Blurb:

There’s nothing Ethan Barnes has wanted more than to play hockey with his brothers. Avery, Charlie and Ethan have been dreaming about uniting the Barnes brothers on one team since they were barely old enough to hold a hockey stick.

Starting his rookie season on the New York Bandits, Ethan’s finally going to get the chance to play with his brother Charlie. But while Charlie’s great—a fantastic roommate, a better teammate, and a damn good forward—it turns out the guy Ethan’s really interested in doesn’t have a last name of Barnes.

Hank Tucker’s been working his ass off for two years to make the Bandits opening roster as one of their starting defensemen. What he needs is determination, hard work and focus.

What he doesn’t need is a rookie forward with a famous last name, who, since the first time they met at development camp last year, has permanently moved into his thoughts with his rumpled curls and magnetic smiles and killer body. No matter how grumpy Hank is or how determined he is to shake him, Ethan’s sunshine ends up buried deep under Hank’s skin.

Hank’s always been sure he was straight. But Ethan tempts him and entices him and ultimately, makes himself so irresistible Hank’s got no shot at holding back.

Especially when it turns out that Ethan’s not just been working hard to make a spot on the Bandits’ roster but in Hank’s bed, too.

Tropes: double bisexual awakening, player x player, black cat x golden retriever, grumpy x sunshine, pining/yearning

Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/5517829

*****

Review:

There’s a connection between Ethan and Hank from the moment they meet. And they slowly build on that as they go their separate ways for the season. Because Ethan is going to do everything he can to get his guy and I love that for him. Not that Hank is exactly adverse but it’s definitely Ethan that gets things going.

It has a real feel to it tho as Hank especially comes to terms with their sexuality. They go at a pace that works for both of them which doesn’t involve jumping right in to anything sexual and keeping their evolving relationship private. It’s so much slow burn and so much yearning as these two spend a lot of time separated due to hockey 🙂

It’s also the first in a new series so we get some time being introduced to the world inhabited by the Barnes siblings. I think it’s going to be more of a mood read because you kinda have to just sit back and let the story come to you. But I did enjoy Ethan and Hank and I liked the glimpses of the other Barnes siblings we get, their dynamic and the pressure they are under to be no just good but extraordinary.