Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: You, Again
SERIES: The Elmwood Stories, Book 1
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 220 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2023
BLURB:
The hometown hockey hero and his best friend’s brother…
Vinnie
Hockey is in my blood. I learned to skate before I learned how to ride a bike. I’ve been on a wild ride, playing at the highest level for some of the biggest and best teams in the league. But now it’s over, and I’m not sure what to do with myself.
So I’m going home to Elmwood.
But I’ll tell you what I’m not gonna do—I’m not going to coach my buddy’s junior hockey league. No chance. I don’t know how to deal with kids, and besides, the other coach—who happens to be my best friend’s brother—hates me. With reason.
That may be old news, yet something tells me we’re going to have to deal with the past.
And that’s almost as scary as coaching teens.
Nolan
No, I don’t hate Vinnie, but he drives me nuts.
He’s cocky, goofy, selfish, and yeah…after all these years, I’m still attracted to him. But I’m a responsible adult now. I run my family’s business, and with the help of my ex, I’ve made Elmwood Diner into a New England institution.
So maybe my life isn’t particularly exciting at the moment, and maybe Vinnie isn’t the worst. Nonetheless, I have no desire to rekindle a friendship with the hockey hero who no doubt will be on the first flight out of town the second he gets bored or gets a better offer.
And I’m not coaching with him. No way.
Ugh…
I can’t believe I’m doing this again.
You, Again is an MM bisexual, best friend’s brother, frenemies to lovers romance featuring old friends, a new quest, and a little hockey HEA!
REVIEW:
Lane Hayes’ You, Again, the first book in Hayes’ new The Elmwood Stories hockey/small-town romance series, focuses on Vinnie, a newly retired NHL superstar returning to his small hometown of Elmwood, where he hopes to reconnect with Nolan, his best friend Ronnie’s younger brother. Attraction has simmered between Vinnie and Nolan since they were teens, and there’s some history between them that hasn’t yet been given closure. While Vinnie is hoping to pick things up with Nolan where they left off almost two decades ago, the events that have transpired in the interim, including Vinnie’s absence from Ronnie and Nolan’s lives, have left Nolan with a festering wound. He’s not so ready to welcome Vinnie back into his life.
You, Again is true to Hayes’ writing style. She frequently has her characters break the fourth wall, and that level of transparency as well as the cadence of the speech and dialogue, feel authentically hers. The storyline embraces best friend’s brother, second chance romance, bi-awakening tropes (amongst others), and you feel that formulaic aspect in the plot. Hayes utilizes the tropes pretty much as you’d expect – there’s nothing particularly fresh about the storyline or how it plays out.
Hayes is typically adept at creating intriguing, likable, if not endearing, characters, and gives them depth and complexity. I’ve seen her falter infrequently in this regard, but Vinnie is a stumble. She establishes him out of the gate as an arrogant showboater with a single-mindedness that centers invariably on himself, his needs, and his goals. He’s quite myopic in his worldview. Life is seen through the filter of where Vinnie was, where Vinnie is and where Vinnie wants to go. The impact to those around him is secondary and doesn’t factor into his decisioning, unless it suits his purpose.
Hayes does try to soften out Vinnie’s edges. I don’t think she was entirely successful though. It’s difficult to ignore the direction of travel of this story and its characters. Vinnie took off for the NHL, leaving Nolan (and Ronnie) in the proverbial dust, and never looked back. He focused, worked hard, and made himself into a successful, adored hockey star. Never in that time did he consider changing his life’s trajectory for Nolan. He didn’t even show up to support his best friend Ronnie in his time of need.
When Vinnie does return home looking to reconnect with Nolan, Ronnie and the small town of Elmwood, it’s on his timetable. He only returns after he retires and it now fits into his plans. Even as Vinnie opens himself to a relationship with Nolan, he’s still using Nolan to experiment with his bisexuality, and holds the decision for what happens to them in his grasp based on whether Vinnie decides to stick around.
Objectively, Hayes has created moments of romance, connection, even some swoon, in this story. And overarchingly, You, Again is not a bad book. But Hayes gambles on its success by tying everything so tightly to a polarizing character – you love him or you hate him. If you can see past Vinnie’s arrogant persona and believe (or suspend disbelief at least) that he’s experienced character growth, you may find this to be an enjoyable read.
RATING: 
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