This was absolutely gorgeous. 
It might, MIGHT (I know, I'm completely shocked too) have replaced "Heated Rivalry" as my absolute favourite of the series (so far. I still have "The Long Game" to get through with). Or, at least, it's a very, very close second.

God, this book reminded me why I love Rachel Reid so much, and her utter love for these characters and this game. I absolutely loved this book and I managed to inhale it in less than a day: I literally could not stop reading.

The writing here is beautiful and gut-wrenching and the story? GAH, so lovely, so tough, so hopeful. I think "Role Model" has confirmed my unofficial, personal, theory that RR is much more gifted at capturing her hockey-adjacent characters than her "normal" ones, and making them more lovable: see exhibit A and B (aka Shane and Ilya), and also C and D, where Troy is, obviously, a hockey player, but Harris is much more involved with the team and the game than any of the previous "other" MCs. I don't know why, but I'm guessing she manages to literally flood her hockey characters with so much love and respect (and also yes, critique) of the game, that all of them just seem much more alive, more complex, more *there*. So yes, I absolutely adored both Troy and Harris. 

Troy was an absolute mess, but god did I want to hug him to death and shelter him from EVERYTHING. He's so insecure and broken and confused and yes, flawed and a bit of a d*ck at times, but he's also definitely self-aware and absolutely willing to make changes, to be a better person, with actual actions, not solely with empty words. He put in the time to be and act better and I really admired him for that. Harris was an absolute GEM: he's so nice and wholesome and goofy and lovely and, just, the complete opposite of Troy but also 1000% his soulmate, his perfect counterbalance. They both brought out the best from each other. 
Their relationship was SO NICE, SO PERFECT. There's steam and chemistry yes, but also banter and silliness and first dates and smiles and heartache and support and care, and god, I nearly cried a couple of times, or twenty. 

I also adored the fact that there's a bit of external angst and the drama is, surprisingly enough, not at all based on the relationship: it was such a nice change to finally have a RR story where there's no 3rd act break-up, and the miscommunication is literally kept at the minimum because they both talk to each other? And explain? And, also, APOLOGIZE? I loved that.

We also get a TON of side characters and team interaction, and a TON of Ilya Rozanov being the absolute best and a literal snark GOD. The Ottawa team is something else! I cannot wait to read "The Long Game" and maybe, possibly get Ilya's POV on some of the things that happen during the events of this book. I'm excited and terrified and also, grinning like a fool.