Book Reviews

Book Blurb

The hits just keep coming for Troy Barrett. Traded to the worst team in the league would be bad enough, but coming on the heels of a messy breakup and a recent scandal… Troy just wants to play hockey and be left alone. He doesn’t want to be in the news anymore, and he definitely doesn’t want to “work on his online presence” with the team’s peppy social media manager.

Harris Drover can tell standoffish Troy isn’t happy about the trade—anyone could tell, frankly, as he doesn’t exactly hide it well—but Harris doesn’t give up on people easily. Even when he’s developing a crush he’s sure is one-sided. And when he sees Troy’s smile finally crack through his grumpy exterior, well… That’s a man Harris couldn’t turn his back on if he wanted to.

Suddenly, Troy’s move to the new team feels like an opportunity—for Troy to embrace his true self, and for both men to surrender to their growing attraction. But indulging in each other behind closed doors is one thing, and for Troy, being in a public relationship with Harris will mean facing off with his fears, once and for all.

 

Book Review

‘Role Model’ is a great story about how getting rid of toxic people in your life can help you become happier and more fulfilled. It takes the parts of hockey culture that are misogynistic and bigoted by the horns, so to speak, and shows what it could be like if they were rooted out and players who don’t get the message were actually punished. The love story is also very cute and I really, really enjoyed reading this volume in the ‘Game Changer’ series.

 

Troy Barrett has been traded down from Toronto Guardians to the Ottawa Centaurs (captained by Ilya Rozanov). The Ottawa Centaurs are currently at the bottom of the league, Troy hates Ottawa on principle (but mainly because he has to live in a hotel for now), and he is not looking forward to being treated like sh*t by his new teammates. And all because he called his ex best friend, Dallas Kent, a rapist – based on several women’s online posts. Management is more interested in protecting one of their star players, so Troy is ridiculed and down traded. He has also just gone through a messy breakup with his boyfriend of two years, so I totally got why he was withdrawn and grumpy in the beginning. He just wants to play hockey and be left alone.

 

Harris Drover, who is by nature sunny, out and proud, and totally respected by the Ottawa players whose social media presence he manages. He is excellent at his job, dedicated, and not willing to give up on Troy despite the hockey player’s grumpiness. Harris develops a deep crush on Troy – which he is sure is unrequited – and his life’s goal becomes to make Troy smile. Harris needs to make Troy a role model using his social media skills and that is not an easy task.

 

Even though Troy is not hesitant about being gay – just “not in public” – his relationship with Harris is not an easy one. Yes, coming out is not high on his list of priorities, but what is really holding him back are the toxic attitudes he was brought up with (his father is horrible!) and those of the “friends” he used to surround him with were not much better. Harris is the ideal man to help Troy overcome all these issues, but it is not an easy road. And hockey management is less than supportive when Troy begins to take a stand against rape culture in a very public way.

 

If you like romances between two men who have to overcome their fears, if you admire men who (eventually) stand up for what they believe in, and if you’re looking for a story with some depth and a lot of heartwarming moments, then you will probably like this novel.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book was purchased by the reviewer.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook, print and audio
Length	Novel, 284 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	10-August-2021
Price	$6.99 ebook, $15.04 paperback, $26.09 audio book
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Role-Model-Game-Changers-Book-ebook/dp/B08SBK816H