For Puck’s Sake Book 6: Coach Stare Down by Crea Reitan

 

For Puck’s Sake Book 6

All it takes is just one look.

Adak

After a series of relationships where I’ve been made to feel inadequate because of my asexuality, I’ve made the sole focus of my life my coaching career. I love hockey - the chill of the ice, the fast paced, high stress game. I love the fans and the atmosphere. The energy. Now that I’m coaching in the NHL, I feel a sense of serenity and comfort with life. All that’s left is to get my team to The Stanley Cup.

A series of unfortunate injuries has riddled the Bobcats into a serious funk. The frustration that my boys feel echoes through me and after one of the most horrible plays I’ve ever witnessed, I turn my back on the ice - only to catch his eyes. Suddenly, I know what I’ve been missing. In a sea of over 15,000 faces, I found the one I’ve been waiting my entire life for.

There’s sadness in his eyes that’s only overcome with the fear behind it. Nothing will stop me from making Oren mine and giving him the life and love he deserves. Nothing.

Oren

My life is shit. I’m the pariah of my family for hell knows why. All I want is to get away. But I tried once - at nineteen, I ran and my father with his buddies on the police force dragged me home. I’ve since been dragged down into submission.

But then I meet his eyes and everything inside me just… shifts. Adak takes a chance on me and I think that perhaps my father has finally met a wall he can’t barrel through to keep control. That is, until he starts blasting his hate everywhere.

I wouldn’t blame Adak if he chooses to leave. This is his career on the line. His image and reputation. Am I worth it?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209769399-coach-stare-down

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

This series just keeps getting better! I adored Adak and Oren’s story. Adak has always had trouble when it comes to relationships because he identifies as being asexual. As much as he explains what that means to him to his partners, all it does is leave him feeling awful. All he wants is to find his person. Someone who understands and respects him and loves him just the way he is. He never expects to find Oren in the crowd of the hockey game he is coaching. He never expects to have one look and just know, deep in his soul, that Oren is the person he has been looking for all this time. And all Adak wants is a chance to make Oren his. Oren has been living in fear his entire life. His father and older brothers have treated him terrible for a very long time. The one time he tried to run away at 19, he was dragged back by them and even cops his father was friends with. Even though he was legally an adult. Now at 24, he still is a prisoner in his own home. Doing whatever he can to keep his head down and draw attention from himself. But it isn’t enough. Oren has learned to come up with plans and masks to hide himself away. But then he meets Adak. And everything just changes for Oren. He wants to be with Adak and he doesn’t want to be controlled anymore. And he finally just snaps and lets that inner strength of his come to light enough to run straight to Adak’s arms. But even being away isn’t enough to keep the dangers away. His father will do whatever to make Oren come back but Oren will fight for himself and those he loves. This book had me on the edge of my seat! Oren’s situation was heartbreaking but I loved seeing him break free and learn to be himself even as he let himself fall in love and have a relationship with Adak. They were just the sweetest. And I loved that Adak had finally found someone who could understand him. They just worked so well together and I couldn’t put their story down! Yet another great addition to this series and as usual, I cannot wait for the next one!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.