Rating: 4
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Series: Chicago Thunder #2
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Main tropes: fake relationship, hurt / comfort, hockey
I’ve lost my ability to speak, so I just nod.
“Good boy.”
Fuck. Me.
Why does that make me lose my goddamn mind in the best possible way?
I adore Jodi Oliver’s writing – these sweet and low angst stories that are just so swoony and charming to read!
As the title suggests, this story took place in the off season and followed Ethan and Jacob. I loved seeing them together and how Ethan, while being pretty guarded and a bit grumpy at times, had such a soft spot for Jacob. I really enjoyed seeing these two fall for each other, with a little help of a fake relationship situation and an off season fling arrangement. Be prepared for lots of swoon, precious characters, and all the feels!
Ethan and Jacob were seriously hot together, and I loved the mild D/s vibes and the praise. And Ethan’s dirty talk… oh my. I liked the chemistry between them and how it had been building for a while – both of them crushing on each other, but not really in the right place to start something more serious until now.
I loved how Ethan and Jacob were so supportive of one another, and that they felt safe enough to be vulnerable with each other. Despite the story being mainly lighthearted and very sweet, there were still some heavier topics, such as grief and heartbreak. It got quite emotional at times and I definitely cried together with these guys more than once… The hurt / comfort was strong in this story, and beautifully written.
Off Season was overall a really sweet read, albeit quite emotional as well, and a great continuation of the Chicago Thunder series. I’m already super invested in this series and the cute little found family that the team have going on, and I can’t wait to see who’s up next for a story!
“You need to touch yourself, baby?” he asks, his voice like gravel in my ear. “Well, too bad. Keep your hands on the mirror because that’s my job.”
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub
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