The Long Game by Rachel Reid: I've been anxiously awaiting this book since the scary plane ride in Role Model, the previous book in series, when Ilya frantically messaged Shane thinking he might die! The Long Game is, beautifully, not quite what I expected. What spoke deeply to me as a reader was Ilya recognizing his own depression even as he and Shane become engaged and plan a wedding. It's just...both. There's great joy in his life and great lowness, and they don't cancel each other out, they just co-exist. And of course he seeks therapy and considers other interventions and does all the appropriate self-work. I'm a woman married to man, I'm NOT a once-in-a-lifetime hockey talent, I'm not estranged from my living family — the particular constellations of power and privilege are very different for me and Ilya. But I did receive life-reconfiguring mental health diagnoses when I was engaged, after years and years and years of dating while living in different states. That's still not quite the parallel I mean to draw — some of the external circumstances of Ilya and Shane's relationship are familiar to me, sure, but it's more the way Ilya's interiority is depicted, the emotional palette that's so deeply familiar. Anyway, this book will be forever special to me. Aaaaaaand I really want an Ottawa Centaurs hockey sweater, so if someone could make that merch, that'd be great, thanks.
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Season's Change by Cait Nary: A slower burn than I expected for a sports but I loved these characters coming into their own. I’ll be returning to this title for comfort re-reading for sure.

Give me all the Hockey goodness!!! I enjoyed this sample, now I need the rest...

I absolutely loved the sample for 'The Long Game'; I've been such a fan of Ilya and Shane since the beginning and I'm so looking forward to seeing how they get from their HFN to their HEA. This little sample is just not enough, I can't wait for more. And Rachel Reid's writing, just gets better and better.

I've not read Cait Nary before (possibly because this is a debut?!)... but I enjoyed the teaser and am looking forward to seeing what happens with Olly and Benji.

I requested this because I am very desperate for The Long Game and was super excited to get a small taste of it. I love it so far! This feels like the two characters I know and love, and the conflicts that will arise were seeded well in these first few chapters. I also loved seeing cameos of other characters from the series! I cannot wait for April 26th!

While I requested this for The Long Game, I also really enjoyed the teaser for Season's Change and I am intrigued to read more! I liked the energy Benji gave (also, he's a fellow QU alum-- go Bobcats!) and Olly's social anxiety was incredibly relatable. I am definitely interested in reading more!

I've been such a reading slump lately, and these samplers for both books definitely pulled me right out.
I can not wait to purchase these books as I definitely need more! Great characters and storyline so far!

I just reread Heated Rivalry to prepare for the sequel and getting to read the first few chapters of The Long Game made me very happy. There were so many fluffy quotes to highlight in the span of those three chapters.

I loved seeing Ryan and Fabian again—besides Heated Rivalry, their story was my favourite in the series. April can't come soon enough!

I've already read Season's Change. It was a wonderful addition to the MM sports romance genre that I eat up. I always appreciate mental health representation. Reading the first bit of the book again made me want to keep reading my full version!

The first part of this sampler is the first three chapters of the novel The Long Game, sequel to the story of Shane and Ilya, started in Heated Rivalry, Game Changers #2. I simply cannot wait for the rest of the book based on what I read. In these chapters we got to see more of Ilya's feelings, more of them together as a couple and them interacting with other caracteres (some new and some already known in the Game Changers universe). This book brings what we loved in HR, but with a little different dynamic and even more depth to the caracteres.

The second part of this sample are the first chapters of the novel Season's Change, Trade Season #1. The book main caracteres are Olly and Benji, both players in the Washington Eagles hockey team. Olly starts the book struggling with the new team because of some traumatic experience in the past year that we only start to know in these chapters and Benji is the roommate that the team placed him with, who is also playing from the main league and had been drafted by the Eagles a while ago. We already got to see a bit of Benji's family and Olly's feelings too, with details about how are they doing in the training camp, which I find it very helpful to really set me in the story, even if I don't understand the sport so well. Definitely this chapters got me hyped up for this reading!!

Really excited to read the whole book! There was not enough of Ilya and Shane in this sample, unfortunately. It ended way too soon, but at least nothing bad happened!

I received the Hockey Romance- Sampler through NetGalley. This sampler includes the first three chapters of The Long Game by Rachel Reid and Season's Change by Cait Nary.

The Long Game, book six in the Game Changers series, is a sequel to the much loved Heated Rivalry (book two in the series)- Shane and Ilya's story. The book begins several years after the end of Heated Rivalry and Shane and Ilya are continuing to hide their relationship. While Shane seems complacent and content with the status quo, the first three chapter hint at Ilya's growing discomfort with hiding. At this points, there isn't much communication between the two MCs about the situation- which always bugs me, but I was only able to read three chapters. It will be interesting to see how the story line plays out in the rest of the book. That said, it was so much fun reconnecting with these characters. Ilya is still deliciously irreverent and Shane is still charmingly buttoned-up and I cannot wait to read the rest!

Season's Change is my first introduction to Cait Nary. Olly, a veteran hockey player, is starting over on a new team. The first three chapters hint at him having left his previous team due to harassment over his sexual orientation. As a result, he is dealing with anxiety which is negatively impacting his playing and social interactions. His new roommate, Benji, is a rookie and everyone's friend. He has decided to make it his mission to help Olly overcome his anxiety and, in return, Olly can help him improve his skating. While it was difficult at first for me to connect with Olly, I warmed to him as more of his backstory was revealed. Having an anxiety disorder myself, I'm always interested in reading about characters with similar struggles. Benji seemed likable, but I wasn't able to connect with him in those first three chapters. I will definitely read the rest of these books when they are released.

Im so excited for Ilya and Shane’s sequel, the preview we got gave a glimpse of the setting and conflict of the book while at the same time delivering in all the Ilya and Shane goodness. I also enjoyed Season’s Change first chapters, intriguing me enough to want to pick up the book and continue reading.

I could not be more excited about this book. I absolutely loved getting a glimpse into Shane and Ilya’s life post HR and the potential complications that are going to arise in the sequel. Between this preview and peoples review of the ARC, I am counting the days until the release!

Both of these stories have strong starts! I enjoyed reading the first few chapters of each of them and eagerly await the continuation. I have not read either of these authors previously, but my expectations are high.

This sampler was a great teaser for two M/M romance tales set in the world of hockey. The first is the long-awaited conclusion to Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov's story. which began in "Heated Rivalry." The selected chapters are a great introduction to their story and their current situation of balancing ten more years of hockey (and remaining closeted) or trying to carve out a life with hockey AND living as an out gay couple.

The second book is by newcomer Cait Nary and features a hockey veteran, Olly Järvinen and a newcomer, Benji Bryzinski. The two men become roommates and while they share little in the way of background, they share a common love for hockey and an appreciation for how therapy can help with PTSD (Olly) and anger issues (Benji). The excerpt gives us an introduction to the team and its members and sets up the beginning friendship (and eventual relationship) between Olly and Benji.

I appreciate how Carina Press continues to offer readers quality M/M romances, and the hockey-based ones are a welcome bonus, IMHO. 4 stars.

Great preview of Rachel Reid's new book -- I'm so excited to see Shane and Ilya again! This preview set up the conflict of the book, running the camp while keeping their relationship secret, and I though it was deftly done. It keeps the core relationship while still introducing new dynamics and growth. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the book. The preview of Cait Nary's new book showed a fresh take on a familiar trope, and I would be interested in learning more about Oly's introduction to the team.

This multi-chapter sampler from both of these exceptional authors seemed to have fallen into my hands like a gift from above. I mean, Ilya and Shane are simply...Ilya and Shane. Any wait to read the continuation of their story feels interminable. Rachel Reid and Cait Nary write thoughtful, fun, sexy, smart, just-one-more-page-oh-no-it's-3am romances, and somehow getting this taste of what's to come only made the wait for their upcoming full-length works that much more agonizing.

Ran here screaming when I saw the sequel to Ilya and Shane's story was being released soon, and that there was a SAMPLER just generously already out here to download. I have no self-control so I read the first three chapters provided right away. Now unless I get approved for an ARC of the full book, the whole story's a torturous two months away. What can I say, hook more of Ilya and Shane into my veins, they're probably my favorite romance book couple of all time. As usual, great characterization and interaction banter within this universe Rachel Reid has created, lovely to see more of Fabian and Ryan from the previous book in the series, and good setup into Ilya and Shane's life together and the issues they face in their relationship. I'm beyond excited to read the full book, and in the meantime I'll fill the absence by re-reading Reid's series and getting into the other sampler story.

The sampler for Cait Nary's book was an added bonus here for me, since it introduced me to a great already-released book from a new-to-me author that I immediately went to buy. From what I got in this teaser, I've already gotten attached to shy Olly and cheerful Benji, especially Olly. Looking forward to reading further.

Okay, this little teaser for The Long Game was EVERYTHING!! I'm so excited for the full thing to come out in April! I feel like I've been waiting for their story to continue forever, but I know the wait will be worthwhile! As for Season's Change, I actually ended up reading the whole book come release day and I really enjoyed it. It was a solid 4 star rating for me. Not too much sex, good mental health representation, and I loved the dynamic of the team!

Loved the excerpt!! Very surprised by Ilya being the more open I afraid character, can’t wait to see shane develop in the full book.

This sampler was so good, I can’t wait for more!! I have been anxiously awaiting more of Shane and Ilya and while I’m sure this book will be fraught in many ways I’m happy to see them happy right now :)

I am absolutely not gonna lie and say I didn't snap this Sampler up for any reason other than to get a sneak peek at The Long Game. It is absolutely top of my Most Anticipated Books List of 2022! But that also gave me a chance to get a sneak at new-to-me author Cait Nary's newest book.

I honestly cannot say anything objective about The Long Game. I am too flipping excited for it and the little snippet (4 chapters) I did get to read were soooo good. I absolutely cannot wait for more! The constant push/pull between Ilya and Shane is just so addicitve.

Now, the little snippett from Season's Change by Cait Nary was such a little tease. I love a good redemption arc, in that past upsets get righted sort of way, and this book has the totaly set up for that. Plus, I am a HUGE sucker for on-page personal growth and development, which we are also set up for that as well. All in all, my curisoity is definitely peaked with the little snippet we had and I totally look forward to grabbing up the book.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I can’t wait for the Long Game to come out. These three chapters prove that Shane and Ilya haven’t changed and I’m looking forward to being back in their world!

I’m new to reading Cait Nary but the beginning of this book drew me in and I’d like to continue it when it comes out. I love complex characters!