Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Power Plays & Straight As 
SERIES: CU Hockey
AUTHORS: Eden Finley and Saxon James
NARRATORS: Alexander Cendese and Iggy Toma
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 7 hours and 14 miutes
RELEASE DATE: November 24, 2020
BLURB:
Foster:
“Look out for Zach, and don’t hit on him.” My brother’s request sounds easy enough. Keep an eye out for his best friend on campus and keep my hands to myself. Easy. Even if Zach is a quintessential nerd, who I’ve always thought was cute, I don’t have the time to think with my…stick. There’s only one stick I should be focused on this year, and that’s my hockey stick. My goal once I graduate is to get an NHL contract. The last thing I need is a distraction. On or off the ice. Only, keeping to the rules is harder than I thought it would be.
Zach:
People confuse me. And no one more than Foster Grant. I’ve barely spoken two words to him in the whole time I’ve known him, but the second I step foot on campus, he’s impossible to shake. I can never anticipate his next move. And whenever we’re together, my next move is a total mystery as well. I want to give in to him, but that might mean coming clean about something I’ve never been bothered about before. I’m still carrying my V-card. And I think it’s time to turn it in.
Contains mature themes.
REVIEW:
Foster is a star hockey player – captain of his Vermont college team and looking to have the season of his life and have a real shot at the NHL. His twin brother Seth is also a senior – but at the rival school. Seth’s best friend Zach is now a graduate student at Foster’s college. Seth asks Foster to keep an eye on Zach as a favor. Foster agrees. But that don’t hit on Zach request of Seth’s is not going to be easy to honor 😉 Foster is bi and is out to his team and friends and his brother knows, but his parents and the larger hockey world and he hasn’t really planned on it given his NHL dreams. He’s got a bit of a reputation of being a bit of a player, but he’s just not ready to get serious about anyone because hockey is his life and who knows where he’ll be after college.
Zach is as opposite from Foster as can be imagined. He’s from Wisconsin, so at least he’s good with winter, but beyond that, he’s a bit of a fish out of water. He’s of course familiar with Foster because he’s spent many holidays with the Grants when he didn’t have the funds or the time to return to his parents for breaks. He knows Foster’s reputation and he really doesn’t want to be beholden to Foster at all. He’s struggling with the new campus and he doesn’t have many friends. Zach hates to admit that he needs Foster’s help. But Foster keeps pushing Zach out of his comfort zone. Foster makes it his mission to get Zach to have more than teaching and studying and writing his thesis. And it turns out he’s more than a little attracted to Zach 😉
Seth shares some of Zach’s past issues with Foster and this sets Foster off on a mission to protect Zach and also to help him get out of shell. There is also the issue that while Zach is very book smart and quite intelligent, he’s not good at people and social cues. Like at all 🙂 He’s got an interesting friend that is much the same – except in the extreme. I loved Rae! The other issue is that of course Zach and Foster are really attracted to each other – and as much as they initially try to keep things in the friendzone, that kind of goes out the window. Foster is determined that Zach needs to accelerate his social experiences to that of at least a college senior. And he’s just the guy to help Zach experience all these firsts 😀
Of course, things don’t stay hidden for too terribly long 😉 The team knows and they take it in stride. They look out for Zach and for Foster too. But as the season goes on, Foster and Zach get closer and closer. Both guys seems to have some trouble figuring out exactly what it is that they are doing. Are they dating? Is Foster “tutoring” Zach in social skills? What kind of a relationship are they really in? And what will happen after the hockey season is over? Zach will still be in grad school and Foster doesn’t know where he’ll be. Of course his dream is to play for the Bruins, but that’s a mighty big dream. And Zach is worried that Foster is just spending time with him because he’s convenient for the school year. It’ll take some honesty and straight communication to get them on the same page.
This was a very fun audio book! While nothing too groundbreaking happens in this book, I really enjoyed the blossoming relationship of Foster and Zach. Foster is kind of a smartass jock, but he’s really lot deeper than he appears on the surface. He’s got a really big heart, especially where Zach is concerned. Zach appears to be completely socially awkward while being extremely bright. He just doesn’t understand people very well 😉 He doesn’t have much of a filter and sometimes that’s gotten him in trouble. Foster takes it in stride though. Seth is also cute as he tries to protect Zach from his brother, but Foster is not easily swayed. And also this story features one of the funniest coming out scenes in recent memory. Kudos to the parents 🙂 The banter between Zach and Foster really keeps the momentum going as things ebb and flow during the school year. I also really enjoyed the narrating due or Iggy Toma and Alexander Cendese. They also narrated some of the books in another series that I love, so I was familiar with the way they work and again, they just nailed it. Highly recommended for fans of jock/nerd, bi characters, opposites attract college age stories. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Audible