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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
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
i enjoyed this book a lot! it was a quick read, i was drawn in from the very beginning, but it's definitely not a light read. you might actually want to check the content warnings. i was not prepared to cry my eyes out the way i did while reading.
you can absolutely read this, if you know nothing about ice hockey. everything that matters, you'll understand from the context. but if you don't want to read about the sport at all, what it's like, how physically demanding it is etc., this might not be the book for you. i found it very interesting and was positively surprised how much the book actually dealt with those topics. i definitely didn't expect that from a sports romance book.
also you might want to know that the book is explicit, containing multiple sex scenes. they are well-written and not boring or repetitive, but it's probably not the book for you if you're hoping for slow-burn and maybe one explicit scene as the conclusion of the book.
you can absolutely read this, if you know nothing about ice hockey. everything that matters, you'll understand from the context. but if you don't want to read about the sport at all, what it's like, how physically demanding it is etc., this might not be the book for you. i found it very interesting and was positively surprised how much the book actually dealt with those topics. i definitely didn't expect that from a sports romance book.
also you might want to know that the book is explicit, containing multiple sex scenes. they are well-written and not boring or repetitive, but it's probably not the book for you if you're hoping for slow-burn and maybe one explicit scene as the conclusion of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Over fifteen years and Mike never said I love you to Liam!! My God!!!
This is such a sad story and you already kinda know the end but it still make you sad regardless!!
Beautiful writing!!
This is such a sad story and you already kinda know the end but it still make you sad regardless!!
Beautiful writing!!
Mike e Liam sono due giocatori di Hockey, uno un enforcer quasi trentenne (Mike), l’altro una recluta talentosa e diciottenne (Liam). Quando Liam si appiccica letteralmente a Mike, questi fa l’unica cosa che pensa sia completamente sbagliata, ovvero portarselo a letto, ma che retrospettivamente gli cambierà completamente la vita, perché Liam diventerà la persona più importante nella vita di Mike (non aggiungo altro sulla trama perché non voglio spoilerare nulla).
Devo dire che, fino a quasi metà, il libro mi era sembrato carino e divertente, nonché alquanto hot (ci sono molte scente calde), ma niente di trascendentale. Poi, all’improvviso arriva il colpo di scena, uno sviluppo che è una vera e propria badilata in fronte che cambia totalmente la situazione e innesca una serie di eventi che rendono la storia sempre più seria e drammatica.
Dal punto di vista della caratterizzazione dei personaggi, se all’inizio avevo subito amato Mike, mentre Liam l’avevo trovato divertente ma anche un po’ fastidioso, nel prosieguo della storia è proprio Liam ad essermi letteralmente entrato nel cuore per il modo sempre più potente in cui ha dispiegato la sua personalità, il suo modo di amare Mike in modo totale, rimanendogli accanto anche nei momenti peggiori e prendendosene cura (un amore vero, insomma, che travalica tutto, fino quasi ad annullarsi per essergli il più vicino possibile, ma senza essere tossico). Mike invece alla lunga un po’ mi ha deluso; pur facendo certe cose con l’intento di proteggere Liam, si dimostra troppo chiuso (ad esempio, pur amandolo profondamente, non lo ha mai detto apertamente a Liam).
A conti fatti, per come è costruito (le due parti antitetiche e il fatto che Liam emerga così bene nonostante il suo PoV lo si abbia solo nell’epilogo, lasciando a Mike l’incombenza di mostrarci tutto) e per come i personaggi sono emersi e si sono evoluti, soprattutto Liam, il libro merita assolutamente le 5⭐️.
Devo dire che, fino a quasi metà, il libro mi era sembrato carino e divertente, nonché alquanto hot (ci sono molte scente calde), ma niente di trascendentale. Poi, all’improvviso arriva il colpo di scena, uno sviluppo che è una vera e propria badilata in fronte che cambia totalmente la situazione e innesca una serie di eventi che rendono la storia sempre più seria e drammatica.
Dal punto di vista della caratterizzazione dei personaggi, se all’inizio avevo subito amato Mike, mentre Liam l’avevo trovato divertente ma anche un po’ fastidioso, nel prosieguo della storia è proprio Liam ad essermi letteralmente entrato nel cuore per il modo sempre più potente in cui ha dispiegato la sua personalità, il suo modo di amare Mike in modo totale, rimanendogli accanto anche nei momenti peggiori e prendendosene cura (un amore vero, insomma, che travalica tutto, fino quasi ad annullarsi per essergli il più vicino possibile, ma senza essere tossico). Mike invece alla lunga un po’ mi ha deluso; pur facendo certe cose con l’intento di proteggere Liam, si dimostra troppo chiuso (ad esempio, pur amandolo profondamente, non lo ha mai detto apertamente a Liam).
A conti fatti, per come è costruito (le due parti antitetiche e il fatto che Liam emerga così bene nonostante il suo PoV lo si abbia solo nell’epilogo, lasciando a Mike l’incombenza di mostrarci tutto) e per come i personaggi sono emersi e si sono evoluti, soprattutto Liam, il libro merita assolutamente le 5⭐️.
4.25 stars
Re-read July 2021. I definitely appreciated this book the second time around. Mike was still an asshole at times but I think I understood him more and could better appreciate his deep love for Liam, something I didn’t really see enough of the first time I read it. Thankfully, Liam understood him far better than I could.
3.5 stars rounded up
I'm having hard time rating this one. On the one hand, I thought this book was well-written and it certainly engaged me enough to want to seek out more books by this author. On the other hand, it was a downer. I deliberately didn't read the reviews for this, instead just chose to read it based on the ratings it was given by trusted friends. Maybe I should have, though, because I would have put it off until I was ready for it.
Based on the impact it's having on other readers, this is probably a case of me not the book. I'll try and re-read this at a later date and see how I feel about it.
Re-read July 2021. I definitely appreciated this book the second time around. Mike was still an asshole at times but I think I understood him more and could better appreciate his deep love for Liam, something I didn’t really see enough of the first time I read it. Thankfully, Liam understood him far better than I could.
3.5 stars rounded up
I'm having hard time rating this one. On the one hand, I thought this book was well-written and it certainly engaged me enough to want to seek out more books by this author. On the other hand, it was a downer. I deliberately didn't read the reviews for this, instead just chose to read it based on the ratings it was given by trusted friends. Maybe I should have, though, because I would have put it off until I was ready for it.
Based on the impact it's having on other readers, this is probably a case of me not the book. I'll try and re-read this at a later date and see how I feel about it.
AMAZING. FANTASTIC. WOW.
20 pages into this book I left it, logged into Goodreads, clicked five stars and wrote this review with those three words.
232 pages later, it is still so so true.
I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs of everything this author has done so right from stellar MCs that were relatable, loveable, hate-able and so incompatible yet perfect for each other.
Things that stood out to me about this author is her absolute talent, combined with such intricate technicality, (I'm such a sucker for literary techniques) and her tangible passion and understanding of hockey that had me googling everything from 'playoffs' to 'goon squad'.
Fitzpatrick also shares many messages throughout her text, the most obvious being her message at the end. But I felt that there was so much that the reader could take from this text. As someone who is forced to analyse texts in English class to the point of severe back pain from the reaching, the number of lessons I was able to pick up from this text at face value is insane. The lesson of appreciation striking me the most. A huge contributor to this is that Mike reads as so human. It seems like a given but I find that often in books characters are characters, they don't react, think or do, like humans. But Mike reads as human, second-guessingly, self-sabotaging-ly human.
At this point I am not recommending, I am begging. Read this fucking book.
20 pages into this book I left it, logged into Goodreads, clicked five stars and wrote this review with those three words.
232 pages later, it is still so so true.
I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs of everything this author has done so right from stellar MCs that were relatable, loveable, hate-able and so incompatible yet perfect for each other.
Things that stood out to me about this author is her absolute talent, combined with such intricate technicality, (I'm such a sucker for literary techniques) and her tangible passion and understanding of hockey that had me googling everything from 'playoffs' to 'goon squad'.
Fitzpatrick also shares many messages throughout her text, the most obvious being her message at the end. But I felt that there was so much that the reader could take from this text. As someone who is forced to analyse texts in English class to the point of severe back pain from the reaching, the number of lessons I was able to pick up from this text at face value is insane. The lesson of appreciation striking me the most. A huge contributor to this is that Mike reads as so human. It seems like a given but I find that often in books characters are characters, they don't react, think or do, like humans. But Mike reads as human, second-guessingly, self-sabotaging-ly human.
At this point I am not recommending, I am begging. Read this fucking book.
This book came out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting it. I don't really know what to say about it, other than it was heartbreaking and beautiful and frustrating and honest. Oh, and it made me cry in the end!
Having read a lot of gay hockey romances I expected a love story between two players and the usual struggle with their sexuality in the sport. The age gap and grumpy/sunshine trope were not that surprising - but I was totally blindsided by this emotional turmoil. The usual struggle with their sexuality was barely mentioned, instead the author focused on the darker side of the sport where athletes, especially the enforcers ruin their body until they loose everything.
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes