Tough Guy - Rachel Reid

Tough Guy by Rachel Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this might possibly be the sweetest hockey romance that I have ever read. Not that I've read many, but I've come across a few. Ryan is a gentle giant, despite his reputation on the ice. He loves men who are the complete opposite of him; confident, delicate and beautiful. He fell for Fabrian as a teenager although he never acted on it. Fabian doesn't have a particular type, but e also fell for Ryan when they were teenagers. It's only when they meet again now that their feelings for one another are revealed.
In many ways, Ryan and Fabian seem like an odd couple. But it soon becomes clear that they work really well together. I don't know a great deal (anything) about ice hockey, having seen a grand total of two games in my life. Ryan's job on the team is as an enforcer. He fights in order to protect other members of his team. Unfortunately, it's not a position that is easy to deal with and Ryan struggles in this story. I did a quick google and found an article about three young enforcers who had all died due to their struggles with mental health and the toll that the game took on them. I thought that this aspect was dealt with quite well in the story. Fabian struggles to reconcile the sweet and caring man that he has fallen for, with the aggressive side he shows on the ice.
Of course, this is a romance story and we know that we all read those for the happily ever after, the ability of the characters to work through their differences and be together. Tough Guy delivers on that front and I'm sure that you'll be left with a happy smile by the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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