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fuzzywilson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
zoiejanelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
like i’ve said before, this series can be hit or miss. i had mixed feelings about this one. i thought Ryan’s body issues and sexual dysfunction were really realistic, and the treatment of sex and intimacy was very healthy and realistic. Rachel Reid was definitely experimenting here with all the sex toys and sexual positions… and i wasn’t mad about it.
Ryan’s character arc flew by quickly, and i didn’t think he got the believable development he deserved. Fabian also had some inconsistent character traits, and the third act breakup felt like it was really out of the blue.
i did really like the exploration of anxiety and mental health, as that is apparently a big, important issue for the author. i felt like the depictions of social anxiety were really authentic, and i really empathized with Ryan throughout.
i totally understood the message here: don’t let your “dream” destroy you in the process. i liked THIS as a central conflict more than the outing/coming out plots that are way too common in this series. but i still think it needed some developmental work. i believe in my girl Rachel, though. she’ll get there!
i would maybe read this one again as a comfort read, but it’s not the best in the series.
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
tragicgloom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Blood
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
That being said, the MCs were both great. Ryan, my anxious, burly bear - I have never related with a hockey player more. And the way Fabian approached Ryan’s anxiety and low self-confidence was lovely. It’s a very sweet story.
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Suicide
aromarrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
i admit this high rating didn’t come into play until after a relatively sobering reveal that occurs regarding a certain NHL player, but i just appreciated so much how much depth there was that the author was exploring here about the sport. i loved that as distant as it felt to both ryan & fabian (who has some prejudices towards hockey due to a lot of the bad experiences he’s associated with it growing up), it was in a way where it didn’t show the camaraderie it brings among fans & teammates as we usually see in some hockey stories, but mainly the isolation it can bring to those pushed to the side or branded as some pariah.
this book was just really well-written, and again, i really loved ryan & fabian, and all of fabian’s friends, and ryan’s friend, wyatt—there were some really good people in this book, and we even got to see ilya!! maybe he & ryan could have the friendship that i desired for ilya in the last book, but we’ll see :’) this was a good reading experience, that’s all for now.
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Suicide
frantic_vampire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
marysbookinit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, and Suicide