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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was a sensitivity reader for this one and then I had the opportunity to read the finished copy. Loved it! Sebastian was a Puertorican Sociology professor, and as I'm a sociology student and Puerto Rican, I totally geeked out. Loved the way the teacher/student romance was handled, and I absolutely enjoyed the chemistry between Sebastian & Tristan.
Can't wait for book 2!
Can't wait for book 2!
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
Warning: Gushy review ahead, because this book rocked my socks off.
When I read that Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn were starting a new hockey series, I was ecstatic! And I don't even think I could follow a game of hockey without someone talking me through it. But I do love me some sports romance, even if I don't really like sports. Something about seeing alpha males laid low by love just gets me going. Who could blame me, right? And add in a super toppy academic and I'm in lurve!
Sebastian Cruz is a professor of sociology. He's kind of jaded and grumpy and a bit of a hard-ass. He expects a lot from his students, but really it's because he expects a lot from himself. But as much as he talks about recognizing your own bias, he isn't immune to bias, himself, and that lands him into a rather embarrassing situation when he accuses the wrong student of plagiarism. But he also showed integrity in the way he addressed his own failure.
I had a lot of respect for Seb throughout the story. He could be a bit "black & white" in his outlooks, at times, but he was also open to reason so I didn't hold it against him. I liked that Seb owned his mistakes and the admitted when he was unreasonable, so in my book, that makes him a stand-up guy.
Tristan Holt plays hockey for the NHL team, Atlanta Venom. He knows, though, that assuming that hockey will be there for him for the next decade would be careless, so he's working hard to finish his degree in international business. I loved Tristan. He worked for everything he got, he treated people with respect, and he knew that he needed to have a backup plan. To not look beyond his hockey career would be short-sighted.
Tristan wasn't arrogant, or a jerk, but he wasn't afraid to stand up for himself, either. And he wasn't afraid to go after something he really wanted -- like a scowly professor who pushed all the right buttons.
Though Sebastian and Tristan did not embark on anything romantic or sexual until after they were no longer teacher and student, the dynamic was still very present in their relationship and I loved how they played it (talk about HAWT). Sebastian is a super toppy guy and his scowly demeanor pushes all kinds of the right buttons for Tristan, who prefers both to bottom and also not be the one to call the shots. Tristan just wants to let go and he has a feeling that Professor Cruz would be that guy (spoiler: he is! OMG he is!!).
The problem? Sebastian is out and likes it that way, and Tristan is not and has no plans of risking his career or being the gay poster child for the NHL. But sometimes things don't go as planned and both Sebastian and Tristan go and fall in love. *swoon*
I genuinely liked both MC's as well as the cast of secondary characters. There was a touch of angst in their relationship, but it never felt manufactured or over the top. All the angst came from their relationship being a secret and was completely understandable. I do like how it all resolved and that both Sebastian and Tristan had people that were both voices of reason and had their backs. Coming out to those you love is hard enough.
Off the Ice was fantastic -- the co-writing was smooth, the romance very satisfying (as was the HFN/HEA), and I easily lost myself in the story. I loved the teacher/student dynamic, the slight age-gap, as well as the mild kink and abundance of dirty talk. Talk about delicious. Sebastian and Tristan set my Kindle on fire! And, much to my delight, it looks like we'll get more delicious hockey stories from these two fab authors. Gimme!!!
--------------------
ARC of Off the Ice was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
When I read that Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn were starting a new hockey series, I was ecstatic! And I don't even think I could follow a game of hockey without someone talking me through it. But I do love me some sports romance, even if I don't really like sports. Something about seeing alpha males laid low by love just gets me going. Who could blame me, right? And add in a super toppy academic and I'm in lurve!
Sebastian Cruz is a professor of sociology. He's kind of jaded and grumpy and a bit of a hard-ass. He expects a lot from his students, but really it's because he expects a lot from himself. But as much as he talks about recognizing your own bias, he isn't immune to bias, himself, and that lands him into a rather embarrassing situation when he accuses the wrong student of plagiarism. But he also showed integrity in the way he addressed his own failure.
I had a lot of respect for Seb throughout the story. He could be a bit "black & white" in his outlooks, at times, but he was also open to reason so I didn't hold it against him. I liked that Seb owned his mistakes and the admitted when he was unreasonable, so in my book, that makes him a stand-up guy.
Tristan Holt plays hockey for the NHL team, Atlanta Venom. He knows, though, that assuming that hockey will be there for him for the next decade would be careless, so he's working hard to finish his degree in international business. I loved Tristan. He worked for everything he got, he treated people with respect, and he knew that he needed to have a backup plan. To not look beyond his hockey career would be short-sighted.
Tristan wasn't arrogant, or a jerk, but he wasn't afraid to stand up for himself, either. And he wasn't afraid to go after something he really wanted -- like a scowly professor who pushed all the right buttons.
Though Sebastian and Tristan did not embark on anything romantic or sexual until after they were no longer teacher and student, the dynamic was still very present in their relationship and I loved how they played it (talk about HAWT). Sebastian is a super toppy guy and his scowly demeanor pushes all kinds of the right buttons for Tristan, who prefers both to bottom and also not be the one to call the shots. Tristan just wants to let go and he has a feeling that Professor Cruz would be that guy (spoiler: he is! OMG he is!!).
The problem? Sebastian is out and likes it that way, and Tristan is not and has no plans of risking his career or being the gay poster child for the NHL. But sometimes things don't go as planned and both Sebastian and Tristan go and fall in love. *swoon*
I genuinely liked both MC's as well as the cast of secondary characters. There was a touch of angst in their relationship, but it never felt manufactured or over the top. All the angst came from their relationship being a secret and was completely understandable. I do like how it all resolved and that both Sebastian and Tristan had people that were both voices of reason and had their backs. Coming out to those you love is hard enough.
Off the Ice was fantastic -- the co-writing was smooth, the romance very satisfying (as was the HFN/HEA), and I easily lost myself in the story. I loved the teacher/student dynamic, the slight age-gap, as well as the mild kink and abundance of dirty talk. Talk about delicious. Sebastian and Tristan set my Kindle on fire! And, much to my delight, it looks like we'll get more delicious hockey stories from these two fab authors. Gimme!!!
--------------------
ARC of Off the Ice was generously provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First time I've ever liked a teacher student romance book! The dynamic was actually well explored and I like that the characters enjoyed and acknowledged power dynamics/kink multiple times (plus lots of good consent!).
I liked the start of the hockey world building and this is the first hockey book I've read in a while that actually sets up the next books' MCs well.
I liked the start of the hockey world building and this is the first hockey book I've read in a while that actually sets up the next books' MCs well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Violence
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Injury/Injury detail
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Stilted.
Compared to Avon Gale's solo books, this just felt diappointing: usually I like grumpy/sunshine, but didn't like Sebastian in the least (chip on his shoulder, preachy, cynical) while Tristan is a cutie with which I would have liked to spend the duration of the book. But him with his crush the prof? Nope! No chemistry between the MCs.
Plus Long stretches of very boring stuff: usually I love everyday life/stuff, it gives depth to a story, to a relationship if done well, but here it's just VERY boring, so it must be the writing.
Tristan is a closeted pro hockey player - which is really very understandable as in real life just one guy had the guts to come out shortly after being drafted and in spite of being a fine player, he got shoved from his AHL team to the ECHL soo enough. So unless a high profile player takes the role as ice breaker (preferably shortly before retirement so that he wouldn't suffer too much), it's unlikely that careerwise it would work out.
Tristan is also a smart guy (see staying closeted - though no one should need to stay closeted, but...) so he's trying to complete his college degree.
While taking summer classes in the off season, he feels attracted to the prof in his sociology class (does he only take this one class?) who is not only quite attractive but also open about his sexuality (used as an example for a topic in one of his classes, otherwise I'd say it has noting to do in the classroom).
Sebastian Crusz, said prof, can be open about himself, as he can do research about the topic dear to his heart (LGBTQIA+ stuff). Why he is so grumpy and cynical when he is successfully climbing the academic ladder is not quite clear. Okay, many of his students seem entitled brainless white wealthy kids, but shouldn't you expect that in the US college system where education costs so much that not that many other students can attend?
Also, apart from being cynical and arrogant, his teaching methods seem to me a bit like caricature (oh, the nasty strict prof). He's himself very biased and instantly - because he feels attracted to the guy - is VERY prejudiced towards Tristan, the jock. So the jock must of course be the dumb one.
Well, Tristan was being a bit dumb when he let the preppy prick read his essay/assignment and the arsehole copied it almost word by word. Which is also a caricature: if you plagiarize, do it so that it gets more difficult to discern who was copying whom. Here it's obviously only a plot point to have Tristan and Sebastian confront each other. And Sebastian comes across as quite dumb: all teachers and lecturers I know at least try to not succumb to their biases and try to find how copied whom...
Also, why Sebastian would be so completely adverse to an athlete is not clear, since he himself is athletic and a runner, doing marathons. Oh well.
Him lusting after a student might be human, but I find it kind of creepy to have inappropriate thoughts and daydreams about giving in to kinky daydreaming about one's students.
Apart from insta-lust, I felt no chemistry between those two and insta-lust or insta-love is kind of a turn off for me. What makes you fall in love? Not on the page for this story!
Insta-lust is easier: What makes you feel sexual attraction? Okay, both MCs are very attractive. And one is openly gay.
But also the prof of his student, so the power dynamic is off.
And even waiting until classes are over to get hooked up is still too soon: as prof, Sebastian is also in a vulnarable position as them hooking up can cast doubts over his evaluation and grading of Tristan's work.
Loads of good reasons to make this into more of a slow burn than insta-lust and-love.
And to use this time to show us why love is in the cards.
Also: even in accademia, a coming out is not easy, a coming out in pro sports even less so. No one should be pushed to do so "for love". Everyone should be able to decide and do it on his/her onwn terms.
So after a promising start with Tristan which made me buy the book, I found the story increasingly drifting into "boring". I never had this problem with Avon Gale as a writer before. Her series about guys in the ECHL I didn't always get the kinks of some MCs but they nevertheless grew so much on me that I wanted to spend time with them: reading the book but I meeting them in real life would also have been fun.
Not so much here.
The rather boring writing style made me soon skip and skim over the chapters. So I assume,
And the smutty stuff, which in Gale's solo books wasn't always my cup of tea, I REALLY didn't like.
So I'm pretty sure, it's mostly the collab that doesn't work for me.
I had hopes for this Hat Trick series - what's not to love about three books to bite into - and especially looked forward to the goalie book, but will not spend my Euros on those books, since a good book friend considered book 1 tp be the strongest of the series. And if I dislike this book that much, hope is slim that I'll take to the rest. Especially since I didn't much like what I read in the excerpt so far.
So I better get back to my favourite authors Rachel Reid and Ashlyn Ksne/Morgan James and Cait Nary etc.. Strong writing where you get it WHY the MCs fall in love with each other. AND stories that have loads of hockey.
Compared to Avon Gale's solo books, this just felt diappointing: usually I like grumpy/sunshine, but didn't like Sebastian in the least (chip on his shoulder, preachy, cynical) while Tristan is a cutie with which I would have liked to spend the duration of the book. But him with his crush the prof? Nope! No chemistry between the MCs.
Plus Long stretches of very boring stuff: usually I love everyday life/stuff, it gives depth to a story, to a relationship if done well, but here it's just VERY boring, so it must be the writing.
Tristan is a closeted pro hockey player - which is really very understandable as in real life just one guy had the guts to come out shortly after being drafted and in spite of being a fine player, he got shoved from his AHL team to the ECHL soo enough. So unless a high profile player takes the role as ice breaker (preferably shortly before retirement so that he wouldn't suffer too much), it's unlikely that careerwise it would work out.
Tristan is also a smart guy (see staying closeted - though no one should need to stay closeted, but...) so he's trying to complete his college degree.
While taking summer classes in the off season, he feels attracted to the prof in his sociology class (does he only take this one class?) who is not only quite attractive but also open about his sexuality (used as an example for a topic in one of his classes, otherwise I'd say it has noting to do in the classroom).
Sebastian Crusz, said prof, can be open about himself, as he can do research about the topic dear to his heart (LGBTQIA+ stuff). Why he is so grumpy and cynical when he is successfully climbing the academic ladder is not quite clear. Okay, many of his students seem entitled brainless white wealthy kids, but shouldn't you expect that in the US college system where education costs so much that not that many other students can attend?
Also, apart from being cynical and arrogant, his teaching methods seem to me a bit like caricature (oh, the nasty strict prof). He's himself very biased and instantly - because he feels attracted to the guy - is VERY prejudiced towards Tristan, the jock. So the jock must of course be the dumb one.
Well, Tristan was being a bit dumb when he let the preppy prick read his essay/assignment and the arsehole copied it almost word by word. Which is also a caricature: if you plagiarize, do it so that it gets more difficult to discern who was copying whom. Here it's obviously only a plot point to have Tristan and Sebastian confront each other. And Sebastian comes across as quite dumb: all teachers and lecturers I know at least try to not succumb to their biases and try to find how copied whom...
Also, why Sebastian would be so completely adverse to an athlete is not clear, since he himself is athletic and a runner, doing marathons. Oh well.
Him lusting after a student might be human, but I find it kind of creepy to have inappropriate thoughts and daydreams about giving in to kinky daydreaming about one's students.
Apart from insta-lust, I felt no chemistry between those two and insta-lust or insta-love is kind of a turn off for me. What makes you fall in love? Not on the page for this story!
Insta-lust is easier: What makes you feel sexual attraction? Okay, both MCs are very attractive. And one is openly gay.
But also the prof of his student, so the power dynamic is off.
And even waiting until classes are over to get hooked up is still too soon: as prof, Sebastian is also in a vulnarable position as them hooking up can cast doubts over his evaluation and grading of Tristan's work.
Loads of good reasons to make this into more of a slow burn than insta-lust and-love.
And to use this time to show us why love is in the cards.
Also: even in accademia, a coming out is not easy, a coming out in pro sports even less so. No one should be pushed to do so "for love". Everyone should be able to decide and do it on his/her onwn terms.
So after a promising start with Tristan which made me buy the book, I found the story increasingly drifting into "boring". I never had this problem with Avon Gale as a writer before. Her series about guys in the ECHL I didn't always get the kinks of some MCs but they nevertheless grew so much on me that I wanted to spend time with them: reading the book but I meeting them in real life would also have been fun.
Not so much here.
The rather boring writing style made me soon skip and skim over the chapters. So I assume,
And the smutty stuff, which in Gale's solo books wasn't always my cup of tea, I REALLY didn't like.
So I'm pretty sure, it's mostly the collab that doesn't work for me.
I had hopes for this Hat Trick series - what's not to love about three books to bite into - and especially looked forward to the goalie book, but will not spend my Euros on those books, since a good book friend considered book 1 tp be the strongest of the series. And if I dislike this book that much, hope is slim that I'll take to the rest. Especially since I didn't much like what I read in the excerpt so far.
So I better get back to my favourite authors Rachel Reid and Ashlyn Ksne/Morgan James and Cait Nary etc.. Strong writing where you get it WHY the MCs fall in love with each other. AND stories that have loads of hockey.