I have loved this series from the moment I started reading Heated Rivalry, and although that still remains my favorite (I’m definitely not alone on that – hot stuff!), this installment was just as satisfying and had a lot to offer. It for sure satisfies the need for a good hockey story with the added bonus of fabulous characters and great side stories as well.

Here, we follow the story of Troy who is starting with a new team after a scandal involving his fellow teammate and then-best friend who he called out as a rapist after allegations surfaced. That didn’t end well when instead of being appalled by the accusations, family, friends, teammates and fans turned against Troy as the bad guy. So, Troy comes to the new team with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and a not-so-super attitude.

But, Troy could not have ended up in a better place with amazing new teammates (including fan fave, Ilya of Ilya and Shane fame). And then there is Harris, the team PR and Social Media guru. Harris is out, loud and proud and while he doesn’t actually flaunt it (aside from the flair he is always wearing), he doesn’t hide it and is basically accepted by the entire team. He is a ray of sunshine that Troy needed in his otherwise dim life. Luckily, Harris sees something in Troy and chooses to push a little here and there to bring Troy out of his shell and into a better light.

This is another page-turner of a story that keeps you engaged and entertained. Troy and Harris are adorably sweet together but it never feels too mushy. I absolutely love how the team (and Ilya) were able to bring Troy into the fold making him comfortable enough to be himself (I was rooting for Ilya to come clean as well, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be…just yet).

There were some things that felt could have been a little more fleshed out as their aspect of the story played out, i.e. the ex-friend, Troy’s father, etc., but all in all, this was another series winner for me. Big bonus points to find out in the end that we are going to be seeing more of Ilya and Shane in the next book, and I can’t wait to see their story run its course.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I love mm hockey books, and this series by Rachel Reid is an especially good one. Great characters and settings.

I'm not sure why I waited so long to pick up this series but I'm in love! This was a great next installment in the series and I'm chomping at the bit to pick up the next one.

3.5 stars
Review to come but phew besides Heated Rivalry which I FREAKING LOVED AND AM GOING TO RE READ NOW
I actually finished a book in this series without DNf'n it!

Go Mare

Mare~Slitsread

I've loved this whole series. Role Model may be my new favorite. Reid is great at developing characters. Troy and Harris felt so real. Their relationship was both sweet and sexy.

Rachel Reid can do no wrong. I really loved this series and it just keeps getting better and better with each book.

This was great! I really appreciated the timeliness of the storyline, with Troy, a hockey player having been traded to another team for not supporting a now ex-teammate when sexual assault allegations come out. Troy is also trying to figure out his own sexuality and his place on the new team. Harris, the social media manager has to navigate his attraction to Troy while helping Tory come to terms with all the changes in his life, Their friendship proceeds naturally to a relationship and I really enjoyed how Troy's character developed over the course of the story, along with the humour and delight of his relationship with Harris. Their HEA is well earned and this is another great addition to the series.

Having previously only known Troy as Dallas Kent's best friend, I didn't think he was going to be a compelling hero and I am so happy to be proven wrong. Everything Rachel Reid writes is perfection and I'm glad that each new book gives me the chance to reread all the previous ones. I hope this series never ends, Plus we get so many Illya appearances in this books with him being a part of the team that Troy transfers to. I'm even more excited for the eventual Heated Rivalry sequel now.

I highly, highly recommend this book. Read the entire series, you won't regret it.

Thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for my copy to review.

Rachel Reid's Role Model was such a joy to read and is officially my second favorite book in the series (we all know Heated Rivalry holds the coveted first spot). The book follows Troy Barrett, who feels like he doesn't fit in on his new hockey team but decides he wants to try with the help of Harris Drover, the team's social media manager.

Troy has such fantastic growth over the course of the novel. He comes from a team where no one but him was willing to call out his teammate Dallas (who has been accused of assault by multiple women). While facing backlash for speaking out, he has his guard up and doesn't trust that his new team is as kind as they appear. But with the help of Harris, Ilya, and Wyatt, he finds his way to being a person he's proud to be—one who stands up for what's right even when it's hard and one who loves himself for who he is.

Meanwhile, Harris was a complete delight! I love the passion he had for his role on the team, and the way Reid showed just how much skill and work it takes to manage a company's social media.

You didn't think I'd have a whole review about this book and not talk more about Ilya Rozanov, did you? My perfect little Russian angel Ilya truly steals every scene that he's in. He's a Lothaire, if you will. In this book we not only have some hilarious moments from him, but really see how he's grown as a mentor and teammate since Heated Rivalry. It's made me even more excited for the continuation of his story in The Long Game, the Heated Rivalry sequel coming next year!

If you're someone that I yelled at until they finally read Heated Rivalry, definitely check out Role Model! If you are someone who has yet to read Heated Rivalry, what are you doing reading this review?! Go go go!

An excellent newest edition to a truly incredible series. :) every new book ensnares me and this one was no different! I fell in love with Troy and Harris. Their relationship was so so sweet, and I really loved the cameos from Ilya!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Don't make the same mistake as I did by starting the novel at bedtime, expecting to read a few chapters before sleep. I read from start to finish, all through the night, not falling asleep until well past four am. Learn from my mistake, start early. Ha!

Role Model is the fifth installment in the Game Changers series. While it can easily be read as a standalone with little to no confusion, Troy was introduced in other installments. The emotional payoff would be greater if the novels were read in series order. Start with Game Changer.

Returning readers are no doubt asking themselves whether or not past narrators made an appearance on the pages. Most, if not all, I believe, made a cameo on the pages, their connection to one another made known, while others were mentioned heavily.

Now... to answer the most important question you all wished to know. What about Ilya? Does he make a cameo?

Ilya is a major focal point in the story, acting as a mentor of sorts, seeing something in Troy that resonates with him. Heavily present on the pages, acting as comedic relief, Ilya and the team pup were some of the cutest, most heartwarming scenes, scene-stealers of the best kind.

Back to our main characters. Our heroes. Troy and Harrison.

Troy was portrayed as a mega asshole in past installments, which he did as a defense mechanism, finding the person closest to his father's personality and befriending him as a shield against his true nature. With the flip of a coin, Troy's life is upended. Not only does he get caught on camera calling out his BFF for sexual assault, his closeted secret actor boyfriend dumps him at the same time. Not only does he get dumped, the boyfriend of two years is suddenly out and engaged, which meant he was being cheated on that whole time.

Bumped down to a losing team in the league as punishment for speaking the truth, Troy is surrounded by past rivals, nursing a broken heart and unable to tell a soul, while dealing with the repercussions of speaking his mind. The entire league and its fans, everyone has an opinion on Troy, thinking him a traitor for betraying his friend and teammates because he believed numerous women's accounts of sexual assault and had to audacity to admit it publicly.

Troy, Asshole to Hero. Fans and league, his father too, they all loved him as the asshole, but he's never felt more lonely as the accidental hero. It's no wonder Troy is so reserved, his guard completely up, thinking his new team wouldn't want anything to do with him.

Harrison is the team's social media guru. Extroverted, bubbly, and super friendly, it's impossible for even the most prickly member of the team to not be entertained by Harrison, especially when he brings a puppy to work. An entire team of rough and tumble hockey players melt for Harrison, behaving and treating him with respect as soon as he appears.

Plagued with a congenital defect, Harrison has a good heart, seeing the best in everyone, which is exactly the succor Troy needed to heal. Slightly slow-burn, a friendship is built over one-sided conversations and coffee, Troy making the first step by bringing the coffee, and Harrison being patient and coaxing Troy to open up and reveal the sweet guy beneath.

Warm and fuzzy, super sweet, undeniably realistic, Troy and Harrison were perfect for one another. Their banter, added with the reinforcement of Ilya, made for an entertaining read. Quick wit, humorous teasing, Harrison coaxes Troy until he's a pup eating out of his hand.

Oddball that I am, I adored the fact that their team sucked. Loss after loss. So used to the main characters being super awesome on the best team, it was a refreshing change of pace, as was the teammates being good dudes instead of rampaging assholes. Troy, Ilya, and the others, their team progresses as the story does, the bond improving both their lives and the team itself.

I am anticipating the next and the next in the series. Upon completion, the only thing I could think is how I'd love to do a series reread, get another hit of the feel-good vibe the entire series yanks from me.

Definitely recommend to MM Romance fans, particularly those who love the sports genres. Game Changers tops my favorite series list in the hockey subgenre.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I love that each book in this series feels fresh and original. In this fifth book, Troy is an unlikely hero. For most of his all-star career, Troy was as successful as he was toxic. When a scandal takes away his success, it isn’t easy for him to make a fresh start.

If Troy is difficult to like at the start of this book, Harris is impossible not to love. Out and proud – and as positive as Troy is miserable, Harris is determined to help Troy fix his tarnished public image. I love Harris, but I was surprised to find myself falling even harder for Troy in this story. The wonderful slow burn sexual tension between these two is fabulous.

I love that the author tackles some of the darker aspects of toxic masculinity in this book. I’ve not read a #metoo story from the point of view of a complicit man before and I’m surprised how well this works. Somehow, Harris and the actual hockey parts of the book prevent the story from ever becoming too earnest or too dark. This might be the best book in the series so far.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fifth book in the series. I would recommend that you read them in order, but each book deals with another romance, so it is possible to start here and go back!

I read a lot of sports romance and feel that the genre has really moved on from the first to be out, to now looking at the truth for each person and how they deal with how they choose to be. Sadly in Troy's case, he has been conditioned by his horrible, homophobic father, and made friends with a guy who sexually assaulted women. When he calls Dallas Kent out on his behaviour, it is he who is traded to Ottawa, and told to be quiet. Having finally taken a stand on something, and still been the bad guy, Troy is really sad, confused, and determined to keep his head down and his face like ice.

Such a great start to what we have to know will involve him thawing, but we have to be patient – it is a really moving and engaging journey, made all the more exciting by the wonderful Harris.

There are so many great things about this romance, some which made me laugh, some gasp, and some worry. But faith in Rachel Reid meant that I was keen to follow how the complications of their lives would play out. We can rely on Ilya and Wyatt to help, along with Scott and others, to give Troy the self-belief that he does deserve better, and even accept that Harris may be a bright light in his life.

Sexy, swoony, sporty, and satisfying – another great read!


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
On first meeting Troy, I wasn’t sure I was going to like him. He has been traded to a new team after calling out his best friend and teammate for raping women (something that didn’t go down well). And while that is a good thing, Troy has spent a lot of his career behaving badly, being a bully, and acting like a homophobe. He is, of course, firmly in the closet, so you can see why I was hesitant. It didn’t take long at all for me to change my feelings about Troy. And I think my feelings changed because Troy is remorseful and wants to be better and do better. His struggles to do better and with his sexuality really tugged at my heart strings and had me desperate to see him find happiness.

Enter Harris, the team's out and proud social media manager. He is full of life and is a social butterfly. He makes the effort to engage Troy and slowly they develop a friendship. I loved Harris. He has a good soul and just what Troy needs, even if Troy doesn’t think he deserves someone as good as Harris. But for me, this story is all about Troy, changing his life, fitting in at his new team, and ultimately deciding if he will come out.

Role Model was a more emotional story than I was perhaps expecting. I felt a good deal of Troy’s sadness and loneliness at the beginning, but the story is also romantic, a bit sexy with some good fun. The only thing I would have liked was to see a little more of Troy getting to know more of his teammates. But I loved reading Role Model. It is another great addition to this series

M/M ice hockey romance is one of my most favorite romance tropes and for me, Role Model is a great story in a great series. If you haven’t read any of the Game Changers series, I’d highly recommend each and every story in the series.

TWs: Discussion of sexual assault (no actual assault depicted), homophobia, crappy parents, crappy people not believing victims of sexual assault, near death experience

I love this book so much, I don’t even know how to start the review other than just…Yelling how much I love it. I’ve reread it several times since I got the copy and it has definitely become my second favourite in the series, right behind Heated Rivalry. That book is definitely my comfort book, but Role Model is pretty close and also in a “comfort read” category.

I was a bit worried before reading the book because Troy has been such a dickbag in Tough Guy and sometimes redemption stories are…. Not Great. But I trusted the author would do it well and she did. Troy is not just expecting forgiveness, he is expecting being hated by the people who hated Dallas Kent for being a total asshole and a Really Bad Guy. He is aware of his shortcomings and he doesn’t expect people would forgive him just because he called out Kent. I was especially impressed by the scene where he apologises to Ryan and expects no forgiveness or anything.

He left quickly without a glance back, which Troy couldn’t blame him for. He was glad he’d gotten a chance to apologize, but he didn’t expect Ryan to want to talk to him for any longer than he needed to.

Troy is working hard on himself and to improve and he does his best to correct the errors he made in the past. I just…. cannot get over how much I love Troy now and how much I just want to hug him, wrap him in a blanket and give him salmon (if you’ve read the book you get this, if you haven’t…you should, it is HILARIOUS).

Despite the fact that book deals with extremely serious topics, it is INCREDIBLY funny and it had made me laugh so so many times. It also features Ilya in just enough dose to make him present and important character, but not so much that he overtakes the story. I adore Ilya scenes and they are often very hilarious but I also love how, despite initial dislike, he warms up to Troy and even drags him out to his FIRST GAY BAR (the Kingfisher).

As for Harris… I don’t think I have ever read the character that was SO SO SUNSHINEY. He is loud, unapologetic, honest, open… All that Troy isn’t but all that he needs. And the gay apple farmer thing with the badge…I melted several times. As team social media manager he is apparently more involved in the team activities than it is normal but with his character? It makes total sense. I just adored him SO MUCH and I also want to wrap him in a blanket and get him a cake pop.

My heart melted several times during the book (such as with Ursula the cat, and Troy’s mother and…) and I have about half the book highlighted by now I think. I am so so excited for the next book to see what Ilya and Shane are going through but Troy and Harris are just after Ilya and Shane and I… I just love this book and cannot stop yelling about it.

(Special thanks to @drartemysia because the only thing that is better than a great book is reading a great book with your friend and yelling about it all 🙂 )

I've really enjoyed all of these books in this series. But this one is definitely among my favorites.

We have Troy, former BFF to the league's bad boy Dallas Kent. Former because after allegations of sexual assault came out against Dallas, Troy believed the women. And called him out on it, during practice, which was recorded and shared. And it a male dominated sport, they always protect the men. So Troy is immediately ostracized and then traded. To the league's worst team.

Troy's new team is the complete opposite of his former team. The guys are fun, they hang out with each other, there isn't toxic masculinity running rampant, the coaching is different and they have Ilya Rosanov. It's just impossible not to love Ilya. And having him play a decent role in this book was perfect. He didn't take over at all. This was still very much Troy's story. But Ilya was a familiar face among a team we don't know yet.

Included in this totally opposite team is Harris, the social media manager who is out and proud. And Troy is shocked to learn that zero people on the team care. They all love Harris and treat him as part of the team. So when deeply in the closet new guy Troy meets Harris, he is immediately drawn to him.

But Troy was bff with Dallas Kent. They guy who threw slurs around constantly. Who was the big tough guy. Who made fun of other players for whatever weakness they could find. And now Troy needs to prove to everyone- including himself- that he isn't really that guy.

I love that Harris was wary of Troy, but still gave him a chance. He didn't make demands at all and let troy discover who he was in his own time. Troy ended up opening up so much with Harris- and a not so gentle nudge from Ilya- that he was unrecognizable from the guy he was when he played for Toronto.

This was a great addition to the series and I look forward to the next (last? sobs!) book.

Excellent, showstopping, beyond perfect. I don’t have enough words to describe how much I love Rachel Reid‘s writing and the stories she gives us. Role Model was an absolute delight from start to finish and I really hope to have this series physically on my shelf one day!

This fifth Game Changers book gives us Troy and Harris for an opposites-attract romance. Troy's all broody and grouchy, and Harris is happy and outgoing - and I loved these two together. These guys are also an exercise in frustration as they circle each other and go back and forth about their relationship, or deciding whether there even is a relationship. That's the thing, though, even as I wanted to shake some sense into them, I still loved them. Harris is just adorable, and Troy tugs at the heartstrings as he tries to figure things out while also trying to stand up for what's right. Of course, this pair generates plenty of steam, but some of my favorite parts were those little moments when Troy would let his mask fall. That was largely due to Harris, who seemed to always bring out the best in him. So, yeah, these guys had plenty of chemistry, both in and out of the bedroom.
If you've followed the series, you'll also see some past favorites. Several of the guys pop in and out, but Ilya Rosanov is pretty prominent throughout this one since he's captain of Troy's new team. Ilya is such a colorful character, and he's a great addition to the story. As I mentioned, several of the guys pop in and out, and there are things mentioned from past books, but it's nothing hard to follow even if you're new to the series.

I love this book and am so glad I finally listened to everyone who said this series was so great! I loved both MCs and how supportive the one was of the other. Seeing Ilya make appearances was amazing and I love to see the timeline go by like that. This whole series has just been a freaking delight. This one in particular I really loved the family aspect;

I loved the story and I loved the audiobook.

When I reviewed book four in this series about a year ago, I started out listening to the audiobook but had a hard time getting into it so I switched back to reading the book. It must have been my mood at the time or something because I listened to the audiobook of Role Model and I loved it. It’s not often that an audiobook will move me to tears, like what happens when I read a book, but this one died and I loved Cooper North’s performance all that much more because of it.

This story really touched me and got all of my emotions involved; just what I like in a book. Troy was not a very nice character in previous books and I’m glad he got a chance at redemption in this story. He’s been hiding his true self for a long time. He knows that his father will disown him if he ever gets the courage to come out and that is part of what keeps him from doing so.

Harris is one of my favorite characters ever! He’s out and proud and isn’t afraid to be his adorable self. He’s the sunshine to Troy’s grumpy. Rachel Reid’s writing really made me feel the connection between Harris and Troy even though Troy wanted to deny that any attraction was there. Once these two get together things really heat up!

I also loved the team dog, Chiron. Everyone on the team loves this puppy and the way he is described I can just “see” how cute he is. While you don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one, fans of the series will enjoy the cameos by characters from previous books. I particularly loved Ilya in this story and was really happy to find out that the next book in the series, The Long Game, will be about him and Shane (the two MCs from Heated Rivalry).

Review copies of the ebook (via NetGalley) and audiobook (via publisher) were kindly provided by their respective publishers but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

4.5 stars --

Okay. So, did I care about hockey in the slightest before beginning this series? No.

Am I now deeply invested in the lives of these fictional hockey players? YES x 1000.

Gosh, I really enjoyed this book and think this series is just *chef's kiss.* This one, especially was a WINNER. I *love* series that focus on different character POVs within the same universe and I love the combo of sweet and steamy and meaningful that we get in this book. I fell so hard for these characters and just devoured every little bit. I could honestly read 10 more books about Harris and Troy, tbh.

ALL HAIL RACHEL OUR QUEEN

A big thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press for the e-book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

I absolutely love that Rachel Reid put the issue of famous (sports) persons sexually assaulting other people into one of her books. In my memory there is only one other book doing that as well and interestingly enough it’s also a hockey book. I’m talking about Frederik Backman’s Beartown series of course, that I still need to review.

But let’s get back to Role Model. I’m always going on about how happy I am when Ilya and/or Shane are featured in a new book but in this case I’m even happier because Ilya has a semi often appearance (and there are also dogs). Overall it felt like this one incorporated the other four books quite a lot and I loved those little tidbits very much.

I also love how Troy is written and how adorable his awkwardness is. The vibes between him and Harris were quite enjoyable and I was happy to be able to come along on their ride.

Not everything is sunshine and joy with Role Model though because the realistic way of the portrayal meant that I more often than not felt like screaming at people. Which I mean in the best possible way but it really angered me and I can’t wait for society to finally develop away from victim blaming and all that other shit. But I enjoyed how Troy learned how to handle that because maybe it inspires some people with influence to do the same.

5+++ Stars!!!

I think I pretty much cried on and off (mostly on) from chapter 25 on, and that pretty much guaranteed a 5+ Star rating from me. I haven't read/listened to any of the previous books, although you can be certain I'll be fixing that soon, at the very least I need to read Ilya's book soon, before book 6. LOL

I was totally charmed by Harris, he was such a delight. Sweet, fun, supportive, I adored him. But the one who stole my heart was Troy, he went from depressed and a bit lost to finally being happy and proud of who he truly was and he took me along in his journey. I was just about as proud of him as Harry and his mom were. I loved Harris and Troy together, they were just so sweet and hot and perfect.

I loved Ilya and Wyatt and the rest of the guys on the team. And I was ecstatic that both Troy's father and Dallas Kent got what they deserved. There might have been cheering, hahaha.

Anyway, I totally loved this book and it's so going on my Top Favorite books. It was amazingly written, but above that, it made me feel and fell in love with Troy and Harris. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but it was so worth it. Highly recommendable! Just don't forget to invest on some tissues before reading it, or better yet, listening to it, because Cooper North did a fabulous job with it and definitely made it into an even more fantastic experience for me.

*** Copy provided by NetGalley for my reading pleasure, but I also bought the audiobook.***