The Recommended Reading Order for Power Play
For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read the Power Play series in its original publication order. Although each book focuses on a different couple and their central romance wraps up by the final page, the character relationships, team dynamics, and overarching locker room storylines of the Minnesota Glaciers hockey team evolve from book to book.
By reading them in order, you will get to see characters introduced in earlier installments reappear, offering satisfying glimpses into their domestic lives and continuing friendships.
Power Play Books in Publication and Chronological Order
- Game Play (Published: June 2015) — Follows arrogant Glaciers defenseman Dylan Rylie and former Olympic hockey star Samantha Yates. When a viral charity game kiss sparks an intense public interest, they enter a secret agreement where Samantha coaches Dylan, leading to high-stakes chemistry.
- Back in Play (Published: September 2015) — Centers on team captain Scott Walters and high school teacher Rachel Fielding. Scott is dealing with a severe shoulder injury and a hidden painkiller addiction, and Rachel becomes his anchor, but his secret threatens to derail both his career and their relationship.
- Penalty Play (Published: December 2015) — The final book focuses on starting defenseman Henrik Grenick and independent cellist/music teacher Jacqui Polson. Henrik is drawn to Jacqui's indifference to his athletic fame, building a heartfelt story of emotional vulnerability and mutual support.
The Wicked Play Connection
Before launching her sports romance trilogy, Lynda Aicher was well-known for her BDSM-themed erotic romance series, Wicked Play. The Power Play series serves as a direct spin-off of the Wicked Play universe, specifically branching out from characters associated with "The Den," the high-end private club featured in the original series.
Specifically, Wicked Play features professional hockey player Holden Hauke and club co-owner V. Their relationship and eventual wedding serve as a narrative bridge connecting the two series. Furthermore, characters like Rockford "Rock" Fielding (from the fifth Wicked Play novel, Bonds of Denial) are closely related to characters in the spin-off; Rachel Fielding from Back in Play is Rock's sister. Due to these connections, characters from the original club-centric series, such as Carter and Rock, make cameos in the sports-themed spin-off, providing extra depth for long-term readers of Aicher's work.
What to Know Before You Start
The series is classified as contemporary sports romance with a high level of heat. Aicher balances sizzling, explicit encounters with serious real-world topics, including recovery from substance abuse, career transitions for retired athletes, gender double standards in professional sports, and the emotional toll of playing at the elite level.
If you are planning to read the entire universe, you may want to start with the Wicked Play series to fully appreciate the references and family trees. However, if you are strictly interested in sports romance and hockey, you can easily skip the club-themed parent series and start directly with Game Play without feeling lost, as Aicher provides enough context for new readers.
Practical Reading Advice
Here are a few quick tips to help you navigate the series:
- Can they be read as standalones? Yes. Each book focuses on a single couple and resolves their romantic arc. However, because the Glaciers team members interact across all three books, reading them in order preserves the subplots and character progression.
- Who is the publisher? The entire trilogy was published digitally and in print-on-demand formats by Carina Press, the digital-first romance imprint of Harlequin.
- Where to start? Start with Game Play to see the team's initial setup and understand the social circle before moving on to the captains and defensemen in the subsequent books.