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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
This year has been hard for me and reading. Where I used to read and review over 100 books a year, this year it's been a struggle to sit down and get comfortable with a book. So when I find a book that brings me back to how it feels to truly get lost in a story, it's damn special.
My dates for this say it took me almost a month to read an honestly it did. But it's a triumph that I can add it to my read pile for this year.
This isn't just a book about Hockey players and it's not just a romance. This book is layered and complicated the way the human condition truly is. This is a story about two men who find love, friendship, surrender and so much more on and off the ice.
From the first page I knew this was going to be special. I loved Mike, his voice, his arrogance, his aggression and the soft side that he really didn't want anyone to see. I loved how he was attracted to Liam immediately and how fast he falls for his young teammate but I had to idea how deeply Mike would crawl into my soul and create a home.
Liam is a ball of energy that belongs in my pocket. I would totally put him there but his boyfriend is an enforcer and I am not a fan of violence. Liam may be young and naive at times but that boy knows what he wants when he meets Mike and he never, NEVER waivers in that. Each and every time Mike pushes him away, Liam does the mature thing and lets it happen but not for long. He knows he's good for Mike, he knows how Mike feels about him without saying the words and he will do everything in his power to be by his side. Yeah, Liam is a good guy, a fantastic hockey player and he broke my damn heart.
Mike again, I loved him. His voice was the perfect choice to tell this story and even though I yelled at him a few times for what he does I loved him. It's not easy to fall in love and truly give yourself over to all that comes with it but Mike does. Sure, he fights it but he lost this one early on. He shows Liam he loves him in so many ways that don't require three little words. Mike is a natural caretaker and he takes care of Liam when he's hurt on the ice and he takes care of him with daily intimate and domestic actions. Mike doesn't always need to tell Liam how he feels about him, Liam gets it but fucking hell, when Mike gets honest? Be prepared to be punched in the nuts with the feels.
My heart. Good lord. I knew from seeing a few words of others reviews on this book it had the opportunity to make me cry but I didn't know how deep it would hurt me. The first tears stung roughly a third into the book and then once I got over that, I couldn't stop reading. I don't remember the last time a book kept me up long past my bedtime and hours of sleep be damned. I was hooked, I couldn't stop reading last night and though my glasses needed wipers as the tears started to flow, I kept reading.
I kept reading.
I am searching for more words to explain what this book did to me and for me but all I can think about are the moments that knocked me on my ass.
My dates for this say it took me almost a month to read an honestly it did. But it's a triumph that I can add it to my read pile for this year.
This isn't just a book about Hockey players and it's not just a romance. This book is layered and complicated the way the human condition truly is. This is a story about two men who find love, friendship, surrender and so much more on and off the ice.
From the first page I knew this was going to be special. I loved Mike, his voice, his arrogance, his aggression and the soft side that he really didn't want anyone to see. I loved how he was attracted to Liam immediately and how fast he falls for his young teammate but I had to idea how deeply Mike would crawl into my soul and create a home.
Liam is a ball of energy that belongs in my pocket. I would totally put him there but his boyfriend is an enforcer and I am not a fan of violence. Liam may be young and naive at times but that boy knows what he wants when he meets Mike and he never, NEVER waivers in that. Each and every time Mike pushes him away, Liam does the mature thing and lets it happen but not for long. He knows he's good for Mike, he knows how Mike feels about him without saying the words and he will do everything in his power to be by his side. Yeah, Liam is a good guy, a fantastic hockey player and he broke my damn heart.
They’re wrapped up in each other, and Mike knows it, knows it’s not good, something he needs to put the brakes on, but he doesn’t know how to. Doesn’t even want to, if he’s being honest with himself. He fucking hates when he’s being honest with himself.
Mike again, I loved him. His voice was the perfect choice to tell this story and even though I yelled at him a few times for what he does I loved him. It's not easy to fall in love and truly give yourself over to all that comes with it but Mike does. Sure, he fights it but he lost this one early on. He shows Liam he loves him in so many ways that don't require three little words. Mike is a natural caretaker and he takes care of Liam when he's hurt on the ice and he takes care of him with daily intimate and domestic actions. Mike doesn't always need to tell Liam how he feels about him, Liam gets it but fucking hell, when Mike gets honest? Be prepared to be punched in the nuts with the feels.
My heart. Good lord. I knew from seeing a few words of others reviews on this book it had the opportunity to make me cry but I didn't know how deep it would hurt me. The first tears stung roughly a third into the book and then once I got over that, I couldn't stop reading. I don't remember the last time a book kept me up long past my bedtime and hours of sleep be damned. I was hooked, I couldn't stop reading last night and though my glasses needed wipers as the tears started to flow, I kept reading.
I kept reading.
I am searching for more words to explain what this book did to me and for me but all I can think about are the moments that knocked me on my ass.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
absolutely devastating
Maybe if you stopped crying you could write a propper review...
I urge you all to pick this book up, it's gonna make you cry, it's heartbreaking, but it's so worthy I promise you. I read so many sport romances as it's one of my favorite genres, but I never thought of some aspects the players have to live with in the aftermath of it, congrats Taylor Fitzpatrick for shedding a light on this subject I never stopped to consider before, it was beautifully written.
I urge you all to pick this book up, it's gonna make you cry, it's heartbreaking, but it's so worthy I promise you. I read so many sport romances as it's one of my favorite genres, but I never thought of some aspects the players have to live with in the aftermath of it, congrats Taylor Fitzpatrick for shedding a light on this subject I never stopped to consider before, it was beautifully written.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I cried at the end
emotional
sad
medium-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
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Very real to the impacts of CTE. Came into it thinking it was a romance and I really don’t think it qualifies as it lacks HEA.
Really terribly paced, time jumps were random and significant and not well communicated in the organization of the text. Felt like it went on forever too, I got 30% in and was sure it was closer to 80%. Not much plot but also not much character growth
Really terribly paced, time jumps were random and significant and not well communicated in the organization of the text. Felt like it went on forever too, I got 30% in and was sure it was closer to 80%. Not much plot but also not much character growth
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
What the fuck was that ENDING?! It completely took me out I was in absolute pieces.
NO. THATS NOT HOW YOU DO IT. Felt like I got hit by a bus.
NO. THATS NOT HOW YOU DO IT. Felt like I got hit by a bus.
Please note that this is a revised and updated review as of July 14, 2024.
It's almost been one year since I finished Taylor Fitzpatrick's Thrown Off the Ice and this story continues to stick with me. Thrown Off the Ice is a MM love story (please note that this is not a romance novel). Although Mike and Liam do have their happily ever after, in no way, shape, or form is it long enough and the book does end in tragedy. This book is told almost exclusively in the third person from Mike's point of view, except for the final chapter which is told from Liam's point of view (I believe he writes it from a first person point of view because it's phrased as an article, but emotionally, I can't bring myself to go back and check).
I went into this book completely blind, and I encourage other readers to do so. However, if you do have specific triggers or want to understand just how devastating the ending is, you just need to scroll through reviews or spoiler groups to see for yourself.
Books don't usually make me sob, but this is one of the few exceptions. I think of Mike and Liam often, and I tear up whenever I see them pop up in Bookstagram edits (it's almost a relief I don't see them too often while simultaneously wishing I saw them more often). This is a beautiful and raw love story that's like nothing I've ever read. I promise that this book will change you. Getting to witness hardened NHL enforcer Mike fall in love with soft and sweet rookie Liam was everything. It was beautiful. Mike didn't want to be in love with Liam, hell, he didn't even want to care for him. Mike is one of the grumpiest grumps I've ever read about, and he was incredibly frustrating at times but also unintentionally hilarious. The true grump to Liam's sunshine. Getting to know Liam through Mike's eyes was a privilege.
The ending of this book broke me. It hurt a lot, and it still hurts even a year later. Will I read this book again? No, I probably won't. I don't even have any annotations from the last four or five chapters of Thrown Off the Ice because I was too busy crying and soaking in the pain. At one point, towards his sharper decline, Mike admits that it hurts him to know that he won't get to see Liam grow up. When he talks about having his will in place and the contingencies he has for after his death, it stole my breath. Mike deserved better. Mike died alone on an icy sidewalk at 47 years old. Liam never had the opportunity to say goodbye. Those words haunt me even to this day. This book is powerful, heartbreaking, gritty, and imperfectly human. Love doesn't ever just look one way, and Mike and Liam are proof of that. I'll carry them with me for a long time as a stark reminder of how the world gives and takes. It's not always fair, and it's not always pretty, but it can be beautiful.
One thing that I'm not sure is talked about enough is what an amazing character Liam is. And the first time I wrote my review, I was focused on the blinding pain that was losing Mike in the end the way we did. But looking back, you have to admire Liam. This book is an excellent commentary on what life can look like as a caregiver for someone with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and pain. And to see Liam's struggle through Mike's eyes? So unique. The moment I knew Mike loved Liam, even if he wouldn't admit it to himself, was when Liam threatened to quit his NHL career if Mike didn't get a service dog to help him. When Mike agreed, that's when I knew. It was a pivotal moment for the couple whose fate was certain even during the first chapter. What an amazing and heartbreaking book. I highly recommend it, but as always, take care of yourself while reading it because it does hurt. It's a story that will stick with you, and I don't think I'd have it any other way.
It's almost been one year since I finished Taylor Fitzpatrick's Thrown Off the Ice and this story continues to stick with me. Thrown Off the Ice is a MM love story (please note that this is not a romance novel). Although Mike and Liam do have their happily ever after, in no way, shape, or form is it long enough and the book does end in tragedy. This book is told almost exclusively in the third person from Mike's point of view, except for the final chapter which is told from Liam's point of view (I believe he writes it from a first person point of view because it's phrased as an article, but emotionally, I can't bring myself to go back and check).
I went into this book completely blind, and I encourage other readers to do so. However, if you do have specific triggers or want to understand just how devastating the ending is, you just need to scroll through reviews or spoiler groups to see for yourself.
Let’s be clear: Mike knows from the get-go that it’s a stupid fucking idea. He just doesn’t know if that makes it better or worse.
Books don't usually make me sob, but this is one of the few exceptions. I think of Mike and Liam often, and I tear up whenever I see them pop up in Bookstagram edits (it's almost a relief I don't see them too often while simultaneously wishing I saw them more often). This is a beautiful and raw love story that's like nothing I've ever read. I promise that this book will change you. Getting to witness hardened NHL enforcer Mike fall in love with soft and sweet rookie Liam was everything. It was beautiful. Mike didn't want to be in love with Liam, hell, he didn't even want to care for him. Mike is one of the grumpiest grumps I've ever read about, and he was incredibly frustrating at times but also unintentionally hilarious. The true grump to Liam's sunshine. Getting to know Liam through Mike's eyes was a privilege.
The ending of this book broke me. It hurt a lot, and it still hurts even a year later. Will I read this book again? No, I probably won't. I don't even have any annotations from the last four or five chapters of Thrown Off the Ice because I was too busy crying and soaking in the pain. At one point, towards his sharper decline, Mike admits that it hurts him to know that he won't get to see Liam grow up. When he talks about having his will in place and the contingencies he has for after his death, it stole my breath. Mike deserved better. Mike died alone on an icy sidewalk at 47 years old. Liam never had the opportunity to say goodbye. Those words haunt me even to this day. This book is powerful, heartbreaking, gritty, and imperfectly human. Love doesn't ever just look one way, and Mike and Liam are proof of that. I'll carry them with me for a long time as a stark reminder of how the world gives and takes. It's not always fair, and it's not always pretty, but it can be beautiful.
One thing that I'm not sure is talked about enough is what an amazing character Liam is. And the first time I wrote my review, I was focused on the blinding pain that was losing Mike in the end the way we did. But looking back, you have to admire Liam. This book is an excellent commentary on what life can look like as a caregiver for someone with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and pain. And to see Liam's struggle through Mike's eyes? So unique. The moment I knew Mike loved Liam, even if he wouldn't admit it to himself, was when Liam threatened to quit his NHL career if Mike didn't get a service dog to help him. When Mike agreed, that's when I knew. It was a pivotal moment for the couple whose fate was certain even during the first chapter. What an amazing and heartbreaking book. I highly recommend it, but as always, take care of yourself while reading it because it does hurt. It's a story that will stick with you, and I don't think I'd have it any other way.
They don't tell you that when you let a ridiculous teenager with more balls than sense into your bed, you aren't getting him to leave. If Mike knew that, he never would have done anything with Liam, wouldn't have considered it for even a second.
It would have been a mistake.
Jesus christ I thought this was just going to be another hockey romance not a sob fest (good though)