My Thrown Off the Ice Book Review - No Spoilers
Plot Summary
I picked up Thrown Off the Ice by Taylor Fitzpatrick when I wanted a queer sports romance that wouldn’t just play it safe. This is the story of Mike Brouwer, a thirty-year-old hockey enforcer heading for the end of his career, and Liam Fitzgerald, an eighteen-year-old rookie on the same team. The two collide in ways that neither expects. Mike is closed-off and haunted by his injuries and age. Liam is wide open, all raw hope and defiant affection. The novel tracks their connection over years and across the highs and lows of pro hockey. It’s written from Mike’s point of view, so I stay deep in his head through every hard choice, flare of jealousy, and quiet act of care.
The book doesn’t just stick to locker room tension—it follows the fallout of injuries, the pressure to perform, and everything that won’t fit inside a neat romance arc. As time moves forward, I get to see both careers unfold: Liam rising and Mike fading, both intertwined by something more than lust or friendship. The story took me completely by surprise with how real, raw, and lived-in it feels. It’s a journey that doesn’t sugarcoat what pro athletes go through, from chronic pain to isolation to moments of stolen joy.
Why I Love This Book
I love that Thrown Off the Ice hits straight for the heart. It’s messy and complicated. The characters refuse to become tropes: Mike is gruff and emotionally stubborn, while Liam is persistent and tender, but never over-idealized. The age gap, work pressures, and health crises never feel forced—they just build layer after layer of tension and heartbreak.
This book made me genuinely feel loss, longing, and that rare kind of love that shows up in small, unsaid ways. The hockey setting is real enough that I can almost smell the ice, but you don’t have to know anything about the sport to get invested. I appreciate how the novel deals honestly with things like post-concussion syndrome, aging out of pro sports, and the weight people carry for love, pride, or fear. The writing is clever, often darkly funny, and the emotional payoff is huge—even if it isn’t the fairy tale I might expect. It left me sobbing. I don’t often re-read books but I know this one will stick with me for a long time.
Who Will Like This Book
If you want a romance that isn’t safe or fluffy—something that is honest, tough, and driven by deep character work—you’ll love this book. It’s for fans of age gap romance, slow-burn tension, and sports stories that don’t back away from pain. If you want happiness wrapped up in a bow, this isn’t it. But if you need a love story that’s hard-fought and doesn’t shy away from heartbreak, this one delivers.
⚠️ Trigger warning: There’s explicit sexual content, chronic illness, age gap, death of a main character, and depictions of injury and long-term health decline. Definitely check content warnings before reading.
Tagged As
m-m, sports romance, age difference, contemporary, angst, hockey romance, queer romance, slow burn, found family, chronic illness, explicit romance, heartbreak, dual career, workplace romance, bittersweet, open-door, series universe, indie romance, adult romance
Steam Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Insanely Hot
