Gravity
Tal Bauer
2022
287 pages
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MM Hockey Romance
Plot: At twenty-four, Bryce Michel is already a legend in the NHL. Drafted somewhere in the middle of the pack and completely unexceptional, he exploded out of the gates during his rookie season and practically slingshotted to glory. This year, his team, the Montreal Etoiles, have their sights set on the Stanley Cup. And there’s nowhere else Bryce would rather be. More than teammates, the Etoiles are like brothers. Family. They are stronger together, always pushing each other to be better.
But Bryce has a secret, an impossible dream that threatens to derail everything. He’s starting to realize he’s not like the other guys on his team. He feels lost. Empty. And terribly alone.
Hunter Lacey is a decent defender playing for a terrible hockey team. Unlike Bryce, he knows his time in the big leagues is probably limited, so he’s determined to enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts. He’s surprised when he gets invited to Vegas for the NHL’s annual All-Star Weekend, and totally thrilled. He’s not expecting any miracles, but there’s a real chance he might get to meet his longtime hero, the reason he’s playing the game in the first place, Canadian superstar Bryce Michel.
When Bryce and Hunter finally do meet on the ice, it’s like they’ve always known each other. Hunter is psyched to hang out with his idol, and Bryce feels the icy bands around his heart begin to loosen up. The All Star Weekend is magical, and both men play hockey like never before, as if they were always meant to skate together. But there’s a problem: in real life, they play on separate teams, and any chemistry they find together is likely to fade away once the weekend is over. Yet both men know deep down this thing between them is the start of something great, if only they could find a way to hold onto it.
First Take: Reading this book made me feel alive. The stakes are high, the tension even higher, and the reward was worth it all. This is a gut-wrenching, achingly sweet tale of two unlikely soul mates. Hockey is punishingly brutal, and so was this book on my emotions. But dang, the lows make the joyful parts that much sweeter. I laughed, I cried, I loved. As always, Tal Bauer does an amazing job of combining seminal sports moments with tender words and touches and dang if I’m not turning into a sputtering, weepy old woman. And there’s no one I’d rather be.
Characters: Bryce Michel is disciplined, dedicated, and into hockey for more than just himself. To him, hockey is about brotherhood, and the only way to win is to work together. He is an expert play-reader with a quick mind and an eye for the opponents’ weaknesses. He would give anything for his friends, including sacrificing a piece of himself. Hunter Lacey is tough as nails. He loves hockey and is determined to enjoy the moment, since nothing is guaranteed in the life of professional athletes. He is kind and fiercely loyal and young– he knows he has some growing up to do. The best secondary character in this story is the central hockey team, the Montreal Etoiles, made up of a group of surprisingly open-minded, loving and generous men. It was really great to get to know them.
Praises: Tal Bauer is a master at making a reader feel good. His stories are so heartwarming and sweet and even though his characters often go through some extremely difficult times, you know it’s always going to work out in the end, which is basically my eternal hope for this life. It is so easy to connect with Bryce and Hunter as they navigate their fears and their feelings, and what do we read for if not to find emotional connection? The best books leave you thinking and dreaming about them long after it’s over, and I’m already looking forward to reading this one again.
Critiques: There are a lot of French phrases in the text that require translation, which might annoy some readers.
Themes: Coming of Age, Family, Faith v Doubt, Identity, Loneliness, Man v Self, Survival
Overall Tone: Earnest, raw, and full of yearning, this is a story about figuring out the “why” of life.
Prose: Dual POV. One of my favorite parts of this book is that Tal Bauer made sure to include Bryce’s native French in the dialogue. The Kindle app has the built-in ability to translate the text, so it’s easy to understand what he’s saying. Each time it feels a little bit like a treasure hunt, or opening a gift. I try to guess what he’s saying and then translate it, only to find it was even sweeter and more adorable than I imagined.
Steam: 💜💜💜💜/5 Tal Bauer writes killer love scenes. They are always achingly romantic and sweet and somehow just the perfect amount.
Swear Jar: 🤬🤬🤬🤬/5 There is plenty of swearing in French(!), not much in English
Cliffhanger: HEA, no cliffhanger.
Memorable quotes:
My name etched into eternity is a cold comfort. I cannot sleep beside the Stanley Cup. I cannot wrap my arms around it and feel its heartbeat, or feel its breath move through my hair. I may love this sport, and love the chase of the championship, but it will not love me back.
“I think about you all the time. How we were on the ice together. How we were when we were hanging out. You remember when we drove into the desert under the stars…I was so happy that night. Mon Dieu, I almost kissed you then, but I was too terrified.”
Hunter: “I don’t know how I am enough for you, Bryce. That’s what’s wrong here. That’s what’s always been wrong. I’m no one. I’m nothing. How could you fall for me?”
Bryce: “How could I not?”
Is this what falling in love really is? Discovering pieces of yourself inside another person? Finding that half of your heart that lives in another?
Worthy of a reread? Holy Cow, yes!
Stand-Alones, Prequels, Sequels, & Tangents: Though sold as a stand-alone Hockey romance, this book sort of isn't! Tal Bauer has a second book, The Rest of the Story, which takes place in the same universe, featuring different characters on a different team. Hunter & Bryce make an appearance there, so to me, it's basically a series. Read this one first, as it takes place first chronologically.
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Popular Highlights in this book
I could faint. I could also puke, right onto the ice, right between his skates. “Hi,” I squeak. “I wear your number.” “Enchanté.” Bryce's grin grows. “I wear your number, too.”Highlighted by 1,650 Kindle readers- This is the man I have been missing. Not my hero. Not the man from the posters on my teenage walls. The real Bryce, the man from midnights and empty drives and lonely rivers, and the man who looked me in the eyes and dared to risk everything because, somehow, I made his heart beat faster.Highlighted by 1,605 Kindle readers
About the author
The most amazing book
I have truly loved this book. It made me laugh out loud and giggle and cry. It truly is a great book!!! Thank you for writing such an amazing love story!!!
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