Coccia scores with this gay athlete's journey.Tall, husky, blond Cooper is a superstar goalie for his new hockey team in Toronto, but unlike with his old team, he isn't out to anyone. Things change when he rooms with Pesh, a teammate with dreams of going pro. Pesh makes sure they room together on away games to ensure they have time alone, and as their sexual relationship develops, Pesh insists they are just having fun, no strings attached. Meanwhile, Pesh does everything he can to fit in with the team and continues dating Bobbi, a girl with ambitions for a sports PR management career. Cooper agrees to keep quiet about his relationship with Pesh while beginning his own friendship with Bobbi that begins to complicate things. As Bobbi also helps Cooper build his online image, she urges him to come out in order to positively influence hockey culture. Witnessing homophobic locker-room exchanges, Cooper weighs the risks of being open about his sexuality, both personally and in the context of the sport he loves-and as his physical relationship with Pesh heats up, he is forced to make some difficult choices. Stinging secrets, betrayals, and steamy attractions fuel this quick-paced addition to the series lineup that will draw in and retain the interest of reluctant readers. Most characters are presumed White; Pesh is Sri Lankan Canadian.Sweet heat melts the ice, and relationship woes guide growth. (author's note) (Fiction. 14-18)

Gr 9 Up-Coop is his hockey team's new goalie. They've just made the playoffs and frequently travel the Toronto region for games. Afterward, the boys like to flirt with "puck bunnies," girls who hang around the hockey team. But Coop mostly keeps to himself. He's gay, though not out to his teammates. In a motel room after a big game, star center and team captain Pesh lets on that he knows Coop is gay, then kisses him, initiating an increasingly physical attachment. Pesh also has a no-strings relationship with Bobbi, a social media wizard who is helping him, and later Coop, manage their online presence. Pesh's only ambition is to play professional hockey, but his parents are immigrants from Sri Lanka and they don't understand his passion for the game. As things heat up with Coop, Pesh starts to back away, eager to challenge the white domination of his sport, but unwilling to add queerness as a barrier. The ending moves quickly, neatly tying up story lines, with a spectacular save by Coop in a game seven championship, pro offers for both main characters, and a budding new romance. Sentences are short and vocabulary simple. Occasional Canadian terminology (change room for locker room) should not distract American readers. There is some misogynistic and homophobic chatter among the boys. Sex is discussed and described, though in vague terms. With little detail about game play or hockey business, the story foregrounds teen social culture and romance. VERDICT Recommended for high school libraries. Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson M.S., Falls Church, VA