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Tripping #4

Two Minutes

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Cisco Reyes should be on top of the world. After seven years with the Alberta Abominables, he’s a first-line defenseman known throughout the league for his skills and his impeccable conduct on the ice. But when a questionable call sends him to the penalty box, he comes face to face with the past he never quite managed to forget--and the man he never stopped loving.

Leo Carrington isn’t proud of the way he cut Cisco out of his life after his breakdown. At the time, it was necessary, but the longer he went without contact, the more impossible it seemed to become. But when life brings him and Cisco together again, he can’t deny the feelings that are still there.

Cisco and Leo both want to try again, but this isn’t their college romance. The chemistry between them is still as electric as ever, but sex isn’t enough to hold a relationship together. And it seems like the harder they try, the more things start to fall apart.

Can Cisco overcome the hurt of the past and move forward? Can Leo stop himself from falling into old patterns? Or are they doomed to have history repeat itself?

Find out in this steamy sports romance featuring a defenseman who loves with everything he has, a former goalie determined to forge his own path in life, and the love that brought them together again.

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2019

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About the author

Ariel Bishop

21 books34 followers
Ariel Bishop is an American romance and erotica author who feels strongly that all love triangles are best resolved through healthy polyamory. She has been a reader of romantic and erotic fiction for the entirety of her adult life and draws on that experience as well as her own imagination to create original erotic stories

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5 stars
70 (38%)
4 stars
63 (34%)
3 stars
32 (17%)
2 stars
12 (6%)
1 star
6 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Paige.
858 reviews82 followers
November 11, 2021
4 stars.

Adored the two timelines here. So great getting to really see the first chance, rather than skipping to the second chance.

Their reunion with Leo being the penalty box attendant was fantastic.

Communication issues fully believable for the characters.

Would have liked to see the hurt of Leo being gone so long explored a bit more (rather than immediate forgiveness).

Really believed the connection between these two.

CW: severe anxiety including panic attacks, death of parent from cancer, emotionally abuse father

Steam: 3/5
Profile Image for ash.
406 reviews13 followers
August 10, 2021
Tapping out at 16% because I already knew that there was no way I'd ever feel that the cause justified the complete and utter abandonment element here, but the longing and wistfulness over babies and nuclear families on top of it? I'm good, thanks.
Profile Image for AngelFire.
744 reviews24 followers
November 2, 2022
DNF @ 26%

There were lots of signs right from the start that this was written for a different audience or maybe a different generation. The diversity among the cast of characters felt forced and was distracting, like the fact that nearly every character who had lines of dialog was gay. There was also way too much focus on a lesbian couple who just had a baby and this wasn't only an annoying distraction but FF couples and pregnancies are two things I don't want in my MM romance. Then there's the author's bizarre content warning list, which includes 'mentions of dental surgery'...? Hilariously, there are several scenes involving heavy drinking and there's Leo's stay in a mental institution, yet neither of those things are warned for. That gave me a good laugh.

But then there's Leo. Leo has an anxiety disorder that requires him to take medication and have a therapy dog with him 24/7. Why does Leo have anxiety to such a degree? Well, his father put high academic expectations on him throughout his teen years and this led to Leo having a complete mental break down, during which he was hospitalized for months and even years later, his anxiety still controls his entire life and is his entire identity.

You may be asking why I'm talking about this in a rude, dismissive way instead of being sympathetic. Well, it's because Leo uses his anxiety disorder as an excuse to avoid being a decent human being and he uses it to justify treating others like shit. Like how he was too focused on his own issues 24/7 during his hospital stay that over the course of several months, he NEVER ONCE contacted Cisco (who he was practically engaged to at the time) to even tell him that he was alive and fine. In fact, Leo NEVER contacted Cisco ever again. He flat out ghosted the man he had been living with and in a serious relationship with (serious as in, Cisco was going to propose soon) all because addressing his selfish behavior was too anxiety inducing and Leo's top priority in life is to always cater to his anxiety's demands. Never mind that Cisco was left broken hearted, confused and blaming himself for a situation that wasn't his fault. That doesn't matter. The most important thing in Leo's life is his anxiety. Everybody and everything else goes second, including not treating the love of your life like shit.

During the next 7 YEARS, Leo continues using his anxiety as an excuse to not apologize to Cisco, despite them living in the same city and Leo keeping close tabs on what Cisco is doing. When Leo is forced to come face to face with Cisco, do you think he apologizes? Oh, no. Not Leo. Because the thought of apologizing is anxiety inducing and we already know that Leo will never push himself even one tiny inch when it's not for his own benefit. In fact, just the thought of apologizing is enough to make Leo collapse on his couch and for his dog to go get his medication and a bottle of water for him. And then there's poor Cisco, who nearly passed out from shock when he sees Leo again and he's so incredibly grateful to have Leo back that he's not making a fuss about Leo's refusal to apologize or explain why he had ghosted Cisco. Cisco...you deserve a lot better because people like Leo will never prioritize anybody or anything other than themselves and their own issues.

I don't mean to be rude because this type of behavior is currently all the rage in younger generations, but I have zero tolerance for it. Having Leo being presented as a victim when he's a selfish asshole and doesn't even try to be a better person is annoying.

Stories like this featuring characters like this do have an audience but I'm not one of them. Mental health issues are important and I don't want them brushed aside in stories, but in my opinion, this particular depiction is swinging the pendulum to the other extreme and that's not good either.
Profile Image for Em.
502 reviews11 followers
July 15, 2019
Overall a pretty good m/m hockey book. You could call it a second time romance but I think it will appeal more to someone who likes established relationships - Leo and Cisco are together for most of the book, and the plot is really about Leo learning to trust himself to have a relationship again. There's a lot of talking about feelings and characters encouraging each other to communicate. The setting is hockey, but in an alternate universe where pro sports are less white, male, and straight - Cisco has a female coach and equipment manager, there's another m/m couple already on the team, Cisco's mother speaks Spanish and Leo is Asian-Canadian (though tbh you wouldn't know the last except it's mentioned once).

About 1/3 of the book is flashbacks to Leo and Cisco's first years together, before a 7 year gap when they were out of touch. As I said their relationship in the present is not really in question, and in both cases it's mostly a lot of sex scenes, but I think the parallel timelines are pretty well spaced out.

The very end with Leo's abusive Dad felt a bit superfluous and soap opera-y, and the book could've done without it. Otherwise it's a pretty straightforward romance. It's #4 in the series but it stands alone - I haven't read the first 3 and didn't feel like I was missing anything.

The author includes *extensive* content warnings in the beginning of the book, which I always appreciate.

I received an ARC of this book from the author
Profile Image for Hellga.
228 reviews5 followers
July 3, 2022
The book was not bad, just somewhat boring. And also note to self - constant POV change or constant flashbacks are definitely not my thing. One or two is fine, but incessant yanking back and forth between two voices or past and present detracts from the focus of the story and waters everything down.
Either way, there is no tension, no conflict here, just mundane bobbing along. I was flipping pages halfway through the book. Moving on.

And seriously, some authors need to layoff with “baby”, there are other terms of endearment in existence.
Profile Image for Bran Zesti.
289 reviews2 followers
July 16, 2019
Way to go! Another hot, loving hockey book. This book along with the others are sooooooooooooo good. Can be read as stand alone but way would you. Each story is different. Hot and you'll not want to put them down.
Profile Image for Jules.
31 reviews
May 14, 2020
I wanted this to be really good and it sadly fell kind of flat and rushed and felt like pieces were still missing at the end.
11 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2021
Love the HEA

Great story, great character development, good plot. This is a great series and I can't wait to check out this author's other works.
Profile Image for Elana.
85 reviews4 followers
August 22, 2021
3.5 stars 🌟 I felt this ended rather abruptly and there was so much potential for it. Such an emotional book!
Profile Image for Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews.
2,683 reviews121 followers
July 15, 2019
Damn, Two Minutes is an amazing addition to the Tripping series by Ariel Bishop. A second chance romance, it's entertaining with some poignant themes.

Cisco and Leo get their second chance years after they played together when younger. Thus their story contains explanations, apologies, and forgiveness. And I loved it all!

It's a story of understanding and taking chances. I love the exploration of the change in both men over the years. Love that they need to re-discover one another, as they definitely aren't who they used to be.

This is a story of mental illness, a story of letting go of the past and looking towards a happier future. Full of the pain, hurt, and guilt. This story excellently explores the impact of parental pressure and the struggle of dealing with stress. It's an amazing aspect to this story, and the author excels in it's illustration.

And I can't adore Cisco any more than I do. He calls his mom "Mommy." Omg, just melt my heart with all the sweetness!

The author expertly uses flashbacks, as well as conversations, to develop the past. The author's writing style is great, with fascinating characters, a compelling storyline, and amazing development.

Two Minutes is an amazing book. Starting with Book One, Softs Hands, I love Ariel Bishop's Tripping series. As I somehow missed Book three, I am off to find that now!


My reviews of the series -
Book 1 - Soft Hands
Book 2 - Three Man Advantage
Profile Image for Diane Lynch.
1,676 reviews37 followers
July 15, 2019
3.5 of 5 Stars

Ariel Bishop scores with TWO MINUTES (Tripping #4). Alberta Abominables defenseman Cisco Reyes encounters his college boyfriend, Leo Carrington, while in the penalty box. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for adult readers.

I enjoyed the plot of this story. Cisco was ghosted by his college boyfriend after Leo was hospitalized. They hadn’t seen each other in seven years until Cisco winds up in the penalty box. The two still have feelings for each other, but they have some problems to face in order to give their relationship a second chance.

The characters are likable. Cisco was left broken-hearted after their relationship failed. Leo had issues he needed to overcome after suffering a breakdown. Both have fears that need to be addressed. The story was believable and interesting. I thought the name for the book was perfect. I recommend this book to people that enjoy MM sports/second chance romances. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
1,118 reviews6 followers
July 15, 2019
This book is so emotionally charged that it had me riveted to the pages. This author has created characters that demand respect simply because of role they play. My heart hurt for Leo while Cisco has my loyalty. Leo, his absence and his reappearance gives Cisco pain and pleasure and, once again, your feel emotionally connected to them, both. Sitting on the sidelines, watching our heroes rebuild their world, seeing them confront the past and cautiously approach their future is mesmerizing. I throughly enjoyed the flash back moments as it helped to illuminate our heroes pasts and made their current struggles clearer. I found this story to be so full that I felt myself drawn in so completely that when I turned the last page I felt a little drained. The ending was wonderful as was the story from start to finish.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Profile Image for Ravenclaw Silverstripe.
635 reviews25 followers
July 18, 2019
This was a pretty good hockey romance with a second chance trope. It touches on mental illness/mental health as one of the mc's, Leo, suffered a breakdown that subsequently resulted in the termination of his and Cisco's relationship. They haven't seen each other in quite some time and now they are serendipitous placed in the same place and at the same time where finally they both have an opportunity to address what happened and have a decision to make on whether it is worth it to take that second chance at happiness together.

I really did enjoy the characters, however, I still would have liked the pacing of their relationship to happen at a more gradual pace. It was bit weird that a grown man referred to his mother as "Mommy" and it did take me a minute to get into the hockey aspect, but I definitely liked that within this story. I definitely will add the other books in this series to my to read list.


*ARC in exchange for honest review*
Profile Image for Edga.
1,657 reviews18 followers
July 16, 2019
Good addition to the series.

Overall a decently written book , the background story was a little overly dramatic, but on the whole the book read well. 

Though there were a few times I thought it was dragged out a bit, and I just wanted it to move along and I found myself page turning, I loved Cisco and, for his sake, I wanted to see how the story panned out.

There's some emotional abuse and bullying in the story, and parts made me very angry. I just wanted to smack Leo's father very hard. Basically the guy was a manipulative, controlling bastard. It's a testament to Ms Bishop's work, that I wanted to torture him slowly and for a long time.

A good addition to the series though, it can be read as a standalone, the ending was well done and allowed the reader to view both MCs sympathetically. 3 and a half stars.
Profile Image for Sarita Chapdelaine.
1,177 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2019
This is an amazing story and I love everything about it. I was fully engaged from the very first page and I could not put it down. It is well written, emotional, sexy, sweet, full of hope, the storyline is intriguing and the characters are incredible. I love Cisco and Leo and even though they have a complicated history their amazing connection is still there seven years later. I like how the flashbacks in the story give a lot of insight into their past and how happy Cisco is to finally see Leo again. They have a lot of issues to deal with if they want to be together again and Leo will have to find a way to tell Cisco why he disappeared from his life. There are some great secondary characters in this story as well as a perfect ending. I can’t wait to read the next book in this exciting series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kendra T.
2,374 reviews31 followers
March 21, 2021
This was such a sweet second chance reunion. Leo and Cisco were together in college, but they got ripped apart by illness and career. When they see each other again 7 years later, their feelings are still very much present and stronger than ever. There is a lot for the guys to work through, but one thing that was very clear was the love they had for each other. There were flashback scenes throughout the book to let us get a glimpse of them falling in love when younger to give a better understanding of why they were so much in love now. I was so glad to see these guys get a happy ever after. They so deserved it after all their time apart.

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by the author
Profile Image for Mary.
2,689 reviews19 followers
September 2, 2019
This is steamy, dramatic and romantic. Cisco is sweet and caring. Leo is stubborn, unsure and dominant. They dated in college, but broke up when Cisco was drafted to play professional hockey, and Leo had a breakdown. Then Leo was too insecure to call Cisco. Seven years go by, then Cisco is shocked to find Leo covering the penalty box one night but immediately he wanted to reconnect with Leo. Leo wants to be Cisco, but is afraid he damaged the relationship too much. They do end up back together, both of them walking on eggshells, neither wanting to push too hard. It's a very interesting story that I found hard to put down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.
1,711 reviews15 followers
July 18, 2019
Cisco and Leo were in love and they both played hockey. They lived together and loved one another in college. And then the draft came and Cisco was drafted while Leo had a breakdown and subsequently dropped out of Cisco's life. At the beginning of this story it has been 7 years since they have seen one another and then circumstances bring them back into contact. They still love one another. Now the question is can they trust a reunion. The fear is a real one for each man for their own reasons. This was a well written engaging story about the journey back toward one another.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
977 reviews1 follower
July 15, 2019
Leo lost the love of his life 7 years ago do to his anxiety and pressure from his father caused a breakdown anot he ended the relationship. Now he meets him again, is there a second chance for them.
Cisco went on with his life a his career in hockey after he lost Leo. Running into him again hits him hard.
Join these two as they figure out how to reconnect and if they can love again .
This story pulls your emotions out and keep you feeling.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,073 reviews12 followers
July 16, 2019
Luckily, this 7 year itch can get scatched. Cisco and Leo reconnect after 7 years. Leo had a breakdown, suffering from acute anxiety. He went into total emotional lockdown and pushed Cisco away. Will Leo ever be able to relegate his father to the proper box? Cisco moved on, can Leo catch up? Cisco is in it. Leo must find his own pain and move toward reconciling his personal demons. Will Leo risk opening himself up again? Enjoyable read although, you may want to shake Leo during his inner monologue. Nice story. I recevied an ARC from Booksprout for a review.
Profile Image for CCReadsBooks.
169 reviews2 followers
July 13, 2019
I jumped at the chance to receive an ARC and review this book. Hockey romance is my FAVOURITE like a good little Canadian girl. This book did NOT disappoint. I hadn't read the first 3 but I didn't need to and will absolutely be buying them as soon as I finish this review. This book has just the right amount of angst without being heavy. I enjoyed the character interaction and the steamy scenes. Totally recommend this book and series!
Profile Image for Rebecca Brown.
55 reviews
July 13, 2019
First time Ariel reader and longtime fan of hockey love stories! This one was a page turner from the start. Seeing the love of your life suddenly after seven years hits you hard. Full of tender and sexy moments with just enough angst. If you like a story with characters you can fall in love with and then want to jab into communicating with their partner until they get their HEA, this is it :) Now I have to go back and check out more of Ariel Bishop's work.
Profile Image for Cynthia Brooks.
1,663 reviews9 followers
July 18, 2019
Cisco and Leo played college hockey together. Cisco gets drafted by the Alberta Abominables. While at the draft he finds out that Leo had a breakdown. He never hears from Leo after the breakdown. Seven years later Leo's back and Cisco can't help but want him back in his life. I really enjoyed this book.
8,526 reviews97 followers
July 24, 2019
This is the 1st book I've read written by Ariel Bishop; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Erin.
72 reviews
July 15, 2019
Two Minutes is a sweet romance about two people reconnecting after their first attempts didn’t work out. Leo and Cisco don’t have an easy road, but it is a satisfying journey to go along with them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,164 reviews
July 17, 2019
A great read! Really enjoyed this story about Cisco and Leo. An entertaining second chances romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for tammy rufo.
652 reviews
July 24, 2019
loved Cisco and Leo's story, i love a happy ever after when it's a second chance romance. well deserved hea! well written fun read would def recommend.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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