4.4 stars

It’s a 2nd chance inter-team MM hockey romance that’s very angsty with single POV (which I like for the mystery and faster pacing, but may not be everyone’s thing). This book reminded me that hockey players aren’t always that bright (in their defense, they damage their brains a lot) so their social awareness skills are often lacking. Gil in particular is hard of abs, dumb of ass, but, at the end of the day, an absolute simp for Sebastian. Watching Gil pine over Seb is brutal, especially as Seb’s reasons come to light, but I enjoyed the pain and the HFN payoff. (So thank you Lauren for recommending this book!)

I think the angst will be *especially* worth it if the series continues to tell the San Francisco Sea Lions’ stories. By the end of the book I was rather invested in the team, so I need to know what’s next for them! I’ve put in my pain, I’m ready for some more HEAs!

In conclusion, despite the author stepping on my feelings, I’ll definitely keep an eye out for any sequels.

Spice: 3/5 medium burn