The Games We Play Books
The Games We Play, Book 1 Theo Mathis doesn’t regret defying the general manager during his brief stint on the Seattle Rainiers last season. The rainbow tape on his stick cost him dearly, but he’d do it again in a heartbeat… even though it means he’ll never get called up from the minors again while that GM is at the helm. Then a flood of injuries leaves Seattle desperate for players, and Theo gets called up after all. But he’s warned: provoke the GM again, and he will regret it. Except stick tape wasn’t the only line Theo skated over, and the temptation to cross it again has nothing to do with spite. Equipment manager Christian Hayes has had that hot minor league player living rent-free in his head ever since they hooked up last year. It wasn’t love, but it was fun, and he wishes they could do it again because they want to—not as an act of rebellion. If Christian’s dad ever finds out, there will be hell to pay. But it’s a non-issue, since his dad—the team’s GM—has vowed to never call up that player again no matter how bad the team needs him… and he doesn’t even know Theo and Christian hooked up. Now Theo’s back in the Rainiers’ locker room. They don’t dare risk a rematch—they both value their careers too much. All they have to do is ride this out for a few games until Theo’s sent back down. Easy enough. Right? But their mutual attraction refuses to be ignored. And it looks like Theo’s going to be staying a while. The Games We Play is a multi-author minor league hockey romance series! All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere!
Sparks fly when ice meets fire. After eight years in the minors, Rayne “Rain the Pain” Hamilton has realized two things: One, his chances of getting called up to the Big Show are rapidly dwindling with each passing season; and two, he needs a plan for life after hockey. What he doesn’t bargain for is the gorgeous instructor at the fire training center he attends during the off season, who ignites his heart with burning desire. Nick Seavers had a great life until his husband died suddenly, and his sun blinked out. His demanding career firefighting and teaching the next generation of firefighters are the only things keeping him sane. The last thing he wants is one of the new trainees, a larger-than-life hockey player with mischievous eyes, taking up space in his head and making him feel things he never thought he’d feel again. As the heat rises between Rayne and Nick, Rayne receives an offer for a new contract and has to decide: Move to yet another city and start all over again or step off the ice and into the fire with Nick.
Marek Stetina is so close to getting called up to majors, he can taste it. Maybe he wasn’t a number one draft pick like his brother, and maybe he’ll never be a Hall of Famer like his father, but he’s almost made it. Right up until a serious injury puts his hockey dreams—major league or otherwise—on ice. Up-and-coming MMA star Carson Wrede’s career—hell, his entire life—has been off the rails ever since a mishap during a fight put him in the hospital. Now he’s trying to find his balance again, both literally and figuratively. With each passing day, his chances of returning to the cage grow slimmer… as do his chances of paying that growing pile of medical bills. Maybe a TBI support group isn’t the most romantic place to meet someone, but Marek and Carson can’t complain. While their worlds seem to be crumbling around them, they lean on each other through endless setbacks and frustration. But is this just two guys helping each other through a tough time? Or is the connection between them real, honest love? And is that love enough to see them through some unavoidable decisions about the careers they once lived for? The Games We Play is a multi-author minor league hockey romance series! All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season, and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere!
As captain of the LA Grizzlies, Ryan ‘Ry’ Bennett’s life is all about hockey and pushing himself to the limit. A future in the major leagues would fulfill his life-long dream, but at 32, it seems like a far-off goal, especially as he watches younger, more promising players earn their chance. Then he skates into Ry’s life. Twenty-two year-old Alexander ‘Xander’ Harrison, a ray of sunshine, turns Ry’s world upside down. From their first clash at training camp to the late-night conversations that reveal the man beneath the surface, Ry finds himself drawn to Xander in ways he can't explain. Xander’s everything Ry’s not - carefree, optimistic, and unapologetically himself. Ry never thought he'd find love, especially with a man. But Xander shows him that love doesn't care about expectations or pasts. It just is. When a league shake-up threatens to tear them apart, Ry knows he can't let go without a fight. Because in the end, love isn't about the games we play. It's about the person we choose to stand with, no matter what. What to expect: dual first person pov, slow burn, age gap, double queer awakening, first times, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, demi rep, and a guaranteed HEA. The Games We Play is a multi-author minor league hockey romance series! All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere!
RILEY My last relationship couldn't survive the secrecy of being queer in the PHL. Sure, the league isn't outright hostile to out players anymore, but you never know if a bad apple runs in your circle. From town to town and then team to team, you learn to hold those cards close to your chest. That’s how I’ve lived the last thirty years of my life until Griffin Foster comes barreling in like the hotheaded goalie he is. He’s young, reckless, and makes me want a life I’ve never been convinced I can have. He lights a fire under me to be a better player, to tackle the ghosts haunting my past. But when I push too hard and an old injury flares up, all that ambition goes up in flames. Face to face with the love of my life, can I open myself up to give him what he deserves, or will I lose him for good? GRIFFIN I’ve always been out and proud and not willing to compromise for anyone—until I lock eyes with defenseman Riley Easton in the weight room mirror after being traded to the Hornets. One look and my resolve flies out the window. What harm is a closet when you’ve got the flickering flame of a star-crossed passion to keep you company? When Riley goes down on that ice and is given a career death sentence, there’s no pretending what we are is fun and indulgent anymore. Riley has given me a home, not just with the team, but within himself, and I'm not willing to let that go. I just need to convince him that we’re worth fighting for, even if the person he has to fight is himself. Cherry Picking is an emotion-packed, teammates to lovers, secret relationship romance between a goalie who’s used to getting what he wants and a defenseman who won’t let himself believe he deserves it. The Games We Play is a multi-author minor league hockey romance series. All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere.
Sage Murray has spent the last three years playing for the minor league Saint Paul Slash. He’s found a family in the teammates who share a home with him and they’ve helped him get a better handle on the anxiety he battles every day. Having the best season of his career, he hopes to receive a call up to the Minneapolis Metros and achieve his dream of playing in hockey’s top league. When a night out brings him face to face with Metros defenseman Rhys Farrell, their interaction spotlights their attraction, and Sage sees a side of Rhys that intrigues him to find out more. Rhys Farrell has spent his career in the shadow of his Hall of Famer father. Winning the Cup would set him apart, and he wants more than anything to win it with the teammates who embraced him during his lowest moments. But an injured shoulder has kept him from the lineup, his teammates are dropping like flies, and their shot at redemption from last season’s heartbreaking loss is fading. During a short stint with the Slash as he readies to return to the team, he’s captivated by Sage, and for the first time in years, he’s tempted to focus on more than just hockey. The pair are continually drawn to each other. Rhys gives Sage the warmth and acceptance he craves, and Sage takes care of Rhys in ways he’s never experienced before. But as the race to the playoffs heats up and sees them both in the Metros lineup, Rhys and Sage discover that dating a teammate is one thing, but falling in love with one is a whole other game.
Drake Williams was the up-and-coming young player on the Pittsburgh Lions, racking up points like a star. Now in his third season, his star has fallen and his scoring touch is gone. The puck hates his stick, and he’s more liability than asset. No other team in the major league wants him. When the Lions waive him, he’s sent to the Greensburg Otters—proof of how far he’s dropped. Greensburg feels like a million miles from Pittsburgh rather forty. But when Drake unexpectedly finds a queer biker bar off the beaten path, he thinks he might survive his time in the minors, especially when Jon, the bar’s sexy owner, flirts with him. That is, until the next morning, when he’s re-introduced to Jon as Jonny Eriksson, team captain of the Otters. Jon Eriksson’s got the hockey IQ but not the hands or the wheels for the big league, and that’s fine. He likes the Otters. Of course he knows who Drake is, and he’s intrigued by the distraught, young player. Jon knows Drake’s the real deal—a star in the making—and will only be on the Otters long enough to recapture his game. It’s Jon’s duty to help rekindle that love for the game. That’s not all that gets ignited, though. Soon enough, they’re tangled into each other’s life in a way Jon’s never felt before. But what happens to their smoldering love once Drake is recalled to the Lions? The Games We Play is a multi-author minor league hockey romance series! All titles run concurrently through the same hockey season, and the books can be read in any order, so jump in anywhere!