Playing
for their country in the Winter Olympics is the highest of all honors, but when
family members are pitted as rivals and a dark specter from the past turns up
in Beijing, tensions run high, and abruptly, it’s not all about the hockey.
Jared is torn—assistant coach for Team Canada, with Ryker on the team; he
bleeds red and white and wears the maple leaf with pride. Only Ten is now a
rival, and not only that, but the country they’re all playing in frowns on his
marriage and keeps him and Ten apart. Jared wants to win gold for his country
and his son, but he’d be so proud if Ten were to win. He’s confused and
concerned, but when a face from their past turns up to play, he’s furious.
Being picked for Team USA is one of the things Tennant dreamed of when he was a
little boy. All of his other aspirations have come true through hard work,
determination, and pure talent. Now he’s about to represent his country in
front of the world, and the pressure is starting to build. He’s also just come
face-to-face with a hated rival from a dark period in his past. Add in the
burden of squaring off against his husband and stepson, and Ten is feeling the
pressure to be perfect.
Family becomes rivals—but love always wins.
Authors’ Note: This is not a standalone story and can only really be enjoyed as
part of the series.
Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Harrisburg Railers series!
For book one, Changing Lanes, click HERE.
For book two, First Season, click HERE.
For book three, Deep Edge, click HERE.
For book four, Poke Check, click HERE.
For book five, Last Defense, click HERE.
For book six, Goal Line, click HERE.
For book seven, Neutral Zone, click HERE.
For book eight, Hat Trick, click HERE.
For book nine, Save the Date, click HERE.
For book ten, Baby Makes Three, click HERE.
Book
11
Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Au ~ Amazon Ca
Apple Books ~ B&N
~ Kobo ~ Smashwords
~ Rivals will be available with KindleUnlimited
on February 4th ~
I woke the following morning feeling as I’d been dragged through a sewer by my feet, face down in the muck, forehead bouncing off the slimy troughs filled with sludge.
Which was a typical morning after a massive headache. Add in jet lag and yeah, I was shit-faced and not in that fun been-partying-all-night-with-my-bros kind of way.
The room was dark, thank all the gods. The only sound was of someone nearby humming and strumming on an acoustic guitar. Sitting up was done in increments. There was a slight wave of nausea and a little dizziness, also typical of a postdrome. The plucking and soft singing stopped at my groan. Inhaling deeply to counter the stomach lurch, I breathed in lavender. It was… nice.
“Morning,” Colorado whispered from a vague point by the windows. In the corner. Maybe on the floor? Fuck. This was so not what I needed today. The aftereffects of a crashing headache usually lingered for a full day after the migraine itself, and left me feeling exhausted and mentally fogged. Just the place I wanted my head to be on the day of my arrival. Go me. Ugh. “I had some ginger tea sent up. My grandmother swears by it for any kind of headaches. Also, she said to rub some lavender into your pulse points so I kind of did that when you were sleeping. Nothing beyond your wrists though, my dude.”
“Oh, uhm…” I lifted my left wrist to my nose. Yep, the smell of lavender wafted from my skin. “Thanks.”
“Totally my pleasure.”
Moving like a geriatric patient, I eased my bare feet to the floor. Had I undressed before crawling under the covers yesterday?
“In case you’re wondering, I took off your shoes and socks, great sneakers by the way, and tucked you in.”
I blinked into the darkness, the memories of yesterday slowing arriving. “I threw up on you. Oh shit, Colorado, I am so sorry.”
Ruthie
– ☆☆☆☆☆
This novella is the 11th book in the series – and I really love them all! This
one is absolutely perfectly timed and combines a big message with a very
personal one to the guys... inspired.
I love the Winter Olympics, and even though there may be some issues around the
'22 games, I am sure to spend hours with the TV on in the next few weeks. And
it will be extra fun to have in mind some of the behind-the-scenes machinations
which this book brings to the fore.
So many threads are pulled together in this installment; possibly seeing Aarni
being the most dramatic as it affects every player who had to deal with the
incident, and obviously Ten most of all. Then there are the issues of loyalty
to a person vs a country, being away from home, being in a closed society, let
alone the desire to win a gold medal.
It is absolutely packed full of content, and still there are moments of calm
and peace, and the love shines off the page between Jared and Ten... great
read!
Veronica
– ☆☆☆☆☆
Rivals is book 11 and the Harrisburg Railers series and we are taken
back to our first couple, Ten and Jared. This series has spawned several spin-offs
and you’d think after reading so many books written in the same universe things
would be getting tired, but I found Rivals was the opposite – it was
energising and it left me wanting more.
Jared and Ten are off to the Olympics in China, but they are on opposing teams –
the USA and Canada. Jared is torn between wanting to see his son, Ryker,
playing for Canada, win gold and also wanting to see his husband win. Ten is
feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, representing his country,
representing LGBTQIA sports people, missing their daughter who was left behind
in the USA, and even missing Jared as they are separated in opposing team
camps.
So personally, there is a lot of pressure on Jared and Ten, but this is
balanced with some really exciting hockey. As a reader from Australia who
rarely watches hockey, I found the description of the matches easy to follow
and I was on the edge of my seat during some of the matches. I was thrilled to
get to see various characters that we’ve met and love throughout this series
and its spin-offs including Stan, Tate, and Penn.
I had a fantastic time reading Rivals and I can’t thank the authors
enough for continuing to show us what happily ever after actually looks like
for Jared and Ten. Also, I’m now all keyed-up to watch the Olympic hockey,
which starts in just a few weeks’ time. Rivals gets five very happy
stars from me.
USA
Today bestselling author RJ SCOTT has written over one hundred romance
books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads,
hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers,
doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their
lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with
family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from
writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of
chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
Connect with RJ
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website ~ Goodreads
Facebook
Group: RJ Scott – Special Secret Group
USA Today bestselling author V.L. LOCEY –
Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing
lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood
and Doctor Who, the New York Rangers,
comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life
with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too
many chickens, and two steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie
in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a
steamy romance novel in the other.
Connect with V.L.
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website ~ Goodreads
Facebook
Group: Vicki’s Vixens
Hosted by
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided
a free copy of Rivals (Harrisburg Railers #11) by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey to
read and review for this tour.
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