Quick Info
Common Goal

• title: Common Goal
• author: Rachel Reid
• publisher: HARLEQUIN – Carina Press
• release date: 21.09.2020
• series: Game Changers
  book 4
• genre: Contemporary, Romance
• content warnings: sexual exploration of an employee
• rating: 4/5 Stars

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Blurb
Common Goal

New York Admirals goalie Eric never thought his friends-with-benefits arrangement with much-younger Kyle would leave them both wanting more…

Veteran goaltender Eric Bennett has faced down some of the toughest shooters on the ice, but nothing prepared him for his latest challenge—life after hockey. It’s time to make some big changes, starting with finally dating men for the first time.

Graduate student Kyle Swift moved to New York nursing a broken heart. He’d sworn to find someone his own age to crush on (for once). Until he meets a gorgeous, distinguished silver fox hockey player. Despite their intense physical attraction, Kyle has no intention of getting emotionally involved. He’ll teach Eric a few tricks, have some mutually consensual fun, then walk away.

Eric is more than happy to learn anything Kyle brings to the table. And Kyle never expected their friends-with-benefits arrangement to leave him wanting more. Happily-ever-after might be staring them in the face, but it won’t happen if they’re too stubborn to come clean about their feelings.

Everything they both want is within reach… They just have to be brave enough to grab it.

The Queer’s Review

I’ve got some serious mixed feelings about the beginning of this one.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed Rachel Reid’s latest installment of the Game Changer series and I will reread it but… I can see myself skim reading certain parts of the beginning.

This is all due to Kyle being in love – not really, but kinda really, really? – with someone else and entering into that sort of relationship with Eric.

The whole book I remembered the beginning and therefore I had trouble getting and feeling their relationship. It became better the more their relationship progressed but there still was this kinda bad taste to it. I really enjoyed Eric’s worries about how him being with a way younger guy will be perceived and how he wonders himself if there maybe is some sort of midlife crisis at play.

I don’t know how I managed to hold onto this for so long – I was really struggling to not start my review with this to be honest, so be proud of me. Ilya! And his part is really important too. Well, no it isn’t – but it brought so much joy.

Bookish Thoughts

Another thing that brought me joy is Eric’s bisexuality and how he accepts this part of himself. Especially because the only isntance of biphobia is in his thoughts and he immediately shuts those thoughts down.

Disclaimer

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.