Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The New Guy
SERIES: Hockey Guys #1
AUTHOR: Sarina Bowen
PUBLISHER: Tuxbury Publishing
LENGTH: 348 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2023
BLURB:
My name is Hudson Newgate, but my teammates call me New Guy.
That was my nickname in Chicago, too. And Vancouver. That’s what happens when you keep getting traded. Brooklyn is my last chance, especially after my poor performance last season.
But I can make this work. The new guy knows to keep his head down and shoot the puck. The new guy puts the game first.
What he doesn’t do is hook up with the other new guy—a hot athletic trainer who lives in my building. Gavin needs this job with my team. He’s a single dad with responsibilities.
We can’t be a couple. My arrogant agent–who’s also my father–will lose his mind if I’m dating a dude. And my team needs me to score goals, not whip up a media circus.
Too bad Gavin and I are terrible at resisting each other…
REVIEW:
The New Guy is the first entry in Sarina Bowen’s new Hockey Guys series and marks her return to MM hockey books. This heartwarming sports romance tells the story of two new guys – Hudson, the repeatedly traded NHL defenseman, and Gavin, the new athletic trainer for the Brooklyn Bruisers. Their relationship is complicated because Gavin is a single father to seven year old Jordyn and Hudson is closeted with no plans to reveal his true self.
This is a novel about self-acceptance and one man making the decision to stop sacrificing his love life for the expectations of his father, his coaches, and his fans. Hudson reaches a point where he wants to stop hiding. He realizes that playing professional hockey is forcing him to give up the love of his life because he’s too scared that coming out will end his career. He gets a taste of emotional intimacy and the closeness of another human being which he’s never felt with his one night stands. He needs to find the courage to live life on his own terms and get his man.
Hudson and Gavin meet in a sports bar playing ping pong and watching hockey on tv. The attraction is instantaneous but their plans for a quick hookup go awry when they realize they’re next door neighbors and work for the same team. Hudson only does anonymous hookups. Gavin is also a recent transplant to New York City. He’s a charming, well-liked, caretaker type, and a devoted father.
I loved these men together. Their chemistry is electric and it was easy to quickly become invested in their relationship. They find it impossible to enjoy a friends-with-benefits arrangement because emotions are already at play. It’s too late for meaningless sex. I was also delighted by Hudson’s relationship with young Jordyn. It’s really something special. Hudson’s teammates are mostly likable and add more depth to the story. I like my hockey reads to have actual game play and this book fulfills that requirement. I demand on-ice time!
The last chapter is wonderful and there’s a very satisfying epilogue that ties up loose ends and sets the men firmly into their HEA. Readers who enjoys hockey should love this book by one of the originators of MM hockey romance. She sets the bar high.
RATING: 
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