Hat Trick Series — Samantha Wayland

I gotta be honest. I wouldn't have picked this series up if it wasn't by a friend of mine. (Also, I got it though my Kobo Plus subscription.) It doesn't tick very many of my boxes:

It's a hockey romance and I'm kinda iffy on sports romances in general, though obviously I make exceptions. It's MMF and the first book is solidly MF and I...just don't read a lot of MF these days. Not that there aren't great MF books out there; I've just been all full up on straight romance for kind of a while. There's a side male character who repeatedly threatens the main female character with sexual assault, which is usually a hard no for me. I get why the author put in it there; it drives part of the plot line; it's an indication of the villain's true character, etc. But that's where I usually DNF a book. He doesn't actually accomplish it, so I kept going, but it gets a little close in one scene, ngl.

EXCEPT. I loved these characters a lot. I really got into their story. I really loved how the initial couple brought the third in and convinced him that he is lovable, even with his anxieties and insecurities. The sex is scorching and she doesn't skimp on the MM sexy times. Also, I ended up liking the hockey bits. It's less about playing or winning games and more about the inside of how a team work--the trainers, the managers, the owners, and what happens when you get too old to play hockey but hockey's the only thing you've ever cared about.

Anyway, I hope the caveats don't put you off because this series was worth it. Except if attempted sexual assault is a trigger for you, then skip it--I completely understand.