Hockey Romance #3

 Tough Guy by Rachel Reid 

I did not like this book as much as the previous two. Fabien was very one dimensional for me; he was just a vehicle for Ryan's growth. Wyatt was the best part of this book. Ryan is an enforcer and has been moved from team to team his entire career. He doesn't like to fight, but he's good at it and it's his role on the team. He gets traded (again) and moves into a LGBTQIA neighborhood. He is not in the closet, but he's also not out - at least not like Scott Hunter. He goes to pick up a prescription and runs into Fabien, who he lived with for a year as a teenager as part of some hockey program. Ryan has always had a crush on Fabien. Fabien has always had a crush on Ryan. They start hanging out under the guise of showing Ryan around since he's new in town. Then they confess the mutual crushes and start sleeping together. Then decide they are boyfriends. Fabien is a struggling musician and he's really good; signed to an indie label and going on tour good. Fabien starts watching hockey for Ryan. Ryan goes to Fabiens' shows. Meanwhile, Ryan is struggling with some intense anxiety. Wyatt is his best and basically only friend. Wyatt takes him to a youth center where he volunteers and that is great for Ryan. Wyatt gets traded and that sucks because 1) he was a great friend and 2) he was the best character in the whole book. Ryan comes to a fork in the road when a fellow enforcer kills himself; he and Ilya are the only hockey people at the funeral. Ilya tells him about the foundation he and Shane started. Ryan decides to quit hockey and go work at the summer camp. He walks into the office without knocking and sees Ilya and Shane kissing. Shane freaks out but Ilya says he can be trusted. Now three people know about Shane and Ilya.  It was fine, but not amazing. I wanted more Wyatt.