A review by erika_winters
Tough Guy by Rachel Reid

challenging hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

4.25

This is the third book in Reid’s wonderful gay hockey romance series, and it very much felt different from the first two in the series. This isn’t a bad thing at all because I truly enjoyed this book! Ryan and Fabian share a tender love through care and understanding that truly warmed my heart. There was so much development with each character, and Reid poured her heart into Ryan’s character the most. Anxiety, stress, and depression are all very real things each and every one of us feels, including hockey players. Writing a character who suffers from severe anxiety and panic attacks represents a group in male sports that is hardly ever recognized or discussed. Hockey—sometimes representing all the toxicity that looms in male spaces—adds so much pressure to players, so to have players IRL discuss their experiences with mental illness and seeking help for it (by way of medication and/or seeing a therapist) is so vital, and representing that on the page through Ryan was so meaningful. Truly an impactful read—I’ll be thinking about this one for a good long while probably! As always, I would like to personally write my thanks to the master herself, Rachel Reid, for knowing puck and writing such masterful characters with big feelings. 
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