Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Game Changer

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Game Changer by Rachel Reid

40 reviews

amphipodgirl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and...enh? It was okay, I more or less enjoyed it, but it felt kind of...I dunno. Thin? Shallow? The characters didn't really become *people* to me. There were places where details were left out that could have made a more fully-realized world if they'd been included. They watched "an action movie" together. What movie? How did they feel about it? Why did they pick it?

I felt like the sex was kind of samey-same, even when positions and activities differed, and didn't generally advance either the plot or my understanding of the characters. There were also places where they clearly just needed to TALK to each other and, even though it's kind of understandable given their lack of relationship experience, I found it annoying.

There were some lovely moments, especially

dancing in Scott's apartment after the gala.

So romantic!

A lot of people I know really love this series, so it may be right for you even though I am unenthusiastic about it after reading this book. And if you're one of my friends who does love it, I'd be interested to hear what about it works for you.

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nickoliver's review against another edition

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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

3.5

Spontaneously, I decided to buy this book as an ebook and then proceeded to read it over two days. It was certainly fun! But I also felt like the romance was developed waaaayyy too quickly, and I sometimes found myself wanting more conversations or a closer look at certain things in their lives - like Kip's job/school search, for example - instead of just smut every other page. It got a bit boring at times. Plus, Kip was a very infuriating character in the second half of the story, refusing to understand what was at stake for Scott and playing the poor victim despite having gone in the relationship knowing it would have to be kept a secret.

But it was a quick read, had (mostly) loveable characters, a surprising little amount of actual homophobia, and I also loved that Scott wasn't outed by anybody but was able to come out when he was ready.

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mspecht's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

3.75

*slams fists on the table* GIVE ME MORE DUMB HOCKEY BOYFRIENDS

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antonique_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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aromarrie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

this book actually almost made me cry, what the hell. kip & scott, these guys deserve the world and their love story filled me with so much happiness, it was beyond sweet. the hockey element made this story feel even more compelling to me, and i can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series.

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frantic_vampire's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

Oh my god! I loved this book so freaking much. It literally had me in tears from all the angst and the sweetest fluff. I just want to be wrapped up in it forever. This is how you do a hockey romance! Good god, I loved Kip and Scott. They were both utter sweethearts and so totally gone for each other. But they were also complete idiots. And I just loved them for it. I could just gush on and on about them being the sweetest cinnamon rolls, but I won’t. Because you should definitely read this Game Changer for yourself to see 😊.

One of the other things I really loved about this book was that it had actual snippets of hockey in it! We got to see Scott at an actual game, doing his job being the captain of his team. It was so nice to read. Not that I know a single thing about hockey, but still, it was really nice. I also really appreciated that we got to see Scott willingly come out in the most public way possible after being so adamant for the entire book that he would never do it. And also? His super supportive teammates and best friends just made my heart so happy. Especially considering that sports isn’t necessarily the most accepting of spaces.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in 2021, and it happens to be one of the last ones for the year. I wish I had read it sooner so I could include it in my year end wrap ups. Game Changer is getting a solid five stars. Please read it if you haven’t, you won’t be disappointed!

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allingoodtime's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

Sometimes I actually remember to jot down where I get a book recommendation. This is one of those times. The downfall of this is that I see how long I waited to get around to reading something that I saw a recommendation for. Trust me on this one…if you like romance and hockey, don’t put this book off. Back in January 2020 (yep, almost 2 years ago) I saw a Twitter thread that had me writing this book down. I didn’t take meticulous notes, but it seems like @kkielyauthor had asked for recs and this book was mentioned by @JenReadsRomance. At the time I still hadn’t even started listening to the Fated Mates podcast, of which Jen is one of the hosts. Now, almost 2 years later I know to trust when Jen recommends a book. I’ve read many that were recommendations from the Fated Mates podcast. I figured I need to get to this one since I am most definitely a hockey romance super fan.

Scott and Kip have such wonderful chemistry from the very start. There is something shy and innocent about the way they meet. The way they go about building their relationship is very sweet. Unfortunately, some of that innocence and sweetness has to do with Scott being in the closet due to his career. I think you can imagine where the conflict comes in with this story.

Kip is amazingly calm and understanding with Scott. Not so much because Scott is a sports idol in their city, but because Kip realizes very early on that what they have together is special. He understands how coming out can and will impact Scott’s career. But how much secrecy can Kip handle? After a while, it’s no fun to be someone’s secret.

For Scott’s part, there is an intense inner struggle. He doesn’t seem to be ashamed of being gay, but he’s been without a traditional family his whole adult life. His hockey teams, fellow players and coaches, have been his family since he was a teenager and lost his mom. This has made it extremely hard for Scott to find anyone he can talk to about his sexuality. Kip makes him want to change all that, but there is a lot at risk.

There are parts of this story that are totally heartbreaking. Scott is hurting and not sure how to handle things so he shuts down. Kip is hurting and trying so hard to wait things out, but it’s turning him into an introverted and unsure person when he was always more extroverted and somewhat confident in himself. Of course, this being a romance, there is the guaranteed HEA for this couple. And they both deserve that happiness.

I’m very much looking forward to reading more in this series. The author does a beautiful job in writing the highs and lows both. Plus, I can always do with more hockey romances in my life!

edit 10/4/23
I just finished the audio version of this book and wanted to add a note. I was still engrossed in this story and didn't want it to end. I love listening to this first book after having completed the series. I got excited when I saw certain characters even if they didn't have a real story in this one. A good portion of the story I loved the narrator, but did not really enjoy his voice for Kip. I think it's the same thing as if you see the movie version of a beloved book and the characters don't look how you'd imagine. The voice was very different from what I imagined and it took me quite a few chapters to fall into the characterization. This story has stuck with me for years so I'm changing my rating from 4.5 to 5 stars.

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