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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not my fave Hall book. Everything just kinda lacked depth, including the characters. Besides the team drama of the past books in the series being mentioned a bit in the beginning, neither character had any real history or complexity, lots of things just didn’t really make any sense.. just overall felt very rushed and lackluster. Idk about reading any of the future books in this series, but I’ll def keep my eye out for other releases from this author.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lower angst than the previous ones - I enjoyed the premise of the story. A student is shadowing a hockey player to study his behaviour. There was no doubt it would fail from the first eye flutter.
It takes a lot of work to stay impartial with a subject you are spending so much time with. And two college guys who are attracted to one another are definitely not the best candidates to do that!
I didn’t connect with this one as much as the others, but it was a solid addition to the Westmount series.
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Patrick has seen his best friends pair off and fall in love. When he gets a request from Shane. a sports psychology student to be his study for his thesis. Patrick instantly says yes, he loves the attention. Shane is used to not being seen, he hides himself in baggy clothes and always has his nose in a book. To Shane, having to watch Patrick is not a hardship and the more he watches, the more he wants.
I loved loved loved this book. Patrick and Shane were the complete opposite, but the more time they spent with each other, you can see how good they are for each other. Whilst Patrick came across as cocky and always took what he wanted, he took his time with Shane, getting to know him, working out his feelings for Shane and Shane wanting Patrick to see, his confidence growing the longer he spent with Patrick.
The appearance of Easton and Jace, Elio and Jaxon, gave Shane the friends he didn't have and gave Patrick the confidence to pursue Shane.
This is one story I will be returning to and I am looking forward to seeing more of this series
I loved loved loved this book. Patrick and Shane were the complete opposite, but the more time they spent with each other, you can see how good they are for each other. Whilst Patrick came across as cocky and always took what he wanted, he took his time with Shane, getting to know him, working out his feelings for Shane and Shane wanting Patrick to see, his confidence growing the longer he spent with Patrick.
The appearance of Easton and Jace, Elio and Jaxon, gave Shane the friends he didn't have and gave Patrick the confidence to pursue Shane.
This is one story I will be returning to and I am looking forward to seeing more of this series
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 stars
Very good emotional love story from Hayden Hall.
Patrick, hockey player for the Saints, is the typical handsome cocky jock. Shane is the invisible shy student who wants to observe him for his psychology project.
The two of them couldn't be more different and yet they are drawn to each other and can't really stay away. Shane is gay and Patrick represents all he wanted to be when he still had his dream, while Patrick is supposedly straight but he craves Shane's attention and he flirts with him endlessly.
I found Patrick's bi awakening very well written: every conflicted emotions, every doubts, every fickle behaviour were realistic.
As usual, the physical scenes are amazing: emotional, intimate, beautiful. Hayden Hall doesn't just narrate what the men are doing but he goes deep into their souls and gives us all their feelings.
Their first time is absolutely wonderful, I felt like I was intruding in a utterly precious moment.
What prevented me from giving a higher rate:
I didn't really understand the reason of the third act breakup, it seemed just an overreacting from both of them.
The side character are great: Easton, Jace, Jaxon and Elio are very good friends, especially Elio: I loved his conversation with Patrick.
Next book will be about Lennox and Oliver and I'm very curious to see what their story will be.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
Very good emotional love story from Hayden Hall.
Patrick, hockey player for the Saints, is the typical handsome cocky jock. Shane is the invisible shy student who wants to observe him for his psychology project.
The two of them couldn't be more different and yet they are drawn to each other and can't really stay away. Shane is gay and Patrick represents all he wanted to be when he still had his dream, while Patrick is supposedly straight but he craves Shane's attention and he flirts with him endlessly.
I found Patrick's bi awakening very well written: every conflicted emotions, every doubts, every fickle behaviour were realistic.
As usual, the physical scenes are amazing: emotional, intimate, beautiful. Hayden Hall doesn't just narrate what the men are doing but he goes deep into their souls and gives us all their feelings.
Their first time is absolutely wonderful, I felt like I was intruding in a utterly precious moment.
What prevented me from giving a higher rate:
I didn't really understand the reason of the third act breakup, it seemed just an overreacting from both of them.
The side character are great: Easton, Jace, Jaxon and Elio are very good friends, especially Elio: I loved his conversation with Patrick.
Next book will be about Lennox and Oliver and I'm very curious to see what their story will be.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
I received an ARC of Rules of Play by Hayden Hall from Gay Romance Reviews Book Three in The Saints of Westmont U series.
This book can be read a standalone, however I am happy I read the first two in the series, especially getting to know Patrick and learning his character. I also loved seeing the characters from the first two all coming together in this one.
This book is different to the first so in the series, it’s low-angst, slow-burn and quite a sweet romance between Patrick, the hothead hockey player and the shy, nerd Shane, who is a sport’s psychology student that studies Patrick for his thesis.
Shane has to become Patrick’s shadow, which Patrick doesn’t mind, he likes being watched and admired. It is fun to witness Patrick, who has always identified as straight, try and justify why he is always trying to impress Shane and flirts with him. Shane, ever the professional tires so hard to. It read to much into it but the scientist in him cannot resist an experiment to see if the attraction is real!
I really enjoyed the forced proximity, non-dates and seeing the gradually fall. It was a very cute and sweet edition to the series!
This book can be read a standalone, however I am happy I read the first two in the series, especially getting to know Patrick and learning his character. I also loved seeing the characters from the first two all coming together in this one.
This book is different to the first so in the series, it’s low-angst, slow-burn and quite a sweet romance between Patrick, the hothead hockey player and the shy, nerd Shane, who is a sport’s psychology student that studies Patrick for his thesis.
Shane has to become Patrick’s shadow, which Patrick doesn’t mind, he likes being watched and admired. It is fun to witness Patrick, who has always identified as straight, try and justify why he is always trying to impress Shane and flirts with him. Shane, ever the professional tires so hard to. It read to much into it but the scientist in him cannot resist an experiment to see if the attraction is real!
I really enjoyed the forced proximity, non-dates and seeing the gradually fall. It was a very cute and sweet edition to the series!
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Shane is a nerd, shy, and even slightly afraid of people. He wished he were a social person, but he isn’t.
His latest university project is to study athletes, specifically Patrick Callahan. He will be his shadow and observe him for the rest of the year. Yes, Patrick agreed to be part of this project.
Patrick likes to show off, a straight jock trying to impress Shane, why? Because it’s fun. Who doesn’t want to be watched, and hopefully admired?
Shane is the professional one, telling Patrick just to be himself, and keep themselves at a distance. As if!
Gosh, Shane tried hard, really hard, but couldn’t help wanting Patrick.
Patrick knows Shane is lonely, he even offered his friends to Shane, nope Shane is the professional, remember?
Shadowing Patrick daily means also joining him and his team at the out games, staying in hotels, sharing a room, even a bed.
I’m not gonna spoil what happens further, read this yourself. I adored this story!
It was fun, sweet, low-angst, sexy, and lovely.
The characters were nicely and consistently drawn, the nerd and the cocky jock, there’s gay awakening and delicious first times! Enjoy!
A sweet college romance when the seemingly straight jock opens his eyes to new possibilities with the cute nerd following him around for his thesis. Both men fought their own insecurities throughout the book but ultimately decided to trust one another and fall in love. I read this as a standalone but as notes reading in order of the series is always more fun.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is the third book in this series and I think it might be my favorite so far. It can definitely be read as a standalone, but it's better read in order.
Shane, who is a sports psychology student will be shadowing and closely observing Patrick as part of a semester long thesis. Their whole story felt very sweet and it was a great low-angst read. I enjoyed seeing the chemistry and tension between Shane and Patrick, it was fun seeing the accidental flirting between these two. It was also fun to watch Shane's little experiment to be sure about the cause Patrick's pulse skyrocketing at certain times. I loved how they understood each other and how swoony and sweet they were. There was a depth of emotions here that I really appreciated. They made each other feel things they were missing and I loved how gone they were for each other.
I feel like the pacing of the book was really good and it felt like a quick and easy read with sweet and swoony moments, but also funny and hot moments as well.
If you want a strangers to lovers hockey romance that is full of cuteness and is low-angst, then this is the book for you!
Shane, who is a sports psychology student will be shadowing and closely observing Patrick as part of a semester long thesis. Their whole story felt very sweet and it was a great low-angst read. I enjoyed seeing the chemistry and tension between Shane and Patrick, it was fun seeing the accidental flirting between these two. It was also fun to watch Shane's little experiment to be sure about the cause Patrick's pulse skyrocketing at certain times. I loved how they understood each other and how swoony and sweet they were. There was a depth of emotions here that I really appreciated. They made each other feel things they were missing and I loved how gone they were for each other.
I feel like the pacing of the book was really good and it felt like a quick and easy read with sweet and swoony moments, but also funny and hot moments as well.
If you want a strangers to lovers hockey romance that is full of cuteness and is low-angst, then this is the book for you!