A Series Conversation: Hockey Gods of Vlasta Wisconsin ep1

Welcome to episode one of A Series Conversation. In this first episode, I will be talking about Hockey Gods, which is a college hockey romcom series, from best selling author Xavier Neal. What is A Series Conversation? A Series Conversation is where I share everything I can about various series. From the setting, to the tropes, to the characters, I do my best to share what you need to know. If you've followed me on social media for a while, or if you've just snooped at my socials, you know that 1) romance is my favorite genre, and 2) series are my weakness. I will choose a series over a stand alone every chance I get.

Let's head to Vlasta Wisconsin, and meet the Hockey Gods of Vlasta University. These men are about to fall hard for their partners, and there is plenty of humor to be had along the way. Something to note is that there are 5 books in the series, and they are interconnected standalones. What does that mean? You can read them on their own, and you don't really need to read them in order. Each book focuses on one couple, but those other couples do make appearances. So if you choose to read out of order, you'll just have some extra knowledge for when you read their stories. And yes, this series is complete! The final book, Taming of the Crew, was released in October 2021.

What tropes should I expect in this series? Great question! Here's what I've put together:

• College Romance
  
• Sports Romance (Hockey)
  
• Interracial and Multicultural Romance
• Opposites Attract
• Friends to Lovers
• Sister's Best Friend
• Forbidden Romance
• Second Chance Romance
• Fake Dating

As you can see, there’s a little something for everyone. And if college romances are your thing or you are a hockey romance fan, then you need to check out these romcoms that Xavier Neal has created. 

The Hockey Gods series was my introduction to Xavier Neal's storytelling. I immediately fell for the setting, the sport, the characters, as well as the fact that it was a rom-com. Rom-Com movies are some of my favorites, so discovering this rom-com series was a good thing. Something else I loved about this series is the fact that all of the love interests, for the hockey players, are a bit nerdy. It is very much opposites attract, and I am here for it. Xavier Neal knows how to write strong female characters, and I cannot get enough. It's not just her female characters that are amazing though, those men do not play second fiddle to anyone. They are right there making their presence known, and trying to command attention. The women just outshine them a bit.

I read Can't Block My Love in July 2020, and fell hard for Poppy and Rutledge. The banter was fantastic. The comedic moments were everything I wanted them to be. The fact that the teammates were introduced set up for future books. I could not get enough. Loved the nickname, Hootie, that Rutledge saddled Poppy with. I also loved that Poppy worked in a pet shelter, and that Rutledge had to volunteer there or risk not being able to play this season. Naturally Rutledge is trying to get out of it, and strikes a deal with Poppy. There's more to it though. Turns out these two used to know each other, he just doesn't remember. She does though. 

The second book in the series is My Fair Puck Bunny, and it was just as good as Rutledge and Poppy's story. I read MFPB right after CBML, and I am so glad I did. In My Fair Puck Bunny we meet up with Stratton, and he's about to fall head over heals for Tatum when they enter into a fake relationship. Tatum just happens to be the best friend of Stratton's sister. Surely there will be no issue there. They'll keep it purely fake. Right? Yeah right. These two are opposites, but they just work. They click immediately, and Stratton brings out a confidence in Tatum that was hiding.

My Hockey Gods series binge continued in July 2020 with The Forward Must Cry. This is the third book in the series, and Gillette is about to meet his match. Naomi is a fellow athlete, and there are rules about relationships between athletes. As in they're not supposed to happen, which means this is a forbidden romance. Naomi is a strong woman who can hold her own. Gillette is just a thorn in her side at times. Yet there is this draw, and he's breaking down those walls. He's about to shake up her world, and it will be for the better. Not to mention the fact that she's going to have a great group of girl friends because of this relationship. Naomi, I mean "I moan", has her hands full with Gillette, but she secretly enjoys it.

Defenseman No 9 is the fourth book, and this one was a bit different than the others. The previous books were all MF relationships. We're switching things up and entering into a MM relationship. Rhinehart is about to finally admit his feelings for his best friend. It's going to get hot and heavy, and it won't always be a smooth ride. The story between Rhinehart and Crash is excellent. Their love is strong, the passion is intense, but things don't always go perfectly. After all not everyone believes that love is love, and that might prove to cause issues. Thankfully Rhinehart's teammates, and their significant others, fully love him, support him, and will be by his side (as well as Crash).

Remember how I said I binge read the first four books in this series? Yeah, I had to wait for Taming of the Crew. I had to wait a little over a year, and it was torture, but also 100% worth the wait! Thankfully there were many other books that kept me entertained while I waited. Some were by Xavier Neal, and the rest were by many other fabulous authors.  Taming of the Crew is Peck's story. I wasn't always a fan of his, but he piqued my curiosity throughout the series. So when it was finally time for his story, I could not wait to dive in. Nyeena is the woman that has caught his attention. There's just a small issue, and that has to do with who she is related to. Then there's the fact that there is a health issue to deal with as well. This forbidden relationship was quite possibly my favorite of the series. There was just something about Peck and Nyeena that I couldn't get enough of. I loved the classic tv moments, and the relationship that these two built. It was all so good! They did everything they could to make these fantastic memories, and they had a great group of friends by their sides throughout. 

I loved the entirety of the Vlasta Vipers series. Yes I know it's called Hockey Gods, but in my mind I always think of Vlasta before anything else. Plus if you've read other books by Xavier Neal, you'll notice that town pop up on occasion. I also liked how this series has kind of kickstarted Xavier's NHL series. The Dalvegan Dragons have one book in the series thus far, and Peck made an appearance. That had me smiling. I love when books have a tie in. Also Xavier has mentioned that the next book will happen sooner rather than later. She has a book or two scheduled before it, but more hockey is coming!

If you like rom-coms, college romances, new adult romances, hockey romances, opposites attract, or any of the other tropes that these books feature, I hope you'll consider picking up these five books. I have quite the attachment to the characters, and the setting. Prepare to laugh, swoon, and fall hard. Each book is wonderful, and oh how I wish I could read them again for the first time.

~Laura

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