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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
I started having a meltdown about 50% through this book, and was literally sobbing the last quarter of it.
I didn’t know any spoilers going in but I knew Something (capital S intended) was coming and that it left most people in tears, so I don’t know if I would’ve been so emotional so early on if I hadn’t known. Still, I’m positively wrecked. A really hard but beautiful story — and one I’ll never read again because I won’t be able to handle it.
Heads up: This book is a hard R for language and sex.
I didn’t know any spoilers going in but I knew Something (capital S intended) was coming and that it left most people in tears, so I don’t know if I would’ve been so emotional so early on if I hadn’t known. Still, I’m positively wrecked. A really hard but beautiful story — and one I’ll never read again because I won’t be able to handle it.
Heads up: This book is a hard R for language and sex.
I just bawled my eyes out. Mike oh mike:(((( such a strong story
I adore you Liam Fitzgerald!!!!
I adore you Liam Fitzgerald!!!!
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sad for no reason- kept thinking there would be a positive resolution but the point of the books seemed to be the author torturing their characters for fun.
Easily my most unexpected read of 2022.
I glanced at the title details after it came under the recommended section on Scribd but as I’ve:- 1) never finished a sports romance 2) know nothing about ice hockey 3) dislike like age gap romances and 4) don’t enjoy reading contemporary sex scenes, this clearly seemed like something far out of my realm of interest.
However, it has an absurdly high rating and the few reviews were glowing, calling the book things like heartbreaking and unforgettable. Two descriptions I’m always a sucker for. The one negative review said the book was deceptive, beginning as “steamy” and then dropping off.
It was short enough that I decided to give it a chance and I’m so glad I did.
First of all this book immediately begins with a page describing its content warnings, and it is genuinely the most affecting one of its kind I’ve ever read. The author states that the research they have conducted for this book comes from her brother and she warns him not to read it.
She also says that this is not a romance though it is a love story.
Okay, perhaps when reviewers said heartbreaking they meant it. Clearly this was going to be darker than what I assumed a typical sports romance would be.
There’s actually less hockey in it than I expected and you really don’t need to know anything about the activity to enjoy it.
It follows Mike, whose role on the team is basically to be a brawler type, he takes hits and he does it well. He’s also considered a veteran player, rough but well respected. His team acquires a promising new rookie, Liam, who for reasons Mike can’t fathom immediately takes a shine to him. It follows the development of their relationship through all the clashes of their very different personalities.
I think the age gap was handled well since I didn’t feel as uncomfortable as I thought I would.
It also handled topics I’ve never thought of before. Knowing nothing of ice hockey the injuries associated with it eluded me, but now I’m impressed by how many people put their health on the line to play the sport that brings them such joy.
Even though there are heavy topics dealt with I still believe this book is more happy than sad. Mike and Liam’s dynamic is occasionally frustrating, Mike is the grumpiest of grumps, and Liam is so very sunny but for the most part they are overwhelmingly charming.
I’m glad I took a chance on this and since ice hockey romances seem to a specialty of the author’s, I’ll probably read another of her works.
I glanced at the title details after it came under the recommended section on Scribd but as I’ve:- 1) never finished a sports romance 2) know nothing about ice hockey 3) dislike like age gap romances and 4) don’t enjoy reading contemporary sex scenes, this clearly seemed like something far out of my realm of interest.
However, it has an absurdly high rating and the few reviews were glowing, calling the book things like heartbreaking and unforgettable. Two descriptions I’m always a sucker for. The one negative review said the book was deceptive, beginning as “steamy” and then dropping off.
It was short enough that I decided to give it a chance and I’m so glad I did.
First of all this book immediately begins with a page describing its content warnings, and it is genuinely the most affecting one of its kind I’ve ever read. The author states that the research they have conducted for this book comes from her brother and she warns him not to read it.
She also says that this is not a romance though it is a love story.
Okay, perhaps when reviewers said heartbreaking they meant it. Clearly this was going to be darker than what I assumed a typical sports romance would be.
There’s actually less hockey in it than I expected and you really don’t need to know anything about the activity to enjoy it.
It follows Mike, whose role on the team is basically to be a brawler type, he takes hits and he does it well. He’s also considered a veteran player, rough but well respected. His team acquires a promising new rookie, Liam, who for reasons Mike can’t fathom immediately takes a shine to him. It follows the development of their relationship through all the clashes of their very different personalities.
I think the age gap was handled well since I didn’t feel as uncomfortable as I thought I would.
It also handled topics I’ve never thought of before. Knowing nothing of ice hockey the injuries associated with it eluded me, but now I’m impressed by how many people put their health on the line to play the sport that brings them such joy.
Even though there are heavy topics dealt with I still believe this book is more happy than sad. Mike and Liam’s dynamic is occasionally frustrating, Mike is the grumpiest of grumps, and Liam is so very sunny but for the most part they are overwhelmingly charming.
I’m glad I took a chance on this and since ice hockey romances seem to a specialty of the author’s, I’ll probably read another of her works.
I cried, more than once. Honestly, I kind of hate this book a little right now. But that’s fine. I will be fine.
My heart is absolutely broken and I can honestly say that I loved every minute of this book.
Mike Brouwer is an NHL enforcer nearing the end of his career. He’s the ultimate grump, keeping people at arm’s length, playing hockey, starting and taking fights on the ice and living a pretty solitary life off of it. That is until Liam Fitzgerald, a hotshot rookie, gets called up to join his team and follows Mike around like his shadow. He’s young, a little bratty and doesn’t take no for an answer, latching on to Mike and working his way into his life over and over again. They’re opposites in so many ways but truly understand each other in a way that no one else does and are inexplicably drawn to each other even when they’re separated.
This is most definitely a love story, not a romance in the traditional sense of the word - things are difficult for these two more often than not, some of it their own making and some of it because of their circumstances, and the ending definitely isn’t typical for a romance. But this book does an incredible job of drawing you into the story and getting invested in Mike and Liam. Their relationship is complicated by them being teammates, Mike’s illness, Liam’s successful career and Mike’s insistence on keeping some distance between them. Even when they’re together, Mike tries to push Liam away so that he can save him a world of hurt and so that Mike can suffer in solitude. But Liam’s persistent and insistent on being there for Mike even when things get hard.
The last couple chapters were difficult to read through my tears - I knew what was coming and the feeling of anticipation was killing me, ultimately resulting in me losing it as the end got closer and closer. Liam’s unconditional love for Mike was beautiful and made me love him even more and Mike’s struggles with dealing with his declining health and continuing to make Liam happy (even though he’s still incredibly grumpy) absolutely broke my heart. Their love for each other was beautiful in a way I never expected and will stick with me for a long, long time.
I cannot recommend this book enough but will say it’s a little painful to read. It’s so, so worth it even with how it ends because these two sweet and opposite men share a special kind of love that you can’t find anywhere else.
Mike Brouwer is an NHL enforcer nearing the end of his career. He’s the ultimate grump, keeping people at arm’s length, playing hockey, starting and taking fights on the ice and living a pretty solitary life off of it. That is until Liam Fitzgerald, a hotshot rookie, gets called up to join his team and follows Mike around like his shadow. He’s young, a little bratty and doesn’t take no for an answer, latching on to Mike and working his way into his life over and over again. They’re opposites in so many ways but truly understand each other in a way that no one else does and are inexplicably drawn to each other even when they’re separated.
This is most definitely a love story, not a romance in the traditional sense of the word - things are difficult for these two more often than not, some of it their own making and some of it because of their circumstances, and the ending definitely isn’t typical for a romance. But this book does an incredible job of drawing you into the story and getting invested in Mike and Liam. Their relationship is complicated by them being teammates, Mike’s illness, Liam’s successful career and Mike’s insistence on keeping some distance between them. Even when they’re together, Mike tries to push Liam away so that he can save him a world of hurt and so that Mike can suffer in solitude. But Liam’s persistent and insistent on being there for Mike even when things get hard.
The last couple chapters were difficult to read through my tears - I knew what was coming and the feeling of anticipation was killing me, ultimately resulting in me losing it as the end got closer and closer. Liam’s unconditional love for Mike was beautiful and made me love him even more and Mike’s struggles with dealing with his declining health and continuing to make Liam happy (even though he’s still incredibly grumpy) absolutely broke my heart. Their love for each other was beautiful in a way I never expected and will stick with me for a long, long time.
I cannot recommend this book enough but will say it’s a little painful to read. It’s so, so worth it even with how it ends because these two sweet and opposite men share a special kind of love that you can’t find anywhere else.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my first Taylor Fitzpatrick book. And I'm writing this review almost a year after reading the actual book. I just finished You Could Make a Life by Fitzpatrick and I felt motivated to write this review.
I'll start by saying this- I went into this book blind. I thought it would be cute. And that's on me for not doing enough research. But I thought I was in for your typical hockey romance. Little did I know what awaited me. And little did I know how many tears I would cry.
This is a book that even a year later- I still regard it as the saddest book I've ever read. And I've read a lot of sad books. (i.e Song of Achilles, Call me by Your Name, Lie With Me, etc). Thrown Off the Ice is likely a book that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
This is the story of Liam and Mike. And the beginning of this book isn't sad- I will say that. But when shit gets real- shit really, really gets real.
I won't get into much else. And that's because this is a book that should be read with only the warning that it will emotionally destroy you. It should be read with no concept of plot or character or anything else. So go read this book and cry your eyes out.
I'll start by saying this- I went into this book blind. I thought it would be cute. And that's on me for not doing enough research. But I thought I was in for your typical hockey romance. Little did I know what awaited me. And little did I know how many tears I would cry.
This is a book that even a year later- I still regard it as the saddest book I've ever read. And I've read a lot of sad books. (i.e Song of Achilles, Call me by Your Name, Lie With Me, etc). Thrown Off the Ice is likely a book that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
This is the story of Liam and Mike. And the beginning of this book isn't sad- I will say that. But when shit gets real- shit really, really gets real.
I won't get into much else. And that's because this is a book that should be read with only the warning that it will emotionally destroy you. It should be read with no concept of plot or character or anything else. So go read this book and cry your eyes out.
This is so perfect, I don't have enough words for it. Just read this book, just do it, you won't regret it.
3/5
I randomly found this book in the Recommendation section after finishing Bear, Otter and Kid, and I naively thought it was going to be something similar to TJ Klune's book. If the whole first part wasn't just PWP, I would have definitely enjoyed it more and maybe given it half a star more in the rating.
I'm not saying it wasn't good read, because the writing style wasn't bad, but there was basically no plot in the first half. All that happened in the first part was sex, without even a trace of development in the relationship between the protagonists. They went from being teammates to being sex buddies to being in a relationship in a matter of pages, but we don't really see how that came to be.
It's a pity because the story had potential, I genuinely liked the whole part about the concussion and it was treated with such detail that you just know that the author either did a whole bunch of research or had to deal with it first-hand. When Mike gets one too many concussions while playing, the doctor just tells him to stop because another hit to the head and he would be dead. I think the whole injury and treatment was treated very well and it felt real, which often doesn't happen in fiction, with injuries that magically heal after a day or two, or miraculous recoveries after being beaten to a pulp without any consequences at all for their wellbeing.
I randomly found this book in the Recommendation section after finishing Bear, Otter and Kid, and I naively thought it was going to be something similar to TJ Klune's book. If the whole first part wasn't just PWP, I would have definitely enjoyed it more and maybe given it half a star more in the rating.
I'm not saying it wasn't good read, because the writing style wasn't bad, but there was basically no plot in the first half. All that happened in the first part was sex, without even a trace of development in the relationship between the protagonists. They went from being teammates to being sex buddies to being in a relationship in a matter of pages, but we don't really see how that came to be.
It's a pity because the story had potential, I genuinely liked the whole part about the concussion and it was treated with such detail that you just know that the author either did a whole bunch of research or had to deal with it first-hand. When Mike gets one too many concussions while playing, the doctor just tells him to stop because another hit to the head and he would be dead. I think the whole injury and treatment was treated very well and it felt real, which often doesn't happen in fiction, with injuries that magically heal after a day or two, or miraculous recoveries after being beaten to a pulp without any consequences at all for their wellbeing.