Yes, if you enjoy emotional M/M hockey romance with a second-chance love story. The reunion between Madars and Connor gives the romance an established history, while Madars’s dream of playing hockey in North America creates a genuine conflict between love and career. It’s also a standalone with an HEA, so you can read it without committing to a series.
As a teenager, Madars Kulda stayed with the Ellis family while pursuing his hockey career and developed a crush on their son, Connor. Their lives eventually pulled them in different directions: Madars became a professional hockey player in Switzerland, while Connor built a career as a referee in North America.
Years later, an international hockey competition brings them together again in Prague. What starts as a reunion quickly reignites the attraction they never completely forgot. This time, however, they’re adults—and the chemistry between them is anything but innocent.
Their biggest obstacle isn’t whether they want each other; it’s where their futures are headed. Madars has always dreamed of playing professional hockey in North America, while Connor’s career as a referee could make their relationship especially complicated. With their professional ambitions potentially putting them on opposite sides of an ocean, they have to decide how much they’re willing to sacrifice for a second chance at love.
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Plot | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ |
| Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ |
| Romance/Chemistry | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Pacing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Emotional Impact | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ |
Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐
Tough Call delivers where it matters most: the romance. Madars and Connor have excellent chemistry, and their shared history gives their relationship an emotional depth that makes the second-chance aspect especially satisfying. The plot is engaging, the characters feel believable, and the emotional payoff is strong, although the pacing occasionally feels a little uneven.
Best for: Readers who love M/M hockey romance, second chances, reunited lovers, and high-chemistry relationships.
The main weakness for me was pacing. Some parts of the story move quickly, particularly when the relationship or emotional conflict could have benefited from more time on the page.
I also would have liked more development around the external hockey/career conflict. It is an interesting source of tension, but at times the romance understandably takes center stage, leaving some of the surrounding conflict feeling less developed.
Madars is driven by his hockey career and the future he has worked toward. His professional ambitions make his romantic choices more complicated, and I liked that he isn’t forced to simply abandon his goals for love.
Connor provides a nice counterbalance to Madars. His connection with Madars feels particularly believable because of their shared history, and his own career creates an additional complication rather than making him simply “the love interest.”
Their history is what makes the characters work particularly well as a couple. There’s a sense that they’re rediscovering something that was already there rather than creating a relationship from nothing.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The romance is the strongest element of Tough Call. The combination of old feelings + adult attraction + professional complications creates plenty of tension.
What works especially well is that the chemistry isn’t only physical. Their emotional familiarity makes the intimate moments feel more significant, while the distance and career concerns give the relationship genuine stakes.
This is definitely a romance-first book, so readers looking for a deeply developed sports plot may find that the hockey elements primarily serve the relationship.
🌶️ Spice: 3/5 — Moderate
The book includes explicit M/M sexual content, but the romance isn’t solely built around the spice. The intimate scenes are tied to the developing relationship and emotional connection.
Content to expect: adult romantic/sexual situations, relationship conflict, career pressure, and emotional uncertainty surrounding the couple’s future.
The writing is accessible and romance-focused, with the story keeping its attention primarily on Madars and Connor.
The pacing is generally smooth, although I felt some emotional and relationship developments could have been given a little more room to breathe. Overall, though, it makes for a fairly easy and engaging read.
Satisfying. 💕
The ending provides the romantic resolution you’d expect from this type of book and gives the couple a genuine HEA. The major relationship concerns are addressed without leaving the story feeling unnecessarily unresolved.
I’d recommend Tough Call to readers who enjoy:
It may not be the best choice if you want:
If you enjoy M/M hockey romance with strong chemistry and emotional depth, Tough Call is worth adding to your TBR. L.A. Witt combines a second-chance romance with a compelling career conflict, giving Madars and Connor’s relationship more substance than simple attraction.
The reunion between the two leads is the biggest draw. Their shared history makes their connection feel natural, while the tension between love, distance, and professional ambitions keeps the romance engaging. The moderate spice complements rather than overwhelms the emotional storyline.
Read it for:
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a romance-first M/M hockey story with heart, chemistry, and an emotional payoff, Tough Call is a solid choice.
If what you enjoyed most was the M/M hockey setting, second-chance romance, emotional tension, and strong chemistry, these are good follow-up reads:
Is Tough Call a standalone?
Yes. You can read it without having to work through a previous series.
What kind of romance is it?
It’s a contemporary M/M hockey romance centered on a second chance at love between Madars and Connor.
Is there a happy ending?
Yes. The book has an HEA.
How spicy is it?
I’d put it around 3/5 for spice—there is explicit sexual content, but the emotional relationship remains the focus.
Is hockey a major part of the story?
Hockey is important to Madars and the story’s central career conflict, but Tough Call is ultimately more romance-focused than sports-focused.
Is it a slow burn?
Not particularly. Because Madars and Connor already share a history, the romantic tension has a foundation from the beginning.
What are the main tropes?
Second chance, friends-to-lovers, reunited lovers, complicated/forbidden romance, professional athletes, and HEA.
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Plot | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ |
| Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ |
| Romance/Chemistry | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Pacing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Emotional Impact | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ |
Tough Call is a strong, emotionally satisfying M/M hockey romance that succeeds primarily because of Madars and Connor’s chemistry. Their shared past makes the second-chance romance feel meaningful, while the conflict between love and professional ambition gives the story enough tension to keep things interesting.
It’s not the book I’d recommend to someone looking for an extremely hockey-heavy plot or a very slow-burn romance. But if you want emotion, chemistry, moderate spice, hockey, and a satisfying HEA, Tough Call is an easy recommendation.
Bottom line: A heartfelt second-chance romance with excellent chemistry and a satisfying payoff.
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