Before I say anything else, can I just mention that somebody needs to fix this blurb! Now. I have no idea how or I'd do it, but the mistakes have to go! This book is really good and it's a shame how that blurb doesn't show in any way. At least the names should be correct, FGS. *now back to the book


Surprise, Surprise! I so didn't see this one coming!


Jayson Wintergreen was a completely new author to me, and this book seems to be his/her debut novel. And as such, it really surprised the crap out of me.

I have to admit, the 1st POV in present tense is not exactly my favorite. I was able to get into the story despite of it, but every now and again it did bug me a little. Also, I have a hard time reading a book when there are no pragraphs, spaces or anything really, separating one situation from the other. Most of the time it wasn't that big of an issue here, because I was able to determine what's what pretty quickly, but at one point or the other some kind of indication would have been nice, or maybe even necessary, just to make reading a lot easier.

One big issue was the word "like". Like, using it all the time, like, really. Like, even in sex scenes?! Dude! Like, so not cool. As you can tell, I am not a fan of the usage of "like" in every sentence, even if it doesn't make a lick of sense there. I know, it's conntemporary, and I understand that it's even realistic ina away, because many people tend to use it extensively. It still annoys me in my books, mostly because as an "outsider" I find it an irritating distraction. Especially in the bedroom, this word has to GO. Absolutely not my thing.

But these are basically all of my complaints. Sure, some tighter editing and proof reading would do this some good and make it an exceptional story, but in the end, I didn'T care so much all of the technicalities anymore. Because this book? Was. Great. I loved the characters so much, after a while my little niggles didn't matter half as much. Leo was adorable, he warmed my heart and made me smile a loon during my lunch break. Charlie was the goofball of the story, but in a very sincere and empathetic way. He was so good to his new, painfully shy roommate. This guy who was looking for a neat and quiet tenant, but got a great friend with a big heart instead. And a not so tiny crush.

"Hey, man. I'm Charlie," he says hoping to come off as both neat and quiet and as a non-smoker, all in that first initial greeting.

These two together killed me in the best ways. From the forming of a very tentative friendship to the first dipping of toes into deeper waters, I enjoyed the hell out of their journey. Le, the shy writer with a lot of insecurities, had a very hard time trusting anyone, but especially big and loud, outgoing Charlie who - on the other hand - has this incredibly sweet and caring side. Threw Leo every. Single. Time. But Charlie prevailed. He cared, he loved, he laughed, he struggled and he fought, and it was all worth it. Of course there were bumps in the road, some bigger than others. Things both men had to overcome, had to compromise on, had to fight for. Especially Charlie, who had a penchant for letting people walk over him in order to keep the peace and everybody happy.

Granted, the final "conflict"was very unusual, not only in its origin, but also in the way it developed and was blown a little out of proportion, IMHO. BUT. It all made sense in the end, and while the final scenes might have been a little cheesy and sugar-y weet, it didn't spoil my reading experience at all. I rooted so hard for these two, I was too happy to see their HEA.

All in all, I know that some readers will probably dnf this book, because the writing, the tense, and the editing issues will put them off. I can't really blame them, because there are quite some niggles. BUT. I can only advise absolutely everyone who likes a slow burn, young adult roommates, some hurt and comfort, sexy steam and a whole lot of feelings to READ IT. Read through it, don't give a crap about the technicalities and enjoy the sweet and wonderful MCs here. It's worth it. It will probably take some time to get used to the different style, but if you ask me? These two guys and their story make more than up for it.

Definitely recommended! A really great debut novel that I enjoyed immensely! And I'll just give it 5 stars, because even though I had issues - under other cirsumstances this would probably be more like a 3.5 star read - I still loved this and just can't help myself.

Well, I don't have a lot of words for this one.

I loved Matt. Yes, he could be immature, acting before thinking, with no filter and sometimes not even with a fully functioning brain. But he was good, innately and indisputably good. Alex was harder to read, but still a really great guy. The two of them together made for one hell of a ride. I was so damn glad for the secondary characters calling them out on their bullshit because seriously? Somebody had to do it or I might have punched my book.

There is really nothing more to say. This story was fun, it was touching, it was sexy, and I felt for these two very much. Just read it, you'll understand.

Man, where to begin with this one?


One important thing first: Heed the trigger warning, folks! Of course, I completely overlooked it before I began reading. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was a mistake, because I got through the scenes intact and still liked the book. But I do think that the description and picturing of self-harm in all its' complexities and backrounds is done very realisticly. They are intense and real. This was not done by an author who had no idea what she was talking about and it showed in a way that might not be as "harmless" to other readers as it was to me. So, again, please heed the warnings.

What else? Yes, Ryder! Ryder breaks your heart - probably more than once. He is so many contradictory things at the same time, it made my head spin and still allowed me to understand him completely. He was so strong, yet felt so weak at times, it was almost impossible for him to bear. He seems so confident, but really has no feelings of self-worth, sometimes not even self-preservation. Hence, the abuse of alcohol and other substances.

And then we have Mason. My problem probably was, that as connected as I felt to Ryder, I didn't quite get the same grasp on Mason. At least not in the beginning, all the more though during the end.

I enjoyed the flow of the story very much. Their battles, their struggles, their communication and their communication problems drew me in and held me captive. And let's be honest, the sexual side of this relationship was pretty damn hot. And that's something I don't say too often in the "porn star" trope, mainly because I don't like "my" sex too porny, which annoyed to me quite often when reading "porn star" books. But it was well done here, so no complaints on that front. Parts of the dialogue and descriptions of feelings might have been a little bit too over the top if you ask me, but not overly so.

I also liked the development around the little "mystery/crime" part, even though it problably wasn't the most believable plot line. But that's when I actually connected fully to Mason.

About Ryder's mother thoough (his father is not worth even that much): Uhm, no. I didn't get her, I didn't believe her and I certainly couldn't forgive her. At all. Her regret didn't faze or touch me. Too little, too late.

All in all a solid read for me, at times a little too much, at times unebelievably intense, but still really good.

4.5 stars - Oh love me some Glasgow Lads!

Well, well, color me surprised.

I honestly didn't know what to expect going in. I enjoyed Playing for Keeps (Glasgow Lads, #1) so immensely, but at the same time I didn't really get a feeling for Collin or Andrew there. I did know however that I would probably want to punch Andrew a time or three. I could just feel it, way before starting this book. And guess what? I wanted to do so quite often in the beginning. At one point I just wanted to use a chair for a slap and be done with the whole thing.

The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that Andrew was not an asshole by choice. Even though some might see it as a weak defense, he really didn't know better. Collin on the other hand, was so very passionate about politics, you couldn't help but root for him. Outside of soccer and politics however, he remained a little flat for me in the beginning.

What I really liked about this story was the progress of things. The relationship developed at a fast, but believable pace. Some things didn't add up in the end, but I enjoyed it so much, I didn't really care. I was also somewhat surprised more than once because things did not go exactly as I thought they would, which was really good thing. Big bonus points for not making it work instantly, not making it easy for these two very different men, and a cherry on top for some pretty hot steamy scenes.

One thing is indisputable, if you don't have the stomach for politics, especially for all the games, propaganda and complexities involved in a referendum for separation - don't read this book. I'm pretty sure, there is no way to actually enjoy this if you don't like politics and political agendas in your romance. Me, I was like a fish in the water. I won't go into detail much, because this is a book review, not a fundamental debate. One thing that bugged me though, was the black and white perspective - you were either one the black or white side. In a way, it's probably a realistic description. I don't think that there was a way to remain in the grey zone during that time in Scottland. Not if you're a Scot. But for me as an outsider, things were made out to be a little too clean-cut here. Which lead to my scepticism concerning Andrew's actions in the end. But that's a personal thing, and probably wouldn't affect other people's reading experience that much.

One other thing was the ending. The way the final "conflict" came into being felt a little forced to me. While I absolutely understood Collin's devastation and desperation, his attack of Andrew didn't really add up. Anger, frustration, even some rage are understandable, blaming your partner for the outcome of a referendum on the other hand, is not. And after everything these two went through to get to this point? I didn't fully believe Collin's reaction. Especially the part about never wanting to see Andrew again. Just didn't really fit. Also, the whole part about the attacks on Andrew felt a little forced at times, and I had a hard time buying all of it. A little too much drama in the end? It wasn't really bad, just not really perfect either.

Other than that, I came to like this story very much. Even Andrew grew on me more and more, especially after meeting his asshole of a brother. What a son of a gun. All in all, another really good book in the series. Avery Cockburn just has knack for bringing lads together who, objectively, should have way too many complex issues between them to make it work. But they still do and I love it.

Definitely recommended, for everyone who doesn't mind politics as a major issue in their romance books.

3.5 stars

Oh well, I made a mistake. I should have read this before I read the other books in the series. Not that you can't understand the things going on, or have to read the books in a certain order, but after the more complex, deeper and somewhat heavier other two books, this one left me a tiny bit disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad story. Like I said, just not as deep or complex as the others as far as the backround story goes.

On the one side we have Duncan. With parents who aren't really interested in him, but love his sexual orientation, his friends and team mates in his LGBTQ soccer team are way more important to him. He cares for them, cares about them and he lifes and suffers with them. After betrayal and humiliation, Duncan has some issues of his own, in addition to some problems with the team. One of them is definitely his lack of... I don't even know what to call it. Empathy? Maybe, but not really, because he is not a cold-hearted bastard. He just doesn't put himself in somebody else's shoes first before he speaks - or looses his temper for that matter.

And then there is Brodie. Growing up surrounded by homophobia, without an undertsanding or supporting famliy, he looses much of himself and his self-confidence because of bullies and his ex-boyfriend.

Put these two together and you get one explosive mix.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I didn't fall in love with the characters as I did in the other two books. So a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to four because, you know, soccer. We loooove soccer. I recommend it for basically everyone. The bits and pieces of Scottish are well explained and shouldn't be problem for readers. And other topics, like soccer or politics, aren't really touched that much. It's easy, it's light - if not really angst-free - and I'd think everyone who liked two boys with some issues falling in love is perfectly fine right here.