Rookie Recovery: Bobcat Boys, Book 1

4.5 out of 5 stars! "Can’t stay off the ice. Oh, I (definitely) knew it. Can’t stay off, and when you can’t physically get back on, you lurk around the edges like a ghost." - Jamie Jamie's trying to move on with his life since his pro hockey career came to an end. With a future semi-barely planned out he continues to be the Bobcat's PT. He has strict rules set for himself and to keep him from getting off track. That includes never, ever dating hockey players, he used to be one he knows how they are! Only when a famed rookie with a British accent saunters into his life. . .Jamie may have to rethink his rules. An old shoulder injury may just be the thing to bring the two opposites closer together. But Bowie's career is on the line and the season is about to start! Can Jamie get Bowie back out on the ice in time? Or will judgements be questionable. . ? "He probably hated Monsters, Inc. Or worse still, never watched it. Dismissed it as childish nonsense. Oh, my (Gosh), what if he’d never seen Shrek?!" - Bowie This is honestly my first Hockey Romance, and I loved it! The writing styles flowed into one another seamlessly and helped to bring the two male leads to life! With depth, character development, and healing arcs! Even if you're not a big fan of sports you know of them and what they are. We forget that those big names we see plastered all over social media and more are actually people. I hear coworkers talk so nonchalantly about this team trading in A for B. Excited…

"I had a problem. And his name was Archie Bowman." Rookie Recovery is an adorable, slow burn hockey romance between newcomer Archie Bowman and his PT, Jamie Sullivan. Jamie is ready to move on from the hockey world. It's too painful for him to remain on the fringes of a place that used to be his whole life. But when the recently traded, Archie, walks into his life, he causes his carefully controlled life to go up in flames. "Nothing else mattered in that moment, because the PT— my new PT— was none other than the so- hot- I- probably- imagined- him dream hunk from the bar last night. There he was. A flashing beacon of supermassive American sex appeal. Real. So very real." Archie is homesick and struggling to find his place in his new city and his new team. He fakes his confidence and puts on a brave face, but deep inside he's just looking for a sense of belonging and doesn't want to be forgotten. The connection he feels to his doctor is instant and not one he's willing to let go off. Once they start blurring the lines of their professional relationship, it's inevitable that their friendship turns into so much more. "He gaped at me as if he, a physiotherapist, had forgotten what the male anatomy was supposed to look like, and I was providing his deprived brain with the revision it so desperately needed." The cutesy nicknames, snarky banter, fun adventures and the ease and comfort these two have with each other, made this book so much sweeter than I expected it to be.…

Overall I enjoyed the story. But I’m currently 68% of the way through and huge “YIKES” jumped out at me so loudly I had to stop reading to write this review. ***SPOILERS*** During the first lovemaking scene the terminology of “I’m clean” was used to communicate sexual health status. Massive no no, especially in 2024 when this book was published. If a straight (from what I can tell) woman is going to write about gay men, totally here for it, love many writers from across the spectrum, BUT…if you’re going to tell our story, my story, of my community, I’m going to need you to do better research and actually talk to gay men (and more that just a handful you might know). Any gay man millennial or younger would have been able to tell you and explain how extremely outdated and offensive it is to use that type of terminology to communicate sexual health. It infers that someone who may be positive is “unclean” or “dirty” and in today’s age, that’s just unacceptable and untrue. I know everyone is learning but this has been a known “no no” for many, many years now and it was so disappointing to read, it completely took me right out of the story and what was suppose to be a big climax of them getting together. I do truly enjoy the authors writing style and she is genuinely a great author and so I know it wasn’t out of malicious intent, but no other comments I could find addressed this issue and as a gay man, living and loving openly, I felt it necessary to educate and I hope the…

10/10! Adored this book and these characters. My first sports romance did not disappoint! It was fluffy, goofy, spicy, and so sweet I swear I could feel my teeth rotting the entire time I was reading. I was expecting the heartbreak, could tell it was coming, and had me in tears for a while. I wanted to shake Jamie and Bowie to get their sh** together and work it out! But they figured it out...eventually. The slow burn was SLOW but absolutely worth it. The tension and build up was hot (and often hilarious), and I loved that their relationship developed as friends first before lovers. They both were attracted to each other immediately but there was time to get to know each other and become friends before they acted on that attraction. They were able to let their masks down around one another and be their genuine selves and know they would be accepted. My favorite thing about this book? The banter. It was some of the best I've ever read. Bowie was hilarious to read and had my giggling and cracking up. Poor Jamie, though. He really didn't know what to do with Bowie at first! Second favorite thing? Kitty. How adorable is that nickname?? Every time Bowie said it had me swooning. Enjoyed the found family feeling of the players on the team. You can definitely tell that they all had each other's backs and supported each other. And I can't wait to read more in book 2! Thanks to Jemma and Lex for changing Monsters Inc and grocery carts for me forever.

Jamie and Archie are so adorable together!! I love their banter especially when Archie tries to push him out" of his comfort zone. The age difference is noticeable but also lovable. Archie's excitement for hockey and his family is a major turn on for Jamie. Archie is also very persistence at pushing Jamie's buttons by coming up with different things that hurt until he finds himself with an actual injury that needs care. This is when things get good between them. Jamie was once a hockey player but due to an injury he ignored until it took him out of the game, he is professional, organized and kind of a stiff. He looks out for the players on the team but when Archie joins the team, things shift for Jamie. He sees the talent that Archie has and is blown away. He is also seeing thru the pain that Archie is trying to hide. These two form a tight bond thru exercises and getting to know each other better. With Archie being younger, he is spunky and fiery, two things that Jamie hates but also secretly loves. They spend so much time together until the reality hits and they don't know if they can make it work. I seriously loved these two together and want so much more!!!