Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Blame Game
SERIES: #Relationship Goals
AUTHOR: Brigham Vaughn
NARRATOR: James Edward Jones
PUBLISHER: Two Peninsulas Press
LENGTH: 13 hours and 29 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2025
BLURB:
Note: This is the fifth book in this series and it does take place after events of the previous books with the same characters. As such there are major spoilers for the prior couples. It’s recommended to consume the series in order.
Well it’s fitting that the last book in this series ups the ante on the fake relationship/coming out/finding true love stakes 🙂 Absolute perfection!
Dom has been the poster child of a buttoned up tight closeted aging hockey player in his last season. He’s spend his entire life and career hiding who he is. He torpedoed his first relationship and spent years keeping everyone at a distance. He was burned badly by the person he loved over his inability to come out and be who he really was. So he’s been determined to just keep things transactional. He gets relief from his stylist/escort and he has for years.
Sawyer/Shay Barnett is a physiotherapist and former hockey player who has been moonlighting as a stylist/escort. Dom has been his client for years. One night while they are having their usual Sunday night together there is a fire at the apartment that is rented for their meetings. Dom gets out but Sawyer goes back to get Dom’s wallet and keys. He suffers from smoke inhalation and Dom insists on taking him home after he’s cleared by EMTs and volunteering to look after him for the rest of the night. But then they show up in the Jock Gossip pages. Uh-oh.
As usual, Kate, the head of PR has to get involved to keep her players in line and protect them and the organization. Shay and Dom have to come clean with her and they agree to a plan. The plan is that they stick with the stylist angle and that they are friends. They have to go on some bro dates and Shay’s friends join them. But when they go to a Pro basketball game and clearly the star player is friends with Shay, Dom is what? Jealous?? What’s going on here?
There is just one problem with this whole plan. Shay has been in love with Dom for years. In fact he’s had no other clients for a long time and he’s been donating the money Dom pays to charities. Shay isn’t feeling great about this plan, but they have to do something to save both of their careers. And the organization is still dealing with what definitely seems to be a leak from within the organization based on what keeps appearing on Jock Gossip.
Everything is going to plan until Dom takes Audra, Shay’s roommate and a fellow escort, to a formal event. The resulting Jock Gossip story is WAY worse and they have to go to another plan. And it means that Dom is going to have to let go of his very very long held secret of his sexuality. And he and Shay admit that they have been in a relationship but didn’t want the focus on Dom’s sexuality in his final season. He’s dealing with an injury too. Dom is torn in so many directions, but his feelings and relationship with Shay have clearly been changing. Shay has been there for him over and over again.
When Shay moves in with Dom things are awkward at first. Dom finds that he really likes having Shay with him. The Toronto team is going to make the playoffs and Dom really wants to be there for the post season. He’s got to deal with this injury and Shay is there every step of the way. And Dom realizes that he needs and wants Shay there – for all the stuff in his life.
Oh man I LOVED seeing Dom let go and finally be himself! Shay was pining and pining for him and Dom was closed off it took him literally years to realize that he had what he needed right in front of him. There are a lot of other past traumas and relationships that both men have to heal – particularly with their families. Dom has cut his parents out of his life completely and he thinks that’s what’s best. Shay was pushed and pushed by his father to the point of no return and ended up not even being able to have the hockey career he wanted. Dom had hurt the man he loved and then been hurt in return in a way that caused him to completely withdraw and keep himself isolated from everyone – family, friends, teammates. It’s taken all the crap of the season and the gossip blogs and his friends willingness to push him to acknowledge his truth. He is a gay man. And he’s in love with his boyfriend Shay. There is also the series long arc of the internal leak of info to Jock Gossip that finally gets resolved and a lot of HEAs all around. Oh and some exciting hockey too!
The audio of this book is fantastic! I particularly like Mr. Jones’s portrayal and voice choices for Dom. He’s gruff with everybody except Shay. When he’s doped up on pain killers, his true feelings some through and I adored Dom’s sweet and loving voice. Shay is a great character as well and his true caring for Dom come through from the first interaction. The consistency of characters (and there are a lot of them) was absolutely amazing here. This series is fantastic and well worth the hours of listening pleasure. Might be my favorite hockey series yet! Well done and highly recommended.
RATING: 
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