Recently traded to the newly formed Vermont Trailblazers,
professional hockey player Roman Kinsey needs to focus on helping the team win
games and filling the stands, not on the blond, bespectacled part-timer who
works at the library he volunteers at. He knows all too well that outing
himself equals heartache and ridicule… or worse.
Cody Evans, psych major and grad school hopeful, notices everything and thinks too much. But he doesn’t know what to think when he sees Roman reading to kids. The rugged hockey player just doesn’t look like the type. But it stirs something in him, something he’s never felt before.
When the library is threatened with closure, Cody enlists Roman’s help. As they get to know each other better...much, much better...they realize that they have more in common than books. But Roman’s keeping a big part of himself from his team, and giving in to his feelings for Cody might be more than he’s willing to risk.
Book 3
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Cody Evans, psych major and grad school hopeful, notices everything and thinks too much. But he doesn’t know what to think when he sees Roman reading to kids. The rugged hockey player just doesn’t look like the type. But it stirs something in him, something he’s never felt before.
When the library is threatened with closure, Cody enlists Roman’s help. As they get to know each other better...much, much better...they realize that they have more in common than books. But Roman’s keeping a big part of himself from his team, and giving in to his feelings for Cody might be more than he’s willing to risk.
Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Au ~ Amazon Ca
B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo
Was he ready for another potential rejection? Not that Cody seemed like the rejection type—after all, Cody was the one who’d invited him tonight—but neither had Kas. Nobody was only what they appeared to be on the surface. Kas had hid a homophobic prick under that happy-go-lucky charm. Cody could be concealing a machete-wielding assassin-for-hire under that good ol’ boy, support-your-local-library exterior.
Opening his text messaging app, he sent a message to Cody: Do you own a machete?
As Roman watched him, Cody, still leaning against the building, jolted. Most likely his phone vibrating in his pocket, an assumption that was confirmed a second later when Cody pulled a phone from somewhere and removed a glove, presumably to answer Roman’s text.
Second assumption confirmed—Roman’s phone buzzed.
A machete? Um, no? Where would I buy one? Is that something you can get at the hardware store?
He didn’t know Cody that well yet, but he had a feeling that was a pretty typical Cody response. His phone buzzed again.
Do you need one? said Cody’s next message. I can ask around and see if someone I know has one you can borrow.
Well, that was... awfully sweet.
Yet another text made his phone vibrate.
What do you need it for? Is it to chop someone’s head off like they do in the movies? If so, I can think of less messy ways to commit murder.
What the hell kind of movies was Cody watching?
Surprised into laughter, Roman opened the door, stepped out, and headed across the parking lot. Cody looked up then, and the smile that pulled his lips upward made Roman’s steps falter and his chest tingle.
When was the last time someone had been happy to see him?
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series. We first met Roman Kinsey as the unpopular loner who ate everything he could in book two. He has now been traded to a newly formed team and is once again feeling unsettled and temporary. In book two I liked that Dan was not so swift to judge Kinsey as the team, but little did I think that his backstory would be so moving.
Kinsey is so careful of not relying or trusting others that even though he is offered a new chance, and reminded by his coach of the importance of team spirit, he just can't break his old habits. But over time and thanks to the friendship of Cody, we get to appreciate the man that he really is, and the reasons for his behaviour patterns.
That this book spends a goodly amount of time in a library, as well as the hockey stadium, is a very welcome bonus. Cody is a student finishing off his studies and working in the local library too – which is where he meets Kinsey as he does community outreach reading to children. As you may have guessed, not a natural fit for this loner... but with Cody's help, and the children, he definitely improves and even grows to enjoy it!
I love that there are multiple strands, that there are lovely redeeming qualities to Kinsey; that there is patience, faith and love coming into his life; that his values are challenged; that his ability to change and grow and commit have not been destroyed by what happened to him – and that he is an amazing cook, much to his teammates’ delight.
I really enjoyed this book, possibly the most of all – although all three have been excellent, unique stories.
Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Roman Kinsey made my heart ache. His backstory made me angry. I cried for Roman when I saw how hard it was for him six years later to trust people, to even make basic friendships. Cody, a psychology major, could tell that Roman’s standoffish behaviour was just a front and I loved that he was so giving and patient with Roman. But Cody isn’t perfect and has his own issues.
While this story is set around the world of hockey, I loved the everyday normalcy of much of it. Making friends, teamwork, potluck dinners, and taking care of others is a regular part of many people’s lives. This is such a romantic story without a hint of sappiness or gushiness to be found. It also isn’t full of descriptive or filler sex. This is about the men and their story, and it is so well done. I loved seeing Roman and Cody learn about themselves on their journey and seeing them trying to improve themselves and their lives. Shots on Goal is a great story whether you’re a hockey fan or not.
Also Available in the Stick Side Series
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the On the Ice Blog Tour.
Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Au ~ Amazon Ca
B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo
For reviews & more info, check out our The Nature of the Game post.
Amy's lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she's read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she's been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn't at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada's largest environmental non-profit.
An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram and Twitter, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter HERE.
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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Shots on Goal (Stick Side #3) by Amy Aislin to read and review for this tour.
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