Out on the Ice--A WLW Hockey Romance

August 14, 2020

[DEBUT] A summer coaching job brings Amy Schwarzbach, hockey star and social media darling, to retired Olympian Caro Cassidy's training program--and into her heart. Amy, an out and proud bisexual woman, has nursed a crush since their days competing for spots on the national team. Caro, however, rebounded from a bad breakup by devoting herself to her work and keeping her lesbian identity out of the public eye. Caro has been seeing a therapist, and as both women are hyper-self-aware, they mostly discuss and avert conflicts that often arise between Amy's oversharing and Caro's desire for privacy. There's a brief rift after a well-meaning hockey parent outs Caro on Facebook, but overall this is a smooth-sailing romance, in which each partner does internal work: Caro pushes against internalized (and familial) homophobia for the good of her training center, and Amy finds a healthier balance between her public and private persona. A diverse cast of friends pop in occasionally but aren't deeply developed. VERDICT With closed-door sex and limited conflict, this is a quiet and cozy romance that also frequently acknowledges that homophobia and biphobia make that coziness hard-won. A solid first book from newcomer Farmer.--Katelyn Browne, Rod Lib., Univ. of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls

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