Delayed Penalty, the fourth book in Brigham Vaughn’s Scoring Chances series, continues a storyline begun two books ago in Body Check, namely that of the fractured relationship between Boston Harriers General Manager Gavin Racine and his twin brother, Thad, an ex con who now works for the Harriers on their social media team. Running alongside that is a friends-to-lovers / bi-awakening romance between Thad and the rather straight-laced (and very straight) Graham Pennington, one of the Harriers’ star players, who have become firm, if unlikely, friends over the months Thad has been working for the team.

All Graham really knew about Thad to start with was that he was the GM’s twin, that he’d been in prison and that, like Gavin, he’d grown up playing hockey – but the more time he spent around Thad, the more he suspected that Thad’s outwardly confident, flirty manner was just a mask for something more serious and insecure. Catching Thad in one of those rare moments he let his guard down afforded Graham a glimpse of the lonely but caring guy behind it – so he invited Thad to lunch and they’ve been friends ever since, regularly meeting up to eat, go out together or just shoot the shit. Close friendships like theirs happen all the time in high pressure environments and are nothing new… but one night, a tussle over video game controllers sees Thad and Graham getting up close and personal in a completely different way. Graham is straight (or has always thought so), but has certainly noticed – in a completely objective way of course – that Thad is a very attractive man; although he’s never wanted to find out what Thad’s mouth feels like on his or what his lips taste like… until now. Thad is taken by surprise when Graham kisses him – but not enough not to kiss him back. Even though he kinda wishes he hadn’t after Graham freaks out and calls it a mistake. Shit. The only real friendship Thad has ever had, and now it’s totally fucked up.

Graham and Thad don’t see or speak to each other during the summer, but neither of them really forgets that sizzling kiss – and when the new season begins, they’re both saddened by the newly awkward and stilted nature of their interactions. Graham hates the new distance between them – but a growing realisation that maybe the path he’s mapped out for himself might not be the right one has set him thinking about why none of his past relationships have lasted and what – and who – he really wants to be with. It’s crazy and more than a bit risky (given Thad is his boss’s brother) but Graham is finally able to admit to himself that what he’s feeling is more than merely an appreciation for Thad’s good looks, that there’s been something more than friendship buzzing between them for a while now and Graham wants to explore it. The thing is… after the kiss and all the awkwardness, how does he go about telling the guy he like likes him?

Well, the first date Graham comes up with is dorky and sweet and adorable, and Thad is completely stunned and incredibly touched at the thought that Graham is actually trying to romance him. He’s never had a relationship before – he missed out on a lot of things while he was in prison and learning how to deal with having feelings for someone was one of them – and Graham is the first person he’s met who makes him think a relationship might worth considering. But he’s also scared of losing the first scrap of stability he’s had in decades; the fourteen years since his release haven’t been kind to him, but at last he has a job he enjoys and is damn good at, a chance at reconnecting with his brother, and maybe has even found somewhere he can feel like he belongs. So far, he’s taken Gavin’s edict about not screwing around with anyone in the organisation very seriously – but he’s also lonely and longs for connection. Graham is everything Thad never knew he wanted or needed… he just has to decide if being with him is worth the risk.

Graham’s longing for Thad and his confusion over his sexuality are well written, and their romance is a nicely-done tender but intense slow-burn. They have great chemistry and I liked them as a couple; Thad may have over a decade on Graham, but neither of them really knows what they’re doing and I liked the way we’re shown that they really do care about each other and are there for one another at every step of the way. The early stages of their friendship are written about but aren’t shown in great detail, but having quickly established their close relationship means that the author has plenty of page time to thoroughly explore the issues that have the potential to screw things up; Thad’s fears that he’s not good enough for Graham, that his baggage will eventually send him running, about the risk to his job; Graham’s deep-seated need to not let anything interfere with his play and his place on the team.

When he was first introduced, Thad came across as something of a shady character who blackmailed his brother into giving him a job, but since we learned the real circumstances behind his ten-year incarceration two books ago, it’s been clear he’s not a bad person. I’m always up for a good redemption story, but this isn’t quite that; it’s more a story about a man working through a lot of emotional baggage and being scared of losing what he’s worked hard to attain while at the same time finding out who and what and where he’s meant to be (and who with). Combining that with the romance works well because Graham is exactly what Thad needs, non-judgmental, supportive and with a fierce belief in him that he hasn’t really had before from anyone in his life, even Gavin, and certainly not their parents (who are a pair of self-centred arseholes whose arseholery is certainly responsible for so much of the brothers’ emotional damage.)

Speaking of Gavin… the main problem I had with the book is to do with him and why Thad went to prison. This will be spoilery if you haven’t read Body Check, (so feel free to stop reading now if you haven’t) but if you have, you’ll already know that Thad took the rap for a crime Gavin committed when they were seventeen*. Gavin’s behaviour had become increasingly wild and erratic back then, and Thad genuinely feared that his going to prison would literally be the death of him. It’s an incredibly selfless thing to do, as was the reason Thad ended up getting another five years added to his initial five year sentence* (looking out for someone else) – but given his sacrifice, I don’t really understand why Gavin cut Thad out of his life for so many years and was so unpleasant towards him for so long. Thad loved his twin so much that he gave up years of his life for him, only for Gavin to ignore him and treat him like dirt. It makes Gavin seem like a complete arsehole and, honestly, made me dislike him.

(*incidentally, a five year sentence for robbery when a minor seems excessive)

But with that caveat, I enjoyed Delayed Penalty for the tender and sexy romance, for the author’s careful exploration of where Thad is at mentally, and his commitment to continuing to work on his issues, and for Graham learning that maybe the safe choice isn’t always the right choice. The book meanders a bit towards the end (although I wasn’t really clocking the page-count until that point), and there are a few preachy moments I could have done without, but it’s a good, solid read and on the whole, I’m happy to recommend it.