The New Guy

         

Title: The New Guy

Series: Hockey Guys #1

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC, February 28, 2023

Pages: 348

Genre: LGBT Hockey Romance

My name is Hudson Newgate, but my teammates call me New Guy.

That was my nickname in Chicago, too. And Vancouver. That’s what happens when you keep getting traded. Brooklyn is my last chance, especially after my poor performance last season.

But I can make this work. The new guy knows to keep his head down and shoot the puck. The new guy puts the game first.

What he doesn’t do is hook up with the other new guy—a hot athletic trainer who lives in my building. Gavin needs this job with my team. He’s a single dad with responsibilities.

We can’t be a couple. My arrogant agent–who’s also my father–will lose his mind if I’m dating a dude. And my team needs me to score goals, not whip up a media circus.

Too bad Gavin and I are terrible at resisting each other…

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

Hudson Newgate brought me through the wringer. Like he was right there with me, and so was Gavin. But Hudson's panic over coming out or not coming out was so visceral. It really came through and I was right back in that headspace. 

Hudson's new in Brooklyn, and so is Gavin. They meet in a bar and hit it off. Then they find out that they are neighbors. And what do you know, Gavin is the new athletic trainer for Brooklyn Hockey. Hudson's new team. The most forcedest of forced proximities! Gavin is also the single father of the cutest little girl, who loves  their hockey-playing neighbor almost as much as her daddy!

I just new the bad guy in this book was going to be Gavin's mother-in-law. She has gotten it into her head that she should have custody of Jordyn, and that's what her son would have wanted. Gavin finally slaps her with the truth and she turns out not to be the real villain. Just a grieving mother who is a loving grandparent. 

No, the real bad guy in this book is Hudson's father. He has been Hudson's agent his entire career. Hudson has the song "Under My Thumb" as his father's ringtone. His father has been feeding the narrative for Hudson's entire career that he shouldn't come out. Coming out will make his teams see him as a bigger problem than he's worth. Coming out is the reason he was traded from Colorado in his very first season, and was the start of all of his problems since then. His. Father. UGH. What an absolute heinous human. Almost more than when Hudson and Gavin got back together, I was FREAKING THRILLED when Hudson fired his father!!! It was incredible!!

I'm so excited for more hockey books! So I'm Your Guy can't come soon enough. And just about the only thing that would make me forgive Sarina Bowen for trading Hudson to Colorado, is the opportunity to meet a new team!!!! I'm so ready!!! 

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 3/5