Review: My Brother's Enemy by Tijan


Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Valentine PR.

He closed his eyes, his shoulders loosening, and he touched his head to mine. "Where have you been all my life?"
A twinge went up my spine, making me feel alive. Intoxicated.
My throat swelled up. "Lost."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "Not anymore and not ever again."

Calling Tijan's new novel a hockey romance may be accurate, but it also over-simplifies what is actually a story of resilience, courage, and love. My Brother's Enemy, which I suspect is the first in a series called Grays Hockey, but I could be totally off-base, introduces readers to Dylan Rain Connors, Tyler Griffin, the Minnesota Grays hockey team, and the respective families and friends of the main characters. The author makes it clear that these are new characters and none of her prior releases need to be read before diving into this. (Side note: If you're new to Tijan, this book is a great one to dive into and explore her writing.)

When thirty-year-old Rain Connors receives a phone call from the owner of the Minnesota Grays, it sparks the beginning of a new chapter in her life--one that may turn out to be revisiting an old one she would rather not acknowledge. There are reasons why the specialist in sports psychology and team dynamics prefers working with non-hockey teams, but strangely enough, she agrees to sign on with the Minnesota Grays. And she isn't the only newbie on the team. For the first time in his career, thirty-one-year-old Tyler Griffin is playing for a team other than the one that drafted him. Being close to family, particularly, his twin sister and his niece, is important to him. On the other hand, Rain would love for her so-called family to go on ignoring her--especially considering she now happens to be working with her brothers' enemy...

If you're looking for a frothy romance, keep looking because My Brother's Enemy is most definitely not that. This book was an emotional, angsty, and thoughtful read, one that had some aspects to it that I easily related to and others that I could empathize with. Rain was the epitome of resilience, but that didn't mean that she didn't break when everything that was weighing on her got to be too much. My heart hurt for her, both when she was being stoic and when she was vulnerable. And where do I begin with Tyler? He was protective, dedicated, and loving--with Rain, his family, his friends, and his team. There's so much to love about this book, and I  hope there's far more from Grays Hockey! Five-plus stars.

Release Date: 13 November 2025

Date Read: 10 November 2025

Learn more about Tijan.

Pre-order My Brother's Enemy via Amazon.

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