Release Day Review: Tempting the Teammate (Arctic Titans of Northwood U) by Hayden Hall

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Reviewed by True

 

TITLE: Tempting the Teammate

SERIES: Arctic Titans of Northwood U #8

AUTHOR: Hayden Hall

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 237 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 13, 2025

BLURB:

Andrei Sokolov has been my best friend for as long as I can remember.

We have played defense together since peewee hockey. We have been inseparable through every game, every road trip, and every bad decision.

Now we are back for our sophomore year at Northwood U, living in the same teamhouse, chasing the same championship dreams, and stuck in the middle of a brand new mess.

The Arctic Titans have been turned into the stars of a season-long docuseries, and apparently, I am the Ladies’ Man. Andrei is the Bad Boy Defenseman. We are supposed to play it up for the cameras, but being told who to be makes me itch. And when the edits start leaning into our so-called bromance, things get complicated.

Because lately, I cannot stop noticing the way Andrei looks at me when the cameras are not rolling. Or the way I have started looking back.

One kiss turns into a secret. A secret turns into late-night skates, empty locker rooms, and moments that feel too much like falling in love. And the closer we get, the harder it is to pretend it is just friendship.

Andrei says sneaking around costs him too much. I say I cannot risk losing what we already have. But with the whole world watching, I am running out of ways to hide what is real.

Maybe it’s time to give them a storyline worth streaming.

Tempting the Teammate is a standalone novel set in the world of the Arctic Titans of Northwood U and reading earlier entries is not necessary for your enjoyment of this story. It’s a best-friends-to-lovers, gay awakening story playing out before the cameras and the whole wide world. Get ready for secret kisses, steamy nights, and the found family unique to the Arctic Titans series. Return to Northwood U for the happiest ever after in all of romance.

 

REVIEW:

Oww, the blurb alone is already awesome!
Griffin Shaw and Andre Sokolov have been best friends for more than a decade and both play on the same Northwood U Arctic Titans hockey team. Best friends and inseparable, what Griffin doesn’t know is that Andrei has had feelings for him for a long time already.
Andrei pushed his feelings back, deep down, knowing there would never be anything between them other than friendship. Griffin is the ladies’ charmer.
This season the team will be followed, filmed, and interviewed for a docuseries.
The camera zooms in on certain things, and the public becomes obsessed with it. It’s about a bromance between Andrei and Griffin.
Andrei doesn’t like all the attention, Griffin thinks it’s fun.
The public is getting more excited and even insinuates there’s more between them.
It’s getting out of hand. It could even damage their friendship.
What Andrei doesn’t know is that Griffin starts to see Andrei with different eyes. It’s confusing Griffin, he doesn’t know how to act. He doesn’t want to lose his best friend.
When they admitted to each other how they felt, my heart, this was something else.
But there’s a world outside, and they are in their private bubble. The outside can’t know about it.
Is this the end and would it blow up in their faces, or could this be a new beginning? That’s something you need to read for yourself.
Gosh, I love me some good romance, and this one was great. The development felt so natural, from best friends to (secret) lovers, and the struggles that came with it. The intimate moments were hot, and even more precious were the pleasure and all those warm feelings they shared.
The author has a beautiful, almost lyrical style of writing, never superficial, with plausible characters and circumstances.
I loved this story very much!

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

 

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