Ari Baran has a gift for writing sexual connection -- I mean sex scenes that are hot because they're convincing, and also emotionally convincing because they're hot. That was true of Game Misconduct and Home Ice Advantage (in which the relationship narrative really takes off once the MCs start sleeping together), and it's true here -- with a twist, which is that both MCs, Aiden and Matt, use their sexual connection as an avoidance mechanism. Conversation getting too close to the bone? Cut it off with a kiss, and for the love of all that's holy keep on going until the bed is wrecked. Points to the author for leaving us to notice the pattern, rather than beating it into our heads.

I have objections, because of course I do. We learn that Matt went to pieces after the first time Aiden dumped him, and that alcohol, player assistance, and therapy were involved, but we don't get any flashbacks to that time. We don't get those for Aiden, either, though we're told he was also a wreck, but because Aiden is still a wreck (only even worse off than after the breakup, because he had no idea of a self beyond hockey and at the book's opening has just retired) his post-Matt misery seems tangible. Matt appears from the outset as pretty much self-actualized apart from the small matter of still being in love with Aiden, with the result that his characterization is somewhat flatter. (It doesn't help that he's a fan of Marcus Aurelius, possibly the first known author of an overrated self-help book. Don't @ me: Mary Beard and I are on the same page here.)

Aiden and Matt run into each other in NYC after not speaking for a decade; Matt shows up at Aiden's house and they have sex; rinse and repeat, though Aiden barely speaks to Matt during these encounters; and then Matt invites Aiden to come stay with him in Montreal, even though the last time they had sex in NY Aiden threw him out afterward. There's a credibility hoop to jump through, here, and I don't think Ari Baran quite makes it -- we need a little more, I think, of Aiden doing something appealing or affectionate with Matt during this phase for it to be clear why Matt doesn't cut his losses once and for all.

But get past that, and their life together in Montreal is more persuasive. Aiden makes taking care of Matt the center of his life, as hockey was once the center of his life; because he's profoundly depressed, though, he eventually commits a kind of emotional suicide, becoming convinced that Matt's life is worse with him in it so he should remove himself. I kept waiting for a literal suicide attempt, which thankfully didn't come; instead, Aiden gets a couple of talkings-to and marshals his remaining resources to go back to Matt and to get help. (I suppose all that technically qualifies as a spoiler, but this is a romance novel, so we know going in that the story will end well.)

A few more words about Aiden. He can easily, perhaps accurately, be read as autistic (Baran's newsletter has some interesting things to say about that), but whether or not we see him that way, it's also clear that aspects of his personality intersect with the isolation of goalies and the especially extreme pressures on them to leave him especially vulnerable to the depression he falls into once hockey is no longer available to him. I found Aiden's characterization complicated and satisfying, head and shoulders above most portrayals of people falling into serious mental illness.

As usual, I could have done without the epilogue in the last chapter. I will always, always prefer the openness of an ending that's a hopeful beginning, and I would have believed in Aiden and Matt's success without seeing it all tied up with bow. Oh, well.

Thanks to Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This installment in the series destroyed me, emotionally, and I loved every second of it.

Aiden and Matt are so deeply flawed and devastating in their own ways but MAN, I was rooting for them the entire time.

i have been a fan of baran's work in this series. and this was no exception, it was also pretty thoughtful and real about depression and being stuck while stil finding love.

Aiden never expected to see his ex , Montreal team captain Matt, again, let alone almost immediately after retiring from professional hockey, but a chance encounter in a bar sends them catapulting back into each other's orbits.

First I want to say that I did really enjoy this book! I think it will find a place in my hockey romance books to re-read when I need to feel something, right beside Rachel Reid's Heated Rivalry, naturally. On a line by line level, I think Baran is a good writer on a sentence-craft level which is a massive positive for this book too. I didn't find the language awkward or stilted at all.

What I think this book does incredibly well is show Aiden's depression, and the deep listlessness that can come with it. He's not just sad, he's frozen in place and can't seem to find a way to get moving again. I thought that it was a heart breakingly accurate portrayal and I loved it so much. I also think this book does second chance romance well. They were young and they were dumb the first time around. They're older now, is it going to be the right time for them this time? (This is in fact a romance novel, don't worry)

Some things I'm torn about: I wish the reader had more back story about their relationship the first time around. That felt a little bit glossed over and I wished I had more of it to sink my teeth into. I wish that there had been more communicating in one way or another. A lot of this felt at least a little propped up by spicy moments. (I'm actually deeply torn about this, because I understand what the author was trying to do. See below for more spoilery thoughts), but if you're someone who wants to scream "Just talk to each other and everything will be fine", then you might be frustrated.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, Baran is a great writer, although I wish that there was more depth and development in the middle and less reliance on intimacy to drive the whole book.

Spoilers below
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I really loved that this book didn't rely on Matt to "fix" Aiden. I felt like it was a genuinely decent portrayal of how a partner or companionship can help depression, but only so much as it really just hides the problem behind affection and a distraction. Aiden ultimately had to make the decision to really try on his own, away from Matt. Matt was there to support him through the book, but he didn't solve all of Aiden's problems and a relationship didn't solve Aiden's problems.

I feel like Baran was trying to convey the way Aiden preferred to distract himself from messy thoughts with sex, and Matt let him because pushing him to talk seemed like the fastest way to push him straight out the door and back to New York. But I still wished that they talked more. Even if they couldn't talk about what Aiden was doing, I really wished that they'd been slightly more clear with each other about their relationship to each other, on page. I also really wished we got more background about their first break up and relationship because all we really got was the fallout they both experienced. I wish that the whole thing hadn't been propped up quite so much by spice.

I typically don't enjoy second chance romances but I liked this one. I think the author did a good job of convincing you of the main character's reason for ending the relationship in the first place and I liked the character coming to understand his depression. What I find an annoying trend in books is having one character display all the traits of a mental diagnosis (in this case autism but usually it's ADHD) and those traits greatly effect the character and are constantly pointed out but they aren't already diagnosis and never gets diagnosed. Don't put this in a book if there isn't a point to it. It feels like an editor told the author they can't discuss specific mental illnesses in their book so they dance around it instead.

I share this account with a friend and Evelyn read and reviewed this.

I can just imagine the looks on Matt's family's faces when he tells them he's back on with Aiden. They're going to think he's the dumbest MF on earth 💀

Hell, even I think that, and I KNOW Aiden. So.

"You don't think this is a terrible idea that could potentially end in disaster?"
"When has that ever stopped us, Matty?"

I really wanted to hate Aiden but I understood so much where he was coming from that writing this review has been a mindfuck.

You know how someone commits Advanced Tactical Emotional Terrorism™ but their reasons are extenuating so you can't quite hate them even though you'd like to?

That's Aiden.

Without getting into spoiler territory, Ari Baran has once again written a compelling book with really good representation for mental health struggles.

This author writes about hockey in a way that gives me goosebumps. And I HATE sports in sports romance (yeah, I know 🙈)

The way Matt speaks of the Royal's history? It sounds like a game I should get into, and not just for the phenomenal butts.

I really adored Matt. But.....how do I say this? He's the kind of lover you want to have but wouldn't aspire to be. There have got to be limits somewhere.

Also, I love the running theme with this author where people struggling with mental health issues don't have to be 'fixed' first before they deserve happy endings.

My feelings on Aiden are complicated. My feelings on Matt are not. Top tier green flag MC.

Dumb AF when it comes to Aiden, though.

Thankfully, I'm not. Docking a star for Aiden's shenanigans and not NEARLY enough of an apology tour💀

A smooth criminal is STILL a criminal

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc! I give this 5 stars and 4 chili peppers for spice. This was my first book by this author and I read it as a standalone. I loved it! Your heart just ached for Matt and Aiden. Their emotions were so real and I loved the second chance trope. Aiden’s battle with depression and feeling lost after such a successful career was so real. I also loved that Matt wasn’t afraid to forgive Matt and tried to do everything to help him out instead of just giving up. I really did love these two. I almost wish we would have gotten more of the first part of their relationship. Like actual flashbacks because I just loved them and could have kept reading about them. I hope there are more books in this series because I also fell in love with the side characters.

I was promised sad gay hockey, and sad gay hockey was delivered.

Second chance romance with older MCs trying figure out what to do with their life after having used hockey as their focus and identity for decades. This was a solid standalone with really good representation for mental health struggles, and those in your life wanting to help (but not knowing how).

For a book that didn't have a lot of hockey game play, it was still incredibly hockey focused and detailed for life and items off the ice. You can tell Ari loves and knows their stuff about this sport.

I loved this one. he connection between Aiden and Matt was electric from the first chapter. I felt the author did an excellent job of portraying mental health issues in this book. I loved how the renewed connection plays out and the pacing. It wasn't just about their relaionship but Matt's journey into well being and navigating his coming out. It was an immersive story that sucked me right into their relationship and the tension between them. The navigating of their communication was beautifully done. This story portrayed a beautiful relationship. The emotions and angst were high and left me with the best book hangover. I ached for Matt and wanted to smack him at the same time- but he just really needed help. Aiden was so sweet in his support but also had a journey to go through. Definitely worth the read- and probably a second read!

4.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Depression can be a son of a bitch. Depression and a major life-changing decision to step away from a 2 decade long career is another monster altogether.

Aiden retires from a very prolific hockey career and happens to run into his ex, Matt, for the first time in a decade. Despite the horror of their first breakup, they can't not fall back into each other right away. Before he knows it, Aiden has left New York to live with Matt while also refusing to deal with his mental health and what it means to not play hockey anymore.

Truth be told, I read Home Ice Advantage without having a real desire to read the rest of the series. I liked HIA, but I was ambivalent. Then Goaltender Interference came across my Netgalley dashboard and thought it sounded interesting enough. What I didn't expect was to relate to Aiden so much. What I didn't expect was to read a touching novel about depression and how loving someone or being loved back doesn't "fix" you. Going to therapy doesn't "fix" you. You have to put in some work yourself.

Reading this while going through a pretty deep depressive episode was probably not a good idea, but here we are.

These characters y’all!!!! I can’t get Matt and Aiden out of my head. These two stubborn older hockey players just dug right in and won’t leave. Aiden is one of the saddest characters you’ll meet but at his core he’s just trying to be enough for the guy he loves. Then there’s Matt who just wants to finish his career and finally have the guy he loves at the same time. Both these characters are beautifully written and the entire time you’re hoping that this is the time it works. This is one of my favorite reads this year.

I have big mixed feelings on this one. I love the representation of neurodiverse characters, but at the end of the day Aiden was still deeply unlikable to me and Matt needed some self respect. Matt is the sweetest, biggest angel EVER and I want to hug him and tell him, this isn’t nice!! No more chances!!!

I stand with Miles and his opinions of his brother’s relationship.

2.5 stars rounded down.

I absolutely adore Ari’s hockey romances and this one was no different! The second chance romance between Aiden and Matt was angsty enough to make my teeth hurt (complimentary) and I loved how the story was equally about finding yourself and your purpose as it was about finding love. The kink aspects were especially well done and I really appreciated how the intimacy between the two MCs played out both in and out of the bedroom. The progression of their relationship felt both natural and believable and I loved how forgiveness and growth was something hard won by both the characters and the readers. If I hadn’t been already convinced that Ari is one of my favorite MM romance authors alongside Rachel Reid and Cat Sebastian, this book would’ve done it!

This was my first by the author and I didn’t feel lost without reading the first couple in the series. Aiden and Matt are exes and when they run into each other unexpectedly, it sets them on a course to reconnect. But they’re both flawed men and have to work through their own things to make it to forever. Aiden’s depression is handled is grace and dignity / which I appreciated.
I did struggle to connect to them as a romantic pair and the pacing is inconsistent throughout that it made some pieces hard to get through.

Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a mixed bag for me.

On the one hand, I read the whole thing in just two sittings. I loved both of the main characters. I definitely appreciated a slightly deeper, more emotional theme about mental health without it dragging me down with it. I also really love a sort-of-established relationship (~it’s complicated~). I’ve also ready more than my fair share of hockey romances, so a unique set-up is always appreciated.

On the other hand, there were a lot of elements introduced that I feel like were underutilized. There was also a plot beat late in the story that played out in a way that felt out-of-character for me, so I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And sometimes their characterizations seemed to blend together.

Overall though, I had a good time. It was exactly what I was looking for in tone and pacing, was well-written and engaging, and actually included hockey (unlike some other “hockey” romances I’ve read recently).

Recommended for someone looking for:
- older (late 30s) MCs
- second-chance romance
- mental health themes but not so much that you’re going to be crying

Goaltender Interference is another great addition to Ari Baran's Penalty Box series. Adrien, a newly retired NHL goalie, runs into Matt, the NHL player ex whom he hasn't seen in a decade. The two begrudgingly reconnect as Matt invites Adrien to come live with him in Montreal. Adrien is struggling to adjust to life without purpose or routine, and keeps self-sabotaging his relationships with everyone around him. Matt does his best to help him, but he is also juggling the grueling season with an old injury and his own future. I loved getting to know these two, and had fun seeing some cameos from previous books. I look forward to reading what Baran writes next. Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

ecently retired, Aiden is struggling with what comes next. Is it the right time to reconnect with Matt, an old lover?

Read if you like:
-Second Chance

I struggled to connect with this one. It didn't really reach out and grab me. The plot was slow, the emotions really muted. I so wanted to like it but it just wasn't for me.

I love Ari Baran’s characters—they’re always so realistically flawed but incredibly likable. Aiden was understandably afloat after retiring from hockey but Matt was such a steady and accommodating presence for him. Aiden’s aimless drifting went on a bit too long for my tastes, but I don’t regret powering through and experiencing their much deserved happy ending. For me, reading a book by Ari Baran is always time well spent.

Great edition to the series. Fast paced and characters are great. Enjoyed the romance as well. Not as good as some of the other books but still enjoyable.

Thank you Harlequin and Netgalley for the early copy of this book! Beyond excited to be on the list for early readers of Ari Baran’s works.

First things first, the cover. Cursed. No one can convince me this is a human man that exists. The head and the body don’t match at all.

Second, I loved this book so goddamn much!! I think it’s my favorite of this series so far. I love the way Aris Baran writes, it’s always so refreshing and their characters are so captivating!! I was tearing up 4% in, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten attached to a character as quickly as I did with Aiden. My boy 🥲
I relate to him so much that it made me want to scream. My stomach was in a knot the whole way through because it was hitting so close to home.

He was so scared of trying and failing that being miserable on purpose was the only option. I have no doubt that people who haven’t been through depressive episodes will be frustrated with this character, won’t be able to understand why he won’t just do something!! But damn if it ain’t how it is when you’re that lost and hopeless. This was a very accurate portrayal of depression and anxiety, with a little touch of undiagnosed ASD that will feel true to a lot of people.

As usual, I really liked the side characters. (And the cameos from the other books; Zach, Nate, Sully and Garcia were the ones I caught) I’m always glad to see side characters with lives of their own and not empty unidimensional plot elements.