salifiable

I honestly don't even know how to start this review. I am speechless. This is one of the best books I have ever read. It has laughs, it has strength, it has self-discovery, it has growth, it has misunderstandings, it has life lessons, it has love, and it has hockey. (Woo hoo!) I played ice hockey for nine years, I love the sport, and can testify that Salifiable has grasped what hockey is at its fundamental level for those who have that same passion I do for it. Hockey is not just a game or show more just a job, but it is a continuous act of love, a way of life. Everything in this book reaches down into the heart of the issues, from the desire to win and passion to compete, to a star athlete's crazy schedule, to coming out as gay or bisexual in a world of sports, to Russia's condemnation of homosexuality, to every other feature put forward; this story catches you up from the first scene, and it just gets more and more intense, painful, beautiful, joyful, until the conclusion.

I LOVED these characters. I read the version with the changed names (although I am on the waiting list to join AO3, so hopefully will get the other version soon), so I will be using those here. It's all told from Darryl's point of view, which is frustrating at times, but right for this story because you aren't supposed to know what Alex feels, everything that he goes through. Instead you feel everything filtered through Darryl, and that sets the tone in different sections of the book to match how he interprets things. Darryl goes through the process of self-discovery wonderfully: first lust, secrecy, confusion, and happiness, then his epiphany, denial, pain, tear jerking moments, then his bravery, decision, and the resolution of the story. It was just such a realistic story, even though it is "wildly fictional" (the words of the author), because of how each scene, each emotion, and each relationship between the multitude of characters was written. It felt just like this was a transcript of real events. I felt that each character was real and true in this world, and every action, especially the monumental support that came up from the secondary characters, just buoyed my heart and lifted me up. Each character was unique, and every detail from their voices to their actions was distinct from every other.

And Alex...Alex was amazing. At first, through Darryl's eyes, you only see him narrowly as an obnoxious, silly man-child, but his moments of seriousness make you sit up and take notice, because even in the first pages, you can feel that there is so much more to him. And the way he gets Darryl to have fun with his life, to open up and laugh, really shows how perfect the two are together. A perfect couple balances each other out and brings out the best in one another, and that's what these two did; they improved one another on and off the ice. And the further you read, the more complex and beautiful a man Alex becomes. The entire story is told with lots of laughs and smiles--from Darryl's disbelief that Alex actually spends his spare time rescuing stray animals, to the locker room talk, to Alex's shenanigans. And I just fell completely in love with Alex as he chose bravery and the hard road and was a wonderful role model (no matter how he protested his greatness). Then, the cherry on top, Darryl's apology, and the final conversation...just big, bold, honest, mature, and beautiful, like everything else in this story.

I simply cannot convey how wonderful this story was. It was long, intriguing, gave me everything I could want out of a story and more, and any review I, or anyone else, could write could never do it full justice, because there is so, so much in this story that you will not get unless you read it. And besides that, the true brilliance of this story is in all the little details and scenes spread throughout it. The story, characters, situations, all of it grows on you with every scene you read until you are consumed by what the Alex and Darryl are experiencing and you are rooting for them with every beat of your heart.

I am frankly astonished at how much I adored/loved/enjoyed this story, because I read the first page thinking, "Hey, I'm going to just read the first scene and see what this is gonna be like." And then...I didn't put it down...until it was after 2AM and I was done and ready to write this review. This is one of those rare stories that just blindsides you with its heart-felt emotion and wonder. I could not have imagined a more perfect story. Before I was even finished reading, I knew this would be one of my all-time-favorites, and I could keep ranting and trying to explain everything I felt and thought because of this book, but in truth, I can't put it perfectly into words. This story speaks for itself; it is a brilliant, shining saga of two men triumphing and making their world into a better place. I use the word "saga" because looking back on the story, it honestly feels like I lived their lives with them. Like I was there at each moment and months have passed, not just hours, since I read the first page. I look back at the beginning and am stunned at how far Darryl and Alex have come, but I feel like I have fundamentally changed along with them. This book doesn't feel like fiction to me, and all that right there explains how extraordinary this book really is. show less

So some things were totally weird. It was like the author had to work off a checklist about what to put in M/M romance book.

- Talk about condoms: Check
- Talk about consent: Check (at 80%, this was a bit late. Mainly because of the first time they had very dubious consent sex)
- Talk about having a disease or not: Check. Also at a very weird moment. They already were bangin' for while at that point...(O.o)

What totally saved it was the humor and snark between the main characters! So worth it. show more

Also I now know what a hat trick is... I had something very different in my mind... show less

Very enjoyable, although the present tense took some getting used to (I actually didn't really get used to it, it annoyed till the end...).

Anyways, it was a fun read, and very entertaining, with some angst and drama thrown in.

1 star is added for being a free read.

This is an ok read, but I wanted a little more in the build up to the sex. It seemed a little awkward and lacked the mutual attraction and building of tension that makes for great reading, just wasn't present. However, it's a free read :)