Scott Hunter is the NHL’s Golden Boy, former captain of the US Olympic team, and captain of the New York Admirals. He’s also in a slump, having the worst season of hockey in his nine years in the league. That all changes when he stops for a post-run smoothie and meets Kip, the incredibly hot guy making the smoothies and flirting with Scott. The two start seeing each other, but there’s a problem – Scott is still in the closet, and not ready to come out. As he and Kip become more serious, and the playoffs approach, Scott will have to figure out what’s more important: keeping his sexual orientation a secret, or the man who might be the love of his life?
Game Changer is the book that kicked off the series that also features Heated Rivalry, which we’re all now obsessed with, and is great in a different way. In Heated Rivalry the relationship is all about the forbidden nature of their connection, and how Ilya and Shane can’t resist their attraction. Scott and Kip don’t have that problem – there’s flirting at the beginning, then once they’re together they know that they are each super into the other. The tension here arises from Scott being in the closet. Kip is out, and has been since he was a teenager, and the pressure of keeping his relationship a secret – and practically keep himself a secret as well – is what starts to drive a wedge between the two. Reid does a wonderful job going back and forth between their perspectives so you really understand where each of them is coming from. I disagreed with Scott throughout, but I still got what he was feeling and why he was acting the way he did.
While the show did a lovely job with their story (and the end of episode five is some of the best television I’ve watched) I actually prefer Reid’s original version. Scott’s baby steps coming out are moving because at each one – telling his agent, telling his best friends on the team, telling his coach – you see all the different ways that coming out could really negatively impact him, feel his fear, and his relief at the reception he gets from each person. And I like that Reid didn’t have it be complete sunshine; his agent pretty much asks him to stay in the closet before accepting that Scott isn’t going to do that, Carter reacts poorly because he’s hurt Scott didn’t tell him earlier. We still get the big beautiful moment on the ice, but that comes after Scott has proven to Kip that he truly wants to build a life with him and has taken the steps to start making that happen.
Game Changer is lovely, and hot, and fun. Having read Heated Rivalry first, I also appreciate getting to see Ilya from a different perspective. Now I’m off to read the rest of the series!
