Role Model – Paperback by Rachel Reid (Game Changers Series)

Why We Shelved It:

Following right after Common Goal in Rachel Reid’s acclaimed Game Changers universe (the series adapted for streaming on Crave and HBO Max), Role Model is widely considered the emotional high-water mark of the saga. It is a tender, deeply affirming exploration of mental health recovery, toxic athletic culture, queer self-discovery, and quiet redemption. It fits seamlessly on our shelves as a comforting, character-driven story of healing and found happiness.

The Story:

Troy Barrett is miserable. After standing up for what was right during a toxic hazing scandal in Dallas, he’s traded away to the brand-new expansion team, the Ottawa Centaurs. Sullen, defensive, and deeply closeted, Troy expects the worst: another locker room built on bravado, judgment, and isolation.

Then he meets Harris Drover.

Ottawa's exuberant, openly gay social media coordinator is everything Troy isn’t: warm, joyful, and completely unapologetic about who he is. When the team pairs them up for community outreach events, Harris’s bright disposition begins chipping away at Troy’s guarded exterior. As their unlikely friendship deepens into a tender, intoxicating romance, Troy must decide whether protecting his armor is worth sacrificing the first real happiness—and genuine acceptance—he has ever known.

Number of Pages: 336

Dimensions: 0.81 x 8.04 x 5.42 IN