Ryu Mori and Emmett Armstrong are both goalies in the NHL who want to be the starter. Ryu had been back-up with the Atlanta Venom and when the starter is traded he is anxious to have the top spot. And then the team acquires a hot shot cocky young goalie from another franchise. They are competitors, but they also find they are drawn to one another in a more personal way. Being rivals and lovers, they are pushed to find a way to make it all work. There are so many ways they are different and so many ways that they are good for one another. And the story was well told and engaging way that fleshes out both men and makes you root for their relationship. I really like this series and am looking forward to more stories.
I received a copy of the ARC from A Novel Take PR for an honest review.

This is a great enemies to lovers hockey romance! Emmitt and Ryu are goalies for The Venom and competing for the starting spot for the team. What neither expected is to be rotated throughout the season. Emmitt comes in from the AHL, rookie to the team, full of personality and swagger. Completely the opposite is Ryu, reserved and focused on playing the best he can, he was expecting to be an automatic shoe in for starter so he immediately has a problem with Emmett. He's stopped Ryu from being starting goalie for the season, he's loud, bratty but, extremely attractive and Ryu wants him far more than he should.
There's an instant attraction between these two and it makes for entertaining reading how they banter back and forth. Disliking each other for obvious reasons but the spark they have is noticed by both men and doesn't take long for a deal to be struck for no strings sex, no feelings! Because we all know how that goes..... Both men have slightly difficult relationships with one or both parents allowing a bonding moment over something they equally understand and getting to know one and other leads to a strong friendship neither expected. I love how naturally it feels as their relationship develops. We have time spent with their teammates, giving a fair amount of entertainment, but a lot of just the two men where we see below the bravado and the reticence they show to the world. A beautiful romance blossoms but whether it can hold out to the competition to get the starting spot during the end of the season is the big test for them both.
Really enjoyed this story for Ryu and Emmett. It's wonderfully told with a great balance of character development, sports action, friendship and romance. Definitely a recommendation from me, especially if you enjoyed the first story, though it is not necessary to have read that one to follow this one.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and am happily giving a review.

I was so happy to hear Gale and Vaughn were teaming up again for the second book in this series! Goalie Interference is pure enemy to lovers with goalies Ryu and Emmitt crackling with animosity from the moment they meet. And why wouldn’t they? Ryu thought he’d be named the starter but instead the coach informs them they’ll be taking turns. The competition was on!

Not only were they legit rivals, there are big personality differences. But of course, it was only a matter of time before they acknowledged the thin line between lust and hate and decide they might as well work out some of the tension. Only they both catch feelings and right as they’re realizing they really do like one another, the Venom go into the playoffs and there will be only one starting goalie. My heart went out to both of them because at the end of the day, they both want to be the starter and they don’t know how to reconcile the competition with their relationship. So much angst!

Unfortunately, the ending felt very rushed. Ryu and Emmitt don’t really address their issues before getting back together. What’s to stop them from breaking up the next time the coach is going to choose between them? Yes, they now admit they love one another but I wanted to know how they would work through their competitiveness on the ice and what they can do to communicate their concerns. While the epilogue gives us a nice glimpse of their relationship, it was not far enough into the future to give me the reassurance that they’ll work through future conflict just fine. I believe in them and believe they’re great together. I just wanted more.

I loved how this directly dealt with racism in the NHL and how Ryu and Emmitt encouraged children of color to consider playing hockey. Emmitt is Black and Ryu is Japanese American and they both reference the racism and microaggressions they’ve experienced from players and fans alike.

The side characters are great. I loved the glimpses we got of Tristan and Sebastian’s relationship—so great to see them doing well. And Morley cracked me up, that doofus puppy of a man. I would not be mad if he got his own book!

One other thing I found interesting was Ryu’s touch aversion. That’s not something I’ve seen often and it was great to watch Ryu and Emmitt navigate what this meant for their relationship.

CW: racism, microaggressions

Oh, it's been too long since I've read an Avon Gale–Piper Vaughn book. They're the gold standard of m/m hockey romance for me, and <i>Goalie Interference</i> didn't disappoint. I loved the enemies-to-lovers (while still remaining rivals) progression, and the secondary characters (with bonus updates on past protagonists) sparkled. My only complaint is that after a delicious buildup, the last... 20%? felt rushed to me. I'd have been delighted with another several chapters with a lot more hockey and a lot more relationship-building. That said, what <i>was</i> on the page was excellent, and I'm looking forward to finding time to go back and reread what came before.

My thanks to A Novel Take PR for an advance copy of the book.

Mentioned in SBTB's September New Releases: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2019/09/septembers-new-releases-5/

I feel I need to start this review with a couple of disclaimers: 1) I am a HUGE hockey fan and have been for over 35 years and 2) I think hockey goaltenders are pretty much gods. This may or may not have affected my opinion of this but…which I loved, unexpectedly. I wasn’t really interested in Ryu from book one and while I’m a big fan of Ms. Gale’s, I’ve been hit or miss with Ms. Vaughn.

This can be read as a standalone although Tristan and Sebastian are in this book quite a bit.

Ryu and Emmitt’s initial animosity is passionate which of course translated perfectly to the bedroom. At first glance, this appears to also be an opposites attract story but as we get to know both characters we can see they come from similar backgrounds and upbringing. Ryu’s not surprising but Emmitt’s dad made me angry…although living in Texas I see that type of behavior all the time. Football is king here, everything else is just a leisure activity. I was surprised at the glimpses of gentleness between these – how good they are at it and how much it worked for them. I really like them together and hope we see more of them in future installments of this series.
I was pleasantly surprised by how the goalie competition was handled and while the outcome was as expected, there were a couple of shockers along the way. There was one scene in particular that played out as expected but I would have been sorely disappointed (and probably would have thrown my Kindle in a fit of rage) had it not happened exactly that way.

In the end, I loved the story and can’t wait for the next book. And please for the love of God tell me one of them is about Morley…and soon.

I love hockey romance and this one was quite enjoyable. There was a good balance of sport and relationship. I have not read book one but I do not feel it is necessary to have read it to enjoy this one. Will recommend and will continue to read this series

I absolutely love this series because...hot guys and hockey...what more could you possible want !!?? And after reading and loving the first book in this series, Off the Ice, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one.

Now we've met Ryu in the previous book, but even if you haven't read that one, you can read this one as a stand-alone....though why you would want to do that is a different question altogether...
Anyways... Ryu and Emmitt don't really get off on the right foot when they meet. Which isn't so surprising since they are both fighting for the same starting position on the team...goalie !! Would you embrace your competition ?? That aside, they are also complete opposites... restrained versus wild ... So many tropes in this one !!

All their differences and resentment aside, they can't deny the major chemistry sizzling between them. Best to do something about it and why not be "friends with benefits".
But we all know how that always works out....right ;)

Even though I really enjoyed reading this one, I have to admit to loving the first book much more. For some reason, Tristan and Sebastion showed way more personality and the chemistry between them was almost palpable... It just did not get that same feeling with Ryu and Emmitt. I also didn't get a real HEA for them...I needed an epilogue or something !! I like my closure ;)
I am sure we will get more of these two in the next book, but it isn't the same for me. That said, I am very much looking forward to the next couple, bring it on !!!

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, but Goalie Interference was just an okay read for me. Ryu and Emmitt are competitors. They both want the top position, and they both want to be on the ice for the playoffs. There is some back and forth in the very beginning, but other than that, I never really got the enemies to lovers vibe. That fierce sense of rivalry is there, and they both want to win. They wouldn't be valuable players if they didn't, but I just never got that animosity that comes with being enemies. The big, angsty problem is what I expected, and we get lots of moping on both sides, maybe a little too much moping. There is some wit and fun, mostly when Emmitt and Ryu are interacting with the team, particularly Morley. I absolutely love the fun-loving Morley. Given the circumstances, the relationship isn't public knowledge, and Ryu isn't even out, but that isn't a cause for worry here, which was refreshing in this type of romance. I will add that for those who want gameplay, this one gives us plenty of that. As the team heads into the playoffs, the play gets more and more exciting, and the authors do an excellent job of drawing you into the game. In the end, Ryu and Emmitt do have good chemistry, and their story is certainly plenty steamy, but it lacks the highs and lows of enemies turning into lovers while they fight every step of the way. It is certainly worth the read, and I'll be interested to see what's next for this series - I'm secretly hoping Morley gets a turn soon. As for this one, it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it did keep me entertained with its engaging characters and gameplay.

I love stories with diverse MCs so imagine my excitement when I realised this had not one but two diverse MCs! I just about squealed in joy because you guys know how these romances can be qWHITE the same from book to book.

Moving on, I loved Emmitt. He initially came off as cocky but he was actually funny, kind, loving and interesting . He also went out of his way to support and be there for people who needed him. He was just great to read about.

Ryu, on the other hand, took some getting used to. He was very stuck in his ways and took too long to change. As it was, it took me majority of the book to begin to warm up to him and even with that, I don't think I fully did. He was very standoffish(which I don't know whether to attribute solely to his upbringing or not) and not very forthcoming. I felt that in his relationship with Emmitt, Emmitt did the heavy lifting ; both emotionally and physically with Ryu just cruising along. I saw him as very lazy in that regard actually.

To the story proper, I liked the whole "gunning for the same spot" plot and felt the writer executed it quite competently. I certainly enjoyed my reading experience and loved how REALISTIC the HEA was for our MCs. It was just the perfect end to this great story.

Now I cannot possibly finish this review without mentioning the "scene stealer" extraordinaire, Morley. Man,I absolutely loved Morley. Initially, he came off as this "dudebro" guy but underneath that persona was a someone with a killer sense of humour who was willing to learn and willing to help. I also felt that beneath that was something more intriguing so needless to say, I will be the first in line should his book ever come out!

One of my fave hockey romances ever and one I already read a couple of times and will for sure reread again and again in the future. Love Ryu and Emmitt. Their snarking is AWESOME and so funny! Very much looking forward to the third book in the series!

Full review on the blog soon!

I liked Goalie Interference, but, as with the first book in the series, I feel like it is a little lacking in the romance department.

I really enjoy the enemies to lovers trope, and the setup here is perfect. Ryu and Emmitt are very different in terms of their personalities, with Ryu being disciplined and self-contained and Emmitt being a cocky showboat. More importantly, though, they competing for the goalie position on their hockey team. Lots of inherent conflict there!

The authors did an excellent job bringing the two of them together in a way that feel realistic for the characters. Primarily they bridge the gap through Ryu and Emmitt’s shared love of hockey and their shared passion for being a goalie. The fact that they are teammates who both want their team to succeed also helps them connect, because while they may be competing for a position, they’re still invested in each other’s success. Similarities in terms of family issues help build their relationship, too.

There’s a lot of discussion of hockey and what it’s like to be a part of a hockey team in the book, and that part is very well done. There are also some fairly steamy scenes that add heat to the story. However, I felt like the romance between the two men could have been more developed on the page. The reader gets told that their feelings are deepening, but rather than internal monologues about how they feel, I wanted more scenes where we see the two of them interacting outside of having sex or talking/playing hockey. There are some, definitely, but I would have liked more moments where the two of them just have conversations and enjoy each other’s company—those little moments where you feel the zing of attraction between two people who are falling in love.

So, while I liked this book, I would have enjoyed it more if the authors had incorporated more showing and less telling when it comes to Ryu and Emmitt’s romance. I want all the feels!

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Goalie Interference, the second book in the Hat Trick series, has everything I love about an Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn book. There's a great hockey story, two intriguing main characters, and some hot sex.

In this story, a fun, no-strings-attached arrangement leads to more as the lines start to blur. I always enjoy when casual boyfriends turn into a real relationship without the men even knowing. Personally, I love the scene where they talk about wanting more.

Emmitt's new to the team and finds himself competing with Ryu for the goalie position. As usual, they always have to fight, on and off the ice. They're rivals on the ice so this is normal for them. But best yet, fighting gets them hot, which is always a fun read.

For anyone looking for a book with diverse characters, this one fits the bill. One's a black man, the other is Japanese/American. The lack of diversity in the NHL is well explored.

I love everything about this story. Course I have a thing for athletes, and this one met all my expectations and desires. Ryu and Emmitt are so damn hot together. And don't forget the beauty of their dares. I'm certainly not going to give anything away, but damn, I love their dares.

One big part of their story involves their parents, and the lack of support they receive from them. Parental involvement has the power to make or break someone, and these two definitely struggle with their parent's expectations.

Goalie Interference is a great enemies to lovers romance. If you enjoy closeted athletes, make sure to check out this Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn collaboration. The second book in their Hat Trick series, it is easily read as a standalone.

Although some of the hockey terms weren't explained until late in the story, I enjoyed the relationship between Ryu and Emmitt. Their initial feelings and reactions to each other and the way the coaches planned to have them play and compete for the starting position are very human. I liked the way they worked it out.

The ARC had a few proofreading issues but nothing too bad or annoying.

Mh, what to say about this book. I really, really enjoyed the setting and professional sports aspect of the story. Not because hockey is really a sport I watch, but more because it was written from an obvious place of love for and interest in the sport. It made the setting, the interactions and conflicts arising because of it feel very real, and made the story that much more enjoyable to me. 

Additionally I really liked the characters, although I did struggle a little with connecting with them both in the beginning. But just like the romance developing slowly, my feelings grew over time. I enjoyed the friendships and the complexities of interpersonal relationships in the story, the family dynamics and the team dynamics as well. The romance and the steam were *kisses fingers*. So why oh why M is this book only a three star read for you? 

And the answer is honestly… not so easy. I think the ending was really what it all came down to - so click away if you don’t even want vague hints at it here. I felt the conflict between Ryu and Emmitt very keenly and I was hurting with them both while I understood where their conflict was coming from. The problem was that I didn’t see how the possibility to slide right back into the same conflict in the next season got fully resolved? The thing is, I know they both had big revelations in their own heads, they realized their feelings were a lot more important and went a lot deeper than they thought. But. I didn’t get to see that in a scene in which they both *articulated* that to each other. I know sometimes actions speak louder than words, but in this case I just missed that One Scene. You know the one. Where they both blurt out a lot of important realizations and big words and resolve everything that kept them apart before. 

That’s not a book fail, it’s more a thing that I personally missed and would have needed in order to feel emotionally satisfied and absolutely happy in the end. So not a bad book, not at all. I just needed a little more to be swept off my feet.

This was a steamy and adorable sports romance.

This story features two men of color as the protagonist. Emmitt is a black man trying to make it in the NHL, and Ryu is Japanese American.

The story kicks off with Emmitt being drafted to the NHL from the minor leagues, which is where he previously played. When he arrives to his new team, he realizes he’ll have to compete against Ryu, the teams goalie, for the starting spot for the season.

Not only is this an enemies to lovers story, but it also has an opposites attract trope. Emmitt is loud, a little bit obnoxious, and arrogant. Ryu has this driven, more reserved personality. I think they complemented each other really well. The banter between them was my favorite. I loved the hate to love that coated their relationship at the beginning. I also really loved how they went from enemies to eventually developing feelings for each other. It felt really authentic.

The ending felt a bit rushed to me. Everything kind of wraps up and resolves itself fairly quick. It’s definitely an HFN ending, rather than HEA, which isn’t bad, but just leaves a little bit of unresolved issues for the future. Though I suppose that’s realistic.

This was a cute, enemies to lovers romance. While I didn’t like it as much as the first book, this was a nice addition to the series.

Enemies to lovers hockey goalies on the same team. Oh yeah, I was rubbing my hands in glee to see how this would turn out. Why are hockey stories so hot? ;-)

We met Ryu Mori in the previous book as Tristan's BFF. A Japanese American hockey goalie with the stoicism and drive to achieve greatness as his family expects. He's finally looking at a year of starting goalie when the most unexpected happens.

Emmitt Armstrong is a black man who has just had the best year of his career in the minors. Celebrating the win with his teammates expecting to be called up to his NHL team for the following season he gets a shocking surprise when he's traded to rival team.

Before he can even resign himself to being backup goalie, the new coaches announce that he's in the running for the starting position. With their minds and emotions in upheaval, Emmett and Ryu also find their personalities at opposite ends.

Sparks fly from the start between these two. It's a pleasure to watch as they catch fire and create an unusual but heartwarming relationship between these two MCs.

I found it very stressful to see what their coaches put them through. I was humbled by their love of the game and respect for each other. I cheered as race, ethnicity, sexuality and culture were challenged and acknowledged in a sports setting.

This is another well done sports romance for this author duo. It can easily be read as a stand alone.

Book 2 from a series which can read as a stand-alone.
The main characters from book 1 are also in this story but more as secondary among others.

Emmitt is the new goalie and it seems Ryu, who is already the goalie, got competition.
Ryu got a strong aversion against Emmit. There is a lot of tension and the best way to get rid of that is to blow off the steam occasionally, with the other.
When occasionally turns into regularly and hate turns into something else they even work out as dual goalies. Until their coach put a halt and tells them only one will play and the other occasional. Emmitt wants to be the one and no way they can have any sort of relationship.

“We’re not talking, you’re monologuing,”

I really enjoyed this one. Is was about more than only the two men. There are family matters, team members, especially Morley, who I loved. Maybe he will have the next book?
Ryu in the closet felt a bit unnecessary, it didn’t have a real dealing part in this story.
For me, I would have loved a more defined end.
Is was an entertaining story, nicely captivating written. Overall a good addition to the series.

This was a very 3-star book: enjoyable, but could have been so much better. My main problem is that I didn’t connect at all to Emmitt’s character at the beginning. While he grew on me by halfway, I never really understood why Ryu was attracted to him at first. So I was never tremendously invested in the romance. I really liked Ryu’s character—I wanted to see him succeed as a goalie and as a person, and I didn’t really see Emmitt helping with either of those things.

I reread Off the Ice (the first book in this series) before reading this—although you don’t have to, it works as a stand-alone—and was just struck by how good the characterization was in Off the Ice. Tris, Seb, and Ryu felt very multi-dimensional. Emmitt felt like a very hollow character, not much substance and almost just like a list of all of Ryu’s opposites in order to get an enemies-to-lovers plot. I also thought the transition in their relationships were very abrupt, and I kept feeling like I missed a scene or something.

What I did like was the discussion of race & diversity in hockey. Queer sports romances obviously mention sexuality and homophobia in sports, but hockey romances rarely mention how white the sport is. But there are players of color (and always have been), and I love how Gale & Vaughn included the nuances of that reality.

And of course, I loved the hockey and the teammates. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. If you really like enemies-to-lovers, goalies, or hockey romances, check this out!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.**

Whooo, I mean who doesn't like a good enemies to lovers hockey romance? Gah, I am a sucker fangirl for sports romances, and I know what you are thinking, how can I like these romances and yet hardly watch sports - oh easy, the books are better! Crazy, but work with me here on that one. But seriously, I love a good M/M Romance and anything set in a hockey based genre, oh yeah you bet your bottom dollar I am there! 

Keep in mind, Goalie Interference is a intermingled series, but can be read as a standalone - I personally have not read book one, so for me I didn't really notice a difference going, but you have been warned. 

Now, where to start...Obviously the characters.

It was a fifty fifty for me on the characters. Ryu was definitely the more older, intimidating character, maybe more seasoned attitude would be best to describe him. Then Emmitt had this childlike, naive sweet attitude about how output his energy. I felt that though I really liked the characters personalities some of the time, it was most of the time that Ryu was either bland, not really able to peg his person, this really just made him seem really closed down while Emmitt seemed bratty, overly annoying and I honestly did not like how he represented himself. I like a good cocky attitude, but something for me did not quite mesh well with how he was portrayed. 

The romance itself was definitely passionate, fun and rather entertaining to say the least. The constant bickering and ranting these two fellas spew is downright delicious. When they weren't trying to throw each others game off they were literally throwing the other in a sexual fit. The tension melted from them. I will admit though, I was a bit miffed with how Ryu was conflicted about his coming out. I simply didn't understand his full reasoning behind his resistance, but at the same time I really liked how he evolved because of the relationship. 

Overall, I enjoyed it but it wasn't memorable for me, especially the characters. Sure, it was easy read, quick, entertaining enough but it lacked a connection. Both Ryu and Emmitt irked me while making me swoon, so I was conflicted majority of the read. Nonetheless, I am a hardcore sucker for hockey romances and when you have two brooding alpha-males battling it out in the rink and in the sack, I am all hands on deck. And now that i know this is a series and that many people enjoyed Off the Ice, I am obviously going to have to go back and read!