This summer has officially turned me into a hockey romance addict. Apparently, all it takes is one emotionally repressed hockey player, a pair of skates, and enough unresolved feelings to fuel an entire season.
So when I stumbled across Tough Guy by Rachel Reid, I was more than ready to lace up and dive in.
Tough Guy follows Ryan Price, an NHL enforcer whose intimidating reputation on the ice couldn’t be further from who he really is. Beneath the beard, bruises, and body checks is a man quietly battling anxiety while trying to figure out what happiness actually looks like. Then there’s Fabian Salah—a bubbly, unapologetically himself aspiring musician who couldn’t care less about hockey but somehow ends up turning Ryan’s carefully controlled world upside down.
What starts as reconnecting with an old crush quickly grows into a sweet, emotional romance that explores mental health, identity, vulnerability, and the courage to choose the life you actually want instead of the one everyone expects you to live.
As a former anxiety sufferer (I refuse to call myself an “anxiety sufferer” forever, thank you very much), Ryan’s character hit surprisingly close to home. I saw so much of myself in him—the constant overthinking, the second-guessing, the fear hiding behind a calm exterior. Rachel Reid captured that mental spiral incredibly well.
You can especially feel it during their first intimate scene. I actually caught myself wondering more than once whether Ryan truly wanted to be there or if his anxiety was simply drowning out everything else. It wasn’t frustrating—it was heartbreaking. His anxiety was written in a way that felt painfully real.
That being said… the first spicy scene doesn’t happen until we’re almost halfway through the book. I won’t lie, there were moments when I missed Ilya Rozanov’s chaotic energy. But then again, Tough Guy isn’t trying to be Heated Rivalry. This story is softer, quieter, and much more character-driven.
Ryan and Fabian make such a wholesome couple. Ryan is basically described as a giant, ginger, hockey-playing teddy bear, and honestly? That’s peak male character design. I wanted to wrap him in a blanket and tell him everything would be okay.
I did have a few moments where Fabian didn’t completely win me over, and there were times when Ryan felt almost consumed by his anxiety. But that’s also… the point. They’re flawed, they’re messy, they’re human.
Compared to the previous books in the series, this one feels much gentler. Less dramatic, more comforting. It isn’t my favorite in the series, but I genuinely enjoyed spending time with these characters.
And Wyatt? I need more Wyatt.
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