Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Two-Man Team

SERIES: Stick Side Book 5

AUTHOR: Amy Aislin

PUBLISHER: Self-published

RELEASE DATE: October 20, 2021

LENGTH: 333 pages

BLURB: 

One wrongful arrest ruined Kris Xappa’s image—and made his NHL team look bad. Now, with orders to keep his head down, the last thing he needs is to develop feelings for his younger teammate—and best friend’s brother. The fact that he can’t stop thinking about their one illicit kiss doesn’t mean anything.

Rory Stanton is perfectly capable of taking care of himself and doesn’t need his brother’s best friend keeping an eye on him. Sure, he likes having Kris’s attention, but he’d rather have it for entirely different reasons. Too bad that one kiss they shared wasn’t enough to convince Kris to take a chance on him.

When an injury lands Rory in Kris’s care, will these teammates be able to see past the obstacles to become a two-man team?

REVIEW: 

Each book in Amy Aislin’s Stick Side series builds upon the feel-good, found family vibes created in the prior series books. So it stands to reason that in Two-Man Team, the fifth book in this diverting series, the warm and fuzzy feelings abound.  We revisit relationships established in the prior books between members of Toronto’s NHL team and their partners. Remember Mitch Greyson & Alex Dean from Book 1 On the Ice?  They play an important role in this story.  As do Book 4 Risking the Shot’s Tay Cunningham & Dakota Cotton. We also see Dan Greyson & Ashton Yager from Book 2 Nature of the Game (albeit briefly).  

It’s always fun to get cameos from prior couples to see them after their HEAs.  But they serve a greater purpose in Two-Man Team as they encourage and support NHL forward Kris Xappa and his teammate and best friend Emery’s younger brother, Rory Stanton, as they embark upon a new relationship at a time when other conflicts endanger their personal and professional stability.

Two-Man Team takes place just a few months after the end of Risking the Shot.  Tay and Dakota are newly in love and happy as can be.  Rory is Tay’s BFF, as well as teammate, so he, Tay, Dakota and Dakota’s son Andy spend a lot of time together.  That relationship is extremely important to Rory’s view of himself.  Rory suffered at the hands of bullies through school and his actions and attitudes have been shaped by that experience.  Supportive friends and opportunities to engage in long-buried, beloved activities help keep his head on straight.

Kris and Rory, who are separated by a seven-year age gap, have known each other since childhood.  A confluence of events involving Kris’ arrest (which falls firmly in the “no good deed goes unpunished” category) and Rory’s broken leg (ditto) brings them together in a new way. 

Rory has long harbored a crush on Kris, but he thought he had put it to rest.  It turns out not so much. For Kris’ part, he never thought of Rory as anything more than his best friend’s brother who he vigorously defended against bullies as a kid. Even when they ended up playing on the same NHL team, Kris and Rory didn’t socialize with the same teammates.  Rory went with the younger players and Kris with the veterans.  Now living together while Rory heals, they start seeing different sides of each other.  They begin to view existing knowledge about each other through a different lens.  

Rory realizes his crush is not only still very much alive, but he has plenty of “mushy feelings” for Kris.  Kris suddenly feels this undeniable attraction, a magnetic pull that is not even remotely platonic, and acknowledges he has “mushy feelings” too.

Two-Man Team is a well-written, sweet story, like its predecessors, although the pacing on this story felt slower to me than the others.  It’s a sports romance but there’s surprisingly little on the ice action.  It’s low steam as well, so if you need a lot of sexy parts to keep you invested, you may struggle a bit.  

Ms. Aislin carefully crafted the story arc and it plays out smoothly, resolving in a very satisfying way.  The story is linear and flows easily.  However, the story lacks dynamics, both emotional and in terms of action.  If you are reading this in one sitting, it will keep you engaged.  But if you end up reading this in fits and starts (like I did), some of the momentum is lost in the transitions because there’s a “sameness” to the storyline across the board.

Overall, Two-Man Team provides an enjoyable, feel-good romance, but the bromances between these guys and how they intersect with the romances with their respective partners is by far the high point of the book – and the series.  You can read this book as a standalone, but I encourage you to read the whole series, or at least Book 1, On the Ice and Book 4, Risking the Shot, first.  You’ll understand the context of Kris and Rory’s story better.  But more importantly, you’ll be able to fully appreciate and enjoy the friendship and camaraderie of this complex, endearing, engaging group of men.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon