Book Review: Game Misconduct

Ari Baran

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

published: 16th May 2023
spoilers? no

Goodreads

Two bitter rivals go head-to-head in this age-gap, enemies-to-lovers hockey romance.

Michael Sato is used to fighting.

An undersized defenseman, Mike had to be tough, clawing his way up from the minors by taking down one ferocious player at a time. No way is he going to lose his spot on the league roster, especially not by giving in to his attraction to a hot, infuriating rival.

Daniel Garcia is used to fighting, too.

Enforcer Danny is the biggest, meanest player on the ice. A target for anyone trying to make a name for themselves, he doesn’t show weakness, nor is he going to risk his last seasons for a sexy rookie who nearly knocked him on his ass.

When their intense physical connection explodes outside of the rink, Mike and Danny learn they just might be able to build something real, but only if they can let down their guard—and their fists—long enough.

Galley provided by publisher

CWs: painkiller addiction, alcohol abuse

Game Misconduct is one of those romances that made me feel just a bit insane on finishing it. For a good week after reaching the end, I couldn’t last a few hours not thinking about it. Every time I tried to read another book, particularly when I tried to read another romance, it was automatically organised into the category of “not Game Misconduct” and, therefore, not as good.

I’m still not even sure I’m past that stage, but the immediate desire to reread has abated at least a little (although I feel like writing this review is going to make it come back with a vengeance).

The story follows two rival enforcers, Mike Sato and Danny Garcia. They’re on opposing teams (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, iykyk) and hate each other. Or at least, Mike hates Danny with a passion. The feeling is not entirely reciprocated. But then a chance meeting in a Philadelphia alleyway leads to just a few complications in that relationship.

The key thing about any romance is that you like the characters, both separately and together, and that you can believe in their relationship. That you’re rooting for them, basically. And boy do you root for Mike and Danny. Their relationship is so incredibly compelling in a way that’s hard to describe. There are so few authors I’ve read who’ve captured my attention quite so completely, quite so early on in the book. There are regular openings to books, and then there’s this, an opening scene that quite literally takes your breath away.

From then on, the trajectory of the book is pretty much as expected. Except, unlike a lot of romances I’ve read where the sex has started early, this one still maintains a level of tension between the two mcs. Every interaction they have is still so charged, you almost feel uncomfortable watching it. And yet, your eyes remain glued to the page because you have to find out how it pans out, so desperately. That really sums up this entire book to me: you want to devour it just as much as you want to savour it. You can’t put it down but you don’t want it to end.

This book also contains what feels like a rarity: no third-act break-up. Now, I’ve probably long made clear my feelings on those, namely, they only work if they make sense with the characters’ personalities as established and that’s rarely the case. So when this one didn’t have a third-act break-up (which, to be clear, made total sense because there’s no way Mike would have let Danny be that stupid), it made me love it even more. Not least because I find senseless third-act break-ups fall into two categories: “wow that’s so stupid just talk will you” and “how the hell do you forgive that so easily”. This book had none of that, just two characters whose relationship with each other was the catalyst for their individual growth and understanding.

I don’t think I’m going to read a better romance than this all year, all said. At least not until the sequel comes out in however many months time (sob). I guess all that’s left for me until then is copious numbers of rereads…