Genre/Tags: Gay Hockey Contemporary Romance

Author: Rachel Reid

Story Rating: 4 Stars

Narrator: Cooper North

Narrator Rating: 4 Stars

Length: 9 hours and 53 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Audible

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.

Review:

**SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN/READ HEATED RIVALRY**

I only grabbed Common Goal to listen to because of all the hype around Heated Rivalry. I haven’t read anything else by the author but I’m now somewhat totally addicted to the TV series. I’m glad it’s done so well – mm/gay romance books don’t usually get this kind of buzz. It’s so good to see. I actually watch a lot of sport but don’t read sport romances because the reality is that most sport is not an inclusive world. Usually in these types of books there is a “bi awakening” and I hate that term, it’s what we always used to call a GFY, which is not my favourite trope. However, in this ice hockey series there are more than a few gay or bi men that have a story or are probably going to get one. Standard series stuff.

While I’m on Heated Rivalry, I just want to mention how well shot, edited – great editing, great camera work – and how emotionally nuanced this TV series is. The casting is wonderful, Connor Storrie – brilliant. The music is perfection. The choices inspired, the lyrics lining up with moments. From the Original All the Things She Said, by t a T u, because Russian and controversial at the time then later, rolling over into Harrison’s electronic version. Just wow! The shifting emotions of Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander throughout are captured so well – they’re full of a subtext of longing, hurt, wonder over the choppy and lengthy period they quietly hook up and fall for one another in what is a homophobic sport. It can and does speak volumes, often with minimalist dialogue. The poignancy of the secrecy required by both men is obviously resonating with the LGBTQ community as well as with anyone who simply loves love and the vulnerability shown by men. And when one family feels the weight of a son not being able to tell them their truth, own that they should have seemed more approachable, that’s a compassionate and validating moment. The kiss on the ice between Scott and Kip, such a seminal moment. Heart-tugging, tissue-requiring hope and joy. I also wish that everyone who needs to see this show does or is able to read Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry.       

Back to Common Goal.  The MCs, Kyle and Eric, meet via Kyle’s best friend, Kip, book #1, the best friend he apparently has a crush on, and Kip’s fiancé, Scott Hunter, who plays for the New York Admirals, the same pro ice hockey team Eric plays on. Eric accompanies Scott to the Kingfisher, a local gay bar, where Kyle works. Eric and Kyle chat and get along well. The story builds momentum off the back of that original encounter.  

Basically, Eric confides in Kyle that he’s interested in dating men. He was married. It wasn’t an unhappy marriage. They reached a mutual consensus that they’d drifted apart. Eric is now able to unleash his interest in men. Kyle lets Eric know that he’ll help ease him into the gay dating scene. Delish guy, why not?  He puts his hand up to educate Eric about good man-on-man sex. He’ll take it slow. It doesn’t hurt that Kyle likes older men, although there’s a complexity attached to that which he eventually shares with Eric.

Kyle is getting more and more invested in Eric, the sex is spectacular, they both agree, but Eric told Kyle at the beginning that his ideal guy would be thirty plus which Kyle isn’t, so that sits there. Kyle doesn’t let that stop him from being cheery and supportive of Eric, but Eric is toing and froing about his feelings for Kyle because age gap. As my blog partner would say – he was being a “bonehead.” He was in denial about just how much Kyle ticked all the boxes. First foray into dating men? Bingo, baby. 

The Characters: Kyle was a sweetheart. I really liked him. He carried the story because Eric is not the singularly most charismatic character. He’s a skilled and respected ice hockey goalie, one who talks to his goal posts. Who doesn’t love a man who talks to inanimate objects? He’s Harvard educated. Loves art. He also has incredible routine and structure to his daily life. He’s pleasant and polite. Private. He also thinks he’s too old for a guy who is twenty-five to his forty-one. I kept thinking, oh, honey, really? I mean, he’s surrounded by younger guys in his ice hockey side. Young people keep you young. Plus Kyle is actually an older soul. He’s doing his masters in art history. So, both educated. Both into art, Eric actually collects it. Eric is also into photography and Kyle enjoys that. Then there’s travel and languages. Compatibility = where have you been for a lot of my life?!

I listened to the audiobook. I generally like Cooper North as a narrator but he just sounded a bit too clinical in his narration here. It’s not bad. Just not my favourite audiobook with him narrating.  

Overall, this is a fun, nice read. Nothing dramatic or memorable happens but there’s enough pathos to make you connect to both men and to their relationship. I will say that Kyle forgave easily (not cheating, for those who don’t like that), but at the end of the day, it’s true to who he is as a person. 4 Stars!