4.5 Stars

Role Model is a fabulous hockey romance. The fifth book in Rachel Reid's Game Changers series, it's a great addition to this hockey world.

Troy's world is a mess when he's traded to a new team. It's not easy to be accepted, due to some complications. As he finally tried to do the right thing, he's left with a bad reputation as a trouble maker.

Enter Harris, the team's social media manger.

I love the night and day difference between the two. And even more, I love the way the openly gay Harris is accepted by the team, and the way that Troy notices this.

This story is wonderful, with a slowly growing relationship between the two. The two men are great together, and I love the way everything evolves for the two.

I appreciate Troy's struggle with his sexuality and coming out. It's never an easy road in the hockey world, and the author does a great job once again illustrating this.

The redemption theme is a ever looming theme in this tale, as Troy works hard to change his imagine and redeem himself among the players and the fans. It's not an easy ride, but I enjoy the way it ends up.

And in the end, the theme of sexual abuse is a constant, as Troy is trying to bring light to the issue. It caused him major issues with his ex best friend, his former team, and the league itself. It's the classic let's not believe the women scenario. I found this all to be well written.

Role Model is a wonderful addition to this series. Rachel Reid left me riveted throughout. I love this series and I love this book.

A great addition to Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series.

Role Model takes on some toxic parts of hockey culture //content warning: sexual assault// but the events take place before the book and aren’t described in detail. This book starts off dark and gets more comforting as it goes. The heaviness is also balanced by Reid’s trademark humour, which is peppered throughout.

Role Model features Troy Barrett, a hockey player for the Ottawa Centaurs, and Harris Drover, the social media manager for the team.

Troy was traded to the Centaurs after confronting a superstar teammate who was accused of sexual assault. Troy appeared briefly in previous books and wasn’t likeable but he gets a believable redemption arc here. Harris is the lovable ray of sunshine who finally lets Troy be comfortable in his own skin.

Their relationship is a slow burn and it’s so worth it.

Bonus: we get lots of appearances from series favourite Ilya. This book also sets up Ilya and Shane’s highly anticipated sequel, The Long Game.

This was great. I loved the Ottawa Centaurs, and Troy and Harris. I'm definitely looking forward to being focused on Ilya and Shane again after the little bits of them (mostly Ilya) we got in this one.

Role Model is the fifth book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changer’s series. I enjoyed all four books in the series so far and this book is no exception! What you can expect from this series: lots of steam, hot hockey players, dealing with homophobia in professional sports (TW), and lots of hilarious moments. What I like the most about Reid’s books, however, is the way she perfectly crafts characters to complement each other. The attraction is not opposites-attract necessarily but the relationships are founded on common ideas but each person balances the other out in terms of personality. Role Model is the story of media manager for the Ottawa team Harris, as he tries hard not to fall for (probably straight) Troy Barrett. Barrett has a reputation for being rude and offensive, but Ottawa team members are starting to realize maybe that was the crowd he was hanging out with and not actually him… Read this book to see if these two can work out their differences and get their HEA!

I LOVE this series!!

MM hockey romances have quickly become some of my favourite books to read. I end up re-reading them over ad over again they're so good! And this series is definitely ones of the best ones I've come to read. So when I found out that there's a new book coming out?? I screamed on the bus, no big deal.

I loved this story! It's the ultimate bully turns good and finds love kind of romance and I'm here for all of it. It reminded me of K. Webster books (I love her books so much) and the fact that Troy was able to understand how he was wrong and fixes his attitude throughout the story was an amazing thing to read. And Harris is just the biggest ray of sunshine on a grumpy Troy which makes this whole thing way more fun.

Everyone has got to read this series!! I think the next book is Ilya and Shane's book again and I am beyond ecstatic for it!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the earc in return for an honest review,

Role Model, for me, was a classic example of my losing interest when two characters get together and all that sort of tension disappears. This isn’t to say I didn’t, mostly, enjoy it! But once Troy and Harris had got together, while I still liked reading it, it lost some impetus for me.

But let me set that aside for a moment and start with some positives.

Rachel Reid is very good at giving you sympathetic characters, ones that you can latch onto and love reading about. And that’s done really well here, especially with Troy (who, I admit, I didn’t know much about before this book, so it’s entirely possible I missed a memo when it comes to disliking him to start with? I just didn’t…). I also loved his character development throughout the book, and the way he slowly opened up to his teammates. (Okay, sue me, this type of character is a weakness.)

And the contrast with Harris, too? That was lovely, because it was kind of opposites attract, but also kind of you can’t see how they’d work together… except they do. It’s the sort of romance that I really enjoy reading. (Despite the aforementioned slight loss of interest once they were together.)

I suppose this leads somewhat naturally to just why I didn’t love it. I think it was the combination of low angst (not in and of itself bad), and an early getting-together. I can deal with either one of them on their own, but not together, because that just drains any tension for me. I go into romance knowing that the characters will end up together, so I need a bit of something to keep me wondering how everything’s going to work out. Although, on the flip side, I can say I did appreciate the lack of a stupid misunderstanding leading to a breakup, all but at the end.

On the whole, though, if you’re in the mood for that kind of romance that lets you just escape for a little while, I would definitely recommend this one.

I mean. Heart eyes emojis for days? Happy sighs?

THIS BOOK. This series. I love it. Hard.

(Although, TBH, I had some doubts at the start. It was a bit debbie downer-ish for the first few chapters. But then it just ends on such a high note - without any bullshit unnecessary complications. It made me so happy.)

Most Rachel Reid fans are well familiar with Troy Barrett. He's the dick who's good friends/teammates with bigger asshole, Dallas Kent. The pair of them made Ryan Price miserable in (Tough Guy) with their bigotry, insults and bullying behavior, and we hated the pair of them. But fans had hope for Troy. He had kind words for Scott when he came out, and every once in awhile, it seemed like he wasn't quite the Dallas fanboy he appeared to be.

When Role Model kicks off, Troy and Dallas are enemies, and Troy is newly traded to the losing Ottawa Centaurs (ILYA'S TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Accused of rape and sexual assault by a number of women online (anonymously), Dallas publicly denied the accusations. But Troy - his wing man since their rookie season - knows the accounts are true. And when he goes off on Dallas at practice, the video goes viral. Since Kent is THE star in Toronto despite his bully reputation, Troy had to go. The team, the NHL, his other teammates, and the fans closed ranks on Troy and instead of Kent getting arrested, Troy was forced out. He isn't happy about it. Lonely, bitter, heartbroken (he was also dumped by the secret boyfriend he's dated for the past two years), and full of self-loathing, Troy isn't in a good place.

When Troy lands in Ottawa, the team atmosphere is totally different from what he experienced in Toronto. AND Ilya, the team captain and secret spy, gets to work helping him get his shit together. The Centaurs roster is full of amazing men who support and like each other, and there's no place for any of Troy's former bullshit. They also have a new coach (I FEEL LIKE HE IS BEING SET UP FOR HIS OWN BOOK - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) whose coaching style is in direct contrast to Troy's former coach. He's supportive. He's kind. He's awesome.

But even better than this group of swell guys is their adorable social media manager, Harris Drover. Harris comes from a loud and loving family, has lived in Ottawa his whole life, and is a LOUD and PROUD Centaur fan. Oh, yeah. He's also an out and proud gay man. And he's lusted after Troy Barrett for a long time.

So, obv, these two are destined for each other.

But Troy's got some major issues. And Harris has some doubts. And.

Friends, I just can't spoil this happiness train for you. (BUT I WANT TO). The conflict is mostly internal - Troy hates himself, and it's a struggle for him to see past it. And Harris has been treated with kid gloves by his family for a long time and... Nope. No spoilers here. Look, Harris is a ray of sunshine - LITERALLY - and the best thing since ever and he's the perfect person to help Troy become a better man, and learn to love himself. He deserves all the Troy love once he's ready to give it. (Which he does!!!!!!!). The sweet and the dirty kinds of love. Wink, wink. YES. You love it, too.

God, they're so good and adorable together.

Sexy. Steamy. Funny. AND ILYA. And Eric. And Scott. And Kip.

I loved Role Model. I didn't want it to end. And instead of manufacturing a bunch of drama in the final quarter and then squeezing in a few loved up scenes for PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO CRAVE THEM MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE ON EARTH, the entire second half is like a Rachel Reid gift that keeps on giving. I kept waiting for something bad to happen....AND IT DIDN'T. It just got more romantic, more swoony, and more excellent.

I loved it. Duh. GO GET IT.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

When I say that Rachel Reid’s Role Model swept me off my feet...

If you love

> Redemption arcs
> A too-handsome-to-be-believed + attractive-in-a-more-approachable-way kind of pairing
> Grumpy & the sunshine (who is literally a former apple farmer!)
> Ilya

you must read this! Notice I didn’t mention the sports. You don’t have to love the sports to love this one .

In Role Model, NHL hockey player Troy Barrett has just been traded to one of the worst teams: the Ottawa Centaurs.

He’s gotten a lot of heat from his former team & fans, as well as hockey fans in general, for calling his former BFF & teammate a rapist after rape allegations were brought forward against him—& the moment was caught on video & leaked.

Instead of rallying behind Troy, his team is supporting the alleged rapist, & Troy, who didn’t realize what his former BFF was allegedly doing but who was undeniably an asshole (& one of the homophobic variety), is left hanging in the wind.

The social media manager of his new team, Harris Drover, is adorable, cheerful, & out—he’s nice to everyone, has an “average” physique compared to the ripped Troy, & an annoying loud laugh.

Are you as in love as I am?

First off, hats off to Reid for really going at how sports culture (specifically hockey in this book’s case) all too often supports the perpetrators of assault & not the alleged victims. There are some people in this book, like Troy & members of his new team, who are very much supporters of the latter, but Reid makes it clear that there are a lot of hockey fans & admins who would rather support the money-making, spectacle of the game than the alleged victims.

Second, I adore this lead pairing. Troy tries so hard to be a better person & he has a lot of bad behavior he has to reckon with—not to mention the fact that he’s currently in the closet & not sure how to come out/if he wants to. & he’s drawn to Harris, who likes everyone & wears Pride pins on his jacket. I love how Troy’s reserve meets Harris’s zest & crumbles a little under its charm each day.

Third, this book is so funny (cake pops 🤣) & came at me with so much heart.

Highly recommend this one for major feels.

4.5 ⭐️. Release date: 08/10

CW: mentions of past rape/sexual assault, disbelieving of victim’s accusations, mentions of homophobic slurs

I just waited one day after receiving this arc to finish it in a single sitting, because I couldn’t resist. And this was despite me not reading contemporaries at all during this pandemic - but how could I not pick up the next in my favorite hockey romance series when I knew it would make me smile.

This series has given me a lot of joy in the past and it was nothing this time around. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t put it down. It was funny, sweet, entertaining, even if slightly anxious at the beginning. I breezed through the whole thing, laughed and cried, and felt delighted at being in this world again. I won’t say the book was perfect though, but I guess I understood the choices the author made in her writing - she mentions she wrote the complete thing during the pandemic and I think thats why the bad things in this book are mostly at the periphery and seem inconsequential despite being very important issues. However, I did like that the author touched on toxic masculinity in the sporting world and also how teams and fans often rally behind the players when they are accused of misconduct, particularly by women; and it’s the victims who get slandered instead. It’s such an awful issue, but the author only touched lightly on it, which may feel performative for some readers.

However, the characters make up for any shortcomings because they are amazing. Troy is not easy to like immediately because we have seen him be an asshole before but also seen him be slightly conflicted, so I started off the book feeling contradictory about him. But I could quickly sympathize because he lost his love, his team, his fans, everything in a few days for finally standing up for the right thing after being wrong for a very long time. I was glad to see him realize his mistakes and be a better ally. He was well supported by Harris who is the sweetest ball of sunshine, and I loved the environment that he created for all the players of the team. They made for a great couple and I was so happy to see their level of understanding each other.

The best part of this series has always been the side characters and it was lovely to see some very supportive family members here who were delighted to see their sons find their perfect partner. But my heart is with all the past characters showing, right from the first book. It may not have been my favorite, but Scott Hunter has now become a lynchpin around whom this series revolves because he is the ultimate inspiration for most of the players and I so admire him for it. It was nice to see all the couples and realize they are doing well. But ofcourse, my love for Ilya will always remain special, and it was awesome to see him be a great leader and supportive friend, though I did miss Shane a lot.

To conclude, this was a super fun new installment in my favorite romance series and I’m glad the author was able to write such a sweet story during these hard times. You can’t give it a miss if you’ve read the previous books, and you should totally start from the beginning if you wanna try a highly entertaining and lovable sports romance series. Now I can just wait for The Long Game because Ilya and Shane will always be special and I can’t wait to read more of their story.

I have read/listened all other books of the series and I really enjoyed this one. I think it's my second favorite , behind my all time favorite Heated Rivalry.

Harris was an easy character to love. He was true to himself. A happy , grateful, funny , giving , loving human being.
As for Troy , it took me a bit to like him. He was the product of his upbringing , what society and major leagues team sports expect of a male professional athlete. And just like, it took him a bit to shed all the stuff he needed to, in order to be happy within his own skin, Once he began to accept himself and deal with all of it , I began to understand him therefore love him. His and Harris journey to HEA was a pleasure to read.

Role Model is easy to read , entertaining , heartwarming , medium angst, low drama, high steam story.

For those who have read the other books in the series , this one , features many of the heroes from all previous books . Ilya Rozanov- is an integral and important character in this story as he facilitate or better say manipulate situations. His shenanigans are always fun and well intentions. For me , he steals the show every time he shows up. Can't wait to read/listen to his and Shane upcoming book. It's going to be Epic.

Rachel Reid have another hit with Role Model , book 5 , in her Game Changer series . A must read/must listen to all MM Sports Romance readers.

I just reviewed Role Model by Rachel Reid. #RoleModel #NetGalley #CarinaPress

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have loved every book in this series and I know many read this series to get their Ilya Rozanov fix. I am happy to say that you get so much of Ilya in this book since he’s the captain of the team Troy plays for. I love Ilya and Shane as much as everyone else (I’ve read Heated Rivalry and also listened to it on audio twice so far) but I have really loved the other books and characters too in the series. This book introduces us to the sweetest, kindest man: Harris. Him and Troy Barrett are the main characters of Role Model and I fell in love with these two!

This is a redemption story for Troy who has previously seemed to be a bully. His best friend on the Toronto team, Dallas Kent, is the biggest jerk whenever he’s been in the series and by association Troy was also a jerk. But when Dallas is accused by many women of sexual assault Troy knows it’s the truth and he accuses Dallas to his face. Unfortunately for Troy that incident gets him traded to the struggling Ottawa Centaurs and badmouthed by many. He is simultaneously dumped by his long term (and secret) boyfriend so he comes to Ottawa in a bad headspace.

Enter Harris, Ottawa’s social media manager. Harris is everything Troy is not. He’s out and proud, he’s loud, always laughing and he gets along with everyone. Troy is intimidated at first but also baffled. Coming from a team where homophobia ran rampant Troy cannot wrap his head around his new team not seeming to care that Harris is gay. I also loved the fact that Harris was a regular guy. He wasn’t built or tall but he was authentic and so real in a way that was refreshing.

We get a lot of character growth in Troy throughout this book but I also loved being in his head after only seeing him in the peripheral. We get to know him and his thoughts which is great because from the outside looking in he seems to be judgmental. He has a constant scowl on his face and is not very sociable but that is because he is hiding a secret. No one knows he’s gay except for his ex-boyfriend and he has always been heavily influenced by overbearing bullies. His father is a huge bully and being friends with Dallas Kent made Troy protect his secrets even more. On Ottawa he finally is surrounded by good people and seeing him finally relax and accept friendships was an enjoyable experience.

Even though all the books in this series can be read on their own I highly recommend you read them in order. Characters show up from previous (and future) books and I think it works best to start from the beginning. There’s even a cameo from one of my most favorite characters of this series, Ryan Price!

I would be remiss to mention once again how much of Ilya we see in this book. Ilya with a puppy or in a Santa hat makes waiting for his and Shane’s next book a little less difficult. I want to read Heated Rivalry again though after finishing this because I miss Ilya & Shane and I love seeing Ilya’s character grow. So if you read this series just to get your Ilya fix, you should not be disappointed in this book. I do think you’ll fall in love with Troy and Harris though as an added reward.

**ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Troy was traded to Ottawa because he stood up for what was right.. He called out his friend and was blackballed by his team. The trade to Ottawa is supposed to be a new start and a chance for him to redeem himself from the jerk he was before. It also gave him the chance to heal a broken heart. from his closeted relationship that recently ended. he then meets the teams social media and things start to look better. I liked the grumpy/sunshine aspect of the book because Harris was indeed the ray of sunshine that Troy needed. It gave him the courage to live is life the way he desires, as an openly gay man. I feel like this was a decent addition to the game changers franchise. It was good but not great. I loved seeing the previous characters from the book make cameos, I honesty feel that was my favorite part. Also ILLYA ROSANOV!!! He really stole the show for me. I literally got so excited when it was mentioned that he would be in Ottawa because I knew I would see more of Illya. I loved how Rachel wrote him. He was more , mature, friendly and a great leader. I do feel he was the catalyst for Troy to be his true self and become comfortable in Ottawa. I don't remember much about Troy from the previous books but its clear that his trade worked for him. His development from the beginning of the book didn't go unnoticed . Another thing I liked is how Rachel focus on the victims of sexual assault and how it is swept under the rug in sports. how teammates fail to speak up out of fear of being blackballed. how the administration gets involved. Eye opening. I wanted more details on Troy and his accusation of his former best friend. I wish they had had a conversation with each other about the situation. i know at this point, there was a lot of tension, but after he screamed " you were my friend", i thought we would get more. Also, I wanted to know more about his relationship or a conversation with his ex.. he was mentioned and then nothing else. Also, I expected more from the situation with his father. it just felt unfinished to me. Overall i felt this stoey was okay and it was a good set up for Illya and Shane's story.

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley, and Carina Press and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is August 10th. This review will be posted on my Goodreads, Facebook page and Instagram.
I finally got to this book and I started to understand right from the start that it was going to destroy me in the same way the second book did. I wasn't wrong. In two chapters I read I was already crying and then this was happening with a few more passages from the book and moments from it. I don't know how to express everything I felt while reading, but I can say that it rose to the favorites in a flash. The second of the series is still my first favorite, but there are different reasons and different stories intertwined. I fear what will come in the next book and if I will survive this series.
I don't get tired of pointing out: the author knows how to deal with emotions and characters, it was more than proven. And in this book, in addition to dealing with some issues similar to the previous books, we deal a little bit with redemption and repentance - wanting to be better and showing that we are better than we seem. This is the case with Troy Bennett. All emotions and thoughts; the sad moments, the fears, the regrets, the changes in things of life. All of this was a very well-structured roller coaster. Directly to our hearts, and Harris's - who is without a doubt one of the cutest and most beloved characters in the series. A ball of energy and cuteness and adventure. The one who wants to help everyone. What these two characters individually had to offer each other was perfect. Comfort, affection, love, understanding, encouragement, happiness, good times. At the same time battling with their own imperfections and feelings. Their hearts.
Lots of plot twists and of course another particularly important theme, such as sexual harassment and its devaluation when the accused are the great and powerful ones.
I was doing my readingnotes on twitter because I couldn't keep the emotions to myself. We had a lot of characters from the other books appearing here, but Ilya's constancy helped a lot in Troy's journey and in his relationship with Harris. And, definitely, if you want to understand Ilya Rozanov, read ALL the books! The power of a good friendship, strong teams and good people. Yup, a lot of crying, a lot of good thoughts and a great fucking book. I'll come back to this story again as soon as I have the audiobook available. Incredible.

Rachel Reid's books just keep getting better and better. In this book she really pushes the envelope of how much a character can be rehabilitated. Troy was - to put it nicely - an ass in the past. Even as a gay man himself, he truly hid behind a macho persona and good old boy attitude. It is only after he thought he found love - even though it was highly closeted - but lost it when his boyfriend left him - that he starts to see through his "friend" and realize that maybe the road he was on wasn't the right one.

Harris is just a true sunshine character. He has a solid family and has never met a stranger. His joyful approach to life is something that just shines from him in an effortless way. This makes him pretty much the perfect foil for Troy who is grumpy and aloof - and totally unsure of himself. Harris realizes that Troy really needs a friend and really takes one for the team to make Troy feel welcome and a member of the team. His overtures make it 100% possible for Troy to come out of his shell and embrace himself as a person and as someone who can be loved openly.

I love the breadth of characters Rachel Reid writes - they are incredibly nuanced and fully developed. I sobbed at the end - like flat out ugly-cried - to see the response Troy gets when <spoiler> he comes out before pride night at the arena. Every single person should have a response like this when they open themselves up the way Troy did. I just adored every single thing about it. Including when Ilya tells Troy that he is bisexual. It is a very small point in the book - but it is huge for Troy and I think was a truly HUGE moment for Ilya. I am not sure that he ever openly talks about his sexuality to anyone - in any other book. I think it is a major turning point for him towards the next step in his relationship with Shane - which seriously CANNOT get here fast enough.</spoiler>

Overall - I highly recommend this book and the entire series. Please keep writing these Rachel Reid - they are just such wonderful amazing books.

I was extremely lucky to receive this book as an ARC and an answer to my reading prayers. These opinions are all my own.

I enjoyed the continuation of this series, even though this was not the strongest installment. It was also kinda corny with the dog and the apple farm.

This is the third book that I've read in the Game Changers series. This time we have Troy, he's spent his career living the life of the ultra-macho and male hockey player. His best friend has embodied all that that part of the sport is, drinking, womanizing and picking on the players who were different. But that isn't who he is, for years he's hidden the fact that he's gay. Now, suddenly traded to Otowa after challenging his best friend about some of the things that he's been doing, Troy is lost. The fun social media manager could be just what he needs.
I loved the way that Troy came to terms with who he is and addressed the mistakes that he has made in the past. He slowly changes into the Role Model of the title. He and Harris make a fantastic couple. Harris is a real sweetheart and the more time that he spends with Troy, it's clear that they really are well suited and that Troy is a sweetheart himself.
I really enjoyed Ilya's role in this story. He's such a great character, full of himself without really taking himself too seriously. He was a delight in this story.
This was a great read and I tore through it quite quickly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Representation: gay main character, m/m romance, side queer characters

Content warnings: sexual content, alcohol consumption, refrenced sexual assault, homophobia


It’s that time of year again: a new Gamme Changers book is released and I try to convince everyone to read the whole series.

At its core, the trope of Role Model is grumpy/sunshine. Or to be more specific, Troy has been traded to the Ottawa team after calling out his team mate/best friend Dallas Kent who has had recent accusations of sexual assault. During his time on the team he put up a front where he was as disrespectful as Kent, as well as a homophobic front to hide his own sexuality and fit in with his homophobic team mates. When he gets traded to Ottawa, he meets the social media manager Harris, an apple farmer who makes no effort to hide his sexuality from the Ottawa team.

There were so many things I loved about this book. First, I think the pacing was spectacular. It wasn’t technically a slow burn thoug hit does take time for Harris and Troy to become a couple. They naturally fell for each other in a way the reader easily believed. It was great to see Troy open up and become an overall better person.

I liked how good spirited the Ottawa team was, a big change for Troy from the Toronto team. You could see the c hange in Troy when he was given a much healthier enviromewnt, even his coach on the Ottawa team was a big change for him. Ilya, from Heated Rivalry, was also a big part of the book as he is the captain of the team, and I really enjoyed their interactions. I hope that almost friendship appears in The Long Game.

Harris was also a wonderful character. I like how his sunshine to Troy’s grumpy also had him being very open about being gay as a juxtopostion to Troy being deeply in the closet for years. It was a good way to show the transition between the two teams: Toronto where a homophobic culture was poluting the team vs Ottawa that, while not having an out player. was much more welcoming and was proven by Harris’s ease in being out that a grew of NHL players, enough to knock Troy to his feet.

As I said, I enjoyed their romance a lot. It was an overall really sweet romance, probably the sweetest of the current releases of the series. I’d probably place it third in my overall ranking.

As usual, I adore this series and look forward to the next, and hopefully any more that follow it as well.

Sooooo, if bad boy redemption arcs with a side-order of needing to find self-forgiveness are your thing, this book is gonna hit that perfectly.

Troy Barrett hasn't been a good boy, in fact, he's been an absolute wanker at times (he's a secondary, small part character in Ryan's book Common Goal and as we meet him, he's been transferred to Ottawa after a major bust up with his former best friend the sleepy as f*ck Dallas Kent.

But, as is often the case with guys like this, his outward homophobia and running with the crowd hides not only a secret about his sexual identity, but also a powerful need to feel like he belongs.

His mum is awesome, his dad is everything wrong about alpha male parenting, a wannabe ice hockey player who never made it big, a bigot and a bully, Troy's grown up under his overbearing presence for most of his life.

This is a really simple plot in essence, but Rachel spins it into a deeply expansive and complex narrative which takes in more than just Troy's need to better himself.

It throws in interference at the top level when Troy continues with his campaign to support the anonymous but not silent victims of his former best friend Kent and it's wrapped inside a plot of self-discovery, of healing, of finding out that your team having your back and being genuinely supportive is priceless.

And it's about love. Not only Troy learning to love who he is and where his career has taken him, but also his love for Harris, who is just an awesomely crafted character.

Add in the absolute sarcastic and ever brilliant Ilya Rozanov (can't wait for book six and his and Shane's HEA) and a ridiculously cute dog called Chiron, and this book is just everything I want in a sports romance.

4.5 Stars. I love Rachel’s books. This is the fifth book in the Game Changers series and I have read them all. All the books in the series are M/M hockey romances and are all wonderful. This book can be read as a stand alone but I think people who have read the other books in the series will appreciate it more because several of the previous heroes make cameos.

I adored both Troy and Harris. I think we got glimpses of Troy in previous books, but I don’t remember him specifically. Troy is interesting because he has to confront the fact he has contributed to the toxic masculinity of the sport while growing in his identity as a gay man. His awkward interactions with Harris at the beginning of the book are adorable. Harris is Troy’s opposite. He’s warm and out and very confident in his identity as a gay man. Seeing their romance blossom was absolutely wonderful.

I’m not going to lie. One of my favorite things was seeing the heroes from previous books, especially Ilya from Heated Rivalry. Heated Rivalry is one of my all time favorite books so to have Ilya be so present in this book as Troy’s team captain was an absolute delight. (And yes I am very very excited for Ilya and Shane’s next book coming in 2022.)

Trigger warnings for this book: This book does get a bit deeper in terms of hot button issues than some of the other books in the series. While all the books contain and confront both external and internal homophobia, this one has the added layer of MeToo. The reason Troy is traded is that he spoke out in support of women who had been assaulted by his teammate. This book also contains gaslighting and an attempt to coverup the scandal.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carina Press, and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always have a good time when I reunite with the Game Changes series and this installment was no exception.

"<i>Hi. I'm Troy. What's your name?</i>"
"<b>Fuck you.</b>"
"<i>Nice name. Pretty</i>."

This particular match-up is between a closeted player working through a redemption arc and the gregarious and very out social media manager for the team he's recently been traded to. Naturally there are lots of cameos from characters from previous books (I l y a) but instead of feeling intrusive, as it sometimes does in other series, in this particular world it's just excellent (because I l y a).

Yeah, I talk a good game but honestly, while I do enjoy this author and her books, the thing that has me go grabby hands are the cameos. And the fact that each one brings us closer to the sequel for that particular pairing.

"<i>I'm going to fucking kill you, Rozanov.</i>"
"<b>You have been saying that for years. But I am still here.</b>"
"<u>I think he likes you</u>."
"<b>Of course he does. I'm great.</b>"

But back to Role Model. I liked it probably on par with book three, it doesn't quite edge out the last one (which was the closest I had come to love since book two), but I like that Reid offers different tropes and different circumstances to navigate even if most follow the basic formula we come to expect.

I might forget the specific details of this plot by the time I pick up the next one (which sadly happens every time) but I'm sure when I get to see these characters, along with their contemporaries, on page, either as a reference or actively in a scene, it'll all come back. This series is like that; it's a comfort and it's fun and it's a good time.

3.5 stars