Rules of the Game Book 5: Rules of Engagement by Brigham Vaughn

 

Rules of the Game Book 5

Rule #1: Don't fall in love with your best friend's brother

After Anders Lindholm lost his wife and baby daughter in a car accident, he knew he’d never find love like that again.

Hockey, routines, and his team are all that have kept him going since.

But as he approaches forty, an injury makes him consider what life after retirement will be like.

And when his teammate, who just so happens to be his best friend’s brother, offers him a helping hand—in more ways than one—it reawakens something in Anders he can’t deny.

Rule #2: Don’t let anyone know the real you

Kelly O’Shea has been in love with Anders since he was fifteen. He’s been hiding the fact that he’s gay for just as long.

He loves his family, but their over-protective meddling is what made him move halfway across the country and hide who he was.

Although Kelly and Anders both agreed it would stay casual, Kelly begins to hope that maybe they’ll eventually be more than just friends with benefits.

And the more time they spend together, the faster the ice around Anders’ heart melts.

But with a playoff spot to clinch, fractures within the team, and overprotective brothers to worry about, Anders’ fear of letting go of the past isn’t the only challenge they’ll have to overcome.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61464820-rules-of-engagement

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I’ve been looking forward to reading Kelly and Anders story! Anders has had it rough the last few years. After tragically losing his wife and child, he hasn’t been in any shape to even think about a new relationship. He’s been living it one day at a time just trying to survive his grief. But maybe things are starting to change a bit. When he is injured on the ice, he starts to really think about his future after he retires and what that could look like. But while he starts off not knowing, he can’t help the way he feels to a certain teammate and friend. Kelly has been in love with Anders since he was fifteen. But he’s never admitted that to anyone. He hasn’t even told anyone he is gay. He’s been hiding who he is for multiple reasons, but when Anders makes him confront it, well, maybe the idea of coming out like so many of his teammates isn’t such a bad thing. Especially when Anders and Kelly give in to the attraction between them. Kelly knows it’s a bad idea to casually hook up with Anders. Not when his heart is on the line. But he’ll risk it. Anders doesn’t want to hurt Kelly and he believes he can’t offer a future for them when he isn’t sure he can survive another relationship and somehow loses another person he loves. But as the two explore this new type of relationship between them, they’ll have to decide if they have a future after all. Really enjoyed Kelly and Anders story! It’s so clear from the beginning how much these two mean to one another. But it’s all about timing with them. Is Anders ready to let himself truly heal from his grief? Can Kelly be himself and open up to those he loves? You’ll be rooting for these two the whole story! One more to go in this series! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!