Third Man In: An Enemies-to-Lovers Sports Romance (The Playmakers Series Book 2)

Written by G.K. Brady

Narrated by Tor Thom and Whitton Frank

He’s hiding a secret. She’s completely off-limits. Will their budding friendship turn into something more?

I’m the toughest enforcer in the league. I’ve worked hard for that title, but there’s one little problem with being an overachiever: I never know when to quit. So when I sucker-punch a rival on the ice, I end up benched for the rest of the season, suspended, and traded to Colorado. Feeling guilty and wanting to make things right, I decide to visit the injured player… only to be caught off guard by a stunning woman I meet at the hospital.

Natalie Foster’s fresh start isn't going as planned. After her new boyfriend lands in the hospital—thanks to yours truly—and his ex shows up to stir the pot, she seems relieved to find a new friend in me. And when I bite off more than I can chew by adopting a dog, she’s more than happy to lend a hand.

As I struggle to fit in with my new team and repair my reputation, I keep my past under wraps, even as my feelings for Natalie grow stronger. She has no clue I’m T.J. Shanstrom, but I’m falling harder every day.

The truth is about to wreck our chance for that perfect happily ever after.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trefoil Publishing
• Release date: May 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985328394

Reviews for Third Man In

[grandmacootie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay, I admit it. I am in love with author G. K. Brady’s hockey romance series and with every single one of those hockey players. Read just one, and you’ll agree with me. And also, believe me when I say you won’t be able to stop at just one.

T. J. Shanstrom is an enforcer, that really big guy who shakes things up on the ice, who knocks opposing players down, plows over them, takes them out. He’d like to expand his role and actually make plays, but he’s been put into the enforcer role and he’s good at it. He was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes from the Colorado Blizzard, and things are going okay. Okay, that is, until his coach sends him the word to take out Kevin May and things go horribly wrong. Kevin hits his head on the ice and goes into a coma, and it’s T. J. who is blamed. And suspended through the rest of the season and the playoffs. Neither his coach nor anyone in management comes to his defense and says this play was ordered, nor does anyone notice that Kevin hit his head when other players fell on him, not when T. J. knocked him down. T. J. is hung out to dry. Fans hate him, his teammates shun him, his lukewarm relationship with his girlfriend erodes further.

As if that’s not bad enough, T. J. is summarily traded back to the Blizzard. Which, by the way, is where Kevin is in a rehab facility in Denver. Gage Nelson is traded along with T. J. and Gage is the only one of his teammates who will stand up for him. Fans everywhere seem to hate him, and the Blizzard players shun him, too. Bright spot: Coach Marty LeBrun (the best coach in the world, just saying) recognizes that T. J. could potentially expand his game beyond strictly enforcer and has him working on that, along with many, many, many, many charitable projects, since he still can’t play in games.

Bigger bright spot: When T. J. goes to the hospital to see how Kevin is doing (no-no from his lawyer, of course) he sees a woman in the parking lot. Cue the halo of sunshine around her and the orchestra playing.

Dimmer switch on the big bright spot: The woman is Natalie, Kevin May’s girlfriend. Oh, oh. Kevin and Natalie were just at the beginning of their relationship when he was hurt; she hadn’t moved into considering it serious but now?? What’s the protocol here? How can she just dump him, but how can she stay and further a relationship that was so new?

Natalie Foster is not a weak, weepy, whiny, wilting woman by any means, but she has had some tough breaks. And trying to navigate a barely started relationship with Kevin after his injury is just one of them. Not quite sure how she feels about Kevin long-term and having his ex-wife in her face just piles on to the emotions she’s already dealing with about her job change, failed former relationship, shaky finances. She doesn’t know who T. J. is, and at first he has no clue she’s Kevin’s (kind of) girlfriend. He just sees a woman having car trouble, who seems upset, sad, uncertain. A woman who draws him to her like a magnet. He doesn’t think she can’t take care of herself, but everything about her just seems to shout, “HELP!” and his Sir Galahad comes out. Once he learns who she is, he blames himself for ruining “the life she would have had with Kevin” and determines to do everything he can to help her – while hiding who he is, of course. How could that ever go wrong, hmm?

This is going to be fun, isn’t it? Except keeping secrets really never works out that well. T. J. almost instantly falls in love with Natalie; he just can’t help himself but he also can’t seem to find the perfect time to tell her the truth. She’s drawn to him as well but feels guilty about it, and while she keeps guessing the details wrong she senses he’s hiding something. So along with the fun there is probably going to be a lot of hurt and anger and confusion mixed in for a while.

Third Man In is amazing. Serious topics, hard times, difficult issues. But throw in a dog T. J. adopts so he can hire Natalie to watch it so she’ll have steady income. Add that he impulsively names the dog Ford because he panicked when asked and he just happened to look at a passing car and you won’t be able to stop laughing. Throw in how sweet he can be in his attempts to take care of her and sharing childhood secrets he’d never revealed before and you’ll be loudly sighing and patting your heart. Add in his connection to a local amateur sports team made up of disabled men and you’ll be grabbing for the tissues. Paige and Beckett are back, Coach LeBrun and Claudia are there, and Gage Nelson is someone you’ll want to know more about. What’s up with that quiet guy who keeps to himself? What’s he holding in? The story is funny and sweet but the thread as T. J. continues to try to clear his name will rile you up. Kevin’s story is sad yet heartwarming. There are some steamy bits you won’t want to miss, either and you might need a little fan for those.

I received an advance listening copy of Third Man In from Home Cooked Books. Listening instead of reading these stories is the icing (pun, sorry) on the cake. Tor Thom is a favorite narrator, with a giant voice so deep, gruff, gravelly, and sexily commanding that I always forget – and am delighted to be reminded – how sweet, lost, hurt and uncertain he can also be. He is the perfect T. J. Shanstrom and just brings him to life. Whitton Frank immerses you into all of Natalie’s emotions: sassy, sweet, smart, fearless but scared, and falling, falling, falling for T. J. I really did love this story; it just took me away to the world of hockey, the good and the bad, and submerged me into a sweet, sometimes hilarious, love story voiced by outstanding narrators. Listen to Third Man In. Listen to the series. You’ll love it. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.