SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now!
Author: Grace McGinty
Series: Stand Alone
Category: Sports Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
"She was a do-what's-right kind of person. She wouldn't sell a baby for any amount of money." - River
"'If we can't buy Huey, we buy the girl instead.'" - Devan
Nova was a weird mix of tears and determination. The first chapters are dedicated to her having constant mental breakdowns, not that they weren't warranted, but they become tedious. Her character was sweet but very co-dependent and while she wanted to prove herself, Nova very much wanted someone else to be in control of her life.
"'I'm fine. Another day, another emotional crisis.'" - Nova
The romance was insta-love, all three of the MCs fell quickly for Nova and while some fought the pull more than others, they were goner's the first time they saw her. All of the characters had layers of trauma that they were trying to work through, and I appreciated the normalization of going to therapy and working to get better almost as much as the frank acceptance that some wounds won't fully heal.
While rushed, the relationship as a whole felt authentic. There was jealousy and hesitation, with all the characters feeling uncertain about the dynamic. The smut was there for sure, but there was more plot and feelings written in than in some other spicy books I've read. Aside from multiple partners, there wasn't anything too crazy to the sex scenes. The one on one scenes were more spicy than the obligatory three/four ways.
The relationships between the MCs were almost as important as the romantic relationships in the book. Devan, Rigby, and River clearly loved one another, respecting their individual contributions to the household and recognizing the importance of their friendship.
Rigby was a shining star, knowing what he wanted and slowly convincing the rest of the group to accept the possibility of a polyamorous relationship. He was the most in tune with himself and his feelings, only wanting everyone to be happy. The praise kink was very on trend with other current books, but different in that Rigby was the one who sought it out.
"But I was persistent as fuck, and I made him love me. It was basically my superpower." - Rigby
Devan and River were more reserved in going after Nova. Devan was emotionally unavailable but invested in giving everything he could give, while River didn't know how to be open to real relationships.
"I was a damaged kid who turned into a fucked up adult, but I wasn't unfeeling. I'd shut down my emotions so I didn't end up like my father. Feeling nothing was better than hurting the people around me." - Devan
Baby Huey is a prime example of the importance of picking good character names. Every time his name was written, I pictured Huey, Dewey, and Louie from the Donald Duck T.V. show. Another irritating element of the story was the amount of sleep that this baby was getting - seriously no 9-week-old is sleeping through a hockey game, even with tiny ear mufflers on. I completely understand the need for the baby to be out of the way so the story didn't center around cluster feeding and diaper blowouts, but still... babies are not this easy.
The blowback from their less-than-traditional relationship was no surprise, and it was a bit annoying how shocked they were by it. Nova in particular never tried to hide her feelings or PDA with the men, so it's a wonder that it only took a couple of weeks for their relationship to be made public. Considering the risks, all four characters were horrible at keeping on the down low.
"'You have to decide if you're strong enough to stand beside them and tell the world to go to Hell if they don't like it. You don't have to sacrifice your happiness for theirs, because in the end, no one is happy at all.'" - Lorriane, Rigby's mother
Sticks and Stone was enjoyable, but not very original. The beginning held the promise of something different, but the story quickly turned into Pucking Around lite, condensed into 300 pages with an added custody battle. That being said, I'm not complaining at all! I love the overall storyline of navigating a unique relationship while balancing other people's opinions and career consequences and could read it a thousand more times.
Tropes and Themes: Reverse Harem, Single Mom, Why Choose, Sports Romance, Hockey Romance.
Blurb
My name is Nova Stone and I was a ghost in my own life until a knock at the door changed my whole world.
Applying for guardianship of my infant half-brother was a no brainer, even if I hadn't known he existed. But that was before I met his uncles; two pro ice hockey players, and a CEO. They wanted to take Huey home with them and they were willing to pay me millions of dollars for the privilege.
When that didn't work, they managed to convince me that it would be better for my brother–and for me–if I moved into their Ann Arbor mansion. At first, I said hell no. I'd listened to true crime podcasts. I'd read the newspaper articles. But a week of sleepless nights and emotional breakdowns later, I relented.
They were helpful, I'd give them that. But they were also hot, and that was a problem. River with his brooding intensity, he was as huge as you'd picture an NHL enforcer to be. His foster brother Devan, who was mysterious and standoffish, and their best friend Rigby, the literal embodiment of a golden retriever in the body of a 6'2 pro athlete.
But I had to do what was right for Huey, and anyway, how could I ever choose? And I had to choose...right?
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