“Rachel Reid’s hockey heroes are sexy, hot, and passionate! I’ve devoured this entire series and I love the flirting, the exploration and the delicious discovery in Common Goal!” —Lauren Blakely, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Guy Walks into My Bar New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…
New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…
Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.
Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.
Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.
Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.
Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer
Book 2: Heated Rivalry
Book 3: Tough Guy
Book 4: Common Goal
Book 5: Role Model
more
I swear these books keep getting better and better and steamier and steamier with each storyline. Being true to yourself seems to be an amazing theme in Ms. Reid’s stories and sometimes it can be both painful and extremely freeing. Eric has many changes coming in his life and he is trying to navigate them all but sometimes you need a little help living and learning a new truth. Kyle has had his heart broken more times than you’d imagine considering his age and by people he should have been able to trust to not hurt him, but still, he tries to see the beauty in life and when it seems like Eric is floundering a little, Kyle’s natural instinct is to try to help, despite the danger to his own heart. Sometimes the most steamy scenes, and the most beautiful love, comes from some most innocent actions. Some of our old friends make appearances in this story and now I have a few “new” characters that I want to know a whole lot more about. Looking forward to our next hockey romance.
Older hockey player Eric. Younger bartender/student Kyle. Eric has never been with a man. Kyle has sworn off older men. When they mutually decide that Kyle can tutor Eric to get him ready for the gay dating scene they tell themselves it’s just lessons. They can’t fall for each other because (take your pick) Eric is too old, Kyle is too young, Eric is to old.
I liked the story, even though I got tired of Eric angsting about his age. He was a good character and had so much to offer any man but he just couldn’t see it. Kyle (as a character) seemed the more mature of the two.
Well written book and people from the other books in the series paid visits too. Good hockey, slow-ish love story, and great characters made this a hit for me.
COMMON GOAL is the fourth instalment in Rachel Reid’s contemporary, adult, GAME CHANGERS erotic, LGBTQ, hockey romance series. This is New York Admirals goalie, forty-one year old, Eric Bennett, and twenty-five year old, bartender/ graduate student Kyle Swift’s story line. COMMON GOAL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary. Kyle and Eric first appeared in book one Game Changer.
NOTE: COMMON GOAL is an age-gap, LGBTQ romance with graphic scenes of same sex scenarios that may not be suitable for all readers.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Kyle and Eric) COMMON GOAL follows the building romance and relationship between is New York Admirals goalie, forty-one year old, Eric Bennett, and twenty-five year old, bartender/ graduate student Kyle Swift. Eric Bennett is a bisexual man but has only ever had sexual relationships with women. Recently divorced, Eric has thought about his attraction to men but especially his attraction to bartender Kyle Swift, a young man whose obsession with Eric’s teammate Scott is slowly dying since Scott’s engagement to Kyle’s co-worker Kip. Coming out to Kyle, Eric found himself in a friends with benefits arrangement when Eric claimed he had no experience with the same $ex. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Kyle and Eric, and the potential fall-out as Eric struggles with their age-difference.
Eric Bennett is a man close to the end of his professional career, and falling for Kyle Swift left Eric feeling old and tired but with no experience with gay $ex, Eric jumped at Kyle’s offer to teach Eric about $ex with a younger man. Kyle Swift didn’t care about their age difference but in an effort to get to know Eric better, Kyle offered to find Eric a partner but found himself falling in love with our story line hero.
There is a definite lack of communication between both men that exacerbated the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’ especially as it pertained to Eric’s issues with their age difference (ad nauseam), and his need to keep Kyle in the friend zone. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Scott and Kip (Game Changer #1), Ilya Rozanov (Heated Rivalry #2), teammates Matti Jalo, Carter Vaughan, Kyle’s roommate Maria, and Eric’s friend and gallery owner Jeanette.
COMMON GOAL is a story of secrets, friendships and relationships. The character driven premise inviting and imaginative; the characters are spirited and inspiring; the romance is edgy and spicy. COMMON GOAL looks at the psychological side of coming out but stays clear of the social and professional repercussions that many professional athletes experience following such pronouncement.
Of course I love these hockey boys and the boys they fall for! Eric is a bit of a silver fox, ready to retire from hockey, super healthy, and divorced. He’s never dated a guy but he’s interested, especially in the cute younger bartender, Kyle. And at the start, Kyle is hung up on someone else.
What starts as super casual leads to these two denying the reality of the real feelings they are developing, and the possibility of more. I wanted to SHAKE THEM. So stubborn. Eric is sweet, and kinda shy, Kyle does bring the fun out in him but he’s also sincere and kind. And the only thing standing in their way is themselves.
Then of course we get to check in with other characters from previous books. Scott and Kip are SO adorable, I love them. This made me want to reread their story. And Ilya cracks me right up, I actually highlighted his moments. But Eric and Kyle do get a happy ending, and they so deserved it. And I’m just left excitedly hoping for more future hockey boy on boy love.
Yay! Game Changers is fast becoming one of my favourite series (interconnected standalones). I just love these hockey hotties and their stories, and book 4 Common Goal, focuses on veteran goalie Eric Bennett, divorced from his childhood sweetheart and just coming to terms with his bisexuality when he realises he’s attracted to student and bartender, Kyle Swift, 16 years his junior. Both stubborn in their own ways. Eric thinks Kyle is too young. Kyle isn’t looking for a relationship. Kyle’s been burnt by an older man before, and is only interested in hookups, and of course Eric doesn’t do hookups. I absolutely loved these characters (and it’s great that we see all the previous book hotties) I can’t get enough of them. The story is sweet, fun, super sexy and completely addictive. I’m obsessing about it still, I could not put it down. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.
This is book #4, in The Game Changers series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader enjoyment and to avoid spoilers, I recommend reading this series in order.
Eric is a goalie who is on his last season. He has never had to deal with this before, and he is all out of sorts. Now he can be who he needs to be, love who he wants to love.
Kyle tells himself he will find someone his own age and be happy. Then he meets again the man that makes his heart pound, and all his plans fade away. Can he stick to his guns on this one? Or will a certain hockey player blow his plans out of the way?
This was a definite sexy book with a slow burn twist. I loved how the characters seemed obvious to be together. I also loved the humor, the sparks, and the sexy thrum of heat throughout the entire story. Such amazing characters, with definite qualities that show they are both individuals and meant to be a couple.
***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review, by Netgalley and its publishers.
Common Goal is Rachel Reid’s fourth entry in her Game Changers series. I can not get enough! I have loved each one and Common Goal is yet anorther solid book for the series!
Eric is a professional hockey goalie looking at the end of his storied career. He looks back on his life and ponders if he just settled on things outside of his #1 passion, hockey. He is at a crossroads. He’s struggling to figure out what to do after hockey and what he really wants. Then he meets Kyle. That awakens feelings he long ago tramped down. What if he is gay? Or bisexual? Could he handle that?
Kyle is an openly gay bartender in college. He has always been interested in older, “silver fox” gentlemen. When he meets Eric, he is smitten! Eric is just too good to pass up, so he offers to help Eric find his way with men.
I really enjoyed this journey! You know which way this will go, but I loved the path they took to get there! Eric’s awakening was enlightening! He discovered this other side of himself that was just begging to be heard. He never let himself wander outside the goalposts of heterosexuality to explore this different side. Once he let go, the puzzle piece clicked into place, and he was forever changed.
If you haven’t read the Game Changers series, you must give it a whirl! Set in a sport that is just beginning to embrace their own LGBTQ players, Rachel Reid does a great job of breaking down those barriers and letting the characters see they can truly have what they desire the most!
Eric Bennett just hit the wrong side of forty and is feeling it. He has good games and bad games, but realizes retirement is probably in his near future. He is divorced, lonely, reserved, and wants to maybe start dating and find companionship. But he also wants to explore part of his sexuality that he never really has…being with a man. But with little dating experience, his flirting game is off, he is awkward, insecure, and lacks confidence.
Kyle has been crushing on his best friend, Kip, for a while but has to finally realize that Kip is getting married(to Eric’s friend and teammate, Scott). He is in his mid-twenties but has a thing for older guys, but also has a bad history with them and has come to expect the worst. He is flirty, fun, smart, and outgoing. He is scared of a real relationship and has never really had a healthy one.
These two cross paths due to their friends, but find common interests. They kind of play at flirting, friendship, and even try to be each other’s wingman. But there is this simmering attraction between them that leads to a friends-with-benefits exploration situation. But they think they want opposite things and that they are not right for each other despite the attraction and connection they both are feeling but hiding.
This is a slow-burn, opposites-attract, age-gap romance. I liked both of the characters and it did develop at a realistic speed even though at some times I might have wanted it to move along a bit faster and maybe a bit more couple time in the end. They definitely had some issues as far as their fears, insecurities, misconceptions, and communication. Sometimes I wanted to just yell at them to say what they are thinking or feeling. They had great chemistry and sexy times were not an issue, but they really needed to get out of their own heads and talk it out. But I loved them together and at least I could see they would make a great couple even when they were too afraid to admit it.
Fans of the series will enjoy cameos, but it can be read as a stand-alone as well.
Surprisingly… this was really really good. I’m almost shook since ‘Tough Guy’ was terrible and I had expected the same with this. Thank the reading Gods above for blessing this novel because I was ready to drop this like a hot potato.
‘Common Goal’ slow building romance initially won me over. I just couldn’t help but root for Kyle and Eric’s bubbling relationship. The chemistry, the sexual tension, and banter were everything. Though age gap romances are not a fan favorite of mine and I typically stray away from them—when it came to Eric and Kyle’s relationship it just worked. I can’t really explain it but it just did.
For the obviously reasons this was a better followup to the ‘Game Changers’ so there is still hope for this series. Fingers crossed ‘Role Model’ is a keeper too!