AUDIO REVIEW: Bending the Rules by Brigham Vaughn (Rules of the Game #1)

BENDING THE RULES

Rules of the Game - Book Ones

by Brigham Vaughn

Release Date: July 14, 2022

Review

Back to where it all began for the Queer Collective as they turn the NHL on its head with each coming out.

It was so great to get Noah and Simon’s story. I’ve met them in the other books and loved them from those glimpses, but it’s so much better to have it in full.

They went to college together, but the timing was never right for them to give their feelings a chance. But damn if the connection wasn’t as strong as it ever was when they had a chance to meet on the Snow Train.

Noah’s been on the injured list, and he’s hoping to get back on the ice soon. Simon is opening a gallery. One lives in Toronto, the other in Michigan. None of those things are easy to overcome while also trying to build a relationship, but these two are determined to make it work, even when it seems impossible.

I loved both of these guys. Simon with his calm and steadiness, and Noah, a relentless optimist and large personality. Such good people, good friends, and even better partners.

Now make this an audiobook narrated by James Edward Jones you’ve got an even better experience. I loved his take on the two men, and the extensive cast of friends, family, and teammates.

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Synopsis

Rule #1: Rules are made to … bend

Noah Boucher loves his career as a hot-shot NHL goaltender—even after making league history as the first openly bi player. Last season’s catastrophic knee injury sidelined him and ended the Toronto Fisher Cats’ chance in the playoffs but now he’s determined to have one final season to win the Cup before he retires.

Hockey has always come first, but when fate offers him a second chance with his college crush, he’s desperate to not repeat the mistakes of his past.

Rule #2: Don’t mess with fate

When a chance meeting on a scenic train trip puts Noah back into Simon Lawrence’s life, he’s wary even though their connection is as strong as ever.

Noah walked away from him once to pursue his hockey dreams and the photographer and gallery owner has been burned by long-distance relationships in the past.

A future together will require braving not only the distance and time apart, but the media scrutiny that comes with dating a pro hockey player.

Rule #3: Trust your heart

When a catastrophe at the gallery hits just as the pressure of the playoffs is heating up, Noah will have to bend the rules and convince Simon that this time, love comes first.

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Note: Bending the Rules was previously released as a free short story called Train to Snowhere. It has been expanded into a full-length novel and significant parts of the plot have changed.

About Brigham Vaughn

Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

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