The Crease, book four in the For Puck’s Sake series, by Crea Reitan is officially live! Snag your copy today to binge read the series!

Cover Designer: Rebeca Covers

Blurb:

Always protect the heart of the ice.

Max

This wasn’t supposed to happen to me. I’m supposed to be at the top of my career. Untouchable. Worshiped. Finally proving to all the jerks in my life that I made it. I’m at the top.

Then a video that shouldn’t exist leaks and everything comes crashing down. I’m about to lose it all and I can’t seem to get out of my own way. My agent banishes me to a place that technology can’t touch while he tries to salvage my career.

I’m caught between rage and deep depression, lashing out at everyone and everything around me. I have myself to blame but right now, all I want is to drown in my misery. Even when something unexpected and good comes along, all I can do is push and push until I’m once more drowning all alone.

Deryke

I don’t know what’s come over me. Why does this disaster of a hockey player suddenly call to my heart and everything inside my body and mind? I mean, the world knows what’s in his pants and I’ve never been even slightly turned on by that! Why now? Why him?

Even when he’s bratting so hard I want to break him, I can see that he acts the way he does because he’s hurting somewhere deep inside. He won’t let me in, but for some unknown reason, I can’t let Maximus Latham go.

He needs me. He needs someone to believe in him and not disappear the minute he messes up. He needs someone to love him for him, not for being the hockey god he is. Except I’m not sure I can reach him in time before he self-destructs.

But damned if I’m not going to try.

***

This is a LGBT+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.

Trigger Warning: Family Neglect

**~ * ~ Ky‘s Review ~ * ~**

* 4.5 Stars *

I decided to read this book because the blurb sounded interesting and because I liked book #2 of the series but I’m not very familiar with the author yet so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised by what turned out to be a very interesting story with unique characters.

Max and Deryke start as nothing more than acquaintances but when Max is at a bad place and Deryke happens to be there, their relationship starts evolving and they grow closer.

Their story spans many months and I liked that there was time for their relationship to change.

Max’s mental health was suffering when they met at the beginning of the book. He didn’t have a happy childhood as he was emotionally neglected by his family who ended up completely abandoning him once he was an adult.

I never understood why they acted that way towards him. It was a big family but he was the only one who was an afterthought, if even that. I don’t think that was a plot hole though, I think we’re left without an answer deliberately, because the reason behind their behavior doesn’t really matter and it doesn’t make a difference. Max’s childhood shaped him and their neglect left him with some very deep scars and a need for attention.

Deryke decided to support Max and help him the best way he could until the off-season ended and they had to report back for training camp. But the months they spent together, basically secluded and away from the world, left their mark and even though they both knew their time together would come to an end, neither was willing to let the other go at the end of summer.

There are some side characters from previous books but it can be read as a standalone.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I’ve liked both of them so I think I’ll keep an eye out for the next one in the series.

~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. ~

**~ * ~ Jo‘s Review ~ * ~**

4 Stars

This is book 4 in the series, and they are all quite different, which I like. We’ve been waiting for Max’s story and we knew he’d crashed and burned from book 3. The question really was why and we find out in this story. I’d say it works best if you’ve read the previous books, as characters and events are related.

Max is far more complex than you would have thought from meeting him in earlier books. It’s a good job, too, because otherwise, I’m not sure how the author would have achieved his redemption. The book is very emotional and full of angst. Max hits rock bottom; he is quite broken. His rescue comes from an unexpected source; Deryke is straight as far as he knows. Max, however, brings out a side of him that he wasn’t aware of, which was an intense need to protect and care. This story has both of them going on a journey of self discovery. It’s a long read; intense and hot at times but in other ways a slow burn–there is no instant fix for Max but with Derykes help, he is able to find himself.

I did feel maybe in the real world, Max would have needed professional intervention earlier but I get that this is a romance, and the plot works as one. I’d definitely recommend it; their HEA is hard won but especially satisfying.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.*

About the Author:

Crea lives in upstate New York with her dog and husband. She has been writing since grade school, when her second grade teacher had her class keep writing journals. She has a habit of creating secondary, and often time tertiary, characters that take over her stories. All of her RH relationships end up being heavily polyamorous – meaning it’s not just all the men for one woman. There’s also some M/M action going on. When she can’t fall asleep at night, she thinks up new scenes for her characters to act out. This, of course, is how most of her meant-to-be-thrown-away characters tend to end up front and center – and utterly swoon-worthy! Don’t ask her how many book boyfriends she has…

When not writing, Crea is an avid reader. Her TBR pile is several hundred books high (don’t even look at her kindle wish list or the unread books on her tablet). Sometimes, she enjoys crafting; sometimes, exploring nature; sometimes, traveling. Mostly, she enjoys putting her characters on paper and breathing life into them. Oh, and sleeping. Crea loves to sleep!

Author Links:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/creasgodlings

https://www.facebook.com/crea.reitan

https://www.instagram.com/creareitan/

https://www.tiktok.com/@creareitan

www.creareitan.com

https://www.patreon.com/creareitan

https://reamstories.com/creareitan

https://linktr.ee/creareitan