If you had told me while I was reading Forbidden Puckboy that I would end up completely in love with Connor Kikishkin, I wouldn’t have believed you. He was a hard character to like for much of that book, but there was a bit of a reckoning that made me sympathetic toward him by the end and gave me hope that he was redeemable. Well, now, having read his book, I can confidently say that he’s now one of my favorite Puckboys! His redemption arc in this book was executed so well, and he and Parker ended up being the cutest things together. I really loved this book.

Now that Connor is finally able to focus on himself, he realizes that he doesn’t really know himself at all. He’s having a bit of an existential crisis. A crisis that’s not helped by the fact that Parker Duchene, someone who Connor wasn’t exactly nice to in high school, just bought his team. These guys obviously had a rocky start, given their past, and Connor had to hit a pretty low point before he truly saw the damage his past actions caused. But once he finally owned it, I thought the evolution of his and Parker’s relationship felt so natural. Connor was so lost, and Parker was so lonely, but they started a really sweet friendship that blossomed into more as Connor made even more realizations about who he really was.

They were so sweet together. I was giddy during most of the middle portion of the book. I loved the communication between them. They understood and accepted each other on a level that most people didn’t. I loved how open Connor was to exploring this new side of his sexuality. The journey was equal parts adorable and very steamy (Connor’s possessive side when it was focused on Parker? Yes, please!). They had great chemistry together.

I really cannot overstate how much I appreciated Connor’s redemption arc. He had to face some difficult truths, but he did, and he made some tough decisions to finally live his life on his own terms. I loved how Parker was there to support him but also didn’t let him off the hook too easily for what transpired between them back in high school. I just thought the whole thing was done well. I didn’t expect the direction things ended up taking, but I loved how it all turned out.

I also loved the Queer Collective cameos and meeting one of the new characters that’ll be in the next book! This series is one of my favorites, and Connor and Parker have earned a spot near the top of my all-time favorites in the series!