Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Icing the Play
SERIES: Desert Ice Hockey (Book 6)
AUTHOR: Christie Gordon
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 296 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 17, 2025
BLURB:
Living with my high school crush is a bad play. Living with him while keeping my feelings on ice? Impossible.
Myles
Hockey is my dream.
But if I don’t make it to the NHL, I’ll be the family failure—especially with my little brother on his way.
Then Cooper struts back into my life. My high school crush.
The guy who made my chest ache with emotions I buried so deep, I wished they’d disappear.
He’s heading to the NFL and setting me up with his friend.
But my heart’s never raced for anyone the way it does him.
When he needs a place to live, I can’t say no.
Even if living with him might break me.
Cooper
I came to Arizona for football, not for Myles Cummings.
But the instant I see him again, I know my feelings back then weren’t just friendship.
And now? It’s stronger than ever.
There’s one big problem.
He doesn’t know I like guys, and my friend has his eye on Myles.
When Myles lets me move in, keeping my secret—and my hands off him—might be the hardest play of my life.
Icing the Play is the sixth book in the college hockey series, Desert Ice Hockey, and is the follow up to the Rock U series. It features a hockey player crushing on his old friend, a football player hiding his sexuality, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, a short love triangle, second chances and found family. 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:
It seems most of my current series I love are coming to an end. Unfortunately now I’m saying good bye to my beloved Desert Ice Hockey boys, aka The Squad 😞
Myles is the final member of The Squad to be finishing up college. All his buddies have found their one and only and moved on to careers in the NHL. His bestie Tyler is now in Chicago with his boyfriend, and fellow hockey player Rowan, playing for the Blackhawks. When Myles walks into his new elective class he had no idea that his straight High School crush would be sitting there. Cooper transferred to ASU for his senior year to have a better chance at being drafted to the NFL. He had no idea that his high school friend Myles was there. And now that Cooper discovered last year that he’s bisexual and was one of the few at high school that knew Myles was gay, he has desires that have emerged. The only problem is that his new football teammate JJ has had feelings for Myles and wants to try a relationship. So Tyler does the only thing he can do and pushes JJ and Myles together. When a chance at leaving his messy and disgusting roommate and moving into The Squad’s house comes available he jumps at it. But can he keep his desires in check for his new roomie?
I had wondered about Myles. He was the youngest member of The Squad and seemed to be a bit of a wild child with his drinking and hooking up when the group went to The Club on Mill (gay club). And it was hinted in Skating to Him that he might have found romance with a member of the ASU Football team. Then there was that hint for his book. What I didn’t expect was the tiny love triangle that resulted as a result of his friendship at the end of the last school year with JJ, ASU first string wide receiver, and discovering his high school crush appearing in his elective social media class his senior year into his biomedical engineering degree. Cooper, a first string tight end, choosing to transfer to ASU his senior year, after their amazing season the year before, was a no brainer in this day and age. College athletes transferring to a more prestigious program is pretty common place now. And it’s all about the exposure to raise their potential in NHL Draft. Between Cooper’s horrendous roommate situation (what a scum bag!), his attraction to his former high school friend that’s been awakened and his loyalty to his fellow teammate it was a no-winning situation for Cooper. I did feel badly for JJ but there wasn’t really any spark last year or this year. And Cooper and Myles both had major desires for each other. Everyone saw it and it was no surprise when they acted on their attraction and chemistry. Both both men were honorable and made sure that JJ understood the situation.
I am hoping 🤞that, like previous series where the wonderful Rock U series spun off to this Desert Ice Hockey, that there will be a spin-off series for JJ and the gay football guys. It seemed to hint towards that idea at the end of the book. I also would love a follow-up of the epilogue. Talk about a cool event to get to witness. **fans myself to keep away the happy tears** I can’t put in words how this series affected me. I have never been a hockey fan before but these men convinced me to give it a try and they hocked me on the sport! What a truly inspiring a amazing series that shows the found family these men made and the level of support they have for each member.
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