Tristan Holt is nothing if not pragmatic. Despite a flourishing career as a defenseman for the Atlanta Venom, Tristan knows he can’t play hockey forever. One day he’ll retire—if an injury doesn’t force him to hang up his skates first. His backup plan? Finishing his business degree. But he doesn’t count on a very inappropriate attraction to his standoffish sociology professor, Sebastian Cruz.… Cruz.
Sebastian is on the bottom rung of the Sociology Department at Georgia State. He has his sights set on tenure, and he can’t afford to be distracted, especially not by a sexy student with a body straight out of Sebastian’s dreams. No matter how much Tristan tempts him, that’s one line Sebastian won’t cross. At least not until summer classes end. After that, everything is fair game.
But Sebastian lives loud and proud, and Tristan is terrified of being the first out player in the NHL. Neither of them can afford to risk their hearts when they can’t imagine a happily ever after. The problem is, unlike hockey, when it comes to love, there are no rules.
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I didn’t care much about hockey until I started reading mm romance and it’s book like this one that have made me interested, if not a full-fledged fan. It’s about more than hockey, of course, with the moderate age gap (34-23), closeted professional athlete, teacher-student, and mild D/s tropes woven into a sweet romance that’s ultimately quite satisfying. Definitely recommend!
I thought I would love this book. Mostly because sports jock M/M romance is one of my favourite tropes. It had all the makings of a good novel. College professor lusting after a student, student lusting after a professor. Tension and angst. Basically all the components of the formula for this type of novel. Yet it didn’t jump off the page for me, and the formula didn’t quite work.
Warning this contains one plot point that happens early in the story.
I pretty much skimmed through the first parts. I didn’t really get into it. Once I did start paying attention there were too many things that didn’t make sense. For instance, when Sebastian assumed the non-jock looking kid would be the one to write a paper about hockey with such effortless detail thus going against stereotype, but then on the flip side assumes the jock, Tristan, was the one who stole paper thus going with type. It didn’t fit his character on so many levels to choose the exact road of the type of thing he was trying to teach his students not to do. Furthermore, the obvious choice, when looking at the two subjects, would be to assume the jock would know about hockey. With this in mind even if Sebastian did jump to conclusions he still didn’t go the most likely route.
It was too obvious that this odd decision/plot choice was designed to get Tristan and him together. Also, teachers always ask for evidence. I couldn’t believe for a second that Sebastian, an established professor, would not have asked them both to supply evidence that the paper belonged to them. Why chance having a student report you if you’re trying to move forward in your career? Teachers are definitely much more careful and efficient about things like this because either their life, the students’ involved, or both can be ruined if something like this gets out of hand.
Along the same plotline, I find it hard to believe a closeted gay sports jock would write a paper on said topic to his gay lecturer unless he was fully intending on outing himself at some point. Which, as the plot goes on, we find out he had zero intentions of doing but this paper did exactly that. A closet gay sports jock would likely steer far away from something that would reveal his true self than just shoving it out there to his out professor. All of this happened right around the time I started paying attention.
When a student asked to see Tristan’s paper to help him with his own, you could see where this was going a mile away. The problem here was Tristain didn’t seem dumb enough to not know where this was going. But, the plot required this, so he had to supply it. Add to that, that most students would never offer up their completed paper to someone unless it was for a second pair of eyes to make it better. In turn, they would offer up the same, sit down with them to help them and share ideas from what they had done with their own if it was relevant to the other students topic. This for the exact problem that arises in the story. People steal things. No one wants to go through the drama of having to prove their work is their work even if they have all the evidence and it’s easy.
Just to be contradictory let’s say I have no qualms about sharing my work. Because, obviously, I can prove it’s mine. Unless the person I give it to goes out of their way to hunt down the same sources, create drafts and brainstorms, and all the other stuff I can provide, I can’t see them being stupid enough to steal it. This in the same way I can’t see Tristan offering it up in the first place, or Sebastian jumping to the conclusions he jumped to. From all angles, it seems off.
I also got lost sometimes. The timeline wasn’t obvious so I had to re-read bits to figure out how much time had passed occasionally. It could be because I’m just slow but it happened enough times for me to take notice of the confusion.
I didn’t feel the weight of Tristan being afraid to come out and couldn’t connect with Sebastian’s confliction with dating someone not out. There were so many opportunities to dig into this that were glossed over. It was touched on in casual conversation but never really dug into. This made the story felt like it just moved from one scene to the next as I kept reading. The final conflict seemed a bit… odd. I dunno but I couldn’t really get into the fight. I guess that was because it was the only time the topic was faced and it was at the end so I knew it would blow over as it was too close to the final page to be a real issue. There wasn’t enough time to dwell on it nor enough evidence before it to give it the emotional weight it was going for.
Lastly, I half-read a good bit of the erotic scenes. With the whole, I want to be dominated angle I expected, well, more. They just didn’t do it for me. The domination didn’t sell well and came off pretty tame. Like the erotic scenes in a normal romance novel which is fine, but I got the feeling readers were meant to really dig into the dynamics of this relationship.
I did finish this book. Fast. I enjoyed it just enough to keep reading. It was edited well, the scenes moved okay, but nothing stuck. Honestly only the things that bugged me stood out and the rest kinda filtered away. Not bad enough to ruin it but not good enough to be memorable either. This story read like an afterschool special with the perfect dose of total gay acceptance and a dash of sex so that it could pretend it wanted to be more than safe but it never got deep enough, or steamy enough to kill the safe vibe. It gave me all the promise of a nice gritty, hilarious and steamy romance, hit all the right not then stopped. Never quite diving into the characters enough to suspend the reality needed to join this journey.
I’m all here for suspension of reality as romance fiction by definition is fantasy. But there’s only so far you can go especially when the point where the story takes off is based on something you can’t ever see the main character doing. Not with the job they have. It was too contrived for me to go along with and it didn’t lift much more from there.
It gets two stars because I did laugh a bit and it was a fun read at some points but not spectacular on a whole. If light, safeish, hockey romance is your thing then this is for you. If you’re wanting a bit more than that this story might not deliver.
Off the Ice pretty lighthearted for an in the closet romance. There is some angst, but it’s overcome much more quickly than I would’ve expected, and the story focuses on the romance between Tristan and Sebastian as they get to know each other and find their footing in the relationship. Seb comes off as a bit snobbish and a lot judgmental in the beginning, but as things progress, that all plays a part in the story. So, while I wasn’t crazy about him at first, he did grow on me, and I ended up liking both characters. They’re also really good together with each bringing out better qualities in the other. That said, the story was still just a middle of the road read for me. The romance works, but in terms of tropes, there is really nothing here to set this one apart from a sea of others like it. All in all, Off the Ice is an easy, laid back story that makes for a pleasant feel-good read.
For someone who’s never watched an ice hockey game I’ve developed a taste for books featuring hockey players.
This is more of the same, closeted player meets man who makes coming out worth it and the issues this causes within the team. But really that is the secondary plot, saved for the end of the book to make their happy ever after all the sweeter. The bigger issue is the age difference, social standing, teacher student dynamics. Despite their immediate attraction they avoid getting involved until Tristan is no longer a student in Seb’s class but they both indulge in some student/teacher fantasy kink once they get together.
A great addition to my hockey roster and I’m sure I’ll reading more of th is writing pair
I liked this story. The characters are interesting and the storyline is nice. I liked how they were honest with each other and considerate of each other’s feelings and needs in the relationship. Tristan was a lovely character that put a lot on the line to let Sebastian know that he was interested and to let those he loves, know about his preference. Sebastian doesn’t want to be someone’s secret.
I really enjoyed this story and the characters.
I received a copy of this from LesCourt Author Services. This is my honest opinion and review.
I loved-loved-loved this story! I was interested in the hockey storyline, but I was immediately invested in these characters. Amazing storytelling! I will definitely be reading more of this series. Highly recommended!
9/23/19 edited to add my comments on the audiobook.
Overall 5
Performance 5
Story 5
Off the Ice is the first audiobook I’ve listened to performed by Kirt Graves and I loved it. I read the book back in March of 2019. When Kirt Graves offered an Audible code I jumped at the chance to listen to this story and enjoy it all over again.
Kirt’s voice is so smooth and easy to listen to. His pacing was great and his vocal inflections were just right. I have several more books in my library that he’s performed and I’m very much looking forward to listening to them.
Below is the review I wrote at the time I read the book back in March.
A copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the narrator.
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A great coming out story!
This is the first book I’ve read by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn, either as individuals or as a writing team. It sure was a great way for me to get introduced to their work. I don’t follow any sports—none, nada, zip, zilch—but for some crazy reason I really like reading sports themed romances.
The blurb for this book is pretty good but it doesn’t begin to convey the depth of this story. Tristan is a closeted NHL player who finds himself attracted to his harsh, demanding, and openly gay sociology professor. When they both realize the attraction is mutual, they have to fight the attraction until Tristan is no longer Sebastian’s student. The depth in the story comes with how the writers detail the slowly developing relationship between the two characters and how Tristan has to decide between coming out and losing the man he loves.
Writing reviews is probably not nearly as hard as writing a book but sometimes it is really difficult for me to come up with the right words to describe how much I love a book. Off the Ice is one of those books. The story made me laugh and cry big fat ugly tears but I loved every minute of it. Stories that affect me so deeply are the best kind and Off the Ice was one of those books.
The Hat Trick series was originally published by Riptide Publishing. It has been refreshed by the authors and is now being released by Carina Press. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in this series.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
4-4.5 stars
If someone had told me all of the tropes and extras that were going to be in this book, I would have said that it had to be a mess, because no way could it all work. I would have been wrong. There’s student/teacher, closeted pro athlete, some mild kink, and age gap just to name a few.
It’s not very angsty, the relationship is the central focus, and some outside forces impact it, but are fairly quickly resolved. Sebastian and Tristan were both really well developed, with great banter and dialogue. The secondary cast of characters was amazing, and nicely sets up the next books (which I am so excited for).
There were some minor things that didn’t work for me, but it was completely personal preference.
This was a nice start to the series, over all it was a good read and I did like both characters but do wish we’d had more interaction of them as a couple with the team and other support characters and I would have liked to see more of the relationship after the conflict was resolved instead of jumping right to the epilogue.
Holy hotness, this was fantastic. So many of my favorite tropes in this book, I knew this was a book I had to read. I barely took a break from reading this it hit all my reading high points. Hockey, closeted athletes, student/professor dynamic, an older MC, and a controlling top. Tristan and Sebastian’s story has everything you look for in a book: off the charts chemistry, super hot sexy times, the inevitable angst that comes with a closeted character and all the feels you need in a book to get you hooked into their story. You could really feel the emotions of Tristan’s struggle on coming out to his family, and what level of openness in the NHL he was comfortable sharing. Sebastian battled his own concerns with refusing to go back into the closet, no matter what he felt for Tristan. Sebastian also had to reconcile dating a former student in his own mind. Overall this was a fantastic book, and I was elated to see there are two more in the series in the works. I loved this so much I grabbed the audio, and pre-ordered the next audio book as well! I couldn’t recommend this more!
I honestly didn’t read this book when it was originally published, and I wanted to read it because of the cover and the story idea. I love sport romances, and more so love MM sport romances. The dynamic between Tristan and Sebastian is electric from the first time they interact, and it just explodes as time moves on. The struggles they both face (being openly gay hockey player and dating a former student for starters), were addressed pretty well in this book, and I really enjoyed how the story flowed.
I did manage to finish this book in one sitting, and honestly want to read it over as over again because I think is that good.
Please note that I did receive an ARC of this book, and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I’m not quite sure that I haven’t read this book before ’cause Sebastian Cruz seems really familiar. But that’s all that i can remember so maybe I’m really reading it for the first time.
Loved the dual POV. I loved both the characters. Seb and Tris are a really hot couple and the chemistry is sizzling.
Both of them are complex characters and the conflicts are very relatable.
Though I’m not really fond of spanking and humiliation (very mild), it didn’tstop me from reading the rest of the book. They don’t start anything until after he stops being Sebastian’s student but the Teacher/student dynamic was still pretty hot!
The secondary characters are amazing too. I loved Ryu and I’m looking forward to reading his book.I love reading about hockey players and since I’m a huge fan of Scoring Chances by Avon Gale, this book was a no brainer for me.
Looking forward to the rest of the series.
*ARC provided via A Novel Take PR by the author in order for an honest and unbiased review
The Hockey Player, The Professor and a Kink
This book pulled me in right away. I loved the beginning and the way the relationship built. Everything was a slow build up. The conflict was good and handled wonderfully. I really couldn’t tell it was two people writing, which makes the read that much better!
I loved the ending as well. The supporting characters were great and fleshed out so I was happy to get to know them as well.
It was steamy and… wonderful. You should read it.
I read this when it was originally published, so when I saw that it had been republished, I dusted it off for a re-read. This book is so good and totally engrossed me from start to finish. After a long wait, the second book in the series is due out in June and I will be pre-ordering.
Off the Ice is so much more than I had been expecting. I figured it would be a super angsty professor/student taboo, forbidden tale. But it really wasn’t that. It’s not angsty, for one, and yes, Sebastian is Tristan’s professor, but they don’t get together until after Tristan’s class with Sebastian is over. What Off the Ice ended up being is a nicely realistic, even sweet, but still steamy, romance.
Tristan is a professional hockey player with the Atlanta Venom. But, he’s smart and knows that he may not always be able to rely on hockey for an income, so he’s determined to get his degree as a backup plan. In his sociology class, his professor is a hot, scowly Puerto Rican man named Sebastian Cruz, to whom Tristan is immediately attracted. But, Sebastian, for all his sociologically minded brain, has preconceptions about Tristan, and when those preconceptions come back to bite him in the butt, I was cheering for the way Tristan handled the situation, and the way he handled Sebastian. And then the way Sebastian ends up handling Tristan when they slowly evolve into lovers (after the sociology class is completed)…H O T !!!!
But, there are more obstacles to their relationship than just the age gap or the fact that Sebastian was Tristan’s professor when they met. There’s the fact that Tristan is not out. He is to himself, but he’s not to his family and he’s decidedly not to his team, who are his second family. There are no out professional hockey players and Tristan definitely does not want to be the first. Sebastian, though, is out and not about to go into the closet for anyone, even the young man he’s fallen in love with. So how can these two make a relationship work?
Off the Ice really resonated with me. I absolutely fell in love with Tristan and Sebastian, especially Tristan; they are perfect for each other. Sebastian understands Tristan’s need to let go in the bedroom, and Sebastian is more than happy to control him, spank him, humiliate him, and order him around in the bedroom. And Tristan is more than happy to let go and let Sebastian take the reigns in the bedroom. Outside the bedroom, though, their relationship is even and equal, and I love the way they were with each other, how they complemented each other. And of course, I love their intimate, steamy connection. There were shades of kink, but nothing OTT, and it was very loving, and so freaking HOT!
Really the only reason I didn’t 5 star this is because the epilogue, while sweet and sexy, wasn’t definitive enough about the status of their relationship. I prefer epilogues to give a large peek into the couple’s future and to cement the fact that they are together, happily in love, and preferably married, or at least on their way to that. Off the Ice’s epilogue was a little too undefined for my tastes. Aside from that, though, Off the Ice checked all my boxes. Alpha hero – check. Sweet hero – check. Dirty, dirty sheet times – check. Loving, organically evolving romance – check. And to top it all off – sports – check!
If you love your sports romances with two hot heroes, one who’s a hockey playing sweetheart, and one who’s a scowling, bossy Puerto Rican professor, be sure to put Off the Ice on your TBR list now. I can’t wait for more from these two authors if Off the Ice is an indication of how all their collaborations will be!
MC from Wisconsin?! Say no more! So good. <3
This book takes a popular, sometimes not very great, trope and turns it into something special. This story follows Tristan Holt, a professional hockey player who is taking a few summer classes to finish his degree, and Sebastian Cruz, his grumpy and uptight professor.
I adored all of these characters. Sebastian, a 35-year-old Latino professor, was a bit of an ass, but he was so passionate about everything he did. He wasn’t afraid to apologize when he was wrong. He was so grumpy and deadpan about everything, it just made me want to hug him. Tristan was actual sunshine. I dare you to read this and not fall for him.
Tristan and Sebastian’s relationship was so… perfect. Their communication was A+, their banter was impossible not to smile at. The plot also deals with an MC coming-out, but all the minor characters were so supportive which makes me 100x more excited for upcoming books in the series.
4.5 Star Review of Off the Ice (Hat Trick #1) by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn
Both Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn are new authors to me. I really like enjoy reading hockey stories and the premise for this story intrigued me. This is a MM story and one that was extremely well written.
Tristan is an elite hockey player who is concerned about becoming the first hockey player in the NHL to come out. When he meets Sebastian, his sociology professor, those fears end up as a very real possibility as Sebastian is out and proud and Tristan is wildly attracted to him.
This is a beautiful love story, full of heartache and angst, and about finding the strength to overcome fear and prejudice.
I really liked both Tristan and Sebastian and really wanted them to get their happily ever after.
I will certainly looking for future books from Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn