Stick by Me

A Nerd Jock Hockey MM Romance (Desert Ice Hockey, Book 1)

De: Christie Gordon

Narrado por: Finnley Cole

Hockey is my life, until I meet an adorable nerd. But he doesn’t date men. Can I convince him to take a chance?

Archer

Hockey was everything, but now I’m questioning if I’ll ever make it to the NHL.

I need to find a life.

In comes a stunning guy in designer jeans and hair so dark and silky, I struggle to keep my fingers to myself.

We connect at an animal rescue, where I accidentally soak him with a hose. I give him my team shirt to make amends.

The vision of him in my clothes stirs a primal urge in me.

When he mentions he’s queer, my heart skips a beat. But he’s only interested in a hookup.

Game on.

Will he accept my challenge for a date?

Leo

I’m having a moral dilemma. I don’t date men. I have an out and proud brother and, in my family, it’s complicated.

Then Archer comes along, eyeing me like a piece of candy and daring me to date him. Yeah, I’m interested.

Problem is, the dare goes awry. I find myself falling so deeply for Archer, there’s no turning back.

When his life goes off the rails, I’m forced to make a decision and fast.

Stick By Me is the first book in the College Hockey series, Desert Ice Hockey, and is the follow up to the Rock U series. It features a dependable nerd and a rebel jock, opposites attract, found family, hurt/comfort, and a secret relationship amidst the backdrop of the holidays. Desert Ice Hockey follows a group of queer hockey players, known as the squad, while they each battle for their HEA.

Buy now to explore a world where emotions run as high as the heat, and hockey isn’t the only game in town!

©2024 Christie Gordon Publishing (P)2025 Christie Gordon Publishing

Wonderful story.

I have loved every book Christie has written and especially this hockey series. I am so glad that Archer and Leo were able to get together and finally come out to their families, each in their own way. Archer is an amazing hockey player who has been told that he should find another career path because he may not make it professionally (his father kept up the negative talk). Only for it later to come out that his father wasn’t his actual biological father and his actual biological father is a professional hockey coach. His father actually had a heart attack and Archer found all of this out at the same time, quite a lot to chew on. His biological father was trying to get him to sign up for his hockey teams preseason training program and then hopefully sign up with his team. I also loved how they met. The dogs always pull people together. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves mm sports romance stories and the narrator is awesome and just made the story that much better.

Great Series Starter

This is the first book in Christie Gordon's Desert Ice series that connects to her Rock U series. Archer is an ASU hockey player looking for some validation from his dad and his first long-term relationship. Leo is a nerdy numbers guy keeping a large part of himself secret from his friends and family. But when he meets Archer while volunteering at a local animal shelter, the dam is broken and he can't hold back his feelings. They have instalove chemistry and the steam starts pretty early. There is also a lot of affection and care taking which I really like. And of course, Finley Cole just kills it in the narrating. Excellent use of accents, and I especially like the Minnesota one. Great start to the series.

Good Listen!

I love how this story unfolds and the patience and understanding Archer has for Leo as he struggles to come out to his family. The support Leo gives Archer in return with his own family struggles really makes you root for them long term. I really enjoyed the book when I read it but hearing Finnley Cole perform it just brought everything and everyone to life.

Favorite so far

This is an absolutely fantastic listen! I love the narrator hits this accents of the north. I like how the complex parental relationships are shown in two different examples! I also love the fact that these two navigated those situations so adeptly.

Good storyline

In this story the similarities between Leo and Remy stood out. Leo always felt like he was different, but he couldn't do anything about it as his family already had a out and proud guy son. Archer was ready to explore and get into a relationship with a man. The sparks when they met was off the charts and I could feel the yearning of both men.
The performance was good, I don't usually like being read to, but with this performance I felt like I was there.

Fun new series

This is a fun new series featuring a hockey player and his hesitant to come out new boyfriend. I really enjoyed the narration, character development and friend group and am interested to read more of the series

Belonged Together!

I have to say I loved the very different scenario here. Archer is the hockey player, and he is out. Leo is the one afraid to admit who he really is. One of my favorite moments comes early involving animals and a hose! I am big on binge reading series as I get very attached to characters. This is what I am already very pleased about with this new series. It is a spinoff from the Rock U series, so I get to revisit with favorite guys. Leo and Archer are super cute together, but they have to look beyond family expectations. Finnley Cole has a great range with accents to cover all our guy's personalities in his narration!

Stick by Me - Archer & Leo

Stick By Me - Love Awakening

With a nod, I said, “I told him I met a really great guy. And you are.” I held up my peach-colored shot. I didn’t want to dwell on the phone call with Dad. “To winning and your first time in a gay bar.” With a soft laugh, Leo said, “There have been and will be a lot of firsts with you, Archer.” He tapped his glass to mine, then downed it.’

College ice hockey player Archer is part of Christie Gordon’s character bank from the delicious More Than a Spark. He now has his own MM romance in Stick By Me, where he comes into contact with Leo, older brother to Axel.

In these interconnected series, we find found families of gay, bisexual, and others from the rainbow community who are deciding to seek out special relationships, holding more meaning than their past. Like life, families and friendships can cause pain or provide support, and both Archer and Leo have baggage that makes their blossoming love struggle.

Getting the chance to listen to Leo and Archer’s love story through Finnley Cole’s narration made this book an even more enjoyable read!

It is such a pleasure to read HEAs for a wonderful group of deserving people!

loved it

Stick By Me is the first book in the new Desert Ice Hockey series by Christie Gordon. This is a spin off series from her popular Rock U series. It is a standalone series but why not enjoy the Rock U series. This book is about Archer a college hockey player and Leo a sweet dependable nerd. I love anything written by Christie Gordon and this book was no exception. I love the characters and the way they feel so real. The story kept me interested from the start. Christie Gordon is an amazing author and I look forward to the next book in the series. If you get the audio narration, Finnley Cole does a wonderful job of narrating this series. He makes the change in characters seamlessly. I can't wait to listen to the next book. I would definitely recommend this book and series.

A great story lessened by performance

The whispery performance with four to five characters voiced by one was exhaustingly confusing. Much of my time was referencing characters. Who thought that would work??