Save of the Game

By: Avon Gale

Narrated by: Scott R. Smith

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

After last season's heartbreaking loss to his hockey team's archrival, Jacksonville Sea Storm goalie Riley Hunter is ready to let go of the past and focus on a winning season. His new roommate, Ethan Kennedy, is a loud New Yorker with a passion for social justice that matches his role as the team's enforcer. The quieter Riley is attracted to Ethan and has no idea what to do about it.

Ethan has no hesitations. As fearless as his position demands, he rushes into things without much thought for the consequences. Though they eventually warm to their passionate new bond, it doesn't come without complications. For their relationship to work, Ethan will need to learn when to keep the gloves on and let someone help him, and Riley will have to learn it's okay to let someone past his defenses.

©2016 Avon Gale (P)2016 Dreamspinner Press

Scott R. Smith delivers great audio!

Any additional comments?

I’ve made no bones that Riley Hunter is one of my favorite characters in the Scoring Chances series, and that he and Ethan Kennedy are one of my favorite couples, so I had high expectation of Scott R. Smith’s narration and I feel like every expectation was met.

Smith performs really well, with great character voices, good pacing, timing and delivery.

I expected him to really bring to life the humor, romance, and passion, and I feel like he delivered on all counts. I’ll definitely be slipping this audio into my auto re-listen rotation!

If you’re looking for a great romance with a fantastic friendship, low angst and hot sex, and great narration you should definitely pick this up!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A GREAT second book in the series!

*4.5 stars*

Avon Gale is on FIRE with this series! Hot, sexy, sweet, entertaining, PLUS HOCKEY GUYS! I honestly couldn't ask for more.

Save of the Game was another excellent book in a series that is shaping up to be a favorite of mine. I think this author has helped convert me to a full-time hockey fan because hockey books are my new obsession!

I, again, listened to this as an audiobook, and I had the same reactions to the narrator, Scott R. Smith, as last time. There is something about his cadence that takes a little getting used to, but once I got used to his manner of speaking, I was HOOKED.

I love that Scott R. Smith does different voices for different characters and really puts his all into it. I'm from a NYC suburb, and though the accent for Ethan may seem a little over-the-top, it really isn't. I hear people talk similarly all the time. I loved how the narrator went for it. I also loved his mellow voice for Riley. Just a great narration, very well done.

I thought that this book was a very sweetly done bi-discovery story, with both Riley and Ethan experiencing their first time with another man (<--- you know I love this!!). It felt really real, not forced or fake, and I totally bought their attraction for one another.

In terms of sexuality, I think both men would consider themselves bisexual (they refer to themselves as such a few times), but I also was curious about Riley perhaps being demisexual (not confirmed, mind you). A few times in the book, Riley says that he isn't that attracted to people until he gets to know them well, and that is why he doesn't hook up much. I picked up on that, and I was excited to see some demisexuality represented.

The plot was lovely, a true friends-to-lovers story with surprisingly little angst. The book had a relaxed, light-hearted, earnest vibe that I really liked, and I smiled the entire time I was listening to it. These guys were smitten with each other and I was smitten with them.

I wouldn't call this book kinky, per se, but the sex was a little on the rougher side at times, and IT. WAS. HOT. I couldn't get enough of the sex scenes and the slow, natural way that Riley and Ethan got to know one another. Super hot, super well-done.

The hockey details, the family details, they all worked with the story. I liked both Riley and Ethan's personal journeys, and I though that Avon Gale did a great job of making the story cohesive.

I think my one complaint would be that parts of the story dragged on a tiny bit, but I really loved it overall. I absolutely can't wait to continue on in this awesome series! #seastormpride

*Audiobook ARC provided by the publisher*

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

awesome book awesome narrator

I am totally in love with this series I have bought all three installments and love it. I like the relationship in the hockey thing as I have my hockey fan myself so I highly recommend this series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Even better the second time around!

Going in for a second comfort listen.....I just love this series and narrator! Just as good the second time around--I adore, simply adore Ethan!

If you haven’t yet picked up this fantastic series by the masterful Avon Gale, get to it! Scott R. Smith hits this entire series out of the ball park with his narration!

goofy and loveable

These books always hit me in the weird but adorable spot. I adore the characters and the romance is light and breezy (even with the kinky sexy times Ethan and Riley get up to). The narrator was also very good. I could not recommend it more.

Perfection!

If you could sum up Save of the Game in three words, what would they be?

Ethan is EVERYTHING

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ethan all the way. He was so genuine and lovable. I loved that when confronted with an attraction towards Riley he just went with it. Didn't over analyze anything or create unnecessary drama. He just jumped in with both feet.

Have you listened to any of Scott R. Smith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes I have listened to him a couple of times before. I enjoyed this one the most probably because I enjoyed the story more. Plus I think he nailed Ethan's character. Not that I am an expert on accents or anything (far from it). I can only go by whether or not I enjoyed listening to hours of it

Any additional comments?

So far this is turning out to be a great series and look forward to the next book!

I'm Game For More

I've enjoyed the first two books in the series though each couple so far seems to have one partner with the less smart/ strangely quirky partner. Still, I liked these men and am invested enough to want more in the series. They are great on thier own but as a couple, they are even better.

Narration was good again, accents done well.

Riley & Ethan :Friends to Lovers with little angst

Scott B Smith’s narration of the is book (and series) is quite impressive. The delivery, vocal range and overall pace was spot on. I love the accents as well as the rhythm of his voice blended effortlessly with the story. He added enjoyment to an already well rounded plot.

Riley Hunter was first introduced in book 1, Breakaway, as the Jacksonville Sea Storm goalie and teammate to Lane Courtnall. Riley was still coming to terms with his sudden attraction to men. After Lane moves out of their apartment, Riley gets a new teammate, Ethan Kennedy. Ethan doesn’t come from a financially secure background like Riley, so there were some economic adjustments between the roommates.

Riley and Ethan were so complimentary as a couple because of their different backgrounds. Ethan came from a tight-knit family who supported him even though they were poor. Riley on the other hand, came from a rich family who was never around. Riley grew up alone with servants for companionship and figuring out his sexual preferences. Ethan was more inquisitive and active in pursuing the object of his attraction even if he was uncertain of how it would turn out. Each hero had what the other lacked so this was a case were opposites attract.

Avon Gale does a great job writing realistic, non-dramatic relationships. I appreciate the way the author just wove the story without silly miscommunications that last forever. Riley and Ethan were good friends and were good teammates, who happen to find themselves liking each other. They went about their sexual discovery in a healthy manner and they certainly had great sexual chemistry. The story was well written, had great flow and just made me feel good. I normally enjoy more angst in my stories, but this series is impressive. It is so nice to see relationships that people didn’t have to suffer the trials of Job before reaching their happy place. If you want a good low drama friends to lover story, you have to try this series out.

B+ rating...

My Review:
Overall: 4.25
Performance: 4.75
Story: 4.0

Riley...I kind of loved him. He's intense and a bit different from the rest of the team. He's the goalie which comes with its own set of eccentricities...and Riley has a few more on top of the normal ones. He's superstitious, and reserved. He never shows much emotion...just does his job and does it well. But everything changes once Ethan and his family start to get under Riley's skin.

Riley's upbringing was such that he's never gotten attached to other people. But Ethan doesn't have boundaries. He just barges in and assumes everything will work out. I loved the way of them worked together. For Ethan, family is everything. Riley doesn't understand this. He's never had that kind of relationship with anyone...but suddenly he finds himself taken into Ethan's family like he's one of theirs too. It was so sweet to se this kid who needed that kind of love so desperately...both from Ethan and from his family. It made for a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I'm truly loving this series and this book brought glimpses of Jared and Lane back, too, so that made it even better. I highly recommend all the books in this series. This was another fun one...lots of great hockey, sexy nights spent exploring new things, and an intriguing yet revolting amount of coconut water mixed in.

Save of the Game

Any additional comments?

*Audio copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the Dreamspinner for my listening pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Save of the Game is Book 2 in Avon Gale's Scoring Chances series. You could probably listen/read Book 2 without having read the first one, but don't do that! There are characters and storylines from Book 1 that are involved in Book 2 and you'll enjoy it more with the history of the characters. In this book, goalie Riley Hunter is in peak physical shape and ready to win a championship. Riley is an open minded individual, who has considered that he may be bisexual. Riley comes from a wealthy family which he keeps hidden from everyone but his closest friends. Ethan Kennedy is loud, boisterous, and the life of the party. He smokes cigarettes like Riley drinks coconut water. Ethan was raised in a close knit family with a single mom and two sisters. Family is one of the most important parts of his life. Riley is unexpectedly attracted to Ethan, confirming that he's bisexual. In a nosy move, Ethan finds Riley's hidden porn files on the laptop and realizes that the men in the videos look a lot like him, making him rethink his sexuality.

I seriously appreciated that when Riley and Ethan became interested in each other, they went all in. There were no chapters of angst about how can I be gay, can I do this, should I do this, etc. They both decided to accept themselves and to move forward. Their fumblings of trying to figure out what to do with each other was funny, leading a clearly desperate Riley to call Lane (from Book 1) for sex advice. The ridiculousness and hilarity of that call was a pure Lane moment. And was a reminder of just how much I loved Lane and Jared.

Some characters that I have to mention is Riley and Ethan's coach and Ethan's family. Coach doesn't care that they're gay, he just wants them to play some ******* hockey! Coach likes to sprinkle nouns and verbs in between his cussing and he is hilarious! There were many scenes with him involved that I was laughing while listening. He was just so well written and the narrator just brought him to life. Additionally, Ethan's mom and sisters. They were no different from Ethan, they're loud, brash, in your face and they have huge hearts. They just added so much to this story, and made it easy to understand why Ethan had turned out the way he did.

I really enjoyed the audiobook from Book 1, and this one definitely doesn't disappoint. This audiobook was narrated by Scott R. Smith, who really brought the characters to life! His storytelling was very well paced and he really brought out the humor and passion in this story. Though I did feel that his female characters all had the same voice/tone, so sometimes it was hard to tell which one was speaking without being told.

Overall, this is a low angst story with two lovable guys, that provides lots of laughter and some really hot, steamy, sexy scenes. Even if you're not a fan of hockey, or don't understand it, you should still check out this series!

Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 4.5 stars
Story: 5 stars

Excellent second book

Such a fun read. Following on in the same vane as book 1. Superbly written with lots of fun and wit. Really liked the narration too. Scott did a great job giving each character a different voice.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Second book in the Scoring Chances series

What made the experience of listening to Save of the Game the most enjoyable?

Scott R Smith really brings these characters to life, i could listen to his voice all day actually, so Avon Gale, if you're reading this you need to get writing asap! (hehehe)

What did you like best about this story?

Riely & Ethans relationship, especially as they went form team mates to room mates to lovers. That dynamic they had in their relationship & even though Ethan was the tough enforcer on the ice it was quiet Riley who took the dominant role in the bedroom.

Have you listened to any of Scott R. Smith’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Naturally i read Breakaway first so yeah i kinda fell in love with voice then, it's very easy to listen to.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Thankfully they were happy emotions, i laughed a lot in this book, especially the parts that contained Ethan's mum.