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book notes
title: Tough Guyauthor: Rachel Reid
series: Game Changers #3
published: 1.13.2020
publisher: Carina Press
Source: bought
genre(s): lgbtqia+, romance, sports
pages: 289
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BookBub | BookHype | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:
| series rating: 
the blurb
They have nothing in common—so why does Ryan feel most like himself whenever he’s with Fabian?
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.
Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.
Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.
a few notes
POV: 3rd person
setting: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
keywords/phrases: hockey, homophobia, self-esteem, music, family
tropes: happy ending, second chances, opposites attract
spice: 5/5
language: 5/5
mood reading: in the mood for a romance that is deeply emotional and rooted in reality.
my review
This is my favorite of the series thus far. There was something about the characters, Ryan especially, that felt very real. They fit the opposites-attract trope in exactly the way I enjoy. Sometimes that trope uses two people that are so different that it require a deep suspension of belief to imagine them coming together in any real way, the differences between them at fundamental levels. Not so for Ryan and Fabian. On the surface, they do appear opposites, in looks and in personality. Ryan is tough, a burly hockey player known across the league and the fandom as an enforcer to fear. But in reality, he’s quiet, introspective, and a bit of an outlier with crippling self-esteem issues and anxiety. And then there’s Fabian, unapologetically feminine and a violinist. He’s the social opposite of Ryan, craving the spotlight. But he’s also much deeper and kinder than he often shows. Two very different men. But still incredibly compatible.
In my opinion, Tough Guy is the angstiest so far. There are a lot of tough subjects and graphic truths explored. As with the other books in the series, the author takes on the toxic masculinity and persistent homophobia still all too present within professional sports. And she does it with great characters and informed stories. In Ryan’s anxiety, she also touches on mental health, in ways that are important, even touching on the topics of addiction and suicide.
These books came on my radar because of the oh-so-famous show, and I hesitated to read them because of a long history of being disappointed when I give in to Book FOMO, but this series hasn’t disappointed in any way.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2026 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
- 2026 Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
- 2026 Linz the Bookworm & Logophile Reading Challenge
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