Reviewed by True
TITLE: Rules of Play
SERIES: The Saints of Westmont U #3
AUTHOR: Hayden Hall
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 214 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 17, 2025
BLURB:
He was supposed to be my study subject, not my obsession.
Shane
I study elite athletes: their focus, their flaws, their fire. But Patrick Callahan? He’s a category of his own.
Too loud, too confident, and way too hot to be safe for science.
He’s all swagger and sweat and reckless charm.
Tracking his heartbeat was easy.
Keeping mine under control? Impossible.
Now I’m kissing this bi-curious jock in dark corners and pretending this isn’t the most unprofessional thing I’ve ever done.
He’s not just messing with my research—he’s messing with my heart.
If I’m not careful, he might just break it.
Patrick
I agreed to let the shy nerd shadow me for a psych project.
Discovering the range of my sexuality and falling for him was never part of the plan.
But Shane—my sweet, brilliant, rule-following Shane—has no idea how much I crave him.
He thinks I don’t see how he stares when I stretch after practice, or how red his ears get when I take off my shirt.
He thinks I’m just a jock with no heart. I’ll show him just how wrong he is.
I’ll make him feel it—on the ice, in my bed, and everywhere in between.
Because once I’ve got him, I’m keeping him.
Rules of Play is a hockey romance and the third in The Saints of Westmont U series. It follows a shy nerd and a cocky jock in a forced proximity thesis research, gay awakening, and first times. While each book can be read on its own, reading in order will be more fun.
REVIEW:
Shane is a nerd, shy, and even slightly afraid of people. He wished he were a social person, but he isn’t.
His latest university project is to study athletes, specifically Patrick Callahan. He will be his shadow and observe him for the rest of the year. Yes, Patrick agreed to be part of this project.
Patrick likes to show off, a straight jock trying to impress Shane, why? Because it’s fun. Who doesn’t want to be watched, and hopefully admired?
Shane is the professional one, telling Patrick just to be himself, and keep themselves at a distance. As if!
Gosh, Shane tried hard, really hard, but couldn’t help wanting Patrick.
Patrick knows Shane is lonely; he even offered his friends to Shane, nope, Shane is the professional, remember?
Shadowing Patrick daily also means joining him and his team at the out games, staying in hotels, sharing a room, even a bed.
I’m not gonna spoil what happens further, read this yourself. I adored this story!
It was fun, sweet, low-angst, sexy, and lovely.
The characters were nicely and consistently drawn, the nerd and the cocky jock, there’s gay awakening and delicious first times! Enjoy!
RATING: 
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