Role Model by Rachel Reid

Narrated by Cooper North

I loved Rachel Reid’s Role Model (book five in her Game Changers series) when I read it a few months back, and I loved it just as much in audio. It’s a lovely grumpy/sunshine romance combined with a wonderfully well-written redemption story that takes a really hard, unflattering look at the misogyny and homophobia that continue to exist in some professional sports – and potential listeners should be aware that the book includes a storyline surrounding sexual assault (none of it is on the page) in which victims are not believed and their experiences are trivialised.

Troy Barrett has suddenly gone from playing for the best hockey team in the NHL – the Toronto Guardians – to the worst – the Ottawa Centaurs – after a trade following a very public argument on the ice with his former best friend, Dallas Kent. After being dumped by his equally closeted actor boyfriend, Troy’s day went from bad to worse when he learned Kent had been accused of raping a woman at a party, but that instead of suspending him pending investigation by the team and the league, they were instead closing ranks around Kent and dismissing the allegations as pure fabrication. Knowing Kent to be completely capable of sexual assault, Troy absolutely believes the accusations and is angry at himself for not doing something to stop him. (Although what he could actually have done is anybody’s guess.) Hurt, furious and disgusted, Troy loses it during practice and openly calls Kent a rapist; the fight was caught on camera and the video very quickly went viral.

So now here he is in Ottawa, where he’s sure that his teammates hate him because of his friendship with Kent and the similarly offensive behaviour and attitude he maintained as a way of keeping his sexuality a secret and to prevent his becoming a target of bullying by Kent and other like-minded players. To start with, Troy is bewildered by the vastly different atmosphere that surrounds the team; the guys actually get along and seem to like each other, and the coach treats them all like human beings and talks and encourages rather than yelling at them all the time. It’s totally alien and Troy doesn’t know how to handle it. So he decides not to try. All he wants is to play hockey and lick his wounds in private anyway.

Fortunately, however, Troy’s unhappiness doesn’t go unnoticed by charismatic team captain (and fan favourite) Ilya Rozanov, who refuses to allow him to wallow in his misery, or by the team’s ebullient social media manager, all-round goofball and total sweetheart, Harris Drover, a man whose good-natured cheerfulness is impossible to resist. Harris is out and proud, comes from a loving, close-knit family and is determined to make the most of what life offers; Troy is surprised to see that his teammates have absolutely no problem with the fact that Harris is gay, and doesn’t know what to make of someone who is so relentlessly cheerful! But even so, Troy finds himself seeking out the other man’s company, craving the warmth of his smile and in his eyes, while Harris, who can see that Troy is lonely and needs a friend, sets out to be that friend, making him feel welcome and slowly drawing him into the circle of community, friendship and support the members of the team offer each other.

There’s a lot to enjoy in this book. The characterisation is excellent, the storylines are skilfully developed and the romance between Troy and Harris deserves All The Swoons – it’s fun and sexy and sweet, the chemistry between them is terrific and there’s a wonderful undercurrent of genuine affection and tenderness humming between them. They really bring out the best in each other and even though they’re complete opposites in many ways, there’s never any doubt that they’re meant to be.

Troy’s redemption story is superbly handled and completely believable. Fans of the series will have known him as a narrow-minded arsehole like his friend Kent (although there has been the odd glimpse of a nicer person behind the bigotry) but his move to Ottawa enables him to make a fresh start, and once he’s realised what an opportunity he’s been handed, he sets out to make the most of it. But this isn’t a character being given an authorial personality transplant; Troy’s determination to be a better person and to learn from and address his mistakes is utterly sincere and witnessing his journey along the road to self-improvement is extremely satisfying.

As I mentioned at the outset, one of the major themes in this book revolves around the way victims of sexual assault are often ridiculed and their claims dismissed. It’s difficult (and infuriating) to hear, but the author handles the issue extremely well, bringing her point home hard, while never allowing it to overwhelm the rest of the story. I loved the way Troy stepped up, using his celebrity status to give a voice to those who had none and truly becoming the ‘Role Model’ of the title.

There’s a terrific supporting cast here, some we’ve met before, some new, together with cameos from Eric and Kyle, Kip, Scott and Ryan, plus a scene-stealing star-turn from Ilya Rozanov, who always lights up the page when he appears, but whose presence is never allowed to become overpowering. Needless to say, anticipation for The Long Game, the conclusion of his and Shane’s story, is now at an all-time high. (No pressure, Ms. Reid!!)

Cooper North is back in the narrator’s chair for this instalment in the series and delivers another excellent performance; I really enjoyed his narration in the previous book (Common Goal) so I had high hopes for this, and he didn’t disappoint. His voice is pleasantly distinctive with just a hint of gravel, his pacing is good and he uses a good variety of pitch, timbre and accent to differentiate clearly between all the characters. His portrayal of the two leads is really good; Troy, at the beginning, sounds cold and standoffish, but there’s an underlying vulnerability that is nicely expressed, and I particularly liked the way Mr. North manages to inject all Harris’ good-humour and his sense of fun into his voice. As the romance progresses, the real warmth and affection that develops between Troy and Harris is superbly conveyed, and Mr. North hits all the right emotional notes throughout, bringing a wealth of nuance and expression to the story. Ilya’s Russian accent is good – not so heavy that it’s unintelligible, but enough to be immediately recognisable – and all his swagger and charm (and outrageous cheek!) is expertly captured.

The Game Changers series goes from strength to strength, and Role Model is absolutely one of the best instalments yet. Cooper North’s narration met all my expectations, and I’m crossing my fingers he’ll be back for the final book in 2022. Meanwhile, the audio of Role Model goes onto my ‘regular re-listen’ list and earns a wholehearted recommendation.

Caz

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