Tough Guy
Now Streaming on Crave and HBO Max
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4.4 • 864 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
THE SERIES THAT INSPIRED HEATED RIVALRY • NOW A #1 STREAMING SHOW
Enter the world of Game Changers, the series behind the epic enemies-to-lovers hockey romance Heated Rivalry, streaming on Crave in Canada and on HBO Max in the U.S.
Opposites attract when a hockey enforcer and a musician collide for the second time, by New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Reid.
Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to Toronto, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ+ Village. The last thing he expects to find in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.
Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and the chemistry between them has only intensified.
Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s feeling something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.
Game Changers
Book 1: Game Changer Book 2: Heated Rivalry Book 3: Tough Guy Book 4: Common Goal Book 5: Role Model Book 6: The Long Game Book 7: Unrivaled
Need more Rachel Reid?! Check out these other standalones from your favorite MM hockey romance writer: Time to Shine The Shots You Take
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This quietly joyful romance redefines what strength looks like, on and off the ice. Ryan Price may be known in the NHL as an intimidating enforcer, but away from the rink, he’s anxious, lonely, and exhausted by the role he’s expected to play. Newly traded to Toronto, he runs into Fabian Salah, the unapologetically queer musician he almost kissed years ago and never quite forgot. As he gingerly steps into Fabian’s world of clubs, art shows, and chosen family, Ryan begins to feel something unfamiliar: ease. Author Rachel Reid excels at writing about intimacy built on trust, reassurance, and everyday care. The romance unfolds thoughtfully, giving space to Ryan’s mental health struggles without losing warmth or humor. Tough Guy is a charming read about finding love that doesn’t demand you be anyone other than yourself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Opposites attract in the solid, sexy third sports romance in Reid's Game Changer series (after Heated Rivalry). As the new enforcer of the Toronto Guardians hockey team, gay, clinically anxious Ryan Price is paid to be intimidating on the ice, but in his private life he's shy, sensitive, and recovering from a recent mental health crisis. Moving home to Toronto leads Ryan to reconnect with Fabian Salah, who Ryan crushed on as a teen. Fabian, now a professional singer, is smitten with Ryan but hates hockey and is disturbed by the fights Ryan gets into as part of his job. As they spend more time together, lengthy heart-to-hearts help them reconcile their differences and will endear them both to readers. Burly Ryan has insecurities about love, sex, and his sexuality, but the more comfortable Fabian, who wears makeup and lacy underwear, helps Ryan through his hang-ups in love scenes as tender as they are steamy. Reid uses the backdrop of professional hockey to addresses locker-room homophobia, violence in sports, and issues of addiction without alienating readers who may not care for the game. This is a sweet, satisfying romance.
Customer Reviews
Cute but Stilted
Enjoyed the story but writing felt a little stilted compared to other novels.
Um, no.
Reid puts minimal, if any, thought into her characters. Ryan Price’s character is a paid for hire masochist who hates his job and what he does to players on opposing teams, but loves the paycheck - so, hey, why not? The lack of depth and self-awareness to her characters and repetitive “woe-is-me” plot-lines bore me. If Reid is going to include complex issues in her stories, she needs to make more of an effort or just keep to thin Hallmarkesque characters and tales. She should have kept to the simplicity of “Game Changers”.
READ THIS BOOK FOR SWEET LOVE
Romance that was sweet and caring. Very endearing, charming, and sexy.