Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Stick By Me

SERIES: Desert Ice Hockey (Book 1)

AUTHOR: Christie Gordon

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 324 pages

RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2024

BLURB:

Hockey is my life, until I meet an adorable nerd. But he doesn’t date men. Can I convince him to take a chance?

Archer
Hockey was everything, but now I’m questioning if I’ll ever make it to the NHL.
I need to find a life.
In comes a stunning guy in designer jeans and hair so dark and silky, I struggle to keep my fingers to myself.
We connect at an animal rescue, where I accidentally soak him with a hose. I give him my team shirt to make amends.
The vision of him in my clothes stirs a primal urge in me.
When he mentions he’s queer, my heart skips a beat. But he’s only interested in a hookup.
Game on.
Will he accept my challenge for a date?

Leo
I’m having a moral dilemma. I don’t date men. I have an out and proud brother and, in my family, it’s complicated.
Then Archer comes along, eyeing me like a piece of candy and daring me to date him. Yeah, I’m interested.
Problem is, the dare goes awry. I find myself falling so deeply for Archer, there’s no turning back.
When his life goes off the rails, I’m forced to make a decision and fast.

Stick By Me is the first book in the College Hockey series, Desert Ice Hockey, and is the follow up to the Rock U series. It features a dependable nerd and a rebel jock, opposites attract, found family, hurt/comfort, and a secret relationship amidst the backdrop of the holidays. Desert Ice Hockey follows a group of queer hockey players, known as the squad, while they each battle for their HEA.

Buy now to explore a world where emotions run as high as the heat, and hockey isn’t the only game in town!

REVIEW:

I’m so excited to be back in the Mesa Boys and Rock U universe. This new spin-off series is going to be super fun and really good

Archer has finally come out to his judgmental and homophobic father that he’s bisexual and wants to try dating a man! He had thought that the cute keyboardist, Milo from Knot Me, was the one but it was obvious that Milo’s best friend Ryder was it for Milo. In a cute-meet moment Archer meets the sweet nerd Leo while volunteering at the local animal shelter. But is the vibes that Archer getting from Leo off-base or could the deep-in-the-closet math wiz be “the one”???

We all know I loved the Rock U series and the members of the Knot Me band. Even though that series ended I’m still getting to see and hear about the guys and their loves. We had originally met Archer when he wanted to start dating Milo. But Milo only ever really had eyes for his firefighter/best friend. Archer was a good guy and I hoped he would find someone special. I will say that Leo was a bit of a surprise but a pleasant one. He has been such a good big brother to Axel and completely accepting of his life-long best friend Remy and his little brother Axel’s relationship completely. So he deserves to have what he needs in life. Even if it disrupts this family’s life. He deserves love and happiness and he has found that completely with Archer.

It was hard to watch Leo struggle with what to do. He doesn’t want to upset the family balance by coming out and possibly hurting his younger brother Axel. He has protected him so many years from what his dad was really like back when Alex came out. There was only room for one gay son in their family and Axel filled that role completely. And he was bisexual so it was just better, in his mind, to not upset the apple cart. But women just weren’t doing it for him. And Archer definitely was! But even he knew it wasn’t fair to the gorgeous blonde hockey player to hide what was quickly burning hot.

I was surprised with all the family dynamics that came into play with Archer and his dad. At her was under so much pressure and his dad’s grating voice on his mind was really messing with him. Thankfully he had his Squad and Leo to help center him and keep him going. And Leo and Archer just worked together. They were each the missing piece to the puzzle of their lives to make life work and live to bloom.

I can’t wait for more of The Squad to meet their one. And from what we saw at the end of this book,  Jonah’s appears very interesting. I can’t wait!

RATING:

BUY LINK:

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