Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Two for Charging
SERIES: Minor Penalties #3
AUTHOR: S.B. Barnes
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 370 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 26, 2026
BLURB:
The right partner can end any scoring slump
Since the moment they met, San Francisco Sea Lions Defenseman Luca Mazetti has harbored a debilitating crush on his on-ice partner and roommate, Breezy. Breezy is loud, friendly, and mistakenly believes himself to be Italian even though he’s from Montreal. In short, he’s everything Luca never thought he’d want. When Breezy asks for help navigating love and sex, Luca is powerless to resist despite knowing he’s only going to end up getting hurt.
Chris knows he’s not the sharpest blade on the skate. He can’t even figure out why none of his girlfriends stick around, he’s definitely not a good fit for the newly vacant alternate captaincy everyone keeps trying to give him. All he wants is for the team to get along despite the changes and upheaval plaguing the roster. If he can keep Luca living in his apartment as well, even better. Chris knows his best friend is way too good for him and will move on eventually, but for reasons he doesn’t fully understand, he’s desperate to keep Luca’s attention.
With dissent brewing among the Sea Lions, can Luca and Chris hold the team together? Or will the team disintegrate along with their friendship? And if it does, can they build something stronger from the rubble?
REVIEW:
Note: This is the third book and begins directly after the events of the second book. Major spoilers for both of the previous books in this one.
Chris Calabrese – Breezy to his team – volunteers to put up the new guy – Luca Marzetti – in his spare room in his Haight-Ashbury condo. After the drama of the previous season, both guys are ready to get down to playing some good hockey with new coaches and a fresh start. Luca feels bad that he’s not paying Chris rent while staying with him, but their friendship has developed over their summer of texting. He does tell Chris he intends to do more to repay Chris.
Chris has social anxiety and doesn’t like having to attend team events as a single guy. He doesn’t want to be setup by the WAGS with their girlfriends. He’s not been able to sustain a relationship and he’s really not interested in dating. He takes in a lot of chirping/teasing from people and he takes it seriously. He doesn’t feel like he fits in. He feels broken. He feels stupid. The one thing he really clings to is his hockey and his friend/roommate Luca.
Luca’s had some bad experiences in hockey and so he’s not out to make friends. He just wants to do his job and keep to himself. Too bad for Luca, because he has feelings for Chris. Certainly an attraction at the beginning 😉 Then it becomes more. He wants Chris to be happy and he wants to help him with the things he feels a lack of confidence about. Eventually this includes helping him “practice” date and then moves on to sex. But this too is something where Chris and Luca are on different pages. They are going to have to communicate if they want things to work between them.
I loved Chris! I have many many first generation Italian Canadian friends so this felt like a familiar story in many ways 🙂 He was such a sweetheart and I felt so badly for him that he didn’t see his worth. I didn’t like how others around him made him feel so much less than – whether it was reporters, his family, randos who commented on social media or his own team members. Luca struggling with how to relate to Breezy and not act on his attraction was kind of heartbreaking too. He tries to help his friend, but it takes Chris a while to figure out his feelings. He’s never been good with dating and relationships, but when Luca offers to help him out, things get more confused before they become clear 🙂 I liked that Chris’s sexuality is not just glossed over. For the hockey fans, there is a lot of hockey here and much more on the team dynamics as a result of the previous books and the changes that occur. I hope we get Howie next maybe? All in all, I really enjoyed this book told from both MC’s POVs. It ended up being much more sweet and romantic than I envisioned and I loved Chris’s growth in confidence and Luca’s opening up to Chris and his teammates. Recommended.
RATING: 
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