Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Power Move

SERIES:  Games We Play

AUTHOR:  Susan Scott Shelley

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  182 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 31, 2024

BLURB:  

Sage Murray has spent the last three years playing for the minor league Saint Paul Slash. He’s found a family in the teammates who share a home with him and they’ve helped him get a better handle on the anxiety he battles every day. Having the best season of his career, he hopes to receive a call up to the Minneapolis Metros and achieve his dream of playing in hockey’s top league. When a night out brings him face to face with Metros defenseman Rhys Farrell, their interaction spotlights their attraction, and Sage sees a side of Rhys that intrigues him to find out more.

Rhys Farrell has spent his career in the shadow of his Hall of Famer father. Winning the Cup would set him apart, and he wants more than anything to win it with the teammates who embraced him during his lowest moments. But an injured shoulder has kept him from the lineup, his teammates are dropping like flies, and their shot at redemption from last season’s heartbreaking loss is fading. During a short stint with the Slash as he readies to return to the team, he’s captivated by Sage, and for the first time in years, he’s tempted to focus on more than just hockey.

The pair are continually drawn to each other. Rhys gives Sage the warmth and acceptance he craves, and Sage takes care of Rhys in ways he’s never experienced before. But as the race to the playoffs heats up and sees them both in the Metros lineup, Rhys and Sage discover that dating a teammate is one thing, but falling in love with one is a whole other game.

REVIEW:

Well embarrassingly this is the first book I’ve read from this author.  I will need to fix that 😉 I really enjoyed this romance between two hockey players who meet as two professionals who are playing on different teams – Sage on the minor league team and Rhys on the major league team – in the same city/organization.  Sage deals with anxiety and his teammates/best friends who also happen to live with him are great at talking him down when his anxiety spirals.

When Sage meets Rhys, well things do not go to plan and Sage is mortified.  Rhys is good at letting him know things are ok despite not knowing about Sage’s issues with anxiety.  They end up having a nice time and find they have things in common besides hockey.  And there is definitely a spark there.  Rhys is working out/playing with the minor league team as part of his rehab from a shoulder injury so they spend time together even more.

When Sage is called up to the majors after Rhys has gone back to his team, they once again are teammates.  Sage is doing well when he’s called up and he and Rhys are getting closer.  They have shared their fears and past issues.  As they grow closer, they are trying to keep their relationship under wraps – not that anyone would really care.

Then during a playoff run, things go a big sideways thanks to a blast from Rhys’s past 🙁  Both men get hurt and there is a misunderstanding.  Luckily they both have great friends and teammates who help them fix things 🙂

Despite a few different rather heavy themes, this book is fairly low angst.  I enjoyed getting to know these to men and wanted to see them work things out.  The hockey is well described and the relationship evolves rather naturally as they both move forward in their careers.  Although there is a bit of an issue after they end up getting hurt, things get resolved without too much fuss.  This was definitely a good addition to this multi-author series.  I liked the author’s style and I look forward to reading more of her work.  Recommended.

RATING: 

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