Tough Guy

Starred review from December 9, 2019
Opposites attract in the solid, sexy third sports romance in Reid’s Game Changer series (after Heated Rivalry). As the new enforcer of the Toronto Guardians hockey team, gay, clinically anxious Ryan Price is paid to be intimidating on the ice, but in his private life he’s shy, sensitive, and recovering from a recent mental health crisis. Moving home to Toronto leads Ryan to reconnect with Fabian Salah, who Ryan crushed on as a teen. Fabian, now a professional singer, is smitten with Ryan but hates hockey and is disturbed by the fights Ryan gets into as part of his job. As they spend more time together, lengthy heart-to-hearts help them reconcile their differences and will endear them both to readers. Burly Ryan has insecurities about love, sex, and his sexuality, but the more comfortable Fabian, who wears makeup and lacy underwear, helps Ryan through his hang-ups in love scenes as tender as they are steamy. Reid uses the backdrop of professional hockey to addresses locker-room homophobia, violence in sports, and issues of addiction without alienating readers who may not care for the game. This is a sweet, satisfying romance.