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Role Model
- Game Changers, Book 5
- Narrated by: Cooper North
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
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Common Goal
- A Gay Sports Romance
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Cooper North
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It's time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time. Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He'd sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved.
Written by: Rachel Reid
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The Long Game
- Game Changers, Book 6
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Cooper North
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Ten years. That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family…from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Heated Rivalry
- Game Changers Series, Book 2
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Tor Thom
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn't just crazy talented, he's got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he's captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won't let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night. Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane's not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he's as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him - except Shane. They've made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable.
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I loved it!
- By NickiP on 2021-05-16
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Game Changer
- Game Changers Series, Book 1
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Tor Thom
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter takes his pregame rituals very seriously. In this case, it's not just a lucky smoothie he's craving - it's the man who made it. Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he's desperate to recreate the magic...and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.
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Loved it!!
- By Mark Reece Healey on 2020-11-30
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Tough Guy
- Game Changers Series, Book 3
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Tor Thom
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he's determined to make a fresh start in the city's dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah. Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn't stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman.
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Book is a miss
- By Christine Howard on 2022-06-14
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Winning with Him
- Men of Summer Series, Book 2
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Resisting the shortstop has never been my strong suit. I failed at it during my first spring training. It sure as hell looks like I'm about to fail at it again. The sport I love playing with my very soul hangs in the balance. But everything my heart craves lies with the guy I've got to resist. A guy who's asking me to make the toughest choice ever.
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Moving and poignant...
- By Linda D on 2021-08-29
Written by: Lauren Blakely
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Common Goal
- A Gay Sports Romance
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Cooper North
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
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Story
Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It's time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time. Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He'd sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved.
Written by: Rachel Reid
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The Long Game
- Game Changers, Book 6
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Cooper North
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Ten years. That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family…from the league. If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything?
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Heated Rivalry
- Game Changers Series, Book 2
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Tor Thom
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn't just crazy talented, he's got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he's captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won't let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night. Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane's not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he's as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him - except Shane. They've made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable.
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I loved it!
- By NickiP on 2021-05-16
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Game Changer
- Game Changers Series, Book 1
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Tor Thom
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
New York Admirals captain Scott Hunter takes his pregame rituals very seriously. In this case, it's not just a lucky smoothie he's craving - it's the man who made it. Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he's desperate to recreate the magic...and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.
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Loved it!!
- By Mark Reece Healey on 2020-11-30
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Tough Guy
- Game Changers Series, Book 3
- Written by: Rachel Reid
- Narrated by: Tor Thom
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he's determined to make a fresh start in the city's dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah. Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn't stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman.
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Book is a miss
- By Christine Howard on 2022-06-14
Written by: Rachel Reid
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Winning with Him
- Men of Summer Series, Book 2
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Resisting the shortstop has never been my strong suit. I failed at it during my first spring training. It sure as hell looks like I'm about to fail at it again. The sport I love playing with my very soul hangs in the balance. But everything my heart craves lies with the guy I've got to resist. A guy who's asking me to make the toughest choice ever.
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Moving and poignant...
- By Linda D on 2021-08-29
Written by: Lauren Blakely
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Egotistical Puckboy
- Puckboys, Book 1
- Written by: Eden Finley, Saxon James
- Narrated by: Iggy Toma, Alexander Cendese
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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When it comes to hockey, I'm all about the game. I've worked for years to be one of the best in the league, and l've done it without splashing my orientation all over the tabloids. My hockey image is one I've carefully cultivated, and after one night with Ezra Palaszczuk, I risk it all. He's cocky, obnoxious, and has an ego bigger than Massachusetts. And okay, maybe he's the sexiest man I've ever known. We'll never get along. Not when we sleep together. Not even when my possessive streak awakens. That doesn't stop us from falling into bed together over and over again.
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Fantastic
- By Heather Duff on 2022-10-26
Written by: Eden Finley, and others
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All in with Him
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Performed by Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan, the emotional, romantic, and sexy All In With Him is the final novel in the utterly addictive Men of Summer series! Once upon a time all I needed was baseball, friends, and extracurricular activities. Then everything changed when Declan Steele stormed into my life and upended all my priorities with his heart, his love, his passion. So my next five-year plan will include this new ground rule—love big.
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An epic finale to this remarkable journey
- By Linda D on 2021-09-26
Written by: Lauren Blakely
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The Endgame
- Written by: Riley Hart
- Narrated by: Iggy Toma
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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When I left home, I swore I'd never hide anything about myself again. From college, to law school, to the United States Senate representing California, I've done it all as an out gay man. So, when I'm in DC and see a beautiful guy at the hotel bar, I don't hesitate to proposition him...right before he runs out on me, leaving his sunglasses behind like my very own Cinderfella.
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Strong start, weak end.
- By Ryan on 2021-05-01
Written by: Riley Hart
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Scoring with Him
- Men of Summer Series, Book 1
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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I’m a rookie, in every sense of the word. But even though I have a wicked crush on the sexy shortstop on my baseball team, I won’t give in to my fantasies about him. I’m here in the majors for the first time to play ball. Not to experience my first time with a man. Trouble is, Declan Steele is sexy, flirty, and now, he’s my new workout partner. We’re spending mornings together in the gym, getting to know each other. Our connection is powerful—maybe because we each have our fair share of secrets and scars. Ones we'll both fight to protect.
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A passionate forbidden romance
- By Linda D on 2021-08-09
Written by: Lauren Blakely
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Budding Attraction
- Divorced Men's Club, Book 3
- Written by: Saxon James
- Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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I’ve never thought much about Orson Naples. He’s a cute guy who I’d seen around town a few times, but then one day he up and left and didn’t reappear until a few years later. No one knows where he went or what he was doing, all this gossipy town knows is that he’s a widower, owns the florist, and is friends with that divorced group that hang out at the Killer Brew all the time.
Written by: Saxon James
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Frat Wars: Presidential Chaos
- Written by: Saxon James
- Narrated by: Iggy Toma, Alexander Cendese
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Being president of a frat house means everything is on my shoulders. Idiot brothers, epic pranks, a list of organizational duties long enough to make my eyes bleed. None of it fazes me. But senior year is almost over, and I’m ready to take a step back.
Written by: Saxon James
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Frat Wars
- Master of Mayhem
- Written by: Saxon James
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese, Iggy Toma
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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As social chair of Sigma Beta Psi, I’m the life of the party. It’s what I’m known for, and if it’s not fun, I’m not interested, simple as that. I’m not someone who overthinks. So, when one of my brothers hooks up with a dude from another frat house, it catches me off guard when I can’t stop thinking about them…together. There’s only one way for me to get this obsession out of my head, and that’s by jumping in with both feet and putting it into practice.
Written by: Saxon James
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Turn Me On
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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A forbidden standalone sports romance performed by Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan! The first rule of being an attorney is don’t sleep with your clients. The second rule is...see the first rule. Those guidelines don’t account for a man like Zane Archer though. The major leaguer is all confidence and big D energy as he swaggers into my life, determined to have his way with me.
Written by: Lauren Blakely
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The Best Men
- Written by: Lauren Blakely, Sarina Bowen
- Narrated by: Jacob Morgan, Teddy Hamilton
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In my defense, I was left alone with a bottle of single-malt and a lifelong penchant for protecting my baby sister. Still, that's no excuse to send 10 drunk-texts on why her hasty marriage would be a mistake. If only I had just texted my sister. But nope. I accidentally sent the message to her, her groom, and his super hot wingman. I also used the phrase “super hot wingman”, so I’d like to die now.
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It's missing something
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-01-20
Written by: Lauren Blakely, and others
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Here Comes My Man
- The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet, Book 2
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Shane East, Teddy Hamilton, full cast
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Let me just say this—fake dating the cocky movie star was not my idea. Especially since he’s my former roomie and, gulp, my secret ex. But my agent tells me I have no choice since I’m ridiculously overdue with turning in the next big blockbuster love story to my publisher. Not to mention, ahem, writing it. Hooking up with the smooth-talking English hottie once upon a time—fine, twice—were huge mistakes that I shouldn’t repeat, but pretending to like the guy who drives me crazy is my only chance at saving my job.
Written by: Lauren Blakely
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Irresponsible Puckboy
- Puckboys, Book 2
- Written by: Eden Finley, Saxon James
- Narrated by: Iggy Toma, Alexander Cendese
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The worst part of being in love with my straight best friend is the fact he’s too oblivious to see it. Years of pining have left me exhausted, and I need a break from Dex. I need space to get over my feelings. But when his relationship falls apart and he turns to me for comfort, I cave immediately. If there’s one thing I hate more than being hurt, it’s seeing Dex struggle. I can’t leave him in a time of need, even if my friends say it’s my biggest downfall. They say Dexter Mitchale is my weakness, but if that’s true, I don’t want to be strong.
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Clueless and Adorable
- By Heather Duff on 2023-01-27
Written by: Eden Finley, and others
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The Bromance Zone
- Written by: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam, Evan Parker, Michael Crouch - epilogue
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Friends don't bang friends. I want my friends to stay in my life, especially that flirty, clever, outgoing best friend of mine. It's a darn good thing Owen and I made a pact in college to never ever sleep together, or else I'd be tempted. Trouble is, eight years later, I've been wondering what his kisses taste like. And I've been curious if our chemistry would extend into the bedroom. If he might feel the same risky pull. But I don't want to lose Owen.
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Too camp Too pretentious
- By Morgan on 2022-09-04
Written by: Lauren Blakely
Publisher's Summary
"Rachel Reid crafted a story of true heart, beauty, heat, and glorious, hard-won redemption! I loved both heroes and their journey to love was a gorgeous one to watch!" (Lauren Blakely, number one New York Times best-selling author of Scoring With Him)
The highly anticipated fifth novel in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series sees a grumpy professional hockey player meet his match in an out-and-proud social media manager....
The hits just keep coming for Troy Barrett. Traded to the worst team in the league would be bad enough, but coming on the heels of a messy breakup and a recent scandal…Troy just wants to play hockey and be left alone. He doesn’t want to be in the news anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want to “work on his online presence” with the team’s peppy social media manager.
Harris Drover can tell standoffish Troy isn’t happy about the trade - anyone could tell, frankly, as he doesn’t exactly hide it well - but Harris doesn’t give up on people easily. Even when he’s developing a crush he’s sure is one-sided. And when he sees Troy’s smile finally crack through his grumpy exterior, well…that’s a man Harris couldn’t turn his back on if he wanted to.
Suddenly, Troy’s move to the new team feels like an opportunity - for Troy to embrace his true self, and for both men to surrender to their growing attraction. But indulging in each other behind closed doors is one thing, and for Troy, being in a public relationship with Harris will mean facing off with his fears, once and for all.
Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer
Book 2: Heated Rivalry
Book 3: Tough Guy
Book 4: Common Goal
Book 5: Role Model
Book 6: The Long Game
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What listeners say about Role Model
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- KatieMcKaterson
- 2022-02-18
Excellent
I absolutely loved this story. I love the building of the relationship between Troy and Harris, and watching as Troy becomes more and more comfortable with who he is, and braver about being true to that. Cooper North does a wonderful job with narration, it didn't take me out of the story at any time. This will be a repeat listen for sure.
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- Catriona
- 2021-08-12
Great series
I love this series. I love that Ila had such a large role in this book as his and Shane's book was by far my favourite.
This one was probably my least favourite, but I still enjoyed it and look forward to more in the series.
The narration was really good. I didn't overly care for Harris's voice, but then I never totally came around to his character. Cooper North did a great job however the French Canada accent made me cringe a little as it was a France French accent - not French Canadian.
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- Cranky Reader
- 2021-09-25
Cuddly hockey romance & apple pie
After being traded to a less toxic pro hockey team, Todd starts crushing on the social media manager. It takes a while for this to manifest and I didn’t pick up on as much tension from suppressed longing as I think I was supposed to. This is my first foray into the series so I don’t know if Todd’s toxic past had been seen on page, but he makes an honest effort to stop being a jerk & apologize here. Harris is a cheerful guy who should probably get a raise.
Aside from the slower than slow simmer (not quire a slow burn for me), the season & relationships progressed nicely, the toxicity was stomped sown to a large degree, and this coming out in pro sports had one of the kindest, well supported rollouts, so I’d recommend Role Model to people wanting a low trauma coming out. There’s even a nice bit on consent when visiting kids in the hospital. It’s a pleasant group of people to spend time with, even if it took me a while to connect emotionally with the main characters. Todd grows a lot. Harris just hits a jackpot, but kinda didn’t need moral growth as much.
Steam: Medium. late start, but M/M details make the grade and make it on page. Genuine caring during cuddling also included.
Narration: Pretty well done. Varied regional accents were attempted. I sometimes mixed up whose POV we were in when the MCs shared a scene, but it would up not being critical. (Harris’s coworker,Jen, is voices similarly to Luc’s mom in Boyfriend Material, I spent half the book trying to figure that out 😜)
3 people found this helpful
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- Carol
- 2021-09-07
Loved Troy and Harris!
I really liked this book??! This book is my second favorite of the series. We have hockey! Dogs! Spa day! Anxiety! An apple farm! And the relationship between Troy and Harris is SO RIDICULOUSLY CUTE. There’s also really not any big third act break up anything between them in this book and I love that for us.
This book is definitely still a bit dark in places. This book IS angsty. There’s also a few things that I want to point out that were kind of…let’s just say, weird, moments in the story for me, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that I love this book.
Content notes include mentions of rape and sexual assault, people not believing the victims, homomisia, misogyny, emotional abuse, and near death experience from a plane malfunction. I do not recommend reading this book right before a flight or during a flight if you experience any anxiety at all over flying.
We’ve met Troy Barrett before. He was an all-star forward on the Toronto Raptors team, but after calling out his (now former) best friend Dallas Kent a rapist during practice and a video of the incident going viral, Troy gets traded to one of the worst teams in the NHL - the Ottawa Centaurs. Troy believes the women sharing their stories online about Dallas, but seeing nobody else feel the same way and only defending Dallas instead of condemning the man has Troy angry. He doesn’t regret what he said, but he’s in a weird place of losing his friend and his team all in one week, among other things, and now he’s going to play for a team that almost never wins games. Even if all-star fan fave Ilya is the team captain.
Because of the nature of the job, and a little because Ottawa handles things a little bit differently than everyone else, the social media manager for Ottawa is really friendly with all the guys on the hockey team. Harris Drover is 25, the same age as Troy, and just a really friendly guy. Harris is out and proud, and the Ottawa hockey players don’t seem to mind. Troy doesn’t know how to handle that at all.
So! There’s a lot going on this book. I think this book starts off with a very anxious Troy. He feels even more anxious as a character than Ryan Price from book 3, Tough Guy. Troy’s entire world has turned upside down and he knows he’s made a lot of enemies on the ice over the years. He has a reputation and it’s not a nice one. Add to the fact that people would rather side with Dallas Kent? Even if Troy is one of the best players in the league, it’s not enough for the league to stand behind and he’s left feeling adrift.
I like Harris. I feel like there’s nothing to NOT like about Harris. He’s talkative and loud, and just really good for Troy? He’s so sweet and I love him!!! And Troy’s really good for Harris too because he doesn’t treat Harris like he’s fragile. Also, any time Harris manages to make Troy smile for real just makes my heart melt!!!
***SOME SPOILERS***
I think the one surprising thing about Harris that I wasn’t expecting coming into this book is that he was born with a heart condition and has had surgery for it. There’s a surgery scar on his chest that he sometimes feels self conscious about. That’s all well and fine. HOWEVER. I think the way this book goes about informing readers about Harris and his heart condition was really strange? It only lasts a couple of pages, but the way the book mentions his scars made me initially think that Harris was trans. But no, he’s not. It wasn’t until a few pages later that we learn that the scars came from heart surgery and not because he had top surgery. So, I don’t know. The whole way this was handled and how Harris’s scars continued to be handled in the book just seemed a bit strange.
The inclusion of a puppy named Chiron for the Ottawa team is fun. But initially, the puppy was said to be training and going to test to be a therapy dog. I think in a way it was a missed opportunity in the story that the puppy wasn’t trained into a therapy dog? For a lot of this book, I think Troy would’ve benefitted from having a therapy dog. It all turns out well in the end for Troy and Chiron, but seeing Troy being so anxious about so many things just makes me feel like he needed a hug. Or a therapy dog. But Chiron is cute and I hope we seen him again in the next book!
Which kind of leads me to speculate WHAT is going to be in book six! I want to say I read on the author’s Twitter that the next book is going to be about Ilya and Shane again, and the author said that the timeline will overlap with this book? I feel like I kind of know what’s going to happen? Because let’s talk about THE PLANE RIDE. Don’t worry, I’m going to circle back to Ilya and Shane because this is relevant.
So, what happens is that the hockey team is traveling to Florida for a game and gets a very, very scary experience where the plane almost plummets and everyone could’ve died??? It’s a near death experience for these guys. It’s very out of the blue and there was ZERO warning about this when I started the book, so I hate it. The tv show LOST has scarred me from planes forever and yes, I still do fly, but I get a lot of anxiety because of it and this book decides to derail the feel good feels that was happening so far by throwing this into the story! The players all start to feel anxious about flying back to Canada after their games in Florida and I’m surprised that nobody mentioned seeing a therapist or something after that? I know these guys are all hockey players, but it was a big event and they should all talk about it.
Which brings me back to Ilya and Shane. I really think they’re going to come out in the next book. It seems like the near fatal plane crash affected Ilya a LOT and he disappears after they get back to Ottawa and I think it’s to be with Shane. The hints Ilya gives makes it sound like he won’t be a secret with Shane forever. But I wonder if they’ll have a fight or breakup over this at first because if I remember correctly, Shane was very clearly not about that coming out life last we saw him. He was still terrified of someone finding out he’s gay. But I think that Troy’s story in this really inspires Ilya by the end and maybe that’ll inspire Shane too even more than Scott’s coming out did. And anyways, I think no one will be happier for everything to be out in the open than Shane’s teammate Hayden Pike.
Ilya doesn’t overwhelm with his presence in this book and feels like a proper secondary character that lets Troy take the spotlight whenever they have a scene together. I think there’s just the right amount of Ilya in this book (and he is actually in this a lot!!) and he still gets to stir up trouble with literally everyone so that’s fun.
We only got the start of a good run with Ottawa’s hockey team in this book and does this mean they’ll wind up winning the Stanley Cup???! FINGERS CROSSED BECAUSE I LOVE THIS TEAM! All the players seem really awesome. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a team win a Stanley Cup in this series, so I’m ready.
The hockey was really fun in this book. The first half of the book has SO MUCH HOCKEY. I will say the back half of this book unfortunately doesn’t have as much, but considering one of the MCs is a top hockey player and the other manages the team’s social media accounts, I think there’s still a lot of hockey life embedded in the story and I still enjoyed it.
This book doesn’t really address the relationship dynamics between Troy and Harris. Everyone on the team seems really chill about it and I’m fine without workplace drama when this book has quite a bit of other things going on, but I can see if some of the jokey comments Troy and Harris have about the dynamics of their relationship might grind some gears.
The only really baffling thing I’ve noticed in this series where hockey is concerned is that almost nobody has agents for some reason. Like, WHY doesn’t everyone have an agent?? Scott was the only one who had a few actual conversations with his agent and I would imagine with all the changes with Troy’s life and public image (was he dropped from sponsors? did he gain sponsors?), his agent would have something to say.
Which leads me to DALLAS KENT. He’s awful. All he deserves is prison. He’s been the clear villain in the series and this book doesn’t really go into detail about anything the women are saying he did, but I think it’s enough. The book doesn’t present this as a grey area. We’ve seen this kind of stuff play out in real life, and I think this book does do a good job of not trying to go and list all details of his transgressions? We don’t need that. Troy’s reaction is enough for us to know what side is the right one.
The Dallas Kent storyline does take up a lot of the book and plays into the decisions the characters make, but I don’t feel like it necessarily overwhelms it. However, I do question whether anyone else feels like the reactions of the other characters praising Troy for calling out Dallas Kent was weird though? And also, just everything with what Troy was doing on his Instagram account and mentioning he was donating money to the appropriate charities, and even this book being called “Role Model”. Like, he calls out his best friend and is obviously trying to educate himself and be a better person, and that’s great! But it almost feels like they’re putting a different hockey player on a pedestal, even if it’s for doing the right thing is weird. I don’t know. I’m probably not explaining my feelings on that properly. It all just felt iffy. However, I will say that I liked the ending and how that storyline kind of wrapped up. I wonder if we’ll see more of what happens next to Dallas Kent in the next book, or at least some very permanent closure from all of it.
I think for a book about sexual assault and rape as major topics, there should be an inclusion by the author about charities and organizations to support. And maybe a bit longer author’s note addressing all this since the author’s acknowledgement section felt pretty inadequate.
On a happier note, I think it was fun seeing characters from past books again. I loved how they were all weaved into the story and it never felt forced. I do think it’s funny how I keep forgetting that Scott is the oldest of the 20-something players. Hearing that Troy’s hero is Scott??? I love that!
***END OF POSSIBLE SPOILERS***
I really liked this book and it’s definitely my second favorite in this series, only second to my faves Scott and Kip from book one. I know everyone says their fave book is Heated Rivalry, but I haven’t warmed up to their story yet so I’ll give Ilya and Shane another chance in the next book!
But it’s fun that we get Cooper North again for this audiobook because I love his performance as each of these characters! I loved this Troy and Harris. And I think the Russian accent he uses for Ilya is just right and doesn’t overwhelm the character or makes him into a caricature. I know some folks say they want the other narrator back for Shane and Ilya’s book but I want Cooper North back! So, here’s my vote to stick with this narrator to narrate the next book because I can’t imagine these characters with another narrator (I skipped the first 3 books in audiobooks and read them in text instead because that narrator is NOT a fave).
I definitely cried reading this book because the ending was great and emotions are HIGH. Troy and Harris are just so sickeningly sweet and I love them a lot!!! I’m happy that Harris has a loving family and Troy has at least one awesome parent, and that Troy has a chance at finding some REAL friends with the Ottawa team. I’m just really happy Troy and Harris found each other and I can’t wait to see more of them in future books!
2 people found this helpful
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- S. Flynn
- 2023-01-13
s. l. o. w. burn
but it is a sweet book so far. I have 4+ hours to go and just passed the first intimate moment. I genuinely like the characters. the hang-ups seem plausible. the reader is fully immersed in the day to day of a hockey team and the team drama. finished and would recommend this book. it's cute. ends well
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- Patti
- 2023-01-04
Tear jerker
The pain Troy felt on the book caused literal tears! So far this has been my favorite of the series with only one book left!
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- KW
- 2022-12-07
Fantastic narration of a great story.
Let me start with the narration. Fantastic job by Cooper. He easily flips between French Canadian, Russian and American accents. He reads the whole book as it’s 3rd person POV and manages to show us just how different Troy and Harris are.
This is a book that tackles some big subjects. Coming out and being a gay sportsman in a predominantly heterosexual profession. The issue of bigotry and minimizing of sexual assault against women by celebrities. It was all tackled with care and sensitivity and an authenticity that I really respected. Troy is made to feel like speaking out on behalf of others was a bad thing by the higher ups but is transferred to a team who are just good people and he sees that being himself won’t be an issue with these guys. Harris is patient with Troy and I love how he lets Troy set the pace for coming out. The heat is delicious too, it definitely didn’t disappoint on that front.
A great MM sports romance. Good writing, fantastic narration and a story that kept me engaged from start to finish.
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- Aethena Drake
- 2021-12-27
Good story. Great narration.
This was a good read that covered some serious topics. I had a bit of trouble connecting Troy's character in this book with how he was portrayed earlier in the series. His friendship with Dallas was hard to disconnect, but the author did a good job of showing Troy's vulnerabilities which might have been the reason he befriended Dallas originally.
I enjoyed seeing glimpses of characters from previous series, and I am looking forward to the next book and hopefully another audiobook narrated by Cooper North whose performance made me believe Troy was really a good guy.
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- Mari Cardenas
- 2021-08-30
One of my Top Favorites Ever!!!
5+++ Stars!!!
I think I pretty much cried on and off (mostly on) from chapter 25 on, and that pretty much guaranteed a 5+ Star rating from me. I haven't read/listened to any of the previous books, although you can be certain I'll be fixing that soon, at the very least I need to read Ilya's book soon, before book 6. LOL
I was totally charmed by Harris, he was such a delight. Sweet, fun, supportive, I adored him. But the one who stole my heart was Troy, he went from depressed and a bit lost to finally being happy and proud of who he truly was and he took me along in his journey. I was just about as proud of him as Harry and his mom were. I loved Harris and Troy together, they were just so sweet and hot and perfect.
I loved Ilya and Wyatt and the rest of the guys on the team. And I was ecstatic that both Troy's father and Dallas Kent got what they deserved. There might have been cheering, hahaha.
Anyway, I totally loved this book and it's so going on my Top Favorite books. It was amazingly written, but above that, it made me feel and fell in love with Troy and Harris. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but it was so worth it. Highly recommendable! Just don't forget to invest in some tissues before reading it, or better yet, listening to it, because Cooper North did a fabulous job with it and definitely made it into an even more fantastic experience for me.
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- Shannon LaBrecque
- 2021-08-20
Can’t get enough!
Can not get enough of this series. I love the interactions with the characters from previous books especially Ilya! Troy & Harris just make you smile!
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- Purple
- 2021-08-14
Love story with plot twists
This story was excellent. There were major plot turns I wasn’t expecting. I loved the two characters Troy and Harris. The love story was sweet. The author did a great job of allowing Troy to turn into a better person and watching him grow through his eyes. She also tied up loose ends to make a happier ending than it could have been. Great narration.
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- BookFan67
- 2021-08-13
Excellent book
This book was very entertaining. The story was engrossing along with great writing. The narration was wonderful. I would definitely listen to Cooper North again. I would recommend this book.