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A review by bee_thebibliophile
Delay of Game by Ari Baran
3.0
While I wasn’t a huge fan of [b:Game Misconduct|63118082|Game Misconduct (Penalty Box, #1)|Ari Baran|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1676298341l/63118082._SY75_.jpg|99011725], I was hopeful that Delay of Game would be different, but I had pretty similar feelings. It was fine but I felt disconnected from the romance.
Nate Singer is the captain of the Philly Constitution - he’s still trying to figure out how to be the captain of the hockey team while also struggling with his self-confidence and feeling worthy of his position. His best friend Zach Reed is one of the alternate captains on the team - he was traded to Philly after his less than stellar behavior but has turned it around in the past 2 years, focusing on hockey and spending time with Nate.
These two are really good friends and all it takes is one night of liquid courage to bring them together the way they’ve both been thinking about. Their relationship turns into a superstition and more than that, but they never really have a conversation about it. I liked how Zach helped Nate see himself in a different light and how Nate didn’t let Zach talk poorly about himself, but just didn’t feel the romantic connection between them as much as I wanted, or really at all.
What I didn’t like? The book starts out with a time skip where Zach and Nate become best friends and establish their relationship and we didn’t get to see any of that. I read the whole rest of the book (from chapter 1 on) feeling like I missed a chapter or two even though it just wasn’t there. Also the miscommunication between Nate and Zach that pulls them apart. It was so dragged out and felt out of character for them, even if they were both feeling things they hadn’t felt before.
Honestly I was happier to see Mike and Danny from Game Misconduct making it work and Bee and Makala doing cute couple things together than I was most of the book. The Cup celebrations at the end made me smile so I’m glad it ended on a high note.
Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press for an ARC of this title!
Nate Singer is the captain of the Philly Constitution - he’s still trying to figure out how to be the captain of the hockey team while also struggling with his self-confidence and feeling worthy of his position. His best friend Zach Reed is one of the alternate captains on the team - he was traded to Philly after his less than stellar behavior but has turned it around in the past 2 years, focusing on hockey and spending time with Nate.
These two are really good friends and all it takes is one night of liquid courage to bring them together the way they’ve both been thinking about. Their relationship turns into a superstition and more than that, but they never really have a conversation about it. I liked how Zach helped Nate see himself in a different light and how Nate didn’t let Zach talk poorly about himself, but just didn’t feel the romantic connection between them as much as I wanted, or really at all.
What I didn’t like? The book starts out with a time skip where Zach and Nate become best friends and establish their relationship and we didn’t get to see any of that. I read the whole rest of the book (from chapter 1 on) feeling like I missed a chapter or two even though it just wasn’t there. Also the miscommunication between Nate and Zach that pulls them apart. It was so dragged out and felt out of character for them, even if they were both feeling things they hadn’t felt before.
Honestly I was happier to see Mike and Danny from Game Misconduct making it work and Bee and Makala doing cute couple things together than I was most of the book. The Cup celebrations at the end made me smile so I’m glad it ended on a high note.
Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press for an ARC of this title!