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Huh, it doesn't look like I ever posted about Delay of Game... or any of the Ari Baran hockey books. Having taken a posting break has things disordered.
I've read 3 of the 4 books in the Penalty Box series: Game Misconduct, Delay of Game and Home Ice Advantage. I've had multiple people recommend the fourth book in the series, Goaltender Interference, to me. I do like goalies being interfered with, in certain ways. So, I am excited to get to it... but I've also got book club books to read first and I also like to alternate hockey books with non-hockey books.
Series so far overview: Ari Baran's books are the only hockey romances outside of Rachel Reid's that I've really enjoyed. Some other hockey books I've read can best be described as 'books that exist'. The first book is good, but also a bit rough... in every way: writing is rough in places, sex is rough and scenarios under-negotiated, dark side of hockey very leaned into. Later books are less rough, but if they have a editor I would like to give them notes. Ari has a weird habit of repeating sentences and ways of describing things. The instances of repetition are far apart in the book, but still it's something that should be caught. First book is good but rough, second book... drags a bit get is very good by the end, third book is solid all the way through. Endings can feel a bit abrupt.
* Game Misconduct - This is sort-of an enforcer versus enforcer type story. Enforcers aren't really a thing in the NHL the way they were, but they are some of the last and when their teams are against each other they are expected to fight. The dynamic between them and how they come to care for each other is complicated and wonderfully written. That aspect of the book is amazing.
However, they don't really set up how the fictional NHL works in their world at the outset so towards the end it feels like worldbuilding pops out of nowhere for plot reasons. Also, one of the characters has spent a lot of time in Portland and it drove me nuts trying to figure out WHICH Portland because neither made sense. Eventually, I figured it had to be Maine, only to realize at the end it had to be Oregon. This book has flaws that are the exact reasons why pre-readers and editors exist. The flaws kept throwing me out of the story, and should be easy fixes, which is part of why they were frustrating to me. I'd still highly recc it for how amazing the relationship development is, just with the warnings about under-negotiated scenarios and a few writing flaws.
* Delay of Game - I first bought this on audio, then eventually in text. There is a weird time jump towards the start that is so confusing I kept thinking I was missing something listening to it on audio. I stopped listening to audiobooks for a bit due to this book, only to realize where the problem was. Overall, it's mostly good. It drags in the middle. One of the characters being dumb and oblivious becomes a bit cringey at one point. But the sex is really well written. Towards the end everything about the book tightens up and just starts clicking.
Despite a lot of flaws, the last third was so good I still feel really positive towards the book.
Also,the characters from the first book are in it and we get a glimpse of them as an established couple.
* Home Ice Advantage - Real step forward in story structure and overall writing. My digital copy didn't sync right and trying to find my place again I wound up just re-reading from a few chapters back and enjoying it. This is just a very enjoyable book.
This is a coach x assistant coach book that just waives off the whole 'sleeping with your boss thing'. I prefer books that don't have those complications there, or waived off, but oh well.
The guys come together slowly and we just learn more and more about them as characters. And yeah, it's just really good.
There is an interesting side plot. One of the guys, back in his playing days, had an intense, devoted friendship with another player. They sometimes slept next to each other on the road. They were in love and didn't figure it out. I like how this is handled. It's a painful situation but not high angst. It doesn't threaten MC1's relationship to MC2. Realizing it and dealing with it is part of MC1's character development. It's all handled in a very interesting and non-cliched way, not played for max drama.
I've read 3 of the 4 books in the Penalty Box series: Game Misconduct, Delay of Game and Home Ice Advantage. I've had multiple people recommend the fourth book in the series, Goaltender Interference, to me. I do like goalies being interfered with, in certain ways. So, I am excited to get to it... but I've also got book club books to read first and I also like to alternate hockey books with non-hockey books.
Series so far overview: Ari Baran's books are the only hockey romances outside of Rachel Reid's that I've really enjoyed. Some other hockey books I've read can best be described as 'books that exist'. The first book is good, but also a bit rough... in every way: writing is rough in places, sex is rough and scenarios under-negotiated, dark side of hockey very leaned into. Later books are less rough, but if they have a editor I would like to give them notes. Ari has a weird habit of repeating sentences and ways of describing things. The instances of repetition are far apart in the book, but still it's something that should be caught. First book is good but rough, second book... drags a bit get is very good by the end, third book is solid all the way through. Endings can feel a bit abrupt.
* Game Misconduct - This is sort-of an enforcer versus enforcer type story. Enforcers aren't really a thing in the NHL the way they were, but they are some of the last and when their teams are against each other they are expected to fight. The dynamic between them and how they come to care for each other is complicated and wonderfully written. That aspect of the book is amazing.
However, they don't really set up how the fictional NHL works in their world at the outset so towards the end it feels like worldbuilding pops out of nowhere for plot reasons. Also, one of the characters has spent a lot of time in Portland and it drove me nuts trying to figure out WHICH Portland because neither made sense. Eventually, I figured it had to be Maine, only to realize at the end it had to be Oregon. This book has flaws that are the exact reasons why pre-readers and editors exist. The flaws kept throwing me out of the story, and should be easy fixes, which is part of why they were frustrating to me. I'd still highly recc it for how amazing the relationship development is, just with the warnings about under-negotiated scenarios and a few writing flaws.
* Delay of Game - I first bought this on audio, then eventually in text. There is a weird time jump towards the start that is so confusing I kept thinking I was missing something listening to it on audio. I stopped listening to audiobooks for a bit due to this book, only to realize where the problem was. Overall, it's mostly good. It drags in the middle. One of the characters being dumb and oblivious becomes a bit cringey at one point. But the sex is really well written. Towards the end everything about the book tightens up and just starts clicking.
Despite a lot of flaws, the last third was so good I still feel really positive towards the book.
Also,the characters from the first book are in it and we get a glimpse of them as an established couple.
* Home Ice Advantage - Real step forward in story structure and overall writing. My digital copy didn't sync right and trying to find my place again I wound up just re-reading from a few chapters back and enjoying it. This is just a very enjoyable book.
This is a coach x assistant coach book that just waives off the whole 'sleeping with your boss thing'. I prefer books that don't have those complications there, or waived off, but oh well.
The guys come together slowly and we just learn more and more about them as characters. And yeah, it's just really good.
There is an interesting side plot. One of the guys, back in his playing days, had an intense, devoted friendship with another player. They sometimes slept next to each other on the road. They were in love and didn't figure it out. I like how this is handled. It's a painful situation but not high angst. It doesn't threaten MC1's relationship to MC2. Realizing it and dealing with it is part of MC1's character development. It's all handled in a very interesting and non-cliched way, not played for max drama.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-08 04:23 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2026-02-08 08:12 pm (UTC)From:It is weird, but these are literally the problems that more established writers pay people to fix. Their writing chops are very good, which is the important bit. (more established writers, and also writers with a larger potential audience, which queer writers don't always have. But hopefully the current interest in queer hockey will help them pop off)
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Date: 2026-02-11 03:42 am (UTC)From:I keep getting SO MUCH het hockey romance (mostly looks to be "big manly hockey player man/dainty little figure skater woman") shoved at me on Amazon, and I don't think they understand how little that appeals to me, lol. Maybe if there was a "buff female hockey player/slightly delicate male figure skater" romance. *Maybe.*
I very much understand why a fully indie writer doesn't have that kind of team behind them. I know I couldn't afford those sorts of edit passes! But agreed: I can forgive a lot of little details if the writing itself is compelling. Whereas, I don't really care how perfectly correct the background details are if the writing is a miserable slog.
I hope they do find a bigger audience, now that there's more hunger for the genre!
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Date: 2026-02-12 02:42 am (UTC)From:There is a lot to mine in hockey, with players doing things in reality like living together or being traded away from their best friends. And, as Rachel has pointed out, they touch each other a lot, way more than in other sports. My favorite player is sort of known for being very eager for teammate hugs (to the point he skated so fast at some guys celebrating a goal that bounced off the group.)
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Date: 2026-02-14 03:41 am (UTC)From:I can see why hockey is such a juggernaut in terms of RPF fic as well as original works. A lot more tactile than most sports, for sure!
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Date: 2026-02-08 05:18 am (UTC)From:Same. Cait Nary's all have competent writing, so that's at least a qualified rec if you're still looking for more and haven't read these yet. Her first professionally published book, "Season's Change," does have a number of beats I like, although the characters felt cobbled together and inconsistent to me. I was unimpressed by the second in that series, "Contract Season," and while I liked "Lucky Bounce" as fanfic I just did not think it survived the transition to pro fic not embedded in fandom/conversation within fandom context.
"Unrivaled" by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James was a fun and, again, competently written book about the extremely fictional characters of Dreon Laisaitl and Tatthew Mkachuk, but did not inspire me to read any more of that series.
So far the handful of non m/m hockey romances I've tried have all been hot garbage, or at the very least not written with me as the target audience.
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Date: 2026-02-08 08:23 pm (UTC)From:Yeah, if I unknowingly read a book that was based on Tkachuk and anyone that would be fine, but if I knew I might not.
I've heard good things about Trade Deadline by A L Heard, but don't know if I'll give it a try. Hockey Bois by the same author started great, but was the only romance I've ever read where I stopped wanting the couple together.
I've heard good things about Cait Nary, but next up is probably Goaltender Interference, The Russian Five (non-fiction) and then giving into rereading the Game Changers series. I have been fighting a re-read to get my book club and other books read
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Date: 2026-02-08 05:04 pm (UTC)From:Ha, I've just got into Ari Baran's books and from what I've read so far (Home Ice Advantage, I've just started Delay of Game), I agree with you. They are definitely one of the best m/m hockey romance writers, though unfortunately the bar is just not very high! Cait Nary, Catherine Cloud and Taylor Fitzpatrick are the others where I enjoyed at least one of their books.
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Date: 2026-02-08 08:39 pm (UTC)From:no subject
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