Face Offs & Cheap Shots (Cu Hockey, #2)

by Saxon James and Eden Finley

[lessthelonely]

Lemme start with the positives: this book offers tension. In my opinion, it's short-lived and doesn't really keep itself as enticing after the first big moment. I remember, however, being just a little sad about how much sex was included in this and being not much excited after the first kiss happens.

This might sound a little harsh, but for me to enjoy a romance book, even if it's gay (which obviously makes it easier for me to pick up), I want to enjoy the ride. I want to see the romance happen. This book falls into this phenomenon I call off-page tension. I've already mentioned the book has some tension and is kinda nice about the leading up to its first big moment... but, especially after that and also a little bit before, it requires you to already be invested in the relationship.

Granted! This can happen. There's a reason that these books are so sold on tropes: enemies to lovers, bi awakening, drunk first kiss, first kiss as a bet... Even I must admit that I sometimes really enjoy reading in that manner because I'm already invested. Lately, however, I've been expecting a book that makes me fall in love with its characters as they fall in love and ends up making me fall in love with said love in the process.

This still has a lot of positives - you can definitely tell the main course is the smut, however! And that's not really a problem for me, I just wish I was a little bit more invested in it. For me, sex can appear mind-blowing because of the emotion behind it. But this was still quite nice. I am quite curious about the first book in this series.