Book Club Review: Common Goal Part 1: Happy for Now?

Declan is joined by Kirsty from the Book Hashira as we move on to Common Goal, the fourth instalment in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. This is one of the most divisive books. In Part One, we dive into Eric and Kyle’s relationship and ask whether their romance really feels like a happily-ever-after, or whether “happy for now” might be a better fit.  We explore the book’s significant age gap, Eric’s anxieties about retirement and getting older, and whether the story misses an opportunity to dig deeper into what leaving professional hockey might mean for someone whose life has revolved around the sport. We also unpack Kyle’s lingering feelings for Kip, his difficult past and the unresolved questions surrounding what happened to him at 18. We discuss if Common Goalgives Kyle enough space to work through his own story, and if we are we actually convinced that he wants Eric more than he ever wanted Kip? There’s plenty of discussion about third-act breakups, miscommunication, the evolution of Rachel Reid’s writing across the series, why alot of poeple love Role Model and how Ilya continues his unofficial second career as the Game Changers resident lurker, matchmaker and dispenser of unsolicited relationship advice. Find Kirsty: Instagram: thebookhashira_ Long Game Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/LongGamePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Join our Long Game Podcast Book Club on Fable to read along with us each week.: https://fable.co/club/long-game-pod-book-club-with-long-game-pod-349252537194?invite=fc285de0-86ea-45c4-ab3f-8dcc82b8cad8&referralID=4tVUzsxlCC Find us on instagram: longgame.heatedrivalry.pod Write to us: [email protected] Find Declan:  Instagram: declan712 Tiktok: declanmccallion1 Find Silvan: Instagram: Silvates Tiktok: silvates1 Listen to the Podcast on: Apple podcast:  Spotify  Amazon podcast:  Watch it on youtube: https://youtu.be/VrffkZ_Eix0 Listen to Silvan’s ‘Silvates’ podcast on mental health and wellbeing here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/silvates/id1531620495 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xMX59teVzpf6M86Cv7WG9?si=016f5477aed14697 hashta Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Common Goal and the Game Changer Series 02:19 Character Development and Themes in Common Goal 05:08 Comparative Analysis of the Game Changer Series 08:18 Standout Characters and Their Arcs 10:22 The Complexity of Eric's Character 13:06 The Third Act Breakup and Its Implications 14:36 Realism in Age Gap Romance 18:45 Power Dynamics in Age Gap Relationships 21:45 The Impact of Past Trauma on Characters 26:29 Unresolved Themes and Character Arcs 34:06 Character Development and Unresolved Threads 38:30 The Impact of Miscommunication in Relationships 42:37 Retirement and Its Emotional Toll 48:06 Unrequited Love as a Plot Device 54:33 Character Arcs and Redemption Themes