Defensive Zone

Chicago Thunder, Book 3

De: Jodi Oliver

Narrado por: Alexander Cendese, Liam DiCosimo

Zach

Since I was six years old, my world has revolved around two things: Carter Lockwood and hockey.

We made a pact in college before we turned pro to always put each other first. To make each other our priority, but being in love with your straight best friend can make that hard, especially when you have to watch them fall in love with someone else.

I don't want to break my best friend's heart to save my own, but I need to put some space between us to save our friendship.

Only this time, it's not just the defensive zone I'm protecting, but also my heart.

Carter

From the moment I met Zach Reid, we were inseparable.

Nobody really understands why I always wanted to be with him. Our relationship is what some people call codependent, but he's been my favorite person for over two decades, and life is always calmer when he's around.

But something changed between us over the summer, and I started to see him in a different way.

Then the pact we made in college started to fall apart, along with my football career.

I don't know what happened or how to make it right, but there's one thing I know for certain.

I'm lost without him.

Defensive Zone is a childhood best-friends-to-lovers sports romance featuring a hockey player and a football player. It includes unrequited love, a bi-awakening, mutual pining and all the Thunder found family vibes. It is book three in the Chicago Thunder series and can be listened to as a standalone.

©2024 Jodi Oliver (P)2025 Podium Audio

Friends to lovers two sports romance

That's right two different sports in this romance. Narration is outstanding. Alexander Cendese and Liam DiCosimo are becoming one of my favorite narrating teams. love this story, love this series.👏❤🔥

😍 Loved It 🥰

Liam and Alexander “nail” it AGAIN! I love them!! The story was perfect for their styles. i really enjoyed the story. It was well writer. looking forward to the next!

Trade Deadline : Chicago Thunder #3 : 5+⭐️

Trade Deadline : Chicago Thunder #3 : 5+⭐️

This has been my favorite of the series so far! But that shouldn’t be too shocking because childhood best friends to lovers is my favorite troupe! Honestly I am not sure how Jodi does it because I thought that Carter and Zach were in a relationship in Trade Deadline and obviously at the end of Off Season we find out Zach was distraught pining over his best friend. But like the way she laid their story out it perfection, and getting more of each established couple in each book! It’s amazing!

🏒Childhood Bestfriends to Lovers
🏒Football Player
🏒Hockey Player
🏒Star Wars
🏒Legos
🏒Emergency Contact
🏒Care Taking
🏒Pining/Angst

Zach has been in love with his best friend Carter for as long as he can remember. With them both being professional athletes they have a pact that every off season is spent together! Only this year Carter starts a relationship with a woman. Zach can’t be around it, it hurts too much so he breaks the pact and returns to Chicago.

Zach tries desperately to pull back and give himself space from Carter. Carter is struggling with this because he doesn’t know what he did wrong. After a bad season he shows in Chicago, where Zach breakdown and confesses his love. However, right after Zach gets injured in a game. This is all it took for Carter to realize Zach is his everything and the feelings he has are not platonic.

Can the go from friends to lovers? Is Carter in this for the right reasons? Will they be able to survive a long distance relationship? Will Zach fully recover from his injury?

If you have not read this series I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to read is book 4 in this series!

Zach & Carter

I adore this series and everything about it. The narrators were both perfect for their roles and I loved hearing them bring Zach & Carter to life.

So Sweet

Loving this series. Carter and Zach were just lovely. Soulmates from when they were 6. No angst, just them loving each other. The whole gang is back too. Great addition to the series and great narration!

Loved it

Adorable sexy hot every thing I always want and expect😊. Zach and Carter are truly soulmates

Feeling a little left out of modern m/m fiction

Despite the fact that the vast majority of men in relationships with other men consider themselves gay, here is yet another book about two males written by a woman with nary a gay man in sight. Zach is bisexual and Carter is whatever he is. I'm starting to think the women who write these are just fetishizing us.