I struggled to warm to Jacob and Nick, the protagonists, both seemed a bit flat as characters, and their story seemed to rush at extraordinary speed. ( )

I had a few small reservations about this book because it was really long and I hadn’t really heard much about these authors before, but I love hockey so I thought I’d give it a try. Boy, am so I glad I did!!!

Nick is a college hockey star in his senior year. He’s in the closet, but meeting Jacob makes him rethink everything. The two become friends and eventually begin studying together (Jacob’s in his last year of law school), and their flirtation is strong. When they finally decide to get together, Nick wants to come out, but Jacob knows how much he has to lose.

This book had heart, and frankly that is what I loved best about it. It dealt with the ugly side of bigotry and coming out, but it also showed the other positive and glorious side of friendships, teammate, and family. It was so heartwarming. There wasn’t really any angst between Nick and Jacob, and they communicated and dealt with their challenges head on. I adored these characters so much. I’m so glad I gave this book a chance. ( )