Bryn Mettler is a superstar athlete and a major part of the Pittsburgh sports society. He seems to have it all. He’s well-dressed, handsome, wealthy, an elite goaltender, a famed philanthropist, and the holder of numerous medals and trophies. To date, there are two things that have avoided him: lifting that big shiny silver cup over his head and finding a man to settle down with. Now that he’s over thirty, Bryn is finding the gay club scene is wearing thin. His teammates’ wives have decided it’s their duty to the team—and to Bryn—to find him Mr. Right. He’s relatively sure the man who’ll capture his heart surely won’t be found on a humor blog. Funny how life likes to take the things that you’re most certain about and flip them—and you—on its ear. When Bryn meets Mike, he is instantly drawn to the warm, funny, sexy man who shares his hectic days with thousands of Pittsburgh natives. Now he just has to convince Mike he is who he says he is so he can get to know him better. Thankfully, Bryn isn’t a quitter. But does he have what it takes to leap into life with Mike, Kelly, and Liam?
Comment: This is another title that I don't remember why I decided to read. It probably had something to do with the mix of hockey and parenting but I didn't pay enough attention to the blurb nor any synopsis, since the plot isn't much of either subject for me to label it that way...
In this story we meet Mike, a good guy who is a web designer and who has opened his house to his younger sister Kelly and her son Liam. He and Kelly were both told to leave their parents' house, Mike for being gay and Kelly for being a teenage mother. Now the siblings have a steady life, they have each other and Mike loves to help take care of Liam, a wonderful boy who is his inspiration for a moderately successful blog. By chance, a post mentioning the unlikeliness of Mike dating hockey star Bryn Mettler catches the attention of a fan, who happens to be dating one of Bryn's teammates. Everyone knows Bryn is gay but he doesn't flaunt it, which means he only checks out the blog out of curiosity but he does like what he sees in Mike and decides to ask him out. Is there hope for two different people to be a solid couple?
This is the first book I try by this author and, as often happens after just one attempt, I think I have a good idea of the author's style and "voice". Unfortunately to me, this story is too sugary and, as so many other books I read, superficial. I also disliked the protagonists told the story in alternated first person... really, another romance in which third voice would be a better choice.
The themes I was interested in - hockey and single parenting, kind of - were present but in an almost secondary way. Was the romance center stage? To be fair, I can't really say because I conclude that this story doesn't really have a goal and it boggles the mind how there are so many sequels after this installment, all featuring the same main characters (except one novella). The writing itself isn't bad or incorrect but it's too bland and the content superficial. I think the themes had enough room for layered plot and characters but, not really.
Mike is a cute funny guy and I loved the fact he did all he could to help his sister. He has potential as a protagonist but nothing is shared about who he really is under the nice persona. There's not much on how being told to leave impacted him and how he managed until he had some stability. I wanted the emotions and the psychology of how he became this well established person after disappointment and betrayal by his parents. But he simply is a good guy!
Bryn is more alpha, that's for sure, but he is also a good guy although I didn't have as great vibes from him. There were moments he was a bit too intense in how he dealt with Mike and others. I also think his hockey side was just too cliched and thinly presented, as if the hockey was more a prop to who he was and not something especially important. His personality was more layered, that is true, but not to the point I'd say his relationship with Mike was properly balanced.
In fact, I wasn't very fond of their romance. Well, let me rephrase this, I was happy and eager to read at first, but as soon as they went on their second date things deflated to me because the intimacy was forced on them too soon, and not just because of the sex (which I didn't think added much to the story), but mostly because their connection was too swift and too easy. They both easily accepted each others' demands at work or with other things and the conflict seemed non existing.
Then, of course, we have Liam, a little boy who seemed to be key for this book and the origin of the blog which gives the title of the book. Liam should be important, right? Well, one more element I've felt was too superficial and only a means to an end without a real importance to any plot point. The only exception was on how he would deal with the decision of Mike and Bryn living together, if they were to take that step. This was done in such a silly way - to me - that I cannot understand how someone didn't advise the author to redo the story. Nothing bad happens, only Liam seems to be given a role he shouldn't really have. Let us not forget Liam is not Mike's son and his mother is a conscious loving one, so... unnecessary to place Liam at center stage.
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