WOW...
I am really impressed by the talent this author showed in this book. She deftly managed to weave together friendship, sexiness, tenderness and fun into a truly awesome book. She even threw in a tiny bit of angst at a most appropriate point, even though the happy ending was never in doubt. In Jason and Derek she created a couple who seemed to fit almost at page one and I felt like I had known them forever. The football side of things were done very well... she is either a fan or knows somone who is. She is a writer to watch in the future cuz I think she will be going places, her first time gay sex scene halfway through this book was one of the sexiest, most tender and well-written that I have ever read! Overall this was an immensely satisfying and thoroughly enjoyable read. I definitely will be working my way through the rest of this series and her other books in the near future.

A light, low angst friends to lovers story, in a US college football setting.

 

Likeable characters make this an easy, feel-good read.

 

Well written and (mostly) well edited.

 

For those who like to know, this is alternate first person written in present tense.

More like 3.5 (possibly even 3.75) stars. Rounding up because this happens to be the first (published) book in a long time (you know, in contrast to fanfics) that I actually really enjoyed reading.

Yeah, sure, it suffers from some clichés and uses the ol' "serious injury gives way to public coming out & is reason for making up after relationship crisis"-plot device.... but nevertheless, this was a sweet hockey fic with likable characters.

 

"I needed this. I needed someone who knows the real me. Someone who wants the real me. And now that I have it, I'm not sure I can give it up."

I did sympathise with Lance. He must have had a bad time. Being idiolized and taken advantage of. No one sees the real him. And then he meets Beau. Beau sees the real him and for the first time Lance can be himself.....

Something's with this writer. I love her stories and I'll get all excited cause I love football. And I almost always love her characters but somehow Ms Hendricks isn't able to hold my attention throughout the book.

But overall a good enough read and certainly worth your time.

 

 

4.25 stars

I loved this.

Diego is a big bad tattooed college football player. And a definite man whore. He is constantly cruising Grindr to find someone to hook up with. And not to top as is often the case in MM books these days. Diego is not ashamed that he was a bottom through and through. I loved that.

Garrett is taking care of his dad and his 13 year old sister ever since his dad had an accident and his mom left them. He just wants to be there for them and perhaps play some ball. So when he gets asked to play for ESC Mavericks, he is thrilled, since it's so close by.

Garrett expects to get along with the team and just throw a football or two. But the coach immediately introduces him to the rest of the team as the wonder boy who is going to save the team from downfall.

The team and especially Diego is not happy with him, so Diego sets out to harass him every way he can. But Diego didn’t count on Garrett to be so incredibly optimistic. Nothing gets him down.

Garrett has been so busy with taking care of his family that he had no time in his life to date. But he did always figure he was straight. Well, turns out he was wrong, because he is very attracted to loudmouth Diego..

For 80% this is very low angst, just how I like it. I was expecting angst, since you can just feel it (especially with Diego’s background). But I was a bit disappointed anyway when it came. Not because it was really bad, but because I am just not one to like angst. Why have a stupid fight when you can just talk? It wasn’t that bad and luckily it wasn’t a break-up (which I hate).

Not a lot of sexy times, but what we got was HOT!

I really enjoyed this and other than the little bit of angst, this was just a wonderful read.