Common Goal – Paperback by Rachel Reid (Game Changers Series)

Why We Shelved It:

Rachel Reid’s beloved Game Changers universe (the acclaimed series behind Heated Rivalry, streaming on Crave and HBO Max) brings raw emotional vulnerability, humor, and top-tier romance to our shelves. Common Goal is a tender, high-heat MM sports romance that tackles identity, aging in professional athletics, and the terror of stepping into who you truly are. It provides a warm, character-driven escape that balances our darker lore with comfort and queer joy.

The Story:

At forty-one, veteran New York Admirals goalie Eric Bennett has faced down the deadliest shots in hockey, but facing retirement and life after the ice is the most terrifying challenge of his career. Fresh off an amicable divorce and finally ready to embrace his bisexuality, Eric wants to start dating men—except he has no idea where to begin.

Enter Kyle Swift, an art history graduate student and bartender nursing a bruised heart and a sworn resolution to avoid complicated men. When an electric spark flies between them at an engagement party, Kyle offers a no-strings-attached arrangement: he’ll teach Eric the ropes of queer dating, they’ll have some fun, and they'll walk away clean. But what starts as casual lessons quickly morphs into late-night museum talks, quiet intimacy, and a bond neither man is prepared to lose.