Fabian was the beautiful butterfly to Ryan’s bear, showing that what each person thought they wanted, and what they actually needed, were two very different things. ~ Leigh – Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
The characters weren’t typical, the relationship was far from perfect, and both characters tugged on my heart strings. ~ Slick – Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Synopsis:
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.
Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.
Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.
I was so looking forward to this next book in this series, and was not disappointed. Tough Guy focused on two men that were polar opposites, in looks, attitude and demeanor. Yet they worked so well together that I couldn’t quite get enough of them.
Ryan Price is a hockey enforcer. Huge, intimidating, the player that was used simply for his stature to make the other team “Pay the Price”. But as man with a gentle nature, the brutality of this role was starting to take its toll on him. When traded to Toronto, he runs into his first crush, the son of the family that hosted him when he was a young player.
Fabian is everything Ryan is not. Flamboyantly colorful and confident, the beautiful butterfly to Ryan’s bear. While Ryan’s looks and size may have gained Fabian’s attention when were teens, it was his kindness and sincerity that made him the object of Fabian’s fantasies. When the grown versions of Ryan and Fabian meet again, it is nothing short of adorably sweet, watching the self-possessed musician lure in the big, bad hockey star and help him see what he really wants and deserves out of life.
I really enjoyed myself reading this story. Not much time was spent on the ice, but rather in the heads of the characters as they got to know one another and fall deeper in love. There was no “coming out” moment as both were already comfortable with their sexuality. Rather it was a discovery of the type of person that each should be with, and the realization that what they thought they wanted, and what they actually needed, were two very different things.
My only regrets in this story were that I wanted to see more of these two after the resolution of their conflict, and I wanted more sex! Ryan and Fabian were so adorable together, with the more confident and playful Fabian leading the way, and I would have loved to see more of this.
Tough Guy was a solid addition to the Game Changers series, and could be read as a stand alone. References were made to the characters in the earlier books, and some of these men do make appearances, but there isn’t anything too central to the plot that’s missed by not reading those first.
4.5 stars
Tough Guy by Rachel Reid is a gay romance between a NHL player and a musician who knew each other years prior as teenagers. It is an opposites attract, unrequited feelings romance and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The characters weren’t typical, the relationship was far from perfect, and both characters tugged on my heart strings.
I have to give a lot of credit to author Penny Reid for writing a NHL enforcer who struggles with anxiety and social connections both in his personal and professional life. He’s been bounced around from team to team most of his career; a career he has come to realize doesn’t make him happy. Ryan has body issues, his sex life his basically non-existent due to multiple things, and he is basically miserable. He has a therapist and he works hard at coping with his issues and I give him (well Reid) a lot of credit for showing that not all athletes are cocky, confident, and a stud. My heart broke multiple times for Ryan, but there was also one scene where I wanted to stand up and cheer for him as well. I appreciated that we saw his character grow in all areas of his life and that he put in the work every day to make sure he was going forward and not back.
There was much I adored about Fabian but mostly his sexy confidence. I love that he was femme, enjoyed wearing make-up and wearing pretty things. He is out and proud, an extrovert who loves attention which is what makes him such an engaging performer. He doesn’t have a great track record with men, often hooking up with people who don’t treat him very well and he knows he needs to do better. I loved his circle of friends, they were fun, hilarious, but also gave great advice when needed. Kudos to them for also accepting Ryan fairly easily into their lives.
Fabian’s family was Ryan’s billet family when he was in the juniors and so they have a background including one evening with an almost kiss. When they reconnect, it leaves them both a bit flustered and remembering the good times. My one big problem in this book was Fabian’s hate of hockey (due to his parent’s obsession with it and the way the other hockey players treated him when they were in his family’s home with the exception of Ryan) and the way he seemed unwilling to even try to be there for Ryan when he was playing and struggling. While we saw a lot of growth in Ryan’s character, Fabian remained largely unchanged which was a bit disappointing. At times the book moved too slowly and got bogged down with their internal dialog about things they should have been discussing with one another.
Their relationship started as a friendship which was exactly what Ryan needed and slowly morphed over time. They both had very fond feelings of one another from the past, yet they both felt they weren’t “good enough” for the other. I loved that Fabian worried about Ryan when his anxiety was high and tried to make it better and I adored that Ryan was in awe of Fabian’s talent and pretty much loved every little thing about him.
Tough Guy was an enjoyable, emotional, and interesting romance and while I would have loved spending more time with them as a couple, I was satisfied with the ending.
3.5 stars
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