This was one of the first books I picked up to get back into reading. I’ve recently gotten into MM sports romance (especially hockey, since I just started following the sport) and I was hoping for a story that balanced romance with actual on-ice dynamics. Taylor Fitzpatrick seemed like the perfect author for that. Turns out, this book wasn’t quite what I was looking for. It’s not bad, but the story and characters didn’t land for me. The writing leaves the main characters underdeveloped, and I struggled with Mike in particular. At 30, he comes across as unlikable, stuck up, and constantly shutting himself off. The little sass he had was barely shown, and instead of depth he often just felt repetitive and boring. Honestly, I kept thinking, “Just get over yourself!” Liam, his love interest, is 18 and glued to Mike like an imprinted duckling. Aside from being young, lewd, and likable, we learn very little about him. Most of their interactions boil down to Liam wanting something and Mike refusing. Their dialogue felt flat, and I never understood what Liam actually saw in him. The ending was sad but fitting. I appreciated that Fitzpatrick kept it brief rather than dragging out the darkness. And though it might sound insensitive, Mike’s final moment almost came off comical to me. Still, I liked the dynamic of the washed-up veteran and the young prodigy, and the pacing kept the story moving. Most importantly, I respect Fitzpatrick for tackling the harsh realities of hockey: the long-term damage to body and brain that players face. That theme alone gave the book real weight. But other than that, it’s not a book that impacted me deeply. And that’s not the book’s fault. I can see why others resonated with it, but for me personally, I need more dialogue, a character who isn’t constantly tearing himself down, and simply more substance.