Scan barcode
ouroboros_00's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Swoon-worthy, sweet, sappy, spicy and... sporty! This book surprised me for being more over-the-top sentimental than I anticipated. This is the first book I've read by Tal Bauer (but It won't be my last) so not sure if all his characters are this all-or-nothing but it was mostly sappy in the right way for me. A little too OTT near the end...
Considering I am not a sports fan in my daily life I actually enjoyed all the hockey details and I loved, loved, loved the hockey family of the Etoiles team. Nothing gets more bonus points from me than bromance on top of romance. Bauer's writing is excellent: vivid and descriptive. Despite the somewhat "love at first sight" connection... there was still enoug tension and bulid-up for me. Definitely check TW for the emergency in the later portion of the book,although it was shocking, it was super well done and had me on the edge of my seat, but it's pretty graphically described.
In terms of things I didn't like... I really needed more dimensionality from Hunter, mid-way through. We needed to see him googling and working through his feelings. I know that he says his internal world has been shallow because of his youth and upbringing but I wanted more from him. Other than Hunter, the amount of French went from authentic to distracting pretty quickly.
Still, the sweets were super sweet in this book and I just loved their love and their teammates love... this is the world we all deserve to live in.
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Considering I am not a sports fan in my daily life I actually enjoyed all the hockey details and I loved, loved, loved the hockey family of the Etoiles team. Nothing gets more bonus points from me than bromance on top of romance. Bauer's writing is excellent: vivid and descriptive. Despite the somewhat "love at first sight" connection... there was still enoug tension and bulid-up for me. Definitely check TW for the emergency in the later portion of the book,
In terms of things I didn't like... I really needed more dimensionality from Hunter, mid-way through. We needed to see him googling and working through his feelings. I know that he says his internal world has been shallow because of his youth and upbringing but I wanted more from him. Other than Hunter, the amount of French went from authentic to distracting pretty quickly.
Still, the sweets were super sweet in this book and I just loved their love and their teammates love... this is the world we all deserve to live in.
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
horns_and_ember's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol
bawoodpecker's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Fantastic story, a definite go-to read again. If you're not skilled in French, having a translation app nearby is helpful with this one but totally worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
cam_882's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
nicolaj1994's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Sexual content
apolen's review against another edition
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Medical content
ellenkennedy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I like Tal's writing style (even though purple prose isn't really my cup of tea) but his stories are always so... instalovey. ;) And "Gravity" is no different. Not my thing, but still enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow in the middle, but very intense both before the river and after Bryce's injury. Not that everyone's reaction to Hunter and Bryce's relationship was very realistic, but I liked the team dynamics nonetheless. A bit heavy on the spice. Personally, I'd lose a few scenes. Felt redundant after some time. Repetitive. But I loved the river imagery and how poetic their love for hockey was. Not my favourite of Tal's but still charming.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
cozycritiques's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
”It's like I can't escape him. Et non, I do not want to. He can trap me in his gravity pour toujours.”
- Gravity
Tropes: Sports Romance (Hockey), Workplace Romance, Teammates, Sexual Awakening, Hurt/Comfort, Not Third Act Breakup
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Gay
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Graphic Injury Detail, Hospitalization, Medical Content, Blood
When I picked up Gravity, I expected it to be a lot like most other sports romances I’ve read: fun, flirty, and a little bit sexy. I did not expect a heart-wrenchingly soft love story that left me with an emotional hangover.
Tal Bauer’s writing was poetic—which is not something I usually like because it’s too hard for my neurodivergent brain to read between the lines and parse out what’s actually happening. But somehow, Bauer strikes the perfect balance between beautiful sweeping prose and an easy-to-follow plot.
I loved the juxtaposition of insta-love and slow-burn between Bryce and Hunter. Their friendship and chemistry developed so easily and quickly, yet the build to their romantic relationship was filled with heart-aching pining. It worked beautifully.
There’s no third-act breakup, which I also loved. However, there is still a major conflict in the third act that I did not see coming and kept me on edge until the very last page. I don’t want to give too much away other than to say to check out my content warnings above, but I will say that it was absolutely heartbreaking in the best way. The hurt/comfort between Bryce, Hunter, and the entire team stitched my heart back together.
This is probably one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time, and I absolutely loved it.
Also, just a quick note: This book has a lot of on-page French. However, if you’re reading on Kindle, the in-app/device translation feature works great, and if you’re reading in print, Bauer includes translation footnotes at the end of each chapter.
- Gravity
Tropes: Sports Romance (Hockey), Workplace Romance, Teammates, Sexual Awakening, Hurt/Comfort, Not Third Act Breakup
Representation: LGBTQ+ (Gay
Spice Scale: 🌶🌶🌶
CW: Graphic Injury Detail, Hospitalization, Medical Content, Blood
When I picked up Gravity, I expected it to be a lot like most other sports romances I’ve read: fun, flirty, and a little bit sexy. I did not expect a heart-wrenchingly soft love story that left me with an emotional hangover.
Tal Bauer’s writing was poetic—which is not something I usually like because it’s too hard for my neurodivergent brain to read between the lines and parse out what’s actually happening. But somehow, Bauer strikes the perfect balance between beautiful sweeping prose and an easy-to-follow plot.
I loved the juxtaposition of insta-love and slow-burn between Bryce and Hunter. Their friendship and chemistry developed so easily and quickly, yet the build to their romantic relationship was filled with heart-aching pining. It worked beautifully.
There’s no third-act breakup, which I also loved. However, there is still a major conflict in the third act that I did not see coming and kept me on edge until the very last page. I don’t want to give too much away other than to say to check out my content warnings above, but I will say that it was absolutely heartbreaking in the best way. The hurt/comfort between Bryce, Hunter, and the entire team stitched my heart back together.
This is probably one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time, and I absolutely loved it.
Also, just a quick note: This book has a lot of on-page French. However, if you’re reading on Kindle, the in-app/device translation feature works great, and if you’re reading in print, Bauer includes translation footnotes at the end of each chapter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Blood
melly_book_review's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual content
amris's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Gore, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood