Tough Guy

Tough Guy is an LBGTQ+ sports-romance novel by Canadian author Rachel Reid. Originally published in 2020 by Carina Press, Tough Guy is the third novel in Reid’s Game Changers series. The novel traces National Hockey League (NHL) star Ryan Price’s opposites-attract romance with Fabian Salah. Over a decade after Ryan and Fabian met as teenagers, they run into each other again in Toronto, Canada. Ryan is embedded in the world of hockey, and Fabian is pursuing a solo musical career; despite their differences, the two feel unable to forget their adolescent connection. The more time they spend together, the more curious they are to overcome their differences and foster trust and love. Written from the third-person point of view, the novel explores themes of Vulnerability as the Key to Authentic Masculine Identity, Toughness as a Professional Role That Corrodes the Self, and the Impact of Adolescent Longing on Adult Relationships.

This guide refers to the 2024 Carina Press paperback edition.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of death, mental illness, antigay bias, substance use, sexual content, and cursing.

Plot Summary

Ryan Price moves to Toronto to play for the NHL’s Toronto Guardians. This isn’t the first time Ryan has been traded from one team to another, and he has low expectations for his next experience. He rents an apartment in the Church-Wellesley Village and tries not to get too settled into his new life. As a shy, gay man who plays the enforcer position for the NHL, Ryan is used to keeping to himself. People see him as tough and intimidating, and he does little to challenge their opinions of him. In his alone time, however, Ryan looks down on himself, struggles with body dysmorphia and anxiety, and shies away from platonic and sexual intimacy.

One day, Ryan stops into the local drugstore and is shocked to see his old friend Fabian Salah behind the counter. It has been over a decade since he and Fabian last saw each other, but they greet each other happily. When the two were teenagers, Ryan stayed with Fabian’s family while he was playing in a junior hockey league. Fabian hated how much his parents loved hockey—and how obsessed they were with comparing him to their pseudo-hockey-player sons—so he initially wrote off Ryan. Over time, however, he realized that Ryan was different from all the other hockey players his parents had hosted over the years. Whereas the other players were stereotypical jocks whom Fabian didn’t get along with, Ryan was quiet, calm, and kind.

Seeing Ryan again in the present, Fabian is overwhelmed by memories of their intense adolescent connection. The two briefly catch up and agree to see each other around town.

Over the following days, Ryan finds himself thinking about Fabian almost constantly. He still can’t believe they saw each other again and wonders if he should go to Fabian’s show the next weekend. Fabian is a singer-songwriter and told Ryan about his performance at the Lighthouse, suggesting that he come. When Ryan returns from an away game, he finds himself making the impulsive decision to go and see Fabian play. Fabian’s music overwhelms him with emotion. Ryan is also glad to meet Fabian’s friends. Afterward, he even walks Fabian home. Nothing happens between the friends, but they do exchange numbers.

Ryan and Fabian start running into each other more frequently over the following weeks. They go out for coffee or food, take walks, and talk about their lives. They both remember their teenage days together but aren’t sure what their relationship as adults can be. They are from such different worlds and doubt they could actually date.

One night, Ryan abruptly leaves a teammate’s birthday party to meet Fabian and his friends at a club. Ryan and Fabian dance intimately. They share a passionate kiss on the way home and end up having sex that night. Ryan is surprised by how comfortable he is with Fabian and thankful that Fabian is so patient with him. The two talk openly throughout their encounter.

Ryan and Fabian continue meeting and having sex over the following weeks. The more time they spend together, the more attached they become. However, the longer their relationship goes on, the more confused Fabian feels about who Ryan really is. When they are together, Ryan is gentle, kind, and compassionate. However, whenever Fabian watches Ryan’s televised hockey games, sees videos of him fighting online, or hears him talk about hockey, he seems like a violent, aggressive, and intolerant person. Fabian understands that hockey demands a lot of Ryan but fears that the sport is robbing him of all his goodness. Finally, he confronts Ryan about these issues. A furious Ryan insists that he would have and be nothing if he quit the sport, accusing Fabian of being selfish. The two break up.

Ryan and Fabian spend a few miserable weeks apart. They go about their lives, constantly replaying what happened between them and trying to make sense of what their breakup means. Ryan realizes that Fabian is right and that he needs to leave the NHL and try something new. Meanwhile, Fabian realizes that he has been intolerant of Ryan’s life, too. The two finally meet up, make amends, and profess their love for each other.

Ryan quits hockey and joins Fabian on his next tour for his latest album. While traveling together, the lovers discuss the possibility of buying their own townhouse in the Village. They aren’t sure what the future will hold but are glad they have each other.