Recent Release Book Review: Next Man Up by L.A. Witt

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Next Man Up

AUTHORS:  L.A. Witt

PUBLISHER: GallagherWitt Publishing LLC

LENGTH:  512 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 7, 2025

BLURB:  

Author’s Next Man Up was written before the tragic and senseless deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. Out of respect for their memory and for the family, publication was delayed, and the book was revised to minimize some unfortunate and highly coincidental similarities to reality.

30% of the author’s royalties will be donated to the John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation, an organization started by the brothers’ family to support causes that were near and dear to their hearts.
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When tragedy strikes the Pittsburgh Whiskey Rebels, winger Avery Caldwell loses more than his longtime linemate. Without warning, his best friend in the world is just… gone.

There’s no time for grief, though. The season is starting, and now Avery is captain of his devastated team. He’s determined to be strong for them and lead them by example—putting aside his emotions and focusing on hockey.

But he can only pretend he’s okay for so long.

Peyton Hall was looking forward to a new start on a new team. He’d expected to land a place on the second line and play among men he’s been admiring for years… including a winger he’s been crushing on since forever. Now he’s suddenly centering the top line and trying to fill the skates of a beloved star who’s gone too soon.

Avery is determined to ignore his heartache and carry his devastated team. Peyton is determined to find his place among grieving teammates.

But can the new guy stop Avery from self-destructing beneath his grief and the pressure of the captaincy?

And is there any room for the crackling chemistry they’re both trying desperately to ignore?

Next Man Up is a standalone M/M hockey romance.

Off-page death, grief, self-medicating, self-destructive behavior, addiction. Also mentions of pregnancy loss/infertility. If you have questions or would like clarification about any of the potential triggers in this book, please contact the author

REVIEW:

Avery Caldwell is a professional hockey player – first line winger for the Pittsburgh team.  He loves his job and his life and his best friend Leif Erlandsson.  When Leif dies suddenly from a medical event, Avery is thrown into a pit of despair.  But the season is starting and now he is expected to fill in as leader of his team.  There are new players to integrate into the team and they need to get it together as a playoff contending team.

Peyton Hall is excited about the trade of Pittsburgh and the chance to win some cups.  But just as he arrives, the team loses their leader and things are thrown into chaos.  It’s clear that Avery is struggling with his grief.  He’s trying to step up, but the burden seems too heavy for him to carry some days.  This is distressing from a personal and professional level for Peyton.   This isn’t his first rodeo with alcoholics and he struggles now as well to figure out what he should try to do for Avery to help him face his demons and get the help he needs to address both his grief and his self-destructive behavior.

Prior to these two being teammates, they each had a little bit of a crush on each other.  But given the circumstances, personal feelings need to be put aside to deal with the current problems that are affecting them and the team.  Avery had been playing hockey for most of this life with Leif.   The pressure he’s under to fill the role of captain and leader as well as be there for Rachel, Leif’s pregnant widow, and their kids is a lot.  He struggles to just get out of bed.  Once he starts relying on alcohol to make it through the night, it begins to affect his play and his behavior.  Peyton does his best to assist Avery which is successful on one level, but where does that leave them?  This is a tricky situation that will have consequences for a lot of people.

Wow! I’ve been so lucky this year to start things off with two really different and excellent hockey romances.  This one is quite a bit heavier than the first one, but in this author’s capable hands, there is a payoff that is worth the angst and pain here.  There is a lot of hockey here that I’m guessing some people may not love, but since these guys are professional hockey players, this is what they actually spend most of their time doing 😉  The very real description of the pain and depression and self-medicating with alcohol that Avery experiences as he tries to navigate life without his best friend and line mate are devastating and realistic.  I appreciated that there is no easy fix for Avery, but there are resources available that helped him.  Grief is such an individual journey and the steps that one takes to cope and move forward with it can by myriad.   This is a story that will break your heart and then put it back together again in the best way possible.  For fans of heavier and more angsty stories, this is a winner.  Yes it’s long.  Yes, it’s worth it.  One of L.A. Witt’s best.  Highly recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon