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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
MM Romance
No Breakup
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Havent't made my mind up yet.
Ayri Quinn is just a lovely MC, he feels like a puppy to me.
When we start the story, he's labouring under a persistent groin injury - adductor strain. He needs physiotherapy, however, since he's got a major crush on the one assistant trainer and physiotherapist (Vance), who he gets assigned to constantly, his body betrays him each and every time (think boner) when Vance works on his groin area. So he pretends everything is fine and "cheats" by getting treatment elsewhere.
Vance, out and proud assistant trainer, feels a strong attraction to Quinn, too. Quinn and Asher Dalton are the two gay players on Buffalo's team, but that doesn't mean Vance would act on his attraction. The physical reaction of his patient could very well be just a natural reaction to being handled in the groin area.
Then the injury gets much worse, Vance steps in to help, forced proximity during healing makes it obvious to both of them that the attraction is scorching hot.
Since this is a romance, Vance's attempt to stay professional and keep his hands off his patient is short lived. They invariably grow closer when Quinn's play is severely affected even after healing since he's crumbling under the pressure to up his game, stay on the roster, stay healthy, meet his own and the team's expectations. Being with Vance helps in this area, too. They work well together - and are just good for each other, mentally, physically, emotionally. And in essence, they TALK with each other, are good communicators.
On the plus side: the crisis that each romance has to have is thankfully no break-up due to some brainless misunderstanding. It's believably Quinn-typical and can be easily worked out with talking to each other. Which they do before the "critical thingy" drives them apart.
Why then just three stars?
I cannot put my finger on it but I didn't warm to Vance. I really, really like Quinn, but Vance for me kept being elusive.
That's often my problem with the titles of this particular author-duo - I didn't care for Lane in Puckboy 3 and thought Aleks in Puckboy 4 far too bland. Both books had too little hockey, too.
Otoh, when both MCs click, the books are great (Puckboy 1 with the hot duo Ezra and Anton and Puckboy 2 with the cute duo Dex and Tripp; in the CU universe there's a couple of duos I really liked, also the MCs in Up in Flames).
I guess it's a question of chemistry and I really don't know what makes me get a connection with both MCs and what is it that I don't get it.
With Vance, I'd have loved to see more of him as physical therapist, this story could have been a competence pornfeast: It's such a thrill to watch professionals be professional and therapists are such a huge element for a player's success and health. I'd have loved to see Vance in action far more than just the little bits we see in the beginning.
Also: the stories in the Puckboy series are never chaste, but I'm not into the stories for that, I'm usually not a great fan of the smut scenes. They need to have purpose. They had here (as in the other Puckboy books), but I guess I'm just not particularly into what they were turned on by. It just wasn't my cup of tea, so that distracted a bit from connecting again.
Ayri Quinn is just a lovely MC, he feels like a puppy to me.
When we start the story, he's labouring under a persistent groin injury - adductor strain. He needs physiotherapy, however, since he's got a major crush on the one assistant trainer and physiotherapist (Vance), who he gets assigned to constantly, his body betrays him each and every time (think boner) when Vance works on his groin area. So he pretends everything is fine and "cheats" by getting treatment elsewhere.
Vance, out and proud assistant trainer, feels a strong attraction to Quinn, too. Quinn and Asher Dalton are the two gay players on Buffalo's team, but that doesn't mean Vance would act on his attraction. The physical reaction of his patient could very well be just a natural reaction to being handled in the groin area.
Then the injury gets much worse, Vance steps in to help, forced proximity during healing makes it obvious to both of them that the attraction is scorching hot.
Since this is a romance, Vance's attempt to stay professional and keep his hands off his patient is short lived. They invariably grow closer when Quinn's play is severely affected even after healing since he's crumbling under the pressure to up his game, stay on the roster, stay healthy, meet his own and the team's expectations. Being with Vance helps in this area, too. They work well together - and are just good for each other, mentally, physically, emotionally. And in essence, they TALK with each other, are good communicators.
On the plus side: the crisis that each romance has to have is thankfully no break-up due to some brainless misunderstanding. It's believably Quinn-typical and can be easily worked out with talking to each other. Which they do before the "critical thingy" drives them apart.
Why then just three stars?
I cannot put my finger on it but I didn't warm to Vance. I really, really like Quinn, but Vance for me kept being elusive.
That's often my problem with the titles of this particular author-duo - I didn't care for Lane in Puckboy 3 and thought Aleks in Puckboy 4 far too bland. Both books had too little hockey, too.
Otoh, when both MCs click, the books are great (Puckboy 1 with the hot duo Ezra and Anton and Puckboy 2 with the cute duo Dex and Tripp; in the CU universe there's a couple of duos I really liked, also the MCs in Up in Flames).
I guess it's a question of chemistry and I really don't know what makes me get a connection with both MCs and what is it that I don't get it.
With Vance, I'd have loved to see more of him as physical therapist, this story could have been a competence pornfeast: It's such a thrill to watch professionals be professional and therapists are such a huge element for a player's success and health. I'd have loved to see Vance in action far more than just the little bits we see in the beginning.
Also: the stories in the Puckboy series are never chaste, but I'm not into the stories for that, I'm usually not a great fan of the smut scenes. They need to have purpose. They had here (as in the other Puckboy books), but I guess I'm just not particularly into what they were turned on by. It just wasn't my cup of tea, so that distracted a bit from connecting again.
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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