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A review by oceaneanagonye
Coldest Kind of Love by M.P. Bates
5.0
"Coldest Kind of Love" by MP Bates caught me totally by surprise. I wasn't looking for a new book to read when I saw another of their books on someone's favorite MM novellas list. I crushed that book ("Chase Midnight") in one sitting and knew I needed more from this author. I went to their page and found promo for this book! It caught my eye because it had the trappings of all the things that usually get me hooked. Enemies-to-lovers. Stepbrothers. Hockey. I was done. And then I found out that it came out two days later and was sold. That's how I ended up awake at 4:00 AM absolutely devouring this book.
Foster and Ronan are technically former stepbrothers who share a love for hockey. As teenagers, they were close and cared for each other deeply. Then one day, everything changed. Suddenly they couldn't stand being near one another and abandoned each other in their times of need. Years later they've both made it into the NHL on rival teams. They haven't so much as spoken to each other in years. So what happens when Foster is suddenly traded to Ronan's team, taking the place of his best friend and teammate? Will they find a way to play nice again, or ice each other out for good?
April is Autism Acceptance Month and one of our main characters, Ronan, is a high-masking autist like the author. As an autistic person myself, I felt the representation was perfect, authentic, and respectful. He's a character who isn't just his autistic traits but openly describes his related struggles. Struggles like needing physical touch for grounding but only from very specific people. One line that killed me was when Foster was worried he had overstepped and said "You’re okay, right? Your body still trusts me?" Oh my god. So beautiful. I can't properly explain why, but that demonstration of care and deep understanding makes my stomach flip-flop. Their relationship arc is so well done and the pacing is perfect. The steam and spice were wonderfully done as well.
If you like enemies-to-lovers MM hockey romances with some spice, heart, and a little bit of spitting (the good kind), you're going to love this book.
Foster and Ronan are technically former stepbrothers who share a love for hockey. As teenagers, they were close and cared for each other deeply. Then one day, everything changed. Suddenly they couldn't stand being near one another and abandoned each other in their times of need. Years later they've both made it into the NHL on rival teams. They haven't so much as spoken to each other in years. So what happens when Foster is suddenly traded to Ronan's team, taking the place of his best friend and teammate? Will they find a way to play nice again, or ice each other out for good?
April is Autism Acceptance Month and one of our main characters, Ronan, is a high-masking autist like the author. As an autistic person myself, I felt the representation was perfect, authentic, and respectful. He's a character who isn't just his autistic traits but openly describes his related struggles. Struggles like needing physical touch for grounding but only from very specific people. One line that killed me was when Foster was worried he had overstepped and said "You’re okay, right? Your body still trusts me?" Oh my god. So beautiful. I can't properly explain why, but that demonstration of care and deep understanding makes my stomach flip-flop. Their relationship arc is so well done and the pacing is perfect. The steam and spice were wonderfully done as well.
If you like enemies-to-lovers MM hockey romances with some spice, heart, and a little bit of spitting (the good kind), you're going to love this book.