My Kind of Guy: Hockey Guys: A Series of MM Stand-Alone Novels, Book 4

If there’s anything I know for sure, it’s that if Sarina Bowen writes a book, I’ll read it. And there’s no exception to this rule. My Kind of Guy is the fourth book in the M/M hockey romance series of interconnected standalones. Becker James is a minor league hockey goalie still hoping to make it to the NHL, but he’s in rut. And the highlight of his week is spending a lonely hour on a barstool at Sportsballs, Denver’s queerest watering hole, just to watch his long- time crush Forest—the hot bartender—because he’s too shy to hit on him. That is, until he eavesdrops in on a conversation between Forest and his friend and makes him a bold proposition. But Forest doesn’t do hookups (anymore), and he isn’t boyfriend material either. And yet, Beck is totally his type. And really hard to resist. My Kind of Guy is a laugh-out-loud funny book. The characters are adorable; their conversations, their banter, and their inner dialogue are hilarious. And yet, it has layers. Because Beck is quirky and weird and funny, but he’s also lonely and carries a very strong need to belong. And Forest is grumpy but sweet, and he’s older and has a lot of responsibilities, but also a lot of baggage. They’re so different and yet so perfect for each other. They’re so much fun to hang out with. Love them to pieces. My Kind of Guy is a lovely story. I had a great time reading it, and I didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend it. The small town feel is there too, the cast of characters (new and old)…

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't as high on my list as the first 3. And honestly, I'm not exactly sure why. I think the trauma "moment" for Forest was built up to be huge and life altering, and while yes it was a huge violation it felt like so much was put on this one interaction that shaped his entire feelings on hooking up with anyone moving forward that for some reason didn't seem super believable to me?? I don't know. Its worth the read for sure, it just simply didn't knock my socks off like the first 3 in this series did. Still a solid 4 stars.

If there is one thing Sarina Bowen consistently delivers, it’s characters that feel alive—but My Kind of Guy somehow raises that bar entirely. Beck and Forest absolutely stole my heart 🧡 Beck is, without question, the most unhinged, weird, brilliant goalie I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I never once knew what was going to come out of his mouth next, and that unpredictability made every scene he was in electric. He’s completely unfiltered, an open book in the best possible way, and I found myself genuinely giggling throughout the entire story. There’s something so refreshing about a character who doesn’t hold back—and Beck leans all the way into that chaos in a way that’s impossible not to love. Forest, on the other hand, tested me. There were moments I wanted to reach into the pages and shake him, begging him to just let himself be happy. But that frustration ended up being part of what made his journey so impactful. By the end, it didn’t feel like I was just watching Forest figure things out—it felt like I was learning how to give myself permission to be happy, too. What I expected to be a fun hockey romance turned into something deeper—full of life lessons I didn’t see coming, layered with humor, heart, and so many moments that just made me smile. I can confidently say this is my favorite Sarina Bowen book yet—and easily my top read of the year.

I have a special place in my heart for Sarina Bowen’s Hockey Guys series. For some reason, I thought the third book was the end. When I saw the preorder up for this book, I shrieked and immediately slammed the preorder button. Let’s just say I devoured this book way too quickly. It was too good to put down, and now I want to buy the audiobook so I can experience it all over again. Becker James is the best. He’s a goalie, so it’s in his nature to be weird, and I ate it all up. I adored his quirks, the way his mind works, and his lack of filter. His honesty is so refreshing. I’ve loved the visits to Sportsballs throughout the series, and I love that Forest gets his own book. He’s stoic and guarded, and you can’t help but empathize with him as his backstory is revealed, even though it’s hard to watch him back away from all the good things. I love the way Sarina writes hockey — I always go through a full range of emotions and end up on the edge of my seat. So exciting! The many appearances of characters from previous books added to the excitement and made me smile every time. Highly, highly recommend this book and this series. Overall Rating: 🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭 Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

4.25 Stars ⭐️ I honestly do not think that I have ever NOT loved anything that I have read by Ms. Bowen. I was reading and loving her hockey series' before they were even a thing, and it amazes me that she can continue to expand her world with new and fresh characters time after time. The thing that I think I absolutely ADORED more than anything about this particular story was the character of Beck - MC Becker James - the Goalie for the minor league hockey team - The Ice Cats(?) (I honestly cannot remember, but I think that was the name of his team). Anyway, Beck is so adorable. Quirky, innocent, with a mouth that seems to speak before his brain engages. he is definitely one of a kind. I would read MANY more books with him - that is how wonderful of a character that he is. The combination with Forrest - Seth Forrester - works so perfectly because they are so very different, yet PERFECT for each other. I loved every minute of this storyline and it was over before I knew it. THAT is how I know that I was invested in a book - when it seems to fly by without me realizing it. One thing I did want to mention was that as usual, I alternated between listening and reading. This was narrated by the duo of Teddy Hamilton and Brandon Francis. Teddy did his usual fantastic job but I did have a problem with the narration by Brandon Francis. Granted, he was a "new to me" narrator, so it might be that I need to get used to him, or heck, maybe it was just a bad day for listening. I'll…