Wells Lemiere knew the moment he saw Matty Haverbrooke, he had to have him. Matty was quiet, he was talented, he was beautiful, and Wells couldn’t stay away.

As the youngest and most talented son of the NHL Commissioner, Matty had found the burden of family expectations almost too heavy to carry on even his broad shoulders. He had no intention of getting involved in a relationship with Wells. But the heart he’d given up for dead had other ideas.

Their affair was intense and overwhelming, but when Matty couldn’t bring himself to come out and admit he wanted a public future with the man he loved, Wells had no choice but to honor his vow to live openly…and leave Matty behind.

But then he learns Wells is marrying another, and Matty knows he can't let that happen. Can he throw down his gloves and embrace his future with both hands? Or will he pull the door to his closet shut once more?

We were teased by Wells Lemiere and Matty Haverbrooke's story in the last book In The Crease. 

For Toni Aleo series fans here is how they relate: Wells is Wren's brother and the best friend of Jensen (In The Crease)  and Vaughn (Delayed Call) . He is a hockey player, gay, and in love with Matty who is Avery's brother and the NHL Commissioner's son (Hooked by Love). Matty is in the closet and the only one who knows he is gay is Wells. 

Matty is stoic, closed off, controlled, analytical, and smart. But he can be funny and loving when it is just with Wells or people he is comfortable with. Wells is a decade older than Matty and is sweet, caring, loving and just wants to settle down and be happy. But Wells is tired of being a secret and gives him an ultimatum that Matty is just not ready for, so it ends them.

Looking for someone to fill the void, Wells began dating Alex who is a fast mover. Fairly soon Wells is looking at exchanging vows with his rebound man. But everyone knows, including Wells, that Matty was the love of his life. 

Matty is terrified of coming out not only to his family, but to the NHL and the world. He is a popular and successful player, so he is not sure what it would mean for his career. And he is sure that his family, especially his father will not be accepting. They already have enough family dynamics issues that they are still dealing with due to Matty's past behavior with his sister. So Matty has a lot to deal with and has choices he needs to make. 

But when Matty realizes it will be his last chance to go after his man, will he find the courage to fight for what he wants and face the consequences for being who he really is? 

I loved Wells. He was just the sweet, good guy that everyone loved. And I could understand Matty's issues and reasons why he was afraid, but I was also rooting for him to get it together and give Wells what he deserved. They feel strongly and  have the potential to be great together, but they have obstacles. Angst, drama, miscommunication, and fear plagued them.

This is an angsty, frustrating, humorous, sexy, and sweet second chance, M/M hockey romance dealing with coming out. It is told in dual points of view. It brings back some of the characters from the last few Assassins books and Bellevue Bullies series due to friends and family crossovers. I was glad to finally get a M/M coupling in this series and to hang out with old friends. But it can be read as a stand alone as well. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Wells has watched his siblings find their loves while he struggles to find his own. He had a true love who wasn’t willing to come out of the closet to be publicly seens with Wells, and Wells isn’t willing to hide who he is. Wells has been in the league for a while, and is confident in who he is and what he wants -- he wants to be openly gay and in love.

Matt Haverbrooke has an image to uphold. As the commissioner’s son, he is expected to be the ideal hockey player and strong man. His image is not supposed to include homosexuality and as such he has lived part of his life in hiding. He was willing to let go of the love of his life once in order to uphold the image he feels he needs to portray, at least until he finds out that love is set to be married to someone else.

I have been waiting for Wells story, and before the blurb for this book was released I wasn’t really sure who his happy ever after would be. I loved the little bits and pieces of his story we had in the background of previous books, particularly In The Crease, and couldn’t wait to find out what the deal was with him and Matty, ad they did not disappoint!

I loved the strength Wells had, both from his own supportive family and the experience that comes with age. Matty had a tendency to frustrate me with his tendency to hide behind his fears despite his desire to move forward with Wells.

But both men were ultimately fun to read and fun to watch learn about each other as they moved beyond their history together.

This was a story filled with questions and what ifs. The angst and drama between them was high, especially as they had tried a relationship once before and Matty’s fear of public opinion kept him from being completely with Wells. This was a great addition to the Bullies/Assassins family of stories with cameos and scenes with some of my favorite characters. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

They are all about different Assassins players and couples but the characters do cross over.

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My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?