What a freaking delight.
It's official: J.J. Mulder is one of my favorite hockey romance writers. I swear, everything I've read by this author has been an absolute delight, and it keeps getting better and better.

Remy and Gray's story stole my soul <3 it was EVERYTHING. Their dynamic had me in a chokehold since the very beginning: a smidge of secret identities shenanigans, a forbidden friends-with-benefits relationship between teammates, a whole lot of first times and a whole lot of pining? A queer awakening that feels so damn relatable and real you'll want to hug Remy to death? I was absolutely SOLD. Also, kudos for the demi rep. I loved it.
I adored both MCs so damn much: Remy is that precise, peculiar mix between a chronic, anxious over-thinker and an unbothered king; I loved how chill he was, and I also freaking loved seeing his more vulnerable, anxious side. And Gray! Gah, that man is a dreamboat. He's so gentle and kind, but also so damn sexy? Remy never stood a chance. I loved their relationship to bits.

"From Coast to Coast" is pretty much a light-hearted read, but it never felt shallow: there's an emotional undercurrent to the story and the budding relationship between Remy and Gray that made a world of difference. I loved it. I also loved how J.J. Mulder managed to balance out the hockey with the romance: everything felt precisely right.
One of the things I love most of the "Offside"series as well as the "SCU Hockey" one, is the fact that the author manages to write perfectly balanced stories: they're fun and light-hearted, sure, but the banter is actually funny, the emotional connection always feels so real, and J.J. Mulder never shies away from writing about heavy, emotionally tough topics either.
"From Coast to Coast" isn't a heavy read, but I so appreciated those little moments between Gray and Remy where both of them showed their fears and vulnerabilities. I also appreciated how the topic of homophobia in sports is handled; lots of hockey series nowadays kinda sugarcoat it a lot, and that's completely fine because we DO read romances to evade from our lives, but I think it's good to deal with real-world problems too.

Anyway, I freaking adored this novel, and I can't wait for J.J. Mulder's next gem. I hear it's going to be Vas's story and I'M EXCITED. I can't wait to go back to the SCU Hockey world, and maybe see Nico and Anthony again too.
Also, speaking of which: that epilogue? PERFECTION. No notes; I loved it.

TWs/CWs: homophobia, slurs, injury (mentioned).

Many thanks to GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review.