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readers_sea's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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? No
4.0
I really enjoyed reading Eckie's story!
In the first book, we were clearly made to not like him but in book 2 he got his redemption and cleaned himself up. I loved how vulnerable he learned to be and how unapologetic he was. He learned to take responsibility for his actions and I was glad to see him go after his happiness.
I wish we got a bit more background on Eckie's therapy and recovery to get to where he was. I also enjoyed seeing him with his son, and his relationship grow with Jack. Jack was an interesting character and I do wish we got a bit more on his past, but I loved seeing his feelings develop.
This couple had great communication and it was great to see them grow. Eckie had a lot going on, but i loved the way everything was handled.
In the first book, we were clearly made to not like him but in book 2 he got his redemption and cleaned himself up. I loved how vulnerable he learned to be and how unapologetic he was. He learned to take responsibility for his actions and I was glad to see him go after his happiness.
I wish we got a bit more background on Eckie's therapy and recovery to get to where he was. I also enjoyed seeing him with his son, and his relationship grow with Jack. Jack was an interesting character and I do wish we got a bit more on his past, but I loved seeing his feelings develop.
This couple had great communication and it was great to see them grow. Eckie had a lot going on, but i loved the way everything was handled.
runningonbooks's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jacobthebookworm's review
5.0
I really liked Crack in the Ice, but I absolutely LOVED Back to Center. I wasn't sure if I was going to like Eckie's story after the first book, but his growth so was real and so incredible. I loved the mental health representation in this as well as the characters learning how to address it and healthy mechanisms for combating it. The religious-based homophobia was a punch in the gut because of how real it was, but the authors handled it so well. I can't recommend this series enough!
canadiangirlreads's review
4.0
"𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆."
𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, the second book in the Mohegan U Hockey series by Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood is Eckie and Jack's story.
Eckie has hit rock bottom and the only thing left to do is finally get the help he needs. Eckie did not expect Jack to support him in his journey and become a great friend and then eventually so much more with Eckie and his little man.
Eckie and Jack both have demons from their past and are on paths to healing. They build a friendship that grows into so much more. Eckie truly does redeem himself from book one and is such a great dad. I am enjoying this series and am excited to see what comes next.
Alexander Cendese does another great job of narrating the story and bringing the characters to life but I am not totally convinced he is the right fit for all of Ryan and Josh's characters. I totally agree with Alexander as Eckie but not as Jack, but that's just me.
Get ready for... sports (hockey), coach/player, college, friends to lovers, single dad, hurt/comfort, mm, and dual first-person point of view.
𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 has a heat level of 3 flames and gets 4 maple leafs!
𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, the second book in the Mohegan U Hockey series by Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood is Eckie and Jack's story.
Eckie has hit rock bottom and the only thing left to do is finally get the help he needs. Eckie did not expect Jack to support him in his journey and become a great friend and then eventually so much more with Eckie and his little man.
Eckie and Jack both have demons from their past and are on paths to healing. They build a friendship that grows into so much more. Eckie truly does redeem himself from book one and is such a great dad. I am enjoying this series and am excited to see what comes next.
Alexander Cendese does another great job of narrating the story and bringing the characters to life but I am not totally convinced he is the right fit for all of Ryan and Josh's characters. I totally agree with Alexander as Eckie but not as Jack, but that's just me.
Get ready for... sports (hockey), coach/player, college, friends to lovers, single dad, hurt/comfort, mm, and dual first-person point of view.
𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 has a heat level of 3 flames and gets 4 maple leafs!
xanthe87's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
**4.5**
Who doesn't love a good redemption story! Those who have read Cracks in the Ice (MU Hockey #1) will have met and disliked Eckie for how he acted, what he said and what he put Cole and Benny through. Now, he's like a whole new man having followed instruction by the university and hockey coaches. His most important factor, though, was the near daily visits by Assistant Coach, Jack Rogan. They've built a strong friendship and it continues on when Jack offers Eckie a place to stay.
It's so heartwarming to read the man that Eckie has become. When you read about his family and home life, you can understand a bit of how he came to be the man he was but he deserves much credit for making the changes in himself for himself. What he now shares with Jack and what grows between them is fun to read as they dance around their attraction for a while. Jack is a stand up guy and doesn't want to impact Eckie's progress but he's also got his own painful history and is nervous about starting something with someone, especially the kind of guy Eckie used to be. However, both show just what can be possible when you find that special someone and things certainly look up for both men. Eckie has his hockey and his little boy, just the cutest thing, and Jack has his coaching and seeing how well Eckie has gotten. It's also touch and go with how things will play out with Benny, Eckie's coach and partner to Cole, both of whom Eckie caused trouble for. I really liked how everything played out for everyone involved and how this is a positive story for self care and mental health.
There are a couple of hard scenes to read when it comes to Eckie's parents, and the mental health problems that both men have experienced. Please be sure to read the content/trigger warnings.
I received an ARC and am happily giving my review.
Who doesn't love a good redemption story! Those who have read Cracks in the Ice (MU Hockey #1) will have met and disliked Eckie for how he acted, what he said and what he put Cole and Benny through. Now, he's like a whole new man having followed instruction by the university and hockey coaches. His most important factor, though, was the near daily visits by Assistant Coach, Jack Rogan. They've built a strong friendship and it continues on when Jack offers Eckie a place to stay.
It's so heartwarming to read the man that Eckie has become. When you read about his family and home life, you can understand a bit of how he came to be the man he was but he deserves much credit for making the changes in himself for himself. What he now shares with Jack and what grows between them is fun to read as they dance around their attraction for a while. Jack is a stand up guy and doesn't want to impact Eckie's progress but he's also got his own painful history and is nervous about starting something with someone, especially the kind of guy Eckie used to be. However, both show just what can be possible when you find that special someone and things certainly look up for both men. Eckie has his hockey and his little boy, just the cutest thing, and Jack has his coaching and seeing how well Eckie has gotten. It's also touch and go with how things will play out with Benny, Eckie's coach and partner to Cole, both of whom Eckie caused trouble for. I really liked how everything played out for everyone involved and how this is a positive story for self care and mental health.
There are a couple of hard scenes to read when it comes to Eckie's parents, and the mental health problems that both men have experienced. Please be sure to read the content/trigger warnings.
I received an ARC and am happily giving my review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia and Physical abuse
Mental healthbooksonstereo_o's review
3.0
Back to Center is serviceable at best, and it definitely seems like there is a significant chunk of backstory missing for both the characters and the world.
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