I'm Your Guy: Hockey Guys, Book 2

I’m Your Guy is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I can’t wait for more Hockey Guys shenanigans. You know how it goes… I didn’t want to put this book down, and I didn’t want it to end. I loved Tommaso and Carter from the very first page, they’re just so great together. I would give this book all the stars in the Colorado sky.I’m Your Guy is book 2 in the Hockey Guys series of M/M hockey romance standalones, so it can be read without reading the first book in the series. It has some of my favorite tropes, like opposites attract, a work relationship, forced proximity—an accidental roommate setup, and the best of them all: grumpy/sunshine.I’m Your Guy has the perfect balance between lighthearted fun, hockey action, spice and steam, and emotional turmoil. There’s also plenty of longing from both guys, some dirty thoughts, and great inner dialogue that makes the tension and chemistry between Tom and Carter rise exponentially while they get to know each other.Tommaso is a successful hockey player, a broody defenseman with a sketchy reputation who mostly keeps to himself and is completely dedicated to hockey. But his mother is coming to visit for Christmas, so he needs to have his new house furnished in, like, no time.And so along comes Carter, the openly gay interior designer Tom runs into accidentally and hires out of desperation. Carter needs the job to save his business from bankruptcy and avoid homelessness. So the desperation goes both ways, but for very different reasons.But the attraction between them also goes both ways, and the higher it builds the harder it is to control and resist. Tommaso and Carter face very different challenges along the story, and the way they face them and deal with their own feelings make this a very compelling story.I loved everything about I’m Your Guy. The story is entertaining, touching, and steamy; it’s very well written and the pacing works really well. I also love the Denver/Boulder/Colorado setting. It gives you the small-town vibes with a side of city living.And last but not least, I love how this new team is taking shape. The side characters add so much depth and ambiance to this story and this series. You have the Brooklyn Bruisers and Bess Beringer as old friends we love to spend time with, and the new guys we’re getting to know who make this team quirky and special.There might be hints at the end about what’s coming next, and even if I’m reading them wrong, I just want them. All of them. All the hockey guys. I honestly can’t wait for more.

Carter Flynn is a little down on his luck. He is desperately in need of a win in his life. But he doesn’t let much get him down, he keeps on going. He is so tenacious and driven. And never ever loses his sense of humor. Carter is so kind and sees the good in people. Tommaso DiCosta might actually be one of the grumpiest grumpy cinnamon rolls I have had the absolute pleasure of reading. OH MY GOODNESS this man. I immediately loved him. And absolutely love that Bowen gifted us with so many of Tommasso’s thoughts. I wanted to wrap him up in a giant hug and fight anyone that was ever mean to him.When Tommaso corners Carter and hires him to decorate his house the banter that ensues was epic! These two were absolutely hilarious. How Carter baits Tommasso and he keeps falling for it. These two made me laugh out loud so much throughout the book. While this book was so funny there were also a lot of emotions. Both characters have overcome a lot in their past, and that impacts the men that they are today. Carter worked so hard to break down the walls that Tommaso has around himself….but he does with so much love and care. Never pushing too hard. Tommaso on the other hand took care of Carter and loved him for who he was, not wanting to change him.I will be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, so I just dove in head first and was not at all disappointed. Together these two just work. They bring out the absolute best in one another. While I usually like my books on the spicier end, I would say this one is a slow burn. But it needs to be, and it makes so much sense. These two have some serious emotional and sexual chemistry but it takes time to build something as beautiful as what they have. Of course, we got some pretty epic teasers for hopefully the next book in this series, and the Colorado Cougars are the gift that keeps on giving. If you like a book with plenty of banter, nosey teammates, supportive families, interior design, and hockey this book definitely should be on your list to read this hockey season! I cannot wait for more from this series!

This is, by far, my favorite M/M romance novel I have read. There is so much to say and love about this, but I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll be brief and just say that as a gay male, myself, this story had everything I had always wanted in a M/M romance novel. Some M/M romance novels have things happen that are a bit too far-fetched or coincidental (which can be cute but make things a bit too "fluffy" at times)... but this was the most natural, realistic, and wondrously romantic novel, and perhaps the only one I would consider re-reading just to feel the romance all over again! If there's one M/M romance novel to read, THIS IS IT!(Also, I had originally been avoiding this one because it seemed to "hockey-focused", and I'm not a big hockey fan.... but that did not matter. No need to be a hockey fan to love this story.... as long as you love romance, then you'll enjoy this book).

Read my first two books by Sarina Bowen. Couldn’t put them down and stayed up far too late to finish I’m your guy.The series has everything I needed from a MM romance novel. Great story, fun characters (Fingers crossed that some of the teammates and the COACH get their own books!), humour to make me laugh out loud, perfect level of heat and an HEA to swoon for!

REVIEWcw: queerphobia, homelessness, anxiety, debt, SA, mentions of bullying and cancerNHL defenseman Tommaso DiCosta is in desperate need of furniture for his house. When he meets down-on-his-luck interior designer, Carter Flynn, they form a tentative friendship. But as they grow closer, Tommaso has to face his past.I loved the first book in this series and was so excited to read the follow-up. And, while it follows a similar arc, in that Tommaso also starts the story as closeted, there were also significant differences, and I absolutely ADORED his and Carter's story. Carter was such a cinnamon roll. I loved his sense of humour and his warmth. I also appreciated how careful he was with Tommaso, and their connection was so stinking cute. Their chemistry was palpable throughout, and I loved how their intimacy was balanced with humour and caregiving. I adored the journey Tommaso went on after meeting Carter and how instinctively they looked after each other, especially whenever the other was facing challenges. Tommaso's backstory simultaneously broke my heart while making me so angry, but I loved the resolution.But there was also so much humour in this story. Tommaso had the best turn of phrase, and Carter was so funny. I really loved their conversations about furniture, and the bed-shopping videos were genius. The bartender moment in Sportsballs was hilarious, and I loved Carter's conversations with Rigo. Speaking of supporting characters, the moment Rigo reunited with Buck was SO pure. Meanwhile, Emilia was a hoot and so empathic, and I loved Jessie's conversation with Tommaso. Of course, it was fun catching up with the rest of the team, particularly Hudson and Gavin, and I loved the development in their lives. Plus... Actual on-ice hockey in a hockey romance is ALWAYS appreciated. Yay! The final chapters and epilogue were so satisfying and ultimately uplifting.A gorgeous story of love and self-acceptance.Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥Emotional Rating: 💓😏💔😒👏🏻💓💔😡💔😏🥰😂💓😊💓😂💓🙈😏😂💔🤬💓😂😊💔😏🙈😬🤬💔🥰😏🥰😢🥰😉💓😏😍💔😊🥰😊💓👏🏻💓😏💓😭😢💓🥰😍😢💓🥰😡💔😬💔😭💓😏😢😊👏🏻🥰😂🥰👏🏻💓🥰👏🏻💓👏🏻💓😍😂👏🏻😂🥰😏🥰🤬👏🏻🥰😍🥰👏🏻😂🥰💓Favourite Quotes:He looks over his shoulder and once again those dark brown eyes destroy me. “That pillow? Incredible. Can’t believe you made it. I love it. And when I show it to my mom, she’ll flip.”His eyes dip. “I know I’m not supposed to say this, but I really like you. A lot. And if circumstances were different, I’d show you just how much.”For a moment, I forget to breathe. Nobody says things like that to me.I can't get drunk with him. I have the self-control of a pickle, and I don't trust myself.The world is full of hot guys. But the hottest thing about Tommaso is the way he listens. When I’m speaking, he fixes those chocolate eyes on mine. He always makes me feel fascinating.“Don’t regret me,” I whisper. “Whatever we do here, you can’t tell me tomorrow that it’s a mistake.”"...I’d wait for you. As long as it takes.”He was brave to be the guy who broke the ice, and I’ll always be grateful. But I hope to live in a world where being queer doesn’t make the headlines

Je n'avais pas été emballée par le premier tome, que j'avais trouvé mignon, certes, mais surtout fadasse et plat. Là, c'est tout le contraire, je me suis régalée du début à la fin (allez, presque !) et j'ai vraiment passé un super moment.Pour faire court, disons que c'est l'histoire d'un hockeyeur de la Côte Est exilé dans le Colorado, un ours solitaire qui finit par acheter une maison et fait appel aux services d'un architecte d'intérieur rencontré par hasard dans un magasin de meubles.Le point fort du roman, c'est sans conteste tous les passages qui traitent de l'avancée de la décoration de la maison. En bon professionnel, Carter ne ménage pas ses efforts même s'il doit composer avec un client peu contrariant, certes, mais surtout peu dissert. Pas facile pour lui de décorer la maison en fonction des goûts de son client quand celui-ci est incapable de dire ce qu'il aime ou (et là on ne peut pas lui en vouloir) peine à distinguer les différentes couleurs de peinture sur les nuanciers que Carter lui présente. Si cliché cela puisse t-il être de le dire, ce que j'ai vraiment aimé, c'est qu'avec cet aménagement, ces coussins, toutes ces petites choses, Carter donne un vrai foyer à Tommaso, et c'est quelque chose que j'ai trouvé touchant. Si Carter vit librement (et ouvertement) sa sexualité, pour Tommaso, on se rend vite compte qu'il est profondément englué dans le déni et la crainte. Il crève de peur et de solitude et vu le harcèlement qu'il a subi pendant des années, c'est touchant de voir comme la personnalité lumineuse de Carter va l'aider à sortir de tout ça et à vouloir plus. D'ailleurs à ce titre, je trouve la fin vraiment anticlimatique et décevante (comme dans le 1er tome, finalement), c'est là le point faible du roman. Cela dit, l'autrice a inclus une scène que j'avais vraiment envie de lire, et qui permet à Tommaso de faire la paix avec lui-même et de tourner la page, et ça, c'est très bien.Voilà donc une belle romance avec des personnages attachants, une ambiance cocooning, un peu de hockey et une ambiance de Fêtes de fin d'année, autrement dit, un joli moment de lecture !

Thank you Sarina!Another heartfelt and wonderfully romantic story.And the best is that as soon as the book was available there was also this incredible audio with my favourite narrators 🥰

I love all her MM books and this one isn't an exception! Both MCs were adorable and I had fun reading their story. Even though I absolutely adore both books, I think I liked the first one a bit better. This is still amazing. So, are we getting anyone else's story? Please!!!!