Two-Man Advantage

Seattle Marauders #1

by Riley Shane

When Professor Nathan Troy walks into his cabin and finds a naked man in his bed, he figures his one-man vacation to snowy Lake Tahoe can't get any worse. It's not that Nate doesn't appreciate the view...he'd just prefer he knew the man in question.

Kyle Harper has come to Lake Tahoe to escape the memories of his former life -- one where he was a star hockey player until a career-ending injury shattered his dreams forever. All Kyle wants is peace, and he certainly isn't going to get it with a prickly, stubborn man waking him up, insisting that Kyle is in his cabin.

An accidental double-booking and a wary compromise puts the two in close quarters. Attraction heats things up, but Nate's not about to let his libido lead him into making the mistake of getting involved with his unexpected roommate. Kyle, however, seems determined to get under his skin at every turn. Both men soon learn that they can't outrun desire. But lust is easy; it's opening their hearts that's hard. Each will have to let go of the past before they can take advantage of the future the two of them could have together.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.

Genres: M M Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Romance, Hockey, Sports Romance, Erotica

64 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 25, 2011

About the author

I am a native Californian who has spent the years since graduating high school bouncing around the world at every opportunity. I am a graduate of Vassar College where—despite often being distracted by British Literature—I received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. I'm an avid reader who spends much of my time engrossed in romance novels...when I'm not being shanghaied by the loud, demanding, often-crazy characters that live in my head. Right now you can find me in Northern California, but who knows where I'll be next? So long as I have my laptop and most discerning critic with me, I'm ready to travel and write from wherever the wind may take me.

Enough about me—I'd love to hear from readers. You can find me on the Web at http://www.rileyshane.com via email at riley@rileyshane.com, on Twitter (@rileyshanebooks), and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Riley-...).

Reviews

[Nerine Petros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two-Man Advantage is a rocky romance that leaves nothing hanging, and closes all of the loops. At no point in the story did I feel either overwhelmed with information, misinformed or left behind. Based around a mountain getaway gone wrong, the lovely slow build on steamy pages is hot enough to melt the snow the story is set in. Finding it remarkably easy to sink into the main characters, I gained a quicker understanding of each. I really enjoyed reading this story with its smooth transitions between scenes.

Deeply angry, Nate is more upset at himself than at anyone else, even the other half of the no-longer relationship. Knowing he was holding on for no reason doesn't make reality any easier to swallow. As I connected with Nate, I got to understand that he is, in reality, a loving, laid-back gentleman just looking for the other half of his soul. As with anyone who has had a relationship go awry, there is a true sense of resistance to re-opening his heart for another potential heartbreak.

Wildly resentful towards anybody and anything remotely resembling his previous love of hockey, Kyle is unsure of himself and his future now that the one sure thing is gone. Tumbling into the excesses of alcohol, Kyle is shocked awake when lust takes hold. Facing up to his own demons may cause heartache and further misery for Kyle, but moving forward from there may just bring his heart the greatest joy it's ever held.

Riley has written a light touch of romance throughout this story, making it seem inevitable that these two men should be, and always should have been, together. A really well written short novel in a contemporary style, Two-Man Advantage is a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys real characters, sports or drama. Nx

Note: Reviewed for Queer Magazine Online.

[Meep · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kindle-Sort-ReRead

Woah mood swings galore!

Insta-everything they barely talk, they take turns to wank off fantasising about each other, then make out. Then it's all entitlement.

Cocks are constantly up. Moods and all over the place. One drunk, the other judgemental, neither a prize.

Quit about 60%

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is an angst-free instant love type of story between a Literature Professor, who is just being dumped by his lover, and an ex-hockey player who is drowning in alcohol just to forget the pain. Personally, I enjoy the build up -- BUT I prefer this story to be a bit longer.

Why?

Because I don't feel the emotion deep enough to care for the characters more than just beyond the surface. Nate, for example, seems to forget the pain of being dumped by his ex too soon. Sure, the author clearly explains that what Nate is feeling for David is different than what he feels for Kyle ... but this is pretty much instant love and I just don't immediately buy it. Kyle, as well, for someone who I meet for the first time being drowned in alcohol, the length of the story doesn't do enough for me to feel his pain.

Having said that, I like Ms. Shane's writing. This story also has a humorous tone which I enjoy. I might check out more stories from her. Especially since this seems to be a first of a series.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a re-read after two years. I originally gave it 5 stars but dropped it down to 4 stars because of the super annoying insta-love. (I guess that bugs me more now then it did two years ago!) Otherwise, this was a hot romance between two opposites-attract MCs who knew how to burn up the sheets.

Recommended for a M/M romance fans. For hockey fans, the sport was in reference to MC Kyle's former profession only. No action unfortunately.

[Lasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Two Man Advantage is the first in a series about former NHL hockey players. In this book, Riley Shane introduces to two deeply conflicted men. Nathan Troy was supposed to be in Lake Tahoe with his lover, but right before they were to leave, the guy sent him a text message breaking up with him. Nathan is upset but not exactly broken-hearted. So, to cheer himself up, he goes to Tahoe anyway. Now due to a hotel mix-up, former NHL player Kyle Harper and Nathan are forced to share a cabin in the woods. At first the two men cannot stand one another, but over the course of their holiday, they slowly grow closer; however, when the holiday is over, will their relationship end too?

I love a good sports theme in a book. And although Kyle is now retired from the NHL – an injury forced him out – he is still in the grieving period of missing his career, so while Two Man Advantage really didn’t have any sexy hockey player running around in towels in the locker room, it did give an overall view of the sport Kyle loved. Add in the fact that Nathan is a total academic geek and that Kyle and Nathan can’t stand each other in the beginning of the book, and you have a great start in this novella.

I really enjoyed the hate-to-love aspect of the book. Kyle and Nathan fight as beautifully as they make love. And their journey from enemies to friends to lovers is wonderful. My only wish was that the book had been longer to fully explore their new-found love.

So, if you love hot men who love sports, mind-bending sex scenes and a good plot, then you will like Two Man Advantage by Riley Shane. Recommended.

Dark Divas Reviews

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This is a fairly short story that seems to cram ALOT in it. Actually thats the best kind of short stories isnt it?

The two main characters are hot together and have some serious chemistry between them that just seems to leap of the page. The author was also talented enough that they managed to do what MANY MANY authors fail.

Riley Shane was able to convince me that these two men met and fell in love in a week. One guy was semi alcoholic and the other was just dumped. I found myself holding my breath and hoping that the story didnt get all cliche at the end, I was relieved when it didnt.

While I really did enjoy this story and there is not much to complain about. I did have a sense of dissatisfaction. I would have loved this to be a longer story. I think I feel this way because of how troubled and different the two men are. So I would have liked a little bit more.

But I still recommend this as a very enjoyable short story for those that want some hot sex and a little loving.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Ok m/m romance about a guy who gets dumped via text message as he's supposed to be heading off on a romantic weekend getaway with his boyfriend. Going on his own, he discovers there's a naked man asleep in the bed in his cabin. This story suffers from insta-love, and perhaps got some of its inspiration from Ethan Day's Sno Ho...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just been dumped via text message, Nathan Troy, an uptight English professor, finds a drunken but sexy ex-hockey player Kyle Harper asleep in what he thought was his cabin at Lake Tahoe. What follows is very enjoyable romance between the two men. I look forward to reading more of Riley Shane in the future, as the author has a nice writing style.

[Crissy Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Originally reviewed for Joyfully Jay

Dumped via text while waiting for his boyfriend at the airport so they could leave for a vacation celebrating their two-year anniversary, Nathan Troy heads alone to South Lake Tahoe for a week of quiet and healing in a private cabin. What he finds is a naked, drunk, albeit sexy, man in the bed of his cabin. After a confrontation with the inebriated man, Nate finds out from the lodge that the cabin has been double booked, but Nate won’t back down this time; he’s done that his entire life, and this time he will get what he wants. And he wants the cabin.

After a shattered ankle ended his NHL career, forcing him into early retirement, Kyle Harper has been flying blind. He came to Lake Tahoe to relax, get away from his life, and forget all that he’s lost. Being torn from his sleep to find that the cabin he’s rented has been double booked by a beautiful, uptight man is not his idea of relaxing. The urge to needle the gorgeous stranger only to see him get worked up brings Kyle a strange sort of enjoyment. So refusing to move from the cabin was his only option really. Offering to share the cabin with Nathan seems to be something to keep Kyle’s mind off of his woes at least.

Even as Nate and Kyle butt heads the first day, the sexual tension is palpable and can’t be ignored for long. Nate doesn’t do one-night stands and Kyle, though not averse to relationships, he’s never really had time for one. As they get to know each other and learn trust one another over the course of the week, a tentative bond between them slowly grows stronger. But they must each face their pasts in order to focus on their present if they plan on having any kind of future.

This is a cute story of a relationship created out of happenstance. As with several stories you’ll see this week, this is another charming geek meets jock story. This time, both are pushed together due to unforeseen circumstances. Both have suffered hurt are trying to find healing while on vacation. It really is an adorable story.

The characters are immediately likable. Nate, bless his heart, has been taken for granted for most of the two year relationship he’s now free of. He’s learning to stand on his own two feet without being pushed around or manipulated. Kyle is my favorite in this story, probably because of his sarcasm and need to push Nathan’s proverbial buttons. It’s mostly a defense mechanism to keep Nate at bay. He’s lost the thing most important to him and is trying to figure out who he is without hockey in his life and what he’s supposed to do from here on out. They are definitely a classic case of opposites attract. They balance each other. And once they learn to trust one another, they begin to heal each other.

I have to say, I really enjoyed the beginning of Nate and Kyle’s relationship. It’s not really an enemy-to-lovers story because they didn’t know really each other well enough to truly be enemies, but something like that. Thorns in one another’s sides is more like it. But once they acted on the building attraction, there was no turning back – commitments were made, histories were shared, relationship status was defined. Next thing I knew, at chapter break, a few days had passed and the vacation was almost over. I would have liked to see more of the relationship building, outside of sex – not that it isn’t sexy because it is, very much so. I just wanted more depth.

Two-Man Advantage is a charming story without the angst and a neat and, dare I say, perfect ending for this couple. It’s a very short and easy read with relatable, interesting characters and a good storyline. I would have liked the story to be longer with more definition to the relationship, but it was still a good book and I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.

Two-Man Advantage is the first book in Riley Shane’s Seattle Marauders series.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Nate is having a rough day. He's planned a get-away in the snow with his lover for their 2 year anniversary when he's dumped at the airport. He goes anyway only to find a naked hottie in the bed of the cabin he rented. Although the guy is hot, and even in a drunken stupor, grabs him and kisses him, Nate does NOT do casual sex and not on the day he's been dumped. Kyle is a former NHL hockey player whose career ended due to an injury several months ago, and he's licking his wounds and self-medicating. He also delights in making uptight Nate crazy, and convinces him to share the cabin. Nate is not thrilled but deals with it and his attraction to Kyle. Finally, after a day or so when Kyle walks in on him, he gives in, although he's oblivious to who Kyle is. They spend the rest of the week getting to know each other and Nate realizes he was in love with the idea of having a partner, not the guy himself and he helps Kyle realize that his life is not over because he can't play hockey. It runs pretty close to the insta-love line as declarations are made pretty fast, but on the whole it worked for me and I think the fact that Kyle liked to make Nate crazy just for the hell of it, and had a temper and it wasn't all rainbows and hearts made it work better. If you're in the mood for quickie feel-good story with a couple of likable guys, a good choice.

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the first installment two years AFTER I read the second one, In the Penalty Box - I guess I'm a bit contrary that way. :p

This is a sweet if somewhat instant love story. Would a week enough to get you fall in love with a stranger? Apparently it was for Nathan Troy who found his Goldilocks - Kyle Harper, an ex Marauder left winger - on his bed in his holiday cabin. What started as misunderstanding and double-booked turned out as the best week these two tired souls ever had.

Despite the insta-love, also the quite early and lots of smutties, I kinda like this story. It was focusing on these two characters - rather isolated cabin, y'know - the way they learned to get to know each other, including past love, hurting over lost carreer, and angst-free.

I guess I could say this hit me good at the right time. Even two years too late. Lucky me! ;-)

[blub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really well written enjoyable read. I was tricked twice with the sex scenes that turned out to be dreams, lol. I did feel that the relationship between Nate and Kyle developed really quickly it kind of reminded me of Dan in Real Life where there was an discussion about falling in love in just 3 days. There is a lot of focus on the bedroom scene but for two people who fell into lust at first sight it's to be expected. The chemistry between the two MC's are strong and readers can really see that there's more than lust between the two.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet short story about two lost men who find love and life in one another.
The chemisry between the two characters was very well done. Spiky, sexy. Both characters were well fleshed out, and they didn't immediately dive straight into sex as sometimes happens in m/m novels.

A quick read, but a very nice way to spend my morning.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author, and I enjoyed the story. The characters were likeable and the romance sweet. I would of liked to have seen a bit more angst (I feel like Nathan was over his relationship pretty quickly). I'll be looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of two men who seem very different but are looking for the same things - even though they don't know it. Will write longer review later.

[Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet little insta-love story. Nothing huge occurred. The angst was minimal. Lots of sex without too much graphic language. A light, undemanding, fluffy read.

[Cleo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this one and a half stars only because I'm not a fan of insta-love stories. Surprisingly its sequel is way better.

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insta-love and lots of sex

[Monika · Rating 1 out of 5]

No plot, no character development, feelings only talked about ( I for sure could not feel anything), totally unrealistic. Nothing really worked for me.

[maqita:3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

muy rápido, nada tiene sentido, es tierno, es ridiculo y podría seguir…

para mi funcionó! no es lo mejor q he leído pero lo leí muy rápido y para pasar el rato está bien

[g8rgrl27 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insta love after a week when they barely talk and are judgmental. Oh and one just got out of a 3 yr relationship but it’s not a rebound or anything this is true love 🙄

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review here

Nate and Kyle both end up at the Tahoe resort running from something. Past pain, hurt and heartache. But regardless of what they’re trying to escape these two wonderful heroes are fighters. When something good comes along, no matter how improbable it seems, they’re both willing to take a chance. To grab life and see where it leads. That endeared me greatly to both of them.

Nate’s just out of a relationship that had really died a slow death quite a while ago. More than pain and loss there’s embarrassment and resignation, which are still two difficult things to get over. Kyle’s loss is deeper. His entire life-dream has been shattered. When Kyle gets to the cabin he’s floundering, trying to find his place again.

Watching them come together made me smile. These are two heroes that I rooted for getting their happily-ever-after. Added to the way they complemented each other, filling in missing needs, I would be remiss if I didn’t add that they are sexy-as-hell together.

Two-Man Advantage is a hot, sinful, and incredibly romantic love story. I kept sneaking glimpses while at work, as I just couldn’t put it down! Riley Shane gave us two heroes to fall in love with, to cheer for, and that left me begging for more. Highly recommended!

[UnusualChild{beppy} · Rating 2 out of 5]

Synopsis:
Nathan walks into his cabin and finds a man in his bed. Kyle is recovering from a career ending injury, and is awakened by a man who says that this is his cabin. They find out that the resort accidentally double booked them, and neither is willing to leave. As they try to figure out how to cohabitate with another person when they were expecting to be alone, desire flares.

What I liked: the premise. I also liked that Nathan wasn't willing to just fall into bed with Kyle, just because he was a warm body.

What I didn't like: the lack of plot.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a hockey fan but you don't have to be to enjoy this series! So far there are only 2 books out but more to come. From what I understand some of those will be f/m so I'm not sure if I will read them but these first 2 are m/m and well worth it. They could be read stand-alone but the characters from this book play very minor roles in the 2nd book (In The Penalty Box) so I highly recommend reading this one first, it will help explain some things more quickly.

Great, sexy, wonderful characters.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This started as a five star for me (the writing is solid, the characters are great) I just can't do the insta love thing. And their closeness seemed especially rushed. But I still really enjoyed it. For readers looking for a little bit of angst, but not much, some hot sex, and a guaranteed HEA, this is the perfect story.

[Liz (Bugetta) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the set up of the story and the MCs but the romance was all based on instalove (with one of the characters being dumped right before the story begins), so I didn't buy the HEA. I'd read something else by the author though, because I liked the writing and I think if the story had been longer I could have been convinced.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely well put together story, just the thing to relax with after a long day with a cup of tea. An excellent feel good story that leaves you with a smile on your face. :D

My only complaint was that it was too short. I really wanted more! I definitely will be reading more by this author. ;)

[Jess Candela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too insta-lovey for me. Could have worked if they fell in love over a longer period of time. Also if we could see *why* they fell in love, not just that the other happened to be in the right place at the right time.

[melek · Rating 5 out of 5]

kyle and nate meet at a cabin they both been double booked, both trying to somehow escape from past but not heavy ones.

They both decide to spend the weekend sharing the cabin have fun, and mayb a little romance to go with it, even if its in the short amount of time.

[Gaa-chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars