This book. It left me feeling a bit wrecked with a massive book hangover. Aiden and Matt are well developed, complicated, MATURE characters who live messy lives that are devoted entirely to hockey. This explores moving on and loss of passion and figuring out what sustains them for the second half of life. This is beautifully written and just really well done.

<i>Goaltender Interference</i> was a journey in the best way. It's the best kind of second chance romance that leaves you breathing a sigh of relief after waiting on edge to see if their characters would figure things out for themselves. Not only is the story itself well developed, Ari Baran created a gripping story with really good representation of mental health conditions.

We meet Aiden who is new to retirement after an illustrious hockey career, and he is drowning now that he lacks a sense of purpose in his life. A chance run in with his ex Matt leaves him spinning, the two end up reconnecting and watching them grapple with their real life struggles all while both being hopelessly in love with one another was beautifully done. Without giving away spoliers, I particularly loved the last chapter and the view Aiden takes at the end of the story. It demonstrates hope for the future in a way that just left this feeling like a wonderful read.

If you love Hockey romance, LGBTQIA+ love stories, and truly complex characters this is going to be a must read. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An intense, well-written, angst-filled queer hockey romance. I highly recommend it to those readers interested in sports romance books. The hockey is convincing and well-portrayed, the mental health rep is extremely well-done, the hard-fought ending is inspiring. The author’s, Ari Baran’s, universal truths are even better than those of Marcus Aurelius, the book’s featured philosopher: Life will never be perfect, but it can be good. Keep at it and don’t give up. You deserve it.

This book is STUNNING. A gorgeous exploration of an experience of a hockey player retiring tied up with another who is managing an aging body in a sport that is not kind, and then on top of that the two are also having a second chance romance? *chefskiss* The way Ari balances real issues that hockey players face while also incorporating a love story in all of the Penalty Box books is absolutely gorgeous.

Aiden's battle with depression in the wake of the loss of hockey after he retires is heartbreaking but also depicts a very real mental health struggle in a way that feels true to life. I particularly thought it was well done that Matt's love did not "heal" Aiden.

I similarly loved Matt's concern with legacy, and having him on a team so steeped in history and legacy and listening to him pass these things on to the rookies was really sweet.

This book is a perfect addition to the Ari Baran catalogue and lovers of hockey romance, strong mental health representation, light kink, and second chance romances will absolutely love this!

Ari Baran does it AGAIN. A smart, thoughtful, relatable, sexy read about two men who you root for the whole damn book.

Thank you to harlequin for this eARC! I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I fell into this book. I’m not a huge hockey person so hockey romance doesn’t always get me but oh buddy. The dynamic and history that these two have, the chemistry and the way they communicate and the idea of falling back into one another because they know they need each other even if they don’t know how to be together again, I was hooked from start to finish.

I ultimately wasn't in the mood for a second chance romance and haven't finished this yet, but I do love Ari Baran's writing--you can't go wrong with any of their hockey romances. I'm sure I'll come back to this one!

I really really love this novel. Ari Baran has quickly become my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for a sports romance. Each one just gets better and better - I did not know that there was a way to enrapture me more than the second book, "Home Ice Advantage".

Ari has done it y'all - THIS book is OFFICIALLY my FAVORITE hockey romance I've ever read. I binged it, read half of it in the middle of the night because I couldn't put it down, cried off and on through the entire thing, and you'd better believe this is one I'm not going to shut up about. Goaltender Interference is incredibly raw, emotional, and VERY hockey focused, and you can tell that Ari KNOWS the sport. This is their best work - the writing is beautiful, the romance is beautiful, the spice is beautiful, and these characters will forever have a special place in my heart. I am BEGGING you to please read this immediately when this comes out, so you can fall in love along with me.

I read a lot of hockey books, and they are not all the same. A lot of times the hockey is completely irrelevant to the story. A lot of times the characters feel like caricatures of actual hockey players. That is NOT the case in this book. Matt and Aiden felt SO real, I could feel their pain at their separation, the LONGING to be together again, the relief when it does happen. This is a TRUE soulmates kind of love.

In addition, I have NEVER read a second chance romance this PERFECT - it's the best handling of this trope I've ever read. These characters are meant to be together, but their journey to get to the place where they actually can be is hard won. We don't get flashbacks of Aiden and Matt's first relationship in this story, and honestly, I think that works so well, because once they reunite after TEN YEARS APART, they get to see how much they've each grown AND feel that same spark from their relationship in the past. And that reunion is kind of funny - they just run into each other in a bar, and once that happens, BOOM. They cannot keep out of each others orbit and just end up inadvertently living together with no prior discussion. It's messy and it's hard and they have a ton of difficulty actually talking about how they feel, but somehow there's still so much swoon? And spice that truly moves the story along - when Aiden and Matt cannot communicate with words, they use s3x, and while that is NOT the way to rebuild a relationship, in some ways it does work for them. The mental illness rep is also excellent and handled well - these guys go THROUGH it, but they do figure things out in the very beautiful HEA.

I could literally gush about this book all day - please DM me if you want ANY details because I will yap SO HARD. If you love hockey, angst, and/or hard won HEAs, THIS is the book for you. TOP read of the year, TOP hockey romance, just top... everything. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH.

I do love this series, but this installment doesn't quiiiite rise to the heights of the 3rd in the set "Home Ice Advantage" - but it is still good.

The two main characters are great - I love the characters and how well we get to know them and their love for each other. I also like how Aiden's coming out is almost a non-event - it's practically in the background.

My critique of this one is more in the plot and the pacing - It's like Aiden's existence/mental state/place in life is stagnant for 3/4 of the book - he is deeply depressed, then at random, one talking-to from Gabe and boom, he's on a positive trajectory. What would feel both more interesting to the reader, both plot/character-arc wise, as well as perhaps being more realistic -- is if he had more movement in his progress -- forward, back, sideways -- whatever! just something --two steps forward one back, etc -- throughout the book - as he just feels really static for the majority of it. There is also a lot of repetition - both in just what Aiden is doing/saying/thinking, and in the writing - like when one of Matt's rookie teammates is introduced, we get re introduced to him with the same/very similar info 3 or 4 times.

Ari Baran has done it again. “Goaltender Interference” is easily my new favorite of the Penalty Box series. Aiden and Matt are so good together and the buildup to their reconnection was so beautiful. After ten years apart, Aiden Campbell and Matt Safaryan crash back into each others lives. Aiden is heading into retirement from the NHL and Matt is heading into what could be his last season. Even after everything that transpired between them years ago, they can’t seem to help coming back together. This is a second chance romance, but it’s also an “I never actually stopped loving you” romance. It’s beautiful and tender and Matt and Aiden are so easy to love.

This book had so many of my favorite things: gay hockey players over the age of 30, mental health awareness, a BIPOC main character, an author who actually knows how to write about hockey. It really had so much going for it. But while I enjoyed the book, it wasn't as good as the 3 other books in this series. It was by no mean terrible, we are only talking like half a star difference here. But something about it felt slightly lacking. Too repetitive in places maybe? Or perhaps it's the fact that we never find out what exactly happened to make both Aiden and Matt's families worry so much about them. It's stated that Matt ended up in Player Assistance but we aren't ever told the whys or hows. Obviously it's due to the breakup but nothing more than that is ever said. My biggest issue, and it's one I think I've had with all 4 Penalty Box books, is that the ending is kind of abrupt and a little unsatisfying. Overall it's a sold entry in the series. Aiden's struggles with retirement felt authentic and the portrayal of his depression didn't seem too trope-y. Matt's patience with and treatment of Aiden is really well thought out. I will definitely pick up a book 5 if one comes.

I can't believe I am currently writing a review for the last (maybe not?? Ari, please tell me you have four more up your sleeve??) book in the Penalty Box series, Goaltender Interference. I have been dying to get my hands on this book since the start of 2024 and now I've literally devoured it in two days. I had extremely high expectations for this book and it flew past every single one of them. So let's get into it, shall we?



Goaltender Interference is a second chance hockey romance following two hockey players at the end of their careers. Aiden Campbell, hotshot hockey star has just retired when he stumbles across his ex lover, Matt Safaryan on the night out in NYC ten years after their relationship broke apart. And not only did it break apart, but it did so in a spectacular fashion, leaving them both bruised and battered yet still deeply in love with one another. And now, one passionate night later, they are hooked on each other again, determined to make this relationship work. But Aiden is sinking deeper and deeper into darkness and Matt is pushing himself through chronic injuries and doing his best to keep them both afloat. Will their stars align this time or is it time to say goodbye for good?



I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START! I knew this was going to be angsty, but this was angsty times a hundred. Pain and lack of direction and fear permeated every single page of this story and it somehow made it even better. I felt for both Matt and Aiden and their separate struggles, but Aiden especially burrowed deep into my heart. I'm not exactly a 37-year-old retired hockey player, but I feel like lack of direction and subsequent fall into a pit of despair is somehow a universal experience (or not? Maybe it's just me and this year). It felt like you struggled along with him, like you knew his struggles but were about as good at articulating them as Aiden himself. Communicating and exposing the most vulnerable, most unsure parts of yourself can be harder than anything, especially when those defenses have been up for a while and for a very good reason. So it's pretty obvious that those things are a problem for our MCs, but because they show their love and appreciation through sex, it takes a while for those unresolved things to bubble up to the surface.



That's why their second chance love story oftentimes felt like a ticking bomb - I kept waiting for one or both of them to just bolt. And when it finally happened, it felt like I can breathe again but it also broke my heart. (like, actual tears) When you are reading this book, you see the signs - the despair, the slow descent into even thicker darkness, lack of smiles.



I love how their love story progressed and how it all made sense - from meeting again after ten years of glimpsing each other during hockey games and never progressing past that, and falling in so easily again (because in all honesty, they never stopped loving each other), to it all shattering because it was something that was bound to break sooner rather than later. And, in the end, finally realizing that being together, if they both work on the relationship but also on themselves, is the only way. Like how can you be normal about a love story like this?! About two broken, messy men who are bad at expressing their feelings but who show each other that they are in love with every touch and kiss and item of clothing discarded. Romances where "I love yous" are not thrown around plenty (because the characters are simply not used to it or don't believe that words can properly express what they feel, but actions can) are rare, but I absolutely adore them. Sometimes a gentle look or doing something the other person needs, speaks much louder.



And to touch on some other parts of the story ...



I loved the therapy rep and how it showed that you can have the best therapist in the world, but they won't be able to help you if you don't decide to do something yourself. Goaltender Interference delicately portrayed the ins and outs of therapy and I loved to see Aiden's therapy sessions.



ALSO we have another love-sick puppy of a side character whose love is unrequited and I am gonna start screaming soon, because Ari loves to do that and then leave us a bit heartbroken for those poor saps as well - I am thinking of you, Gabe, and I hope we get to see your happily ever after at some point as well ahhh.



ALSO ALSO we got a cameo of Zach Reid and I went a little bit feral, not gonna lie. I am lowkey mad at Matt for not taking him up on the double date offer, smh.



All in all, this was another stunningly painful Ari Baran book, filled with messy hockey players, even messier feelings, and the softest (not in the kinks department though haha) love story. Ten out of ten, absolutely.

I have such high expectations for Ari Baran’s characters and they did not disappoint me. They always feel so lived-in, with complex backstories that we only get to glimpse. It feels odd to say that I “enjoy” being blindsided along with the characters by out-of-pocket behavior, but I really just do love going along for the ride. Second chance romance is where that really shines.

Aiden and Matt are, like all Penalty Box protagonists, not normal about each other. This invites us to be not normal about them, either. It crushed me to watch Aiden spiral and to watch Matt watch it happen. Aiden’s mental health struggles were so realistically relentless, I had to put this book down and come back later. Some readers might say they “didn’t like” that, but I just appreciate the way Ari got me to invest in these men so deeply so quickly. Being made to feel things, even uncomfortable things, is a gift.

This isn’t your “typical” hockey romance, and I wouldn’t recommend it to someone just giving the genre a go—unless what they love to read is brutally sad men, in which case, perfect.

Goaltender Interference isn’t my favorite of the series, but they can’t all be. It’s still so, so good. Thanks to Ari, and to Harlequin, and to NetGalley for the privilege of being here so early.

Per usual Ari hits it out of the park again with this book. Compared to the rest of the series this book felt like something totally new and different. Don’t get me wrong it’s still a romance novel, but the focus is really on Aidan’s mental health/internal struggles. In a more traditional structure we’d spend a good chunk of the book waiting for these two to commit to each other, but that’s not what happens here. It felt like so fresh and different to have a book that’s not entrenched in the traditional romance novel structure. What I found really compelling about this book was the exploration of feeling purposeless with these retired professional athletes. Devotion to hockey can kind of break someone’s brain and I’ve seen how this lack of purpose manifests in lower level players. When you read Ari’s books you can just tell they have a deep understanding of the sport and want to explore both the good and the bad. If you’re wanting a really compelling romance that digs into the psychological impact of ending an era of your life I think you’ll love this.

CW: mc w/ a substance abuse problem in remission

Thanks to the folks at Harlequin for sending me a free e-ARC before this book was available on netgalley!

Aiden Campbell may be the saddest gay hockey player to ever sad gay hockey player and I wanted to give him a million forehead kisses. Aiden has been struggling since his retirement and finds an unlikely supporter in his ex-boyfriend Matt Safaryan. After a chance encounter leads to them reconnecting, Matt invites Aiden to come stay with him in Montreal until the season starts. Despite the time and hurt between them, the original connection they had still remains.

I think their story did a really good job portraying the ups and downs of being in a relationship with someone who has mental health challenges. Matt has so much love and support for Aiden but Aiden also acknowledges that Matt can't be the only thing to take him out of the depression he's fallen into since retirement.

Thank you Harlequin and Carina Press for an arc of this book!

Goaltender Interference is a 5 star queer hockey romance. Ari Baran writes a gripping and satisfying story that’s impossible to put down. It focuses on heavier themes, and the depression representation is some of the best I’ve read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goalie Aiden Campbell is retiring from pro hockey and doesn’t know what else to do with himself. When he runs into his ex Matthew Safaryan at a New York City bar, they haven’t seen each other in 10 years. Soon the pair is picking where they left off, and it’s clear their chemistry is as strong as ever. But, with hockey season starting and Matthew playing another year, can Aiden work through his fears and let a relationship develop again?

Aiden is so lost without hockey, and he can’t visualize his life without it. While it’s obvious he’s depressed, I like that the very real idea that therapy isn’t an instant fix, and that sometimes people take steps backwards before they can move forward. For his part, Matthew truly wants to help, but realizes that Aiden has to figure some things out on his own.

I adore this hockey world that Baran’s created. While for some authors, the hockey part of a hockey romance is just an afterthought, Baran’s knowledge of the sport makes for a richer story all the way around. I’m very attached to these damaged characters, and their identities that are so wrapped up in what it means to be a hockey player.

Goaltender Interference is a fantastic book. Both Aiden and Matthew’s journeys are compelling, as is the idea that they each have to cope with their own issues before they can work together as a couple. And, their chemistry is sizzling. If you’re looking for an amazing queer hockey romance with realistic depression rep, read this book immediately.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I got the email about Ari's next ARC being available, I canceled my plans for this weekend because I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible, and I'm so glad I did. As always, I tore through the book all in one sitting. I've been really into the second chance romance trope lately and I thought it was so well-executed here. The characters all navigated challenges that felt really real and raw to me, and it felt like they addressed those issues in a really realistic way (even if it had me screaming at my kindle). This book gave me the biggest of feelings and I'll be telling everyone I know to check it out!

I look forward to arcs from certain authors, and have loved each of Ari Baran’s books to date.

Unfortunately, this one falls victim to a few issues:

1. I’m generally not a fan of second chance romance, and

2. I recently read Taylor Fitzpatrick’s Between the Teeth trilogy, which deals with much of the same themes over a longer format and I couldn’t help but compare in my head.

These are probably not a problem for others, though.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style and the grief associated with losing a piece of one’s identity after retirement. I also enjoyed the neurodivergent main character, even if Aiden was never explicitly labelled as such.

My main issues with the book is that so much of the relationship development relies on this nebulous past that is mentioned briefly in passing several times, but always vaguely. We know only a few concrete things about the ending of that relationship and a heck of a lot more about the fallout after the fact. The reader was never given the chance to evaluate the actions the characters took in the past because they were never fully fleshed out on the page.

There were other minor nitpicky things that turned me off personally- MCs who are obviously both in love and break up and neither mc fights for the other and epilogues that read like essays written by a main character are two that come to mind. But again these are not signs of a bad book, just things I’m not a fan of.

Anyway, Ari Baran’s writing carried me though, and I will definitely continue to pick up their books in the future.

I've been a fan of Ari Baran since I read the phenomenal "Home Ice Advantage," which was one of my five-star reads for 2024.
His follow-up, a second chance romance, is once again set in the world of NHL. Here, we have Aiden, a retired hockey player suffering from depression and his ex-boyfriend Matt, who went through a downward spiral after their tumultuous relationship. The emotions are raw and it shines through the page.

I like this book, although there are far too many sex scenes. Also, I don't like the cover. LOL. But otherwise, still good job from Baran, although I like "Home Ice Advantage." more. 4 out of 5.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.