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Hockey Guys #2
I'm Your Guy
TOMMASO
The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.
A scorching kiss over fabric samples makes me question all my choices. But is it too late to change my entire life to get more of them?
CARTER
I need this gig, but my cocky new client leaves out a couple crucial details:
He doesn’t mention that he's a famous hockey player. And he doesn’t own up to the way he’s always trying to undress me with his dark, broody eyes.
The man throws out more mixed signals than a broken traffic light. I've never been more sexually frustrated in my entire life. I need to back away before I do something stupid, like lose my heart.
Oops. Too late.
The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.
A scorching kiss over fabric samples makes me question all my choices. But is it too late to change my entire life to get more of them?
CARTER
I need this gig, but my cocky new client leaves out a couple crucial details:
He doesn’t mention that he's a famous hockey player. And he doesn’t own up to the way he’s always trying to undress me with his dark, broody eyes.
The man throws out more mixed signals than a broken traffic light. I've never been more sexually frustrated in my entire life. I need to back away before I do something stupid, like lose my heart.
Oops. Too late.
346 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2023
654 people are currently reading
9122 people want to read
About the author
Sarina Bowen
105 books18.8k followers
Sarina Bowen is the 24-time USA Today bestselling and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary fiction, including: The Five Year Lie, the True North series, and the Brooklyn Hockey series. She's the co-author of Him/Us and the WAGs series with Elle Kennedy. And more!
You can find a complete reading order list of Sarina's books on her website. Or see what's coming next from Sarina, and sign up for her newsletter so you don't miss a new book or a deal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 953 reviews
October 14, 2023
3.5 stars
As is the case with most of the books I've read lately, it took me like 3-4 chapters to get into the story. But once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it for a good while. I loved Carter's enthusiasm and expertise in decorating Tommaso's home. I loved the messages, the banter and some cute moments between them.
However, after they got together, sort of, the story became more generic and a bit messy. It felt like the author wanted to wrap up all the plot threads and have certain issues resolved, but everything was done in a rushed and superficial way: .
As is the case with most of the books I've read lately, it took me like 3-4 chapters to get into the story. But once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it for a good while. I loved Carter's enthusiasm and expertise in decorating Tommaso's home. I loved the messages, the banter and some cute moments between them.
However, after they got together, sort of, the story became more generic and a bit messy. It felt like the author wanted to wrap up all the plot threads and have certain issues resolved, but everything was done in a rushed and superficial way: .
October 12, 2023
Eeeehhhh, this one was a bit better than the previous book and I actually enjoyed it. I really liked both guys and I think this time the author gave us characters with a bit more spark .Don’t get me wrong, the chemistry between them was still brilliantly absent but their personalities and their interactions were fun and entertaining.However, there IS a huge difference between this author’s previous books where her characters were passionate, soulful and romantic (Him, Top secret) and these books where the guys are nice and cute and fun but they don’t scream love story. And I think it might be the writing-it’s detached and almost…..bored.Compared to the previous book, though we do find some improvements. The team for instance is not boring anymore but quite fun . The guys were a hoot and we were introduced to some new characters (like Hale) that I found intriguing .The sex scenes were a bit improved too but sadly not by much.As for the conflict Tomasso had with his assholes cousin and uncle, I’m sad to say that, just like with the father in the previous book it fizzled out unsatisfactorily. My heart broke for Hudson when that creep Marco and that creepy team abused and humiliated him. Not to mention the years they spent abusing Tomasso. Made me sick to my stomach. They should have been severely punished but the author refused to give us that satisfaction. I also blame Tomasso’s mother. Just saying.
Soooo, Tomasso and Carter were really cute and I loved their relationship-the furniture hunt was fun. I also loved that the book had a Christmassy vibe and I can’t wait for Christmas 😍
If I had to mention a few niggles that bothered me it would be that there was absolutely no reason to bring the ex wife on page . Really, it’s not a must for every MC to be bosom buddies and BFF with the ex wife. She was out of the picture, why did it need to be brought on page?
And second, can we mention how absurd and ridiculous was the bartender’s intervention at 82% who had no problem in outing Tomasso to their coach? He advised the coach to read the room when in reality he was the one who didn’t read the freaking room. He must’ve known Tomasso wasn’t out to anyone yet he ran his mouth like a complete asshole. It was a ridiculous scene. As ridiculous as Carter’s lame and half-assed attempt to leave town 🤣Sorry but it was silly.
So yeah, half a star more than the first one and rounded up because it DID get me out of the book slump after all.
3.5 ⭐️
Soooo, Tomasso and Carter were really cute and I loved their relationship-the furniture hunt was fun. I also loved that the book had a Christmassy vibe and I can’t wait for Christmas 😍
If I had to mention a few niggles that bothered me it would be that there was absolutely no reason to bring the ex wife on page . Really, it’s not a must for every MC to be bosom buddies and BFF with the ex wife. She was out of the picture, why did it need to be brought on page?
And second, can we mention how absurd and ridiculous was the bartender’s intervention at 82% who had no problem in outing Tomasso to their coach? He advised the coach to read the room when in reality he was the one who didn’t read the freaking room. He must’ve known Tomasso wasn’t out to anyone yet he ran his mouth like a complete asshole. It was a ridiculous scene. As ridiculous as Carter’s lame and half-assed attempt to leave town 🤣Sorry but it was silly.
So yeah, half a star more than the first one and rounded up because it DID get me out of the book slump after all.
3.5 ⭐️
December 27, 2024
3/5
Three stars, though it probably should’ve been two and a half. The ending and a few nice moments saved it, so I couldn’t bring myself to rate it lower. I really wanted to like it more, but I honestly felt nothing while reading. No connection to the characters, and no chemistry between them at all. They had some cute scenes, sure, but overall, this couple just bored me.
The idea for this story was great—a grumpy hockey player coming to terms with his attraction to men, paired with an interior designer who enters his life exactly when he needs him most. Both main characters had their own struggles, and it was sweet to see them overcome those challenges together in the end, but like I said, I didn't feel anything. Meaning, I'll probably forget about this book tomorrow.
As I said above, I still gave it three stars, because of some lovely moments. I appreciated how the main characters were understanding toward each other, the custom pillow Carter made for Tom, and the nickname “sweetheart”—it was only used once, but I adored it. And Tom’s mom—I absolutely loved her. She was such a highlight in this story.
Newgate and Gavin, the main characters from the first book, showed up a lot in this one. I didn’t care much for them since I wasn’t a big fan of their book, but they had some sweet moments here. Honestly, I thought this second book would be about Coach Powers—that’s pretty much why I picked it up. I loved him in the first book, even though he didn’t have enough scenes, so I was really hoping this would be his story. I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer. Hopefully, the third book will focus on him—and maybe even the new grumpy goalie who showed up at the end? Who knows, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Three stars, though it probably should’ve been two and a half. The ending and a few nice moments saved it, so I couldn’t bring myself to rate it lower. I really wanted to like it more, but I honestly felt nothing while reading. No connection to the characters, and no chemistry between them at all. They had some cute scenes, sure, but overall, this couple just bored me.
The idea for this story was great—a grumpy hockey player coming to terms with his attraction to men, paired with an interior designer who enters his life exactly when he needs him most. Both main characters had their own struggles, and it was sweet to see them overcome those challenges together in the end, but like I said, I didn't feel anything. Meaning, I'll probably forget about this book tomorrow.
As I said above, I still gave it three stars, because of some lovely moments. I appreciated how the main characters were understanding toward each other, the custom pillow Carter made for Tom, and the nickname “sweetheart”—it was only used once, but I adored it. And Tom’s mom—I absolutely loved her. She was such a highlight in this story.
“Carter, I love you. I want to be with you. And even if you go back to Montana, it will still be true.”
Newgate and Gavin, the main characters from the first book, showed up a lot in this one. I didn’t care much for them since I wasn’t a big fan of their book, but they had some sweet moments here. Honestly, I thought this second book would be about Coach Powers—that’s pretty much why I picked it up. I loved him in the first book, even though he didn’t have enough scenes, so I was really hoping this would be his story. I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer. Hopefully, the third book will focus on him—and maybe even the new grumpy goalie who showed up at the end? Who knows, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
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October 3, 2023
I’m Your Guy is book two in the Hockey Guys series by Sarina Bowen. I adored the first book in this series and have been so excited about this one. Both of these books can be read as complete stand alones.
Tommaso DiCosta plays hockey for the Colorado Cougars. He’s been playing for the Cougars for almost two years and has just now bought his first home. He needs it completely furnished from scratch by Christmas because his ill mother is coming to visit. Tommaso greatly dislikes shopping of any kind and knows nothing about furniture. After his first unsuccessful attempt at shopping, he runs into a man that at first glance, steals his breath away. And when he says he is a decorator and can take care of everything for him, he’s sold.
Carter Flynn’s life has imploded. He’s on the brink of bankruptcy and hanging on by a thread. Then he ran into one of the most beautiful men he’s ever seen. When he realizes the man needs his help, needs to hire him, he then becomes a client, potentially one that can help him out of the hole he’s in. Which also puts him off limits. Or, it should anyway!
Carter knows nothing about sports and Tommaso knows nothing about decorating. You would think these two have nothing in common but they just fit. Tommaso is a client and Carter tries so hard to be professional. But the heated looks he keeps getting from Tommaso make it more and more difficult. Both of these men’s lives were a complete mess. Tommaso’s history broke my heart with what he had to put up with. And Carter was trying so hard to salvage his career.
These two made me smile so much but also made my heart squeeze. I couldn’t help but to fall so in love with them. I also want to add here that we get a little bit of Hudson and Gavin from book one, The New Guy, too. It was so great to see how wonderful they were doing.
This was a wonderful, heart warming story that I couldn’t put down. I love this team too, including the coach. I adore Sarina’s story telling and believe me, you’re not going to want to miss this one.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Tommaso DiCosta plays hockey for the Colorado Cougars. He’s been playing for the Cougars for almost two years and has just now bought his first home. He needs it completely furnished from scratch by Christmas because his ill mother is coming to visit. Tommaso greatly dislikes shopping of any kind and knows nothing about furniture. After his first unsuccessful attempt at shopping, he runs into a man that at first glance, steals his breath away. And when he says he is a decorator and can take care of everything for him, he’s sold.
Carter Flynn’s life has imploded. He’s on the brink of bankruptcy and hanging on by a thread. Then he ran into one of the most beautiful men he’s ever seen. When he realizes the man needs his help, needs to hire him, he then becomes a client, potentially one that can help him out of the hole he’s in. Which also puts him off limits. Or, it should anyway!
Carter knows nothing about sports and Tommaso knows nothing about decorating. You would think these two have nothing in common but they just fit. Tommaso is a client and Carter tries so hard to be professional. But the heated looks he keeps getting from Tommaso make it more and more difficult. Both of these men’s lives were a complete mess. Tommaso’s history broke my heart with what he had to put up with. And Carter was trying so hard to salvage his career.
These two made me smile so much but also made my heart squeeze. I couldn’t help but to fall so in love with them. I also want to add here that we get a little bit of Hudson and Gavin from book one, The New Guy, too. It was so great to see how wonderful they were doing.
This was a wonderful, heart warming story that I couldn’t put down. I love this team too, including the coach. I adore Sarina’s story telling and believe me, you’re not going to want to miss this one.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
November 16, 2023
*4.5 stars*
I loooooove it when Sarina Bowen writes M/M romances, and when she writes hockey romances *swoon*. She really writes the kind of books I love to read, and she did another fab job with I'm Your Guy.
I adored having a Jersey boy MC, and I really enjoyed his angsty past and his wrestling with his sexuality. Not, like, that I like to have my MCs have tortured pasts, but it made him a compelling, complex character.
I thought the designer/client pairing was really brilliant and possibly not something I've read before (which is a miracle as I've read thousands of romance books). There was such nice chemistry between them, and a slow, natural burn to their romance that I really appreciated.
A sweet, holiday romance that hits all the right buttons, I'm Your Guy is another Sarina Bowen winner.
goodreads|instagram
I loooooove it when Sarina Bowen writes M/M romances, and when she writes hockey romances *swoon*. She really writes the kind of books I love to read, and she did another fab job with I'm Your Guy.
I adored having a Jersey boy MC, and I really enjoyed his angsty past and his wrestling with his sexuality. Not, like, that I like to have my MCs have tortured pasts, but it made him a compelling, complex character.
I thought the designer/client pairing was really brilliant and possibly not something I've read before (which is a miracle as I've read thousands of romance books). There was such nice chemistry between them, and a slow, natural burn to their romance that I really appreciated.
A sweet, holiday romance that hits all the right buttons, I'm Your Guy is another Sarina Bowen winner.
goodreads|instagram
October 6, 2023
4 stars
I love Sarina Bowen’s hockey books and I’m really enjoying her ‘Hockey Guys’ series.
We are back in Colorado with the Cougars, this time with defenseman T0mmaso DiCosta. Tom has recently bought a new place and it needs to be furnished and decorated, and quickly. With his mom visiting for the holidays he wants it to be perfect for her. Here enters Carter Flynn.
Carter is down on his luck after getting burned on a bad business deal as well as a bad breakup. When he gets this job working on Tom’s home it feels almost too good to be true but Tom hates shopping and really needs his house together. Carter is bound and determined to do a good job and get things back on track.
What neither one of them expects is for there to be sparks between the two of them. These two seem like they don’t have much in common, but they actually are more alike than one would think. I loved them both and seeing them fall in love was beautiful.
This was a lovely slow burn romance that was heartwarming and fun. If you’re a sports romance fan I highly recommend!
I love Sarina Bowen’s hockey books and I’m really enjoying her ‘Hockey Guys’ series.
We are back in Colorado with the Cougars, this time with defenseman T0mmaso DiCosta. Tom has recently bought a new place and it needs to be furnished and decorated, and quickly. With his mom visiting for the holidays he wants it to be perfect for her. Here enters Carter Flynn.
Carter is down on his luck after getting burned on a bad business deal as well as a bad breakup. When he gets this job working on Tom’s home it feels almost too good to be true but Tom hates shopping and really needs his house together. Carter is bound and determined to do a good job and get things back on track.
What neither one of them expects is for there to be sparks between the two of them. These two seem like they don’t have much in common, but they actually are more alike than one would think. I loved them both and seeing them fall in love was beautiful.
This was a lovely slow burn romance that was heartwarming and fun. If you’re a sports romance fan I highly recommend!
Audio book source: Soundwise (arc)
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Teddy Hamilton & Jacob Morgan
Narration Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Sports Romance
Length: 9h 55m
October 27, 2023
This is the first (to my recollection anyway) book that I've read that was clientXinterior designer and I absolutely loved that. It actually had quite a bit of detail about the design process and I dont know why but I was fascinated by it, I really enjoyed reading it. I also think this author adds just the right amount of hockey, some hockey books give you a detailed play by play for each game and I always skim those so I'm glad this author keeps the hockey scenes a bit more brief.
I have to say I definitely liked this more than book one. It was much better, and I actually loved seeing the two characters from book one in this, they actually played a decent sized part in this book rather than being briefly mentioned side characters and I really liked that.
Looks like this is the final book in the series so thats a bit of a bummer (hoping I'm wrong but the end of this book didnt have a teaser for book 3 the way the end of book 1 did)
I have to say I definitely liked this more than book one. It was much better, and I actually loved seeing the two characters from book one in this, they actually played a decent sized part in this book rather than being briefly mentioned side characters and I really liked that.
Looks like this is the final book in the series so thats a bit of a bummer (hoping I'm wrong but the end of this book didnt have a teaser for book 3 the way the end of book 1 did)
October 25, 2023
This was cute and sexy, and utterly disappointing.
My biggest issue is how formulaic this series is already after two books. Closeted taciturn gay hockey player meets out and proud gay man, and discovers the meaning of love. There is some family drama. Our two heroes make a cozy home life together, and the hockey player can finally come out and live his truth.
Which is nice and all. But I need a little more bone to my stories.
Gavin and Carter felt so similar that I kept wondering where the kid was.
I almost skipped the last 2-3 chapters because I was bored out of my mind.
And Tommaso is really a mouthful. Tom? Tommy? Tomma?
My biggest issue is how formulaic this series is already after two books. Closeted taciturn gay hockey player meets out and proud gay man, and discovers the meaning of love. There is some family drama. Our two heroes make a cozy home life together, and the hockey player can finally come out and live his truth.
Which is nice and all. But I need a little more bone to my stories.
Gavin and Carter felt so similar that I kept wondering where the kid was.
I almost skipped the last 2-3 chapters because I was bored out of my mind.
And Tommaso is really a mouthful. Tom? Tommy? Tomma?
October 3, 2023
I'm Your Guy is a beautiful emotional slow-burn romance between a hockey player and his interior decorator. This story has so many layers moving within this love story between withdrawn hockey player Tommaso and the positivity personified Carter, who is a talented interior designer.
Both are going through challenging aspects in both their professional and personal lives. Tommaso is trying to find balance after a horrendous family incident caused his trade to Colorado, which puts him in desperate need of an interior designer. Carter was abandoned by his business and life partner, putting him in a horrible financial situation and thankfully he by chance meets Tommaso, who is in desperate need of his design services.
Together they embark on such a sweet friendship where both are so utterly comfortable with one another. They have the most charming chemistry with one another due to Tommaso's slow unraveling of his shell and Carter's effortless sense of humor and sunny disposition.
Their friendship slowly builds into something more as their chemistry eventually overpowers their willpower. Overall I really enjoyed this story. It took its time, which is completely relevant and necessary for both characters who are both recovering from past relationship trauma, which makes Carter's patience and understanding so rewarding when Tommaso eventually realizes the depth of his feelings.
Such a wonderful read and I loved being back in this world with these amazing characters. Cannot wait to read the next entry!!!
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
Both are going through challenging aspects in both their professional and personal lives. Tommaso is trying to find balance after a horrendous family incident caused his trade to Colorado, which puts him in desperate need of an interior designer. Carter was abandoned by his business and life partner, putting him in a horrible financial situation and thankfully he by chance meets Tommaso, who is in desperate need of his design services.
Together they embark on such a sweet friendship where both are so utterly comfortable with one another. They have the most charming chemistry with one another due to Tommaso's slow unraveling of his shell and Carter's effortless sense of humor and sunny disposition.
Their friendship slowly builds into something more as their chemistry eventually overpowers their willpower. Overall I really enjoyed this story. It took its time, which is completely relevant and necessary for both characters who are both recovering from past relationship trauma, which makes Carter's patience and understanding so rewarding when Tommaso eventually realizes the depth of his feelings.
Such a wonderful read and I loved being back in this world with these amazing characters. Cannot wait to read the next entry!!!
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
October 17, 2023
4.5 stars
I'm Your Guy is a great hockey romance. There's only two books out in this series so far, but this one is my favourite of them. Tommaso has a gruff and grumpy thing going on, but Carter doesn't take any of his shit. I loved their meet cute, and the author gave then the perfect amount of time for their relationship to grow and develop into a romance. Not too angsty and spicy scenes were great!
Tommaso is a hockey player who's just moved into a bare-bones new house and needs help furnishing it. He meets Carter while lost in a furniture store; he doesn't know anything about design and would rather someone else do it for him.
Carter is a designer and down on his luck, as is his design business. But a new client is a much needed lifeline. He's a talented designer and is determined to do the best job, but it's difficult when getting input on taste from Tommaso is like pulling teeth. The fabric sample scene was scorching!
I loved the whole build up between Carter and Tommaso, from working together to hiding their interest in one another until the couldn't anymore.
Tommaso is on the same team as Hudson from The New Guy, so we get to see him and Gavin every now and again. This can be read as a standalone, but I'd recommend reading book 1 first so you'd get more out the scenes with Hudson and Gavin.
I'm Your Guy is a great hockey romance. There's only two books out in this series so far, but this one is my favourite of them. Tommaso has a gruff and grumpy thing going on, but Carter doesn't take any of his shit. I loved their meet cute, and the author gave then the perfect amount of time for their relationship to grow and develop into a romance. Not too angsty and spicy scenes were great!
Tommaso is a hockey player who's just moved into a bare-bones new house and needs help furnishing it. He meets Carter while lost in a furniture store; he doesn't know anything about design and would rather someone else do it for him.
Carter is a designer and down on his luck, as is his design business. But a new client is a much needed lifeline. He's a talented designer and is determined to do the best job, but it's difficult when getting input on taste from Tommaso is like pulling teeth. The fabric sample scene was scorching!
I loved the whole build up between Carter and Tommaso, from working together to hiding their interest in one another until the couldn't anymore.
Tommaso is on the same team as Hudson from The New Guy, so we get to see him and Gavin every now and again. This can be read as a standalone, but I'd recommend reading book 1 first so you'd get more out the scenes with Hudson and Gavin.
April 3, 2024
Tropes: opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, hockey player & interior designer
Feels: 4/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: bondage, light dominance
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: homophobia, divorce, financial struggles
Tommaso is a gay, closeted hockey player. He's never let himself be with a guy though, because he was raised by a single mother (supportive and loving) but with the financial help and constant presence of his extremely homophobic and abusive uncle and cousin. Bianca was a former pro hockey player. The cousin is a current NHL player, who Tommaso was on the same team with until a recent trade. Tommaso used to be married to a woman who was more of a friend to him than a lover, and their relationship imploded because of their physical incompatibility. His mom has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatments for it. He has purchased a house now in the city that he plays and it has no furniture, he needs to get the house ready so that he can live in it but also have his mother over for Christmas. He hates shopping, he's a grump.
Tommaso runs into Carter at a shitty furniture store and hears that Carter is in the decorating business. He's attracted to Carter from first glance but also really needs his services, so he takes his card.
Carter is in a really rough spot. His ex-boyfriend was his business partner in the business, and they had a client stiff them for $15,000 worth of furniture purchased on his personal credit cards. The relationship imploded. And the ex-boyfriend left him with $15,000 debt on his own and 100% of their renting costs. He gets evicted and is couchsurfing.
Tommaso hires him, and they get to know each other and grow their attraction to each other over about 6 weeks.
This was a lovely story. I really needed to immerse myself in a fun read like this. I felt like a lot of the potential books that I wanted to pick up recently had extremely toxic dynamics and characters were hurtful to each other. This book hit perfect for me.
Carter is not a sports fan at all. He's oblivious to Tom being a professional hockey player. He only realizes because he hires a painter friend of his (Rigo) to paint some rooms and he & his Military husband are big fans. I loved the interactions with Rigo and his husband, every mention of them served a purpose to the story, progressing the plot, adding comic relief. Really, all of the interactions with side characters like Tom's teammates and his family all added value. Lots of little moments of humor and getting to know more about the characters. I liked that Tom's mom and sister were supportive and loving to him, they had his back even though he hadn't confided in them, they had suspicions but they waited for him to talk to them and were just openly supportive in the meantime.
I really loved the dynamic that Tom had with his coach. Throughout the whole book Tom was in character, he was closed off, he didn't share more than he needed to because he's an intensely private person, and he was grumpy and rough. And his coach misinterpreted some interactions as him being homophobic when you knew that that wasn't it at all and Tom was actually a victim himself of homophobia. So you see this big pot of trouble brewing, and then the wind absolutely is taken out of the coach's sails when it's finally pointed out to him that Tom is gay himself. The coach sees everything with a different lens then. I loved how in character it was for Tom to not even bother defending himself.
I liked that even though Tom was a baby gay, he never made Carter feel bad deliberately. He never used him as an experiment, or talked down to him or hurt him. He was decisive about how he felt about Carter and he had feelings as well as sexual attraction towards him. Tom was a really loving person, he wasn't a partier, he wasn't about appearances, he just wanted someone to be with in the quiet moments and Carter fit so well with him and made him happy. It was so sweet how every time Tom came home and saw that his lights were on (i.e. Carter was in the house, it made him so happy.
Some notable moments:
"“Huh,” Stoney says, skating up to me and a couple other guys. “If I kiss a dude, will they chant my name? Anybody wanna test that out with me?”. “You score a goal in the first five minutes, I’ll kiss you myself,” Kapski says. “Get a hat trick tonight, and I’ll even give you tongue.”"
Omg, I love Tommaso's mom! "But when Tommaso is sent to the penalty box for tripping somebody, and Brooklyn gets a power play, I start stress-eating the fries. “That was a bullshit call, ref!” Emilia shouts. “Does your wife know that you’re fucking us?”. I choke on a French fry. “Sorry,” Tommaso’s mom says, patting me on the back. “I’m from New Jersey.”"
Stoney (Tom's teammate is so funny) "“Do you think I look good enough to vote for?” He actually bats his eyelashes at Carter. “I’m in third place, and I could really use your support.” Carter gives me a confused glance. “There’s an online competition going on at Sportsballs,” I explain. “Hottest local athlete. Stoney wants the title bad.”. “It’s the sexiest local athlete,” Stoney corrects me. “Don’t you think I deserve to win?”. “Sure, man.” I point at the bottle of red wine a waiter is offering and wait as he pours some into my glass. “As long as you realize you’re volunteering yourself for the spank bank of every queer dude in Colorado.”. “Work it, Stoney,” Newgate says. “Work it hard. Someone’s going to win. Why not you?”. “That’s right,” Stoney says. “Why not me?”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 4/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: bondage, light dominance
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: homophobia, divorce, financial struggles
Tommaso is a gay, closeted hockey player. He's never let himself be with a guy though, because he was raised by a single mother (supportive and loving) but with the financial help and constant presence of his extremely homophobic and abusive uncle and cousin. Bianca was a former pro hockey player. The cousin is a current NHL player, who Tommaso was on the same team with until a recent trade. Tommaso used to be married to a woman who was more of a friend to him than a lover, and their relationship imploded because of their physical incompatibility. His mom has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatments for it. He has purchased a house now in the city that he plays and it has no furniture, he needs to get the house ready so that he can live in it but also have his mother over for Christmas. He hates shopping, he's a grump.
Tommaso runs into Carter at a shitty furniture store and hears that Carter is in the decorating business. He's attracted to Carter from first glance but also really needs his services, so he takes his card.
Carter is in a really rough spot. His ex-boyfriend was his business partner in the business, and they had a client stiff them for $15,000 worth of furniture purchased on his personal credit cards. The relationship imploded. And the ex-boyfriend left him with $15,000 debt on his own and 100% of their renting costs. He gets evicted and is couchsurfing.
Tommaso hires him, and they get to know each other and grow their attraction to each other over about 6 weeks.
This was a lovely story. I really needed to immerse myself in a fun read like this. I felt like a lot of the potential books that I wanted to pick up recently had extremely toxic dynamics and characters were hurtful to each other. This book hit perfect for me.
Carter is not a sports fan at all. He's oblivious to Tom being a professional hockey player. He only realizes because he hires a painter friend of his (Rigo) to paint some rooms and he & his Military husband are big fans. I loved the interactions with Rigo and his husband, every mention of them served a purpose to the story, progressing the plot, adding comic relief. Really, all of the interactions with side characters like Tom's teammates and his family all added value. Lots of little moments of humor and getting to know more about the characters. I liked that Tom's mom and sister were supportive and loving to him, they had his back even though he hadn't confided in them, they had suspicions but they waited for him to talk to them and were just openly supportive in the meantime.
I really loved the dynamic that Tom had with his coach. Throughout the whole book Tom was in character, he was closed off, he didn't share more than he needed to because he's an intensely private person, and he was grumpy and rough. And his coach misinterpreted some interactions as him being homophobic when you knew that that wasn't it at all and Tom was actually a victim himself of homophobia. So you see this big pot of trouble brewing, and then the wind absolutely is taken out of the coach's sails when it's finally pointed out to him that Tom is gay himself. The coach sees everything with a different lens then. I loved how in character it was for Tom to not even bother defending himself.
I liked that even though Tom was a baby gay, he never made Carter feel bad deliberately. He never used him as an experiment, or talked down to him or hurt him. He was decisive about how he felt about Carter and he had feelings as well as sexual attraction towards him. Tom was a really loving person, he wasn't a partier, he wasn't about appearances, he just wanted someone to be with in the quiet moments and Carter fit so well with him and made him happy. It was so sweet how every time Tom came home and saw that his lights were on (i.e. Carter was in the house, it made him so happy.
Some notable moments:
"“Huh,” Stoney says, skating up to me and a couple other guys. “If I kiss a dude, will they chant my name? Anybody wanna test that out with me?”. “You score a goal in the first five minutes, I’ll kiss you myself,” Kapski says. “Get a hat trick tonight, and I’ll even give you tongue.”"
Omg, I love Tommaso's mom! "But when Tommaso is sent to the penalty box for tripping somebody, and Brooklyn gets a power play, I start stress-eating the fries. “That was a bullshit call, ref!” Emilia shouts. “Does your wife know that you’re fucking us?”. I choke on a French fry. “Sorry,” Tommaso’s mom says, patting me on the back. “I’m from New Jersey.”"
Stoney (Tom's teammate is so funny) "“Do you think I look good enough to vote for?” He actually bats his eyelashes at Carter. “I’m in third place, and I could really use your support.” Carter gives me a confused glance. “There’s an online competition going on at Sportsballs,” I explain. “Hottest local athlete. Stoney wants the title bad.”. “It’s the sexiest local athlete,” Stoney corrects me. “Don’t you think I deserve to win?”. “Sure, man.” I point at the bottle of red wine a waiter is offering and wait as he pours some into my glass. “As long as you realize you’re volunteering yourself for the spank bank of every queer dude in Colorado.”. “Work it, Stoney,” Newgate says. “Work it hard. Someone’s going to win. Why not you?”. “That’s right,” Stoney says. “Why not me?”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2023
I liked book one in this series from Sarina but I absolutely adored this one, the two MCs are a perfect blend of personalities that they shine as a pairing.
Tommaso has had a bit of a rough time of late, his move to the Colorado Cougars coming on the heels of his divorce and an on ice bust up with his slimy cousin and nasty piece of work uncle at his former team, on top of his mum being treated for cancer.
So he's not really in the best frame of mind to even think about furnishing the house he's bought in a nice part of the city, close to his teammate Hudson Newgate and his boyfriend Gavin and their young daughter. The kind of family that Tommaso won't even begin to let himself dwell on for a moment.
Because he's keeping something deep inside him that he's never admitted out loud but still was the catalyst for him being on the end of some pretty horrific bullying and homophobic language from members of his family that should have had his back instead.
When he runs into Carter Flynn at a homeware store he sees the interior designer as the answer to all his decorating prayers - and a real danger to both his secret and his heart.
While this has a kind of grumpy one/sunshine one vibe, it's more complicated than that, Carter's on the outs, he's couch surfing with his best friend because he's been evicted after his ex-partner in both life and business stiffed him with huge credit card debts.
Tommaso isn't so much grumpy as desperately trying to lock down any stray feeling that doesn't relate to ice hockey and doing his job as a defensive man. He's so repressed and dealing with unresolved anger over his cousin and uncle's behaviour that he's basically a pressure cooker waiting to blow.
Things come to a head over curtain samples and from that point on you're in a rollercoaster of a ride as both men try their best to remain professional while it's clear to the reader they're falling head over heels for each other.
It's more slow burn than insta love, there's a real build up to them moving things forward and there's an element of hiding and closeted whenever someone else is around. It still remains fairly low angst over all though and I never felt it strayed into the annoying miscommunication or fail to talk trope.
There's a lot of gentle humour as well but, for a Sarina Bowen MM book, I actually felt it was pretty low steam. It's not full on fade to black, but you only kinda get a build up to things happening and then it's all over and done and we're dealing with the aftermath. Which was a bit disappointing if I'm honest.
I don't expect explicit porn on my romance pages, but I do expect to see the vulnerability and emotional connection that comes when a couple moves their relationship to full intimacy. The lust-filled hand jobs, blowjobs and frotting are, for me anyway, a different kettle of fish to taking the step of allowing someone into your body (whatever the sexuality of those involved).
But, that's my only minor criticism with what is, throughout, a really enjoyable romance between two people who's paths cross when they're most needed.
Sarina is such a master craftswoman when it comes to bringing emotion into her character's lives without ever taking into too much drama.
This is a gorgeous read and I'm hoping we're going to get a third book which looks into the newly arrived goalie and possibly the Cougar's coach!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
Tommaso has had a bit of a rough time of late, his move to the Colorado Cougars coming on the heels of his divorce and an on ice bust up with his slimy cousin and nasty piece of work uncle at his former team, on top of his mum being treated for cancer.
So he's not really in the best frame of mind to even think about furnishing the house he's bought in a nice part of the city, close to his teammate Hudson Newgate and his boyfriend Gavin and their young daughter. The kind of family that Tommaso won't even begin to let himself dwell on for a moment.
Because he's keeping something deep inside him that he's never admitted out loud but still was the catalyst for him being on the end of some pretty horrific bullying and homophobic language from members of his family that should have had his back instead.
When he runs into Carter Flynn at a homeware store he sees the interior designer as the answer to all his decorating prayers - and a real danger to both his secret and his heart.
While this has a kind of grumpy one/sunshine one vibe, it's more complicated than that, Carter's on the outs, he's couch surfing with his best friend because he's been evicted after his ex-partner in both life and business stiffed him with huge credit card debts.
Tommaso isn't so much grumpy as desperately trying to lock down any stray feeling that doesn't relate to ice hockey and doing his job as a defensive man. He's so repressed and dealing with unresolved anger over his cousin and uncle's behaviour that he's basically a pressure cooker waiting to blow.
Things come to a head over curtain samples and from that point on you're in a rollercoaster of a ride as both men try their best to remain professional while it's clear to the reader they're falling head over heels for each other.
It's more slow burn than insta love, there's a real build up to them moving things forward and there's an element of hiding and closeted whenever someone else is around. It still remains fairly low angst over all though and I never felt it strayed into the annoying miscommunication or fail to talk trope.
There's a lot of gentle humour as well but, for a Sarina Bowen MM book, I actually felt it was pretty low steam. It's not full on fade to black, but you only kinda get a build up to things happening and then it's all over and done and we're dealing with the aftermath. Which was a bit disappointing if I'm honest.
I don't expect explicit porn on my romance pages, but I do expect to see the vulnerability and emotional connection that comes when a couple moves their relationship to full intimacy. The lust-filled hand jobs, blowjobs and frotting are, for me anyway, a different kettle of fish to taking the step of allowing someone into your body (whatever the sexuality of those involved).
But, that's my only minor criticism with what is, throughout, a really enjoyable romance between two people who's paths cross when they're most needed.
Sarina is such a master craftswoman when it comes to bringing emotion into her character's lives without ever taking into too much drama.
This is a gorgeous read and I'm hoping we're going to get a third book which looks into the newly arrived goalie and possibly the Cougar's coach!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
December 15, 2025
well, this was a lovely step up from book one and I truly LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!!!!
bit more tension and fun than the first book and a more interesting concept! Tommaso moves to a new city to play for a new team, meaning he has an empty house - he meets Carter at a homewares store, who is an interior designer - Carter ends up being the one to furnish and decorate Tommaso's house. I loved the backstory with T's mother too and just felt like this was a much more well rounded story compared to the first book.
Also, it's unintentionally CHRISTMAS!!! during the time this book is set so, bonus points for that xx
bit more tension and fun than the first book and a more interesting concept! Tommaso moves to a new city to play for a new team, meaning he has an empty house - he meets Carter at a homewares store, who is an interior designer - Carter ends up being the one to furnish and decorate Tommaso's house. I loved the backstory with T's mother too and just felt like this was a much more well rounded story compared to the first book.
Also, it's unintentionally CHRISTMAS!!! during the time this book is set so, bonus points for that xx
October 12, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the quiet hero and his sunshine counterpart were my jam.
Sarina Bowen writing style, humorous yet reflective, hooked me into the story and didn’t let me go until the very end.
Tommaso needs a miracle to furnish his house on time for Christmas, when his mom comes for a visit, but he hates shopping. Carter needs a miracle of his own to recover from the latest financial disaster.
Outside of a furniture store they find out they are one the answer at the problem of the other.
Tommaso and Carter couldn't be more different, but together they work perfectly, and even the most introvert Tom becomes vibrant, bubbly and carefree in company of Carter.
I loved how Carter helps Tommaso to be more aware of himself without pressuring him.
I would have liked to be their friend to go to see Tom's home, and sit on his beautiful couch.
I'm Your Guy is too good to pass up. Let your heart fill up with this male male romance.
Copy kindly provided by the Publisher/Author.
March 21, 2024
"I got a favor to ask. Can you wait for me? At home? Tomorrow? Like....with the lights on. I really like it when you're there. And I'm there. At the same time. When I come home." Awww. I think this is the part I liked most.
Beyond that, read like a generic MM romance. Not my best read by this author.
Beyond that, read like a generic MM romance. Not my best read by this author.
October 22, 2023
✰4.25 stars✰
This was giving me all of the Hockey Romance Meets Hallmark Movie vibes, and because I’m an absolute sucker for a holiday channel movie, this definitely hit the mark for me.
An interior designer who's down on his luck hired by the hot brooding hockey player to furnish and design his apartment by the holidays? Then said hockey player realizes the designer is sleeping in shady motels and tells him to just stay in his guest room because he's there working on the house all the time? Total holiday romance waiting to happen, roll the cameras Hallmark because you've got the perfect plot on your hands with this one.
It’s really hard to do a hockey romance wrong for me because I’ve been a real life die hard hockey fan my whole life, and a die hard reader my whole life… so like give me all the combo all the time and I’ll probably find something I like. And don’t even get me started on wanting to give the world to a sick mom—been there, got the t-shirt. It hits me in the feels, always.
So it wasn’t hard to enjoy this one at all, there were clever lines and well placed steamy scenes, and just a bunch of little details that work for me in a book.
I don’t mind the cheese, I don’t mind that at times the characters chemistry was a little thin, and I don’t mind that some conflict between old family members wasn’t resolved in a more climactic way. Sure, if those things were tweaked a little I probably would have given this a full five stars, but again Hallmark Movie vibes—I was still in for it.
I highly recommend for a cute, hockey, holiday romance.
This was giving me all of the Hockey Romance Meets Hallmark Movie vibes, and because I’m an absolute sucker for a holiday channel movie, this definitely hit the mark for me.
An interior designer who's down on his luck hired by the hot brooding hockey player to furnish and design his apartment by the holidays? Then said hockey player realizes the designer is sleeping in shady motels and tells him to just stay in his guest room because he's there working on the house all the time? Total holiday romance waiting to happen, roll the cameras Hallmark because you've got the perfect plot on your hands with this one.
It’s really hard to do a hockey romance wrong for me because I’ve been a real life die hard hockey fan my whole life, and a die hard reader my whole life… so like give me all the combo all the time and I’ll probably find something I like. And don’t even get me started on wanting to give the world to a sick mom—been there, got the t-shirt. It hits me in the feels, always.
So it wasn’t hard to enjoy this one at all, there were clever lines and well placed steamy scenes, and just a bunch of little details that work for me in a book.
I don’t mind the cheese, I don’t mind that at times the characters chemistry was a little thin, and I don’t mind that some conflict between old family members wasn’t resolved in a more climactic way. Sure, if those things were tweaked a little I probably would have given this a full five stars, but again Hallmark Movie vibes—I was still in for it.
I highly recommend for a cute, hockey, holiday romance.
May 10, 2025
Review #1:
Meh, can’t keep my interest.
Review #2:
DNF 60%.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this book, just boring. There’s no TENSION. I don’t need angst. I don’t need drama. But I like tension. Depth of emotion.
Just not in this book.
And now we’re getting into BDSM territory and I don’t usually like those things.
Meh, can’t keep my interest.
Review #2:
DNF 60%.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this book, just boring. There’s no TENSION. I don’t need angst. I don’t need drama. But I like tension. Depth of emotion.
Just not in this book.
And now we’re getting into BDSM territory and I don’t usually like those things.
October 10, 2023
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I had a fantastic time with this book! It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Sarina Bowen’s writing so I was pretty eager to get my hands on this newest book. It didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels in love with Tommaso and Carter. It was obvious that these two men belonged together and I couldn’t wait to watch their romance unfold. This was just one of those audiobooks that was almost impossible to put down once I started listening.
Carter is not in a good place. His interior design business is failing after a wealthy client refused to pay and his partner left town leaving him alone to deal with the aftermath. Tommaso is new to the area and needs furniture because he is living in an empty apartment. It is a perfect match when they run into each other and Tommaso hires Carter to design and furnish his home. As they spend more time together, it quickly becomes obvious that their connection is deeper than they could have imagined.
I liked both of these characters. Carter doesn’t hide who he is and tries hard not to overstep. Tommaso is a professional hockey player which makes it a little harder to be his true self since he lives his life in the spotlight. The chemistry between these two was palpable and I could feel just how much they cared for each other. I had a great time watching these two figure things out.
The audiobook narration was amazing. I mean Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan are really a dream team and they brought their A game. The story is told from two points of view so I appreciated the use of two different narrators which really helped to bring these characters to life. I feel like they both had very pleasant voices which complimented one another’s very nicely. I am certain that their narration only added to my overall enjoyment of this wonderful audiobook. I would highly recommend this book to others. It was a great story featuring two very likable characters with a lot of chemistry. I cannot wait to read more of Sarina Bowen’s work!
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Tuxbury Publishing LLC.
I had a fantastic time with this book! It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Sarina Bowen’s writing so I was pretty eager to get my hands on this newest book. It didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels in love with Tommaso and Carter. It was obvious that these two men belonged together and I couldn’t wait to watch their romance unfold. This was just one of those audiobooks that was almost impossible to put down once I started listening.
Carter is not in a good place. His interior design business is failing after a wealthy client refused to pay and his partner left town leaving him alone to deal with the aftermath. Tommaso is new to the area and needs furniture because he is living in an empty apartment. It is a perfect match when they run into each other and Tommaso hires Carter to design and furnish his home. As they spend more time together, it quickly becomes obvious that their connection is deeper than they could have imagined.
I liked both of these characters. Carter doesn’t hide who he is and tries hard not to overstep. Tommaso is a professional hockey player which makes it a little harder to be his true self since he lives his life in the spotlight. The chemistry between these two was palpable and I could feel just how much they cared for each other. I had a great time watching these two figure things out.
The audiobook narration was amazing. I mean Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan are really a dream team and they brought their A game. The story is told from two points of view so I appreciated the use of two different narrators which really helped to bring these characters to life. I feel like they both had very pleasant voices which complimented one another’s very nicely. I am certain that their narration only added to my overall enjoyment of this wonderful audiobook. I would highly recommend this book to others. It was a great story featuring two very likable characters with a lot of chemistry. I cannot wait to read more of Sarina Bowen’s work!
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Tuxbury Publishing LLC.
avoid-as-fuck
November 9, 2024If you decides to include you have to include it in the TW. That's not spoiling, that's protecting your readers. I mean, if you want to keep them.
October 10, 2023
Tomasso + Carter
Tomasso has been playing for Colorado for two years now. His old team wanted to get rid of him after he started a fight on the ice with his cousin.
Now he's in Boulder and finally bought a house. Mainly because he wants to host his mom for Christmas. But the house only has a mattress and a TV so far.
Enter Carter. He's an interior designer!
His ex and a client did a job on him - that's why he is so broke that he has to get out of his apartment in two weeks.
Tomasso hires him to do his whole house!
Finally things seem to look up for Carter. And staring at this super hot sportsball guy all day long is just the cherry on top of this new job.
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!
══════════════════
That was so super duper adorable! I just loved it.
I loved Tomasso with his grumpy moods and his secretly-gay-sports-pro secret. And Carter with his happy outside while he's all hopeless on the inside.
They would be so perfect for each other. But of course it's not that easy.
I hated Tomasso's unlce and cousin so much! That poor boy. Had to live with their hatred since he was little. No wonder he hides who he really is.
And poor Carter - such a talented guy - always falling for the wrong guys.
But not this time...
I really loved reading this.
It was so sweet and heartbreaking and funny and sportsy and furniturey and christmassy. I just couldn't stop reading.
Can't wait to get more from those Colorado boys!
I'M YOUR GUY was such a sweet + funny + emotional Love Story! Run to your nearest bookdealer for your own Tomasso + Carter - these two are MINE!
💜
💜
February 29, 2024
4/5 stars
I actually liked this! i have been in a slump for a couple days and this was just what i needed 😌
I actually liked this! i have been in a slump for a couple days and this was just what i needed 😌
“You aren’t listening, Carter. You’re not some free sample that I tasted in order to decide whether I like dudes. You are the dude. The one who made me realize I want to change my life. So that I can have you.”
February 15, 2025
I liked this a lot more than the first book in this series. The relationship between Tommaso and Carter started out as a business one which quickly turns to friendship. They find each other attractive but Tom is still not able to fully embrace his queerness and Carter has been out and proud his whole life. I liked how Tom didn’t struggle long once he decided Carter was worth it. He owned his feelings and wanted to be all in. Carter had more hesitation, which made sense since he’d been burned before.
I do have to say that for as much as I am enjoying this series there isn’t that much representation of Black characters or characters from other countries, which hockey has many. I hope we see more because this just doesn’t feel authentic and I don’t feel comfortable reading about white, American men all the time. That’s not what the hockey world is about. Granted there aren’t as many Black players but there are many from other countries such as Russia or even Canada.
I do have to point out, as a Jersey Girl, that Toms River doesn’t have an apostrophe. I grew up there and that was a huge no!!!! Also I think disco fries are a north Jersey thing, they aren’t a Jersey Shore thing. They could be different now because I haven’t lived there for a bit but it didn’t feel authentic to me. That’s from my personal experience.
I do wish the sex scenes weren’t almost fade to black. I thought the first time they had penetrative sex there would be a scene that described emotions and how much this meant to Tom after never letting himself experience being with a man. I didn’t need a dirty scene but I felt like the reader deserved more depth and not just an end then the next part is after they’re done.
I loved Tommaso’s mom and sister, they were so supportive and lovely. Of course his teammates were awesome. Carter’s friend Rigo was so funny and I loved him and his husband. The supporting characters have been amazing in both books.
The slow burn was done really well and the videos Carter sent Tom with the furniture shopping were adorable. Having Carter make Tom’s townhouse into a real home was a highlight of the book. It represented a place for Tom to be himself and for once in his life to settle in and be comfortable. It just so happened that Carter was the missing link in his life. They were such a great couple overall and I enjoyed their story.
I do have to say that for as much as I am enjoying this series there isn’t that much representation of Black characters or characters from other countries, which hockey has many. I hope we see more because this just doesn’t feel authentic and I don’t feel comfortable reading about white, American men all the time. That’s not what the hockey world is about. Granted there aren’t as many Black players but there are many from other countries such as Russia or even Canada.
I do have to point out, as a Jersey Girl, that Toms River doesn’t have an apostrophe. I grew up there and that was a huge no!!!! Also I think disco fries are a north Jersey thing, they aren’t a Jersey Shore thing. They could be different now because I haven’t lived there for a bit but it didn’t feel authentic to me. That’s from my personal experience.
I do wish the sex scenes weren’t almost fade to black. I thought the first time they had penetrative sex there would be a scene that described emotions and how much this meant to Tom after never letting himself experience being with a man. I didn’t need a dirty scene but I felt like the reader deserved more depth and not just an end then the next part is after they’re done.
I loved Tommaso’s mom and sister, they were so supportive and lovely. Of course his teammates were awesome. Carter’s friend Rigo was so funny and I loved him and his husband. The supporting characters have been amazing in both books.
The slow burn was done really well and the videos Carter sent Tom with the furniture shopping were adorable. Having Carter make Tom’s townhouse into a real home was a highlight of the book. It represented a place for Tom to be himself and for once in his life to settle in and be comfortable. It just so happened that Carter was the missing link in his life. They were such a great couple overall and I enjoyed their story.
October 17, 2024
I feel like a hater but I didn’t really care about these guys, like this book exists and I read it and I guess it was fine? But I didn’t feel they had that much chemistry tbh. Tomasso was sort of bland and the subplot of the evil family never got solved.
I’m honestly more interested in Coach Powers and the angry goalie.
I’m honestly more interested in Coach Powers and the angry goalie.
October 6, 2023
5 Stars!
I absolutely loved both Tommaso and Carter. Theirs was a slow-burn, but I loved watching these men really get to know one another, and in turn, we got to know them pretty well. They had amazing chemistry and their back-and-forth banter was witty and funny. I loved that no matter how grumpy Tommaso was, Carter didn’t let that deter him.
The progression of their relationship felt organic and natural and they fit together perfectly. I loved Tommaso’s sister, and his mom was just absolutely amazing.
I enjoyed getting to catch up with the members of the Cougars, and I especially loved getting to see Hudson and Gavin. My only regret is that I didn’t feel that Tommaso’s cousin and uncle got everything that was coming to them. I wanted to see those asshats really suffer.
This was a great addition to this series and I’m crossing my fingers that Ms. Bowen will be putting out more M/M books in the near future! Definitely a well-written, enjoyable, and recommendable read!
* Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. *
I absolutely loved both Tommaso and Carter. Theirs was a slow-burn, but I loved watching these men really get to know one another, and in turn, we got to know them pretty well. They had amazing chemistry and their back-and-forth banter was witty and funny. I loved that no matter how grumpy Tommaso was, Carter didn’t let that deter him.
The progression of their relationship felt organic and natural and they fit together perfectly. I loved Tommaso’s sister, and his mom was just absolutely amazing.
I enjoyed getting to catch up with the members of the Cougars, and I especially loved getting to see Hudson and Gavin. My only regret is that I didn’t feel that Tommaso’s cousin and uncle got everything that was coming to them. I wanted to see those asshats really suffer.
This was a great addition to this series and I’m crossing my fingers that Ms. Bowen will be putting out more M/M books in the near future! Definitely a well-written, enjoyable, and recommendable read!
* Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. *
April 4, 2025
4.5 stars
The first book in this series, The New Guy, didn't completely charm out. But MAN, I'm Your Guy rocked! It is definitely one of my favorite Sarina Bowen's to date! And how I wish she writes more about these guys, because I'm getting all kind of vibes from the third goalie, Hale, and what about .
Yes, I was REALLY INTO this one! Completely. The dual voices worked really well, because I fell in love with both Tommaso and Carter as they worked on their issues, personally, and together. The chemistry was STRONG and believable! I loved that they didn't immediately jumped on each other skin ... there was slow progress into that. As Carter made Tom cared about his home and about the furniture he bought. But of course it was also more than that. They connected and I was drooling over the relationship. So delicious.
Tom's teammates were awesome, his mother too... and I also LOVED the updates on Newgate and Gavin. YAY!!
If I had to be nitpicky, well, I wasn't completely enjoyed the whole things with the exes...
Yep, this was SO MUCH BETTER than the first book. Thank you, Sarina Bowen, for another awesome MM title from you!!
The first book in this series, The New Guy, didn't completely charm out. But MAN, I'm Your Guy rocked! It is definitely one of my favorite Sarina Bowen's to date! And how I wish she writes more about these guys, because I'm getting all kind of vibes from the third goalie, Hale, and what about .
Yes, I was REALLY INTO this one! Completely. The dual voices worked really well, because I fell in love with both Tommaso and Carter as they worked on their issues, personally, and together. The chemistry was STRONG and believable! I loved that they didn't immediately jumped on each other skin ... there was slow progress into that. As Carter made Tom cared about his home and about the furniture he bought. But of course it was also more than that. They connected and I was drooling over the relationship. So delicious.
Tom's teammates were awesome, his mother too... and I also LOVED the updates on Newgate and Gavin. YAY!!
If I had to be nitpicky, well, I wasn't completely enjoyed the whole things with the exes...
Yep, this was SO MUCH BETTER than the first book. Thank you, Sarina Bowen, for another awesome MM title from you!!
October 23, 2023
No me ha durado ni 24h, como en los viejos tiempos, muy fácil de leer, nuevamente personajes adultos y que se comportan como adultos, drama el justo, bonitos ellos, ligero, justo lo que necesitaba.
No le pongo más estrellas porque hay partes del argumento que quedan descafeinadas hacia el final, como “poco hechas” y creo merecían algo más de desarrollo.
Estoy disfrutando mucho los libros de esta serie, ojalá Sarina siga así.
No le pongo más estrellas porque hay partes del argumento que quedan descafeinadas hacia el final, como “poco hechas” y creo merecían algo más de desarrollo.
Estoy disfrutando mucho los libros de esta serie, ojalá Sarina siga así.
May 11, 2025
“Jesus Christ. I want everything. I want to kiss you. I want to blow you. I want to be blown by you. Pick something, because I’m like a lit fuse right now.”
This was a super cute book, if I’m being honest. I really enjoyed learning about interior design through Carter’s perspective—he was such a sweet character. I love interior design in general, so it was fun to actually read a romance that touched on it. And I loved it.
Tommaso was your classic brooding hockey player, dealing with some heavy emotional trauma thanks to his absolute trash cousin and uncle—seriously, they suck and I hope they always lose. But it was really heartwarming to see him slowly open up and become softer once he got close to Carter. They were adorable together, and I really enjoyed their chemistry.
I probably would’ve rated this a little higher, but the epilogue felt kind of blah to me—and I live for epilogues. Still, overall, I liked this just as much as I’m Your Guy, and once again, Teddy Hamilton x Jacob Morgan absolutely rocked the narration.
This was a super cute book, if I’m being honest. I really enjoyed learning about interior design through Carter’s perspective—he was such a sweet character. I love interior design in general, so it was fun to actually read a romance that touched on it. And I loved it.
Tommaso was your classic brooding hockey player, dealing with some heavy emotional trauma thanks to his absolute trash cousin and uncle—seriously, they suck and I hope they always lose. But it was really heartwarming to see him slowly open up and become softer once he got close to Carter. They were adorable together, and I really enjoyed their chemistry.
I probably would’ve rated this a little higher, but the epilogue felt kind of blah to me—and I live for epilogues. Still, overall, I liked this just as much as I’m Your Guy, and once again, Teddy Hamilton x Jacob Morgan absolutely rocked the narration.
Read
November 24, 2023DNF ~61%
Not rating because this wasn't bad, it was just... boring. If I'd been able to read the whole thing in one evening, I almost certainly would have finished and probably given it 2-3 stars, but I ended up having to pause halfway through, and when I picked it back up again I just didn't care at all. In premise it felt a little too similar to book one for me, and while I thought there were interesting things about each character and even the overall concept, I felt no real chemistry or interest in them as a couple. The kink aspect also felt a little random to me--maybe it wouldn't have if I'd felt the passion between them, but it just did absolutely nothing for me and on the whole I couldn't be bothered with finishing.
Not rating because this wasn't bad, it was just... boring. If I'd been able to read the whole thing in one evening, I almost certainly would have finished and probably given it 2-3 stars, but I ended up having to pause halfway through, and when I picked it back up again I just didn't care at all. In premise it felt a little too similar to book one for me, and while I thought there were interesting things about each character and even the overall concept, I felt no real chemistry or interest in them as a couple. The kink aspect also felt a little random to me--maybe it wouldn't have if I'd felt the passion between them, but it just did absolutely nothing for me and on the whole I couldn't be bothered with finishing.
April 9, 2024
The first half of this book is so fun! Then… it kind of peters out.
Tommaso and Carter are well written, likable characters. They both have some baggage.
The slow burn of the first few chapters is satisfying, as Tommaso deals with his complicated family, complicated history, and sexual identity while decorating his house with the help of openly gay Carter the interior designer. Then we get into a very generically written novel with a lot of problems.
1. Author doesn’t understand nearly enough about hockey. It’s not a “stadium”, there aren’t “fouls”, the “jock” that guys wear under their gear looks about as sexy as a baggy pair of gym shorts (no your butt doesn’t hang out), and games are heavily scrutinized, officiated and broadcasted - it’s lazy writing to create on ice abuse and claim that nobody saw it happen. Editors need a hockey person to beta read.
2. Reads like a rushed remake of “Roommate” (a Sarina Bowen 5-star fave of mine). At times it was easy to forget these guys weren’t just dressed up versions of Roderick and Kieran.
3. A lot of the plot that is written to serve the story’s outcome doesn’t make any sense. Tomasso’s relationship with his mom and almost every conversation he has with the team management (including the coach and PR guy Tate) aren’t logical for his character, and he came from trauma that we never really address effectively. Carter doesn’t need a lawyer to take a delinquent client to small claims court or her bill to collections… again, lazy writing.
4. The romance and chemistry are… perfunctory. As are the spicy scenes. The hottest scene in the whole book is a single first kiss, and everything else hints at game but fizzles to a skimmable fade to black. Not what we usually see from this author.
The books released by these super-productive authors who are publishing a bunch of novels per year are just often inconsistent in quality. Not sure if it’s due to ghost writers or just writing fatigue or something else? I have no idea. Rachel Reid’s game changers books have similar setting but generally stronger plot/characters, and Him and Us comprise a fantastic, original, spicy and well written duo of books that Bowen herself co-authored with Elle Kennedy. I’d been really looking forward to reading this one… but the last half kind of disappointed.
Tommaso and Carter are well written, likable characters. They both have some baggage.
The slow burn of the first few chapters is satisfying, as Tommaso deals with his complicated family, complicated history, and sexual identity while decorating his house with the help of openly gay Carter the interior designer. Then we get into a very generically written novel with a lot of problems.
1. Author doesn’t understand nearly enough about hockey. It’s not a “stadium”, there aren’t “fouls”, the “jock” that guys wear under their gear looks about as sexy as a baggy pair of gym shorts (no your butt doesn’t hang out), and games are heavily scrutinized, officiated and broadcasted - it’s lazy writing to create on ice abuse and claim that nobody saw it happen. Editors need a hockey person to beta read.
2. Reads like a rushed remake of “Roommate” (a Sarina Bowen 5-star fave of mine). At times it was easy to forget these guys weren’t just dressed up versions of Roderick and Kieran.
3. A lot of the plot that is written to serve the story’s outcome doesn’t make any sense. Tomasso’s relationship with his mom and almost every conversation he has with the team management (including the coach and PR guy Tate) aren’t logical for his character, and he came from trauma that we never really address effectively. Carter doesn’t need a lawyer to take a delinquent client to small claims court or her bill to collections… again, lazy writing.
4. The romance and chemistry are… perfunctory. As are the spicy scenes. The hottest scene in the whole book is a single first kiss, and everything else hints at game but fizzles to a skimmable fade to black. Not what we usually see from this author.
The books released by these super-productive authors who are publishing a bunch of novels per year are just often inconsistent in quality. Not sure if it’s due to ghost writers or just writing fatigue or something else? I have no idea. Rachel Reid’s game changers books have similar setting but generally stronger plot/characters, and Him and Us comprise a fantastic, original, spicy and well written duo of books that Bowen herself co-authored with Elle Kennedy. I’d been really looking forward to reading this one… but the last half kind of disappointed.
December 11, 2024
I don't know what it was about this book, but it just didn't click for me. The book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I feel like this might be more of a me than the book situation, but either way it wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped it would be 🥲
First of all, I can't tell if it was overly long or just incredibly slow, but it felt like moving through molasses to get through it. It was definitely slow burn. I kept waiting for something to happen, but even once it did, I was underwhelmed 🫠 The story was cute and had a lot of promise, but the execution fell flat for me. Everything from the professional/work conflicts to the relationship just missed the mark. The story felt formulaic but not in an enjoyable way. There wasn't enough of any one thing going for it 😅
I don't need a book to be 🔥🔥🔥 to enjoy it, but this was so much fade to black it was unsatisfying. Fade to black books are fine if done well, but if not, it feels even less satisfying than nothing at all. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but if you've ever read a book that does fade to black well, you know. If it's not done well, you're left like wtf that's it?! I guess my point is, there's a way to make a book intimate without being graphic, a way that feels satisfying for the relationship. This book isn't that. Everywhere I wanted a bit more I got a bit less 💔 I'm glad things worked out for Tommaso and Carter, but in the end, I was just glad to say goodbye.
Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton were great though, and if it wasn't for them, I probably would've skimmed or DNF'd this. It's too bad because Sarina Bowen typically works pretty well for me.
First of all, I can't tell if it was overly long or just incredibly slow, but it felt like moving through molasses to get through it. It was definitely slow burn. I kept waiting for something to happen, but even once it did, I was underwhelmed 🫠 The story was cute and had a lot of promise, but the execution fell flat for me. Everything from the professional/work conflicts to the relationship just missed the mark. The story felt formulaic but not in an enjoyable way. There wasn't enough of any one thing going for it 😅
I don't need a book to be 🔥🔥🔥 to enjoy it, but this was so much fade to black it was unsatisfying. Fade to black books are fine if done well, but if not, it feels even less satisfying than nothing at all. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but if you've ever read a book that does fade to black well, you know. If it's not done well, you're left like wtf that's it?! I guess my point is, there's a way to make a book intimate without being graphic, a way that feels satisfying for the relationship. This book isn't that. Everywhere I wanted a bit more I got a bit less 💔 I'm glad things worked out for Tommaso and Carter, but in the end, I was just glad to say goodbye.
Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton were great though, and if it wasn't for them, I probably would've skimmed or DNF'd this. It's too bad because Sarina Bowen typically works pretty well for me.
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