Review: Two for Holding by S.B. Barnes (Minor Penalties #1)
Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Gay Romance Reviews.
Two for Holding is the first book in the new Minor Penalties hockey romance from S.B. Barnes, published through NineStar Press. My introduction to this author's writing came by way of her Hudson Valley series, which was more romantic suspense, so naturally, I was curious to see how she would handle a romance set in the world of professional ice hockey. The team at the center of the series is the San Francisco Sea Lions, with the main characters in this series starter being Jaxon Grant and Tom Crowley, the former being twenty-four, center, and recently traded by Philadelphia Magpies to San Francisco, and the latter being thirty-two, winger, and the captain of the Sea Lions. Jax also happens to be gay, openly so with his family but while not exactly hiding it from everyone else, he isn't shouting it from the rooftops either. When he's caught by his team captain escorting a male after-hours companion from his hotel room, he worries that he'll be traded yet again. What Jaxon doesn't know, however, is that Tom has a secret of his own, one that he'd accepted he'd have to keep until his playing days were over. What could happen next?
I confess that I've read my fair share of hockey romances, both LGBTQIA+ and not, so whenever a new one lands in my hands, they do end up being compared to those that have set the bar and remain among my all-time favorites (hello, Him series!). It's clear that the author has done her research, which I appreciate, because when it comes to sports romances, I do prefer it when there's a good balance of the sport and the romance. The main characters, Jax and Tom, were also rather interesting, especially with Tom being far from what I thought he would be. I liked the character development because you could see how Jax found his footing with the team and going beyond an athlete who was making millions, and then with Tom embracing his sexuality, slowly but surely, and seeing that he could be accepted for his authentic self. There were also some notable supporting characters, particularly, Phil (aka East), Chris (aka Breezy), and Luca, and the team's ongoing struggles to be true contenders definitely has me eager to see what awaits everyone in the next book in the series. My one major quibble with Two for Holding, though, is it being written in third person, making it confusing at times to figure out who's point of view I was currently reading. All things considered, I was still wholly entertained, so I am giving this four stars.
Release Date: 28 October 2025
Date Read: 26 October 2025
Learn more about S.B. Barnes.
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