Slew Foot is the third book in Brigham Vaughn’s Scoring Chances series featuring the lives and loves of the guys of the Boston Harriers hockey team. It’s not essential to have read the previous books in order to understand this one, but like most series of this type (where there’s a large-ish cast of teammates who are likely to pop up throughout), it’s probably a good idea to have read some of the preceeding books in order to have an idea of who is who, how they all relate to each other and to get a handle on the team dynamic.

The Harriers have been struggling for a while, but things have started to look up as their new manager’s style and commitment to building solid team relationships has begun to pay off on the ice. One of their most recent signings is rookie defenceman Mickey Krause, a talented player from Germany who works hard and has the potential to be the bedrock of the team’s defence, but who, despite his skill and dedication, just isn’t gelling well with any of the defensive partners brought in to play alongside him. The coaching staff have rotated a number of different players through the position in hopes of finding someone who will be a good fit, but so far – nada. Mickey needs someone with solid NHL experience to help bring out the best in him, and the guys they’ve tried out so far have all been too young and inexperienced. When manager Gavin Racine hears that Rafael Moon, long-time defenceman with the Minnesota Acorns, is looking for a trade, he opens a discussion; Rafe is a solid player who isn’t afraid to use his physicality to slow down opponents and Gavin admires his gritty, determined playing style. At twenty-nine, Rafe has several years of NHL experience under his belt and could be just what Mickey and the Harriers need.

Rafe expected to play for the Acorns for the rest of his career, but after his boyfriend – another player on the team – dumps him without actually telling him and then starts dating someone else Rafe decides he needs to make a fresh start elsewhere. When the offer comes from Boston, he jumps at it – and vows never to date a teammate ever again.

As is the way with last minute trades, Rafe barely has time to pack before heading to the airport, and his journey to Boston is far from an ideal one. Flight delays and cancellations see him arriving at the rink just hours before he’s due to step onto the ice for his new team – he’s dead on his feet, and just a bit nervous, but excited, too, to finally be free of all the messy feelings he’d been dealing with back in Minnesota.

Mickey Krause – nicknamed ‘Mouse’ – is quiet, likeable, even-tempered and gets along well with his teammates, but he’s struggling on the ice and knows he’s not been playing at his best. He’s well aware that management has become increasingly desperate to find a defence partner he can work with, so he’s almost praying that he and Rafe will have some instantaneous spark of chemistry on the ice – something to show that they’ll work well together – no matter how unlikely that is. But while the on ice spark has yet to be seen, a spark of another kind ignites the minute Mickey sees Rafe for the first time. Big, broad and with the sort of brooding good looks that conjure up completely inappropriate thoughts for a locker room, Rafe is all kinds of smoking hot and Mickey is instantly head-over-heels in lust.

Their first game as line-mates goes well, although their partnership is nothing to write home about – but still, there’s definite potential there, and over the coming weeks, Rafe and Mickey work hard on developing their on-ice relationship and defensive strategy, which soon starts to pay off. They have a great relationship off the ice, too, and have become fast friends even though that is doing nothing to help Mickey shake off his inconvenient attraction to Rafe – in fact, it’s getting stronger. He knows about Rafe’s break-up and that he doesn’t want to become involved with another teammate, but it doesn’t stop him wishing things were different, or that Rafe wasn’t such a genuinely nice guy. He’s funny and good-natured, and has become a permanent fixture at the apartment Mickey shares with teammate Tanner, often coming over for lunch or to play video games or watch movies or just hang out. When Tanner suggests Rafe should move in to their spare room it seems the obvious solution to Rafe’s housing situation – but while Mickey really likes Rafe, being around him even more than he is already could pose too much of a risk. His crush won’t go away and he doesn’t want to do something that could ruin their friendship – or their on-ice partnership.

Rafe settles in well with the Harriers and really likes his new teammates and the accepting atmosphere – although he can’t help being a little anxious about the fact that the team captain is living with the goalie and the GM is apparently dating one of the fitness coaches; his break-up created some awkwardness within the team dynamic in Minnesota and he’s worried about something similar happening in Boston. But the more he gets to know the guys, the more he can see they’re pretty solid and those concerns start to recede. Rafe likes Mickey a great deal, but isn’t worried about falling for him. Sure, he’s cute; he’s kind and fun and smart, but being demisexual means Rafe isn’t interested in hook-ups or flings, and in any case, he’s promised himself – no more dating teammates. Until it hits him some months later that he’s already moved past the stage of merely liking Mickey as a friend.

Mickey and Rafe are opposites in many ways, with Mickey’s quiet reserve a good contrast to Rafe’s more outgoing nature. As they realise that Rafe likes to feel useful, Mickey finds ways to provide the kind of structure Rafe needs while also challenging him. Rafe is described as something of a himbo although he’s far from dumb; he’s sweet and kind and ridiculously endearing, and their slow-burn romance is lovely with a good amount of steam as it emerges that Rafe rather likes Mickey’s tendency to tell him what to do, both on the ice and off it *wink*. I admit that Mickey’s immediate full-on mental drooling at the beginning was a bit over the top for my taste, but after that, the emphasis is more on their growing friendship while poor Mickey pines (I do love me some serious pining!) and tries hard to be the good friend and teammate Rafe so clearly needs. Later in the story when an incident during a game turns Mickey’s world upside down, Rafe gets to return the favour and is an absolute rock at a time when Mickey’s confidence is severely shaken and his future starts looking unsure. I liked the focus on mutual caring and support, the way they work together to find ways to develop physical intimacy that don’t always involve full-on sex, and the way they absolutely bring out the best in each other.

The author does a great job, as usual, with the banter and the team dynamics, and appears to be setting up an interesting unlikely couple for a future book. Slew Foot is a heartfelt,  sexy, low-angst romance with a second-half plot twist that throws up some unexpected challenges for Mickey and Rafe to work their way through together. It’s long – it seems the usual page count for this author’s books is around 500 pages – but it didn’t feel long, which I count as a plus. If you’re following the Scoring Chances series, this is an enjoyable instalment; if you’re not but are a fan of hockey romances, it’s worth backtracking to Goaltender Interference to see where everything started out.