Reviewed by Cheryl K

TITLE: Rookie Mistake

SERIES: On the Board Book 1

AUTHOR: Anna Zabo & L.A. Witt

PUBLISHER: Self published

LENGTH: 536 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2022

BLURB:

Rookie forward Isaac Rivera is still finding his footing in the big leagues where he’s no longer the best player on the roster. It’s a whole new world, especially now that several of his hockey idols have become teammates. Friends, even.

There’s one who’s more than a hockey idol, though… and he might end up being more than a friend.

Julien Landry is a powerhouse on the ice. In eight years, he’s become one of the league’s top defensemen and the heartthrob everyone wants to bed. But fallout from a painful mistake as a rookie, followed by years of rough-and-tumble hookups, have him itching for something more.

When a connection sparks between him and Isaac, he discovers what he’s been missing: someone he can trust with his body and his heart. As long as Isaac and Julien keep the heat between them off the ice, what could go wrong?

But Julien’s past is never far behind him, and when it comes crashing in, he might lose everything—his career, his friends, and the first person he’s ever really loved.

Content Warning: discussions of past abuse and sexual assault

REVIEW:

Wow, what a well written story.

I loved this story from the first page to the last page.

My second love in sports is Hockey.  Combine that with my favorite genre MM romance and it’s a match made in heaven.

I hadn’t read either author prior to this book and I must say, I’m anxious to try more of their stories.  These two created a well-rounded hockey world, without going over the top and letting the hockey atmosphere take over the story.

This story is about two players coming together and over coming a multitude of obstacles to find and maintain their love. I was extremely impressed with how smoothly these chapters flowed throughout the book.

I couldn’t really pinpoint a change in the rhythms or patterns in the chapters, based on who was writing.  They created such believable characters, that you could feel the agony of Julien’s past and Isaacs’s need to provide exactly what Julien needed.  I thought the Dom/Sub twist brought another layer of authenticity to this book.

The D/s in this book, however, it is fairly mild.  It illustrates the proper use of power exchanges in this type of lifestyle.  Which contrasts nicely with the incorrect use of power exchange on a professional sports level. It shines a light on the huge stigmatization, that follows queer players in any professional sport.  I

t brings to the forefront how a coach or veteran player can influence another less experienced player, and not in a mentoring kind of influence.  I’m always going on about my love of worldbuilding and character development.

As a huge hockey fan, I found it to be a very good representation of the sport.  I loved how even the side characters were well developed and contributed to the story line, instead of just being a plot device.

Thank you to Anna Zabo and LA Witt for creating a story/series that tackles some seriously heart wrenching themes.  Isaac and Julien are destined to be a beacon for anyone who has ever experienced any kind of abuse or sexual assault.

There story is so inspiring, I can’t wait to see what this author duo come up with next.

RATING:

BUY LINK:

Amazon