Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Rough Draft
AUTHORS: R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey
PUBLISHER: Love Lane Books Ltd
LENGTH: 204 Pages
RELEASE DATE: October 7, 2025
BLURB:
Success isn’t measured in goals or stats; it’s a rough draft waiting to be rewritten.
Walker Hannan was supposed to be the next big thing in the NHL. But instead of carving out a legendary career, he’s been sent down to the minors to fix his game—and his attitude. The rink used to be his sanctuary, but now it feels like his prison. Angry, frustrated, and desperate to claw his way back, the last thing Walker needs is a distraction.
Enter Finn Carter—elementary school art teacher, eternal optimist, and the human equivalent of sunshine. With his paint-stained hands and infectious smile, Finn is everything Walker isn’t: open, warm, and willing to see the beauty in the mess. He knows life isn’t about perfection—it’s about expression. And somehow, against all odds, he starts to chip away at the walls Walker has spent years building.
But just when Walker begins to believe there’s more to life than hockey, he gets the call he’s been waiting for—his shot at the NHL, his second chance.
Now, with his career on the line and his heart tangled in something real, Walker has to decide: Can he fight for his place on the ice without losing the one person who taught him how to live beyond it?
Rough Draft is a heartfelt opposites-attract, grumpy/sunshine, MM hockey romance about love, ambition, and finding a home where you least expect it.
The Games We Play – Season 2 is the second season of this multi-author minor league hockey romance series! All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere!
REVIEW:
Walker has issues. Unfortunately his aggressiveness on the ice doesn’t translate well to real life. And finally he’s gone too far after someone tries to steal his phone. He chases down the guy, gets his phone back and punches him more than a few times. His team, the Vipers, has had enough. He’s being sent for substance abuse treatment as well as anger management. He’s not happy to be sent to Rochester to the minor league team. He and a bunch of the other guys there are sent to Art Therapy.
Enter Finn. He’s an elementary teacher who is also an artist and an art therapy instructor. He and Walker are attracted, but he’s running the program with a strict NDA in place. He doesn’t know much about hockey, about hockey, but he does know hot to read art and he knows that Walker wouldn’t be in the program if he wasn’t working through stuff.
In addition to his art therapy, Finn has a student who is clearly having issues at home. When he sees bruises on the boy, he has no choice but to report and record. Things escalate and the boy and his mother have moved away from the father. But now the father has taken to showing up by Finn’s car after school. This isn’t good.
Walker is still dealing with the voice in his head of his abusive father. He’s better, but a work in progress. He wants to date Finn though now that his program is over. Finn wants that too. Things start off well but then Walker freaks out. Luckily Finn is an understanding guy. Things also come to a head with the student. And what will happen if Walker gets called back up to his NHL team??
I really enjoyed this story. There are dark themes here, but both men really do their best. Walker realizes he has to be vigilant. His therapy is working, loathe as he is to admit it. He also realizes that while Hockey is his job, it’s not his whole life. He learns to let others in and share his flaws. This encourages others to share also creating more of a bond. He and Finn weather the ups and downs and their HEA is well earned. Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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