Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Power Play Clash
SERIES: Desert Elite Hockey (Book 2)
AUTHOR: Christie Gordon
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 316 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 11, 2026
BLURB:
Sharing a hotel room with the owner’s son is a mistake. Hooking up with him? Worse. Falling for him in secret? Game over.
Alex
As captain of an NHL team, I can’t afford distractions.
Not when the season is starting.
Not when everyone is counting on me.
And definitely not when the distraction is Julian Mercer—our owner’s spoiled, sharp-tongued son, who walks into the rink knowing nothing about hockey and somehow gets under my skin anyway.
He’s reckless, infuriating, too pretty for his own good… and impossible to stay away from.
He’s supposed to be off-limits.
Instead, he’s in my bed.
What starts as tension turns into late nights, stolen touches, and something I can’t shut off.
But I’m not out, and if his father finds out, I could lose everything I’ve worked for.
Including him.
Julian
I took this job to prove I’m more than Grant Mercer’s son.
I didn’t come here to embarrass myself in front of the team captain, or end up craving every heated glance, every secret touch, every stolen night with him.
He’s controlled, guarded, and impossible to read.
Until we’re alone.
Because behind closed doors, he gives me everything, except a future.
And the longer we stay in the shadows, the more I realize…
If Alex makes me choose between walking away and fighting for him, I won’t go down without a clash.
Power Play Clash is book 2 in the Desert Elite Hockey series. It features a closeted captain, the owner’s son, secret hookups, forced proximity, emotional tension, and a high-stakes MM romance where one choice could cost them everything.
Buy now and fall for the men who refuse to play it safe.
REVIEW:
I am a huge fan of The Squad since they were in college. The support they gave each other when they were exploring and understanding each of their personal sexuality journey was always so touching. Now seeing them all in the NHL and, even with the lighthearted chirping, they still have each other’s backs. Whether on or off the ice!
Alex is stuck in a hard spot. Yes, he can date girls. He can even have sex with them. But that’s not really who he desires. But who he desires isn’t what he can have. Because his devout Russian orthodox parents believe that it is a huge sin, loving another man. He knows this. So what is left is him sneaking around and meeting men who don’t know who he is or what hockey is. And it’s basically only on the road because he has to keep his secret under wraps. That all blows apart when the owners son is assigned to him to learn the game of hockey and the business of hockey. But when a situation arises that leaves these two men in the same hotel room with only one bed that’s maybe off!
This seems to be a very popular trope right now within gay romance. A Russian professional hockey player has to remain deeply closeted because of beliefs in the old country and his family. The spin on this is that the love interest is the team owner’s son. A son that is destined to take over and run the team someday in the future. The part that bothered me most was that there could be a chance that Alex is traded just because he and Julian are a couple and it becomes known. And I get rules and rules are there for a reason. And I get that Julian needed to learn the game of hockey because he didn’t bother too before he came to the team. But there has to be some benefit to having your dad be the owner of the team. There just has to be! And I get why Julian’s dad Grant was staying so strong on this. It’s all about looks and perceptions. But what parent doesn’t want their child to be happy and loved?
I’ve loved that the squad had Alex and Julian’s backs! The fact that neither of them were part of the original Squad when they were fighting hard for each other and their spots didn’t seem to be a concern. It’s all about understanding love. And the Squad understands that completely. Whether it’s the love of a teammate because they have been your friend forever and will always have your back. Or the one that you meet and know, he’s the one. That’s who the Squad will always be to me.
Looking forward to more of these wonderful books in this new spinoff series.
RATING: 
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