Minor Penalties Series by S.B. Barnes

Tom Crowler has been captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions for a decade of failures. With no cups or trophies to show for his time in the NHL, Tom retreated into himself a long time ago, and that’s exactly where he intends to stay until he retires. But when he catches the new team superstar, Jaxon Grant, in a compromising position, Tom finds it impossible to continue hiding his deepest secret behind a bland, pleasant mask... moreTom Crowler has been captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions for a decade of failures. With no cups or trophies to show for his time in the NHL, Tom retreated into himself a long time ago, and that’s exactly where he intends to stay until he retires. But when he catches the new team superstar, Jaxon Grant, in a compromising position, Tom finds it impossible to continue hiding his deepest secret behind a bland, pleasant mask. Jax is everything Tom isn’ loud, flashy, the winner of multiple NHL Awards, and—oh, yeah—gay enough to get traded to San Francisco because of a potential PR scandal with his old team. At first, he thinks Tom catching him means the next trade, the next rejection for being just a little too much for other people to take. When it turns out the two of them have more in common than talent on the ice, though, Jax finds himself drawn in by pulling Tom out. As animosity gives way to a partnership neither of them saw coming, Tom and Jax are left facing new challenges. Will Jax’s impulsive nature put Tom’s deeply valued privacy at risk? Or will Tom’s reticence force Jax into pretending to be someone he isn’t? And if they can’t even figure each other out, how can they save a struggling NHL team from bad coaching and internal division? less

With fourteen years as the San Francisco Sea Lions’ top defenseman under his belt, Phil Easton is tired. After his coaches push him into playing on a bad knee and he ends up on long-term injured reserve, the chances of having his contract renewed dwindle before his eyes. He’s ready to hang up his skates when head coach Ben Morris shows up on his doorstep to help him recover... moreWith fourteen years as the San Francisco Sea Lions’ top defenseman under his belt, Phil Easton is tired. After his coaches push him into playing on a bad knee and he ends up on long-term injured reserve, the chances of having his contract renewed dwindle before his eyes. He’s ready to hang up his skates when head coach Ben Morris shows up on his doorstep to help him recover. As what starts as a short-term boarding situation turns into friendship and maybe more, Phil can’t help noticing a few things about his coach that don’t add up. Barring a short stint on a college hockey team, journalist Ben Sinclair has never been a sports fan. Every day he spends posing as the Sea Lions’ coach while investigating a scandal at the heart of the Sea Lions’ management, he hopes he can finish the job quickly and move on. But living in Phil’s spare room, growing closer to him by the day, Ben begins to wonder if putting down roots would be so bad. When Ben’s family calls in a favor in the form of taking in his wayward nephew, Charlie, Phil offers his support. The closer they grow, the more Ben relies on Phil for help with coaching and Charlie, going against every instinct he’s trained into himself for two lonely decades. With his heart on the line, can Ben accept Phil’s offer of a convenient marriage to keep custody of Charlie? Can Phil figure out his own sexuality in time to make the marriage real? And can both of them work together to protect the Sea Lions from a conspiracy going all the way to the top? Reading book 1 in advance is recommended. less