Books

Book 1,074: Save the Game (SCU Hockey #2) – J.J. Mulder

Book Cover of "Save the Game"Book two of J.J. Mulder’s SCU Hockey series finds us once again back on the campus of South Carolina University, but this time it’s not as happy of a story. Trigger warning: sexual assault off page.

We meet Max, the hockey playing protagonist of this novel in book one of the series, Shots on Net, and I knew something was up with him, I just didn’t know what. I thought it was just him figuring things out, but it was so much more than that. Turns out his world was turned upside down when he was drugged and sexually assaulted at a party, and all he can do is keep moving forward through nightmares and insomnia.

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Books

Book 1,073: Shots on Net (SCU Hockey #1) – J.J. Mulder

Book cover of "Shots on Net"While waiting for the next book in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series I decided I wanted to read yet another sports romance. Specifically I was looking for the jock/nerd trope and when I googled it, this was one of the ones that came up over and over on Reddit. In general, I’m loath to trust Reddit, but after reading a couple of blurbs I kept coming back to this one.

Shots on Net is the story of Zeke, the small super nerdy demisexual desperately looking for a cheap room, who finds Carter, the stacked varsity hockey goalie who is rich AF, who happens to have a room for rent. And, y’all, the sass in this novel was epic. I honestly wasn’t sure as I started reading if I was going to like Mulder’s style, but this line got me:

‘You look twelve, or something.’
‘And you look like someone who breaks kneecaps for the mafia,’ he retorts. (16)

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ARC, Books

Book 929: Portrait of a Thief – Grace D. Li

I’m punching myself for not reading this book earlier AND for goofing off (aka knitting and Minecrafting) while reading it instead of blazing through it as it deserved. I’ve been sitting on this since November of LAST YEAR when someone in marketing at the publisher reached out with it.* I forced myself to wait until late March/early April to read it because I had a feeling I would really enjoy it and that barely covers my enthusiasm for it.

The premise was fascinating to me even if I was a bit wary of the Boston setting (I have bad experience with books being set where I live/have lived), but international art theft by college students, critiques on colonialism, BIPOC author, and characters, discussion of diaspora, ummm obviously I was going to say yes to it. I found out while reading the acknowledgments, that this has already been optioned by Netflix and I cannot tell you how much I’m ready for that!

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Book 923: Lucky Match (Hearts for Hire #1) – Raquel Riley

Nope. Unfortunately, that’s the bulk of my response if you want to skip the overall review. When this landed in my inbox I said yes and had such high expectations because the cover looks well done and the premise was a great idea.* Unfortunately, the execution was lackluster at best.

Lucky Match is the tale of Lucky McGuire, a cocky student who started a dating service near his college campus, and Hayes Brantley, his recently divorced professor who’s decided to lean into his bisexuality and date a man.

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Books

Book 713: Force Play – Elle Brownlee

Still chasing the high from Two for Trust, I’ve kept an eye out for additional books by Elle Brownlee. Plus, who doesn’t love as MM sports romance?

This is the story of Hawk, a pro ball player who wakes up after a big bender and ending up in a gay bar with photos on all the media, and Caleb, a former pro ball player who has his own trauma, but does his best to be the support Hawk needs as he navigates living openly.

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