genres.
There were several stand-out moments and highlights in this book, some of which made me feel agony, others saw me laughing out loud.
Rhode Tremblay is an amazing MMC! Reformed playboy, and Cat-daddy extraordinaire. I have to say, it was so refreshing to read a sports romance which featured an older star athlete (GOALIE!!!) who is at the tail ~end of his career, and not experiencing a rookie season.
So many transitional moments and themes were addressed due to this time in his career and life,and I loved exploring this aspect of sports media, the pressures star athletes face,& the downside of their lavish lifestyles.
The supporting cast of Rhode’s teammates provided some much-needed levity in a book which tackled heavy mental health issues, and they were the saving grace for me when this book became difficult to read at times. The author did such a great job developing these characters, and I found myself fully invested in them, as well as the main Love interests of the book. The Bromance that these men had made me so covetous!
That being said, I wasn’t absolutely hooked on our FMC,or the dynamic with her order sister.Instances of betrayal were seemingly swept under the rug and brushed off in favor of keeping toxic people in one’s life, and reading about that bothered me quite a bit. These issues were never truly resolved, so as reader, I didn’t feel I received an adequate amount of closure.
Additionally, at times the mental health issues actually made me,the reader,feel extremely anxious and unsettled. While I feel like representation is important, sometimes it can detract from the rest of the storyline, especially in a romantic aspect, as panic attacks and social anxiety were a little too prominent,in my opinion. I expected more romance, and calling this a slow burn is a VAST understatement. If you go into this book with that understanding, while managing your expectations, I think you will fully appreciate the way in which these issues are addressed.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I like the way the author seemed to wrap everything up in the end for our couple.
There were several stand-out moments and highlights in this book, some of which made me feel agony, others saw me laughing out loud.
Rhode Tremblay is an amazing MMC! Reformed playboy, and Cat-daddy extraordinaire. I have to say, it was so refreshing to read a sports romance which featured an older star athlete (GOALIE!!!) who is at the tail ~end of his career, and not experiencing a rookie season.
So many transitional moments and themes were addressed due to this time in his career and life,and I loved exploring this aspect of sports media, the pressures star athletes face,& the downside of their lavish lifestyles.
The supporting cast of Rhode’s teammates provided some much-needed levity in a book which tackled heavy mental health issues, and they were the saving grace for me when this book became difficult to read at times. The author did such a great job developing these characters, and I found myself fully invested in them, as well as the main Love interests of the book. The Bromance that these men had made me so covetous!
That being said, I wasn’t absolutely hooked on our FMC,or the dynamic with her order sister.Instances of betrayal were seemingly swept under the rug and brushed off in favor of keeping toxic people in one’s life, and reading about that bothered me quite a bit. These issues were never truly resolved, so as reader, I didn’t feel I received an adequate amount of closure.
Additionally, at times the mental health issues actually made me,the reader,feel extremely anxious and unsettled. While I feel like representation is important, sometimes it can detract from the rest of the storyline, especially in a romantic aspect, as panic attacks and social anxiety were a little too prominent,in my opinion. I expected more romance, and calling this a slow burn is a VAST understatement. If you go into this book with that understanding, while managing your expectations, I think you will fully appreciate the way in which these issues are addressed.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I like the way the author seemed to wrap everything up in the end for our couple.
kaebabex3's review
5.0
Okay, I don't know who Meredith Trapp thinks she is creating the IDEAL boyfriend, but I'm angry that my husband is not Rhode Tremblay.
I have to admit I was sloooow getting into this book, but once I started, I stayed up way past my bedtime, finishing this book.
I realllllly want to thank Meredith first and foremost because this book really reminded me that my love of hockey started way BEFORE I started reading romance novels. The nostalgia of former players did it for me.
But also, as someone who has spent their entire life covering/hiding their mental health, the representation nailed it for me. I love that it wasn't romanticized, I loved how it was raw and real. I love that mental health is more of an open conversation as opposed to being taboo.
I'm usually the type of reader that rates books, doesn't bother writing a review, and moves on, but this book really touched me.
I have to admit I was sloooow getting into this book, but once I started, I stayed up way past my bedtime, finishing this book.
I realllllly want to thank Meredith first and foremost because this book really reminded me that my love of hockey started way BEFORE I started reading romance novels. The nostalgia of former players did it for me.
But also, as someone who has spent their entire life covering/hiding their mental health, the representation nailed it for me. I love that it wasn't romanticized, I loved how it was raw and real. I love that mental health is more of an open conversation as opposed to being taboo.
I'm usually the type of reader that rates books, doesn't bother writing a review, and moves on, but this book really touched me.
blissful_barker's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jrosenberg88's review against another edition
5.0
Another great book to add to my hockey romance obsession!
Rhode Trembly has a reputation of being a NHL bad boy but what he really wants is to find the right person and settle down. He more then anything wants something real but has a no dating anyone under 30 rule.
One night after leaving a club so that he can get home to his cat, Rhode calls for a car and he meets Philomena "Nina" for the first time. When introducing herself, Nina said that she was a Doctor and insinuates that she is around the same age as Rhode. Nina though is in fact a 22 year old art student who has recently sworn off men. During their ride they hear what they below to be gunshots and Nina swerves ok of the road and gets into an accident. Nina sent a message to her sister to let her know that she needed a ride home and her ex-boyfriend shows up to get her instead. On instinct, Nina asks Rhode to play along and pretend that he is her date and he agrees.
They pretend they are fake dating for a few weeks and things start to get heated one night in Nina's kitchen. Her sister walks in and on them and lets the cat out of the bag regarding Nina's age and profession. Now that Rhode's knows the truth, he won't let anything go further with Nina due to her age. They constantly come into contact with each other as Nina is friends with one of Rhode's teammates and the more time they spend together the harder it becomes for Rhode to stay away from her.
Rhode finally gives in to only a physical relationship as he knows that Nina isn't ready for marriage and kids. She's actually leaving for Argentina at the end of the semester for a fellowship which puts an end date on their casual relationship. They both try so hard not to fall for each other but Rhode definitely falls first and hard. They both want to protect each other but also themselves as they know it is going to wreck them when things finally come to an end.
I love their love story and was so happy with how it all played out in the end.
I would defiantly recommend this book. It was such a great read!
Rhode Trembly has a reputation of being a NHL bad boy but what he really wants is to find the right person and settle down. He more then anything wants something real but has a no dating anyone under 30 rule.
One night after leaving a club so that he can get home to his cat, Rhode calls for a car and he meets Philomena "Nina" for the first time. When introducing herself, Nina said that she was a Doctor and insinuates that she is around the same age as Rhode. Nina though is in fact a 22 year old art student who has recently sworn off men. During their ride they hear what they below to be gunshots and Nina swerves ok of the road and gets into an accident. Nina sent a message to her sister to let her know that she needed a ride home and her ex-boyfriend shows up to get her instead. On instinct, Nina asks Rhode to play along and pretend that he is her date and he agrees.
They pretend they are fake dating for a few weeks and things start to get heated one night in Nina's kitchen. Her sister walks in and on them and lets the cat out of the bag regarding Nina's age and profession. Now that Rhode's knows the truth, he won't let anything go further with Nina due to her age. They constantly come into contact with each other as Nina is friends with one of Rhode's teammates and the more time they spend together the harder it becomes for Rhode to stay away from her.
Rhode finally gives in to only a physical relationship as he knows that Nina isn't ready for marriage and kids. She's actually leaving for Argentina at the end of the semester for a fellowship which puts an end date on their casual relationship. They both try so hard not to fall for each other but Rhode definitely falls first and hard. They both want to protect each other but also themselves as they know it is going to wreck them when things finally come to an end.
I love their love story and was so happy with how it all played out in the end.
I would defiantly recommend this book. It was such a great read!
jehntooch's review
I can’t bring myself to finish this. What can I say? I love me a hockey romance, but I was cringing at 14% in when I realized it wasn’t getting better and I’ve just tried to force myself to continue.
At 57% through I thought it was picking up… but no. Am I reading the same book as all of you?! Calling it quits 73% in. This is just not doing it for me. I don’t find the characters lovable, too much emphasis on a 10 year age gap between Nina and Rhode, Micah is made out to be this horribly annoying side character, Nina’s sister absolutely sucks, and outside of a mental health rep, there isn’t any character growth, and the plot is completely flat for me.
But looks like a new kink is unlocked for Gen Z: “I’m shocked he still carries cash, but it’s also kind of hot.”
At 57% through I thought it was picking up… but no. Am I reading the same book as all of you?! Calling it quits 73% in. This is just not doing it for me. I don’t find the characters lovable, too much emphasis on a 10 year age gap between Nina and Rhode, Micah is made out to be this horribly annoying side character, Nina’s sister absolutely sucks, and outside of a mental health rep, there isn’t any character growth, and the plot is completely flat for me.
But looks like a new kink is unlocked for Gen Z: “I’m shocked he still carries cash, but it’s also kind of hot.”