Anthony Camber

2025 was never going to beat 2024’s total of 104 books: I had my head down finishing, releasing and promoting Unstable Orbits and revising the next book, codenamed AXIS 1. I’m surprised I reached 62 books for the year.

As usual I posted reviews to Threads, Bluesky, Goodreads and StoryGraph. They’re all below if you want to read them. I started posting reviews on Instagram but the effort outweighed the reward so I abandoned that. I might try again with TikTok in 2026.

Summarising the year’s reading:

• Favourite: Book 48, The Fall. Tal Bauer kept me interested and guessing for 810 pages, and that’s difficult to sustain for any book, let alone a romance.
• Least favourite: Book 50, Icing on the Cake. There are only so many times you can say “this wouldn’t happen.”
• Best surprise: Book 34, The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl. A whole life reduced to twelve vignettes, one day every eight years.
• Worst surprise: Book 3, Blood Debts. I just didn’t connect with it, yet it should’ve been right up my street.
• Most frustrating: Book 37, See you at the Finish Line. Set in Cambridge, and I’m a pedant.
• Most in need of another proofread: Book 16, Untouchable Player, had howlers like “desert” for “dessert”. Book 53, These Old Lies, was great but the typos grated.
• Hockey vs not-hockey: 13 of the 62 books were ice hockey romances. People are amazed when I say hockey romances are a big thing. Maybe the success of the TV adaptation of Heated Rivalry will open eyes a little.

Other books I’d love to see on TV:

• Book 6, This is Not a Vampire Story. Original and lovely.
• Book 8, Cemetery Boys. A fun ghost story with a trans lead and great magical worldbuilding in Latinx LA.
• Book 10, The Boy I Love. So nearly my favourite book of the year. Forbidden love in the WW1 trenches.
• Book 17, Any Way the Wind Blows. Along with the earlier books in the Simon Snow series, mentioned in last year’s reviews.
• Book 26, The Rest of the Story. A hockey romance that’s about more than that.
• Book 45, Monsters Within Men. A post-apocalyptic romance full of peril.

And here are my ratings distributions for 2025:

The trend line is level this year:

Here’s the full text of every review of the year.

1. Gravity 4½/5

Starting the year with a slow-burn ice hockey romance from Tal Bauer. Bryce (unsure) and Hunter (straight?) meet at an all-star game in Las Vegas. Ticks all the tropey boxes. Pretty spicy. Plausible-sounding hockey bits. Has a great, scary surprise. Love it when hockey stories portray the team as a found family.

2. Taylor-Made for Me 3/5

Cheesy or punny titles can sometimes hide much better books (2024 #76 Autoboyography 5/5). In this case, not so much.

Will agrees to get fake-engaged with Becca, then meets her hot brother Aiden. Neither Aiden nor Becca are out to their parents, for reasons. Comedy ensues.

It’s all too perfect (love at first sight for both guys) and implausible and cheddary. I enjoy light and fluffy but this was beyond my sugar threshold.

3. Blood Debts 3/5

This should’ve been right up my street, but I struggled to get into it. In magical New Orleans, Twins Clem and Cris investigate mysteries around their family’s past.

Hard to explain why I didn’t connect. Possibly the number of characters, possibly the complicated nature of the plot, possibly a few too many cases of people not communicating for plot purposes. Some very obvious telegraphing. Loved the magical world and core ideas.

4. Catered All The Way 4/5

An unsurprising feel-good MM romance. Pro gaming streamer Zeb has lusted after his brother’s best friend, US Navy Seal Atlas, for a decade, and finally takes his chance.

Sometimes you need a warm, spicy, brain-off, on-rails story that hits the tropes and goes exactly where you expect. All characters bar Atlas and Zeb are half-formed shadows, and that’s fine here; the leads are deep enough.

5. Be My Endgame 4½/5

A satisfying, unexpectedly thoughtful slow-burn MM rivals-to-lovers story. England footballers Alex and Lee, bitter rivals on the pitch with a personal history, are obliged to share a room for the World Cup finals. The ice, inevitably, melts.

I love stories about gay footballers – I wrote my own, Disunited. Alex and Lee are perhaps not particularly true to life but their backstories add depth. Secondaries Jeff and Oliver are great. Unexpected subplot involving characters from Wear It Like a Crown (2024/95, 5/5) a little weird but OK. A few minor sporty quibbles, like: it’s nil, not zero. Would happily read more about these characters.

6. This Is Not a Vampire Story 4½/5

Sweet, sad, mournful: love and loss across the decades, beautifully told.

In 1949, Victor moves to the Irish coast and befriends some boys, including James. But as the pair fall in love, something happens to Victor. Nothing is the same again.

Not a vampire story, but. Alternating between 1949 and the present, mixing inevitability and consequence and outcome across 75 years, we see and feel all of Victor’s pain and guilt. Heartbreaking.

7. Being Jackson Nash 2½/5

Not my cup of tea at all. Some days in the eventful life of the titular character.

Focusing on the positive: it’s a story of acceptance and love, with many good ideas, and who doesn’t enjoy a granny on the warpath? My advice to the author would be to pick a story.

8. Cemetery Boys 4½/5

A queer, fun ghost story about magic and acceptance. Trans Latino Yadriel, desperate to be accepted by his family as a brujo who can help spirits move on, meets ghost Julian. But something’s not right.

Richly detailed portrayal of Latinx life in LA, and life as a trans teen boy in a culture that struggles to adapt. Great magical worldbuilding. Julian’s strength and fierceness are both cheering and moving.

Not the author’s fault: the (trad published) ebook has too many mistakes. For example: words wrongly split into two; paragraph breaks wrongly omitted; at least one garbled paragraph.

9. The Breakup Lists 4½/5

Adorable slow-burn romance with great disability representation. Jackson, deaf stage manager for his school’s theatre group, falls for top swimmer and amateur thesp Liam. Except: Liam is straight, and interested in Jackson’s sister?

LOVE the portrayal of Jackson’s deafness, and people’s different attitudes to it. As readers we see Liam’s true feelings long before Jackson does, and this is nicely done. Misses out on 5/5 by a whisker.

10. The Boy I Love 5/5

Tender, tense, honest, important. Loved it. Forbidden love between lieutenant (Stephen, 19) and private (Danny, 18) in the WW1 trenches, as the Battle of the Somme nears. William Hussey combines the bloody reality of trench warfare with the callousness of senior officers and the dangerous, unstoppable blooming of Stephen and Danny’s relationship. As the reader you know – as do the troops – what’s coming. Hussey does not hold back. I held my breath. TV version please.

11. A Series of Rooms 3½/5

A bleak but ultimately hopeful story that didn’t grab me. Liam’s “friends” hire a sex worker, Leo (real name Jonah), for his birthday. Liam doesn’t want that; they talk and become friends, meet regularly, and Liam learns of Jonah’s past.

Told over months, the boys’ friendship deepens and we see Jonah’s backstory. IMO the interesting part is the last quarter, when matters resolve and move on. I wish the book had started almost from there, and showed us more.

12. One Night in Hartswood 4/5

A satisfying if slight medieval slow-burn MM romance. A politically high-stakes betrothal is cancelled when the groom, earl’s son William, disappears. The bride’s brother Raff finds him and they both lie to the other about their true identities in various barns, forests and castles, and on horseback.

No real surprises here. Some longing, some aching, some angst over the lies. The usual boxes are ticked. Pleasantly inconsequential, with some loose ends.

13. Echoes of Us 4/5

A disturbing portrayal of toxicity and co-dependency. Students Atticus (yes) and Noah get together. Noah’s an addict and super-clingy, but Atticus can’t walk away.

Alternating “before” and “after” chapters show the relationship unfolding and unravelling, and its aftermath. It’s well written and compelling but presented as a romance, including spicy scenes, and I really didn’t find it romantic. A good book I was happy to finish.

14. Not That Complicated 3/5

Disjointed and disappointing. Nervy designer Ray and hunky grad student Adam get together in unlikely and farcical ways involving dead bodies.

Nothing wrong with farce, and the “murder house” parts are fun. I struggled to buy into the rest of it. For me, Adam is too perfect and Ray is too jittery, and the book steps over the line from funny to silly. Not helped by a “nothing” cover and title that don’t reflect the story at all.

15. Ghosting You 3½/5

Sweet, even if the central conceit evaporates. Local boy Tommy meets outsider Nick, but Tommy’s friend Chase, who died the year before, still occupies his thoughts.

The title and cover both overplay and downplay the conceit, oddly. Feels like it might be a comedy ghost story – it isn’t. The inevitable revelations (you’ll know what I mean) resolve a little quickly for me. Some side characters deserve more of a role – Claudine was great.

16. Untouchable Player 3/5

Unexceptional, and needs a copy edit. Studious, geeky Nate tutors and falls for his hockey-playing brother’s teammate, hunk Jesse.

Apparently I can read MM hockey romances all day every day, so this was… fine? Nothing special. I strongly recommend the author finds a good copy editor: some problems are pretty basic (“desert” for “dessert”, “sport’s nutrition”) and dialogue is sometimes hard to attribute to the right character.

17. Any Way the Wind Blows 4½/5

Satisfying end to an inventive magickal trilogy. After Carry On (2024/51 4½/5) and Wayward Son (2024/103, 4/5), Simon Snow and friends are back in the UK with more mysteries to solve – and a new Chosen One?

Three mostly independent plots for the main characters: not ideal, but OK, because they work. The dynamic between Simon and Baz is complex and nuanced and I loved it. Would make a great TV show to contrast with the HP juggernaut.

18. The Geek Who Saved Christmas 3/5

Spicy, sugary MM romance. Hyper-organised geek Gideon and his grumpy builder neighbour Paul bond over Christmas preparations.

Romance is about the journey not the destination. You want compelling characters in an interesting setting overcoming consequential obstacles. Fair to say there are few obstacles here, and the setting is humdrum. The characters have some depth – you feel they existed before page 1 – which just about saves it for me.

19. Something Extraordinary 4/5

A solid, funny, sexy Regency ramble. Third in the Something series (…Fabulous 2023/21 4/5, …Spectacular 2023/33 4/5), this one follows Belle and Sir Horley through various escapades as they travel to Gretna Green.

It’s relentlessly queer and quirky, the characters snarking, bickering and trading wit constantly. Once or twice the modern world peeks too obviously into the period setting, taking you out of the story, but this is a minor quibble.

20. Pride High: Book 5 – Blue 4/5

Follow-up to Pride High: Book 4 – Green (2024/98, 3½/5). More of the lives of the kids at high school in Pride, Kansas in 1993-4.

Rating notched up by the storyline for Anthony, whose exploration is becoming more real and certain. Difficult to say much about anything without spoiling books 1–4. It’s still a fun read, with significant changes coming to the friends in future books.

21. I’ll Take Everything You Have 3½/5

Enjoyable, but missing a spark. Arriving in 1930s Chicago, 16-year-old Joe – with the help of his cousin Barney – tries to earn money to send back home, and discovers that his queerness is more obvious than he thought.

Joe’s naivity is portrayed well, as is the period setting. Joe experiences an impressively wide range of Chicago life in a short period; I allowed it, given the company he keeps. I would’ve liked more on 1930s queer Chicago.

22. The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King 4/5

Over-confident naif 16yo Patch (Patrick) wants his first boyfriend, and two potential candidates join his school drama club: Peter and Sam.

Pitched as a modern Adrian Mole (famously 13¾ in the first book), Patch reads closer to that age than 16. Great characterisation for the lead, though, and his humorously self-centred narration keeps the pages turning.

23. Homecoming for Beginners 4½/5

Paramedic Ty returns to the small town he grew up in when his father dies. There he meets veteran Ollie and son Theo, both with their own troubles. Ollie was supposed to be working as carer for Ty’s dad: Ty gives him a break.

This book kept throwing lines at me that resonated deep inside, rattling my solar plexus. Many times I had to stop, look away, blink, breathe. Not quite a 5: the slow burn needed to smoulder longer, to slow the onrushing plot.

24. Hither, Page 4/5

Dr James Sommers, back from WW2, is GP for a small English village. Leo Page – if that’s his real name – is a spy, sent to that village to investigate a mysterious death. Sommers and Page met before, briefly, in the war. And they have something else in common.

Cat Sebastian writes great queer historical romance, and here it’s combined with a murder mystery. It works for me. Nitpick: I don’t think they’d use the word “washroom”.

25. Deck the Palms 3½/5

New Yorker and off-Broadway not-quite-a-star Nolan is a substitute teacher in a Hawaii middle school, for reasons. Another teacher there is Merry. After a short initial bristle, together they plan the school’s holiday festival and romance ensues.

It’s an opposites-attract, fish-out-of-water, not-very-grumpy-vs-sunshine story. Very much by the numbers, and nothing wrong with that. Missing a spark, though, for me.

26. The Rest of the Story 5/5

Traded to the NHL’s perennial losers, the Rocky Mountain Outlaws, Morgan discovers why the team isn’t working – and also discovers Shea. He rebuilds the team, and his own life. It becomes a family, celebrating and hurting and surviving as one.

Another MM hockey romance that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I had to ration my reading. Brody, dear god, Brody. The Morgan/Shea love and the everyone/Brody love shone from the page. Overwhelming.

27. The Sunbearer Trials 4½/5

In an alt-present-Mexico, semidiós (half-god) Teo competes against other semidioses, including a friend and a former friend, in a series of trials to be the new Sunbearer. But everything comes with a cost.

Easy in these kinds of stories to overload on world-building. The author wisely focuses on the characters and the ongoing plot, which rattles quickly along. Tremendously queer and diverse. Looking forward to the sequel.

28. Hot Saltwater Kisses 4/5

Milo’s a dive instructor at a fancy resort on the island of Dominica. He meets Logan, staying at the resort. Logan’s an asshole to Milo – at first. And both men have secrets.

This is the third MM romance by Zarah Detand that I’ve read. For me it falls a little below the others – they had more depth to the storyline. But it’s a smart, fast read and I enjoyed the character work.

29. All the Pretty Boys 3/5

Aged 15, Dillon runs away to Sydney from his religious parents after they find out he slept with a boy. He discovers that the big city is full of excitement and danger.

First-person present tense writing can feel immediate, like a movie. It can also feel like the narrator is documenting everything that happens in too much detail, and there’s some of that here. Would benefit from more proofreading and professional formatting. Compelling story.

30. Celestial Monsters 4/5

Conclusion to the story started in The Sunbearer Trials (2025/27, 4½/5). Teo and his friends set out to rescue the kidnapped semidioses and return order to Reino del Sol.

The shift to dual-POV, seeing Xio’s perspective of events, gives us a great new viewpoint. Densely written battle scenes raise the tension and keep the pages turning. The resolution feels both unexpected and right.

31. What Is This Feeling? 4½/5

Teddy’s a high school actor and wannabe singer/songwriter. His idol is Benji, a famous singer and actor. If he and his bestie Annie can win the drama club scavenger hunt in NYC, they might be able to meet Benji. But Annie can’t go: instead, Teddy’s forced to pair up with Sebastian from the tech crew.

A slow-burn romance with lovely misdirection and misunderstanding. I grumbled at a convenient coincidence. But it’s my favourite Weber book, I’d say.

32. The New Guy 4/5

Hudson is traded to Brooklyn, where Gavin’s an athletic trainer. Hudson’s not out and has an overbearing dad/agent. Gavin has a daughter and is thinking about dating again after the death of his husband. By coincidence, they live next door.

Great setup. The characters feel grounded in reality. Hudson’s paranoia and Gavin’s frustration make a change from the simple story we often see. Loved/hated the inevitable spanner in the works. Looking forward to this series.

33. Traumaland 4½/5

After a car crash, Eli is missing months of memories. Therapy doesn’t help – though he pretends it does. He finds a club called Traumaland promising to help him *feel* again. Its VR simulations are visceral, thrilling, nightmarish: and then he sees the story of a boy called Jack.

Touted as Black Mirror in book form, Traumaland delivers. As Eli slowly discovers the truth every revelation raises the stakes, and the ending doesn’t disappoint.

34. The Very Long, Very Strange Life of Isaac Dahl 4/5

Isaac tells the story of his eventful life, one day every eight years, from Utah in 1926 aged 8 to California in 2014 aged 96.

There’s something quite moving about someone’s entire life compressed into twelve vignettes. And not just his life: Isaac’s twin sister Aggie, their friend Bo, and others feature heavily. Some lives full, others cut cruelly short. Beautiful.

35. Shots on Net 4/5

Small poor happy demi nerd Zeke, a student at SCU, moves into the spare room of big rich grumpy bi jock Carter, an up-and-coming SCU hockey player. Opposites proceed to attract, slowly.

The hockey is mostly incidental; the main subplot concerns Carter’s distant, uninterested parents. Mildly spicy, with engaging, caring characters. Liked Carter’s habitual door abuse and Zeke’s stress-questions. Some rather obvious setup for book 2. A bit short for me.

36. The Tragedy of Felix and Jake 4/5

Jake and Felix are both addicts – alcohol and drugs. Felix becomes Jake’s mentor, but there’s an attraction they can’t deny. And life tests their sobriety.

This is an extremely tough read in places, and more than once I had to put the book down for a while. The author tackles addiction head on: its effects on the addict, their friends and their families. Thankfully there’s still room for hope.

37. See you at the Finish Line 3½/5

Lucas is the cox of the Cambridge rowing eight. George is the stroke, facing Lucas. They don’t get on. But Lucas needs help getting a boyfriend, and George needs help with his exams. They agree to a mutual aid pact.

As a Cambridge resident and graduate, and occasional rowing spectator, the factual errors grated; some plot points were not believable. Others won’t notice them (I’m a pedant). I liked George and Lucas. (But ugh: George Lucas?)

38. Fall Into You 4/5

Will inherits the family farm, decades after leaving home and his verbally abusive father. In his old house he finds farm manager Casey, who’s angry that Will intends to sell. But there’s more to it.

Part romance, part “families: ugh”, part introspection on running away, part facing your fears. I never quite bought Will’s reluctance to talk to his best friend, lawyer Selma, except as a plot-delaying device. The Casey/Will interactions and their evolution are great.

39. Masquerade 4/5

It’s the day of prom at Zach’s boarding school. He wants to make a move on Cameron. And there’s Ethan, and Josh, and Owen, and Tiffany, and Bec, and Chase, and Rhys, and Kellen, all with their own hopes for the day. It ends badly – and then… starts again?

Yes, it’s Groundhog Day, with a couple of cute twists. Decently plotted and written. But a full third of the book is day 1: 110 pages for the first act. All in one chapter. So much setup, and it becomes a slog.

40. How to Say I Do 5/5

Jilted by his wife-to-be at the altar, NYC PR Noël resolves to have his Cancun honeymoon anyway, and gets wasted at the airport. Gay Texas farmer Wyatt, congenital helper and going to the same resort, decides to step in.

Left me breathless and lightly wrecked at times. Both men lost, in their own way. Both finding what they need in the other, and surrounded by love. Funny, touching, revealing, heartwarming. Beautifully written.

41. Danny Hall Gets a Lawyer 3½/5

In Goose Run, VA, Danny and his housemates have a troublesome neighbour who cuts down their tree. He calls in a lawyer: Miller, who wants a move to a big NYC law firm. The relationship quickly becomes more than professional.

Very much a romance on rails: if you like your stories sweet, spicy and predictable, this is for you. The side characters are cute and there’s a comedy goose. Am I invested/interested enough to continue the series? Unsure.

42. The Haunting Between Us 4/5

Cameron lives opposite a reputedly haunted house. Hugo and his dad move into that house. Ghostly shenanigans ensue, especially as Cameron and Hugo become closer.

Dual-POV, slow-burn. Nicely plotted, with some unsettling moments and revelations. Great side characters. Nitpick: Margaret is “Margret” a couple of times.

43. I’m Your Guy 4½/5

Book 2 in the Hockey Guys series by Sarina Bowen (book 1: 2025/32 The New Guy 4/5). Closeted Cougars player Tommaso needs to furnish his new, empty house, and finds a proudly out but newly single and very skint interior designer, Carter.

There’s so much depth to these characters, and it all has purpose. These details massively enrich the journey to the inevitable destination. A little more variety in the story would’ve lifted it even further I think.

44. Poison at Penshaw Hall 3½/5

Book 2 in the Milverton Mysteries series (book 1: 2024/91 Murder on Milverton Square 3½/5). Along with much of the town, Addison witnesses the death of a well-known local and investigates – over the objections of his maybe-more-than-a-friend Jake, the police sergeant.

Like its predecessor, tremendously cozy and tension-free. Mostly gossipy conversations with suspects and non-suspects, and the occasional light smouldering between Addison and Jake.

45. Monsters Within Men 4½/5

It’s 2053, and a global virus has turned huge numbers of people into flesh-eating monsters. Scientist Zeke is conscripted into an army trying to fight back, and becomes part of a squad led by Noah. A slow-burn romance ensues, amid the carnage.

Right up my post-apocalyptic street. It’s clear from scene 1 that characters aren’t guaranteed to survive. The squad is a found family, adding tension to the action scenes. Docked ½ for excessive predictability.

46. Save the Game 4/5

Book 2 in the SCU Hockey series (book 1: 2025/35 Shots on Net 4/5). Hockey player Max was attacked a year ago, and has become withdrawn. Then he meets flirty, outgoing baseball player Luke, with a reputation for loving and leaving his men.

CW: aftermath and long-term effects of sexual assault.

Unsurprisingly this book focuses on how the couple build their relationship amid the trauma of Max’s assault. It’s a difficult read in places. Compelling, ultimately hopeful.

47. Second to None 4/5

Boy band Neon Circuit had a secret: two of its members, Cass and Levi, were in a relationship. Several years ago the couple broke up, and the band followed soon after. When the boys reunite for a charity song, will it bring Cass and Levi back together again?

Lovely second-chance slow-burn romance, marred by the strict adherence to 50% and 75% plot points. A great look at the many prices of fame that also covers grief and loss. Fun epilogue.

48. The Fall 5/5

Torey was the next big hockey thing, until he failed to live up to his potential. In a match against Tampa he sustains a massive hit and the next thing he knows, it’s– a year later? And there’s a man in his bed? The Tampa captain, Blair? What happened?

810 pages. I wondered how Tal Bauer could keep a romance plot going that long. There’s a lot of detail and introspection, and questioning, and love. And twists, and tension, and an inevitability drawing ever closer. Great.

49. Love at Second Sight 4/5

In an alt-contemporary US town of witches, psychics, werewolves, sprites, faeries – and humans – schoolboy Cam discovers he has unexpected powers. He can see the future – but he sees something terrible. Can he stop it? Meanwhile, his werewolf crush Mateo might… like him?

Some cute characters here, and hints of backstory adding depth. The central mystery works well, the romance less so. Great title: I wonder if it came before the story?

50. Icing on the Cake 2½/5

Hockey jock Gerard meets librarian nerd Elliot in a sunshine/grumpy romance at a US college. Gerard, who thought he was straight, discovers he isn’t.

A miss, for me. I muttered “this wouldn’t happen” too many times. Claimed “can be read as standalone” but has many unresolved threads, such as the (interesting) side character with a development that’s forgotten about, and the secret blogger.

51. The Prince and the Player 4/5

Prince Tore of Norway wants to escape the straitjacket of royal life to play soccer at a US college, keeping his identity secret. The team captain, Farron, resents Tore’s obvious wealth and privilege. But there’s an undeniable attraction between them.

A grumpy/sunshine pairing, with both boys well drawn. They both identify as straight initially; the dawning is gradual and just about believable. The inevitable act 3 breakup doesn’t ring entirely true.

52. Game Changer 3½/5

Out history grad Kip, working in a coffee shop, serves local closeted hockey god Scott. And again. And again. Until it becomes more.

The romance kicks in early and strong, which leads to a succession of spicy scenes and declarations of love but no real plot progress. The coming-out storyline brings the book back to life again – I wish this had occurred earlier, leading to more development later.

53. These Old Lies 4/5

British army lieutenant Ned Pinsent meets corporal Charlie Villiers in France in the thick of World War 1. We follow their lives across the decades, apart and together.

Unless you go full comedy, historical gay romances are tricky: attitudes and laws were very different. This book gets the balance right I think. Chapters swap between WW1/1920s, and then WW2/1930s, alternating narrators, gradually revealing truths. Moving and satisfying. But: needs more proofreading!

54. Recipe for Trouble 3½/5

Grumpy video editor Ben rescues a disastrous cookery video from sunshine chef Pete, spooked by the camera. They make more videos together, and become closer. But there’s a reason Pete hates being in front of the lens.

This is a single-POV slow-burn romance in which we learn much about Ben while Pete remains enigmatic for plot reasons. The characters are engaging and the writing’s funny. However, the cause of Pete’s fear is disappointing.

55. On The Edge 4/5

Book 3 in the SCU Hockey series (book 2: 2025/46 Save the Game 4/5). Henri, the team’s people-pleasing demi German, pairs with grumpy, relationship-averse, bi Atlas on a Communications course. Atlas hates Henri, except he doesn’t.

The SCU Hockey team becomes even more implausibly queer, but that’s why we’re here. The Atlas/Henri interactions are great: especially the depictions of consent and boundaries. Atlas’s belief that he could never be enough rings so true.

56. The Jock 4/5

Closeted top-rated college footballer Wes meets out dancer Justin on a three-week course in Paris. It turns out they attend the same college in Texas. Will their relationship survive back in the US, where Wes believes he can’t be out and win an NFL contract?

Not Tal Bauer’s best, I think, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Wes’s paranoia and other plot aspects feel almost of another time. The Wes/Justin relationship is great, though.

57. After Hours at Dooryard Books 4½/5

NYC, 1968. Out Patrick runs a bookstore, and helps those in trouble. The bookstore owner brings him Nathaniel, who has a secretive past and a strong fear. And then comes Patrick’s best friend and her week-old baby, and the group becomes a family.

A quiet, thoughtful, hopeful book about grief and love in their many forms. Cat Sebastian’s so good at historical romances like this, and 1968 is a perfect setting: a world on the cusp, but of what?

58. Heated Rivalry 4/5

Book 2 in the Game Changers series (book 1: 2025/52 Game Changer 3½/5). NHL rookies and rivals Shane (Canada) and Ilya (Russia) build a relationship over several years of occasional meet-ups, usually around hockey games.

Yes, I read it now because of the TV show. Plenty of spice, and great lead characters who grow and change, and struggle to understand their feelings. Ilya’s dialogue sparkles. I felt it needed a stronger ending.

59. Prince Material 3/5

Book 2 in the Prince Pact series (book 1: 2025/51 The Prince and the Player 4/5). While undercover at a US college, Prince Floris of the Netherlands falls for his roommate Orson.

I enjoyed the characters of Floris and Orson, and Orson’s background adds some tension, but it needed more. It’s all a little easy. I thought I saw a few seeds of later conflict, but they didn’t germinate.

60. One Last Try 3/5

Young rugby star Mathias accidentally ended the career of his hero/crush, Owen, when a perfect tackle broke Owen’s leg. Several years later, Mathias joins Owen’s old club – and unknowningly rents his house, right next to his pub. Awkwardness becomes friendship, and…

An odd one, this. The concept works and I like that Mathias is on the autism spectrum. Owen’s lovable. There’s a diverse set of side characters. But I wasn’t drawn in: there’s a spark missing, for me.

61. The Last Guy on Earth 4/5

Book 3 in the Hockey Guys series by Sarina Bowen (book 2: 2025/43 I’m Your Guy 4½/5). Veteran goalie Jethro is traded to Denver, where the coach is his secret ex, Clay, from 15 years before. It was a bad breakup, and neither’s keen to see the other – initially.

Standalone, but fits into books 1 and 2 nicely. Some great backstory, much of it explored in flashbacks to Clay and Jethro’s youthful relationship. Good to see a hockey story with older leads.

62. The Best Men 4/5

Mark, a nerdy bi banker, and Asher, an athletic gay former pro soccer player and photographer, dislike each other for reasons. Then both are named as best men for the wedding of Mark’s sister and Asher’s best friend, and they discover an attraction.

Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, single dad, slow burn. Not much in the way of plot, but it’s fun. A third-act problem that doesn’t feel forced in for tropey reasons. Enjoyable characters.