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zaza_bdp's review
3.0
3.5 ☆
Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais je suis complètement fascinée par les joueurs de hockey, c'est vraiment un sport qui me fait rêver. Du coup, j'ai un gros faible pour les romances avec des hockeyeurs, et si c'est du M/M, eh bien c'est encore mieux !
Ici, en plus du hockey, on a un autre trope qui me plaît bien, à savoir le 'ennemies-to-lovers', qui est en fait plutôt ici du 'frenemies-to-lovers'. En effet, Ryu & Emmitt sont tous les deux goals dans l'équipe de Venom (en NHL, soit l'élite du hockey nord-américain). Les dirigeants & entraîneurs de l'équipe n'ont pas nommé de titulaires, du coup, les deux héros se retrouvent en concurrence pour obtenir le poste convoité de gardien en titre. Si Ryu n'en est pas à sa première année de NHL, Emmit évoluait jusqu'ici dans la ligue inférieure, c'est donc un grosse promotion pour lui, et le rêve de toute une vie ! Si dans les premiers temps, leurs rapports sont tendus, Emmit & Ryu vont nouer une certaine amitié, jusqu'à ce que celle soit ... et plus si affinités. ^^ J'aurais voulu que les tensions entre eux durent plus longtemps, je suis restée sur ma faim en ce qui concerne cette promesse que me faisait miroiter le résumé.
Les auteurs ont mis en scène des personnages 'de couleur', et abordent ainsi la question de la représentativité des Afro-Américains et Asiatiques dans une NHL très très blanche. C'est un aspect du récit que j'ai trouvé intéressant. La question de la culture et de l'origine est aussi très marquée pour Ryu, qui subit la pression de ses parents, pour qui les émotions ne doivent pas être montrées et dites, et l'excellence doit être atteinte.
La romance est mignonne et sexy, mais c'est très compliqué pour eux d'être à la fois amants et concurrents ... Ce qui fait que je suis moyennement convaincue sur leurs chances à plus long terme, mais enfin bon, on a quand même un HFN !
Petit point bonus pour un personnage secondaire : Morley, qui m'aura fait beaucoup rire, même si je trouve que c'est un copier/coller complet de Blake, personnage secondaire inoubliable [b:Him|25686927|Him (Him, #1)|Sarina Bowen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436433289l/25686927._SY75_.jpg|45514970] & [b:Us|29475332|Us (Him, #2)|Sarina Bowen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457596574l/29475332._SY75_.jpg|47775179], la géniale série de Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy).
Une sympathique romance dans l'ensemble donc !
Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais je suis complètement fascinée par les joueurs de hockey, c'est vraiment un sport qui me fait rêver. Du coup, j'ai un gros faible pour les romances avec des hockeyeurs, et si c'est du M/M, eh bien c'est encore mieux !
Ici, en plus du hockey, on a un autre trope qui me plaît bien, à savoir le 'ennemies-to-lovers', qui est en fait plutôt ici du 'frenemies-to-lovers'. En effet, Ryu & Emmitt sont tous les deux goals dans l'équipe de Venom (en NHL, soit l'élite du hockey nord-américain). Les dirigeants & entraîneurs de l'équipe n'ont pas nommé de titulaires, du coup, les deux héros se retrouvent en concurrence pour obtenir le poste convoité de gardien en titre. Si Ryu n'en est pas à sa première année de NHL, Emmit évoluait jusqu'ici dans la ligue inférieure, c'est donc un grosse promotion pour lui, et le rêve de toute une vie ! Si dans les premiers temps, leurs rapports sont tendus, Emmit & Ryu vont nouer une certaine amitié, jusqu'à ce que celle soit ... et plus si affinités. ^^ J'aurais voulu que les tensions entre eux durent plus longtemps, je suis restée sur ma faim en ce qui concerne cette promesse que me faisait miroiter le résumé.
Les auteurs ont mis en scène des personnages 'de couleur', et abordent ainsi la question de la représentativité des Afro-Américains et Asiatiques dans une NHL très très blanche. C'est un aspect du récit que j'ai trouvé intéressant. La question de la culture et de l'origine est aussi très marquée pour Ryu, qui subit la pression de ses parents, pour qui les émotions ne doivent pas être montrées et dites, et l'excellence doit être atteinte.
La romance est mignonne et sexy, mais c'est très compliqué pour eux d'être à la fois amants et concurrents ... Ce qui fait que je suis moyennement convaincue sur leurs chances à plus long terme, mais enfin bon, on a quand même un HFN !
Petit point bonus pour un personnage secondaire : Morley, qui m'aura fait beaucoup rire, même si je trouve que c'est un copier/coller complet de Blake, personnage secondaire inoubliable [b:Him|25686927|Him (Him, #1)|Sarina Bowen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436433289l/25686927._SY75_.jpg|45514970] & [b:Us|29475332|Us (Him, #2)|Sarina Bowen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457596574l/29475332._SY75_.jpg|47775179], la géniale série de Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy).
Une sympathique romance dans l'ensemble donc !
dpit's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
heabooknerd's review
4.0
GOALIE INTERFERENCE was a solid read and while it had its high points for me there were also low points that have made rating this one hard. I'll start with the good: I loved both Ryu and Emmitt and together they were on fire. Creating likable and enjoyable characters is obviously a strong suit for Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn. I strongly related to Ryu's introverted and reserved nature and his intense focus. In contrast, Emmitt is cocky, flashy, and extroverted and I loved every second of it! Together they're complete opposites but they help to balance each other out and their competitive battle works to make them better hockey players. I also loved seeing more of Tristan and Seb because I adored their book, OFF THE ICE, and as a complete surprise, I fell hard for Morley. He's loud, obnoxious, and goofy and all of those are compliments; I really hope his book is next!
What made this book hard to rate for me is the excessive telling. The majority of GOALIE INTERFERENCE felt like I was getting a summary of everything that was happening instead of actually experiencing it live. It made for a lot of internal monologues, info dumps, and quickly breezed by events. It made it much harder to connect with the story and if not for the strongly written characters I would have rated this lower. I waffled a lot on what to rate this and ultimately decided on 4 stars because I still really enjoyed the story overall.
**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
What made this book hard to rate for me is the excessive telling. The majority of GOALIE INTERFERENCE felt like I was getting a summary of everything that was happening instead of actually experiencing it live. It made for a lot of internal monologues, info dumps, and quickly breezed by events. It made it much harder to connect with the story and if not for the strongly written characters I would have rated this lower. I waffled a lot on what to rate this and ultimately decided on 4 stars because I still really enjoyed the story overall.
**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
my_personal_escape's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
emilyreadstoomuch's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
polkadotgirl's review
3.0
3/5 stars:
I received an e-ARC of this story through NetGalley in exchange on an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!
Goalie Interference was a fast-paced and interesting M/M sports romance. I really enjoyed it and it can definitely be read as a stand-alone even though it is the second book in the Hart Trick series.
The romance between Emmitt and Ryu isn't really slow-burn but it still felt well-developed. The two characters share some pretty good chemistry from pretty much the beginning of the book and then we see it build into something deeper and more romantic. I enjoyed the first three quarters of the book better than the last one because the end was a little rushed and raw, in my opinion. Still, I really rooted for the couple from beginning to end.
I liked this book enough that I am now intrigued to read the first book of the series and I'm going to be keeping an eye out for the last book of the series.
I received an e-ARC of this story through NetGalley in exchange on an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!
Goalie Interference was a fast-paced and interesting M/M sports romance. I really enjoyed it and it can definitely be read as a stand-alone even though it is the second book in the Hart Trick series.
The romance between Emmitt and Ryu isn't really slow-burn but it still felt well-developed. The two characters share some pretty good chemistry from pretty much the beginning of the book and then we see it build into something deeper and more romantic. I enjoyed the first three quarters of the book better than the last one because the end was a little rushed and raw, in my opinion. Still, I really rooted for the couple from beginning to end.
I liked this book enough that I am now intrigued to read the first book of the series and I'm going to be keeping an eye out for the last book of the series.
harrow_nash's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
captwinghead's review
4.0
3.5 stars
This made me open to reading more sports romance, if they had more BIPOC as the main characters. Also, unlike the Riley Hart book I read, the characters actually talk in depth about racism inside the sport.
This book centers Emmitt Armstrong, a Black hockey player, and Ryu Mori, a Japanese American hockey player. It's sort of introduced as an enemies to lovers thing as both are competing for the chance to be the starting goalie for the NHL team the Atlanta Venom. Or so we think (I'll get to that later). Ryu is cold and witholding, Emmitt is cocky and warm. They clash from the beginning, but through their team practices and outings, they grow closer. You know the drill.
Emmitt and Ryu have this UST that gets interpreted as real tension before they end up in a casual hook up situation. I was glad to see an interracial couple between 2 MOC. The sex scenes were hot, well written, and pleasantly had Emmitt as more of the bratty submissive instead of leaning into fetishizing Black men the way some m/m novels do with Black characters. Ryu was hot and dominating and enjoyed the way Emmitt bent for him in ways he didn't for anyone else. I enjoyed that start, although the transition into them wanting more of a relationship wasn't all that smooth, IMO.
Ryu and Emmitt bond over not really getting their parents' approval. For Ryu, it's his mother and father not enjoying that he's not the "Best" yet. For Emmitt, it's that his father wanted him to play in the NFL, not the NHL, and he's generally disinterested in his son's career. Also, they're both MOC playing in an overwhelmingly white dominated sport. So, I get the common ground here.
1) I hated that the coaches let Emmitt go into this thinking he had a real shot at starting. Only Morley (who I loved, BTW) had the balls to tell him the truth: there was no way they were going to let Emmitt start. The coaches only put him on the team and let him think he had a chance so he'd try real hard and so that Ryu wouldn't get complacent. That's cruel. It really soured the entire playoffs for me. Just tell Emmitt upfront.
2) Morley and Emmitt were kinda interesting to me as a pairing in some ways... I like characters that are cool and seemingly emotionless, like Ryu. However, there was something about Morley's chemistry with Emmitt. Not just because he invited him to a threesome, but he was more upfront about his support for Emmitt. The scene where he was hurt during the game against the Marauders and Morley went crazy was just a lot more interesting and more passionate a response. They even have conversations about whether Morley could ever settle down and be with one person and he says it'd be great if they also played hockey. Also, they would never have the issue of competing for the same spot since they played different positions. Kinda wonder what it would've been like if Morley was the guy?
3) The ending, as many have said, was rushed. We also sort of get over Emmitt's disappointment over not starting really quickly. The Stanley Cup Final was odd for me because I feel like Emmitt would've been more conflicted during it, especially since he was going on about how a Stanley Cup might be the only thing his dad would respect. And they get it, but Emmitt wasn't playing when they did. I just don't get why the ending glosses over any conflict he probably would've felt. Also... the competition between Ryu and Emmitt doesn't go away. They just start again the next season. This relationship seems doomed to go nowhere if they're constantly competing with each other - though the ending pushes it as a way for them both to keep improving. It will build resentment eventually.
So, of the sports romances I've read (if you count Check, Please, it's a total of 3), this is definitely my favorite. It actually discusses racism in a way that was significant but not preachy or too much, I liked the characters and it was well paced for the most part. I just ended up shipping the wrong people in a way and think Emmitt's feelings were sort of glossed over in the end.
This made me open to reading more sports romance, if they had more BIPOC as the main characters. Also, unlike the Riley Hart book I read, the characters actually talk in depth about racism inside the sport.
This book centers Emmitt Armstrong, a Black hockey player, and Ryu Mori, a Japanese American hockey player. It's sort of introduced as an enemies to lovers thing as both are competing for the chance to be the starting goalie for the NHL team the Atlanta Venom. Or so we think (I'll get to that later). Ryu is cold and witholding, Emmitt is cocky and warm. They clash from the beginning, but through their team practices and outings, they grow closer. You know the drill.
Emmitt and Ryu have this UST that gets interpreted as real tension before they end up in a casual hook up situation. I was glad to see an interracial couple between 2 MOC. The sex scenes were hot, well written, and pleasantly had Emmitt as more of the bratty submissive instead of leaning into fetishizing Black men the way some m/m novels do with Black characters. Ryu was hot and dominating and enjoyed the way Emmitt bent for him in ways he didn't for anyone else. I enjoyed that start, although the transition into them wanting more of a relationship wasn't all that smooth, IMO.
Ryu and Emmitt bond over not really getting their parents' approval. For Ryu, it's his mother and father not enjoying that he's not the "Best" yet. For Emmitt, it's that his father wanted him to play in the NFL, not the NHL, and he's generally disinterested in his son's career. Also, they're both MOC playing in an overwhelmingly white dominated sport. So, I get the common ground here.
Spoiler
My issues with this book are threefold:1) I hated that the coaches let Emmitt go into this thinking he had a real shot at starting. Only Morley (who I loved, BTW) had the balls to tell him the truth: there was no way they were going to let Emmitt start. The coaches only put him on the team and let him think he had a chance so he'd try real hard and so that Ryu wouldn't get complacent. That's cruel. It really soured the entire playoffs for me. Just tell Emmitt upfront.
2) Morley and Emmitt were kinda interesting to me as a pairing in some ways... I like characters that are cool and seemingly emotionless, like Ryu. However, there was something about Morley's chemistry with Emmitt. Not just because he invited him to a threesome, but he was more upfront about his support for Emmitt. The scene where he was hurt during the game against the Marauders and Morley went crazy was just a lot more interesting and more passionate a response. They even have conversations about whether Morley could ever settle down and be with one person and he says it'd be great if they also played hockey. Also, they would never have the issue of competing for the same spot since they played different positions. Kinda wonder what it would've been like if Morley was the guy?
3) The ending, as many have said, was rushed. We also sort of get over Emmitt's disappointment over not starting really quickly. The Stanley Cup Final was odd for me because I feel like Emmitt would've been more conflicted during it, especially since he was going on about how a Stanley Cup might be the only thing his dad would respect. And they get it, but Emmitt wasn't playing when they did. I just don't get why the ending glosses over any conflict he probably would've felt. Also... the competition between Ryu and Emmitt doesn't go away. They just start again the next season. This relationship seems doomed to go nowhere if they're constantly competing with each other - though the ending pushes it as a way for them both to keep improving. It will build resentment eventually.
So, of the sports romances I've read (if you count Check, Please, it's a total of 3), this is definitely my favorite. It actually discusses racism in a way that was significant but not preachy or too much, I liked the characters and it was well paced for the most part. I just ended up shipping the wrong people in a way and think Emmitt's feelings were sort of glossed over in the end.
achaoticgay's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25