Game Changer: Game Changers Book 1

I enjoyed it but there is not a lot of fleshed out character building here. I found the dialog to be cheesy most of the time, especially during the bumpity bump scenes.There is so many changes in the show vs the book that it borders ridiculousness. What is the point of the book. .. i guess inspiration.I wish scotts monologue to kip was in the book when he is talking about how intense he is etc.Not even the banana is in the book.I did enjoy it on its own terms once I accepted it was extremely different.

Can we just collectively gather around & give Scott & Kip hugs please? I love them! Scott absolutely breaks my heart because his closeted life has been so lonely & caused him such emotional pain. He’s never been able to keep people close to him & for a person without a family of his own, it’s devastating to read. And then Kip, who lives in an out-&-proud world, has fallen in love with this guy, the perfect guy for him, but he can’t tell anyone about it since he’s kinda forced into a closeted life too, hidden away from society in a secret bubble with Scott. Both of them deserve to love each other out loud, without shame. And while this part of their story is hard, it’s a stark reminder about the reality many queer people are forced to navigate. I loved how Rachel tackled this because she really fleshed it out from all possible angles, which made it feel real. But while part of this story is sad & angsty, the majority of it is truly beautiful. The way these men carve out small, safe places for their love to grow, is amazing & will have you clutching your heart & adoring these characters. And the side characters? OMG, they’re nothing short of spectacular too. Allies through & through... it’s awesome.Alright, I’m keeping this review strictly to the bookish content (I’ll probably make a TV-related post to continue to gush about how much I loved the show), but it would be remiss of me to exclude it entirely since it was the driving factor of me picking up this book & this series. I’d never heard of the author or the series until the teaser for the show dropped & then I literally dropped everything to read the series & watch the show congruently.Narrowing an entire book down to a single episode (& change) is a challenging feat, but Jacob (the showrunner) does it well. He represents Scott & Kip in a great way on screen. But, this book has so much more backstory. I’ve seen some people online, who haven’t read the books, ask questions about their relationship that are easily explained in the books. The big moments? Those are included in the show. But the extra moments that really show the depth of their relationship? We find those within the pages of this story. I highly recommend anyone who loved episode 3, dive into this book. It’s beautiful.

This is a modern queer sports romance, the first book in a series best read (or listened to) in order. I read this book years ago but just finished listening it for the first time. I loved being able to get into the minds of Scott and Kip as their secret romance unfolded. They got their “Happy Ever After” but so many do not get that beautiful ending. I am eager to get back to book two but there would be no HEA for them without Scott and Kip!!

What a story!Anyone who has hidden their true identity will definitely identify with Scott. Hiding yourself IS exhausting; something I did for over 4 decades. As Scott felt, you’ve put so much effort into hiding and sculpting your public persona, those first few steps into the light are so damn scary.Scott hid due to his being a celebrity, but in reality, people hide for so many reasons. For those of you reading this who haven’t had to hide who you are, I hope reading this will give you just a glimpse of what hiding is. It really is true that straight people don’t have to proclaim their sexuality the way non-straight people do.Of course, I loved the book as a whole. Scott and Kip make an amazing couple. I love the insta connection between the two, and the shy way their relationship begins. Kips friends are amazing. Scott isn’t the only one dealing with issues, as Kip has doubts he has to deal with as well.I highly recommend reading this book. It’s absolutely going on my reread list!

I am disappointed to say I watched the show on HBO before reading this book and I really really wish I would've read before watching because I could only imagine Scott and Kip as there actors and I truly think I would've imagined them differently (especially because the audiobook voices didn't match the vibes of the actors IMO).I LOVE Scott and Kip and really fell in love with them in the show. I know they are probably most people's second favorite couple but they really stole my heart. This book gives them the spotlight and I think it is really well done. I love the drawn out love story we saw bites and pieces of on TV.- Professional Hockey player x Smoothie Barista- Secret Romance- MM romance- Found Family