Look, when it comes to me and Hockey I’m like Chance The Rapper in this SNL skit.
I’m actually like this with most sports but when I saw this Rapinoe-esque model on the cover I had to read more.
Hyperactive, rainbow-haired, pro-hockey player Amy Schwarzbach is spending the summer coaching with her idol and secret crush–retired Olympic hockey player Caro Cassidy. It’s an opposites-attract tale as Amy, the out-and-proud social media addict learns to control her overactive mind and focus on the instant chemistry she has with her reserved down-to-earth boss who doesn’t want her personal life on display.
Amy is a study in millennial culture from her rainbow hair, reliance on ice coffee, cult Twitter following, and the way she has to explain to the youths that thirty isn’t that old. She feels very modern and I liked getting into the head of a bubbly extroverted heroine. The internal conflict in this book is focused on the women’s different personalities and approaches to privacy, in addition to Caro learning to cope with her anxiety and depression. These sort of internal conflict heavy books don’t generally work for me so it was a bit for me to get through.
This book really made me think about how under-appreciated female athletes are. I honestly knew nothing about the Olympic Women’s Hockey Teams or that there was a National Women’s Hockey League. I don’t generally read sports romance because the fame and money parts don’t appeal to me, but I appreciate books like this because the players are more down to earth.
