TITLE: ⟫ Coach Stare Down
AUTHOR: ⟫ Crea Reitan

SERIES: ⟫ For Puck’s Sake #6
RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Adak

After a series of relationships where I’ve been made to feel inadequate because of my asexuality, I’ve made the sole focus of my life my coaching career. I love hockey – the chill of the ice, the fast paced, high stress game. I love the fans and the atmosphere. The energy. Now that I’m coaching in the NHL, I feel a sense of serenity and comfort with life. All that’s left is to get my team to The Stanley Cup.

A series of unfortunate injuries has riddled the Bobcats into a serious funk. The frustration that my boys feel echoes through me and after one of the most horrible plays I’ve ever witnessed, I turn my back on the ice – only to catch his eyes. Suddenly, I know what I’ve been missing. In a sea of over 15,000 faces, I found the one I’ve been waiting my entire life for.

There’s sadness in his eyes that’s only overcome with the fear behind it. Nothing will stop me from making Oren mine and giving him the life and love he deserves. Nothing.

Oren

My life is shit. I’m the pariah of my family for hell knows why. All I want is to get away. But I tried once – at nineteen, I ran and my father with his buddies on the police force dragged me home. I’ve since been dragged down into submission.

But then I meet his eyes and everything inside me just… shifts. Adak takes a chance on me and I think that perhaps my father has finally met a wall he can’t barrel through to keep control. That is, until he starts blasting his hate everywhere.

I wouldn’t blame Adak if he chooses to leave. This is his career on the line. His image and reputation. Am I worth it?

REVIEW: ⟫ I’m not sure how to review this one. There were aspects I struggled with – one of which being the fact that this was Oren’s first (and only) relationship so I felt a little bit wary. I felt that the description of Adak’s previous relationships and struggles was very well done. Oren’s family were a nightmare and I fully appreciate that Crea decided not to give explanations for a few things that happened – it was very grounded in reality because we don’t always find out why people do the things that they do. By the time I had finished reading, I felt like I was better informed about quite a few things but I still can’t decide how I feel about this story!