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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
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
funny
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:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
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
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another great story about the Fisher Cats! The last thing I expected was for Auggie and Nico’s banter to explode into a fake engagement, but I loved it. When Nico collapses on the ice, Auggie’s desperate for news and says he’s his fiancé. He had no idea it would lead to this.
Reasons I Recommend:
1) Tackling a serious health scare and navigating a new/fake relationship
2) Team support and friends along with serious consequences for decisions and
3) The adorable cuteness overload of Nico and Auggie.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quote: "You're the single-most infuriating human I have ever met." August's scowl was ferocious.
"And yet, you're fake engaged to me." Nico shook his head, smiling. "I think you're into that shit."
“I'm ignoring that."
#briereads #brierecommends #2023goodreadsreadingchallenge #reviewedongoodreads #reviewedoninstagram #bookworm #lovetoread #idratherbereading #mmromance #fiction #hockeyromance #relationshipgoalsseries #brighamvaughn @brighamvaughn
Reasons I Recommend:
1) Tackling a serious health scare and navigating a new/fake relationship
2) Team support and friends along with serious consequences for decisions and
3) The adorable cuteness overload of Nico and Auggie.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quote: "You're the single-most infuriating human I have ever met." August's scowl was ferocious.
"And yet, you're fake engaged to me." Nico shook his head, smiling. "I think you're into that shit."
“I'm ignoring that."
#briereads #brierecommends #2023goodreadsreadingchallenge #reviewedongoodreads #reviewedoninstagram #bookworm #lovetoread #idratherbereading #mmromance #fiction #hockeyromance #relationshipgoalsseries #brighamvaughn @brighamvaughn
Not having read The Husband Game, book one of Brigham Vaughn's Relationship Goals, I still found myself drawn into The Head Game from the first pages. This book is solidly in the "the way we wish the world worked" in an ice hockey/pro sports setting, but it still felt believable and, ultimately, joyful.
Things I liked: no on-page homophobia/slurs, no particular sense that the main characters struggle with being insulted a lot beyond the understood norms of the environment being described, nuanced use of honesty versus lies and how choices about when and how to be honest can play out, great personal insight from lots of the characters including the main couple, fun use of the enemies to lovers and roommates tropes.
I didn't love that there are a few times in the book when Nico and August don't do as much to avoid being photographed as I would expect them to do, especially given the rules they know are at play. That said, it's a minor quibble and didn't bother me much.
The Head Game is a sexy and sweet page-turner. Now I need to catch up on book one before book three comes out (I sure hope there are more books in the series still to come!)
Update (audiobook review): I read The Head Came when it first came out (actually before I read book 1 in the series, The Husband Game!) and LOVED it, so I was excited to listen to it. James Edward Jones is a fabulous narrator and the book was even better than I remembered it. Nico and August are great enemies to lovers; the snark factor is at 100! Things that really struck me the second time through: how much Nico has to learn about himself to get through his recovery, how hard August has to work to figure out his own life, and how much the whole story is about self-discovery, and taking risks. I'm loving working my way through this series and can't wait to listen to the other books.
Things I liked: no on-page homophobia/slurs, no particular sense that the main characters struggle with being insulted a lot beyond the understood norms of the environment being described, nuanced use of honesty versus lies and how choices about when and how to be honest can play out, great personal insight from lots of the characters including the main couple, fun use of the enemies to lovers and roommates tropes.
I didn't love that there are a few times in the book when Nico and August don't do as much to avoid being photographed as I would expect them to do, especially given the rules they know are at play. That said, it's a minor quibble and didn't bother me much.
The Head Game is a sexy and sweet page-turner. Now I need to catch up on book one before book three comes out (I sure hope there are more books in the series still to come!)
Update (audiobook review): I read The Head Came when it first came out (actually before I read book 1 in the series, The Husband Game!) and LOVED it, so I was excited to listen to it. James Edward Jones is a fabulous narrator and the book was even better than I remembered it. Nico and August are great enemies to lovers; the snark factor is at 100! Things that really struck me the second time through: how much Nico has to learn about himself to get through his recovery, how hard August has to work to figure out his own life, and how much the whole story is about self-discovery, and taking risks. I'm loving working my way through this series and can't wait to listen to the other books.
LOVED Nico & August, but it just was a little too far fetched for me.
I adore these two as a couple, this book was darker then what I think most people are expecting.
Nico & August were so good together
Nico & August were so good together
dnf
Skimmed heavily after the first chapters just didn't agree with me.
I'm pretty sure this is a "It's me" issue: I just don't like the style of this particular author. The style felt too choppy for me. Too little hockey, too heavily laid down queerness. But taste varies.
So if you liked the author's previous books, don't continue reading this review and stick with the books.
I just didn't click with the protagonists: Nico is too in-your-face, August is too stuck-up. In the beginning, his focus on his ex came across - for me - as borderline obsessive.
Also, though the concept of having a player and a referee falling in love is intriguing, they first hook up.
And this first incident is coming along just too clumsy.
If August is as focused on his career, how could he start something when he knows it's really crossing a line careerwise? It didn't feel like the attraction was THAT strong.
Or maybe I'm used to Ezra Palaszczuk' (Egotistical Puckboy) and Ilya Rozanov (Heated Rivalry) levels of charisma. Which I just didn't get from Nico.
Neither did I get any Adam Hayes vibes from August.
Plus point: the medical aspect. Hockey is a dangerous sports and how those checks can affect one's health/brain etc. is highly interesting.
Negative: far tooooo little hockey for my taste.
Since I just came off Ashlyn Kane's and Morgan James' Hockey Ever After series with loads of hockey (great!), I really longed for more.
And, a major peeve: I love it when we get a feeling of comunity among not only the hockey teams but the queer players.
However, come on, having that many gay players around, on each team, almost everywhere?
Any number could be bi or demi or pan, but honestly, it feels too contrived - at this stage - to have this many being so upfront about it. It's a kind of fantasy, I'm aware of this, but when in real life still so many have problems even accepting to wear rainboy jerseys (well, even that sigh of support was scratched recently), it's laid on a bit heavy.
I very much prefer it the way Eden Finley and Saxon James sketched it: that the queer players forma "queer collective" to keep in contact and support each other or like Rachel Reid has is in her Game Changer's series, when one has the guts to come out, others are more accepting of their own orientation.
Skimmed heavily after the first chapters just didn't agree with me.
I'm pretty sure this is a "It's me" issue: I just don't like the style of this particular author. The style felt too choppy for me. Too little hockey, too heavily laid down queerness. But taste varies.
So if you liked the author's previous books, don't continue reading this review and stick with the books.
I just didn't click with the protagonists: Nico is too in-your-face, August is too stuck-up. In the beginning, his focus on his ex came across - for me - as borderline obsessive.
Also, though the concept of having a player and a referee falling in love is intriguing, they first hook up.
And this first incident is coming along just too clumsy.
If August is as focused on his career, how could he start something when he knows it's really crossing a line careerwise? It didn't feel like the attraction was THAT strong.
Or maybe I'm used to Ezra Palaszczuk' (Egotistical Puckboy) and Ilya Rozanov (Heated Rivalry) levels of charisma. Which I just didn't get from Nico.
Neither did I get any Adam Hayes vibes from August.
Plus point: the medical aspect. Hockey is a dangerous sports and how those checks can affect one's health/brain etc. is highly interesting.
Negative: far tooooo little hockey for my taste.
Since I just came off Ashlyn Kane's and Morgan James' Hockey Ever After series with loads of hockey (great!), I really longed for more.
And, a major peeve: I love it when we get a feeling of comunity among not only the hockey teams but the queer players.
However, come on, having that many gay players around, on each team, almost everywhere?
Any number could be bi or demi or pan, but honestly, it feels too contrived - at this stage - to have this many being so upfront about it. It's a kind of fantasy, I'm aware of this, but when in real life still so many have problems even accepting to wear rainboy jerseys (well, even that sigh of support was scratched recently), it's laid on a bit heavy.
I very much prefer it the way Eden Finley and Saxon James sketched it: that the queer players forma "queer collective" to keep in contact and support each other or like Rachel Reid has is in her Game Changer's series, when one has the guts to come out, others are more accepting of their own orientation.