Icing the Play

A Friends to Lovers Hockey MM Romance (Desert Ice Hockey, Book 6)

By: Christie Gordon

Narrated by: Finnley Cole

Living with my high school crush is a bad play. Living with him while keeping my feelings on ice? Impossible.

Myles

Hockey is my dream.

But if I don’t make it to the NHL, I’ll be the family failure—especially with my little brother on his way.

Then Cooper struts back into my life. My high school crush.

The guy who made my chest ache with emotions I buried so deep, I wished they’d disappear.

He’s heading to the NFL and setting me up with his friend.

But my heart’s never raced for anyone the way it does him.

When he needs a place to live, I can’t say no.

Even if living with him might break me.

Cooper

I came to Arizona for football, not for Myles Cummings.

But the instant I see him again, I know my feelings back then weren’t just friendship.

And now? It’s stronger than ever.

There’s one big problem.

He doesn’t know I like guys, and my friend has his eye on Myles.

When Myles lets me move in, keeping my secret—and my hands off him—might be the hardest play of my life.

Icing the Play is the sixth book in the college hockey series, Desert Ice Hockey, and is the follow up to the Rock U series. It features a hockey player crushing on his old friend, a football player hiding his sexuality, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, a short love triangle, second chances and found family. 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!

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

Myles and Cooper

Once again Finnley Cole has brought Christie’s characters to life and never forgets the distinct voices he uses for characters from previous audiobooks in this series. It’s wonderful to hear the HEA instead of just reading it, and this author and narrator are a dynamic team.

loved it

Icing the Play is the 6th and final book in the Desert Ice Hockey series. I feel this series is best to read in order to get the most out of the story so why not enjoy the rest of the series. This is the story of Myles a member of the hockey team and last member of the squad and Cooper a football player. I couldn't wait to see Myles get his story and happy ending and it was definitely worth the wait. I love these two so much. Both of them have things to figure out. I'm not a big fan of love triangles but the short one in this book works. I love all the squad and it was nice to see them again. I love all Christie Gordon's books and can't wait to see what she writes next. If 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 he does. I would definitely recommend this book and series.

My favorite of the series so far!

My favorite of the series so far! I like that these two knew each other in high school and met because of a transfer. I also love seeing people from the other series. The narration was spot on.

The Squad gets all the HEAs

Myles & Cooper
This book sure stayed on the spicy side of things throughout. 🙃 I loved that these guys were comfortable enough with one another that they just acted immediately on their attraction when they were "allowed/okay-ed" to do so.

As the youngest member of The Squad for the ASU Hockey team, Myles was feeling his loneliness, despite still sharing the squad house with Ace & Zoma. Without his friends around, he doubted his talent and worth with the team. All of his friends had received NHL contracts, and he wasn't feeling sure that he could measure up. It took seeing an old HS friend and spending quality time with him that helped him open up his potential and believe in himself again. Myles has some ups and downs in his story, but I loved how his story led to his and Cooper's HEA. Cooper was a great and supportive partner to Myles, as well as being an incredible athlete in his own right. I loved the path he was set on by the end of the story. He and Myles made a fantastic and highly entertaining couple.

Wrapping up the final story in the Desert Hockey series for The Squad, it's a bit sad to move on from the team, but they all got their incredible HEAs, and I loved the ending to Icing the Play with the guys in Vegas. Always a fun time to be had with The Squad. I know there will be a little side story with Mason's little brother, Lucas, but since he's not a member of the squad, he has his own facet of the hockey universe.
Icing the Play is a must read if you're familiar with Christie Gordon's books, but you should definitely read the rest of the Desert Hockey series first (at the very least, if not also the Rock U series that precedes Desert Hockey). ❤️🏒

I received an authorized copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review. (June 2025)

Audiobook Update (Jan 2026)
Narrated by Finnley Cole

As with all the books that Finnley has narrated for Christie's books, this one was another incredible listen. I especially love the added accent he gives Myles because it also helps separate out the MC's POVs just that little bit more.
The most difficult part of listening to this story is getting more emotion out of the bit of drama when Myles and JJ are together. Now having JJ's story in the newer Desert Football series makes it a bit easier to tolerate, but it was much easier to conceptualize his heartbreak with how Finnley performed this story.

I thought the audiobook was another fantastic way to experience this romance, and I loved each anticipatory moment we get to experience. I'm still sad that this series has been completed, but as with Christie's other stories, it's definitely one I can enjoy more than once in any medium.

I received an authorized copy of this audiobook and am volunteering my honest review.

Love and confidence in yourself

Myles is a hockey player for ASU and the last of the squad on the team. Myles feels like he is not as good as his friends that have moved in to the NHL. Cooper, a ASU football player couldn’t believe his eyes when he ran into Myles in class. He hadn’t seen him since high school. When Cooper moves in with Myles due to his roommate being a slob and just a nasty piece of work. They find it each has had a crush on one another. This story was sweet where Cooper and Myles both support and love each other so well like two pieces of a puzzle finally clicked into place. I kept rooting right alongside cooper, and his friends for Myles to see he is just as good as his former teammates. It was the perfect ending to the Desert Ice Series. Finnley Cole as narrator was wonderful as always with his embodiment of all the characters was spot on.