Odd Man Rush

I’ll admit: I picked up *Odd Man Rush* skeptical of yet another ‘athlete finds love’ trope, but Granata’s writing and the narrators’ performances won me over within chapters. Marie Hawkins sells Sophie’s self-deprecating charm without making her pitiful—her delivery of Sophie’s internal monologues (especially the ones about being a ‘has-been’) crackles with the kind of humor that makes you snort-laugh on the subway. Amy Hall’s rendition of the love interest, a no-nonsense businesswoman with a soft spot for underdogs, avoids the trap of sounding like a romance-novel caricature; she’s all dry wit and controlled intensity, which makes the slow-burn chemistry between them feel electric. That said, the pacing stumbles slightly in the middle. The subplot about Sophie’s friend’s startup—while thematically rich—sometimes drags the focus away from the central romance, and a few hockey scenes could’ve been tightened to keep the momentum sharp. But the production saves even the slower stretches: Ash Beverly’s voicing of the side characters (particularly Sophie’s trash-talking teammates) adds so much texture that I found myself rewinding just to savor their one-liners. The real triumph, though, is how the audiobook handles intimacy. The sex scenes are *hot*, but they’re also vulnerable, narrated with a tenderness that makes them feel like part of the characters’ growth, not just obligatory steam. If you’re tired of romances where the conflict feels manufactured or the leads lack depth, this one’s a breath of fresh rink air—flaws and all.