A review by mollyreadsandcrafts
The New Guy by Sarina Bowen

3.75

Hudson is the perpetual new guy after being traded multiple times throughout his NHL career. Now in Brooklyn, he's healing an injury when he meets Gavin at a bar. Except Gavin is not only his new neighbor, but the team's new athletic trainer. 

Gavin is a sweetheart and has gone through so much for someone so young. I would tear up whenever he mentioned his husband. I like how he is a single dad but that wasn't his whole story. Instead the focus was on how he's trying to live and love again after a lot of big life changes. Similarly Hudson is at a crossroads in his life and trying to figure out where his priorities are. Gavin was able to show Hudson there's more to life than the strict, closed off lifestyle he was living before and that it's okay to grow roots somewhere. Hudson was open to whatever Gavin was willing to give while being understanding of where Gavin was emotionally and of his obligation to his family first. They were both there for each other at a difficult time and gave the other a safe and loving place to land. 

I liked most of this book but the end kind of lost me. I loved the drama that hit because I didn't see it coming, but I didn't really like how they reconciled their relationship. Gavin was really hurt by what Hudson did but he forgave him almost immediately after months of not talking and decide to uproot his and his daughter's life all over again. The end just was missing something for me. 

I also didn't like how we didn't get some closure on some of the plot points that were such a big part of the beginning of the story. The in-laws part was okay, though I have a hard time believing the love across the country went down well. But Hudson and his dad never talking again was just kind of skimmed over. Some of the things I thought were interesting in the first part didn't really come up again in the second. I forgot by the end that Hudson had this chronic hip problem and that Gavin was his athletic trainer. Once the hockey season ended and their relationship stopped revolving around that, I felt like the story lost its way a bit. 

I'm intrigued enough to see how the rest of the series goes. I own the second book already so I'll definitely read it at some point. The team and management all seem like good people and I hope we can see those dynamics a little more from someone more involved in the teams than Hudson. Gavin and Hudson were cute with a touch of angst, and I hope we get more of that but with a better flushed out story next. 

PSA to hockey romance authors - the NHL does not handshake at the end of games. It's a special playoff tradition that only happens at the end of playoff series. 

Read if you like: 

• hockey romance                               

• single dad             

• athletic trainer x athlete   
• secret relationship 

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