I’m really angry with myself for procrastinating this book for so long. I really loved Heated Rivalry and thought for sure that The Long Game would not deliver.
Hence, why it took me so long to pick The Long Game up. I have also not read most of the books between Heated Rivalry and The Long Game. Little glimpses here and there are fine, but a new book most of the time ends up disappointing me after having read the first book where they get together. Truth be told, I hate revisiting already established couples for a complete book.
I think she short-changed it enough that I don't actually buy that the way it ended is realistic, but it's still one of my favorite reads of the year. I like that she didn't shy away from the dark side of hockey's homophobia, but I didn't love some of the plot devices used for the ending. The journey to HFN is always fun, but what I really love is watching a couple navigate their way through the early ups and downs, life decisions and compromises that lead to the true HEA. It feels like the missing piece between the HFN and HEA that I always yearn for with my favorite romances. There were some things I felt were almost too subtle, plot lines I would have liked explored in a little more depth outside the relationship story, but for the most part I was really happy with the direction she took this. Ilya's life has changed in almost every way, and Shane has mostly just fit the last missing piece (Ilya living nearby) into the puzzle of his mostly perfect life.Īs such, it feels very much like Ilya's story (even though there's still plenty of Shane's POV), and it feels very earned and realistic. The book does a great job showing the contrast between Ilya and Shane's post-relationship trajectory. Loved it! This picks up about two years after Heated Rivalry, as Ilya is entering his third season with Ottawa (which is also the season Troy Barrett joins Ottawa in Book 5).
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