What do you think?
Rate this book
The Locker Room
Xander Karcek has only wanted two things in his life: Christian Edwards and basketball—the man he loves and the game that let him escape a childhood he’d rather forget. His two obsessions have served him well. He and Chris beat the odds and stayed together through high school, college, and right on to the NBA.
But life under fame’s microscope isn’t easy, especially when two men are pretending to be frat-buddies so the world doesn’t know they’re the next best thing to married. Their relationship survives the sacrifices they make and the lies they tell to stay together, but when their secret is exposed, the fallout might destroy them when nothing else could.
Chris and basketball are the two things holding Xander together. Now the world is asking Xander to make a choice. Is there an option that includes a future with the man he loves?
But life under fame’s microscope isn’t easy, especially when two men are pretending to be frat-buddies so the world doesn’t know they’re the next best thing to married. Their relationship survives the sacrifices they make and the lies they tell to stay together, but when their secret is exposed, the fallout might destroy them when nothing else could.
Chris and basketball are the two things holding Xander together. Now the world is asking Xander to make a choice. Is there an option that includes a future with the man he loves?
250 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2011
187 people are currently reading
7410 people want to read
About the author
Amy Lane
203 books3,488 followersAmy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 827 reviews
July 29, 2015
4 AWESOME STARS, minus 1 Ripped the F$%k off Star
I had to wait overnight to do this review, just so I wouldn't cuss the blue streak to end all blue streaks.
This is me at the beginning of this book.
About a quarter in.
Halfway.
But at the end?
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
I'm sooooo pissed off.
Amy Lane wrote an awesome story here. Awesome.
I loved Xander and Christian. They were the yin to each others' yang.
The syrup to each others' pancake.
They completed each other (don't judge me).
They went through so many obstacles together...but they did it all together.
The way Lane showed us their journey was superb. She hit me right in the feels.
And yet, after all of their trials and tribulations, their struggles and successes, and their fight to just be together and finally tell the word at large...after all that we get, what do we get...?
NOTHING.
That's right. Fucking nothing.
No clear happy ending.
No clear resolution.
No epilogue.
It's practically a cliffhanger, people.
We don't find out if Chris walks again (and I don't count the lame "dream sequence" Xander has in which they are walking together), we don't find out what the team owner says on the phone, and ultimately, we don't find out what happens with Xander's basketball career or the Championship.
I get it.
We are supposed to realize that none of that really matters.
It doesn't matter if Chris walks again because what matters is that Xander and Chris are together.
It doesn't matter if the team's owner decides to be a normal, decent human being and tells Xander his sexual preference is irrelevant to his status on the team because what matters is that Xander and Chris are together.
It doesn't matter if Xander's team owner acts the bigoted asshole and tells him he can't play for the Kings anymore because what matters is that Xander and Chris are together, yadda, yadda, yadda.
It doesn't matter if...wait, yes it does fucking matter.
It matters to me.
I get that it's left opened ended because life is open ended and we are supposed to "imagine" our own ending and blah, blah, blah.
But I am a reader, not a fictional writer. I don't want to imagine the possibilities and imagine my own fucking ending. I want you the storyTELLER to tell me the ending. To SHOW me fucking the ending.
Instead, we got this haphazardly abrupt ending that provided zilch in the closure department. And I don't care if it's more artistic or interesting to "end" it the way she did. The need for closure is part of the human condition. Well, for me anyway.
I wanted a clear happy ending for Xander and Chris. I wanted any and all loose ends to be tied up and secured.
Because they deserved it.
They took us with them on their 12 year journey and it was awesome. I get the whole "it's not the destination, it's the journey" thing, but truly?
I call bullshit.
I wanted to know where we were going and I felt like Amy Lane just stopped the bus for a bathroom break and then took off without us.
And after being so invested in Xander and Chris' journey, I felt cheated.
I had to wait overnight to do this review, just so I wouldn't cuss the blue streak to end all blue streaks.
This is me at the beginning of this book.
About a quarter in.
Halfway.
But at the end?
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
I'm sooooo pissed off.
Amy Lane wrote an awesome story here. Awesome.
I loved Xander and Christian. They were the yin to each others' yang.
The syrup to each others' pancake.
They completed each other (don't judge me).
They went through so many obstacles together...but they did it all together.
The way Lane showed us their journey was superb. She hit me right in the feels.
And yet, after all of their trials and tribulations, their struggles and successes, and their fight to just be together and finally tell the word at large...after all that we get, what do we get...?
NOTHING.
That's right. Fucking nothing.
No clear happy ending.
No clear resolution.
No epilogue.
It's practically a cliffhanger, people.
We don't find out if Chris walks again (and I don't count the lame "dream sequence" Xander has in which they are walking together), we don't find out what the team owner says on the phone, and ultimately, we don't find out what happens with Xander's basketball career or the Championship.
I get it.
We are supposed to realize that none of that really matters.
It doesn't matter if Chris walks again because what matters is that Xander and Chris are together.
It doesn't matter if the team's owner decides to be a normal, decent human being and tells Xander his sexual preference is irrelevant to his status on the team because what matters is that Xander and Chris are together.
It doesn't matter if Xander's team owner acts the bigoted asshole and tells him he can't play for the Kings anymore because what matters is that Xander and Chris are together, yadda, yadda, yadda.
It doesn't matter if...wait, yes it does fucking matter.
It matters to me.
I get that it's left opened ended because life is open ended and we are supposed to "imagine" our own ending and blah, blah, blah.
But I am a reader, not a fictional writer. I don't want to imagine the possibilities and imagine my own fucking ending. I want you the storyTELLER to tell me the ending. To SHOW me fucking the ending.
Instead, we got this haphazardly abrupt ending that provided zilch in the closure department. And I don't care if it's more artistic or interesting to "end" it the way she did. The need for closure is part of the human condition. Well, for me anyway.
I wanted a clear happy ending for Xander and Chris. I wanted any and all loose ends to be tied up and secured.
Because they deserved it.
They took us with them on their 12 year journey and it was awesome. I get the whole "it's not the destination, it's the journey" thing, but truly?
I call bullshit.
I wanted to know where we were going and I felt like Amy Lane just stopped the bus for a bathroom break and then took off without us.
And after being so invested in Xander and Chris' journey, I felt cheated.
November 28, 2021
CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS TO FORBIDDEN LOVERS SUPREMACY
July 16, 2014
Jesus, Amy Lane is going to kill me.
I can't read any more of her books until I've been through another round of therapy. Beauty and kindness and bravery and loyalty on this scale is too intense for a fragile heart like mine.
Haven't cried this much in years. No more Amy Lane for me.
I can't read any more of her books until I've been through another round of therapy. Beauty and kindness and bravery and loyalty on this scale is too intense for a fragile heart like mine.
Haven't cried this much in years. No more Amy Lane for me.
May 8, 2013
This book is everything a M/M romance should be. Amy Lane seriously raised the bar with this one.
I am usually not a huge fan of sports books. They either veer to the end of too buddy-buddy or they have too much sports info and I get bored. I'm not a sports fan in real life so I don't get anything extra from reading a book about guys in sports falling in love. However, Amy Lane just showed me how amazing this sub-genre can be.
I am completely in awe of this book. This book is epic. We follow Chris and Xander from childhood to adulthood and see them through ALL of their ups and downs. I felt like I was with them on their journey. I was so completely invested in their story that I was hanging on Amy Lane's every word. I mean, it's Amy Lane so it was an angsty read, but it worked in this book without seeming whiny. And I honestly think the ending was perfect. I know I'm gushing but this book was so beautiful and romantic that I am still breathless.
I am usually not a huge fan of sports books. They either veer to the end of too buddy-buddy or they have too much sports info and I get bored. I'm not a sports fan in real life so I don't get anything extra from reading a book about guys in sports falling in love. However, Amy Lane just showed me how amazing this sub-genre can be.
I am completely in awe of this book. This book is epic. We follow Chris and Xander from childhood to adulthood and see them through ALL of their ups and downs. I felt like I was with them on their journey. I was so completely invested in their story that I was hanging on Amy Lane's every word. I mean, it's Amy Lane so it was an angsty read, but it worked in this book without seeming whiny. And I honestly think the ending was perfect. I know I'm gushing but this book was so beautiful and romantic that I am still breathless.
![Profile Image for moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645500038i%2F37448930._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 6, 2023
reread: april 2023
still as heartbreaking as when i first read it and, upon each reread, my love for this book, for Christian and Xander, only grows. 😭 also lil fun fact, i actually ended up getting into basketball a few months ago and the kings being my second favorite nba team had me squealing when i realized that was the team they were on. 🥹
***
“Nothing's pretty. I don't notice the smell of the air, and I don't care what I eat for breakfast. It's like... like—” Oh God. He was really going to say this. He had to say this. “It's like the world is dead without you, Chris. I... the only time I even see in color is when I'm on the court. I... just, if you ever wonder which one's more important to me, the game or you, don't, okay? This is temporary. If this was permanent, if there wasn't a way out, I'd cash in everything we had, take the dogs, and go teach history in some obscure school in bumfuck Egypt, okay?”
i expected angst, but it didn't hit me how heartbreaking this would be until i actually started the book. 😭😭 Christian and Xander stole my heart, they deserved the world and happiness and everything good. i hated how too much shit kept happening to them that fate wouldn't leave them to just be happy. i was honestly surprised with how integral basketball was in this. i'm aware, from the blurb, it said basketball and Chris are two of Xander's main loves but the fact that i can truly feel how important the sport was in their lives (in most sports romances i've read, even though i know the characters love the sport, it's never to this extent). 😳
i loved how we followed Christian and Xander's story through years, from when they were teenagers to college and even beyond that. the way they stuck by each other's side through thick and thin, it was obvious how much they loved and cared for one another. the codependency in this? i loved it. 😩 Christian's family was lovely, i adored the family moments between them! also, it would have been nice to have an epilogue. the ending felt abrupt and i was like that's it??
‼️ SPOILERS AHEAD ‼️
.
.
.
.
honestly, the "cheating" (not really cheating, i know, bc it was a mutual decision between them, but still 😭) scenes bothered me a little bit. fortunately, it was off page but i didn't understand why they couldn't find a different way for people to get off their backs? why did they have to sleep with women just to prove a point? ugh. 🙄 also, i felt so sad when Christian got into an accident and wasn't able to play basketball anymore bc of his legs omg. :(
still as heartbreaking as when i first read it and, upon each reread, my love for this book, for Christian and Xander, only grows. 😭 also lil fun fact, i actually ended up getting into basketball a few months ago and the kings being my second favorite nba team had me squealing when i realized that was the team they were on. 🥹
***
“Nothing's pretty. I don't notice the smell of the air, and I don't care what I eat for breakfast. It's like... like—” Oh God. He was really going to say this. He had to say this. “It's like the world is dead without you, Chris. I... the only time I even see in color is when I'm on the court. I... just, if you ever wonder which one's more important to me, the game or you, don't, okay? This is temporary. If this was permanent, if there wasn't a way out, I'd cash in everything we had, take the dogs, and go teach history in some obscure school in bumfuck Egypt, okay?”
i expected angst, but it didn't hit me how heartbreaking this would be until i actually started the book. 😭😭 Christian and Xander stole my heart, they deserved the world and happiness and everything good. i hated how too much shit kept happening to them that fate wouldn't leave them to just be happy. i was honestly surprised with how integral basketball was in this. i'm aware, from the blurb, it said basketball and Chris are two of Xander's main loves but the fact that i can truly feel how important the sport was in their lives (in most sports romances i've read, even though i know the characters love the sport, it's never to this extent). 😳
i loved how we followed Christian and Xander's story through years, from when they were teenagers to college and even beyond that. the way they stuck by each other's side through thick and thin, it was obvious how much they loved and cared for one another. the codependency in this? i loved it. 😩 Christian's family was lovely, i adored the family moments between them! also, it would have been nice to have an epilogue. the ending felt abrupt and i was like that's it??
‼️ SPOILERS AHEAD ‼️
.
.
.
.
honestly, the "cheating" (not really cheating, i know, bc it was a mutual decision between them, but still 😭) scenes bothered me a little bit. fortunately, it was off page but i didn't understand why they couldn't find a different way for people to get off their backs? why did they have to sleep with women just to prove a point? ugh. 🙄 also, i felt so sad when Christian got into an accident and wasn't able to play basketball anymore bc of his legs omg. :(
November 25, 2022
Emotional and unforgettable, The Locker Room is a friends to lovers forbidden MM romance that has completely destroyed my heart.
The story starts when Xander and Chris met when they were fourteen years old, and follows their lives until they are adults playing in the NBA. Amy Lane brightly used their different childhoods to shape the person they become. Chris’ lives surrounded by love, money and safety while Xander’s family consists of his mom and her lovers, who mistreat and beat him whenever they want. He can’t stop counting the days to run away for that house, knowing everything is going to be better after that.
“Someday, we’re gonna have a big house, and it’ll be you and me. No one has to know what we do there, but we’ll be a family, right? You and me?”
Chris met his eyes, and Xander fell into them. “That’s a deal, Xan. You and me.”
I was afraid of reading The Locker Room because, while I don’t mind reading first or third person, single or dual POV, I know from experience that third person, omniscient narrator is the hardest to make it work if you want to root for the characters. Amy Lane, I salute you because I can’t remember the last time I suffered so much reading a book. There were chapters where I needed to close my kindle and bring it to my chest becauseChris and Xander I needed a hug.
“I can function without you,” Xander said by way of reassurance. “I can. I...I just don’t… Chris, you know how I used to think the lake was pretty in the winter? () Nothing is pretty. I don’t notice the smell of the air, and I don’t care what I eat for breakfast. It’s like the world is dead without you, Chris.”
The mental health and character development were also masterfully done. I could see how all the lies were slowly but surely destroying them, how it was bearable when they were teens and, as they got older, it got harder and harder to continue. The angst was present during the whole book, making you feel the sadness like it was your own, begging for their HEA. I’m grateful for the secondary characters, who were as well done as the main ones and helped make the book a bit happier.
“Aww…”
“We are not puppies,” Xander muttered, feeling somehow as his manhood has been assaulted with the last “aww”.
“You’re better,” she said wryly. “You’re star-crossed lovers and best gay friends, all rolled at one.”
As for the romance, while it's clear they are in love early in the book, it starts being slow burn because the circumstances don’t let them be together. Which means that they want to kiss, they know the other wants that kiss, you want them to kiss, but they are suffering the wait and make you suffer with them.
“We didn’t plan this trip so we could spend it fucking lost!”
“Welll, duh! But we’re not lost!”
Chris glared at him, annoyed. “Yeah? Well, where in hell are we?”
Xander smiled. “Together.”
Chris made a show of redoing his queue before he let his smile escape. “Together?”
“Yup.”
“You asshole, you really think that’s going to work with me?” It was a full-fledged grin now, and he was looking at Xander sideways from those vast, dark eyes.
“It already has.”
I loved Chris and Xander with every cell of my body. I’ve read over a hundred MM romances this year, and they are my favourite next to Mal and SJ. Chris was a ray of light, the ray of light in Xander’s life, with his smile and patience. I loved him because he worshipped my Xander when no one else cared. And how can you not love a boy who only needs two things in life: basketball and Chris, and never takes them for granted? Who has the most poetic soul that only lets Chris glimpse?
“You get used to someone, you know? I kept expecting to hear your voice. All day, I kept expecting to hear it. It’s a good voice. Your words are short, because they’re always tumbling, one on top of the other, because you have so much to say. I like that. The house is never quiet when you’re talking.”
Finally, although I wouldn’t change a thing, The Locker Room may be a bit slow paced for some readers, since it’s focused on the characters and their development. The writing style is what made the story so special, but if Amy's storytelling doesn't make you feel, all the essence of the book is lost. Also, I know a lot of people didn't like the ending but, after going through all the five phases of grief, I decided it actually fitted the story more than the ending I would have wanted.
Overall, I highly recommend The Locker Room if you enjoy heartbreaking stories and characters that take over your soul, making you love, suffer and laugh as they do. I read it a couple of weeks ago and, while most books get less shiny in my memory as time passes, The Locker Room only got brighter.
Rating:4.5/5
.........
Reread (november 22): The first time I read this I had the excuse of not knowing how much it was going to hurt. Don't ask me why I decided rereading this was a good idea... Who am I kidding? I loved it. It hurts the best way. My drama-free heart wished the third act were less angsty but I can finally admit the ending was perfect for the story, even if we wished for something else, something more. Now that I'm not so angry at the author for breaking my heart, it's time to give this beauty the 4.5 stars rounded up it deserves.
The story starts when Xander and Chris met when they were fourteen years old, and follows their lives until they are adults playing in the NBA. Amy Lane brightly used their different childhoods to shape the person they become. Chris’ lives surrounded by love, money and safety while Xander’s family consists of his mom and her lovers, who mistreat and beat him whenever they want. He can’t stop counting the days to run away for that house, knowing everything is going to be better after that.
“Someday, we’re gonna have a big house, and it’ll be you and me. No one has to know what we do there, but we’ll be a family, right? You and me?”
Chris met his eyes, and Xander fell into them. “That’s a deal, Xan. You and me.”
I was afraid of reading The Locker Room because, while I don’t mind reading first or third person, single or dual POV, I know from experience that third person, omniscient narrator is the hardest to make it work if you want to root for the characters. Amy Lane, I salute you because I can’t remember the last time I suffered so much reading a book. There were chapters where I needed to close my kindle and bring it to my chest because
“I can function without you,” Xander said by way of reassurance. “I can. I...I just don’t… Chris, you know how I used to think the lake was pretty in the winter? () Nothing is pretty. I don’t notice the smell of the air, and I don’t care what I eat for breakfast. It’s like the world is dead without you, Chris.”
The mental health and character development were also masterfully done. I could see how all the lies were slowly but surely destroying them, how it was bearable when they were teens and, as they got older, it got harder and harder to continue. The angst was present during the whole book, making you feel the sadness like it was your own, begging for their HEA. I’m grateful for the secondary characters, who were as well done as the main ones and helped make the book a bit happier.
“Aww…”
“We are not puppies,” Xander muttered, feeling somehow as his manhood has been assaulted with the last “aww”.
“You’re better,” she said wryly. “You’re star-crossed lovers and best gay friends, all rolled at one.”
As for the romance, while it's clear they are in love early in the book, it starts being slow burn because the circumstances don’t let them be together. Which means that they want to kiss, they know the other wants that kiss, you want them to kiss, but they are suffering the wait and make you suffer with them.
“We didn’t plan this trip so we could spend it fucking lost!”
“Welll, duh! But we’re not lost!”
Chris glared at him, annoyed. “Yeah? Well, where in hell are we?”
Xander smiled. “Together.”
Chris made a show of redoing his queue before he let his smile escape. “Together?”
“Yup.”
“You asshole, you really think that’s going to work with me?” It was a full-fledged grin now, and he was looking at Xander sideways from those vast, dark eyes.
“It already has.”
I loved Chris and Xander with every cell of my body. I’ve read over a hundred MM romances this year, and they are my favourite next to Mal and SJ. Chris was a ray of light, the ray of light in Xander’s life, with his smile and patience. I loved him because he worshipped my Xander when no one else cared. And how can you not love a boy who only needs two things in life: basketball and Chris, and never takes them for granted? Who has the most poetic soul that only lets Chris glimpse?
“You get used to someone, you know? I kept expecting to hear your voice. All day, I kept expecting to hear it. It’s a good voice. Your words are short, because they’re always tumbling, one on top of the other, because you have so much to say. I like that. The house is never quiet when you’re talking.”
Finally, although I wouldn’t change a thing, The Locker Room may be a bit slow paced for some readers, since it’s focused on the characters and their development. The writing style is what made the story so special, but if Amy's storytelling doesn't make you feel, all the essence of the book is lost. Also, I know a lot of people didn't like the ending but, after going through all the five phases of grief, I decided it actually fitted the story more than the ending I would have wanted.
Overall, I highly recommend The Locker Room if you enjoy heartbreaking stories and characters that take over your soul, making you love, suffer and laugh as they do. I read it a couple of weeks ago and, while most books get less shiny in my memory as time passes, The Locker Room only got brighter.
Rating:4.5/5
.........
Reread (november 22): The first time I read this I had the excuse of not knowing how much it was going to hurt. Don't ask me why I decided rereading this was a good idea... Who am I kidding? I loved it. It hurts the best way. My drama-free heart wished the third act were less angsty but I can finally admit the ending was perfect for the story, even if we wished for something else, something more. Now that I'm not so angry at the author for breaking my heart, it's time to give this beauty the 4.5 stars rounded up it deserves.
June 20, 2021
Don’t be fooled by the happy YA cover. This book wrecked me. But I absolutely adored Xan and Chris. It’s a life story and a love story that starts at 14, and brings us over a decade later.
Xander lives in a broken home, his mother is an addict and always has a violent boyfriend living with her, both of them making Xander’s life hell. He meets Chris one night on the court, and suddenly there is light in his life. Beautiful golden Chris, with his amazing parents, his little sister and his perfect house.
It’s hard, but it’s hopeful. The boys go through high school, college and make it to the NBA. Together. Living their dream. Except the dream is rotten. Because they can’t be out, they have to hide. The homophobia portrayed in here was really hard to take. This is California. I don’t know. I know this was written 10 years ago, but still. It was overwhelming. The hiding was killing them and killing me as a reader. That part of the story broke my heart and I almost DNF.
I was worried it would turn dark for the rest of the book, but it didn’t. The hopeful note returns. Their love is strong, and they never give up. More angst comes, but for me it was easier than the earlier parts. And they got their beautiful HEA and I could finally breathe again.
I wish there was an epilogue into the future. I wish I would have been warned of how hard it would be to read. I wish I wasn’t fooled by the happy cover and blindsided. But I am really happy I read this book.
Xander lives in a broken home, his mother is an addict and always has a violent boyfriend living with her, both of them making Xander’s life hell. He meets Chris one night on the court, and suddenly there is light in his life. Beautiful golden Chris, with his amazing parents, his little sister and his perfect house.
It’s hard, but it’s hopeful. The boys go through high school, college and make it to the NBA. Together. Living their dream. Except the dream is rotten. Because they can’t be out, they have to hide. The homophobia portrayed in here was really hard to take. This is California. I don’t know. I know this was written 10 years ago, but still. It was overwhelming. The hiding was killing them and killing me as a reader. That part of the story broke my heart and I almost DNF.
I was worried it would turn dark for the rest of the book, but it didn’t. The hopeful note returns. Their love is strong, and they never give up. More angst comes, but for me it was easier than the earlier parts. And they got their beautiful HEA and I could finally breathe again.
I wish there was an epilogue into the future. I wish I would have been warned of how hard it would be to read. I wish I wasn’t fooled by the happy cover and blindsided. But I am really happy I read this book.
March 5, 2013
FIVE SIZZLING, THROBBING, FUCK ME NOW! STARS
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book SO MUCH!!!!!!
OMG!!!!!!! I loved this book so much!!!!! Chris is so perfect. I have fallen in love with books. I have fallen in love with authors. But I have never fallen head over heals for a character! Chris! I love you!
I have read this book at least seven hundred times!
I LOVE IT! For all you Xander lovers out there....
you went for the wrong guy!! CHRIS ALL THE WAY!!!!!
The book that started a phenomenon and opened my eyes to the wonderful, vast world of romance. I just can't say enough about it. Just simply that it's a beautiful and sweet against all odds love story. I love Chris and Xander's awkward, tentative, honest, sweet, and bold relationship. Lane truly captured the innocence and excitement of young, first love and made the reader feel right alongside Xander. The book that made so many of us want our very own Chris! I just love it and love the entire The Locker Room Saga
As a reader, I was fully enraptured in the day to day life of Xander and his emotions for Chris. I cannot wait to read the rest of the saga and I cannot wait to see the film! I do hope that it does it justice. His story is one that any romantic girl who has loved or desires to love can fall into and be held to the pages as the story unfolds.
I recommend this book for anyone and everyone. It truly is a keeper for my shelf.
There will always be two people that by appearances should not be together. It is in the making it work and love enduring that proves that there is a way for anything to happen when you follow what is good and not evil.
This book touched me in profound ways. The Locker Room was a book that I got deeply involved with. It was not a casual read that was easy to put down and move onto everyday life. It was a book that I carried around with me and tried to read every chance I could.
The characters are MOVING AND INTENSE, their relationships with each other intimate and touching. I felt Chris's anguish that he can't let go of Xander, although he know he endangers him. I walked in Xander's shoes, feeling his fascination and intense love for Chris. Every touch, word, look between them was deep with emotion and that emotion went straight to my heart.
I can honestly say that this is one of the best romances I've ever read. Everything is there that a romance needs. The intensity, the emotion, the joy, the edge of despair of knowing that one is in too deep. And the fulfillment of knowing that your intense love is very much returned. It's what I read romance for.
Romance aside, the other elements also make this book involving. I was fascinated with Xander and what made him tick. His interactions with his parents and his friends. His outlook on life. His courage at facing a horrible situation out of love for another person. Even everyday things in his life were interesting to me.
Like Xander, I fell deeply in love with Chris. He is one of the most magnetic characters ever written, in my humble opinion. I know now that my reading life will consist of Before Chris Edwards and After Chris Edwards. Yes I am a grown woman obsessed with a homo book, but I like it that way.
It is one thing to really enjoy a book and wish the journey wasn't over, but to miss the characters so much that you have to read the series over and over again, just to numb the heartbreak of not being in their world is another thing. I fell in love with this series and have never, in my life, been more enchanted by anything. Need I say more?
This book is my favorite book ever! I love it and always will. It is about a basketball player who falls in love with another basketball player, and he is also deeply in love with him. The amount that he loves him is literally "to die for" love. The amount that he loves him is literally "unbearable".
Some people feel that Amy Lane puts too many emotions in her book, which I agree with a little. Sometimes there are details that simply aren't necessary and do nothing for the plot. But I actually appreciate that she's put in so much detail, especially how Xander's feeling about everything. I know that I wouldn't have had the patience for that! And it makes you feel for a little while that you actually are Xander.
The only thing that bothers me is what has happened because of The Locker Room. Now everyone is leeching (excuse the punn!) off of the whole gay thing, but the truth is The Locker Room isn't as much about homos as it is about "forbidden" love and that's what people don't understand and why they decide not to give the series a chance. Xander really shouldn't be with Chris, but neither of them can stay away. It's a truly classic love story with a fantasy twist to it. I think that if a lot of people that are so against it put their differences aside and actually tried to enjoy it they might end up liking it.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book SO MUCH!!!!!!
OMG!!!!!!! I loved this book so much!!!!! Chris is so perfect. I have fallen in love with books. I have fallen in love with authors. But I have never fallen head over heals for a character! Chris! I love you!
I have read this book at least seven hundred times!
I LOVE IT! For all you Xander lovers out there....
you went for the wrong guy!! CHRIS ALL THE WAY!!!!!
The book that started a phenomenon and opened my eyes to the wonderful, vast world of romance. I just can't say enough about it. Just simply that it's a beautiful and sweet against all odds love story. I love Chris and Xander's awkward, tentative, honest, sweet, and bold relationship. Lane truly captured the innocence and excitement of young, first love and made the reader feel right alongside Xander. The book that made so many of us want our very own Chris! I just love it and love the entire The Locker Room Saga
As a reader, I was fully enraptured in the day to day life of Xander and his emotions for Chris. I cannot wait to read the rest of the saga and I cannot wait to see the film! I do hope that it does it justice. His story is one that any romantic girl who has loved or desires to love can fall into and be held to the pages as the story unfolds.
I recommend this book for anyone and everyone. It truly is a keeper for my shelf.
Put into the realm of the supernatural basketball skills, this story portrays all that is dear and near as any Romeo and Juliet story in a different atmosphere can.
There will always be two people that by appearances should not be together. It is in the making it work and love enduring that proves that there is a way for anything to happen when you follow what is good and not evil.
This book touched me in profound ways. The Locker Room was a book that I got deeply involved with. It was not a casual read that was easy to put down and move onto everyday life. It was a book that I carried around with me and tried to read every chance I could.
The characters are MOVING AND INTENSE, their relationships with each other intimate and touching. I felt Chris's anguish that he can't let go of Xander, although he know he endangers him. I walked in Xander's shoes, feeling his fascination and intense love for Chris. Every touch, word, look between them was deep with emotion and that emotion went straight to my heart.
I can honestly say that this is one of the best romances I've ever read. Everything is there that a romance needs. The intensity, the emotion, the joy, the edge of despair of knowing that one is in too deep. And the fulfillment of knowing that your intense love is very much returned. It's what I read romance for.
Romance aside, the other elements also make this book involving. I was fascinated with Xander and what made him tick. His interactions with his parents and his friends. His outlook on life. His courage at facing a horrible situation out of love for another person. Even everyday things in his life were interesting to me.
Like Xander, I fell deeply in love with Chris. He is one of the most magnetic characters ever written, in my humble opinion. I know now that my reading life will consist of Before Chris Edwards and After Chris Edwards. Yes I am a grown woman obsessed with a homo book, but I like it that way.
It is one thing to really enjoy a book and wish the journey wasn't over, but to miss the characters so much that you have to read the series over and over again, just to numb the heartbreak of not being in their world is another thing. I fell in love with this series and have never, in my life, been more enchanted by anything. Need I say more?
This book is my favorite book ever! I love it and always will. It is about a basketball player who falls in love with another basketball player, and he is also deeply in love with him. The amount that he loves him is literally "to die for" love. The amount that he loves him is literally "unbearable".
Some people feel that Amy Lane puts too many emotions in her book, which I agree with a little. Sometimes there are details that simply aren't necessary and do nothing for the plot. But I actually appreciate that she's put in so much detail, especially how Xander's feeling about everything. I know that I wouldn't have had the patience for that! And it makes you feel for a little while that you actually are Xander.
The only thing that bothers me is what has happened because of The Locker Room. Now everyone is leeching (excuse the punn!) off of the whole gay thing, but the truth is The Locker Room isn't as much about homos as it is about "forbidden" love and that's what people don't understand and why they decide not to give the series a chance. Xander really shouldn't be with Chris, but neither of them can stay away. It's a truly classic love story with a fantasy twist to it. I think that if a lot of people that are so against it put their differences aside and actually tried to enjoy it they might end up liking it.
March 21, 2012
I was really looking forward to reading this, given the nearly five-star rating on Amazon; I was thinking if I had come here prior to reading it, I'd have been better prepared for it, but it has over 4.5 stars here, too.
I liked the storyline itself--boys who meet as teenagers, fall in love, stay together through challenging circumstances, and then run into issues when their private lives are in danger of becoming public. It's a really great plot with a ton of potential. I love sports, too, so I was looking forward to some good, intense basketball stuff.
But I really did not like the way the author told the story. It very much had the feel of a tale being told around a campfire. More than half of the book felt passive and detached, like someone was relaying a story fourth or fifth-hand. I know that's a danger of third person writing (from two different POVs, too), but I've read plenty of third person, past tense books that do not have this issue. I think we just got far more "telling" than "showing" and it made for a very lackluster read. Halfway through the book, I wasn't sure if I'd even emotionally connected with the characters yet, or if I even really knew them. There was so much narration and so little dialogue. I want to be IN the story, have the characters tell me about themselves, not have the story just… relayed to me. This improved somewhat in the second half, as we caught up with "present time," but it never truly went away. One of Vonnegut's 8 rules of fiction writing is start as close to the end as possible, and this started sooooo far back that I think it just bogged the story down. What had so much potential was lost in cumbersome storytelling. She also has a habit of leading a scene by telling what's about to unfold, so while there was a lot of drama in the really big scenes, some of the smaller scenes lacked it because we already knew what was coming. There was also very little sports stuff--probably fine for the average female reader, but I was a little disappointed.
On top of that--and I'm not saying that sex is the most important thing in a book by any means--but I don't know the last time I heard an 18-year-old boy use the word "cock-whore." The sex was rarely (although not never) sexy. I have a hard time with authors that use a lot of exclamation points for male characters, and while she didn't go overboard, there were enough that they were conspicuous.
Obviously, a lot of people really loved this book. Far more than disliked it, so I think it just comes down to personal preference and what kind of story you like to read. I like active, intense stories about relationships that have some highs and lows--and while this had some drama, their relationship was really a little bit too perfect to be strictly believable. But I get that some people just want to read that perfect-romance-with-only-external-drama story, and those folks will probably love this.
Man, since I seem to be offloading, there were also some grammar/editing issues that bugged me.
There's nothing that makes my opinion more important than anyone else's, but here it is! And despite how I felt about it while I was reading, I did stick with it, hoping the tone would change and it would start feeling more "present." The second half--and the last twenty-five percent--were definitely better, and I did cry in a few places, so it's not a bad book by any means. It's just not the best book for me.
ETA 03/21/2012: I was just looking reviews for another of Amy Lane's books and wondering if I should give her another try or if all of the things I didn't like about her writing style would be present in that book, too. I pulled up this review to reread it and was really surprised that I had given this book 3 stars. I was thinking I'd given it 2 stars, and nearly nine months after having initially read it, all that really sticks with me from the story is the bad stuff; my memory of it is a 2-star memory. So I am going to modify my review from 3 stars to 2, calling it a 2.5 rounded down. If so much time later, I'm still feeling the disappointment of the book, then I should probably give it a more accurate rating.
I liked the storyline itself--boys who meet as teenagers, fall in love, stay together through challenging circumstances, and then run into issues when their private lives are in danger of becoming public. It's a really great plot with a ton of potential. I love sports, too, so I was looking forward to some good, intense basketball stuff.
But I really did not like the way the author told the story. It very much had the feel of a tale being told around a campfire. More than half of the book felt passive and detached, like someone was relaying a story fourth or fifth-hand. I know that's a danger of third person writing (from two different POVs, too), but I've read plenty of third person, past tense books that do not have this issue. I think we just got far more "telling" than "showing" and it made for a very lackluster read. Halfway through the book, I wasn't sure if I'd even emotionally connected with the characters yet, or if I even really knew them. There was so much narration and so little dialogue. I want to be IN the story, have the characters tell me about themselves, not have the story just… relayed to me. This improved somewhat in the second half, as we caught up with "present time," but it never truly went away. One of Vonnegut's 8 rules of fiction writing is start as close to the end as possible, and this started sooooo far back that I think it just bogged the story down. What had so much potential was lost in cumbersome storytelling. She also has a habit of leading a scene by telling what's about to unfold, so while there was a lot of drama in the really big scenes, some of the smaller scenes lacked it because we already knew what was coming. There was also very little sports stuff--probably fine for the average female reader, but I was a little disappointed.
On top of that--and I'm not saying that sex is the most important thing in a book by any means--but I don't know the last time I heard an 18-year-old boy use the word "cock-whore." The sex was rarely (although not never) sexy. I have a hard time with authors that use a lot of exclamation points for male characters, and while she didn't go overboard, there were enough that they were conspicuous.
Obviously, a lot of people really loved this book. Far more than disliked it, so I think it just comes down to personal preference and what kind of story you like to read. I like active, intense stories about relationships that have some highs and lows--and while this had some drama, their relationship was really a little bit too perfect to be strictly believable. But I get that some people just want to read that perfect-romance-with-only-external-drama story, and those folks will probably love this.
Man, since I seem to be offloading, there were also some grammar/editing issues that bugged me.
There's nothing that makes my opinion more important than anyone else's, but here it is! And despite how I felt about it while I was reading, I did stick with it, hoping the tone would change and it would start feeling more "present." The second half--and the last twenty-five percent--were definitely better, and I did cry in a few places, so it's not a bad book by any means. It's just not the best book for me.
ETA 03/21/2012: I was just looking reviews for another of Amy Lane's books and wondering if I should give her another try or if all of the things I didn't like about her writing style would be present in that book, too. I pulled up this review to reread it and was really surprised that I had given this book 3 stars. I was thinking I'd given it 2 stars, and nearly nine months after having initially read it, all that really sticks with me from the story is the bad stuff; my memory of it is a 2-star memory. So I am going to modify my review from 3 stars to 2, calling it a 2.5 rounded down. If so much time later, I'm still feeling the disappointment of the book, then I should probably give it a more accurate rating.
May 19, 2023
*3.5* I loved but also hated this one.
This was a beautiful love story, but one plot-line completely derailed it for me.
I’m going with four stars, because this love story was written so tenderly. I just don’t know how valid this premise was based in modern time. Had this book taken place in the 1940s it would’ve made more sense.
Book spoilers and venting below:
🛑
🛑
🛑
This was a beautiful love story, but one plot-line completely derailed it for me.
I’m going with four stars, because this love story was written so tenderly. I just don’t know how valid this premise was based in modern time. Had this book taken place in the 1940s it would’ve made more sense.
Book spoilers and venting below:
🛑
🛑
🛑
May 6, 2023
✰ 5 stars ✰
“I will love you for as long as we live. And I will love you if this is as close as we ever get.”
So many kudos! So much love! I want to kick myself for waiting so long to read The Locker Room by Amy Lane, because it was everything I didn't think it would be and more! 👏👏👏 O-M-G, my heart feels so full, Chris and Xander, you deserve all the happiness in the world, to be together, to be yourselves, to not be ashamed or afraid to show how much you both mean to each other.
It feels strange reading this in 2023, when it was originally written in 2011. I don't know if sports players are more comfortable in revealing such things - I can't say for sure that people are more accepting or welcoming. But, I do hope that in time, these things won't matter, shouldn't matter to anyone except yourself. Sports romances hold a special place in my heart, and Amy Lane captured the raw emotional yearning of long distance relationship, that intense desire that flames when you reunite and have to make the most of it. I'm just flailing with my hands, because I was soaking it up and loving every minute of it. 🥰🥰
I love how fittingly cruel the title of the book is too - almost a double entendre to the plot, itself. It was in their locker room that they felt comfortable enough to exchange a few kisses after a game; but then it became their downfall as well, when their homophobic coach caught them together, which eventually led to their dynamic duo being separated from each other.
“If I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful for you.”
How can you not tear up at this? Xander's openly emotional declaration of love for Chris to the world, I cried so hard. 😭😭😭
“I'll do anything not to break your heart.”
The supporting cast was amazing, too! From Chris's parents and sister, the girls Xander protected at all cost, Leo, their flamboyant but still caring manager, even his teammates, I loved them all! And it never felt rushed - never fell flat, the pace kept me going, kept me so invested in their relationship struggles, I just wanted them to be happy, off the court and on. And even I was left with an open ending for one of these terms, I was satisfied, very much so. Much like Xander said time and time again, if he had to choose between basketball and Chris, he knew without a doubt who he would choose, for better or worse. And I couldn't agree with him more.💯💯
If this is the only book I read by Amy Lane, I'll be more than happy - even if I think the cover models could have been chosen better, but that's just me being annoying. 😏 Her style of writing did have it's flaws, but Xander's inner struggles, his slow acceptance to his devoted support system of girls, his intense love and affection for Chris...I felt it, I believed it.
Xander had a heart of gold - his unflinching loyalty to Chris, his steadfast devotion to keeping their relationship strong and intact, never ever letting him doubt that what he felt for him was real, was true, I just... He was not a caveman, he was someone who had been broken his own life, and one fortunate evening, while playing basketball, hungry and alone, he met a beautiful boy who brought light into his heart and changed his life forever. 💕💕💕
“I will love you for as long as we live. And I will love you if this is as close as we ever get.”
So many kudos! So much love! I want to kick myself for waiting so long to read The Locker Room by Amy Lane, because it was everything I didn't think it would be and more! 👏👏👏 O-M-G, my heart feels so full, Chris and Xander, you deserve all the happiness in the world, to be together, to be yourselves, to not be ashamed or afraid to show how much you both mean to each other.
It feels strange reading this in 2023, when it was originally written in 2011. I don't know if sports players are more comfortable in revealing such things - I can't say for sure that people are more accepting or welcoming. But, I do hope that in time, these things won't matter, shouldn't matter to anyone except yourself. Sports romances hold a special place in my heart, and Amy Lane captured the raw emotional yearning of long distance relationship, that intense desire that flames when you reunite and have to make the most of it. I'm just flailing with my hands, because I was soaking it up and loving every minute of it. 🥰🥰
I love how fittingly cruel the title of the book is too - almost a double entendre to the plot, itself. It was in their locker room that they felt comfortable enough to exchange a few kisses after a game; but then it became their downfall as well, when their homophobic coach caught them together, which eventually led to their dynamic duo being separated from each other.
“If I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful for you.”
How can you not tear up at this? Xander's openly emotional declaration of love for Chris to the world, I cried so hard. 😭😭😭
“I'll do anything not to break your heart.”
The supporting cast was amazing, too! From Chris's parents and sister, the girls Xander protected at all cost, Leo, their flamboyant but still caring manager, even his teammates, I loved them all! And it never felt rushed - never fell flat, the pace kept me going, kept me so invested in their relationship struggles, I just wanted them to be happy, off the court and on. And even I was left with an open ending for one of these terms, I was satisfied, very much so. Much like Xander said time and time again, if he had to choose between basketball and Chris, he knew without a doubt who he would choose, for better or worse. And I couldn't agree with him more.💯💯
If this is the only book I read by Amy Lane, I'll be more than happy - even if I think the cover models could have been chosen better, but that's just me being annoying. 😏 Her style of writing did have it's flaws, but Xander's inner struggles, his slow acceptance to his devoted support system of girls, his intense love and affection for Chris...I felt it, I believed it.
Xander had a heart of gold - his unflinching loyalty to Chris, his steadfast devotion to keeping their relationship strong and intact, never ever letting him doubt that what he felt for him was real, was true, I just... He was not a caveman, he was someone who had been broken his own life, and one fortunate evening, while playing basketball, hungry and alone, he met a beautiful boy who brought light into his heart and changed his life forever. 💕💕💕
September 12, 2016
BR with Alona and Mark.
Well, I'm devastated. I might write more later. Right now I don't want to think about it.
Well, I'm devastated. I might write more later. Right now I don't want to think about it.
Read
December 24, 2017Ooops! No rating.
Its me not the book, this book has so many rave reviews but it is clearly not for me.
I am calling it time of death at 80%
I just could not take it anymore, this book is just sad, i wanted a sweet sports romance book, what i got was an angst fest. I was exhausted. I am ok with angst but this was too much, i read some reviews and it ends with no resolution and so i know i'm not missing anything.
Its me not the book, this book has so many rave reviews but it is clearly not for me.
I am calling it time of death at 80%
I just could not take it anymore, this book is just sad, i wanted a sweet sports romance book, what i got was an angst fest. I was exhausted. I am ok with angst but this was too much, i read some reviews and it ends with no resolution and so i know i'm not missing anything.
November 27, 2021
4.5 stars ⭐️ WOW! I sure as hell am going to read more books from this author because I was completely blown away by this story. I read this book in just one sitting and wow, what a fantastic story!
Don’t tell me that there isn't a sequel to this book. 😭 Gosh, this book is everything. This was intense, raw, and beautiful. Chris and Xander’s love was perfect and deep. I loved how they got so emotional when it comes to their relationship. I loved how supportive his whole family became throughout Chris and Xander’s journey. Xander was really lucky to have a family like them and especially a lover and also a best friend like Chris in his life. That made Xander’s world the fullest.
“Without Chris, I'm not anything”
This book perfectly blended sports (basketball) and their relationship, and everything was just a perfect amount.
My only niggle is I didn't like what they did to hide their relationship from the public and the coach in the middle of the book (You probably know what I'm talking about if you have read this book)
And then there wasn't an epilogue. I know that they got their HEA. But I wanted to know that what would their life be like after 3 or 5 years (A girl can wish 😒)
Don’t tell me that there isn't a sequel to this book. 😭 Gosh, this book is everything. This was intense, raw, and beautiful. Chris and Xander’s love was perfect and deep. I loved how they got so emotional when it comes to their relationship. I loved how supportive his whole family became throughout Chris and Xander’s journey. Xander was really lucky to have a family like them and especially a lover and also a best friend like Chris in his life. That made Xander’s world the fullest.
“Without Chris, I'm not anything”
This book perfectly blended sports (basketball) and their relationship, and everything was just a perfect amount.
My only niggle is I didn't like what they did to hide their relationship from the public and the coach in the middle of the book (You probably know what I'm talking about if you have read this book)
And then there wasn't an epilogue. I know that they got their HEA. But I wanted to know that what would their life be like after 3 or 5 years (A girl can wish 😒)
March 26, 2012
After months and months and months of refusing to read this, I finally put on my big-girl-panties and decided to do it. And once I started it I could not stop. It kept me up into the wee hours or the morning. I took a little break for sleep but once I woke up I had to finish it.
Of course, like most of Amy's other books this is all angst, angst, and more angst. I think I may have laughed a handful of times but I guarantee you I cried more times than I laughed! These guys just broke my heart over and over. The beginning was so very sweet and I could feel the love between Xander and Christian from the very beginning. I was so attached to and in love with them...hence the breaking my heart over and over. Thank someone for my Goodreads friends for helping me through it. You know who you are.
Ok, so I must bring up the big controversial topic with this story.
I loved Chris's family and Uncle Leo and even the Harem (not what you think). Yeah, this one had a lot of great secondary characters I loved almost as much as Xan and Chris.
I must knock off half a star because of the abrupt ending. I actually had a "WTF?!" moment. It is kinda left open ended so I really hope there isn't plans for a sequel. I like to think that Xander will forever have his Chris and basketball. I don't think I could read anymore angst between these two men. They fully deserve their HEA after all they've been through.
Save this one for when you are feeling the need to have your heart ripped out and stitched back in.
4.5 Stars
Of course, like most of Amy's other books this is all angst, angst, and more angst. I think I may have laughed a handful of times but I guarantee you I cried more times than I laughed! These guys just broke my heart over and over. The beginning was so very sweet and I could feel the love between Xander and Christian from the very beginning. I was so attached to and in love with them...hence the breaking my heart over and over. Thank someone for my Goodreads friends for helping me through it. You know who you are.
Ok, so I must bring up the big controversial topic with this story.
I loved Chris's family and Uncle Leo and even the Harem (not what you think). Yeah, this one had a lot of great secondary characters I loved almost as much as Xan and Chris.
I must knock off half a star because of the abrupt ending. I actually had a "WTF?!" moment. It is kinda left open ended so I really hope there isn't plans for a sequel. I like to think that Xander will forever have his Chris and basketball. I don't think I could read anymore angst between these two men. They fully deserve their HEA after all they've been through.
Save this one for when you are feeling the need to have your heart ripped out and stitched back in.
4.5 Stars
July 20, 2014
A beautiful love story that has torn my heart out
Xander and Chris's story was one of the most emotional reads I've experienced in awhile.
Beautiful
Tender
Passionate
Amazing
This book is epic, very powerful and real. Over 15 years of loving each other and beating the odds. And what love it was. I loved the passion these two men had for each other, the love... unconditional. No hesitation, not for a second, it was them, and everything else was details... I hated to see them have to give up so much for a game they loved.
The passion was scorching... From the first simple touch and realisation what they could mean to each other...*sigh*
There was a healthy dose of angst and I teared up more than few times...
Overall the story was so beautiful and romantic that I couldn't stop reading and finished breathless. A fabulous read from start to finish and the ending was simply perfection.
Stunning... Loved it, Loved it, loved it!
Very HIGHLY recommended epic M/M romance.
Xander and Chris's story was one of the most emotional reads I've experienced in awhile.
"Because it"s you and basketball, Christian. Only one of you can break my heart."
Beautiful
Tender
Passionate
Amazing
This book is epic, very powerful and real. Over 15 years of loving each other and beating the odds. And what love it was. I loved the passion these two men had for each other, the love... unconditional. No hesitation, not for a second, it was them, and everything else was details... I hated to see them have to give up so much for a game they loved.
"It used to be he could focus on Christian, focus on basketball, and say to himself, I have them both. That's all I need. But the toll… the toll this life took on the both of them."
The passion was scorching... From the first simple touch and realisation what they could mean to each other...*sigh*
There was a healthy dose of angst and I teared up more than few times...
"He wasn"t just missing his friend, or his lover, he was missing his other half, and as much as he tried to tell himself to man up and get over it, he didn"t feel like much of a man without Chris."
Overall the story was so beautiful and romantic that I couldn't stop reading and finished breathless. A fabulous read from start to finish and the ending was simply perfection.
Stunning... Loved it, Loved it, loved it!
Very HIGHLY recommended epic M/M romance.
October 27, 2020
3.5 stars
This is my first Amy Lane book and I really enjoyed it! Xander was my favorite and I loved Chris, too. I loved the friends to lovers and watching them fall in love. Honestly, there was one part that was equal parts heartbreaking and upsetting about this story and I really needed more from the ending, but overall I liked it a lot! I’ll definitely read more from this author in the future.
This is my first Amy Lane book and I really enjoyed it! Xander was my favorite and I loved Chris, too. I loved the friends to lovers and watching them fall in love. Honestly, there was one part that was equal parts heartbreaking and upsetting about this story and I really needed more from the ending, but overall I liked it a lot! I’ll definitely read more from this author in the future.
October Audible Escape listen #26
Rating: 3.5
Genre: Romance
Narrators: Sean Crisden
Length: 7 hours and 40 minutes
January 6, 2014
I see Amy Lane's name consistently popping up as a fantastic weaver of deeply emotional stories, and after reading this book, I agree. The cover looks atrocious, but I've learned over time to trust in my friends and not cover artist. So please don't let the cartoonish depiction of Xander and Christian.
The book's blurb says it perfectly:
There really wasn't anything that I didn't like about this book. I think my favorite part was how the romance was completely natural, and there wasn't really ever any angst or worry that Xander and Chris wouldn't make it as a couple. That was so...refreshing. They simply loved each other. End of story. Only, it wasn't, because the world wouldn't let that be the end of the story. The problem came with how much strain and stress was put on this loving, dedicated and devoted couple from outside influence, from bigots and haters and people who simply don't understand.
These two are huge stars, but they don't act like it. They're really just two normal guys...homebodies, really, who love the game of basketball and love each other. That's it. They build this life with each other, but it's made so much more difficult by outside influences. This story highlights the hardships that being gay and famous must carry.
The sexy times are definitely sexy...since the story follows these two from the beginning of their sexual experiences, it runs the gamut from sweet to intense and passionate, but overall, it's loving and sexy.
My favorite quotes (there were a lot of them but I narrowed it down):
`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~
-- "I forget," he murmured. "I forget that your life didn't just start when you moved in with us. I forget that you had a long time to be afraid."
-- "He wasn't just missing his friend, or his lover, he was missing his other half, and as much as he tried to tell himself to man up and get over it, he didn't feel like much of a man without Chris..."
-- "I can't believe you thought I was the strong one," Chris said quietly, his voice broken. "I can't believe you didn't know it was you. I always had someone, Xan. You? You picked someone to be with when you were fourteen, and you made us family.
You've got the strongest heart I've ever known. I'm just-" A small sob, and Xander knew it was shame and didn't know how to make his forgiveness, his complete acceptance any clearer. "I'm just so proud you picked me to be in it."
The book's blurb says it perfectly:
Xander Karcek has only wanted two things in his life: Christian Edwards and basketball—the man he loves and the game that let him escape a childhood he’d rather forget. His two obsessions have served him well. He and Chris beat the odds and stayed together through high school, college, and right on to the NBA.
But life under fame’s microscope isn’t easy, especially when two men are pretending to be frat-buddies so the world doesn’t know they’re the next best thing to married. Their relationship survives the sacrifices they make and the lies they tell to stay together, but when their secret is exposed, the fallout might destroy them when nothing else could.
Chris and basketball are the two things holding Xander together. Now the world is asking Xander to make a choice. Is there an option that includes a future with the man he loves?
There really wasn't anything that I didn't like about this book. I think my favorite part was how the romance was completely natural, and there wasn't really ever any angst or worry that Xander and Chris wouldn't make it as a couple. That was so...refreshing. They simply loved each other. End of story. Only, it wasn't, because the world wouldn't let that be the end of the story. The problem came with how much strain and stress was put on this loving, dedicated and devoted couple from outside influence, from bigots and haters and people who simply don't understand.
These two are huge stars, but they don't act like it. They're really just two normal guys...homebodies, really, who love the game of basketball and love each other. That's it. They build this life with each other, but it's made so much more difficult by outside influences. This story highlights the hardships that being gay and famous must carry.
The sexy times are definitely sexy...since the story follows these two from the beginning of their sexual experiences, it runs the gamut from sweet to intense and passionate, but overall, it's loving and sexy.
My favorite quotes (there were a lot of them but I narrowed it down):
`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~`~*~
-- "I forget," he murmured. "I forget that your life didn't just start when you moved in with us. I forget that you had a long time to be afraid."
-- "He wasn't just missing his friend, or his lover, he was missing his other half, and as much as he tried to tell himself to man up and get over it, he didn't feel like much of a man without Chris..."
-- "I can't believe you thought I was the strong one," Chris said quietly, his voice broken. "I can't believe you didn't know it was you. I always had someone, Xan. You? You picked someone to be with when you were fourteen, and you made us family.
You've got the strongest heart I've ever known. I'm just-" A small sob, and Xander knew it was shame and didn't know how to make his forgiveness, his complete acceptance any clearer. "I'm just so proud you picked me to be in it."
January 8, 2015
So I thought when I was finished with this that I would write this great review but I realize that I can't. I am still numb. Amy Lane fucking kills me, I have said this many times.
I know I have a thing for boys in the closet but this hurt. This was more than being in the closet, this was..good lord. This hurt.
It hurt to know how Xander lived, wait...survived, before he met Christian that night on the court. It hurt to know that the only things this boy loved were Chris and Basketball and that one could break his heart. It hurt every time they gave their signals during the games and the ones they gave across the room every third home game. JHFC! I was in pain from the two page prologue and that didn't stop until the end.
It hurt knowing what Christian went through, how he desperately wanted Xander to see him how everyone else did. How much he wanted for him. How much his family wanted for both of them. This was overly emotional, it was painful but it really was good. I mean that. Just because I am writing this with one finger as I am curled in the fetal position on my bed with the worst sounds coming from my mouth...kidding. Not Kidding.
The love story between the boys was gorgeous, I have to admit that. Ms. Lane writes so intensely emotional that sometimes the scenes feel overly intimate and that I shouldn't be witnessing what I was. I had to stop reading a few times to gather myself. To remind myself that this was just a story and that hopefully everything would work out in the end.
That end? I love how it was handled, I do. The whole all or nothing sits well with me but I still hurt. I hurt because shit like this happens and it makes me sick. I won't jump on my soap box but even though this is a story, this hurts to know that the masses would still do things like this. Thank goodness for family, for friends and for those who accept you for you who are no matter what. Ugh.
Another beautiful love story that has torn my heart out. I know better than to read books like this and I still do it. There is something about the angst and turmoil that attracts me even though it leaves me numb inside. I really need a switch to tone down the emotions when I read Amy Lane. Either that or don't read her at all...nah, that isn't a choice.
I know I have a thing for boys in the closet but this hurt. This was more than being in the closet, this was..good lord. This hurt.
It hurt to know how Xander lived, wait...survived, before he met Christian that night on the court. It hurt to know that the only things this boy loved were Chris and Basketball and that one could break his heart. It hurt every time they gave their signals during the games and the ones they gave across the room every third home game. JHFC! I was in pain from the two page prologue and that didn't stop until the end.
It hurt knowing what Christian went through, how he desperately wanted Xander to see him how everyone else did. How much he wanted for him. How much his family wanted for both of them. This was overly emotional, it was painful but it really was good. I mean that. Just because I am writing this with one finger as I am curled in the fetal position on my bed with the worst sounds coming from my mouth...kidding. Not Kidding.
The love story between the boys was gorgeous, I have to admit that. Ms. Lane writes so intensely emotional that sometimes the scenes feel overly intimate and that I shouldn't be witnessing what I was. I had to stop reading a few times to gather myself. To remind myself that this was just a story and that hopefully everything would work out in the end.
That end? I love how it was handled, I do. The whole all or nothing sits well with me but I still hurt. I hurt because shit like this happens and it makes me sick. I won't jump on my soap box but even though this is a story, this hurts to know that the masses would still do things like this. Thank goodness for family, for friends and for those who accept you for you who are no matter what. Ugh.
Another beautiful love story that has torn my heart out. I know better than to read books like this and I still do it. There is something about the angst and turmoil that attracts me even though it leaves me numb inside. I really need a switch to tone down the emotions when I read Amy Lane. Either that or don't read her at all...nah, that isn't a choice.
May 25, 2011
I read this book in one fast rush and then immediately turned back to the beginning and started it again. It just really worked for me. This is the story of two basketball players, Xander and Chris, who meet at the age of fourteen and never look at anyone else, never falter in their love for each other despite all the crap that a life in sports can and does hand to them. It's a little overwrought, the characters are polarized. (Xander's mom has no redeeming qualities at all, Chris's parents never have a fight). The main characters are so steadfast in the center of their relationship that it is more what we all wish love could be than what love is usually like day to day, with ups and downs, doubts and changes. But the portrait of love in the closet and against the odds is beautifully written and will make your heart ache. This is one of those books you wish couldn't be written, shouldn't have to be written, because you want to ask all those people around Chris and Zander and other men and women like them, why can't we just let each other be who we are? What part of love don't you understand? I even liked the slightly unresolved ending in this case, although normally I hate that and I can understand those who felt cheated out of getting an answer, one way or the other. A highly recommended read.
June 18, 2021
My heart isn't made for books like this.
This was true love in it's finest. True love that'll leave you speechless.
You know the love that you have heard people talk about conquering the world, this story was that.
This book made me feel deep in my bones.
Chris and xander met when they were 14 and it was live. Not at first sight. It was true love that evolved through time. Xander has had to go through so much in his life. It was pure torture. Chris was his anchor. His everything. His heart. And for Chris too, Xander was his.
God, the pain that they had to endure made me want to rip people off. The things that they had to do. Jesus, they were married before they were married. Every kiss was more than a kiss and every touch was more than a touch. They practically worshipped the ground each other walked on.
The way this book was written! I could lick ur foot author! You are fucking holy. One day I hope I can write a book like this. A book that touches someone's soul.
Thank you. Thank you so much for existing.
This was true love in it's finest. True love that'll leave you speechless.
You know the love that you have heard people talk about conquering the world, this story was that.
This book made me feel deep in my bones.
Chris and xander met when they were 14 and it was live. Not at first sight. It was true love that evolved through time. Xander has had to go through so much in his life. It was pure torture. Chris was his anchor. His everything. His heart. And for Chris too, Xander was his.
God, the pain that they had to endure made me want to rip people off. The things that they had to do. Jesus, they were married before they were married. Every kiss was more than a kiss and every touch was more than a touch. They practically worshipped the ground each other walked on.
The way this book was written! I could lick ur foot author! You are fucking holy. One day I hope I can write a book like this. A book that touches someone's soul.
Thank you. Thank you so much for existing.
June 20, 2021
***Have just finished the audio book of this, narrated by the wonderful Sean Crisden. Well worth a listen. ***
A magnificent story and my favourite Amy Lane, although Sidecar and Beneath the Stain are extremely good too. Plenty of angst, lots of tears from this reader together with a few smiles, but make no mistake, this is an intense and sometimes painful read.
Xander & Chris, sighs. Together since they were 14, all Xander ever wanted was basketball and Chris. Their love and their journey together through the game of basketball, the secrets they were forced to keep are well documented in this story. Homophobia was rife, the guys either having to sleep with women or pretend to sleep with them in order to keep the nasty piece of slime known as their coach off their backs. Chris starts drinking heavily as the pressure on them mounts and the lies they have to tell increase, and when the coach catches them kissing in the locker room, Chris is transferred overnight to another club. I'll leave this here...
Have to say I'm not that keen on the cover, but the story IS now 10 years old, and covers like this one were fairly popular then.
A magnificent story and my favourite Amy Lane, although Sidecar and Beneath the Stain are extremely good too. Plenty of angst, lots of tears from this reader together with a few smiles, but make no mistake, this is an intense and sometimes painful read.
Xander & Chris, sighs. Together since they were 14, all Xander ever wanted was basketball and Chris. Their love and their journey together through the game of basketball, the secrets they were forced to keep are well documented in this story. Homophobia was rife, the guys either having to sleep with women or pretend to sleep with them in order to keep the nasty piece of slime known as their coach off their backs. Chris starts drinking heavily as the pressure on them mounts and the lies they have to tell increase, and when the coach catches them kissing in the locker room, Chris is transferred overnight to another club. I'll leave this here...
Have to say I'm not that keen on the cover, but the story IS now 10 years old, and covers like this one were fairly popular then.
May 22, 2011
3.5 stars
I have mixed feelings about Locker Room. The premise honestly works for me as I adore angst driven men –it’s a weakness of mine- but the ending really disappoints me. I know not all readers will feel the same but I personally feel cheated. The book also tends to exaggerate and the emotions are wild and outrageous, always the depths of despair and the height of happiness. That doesn’t bother me as I like Lane’s writing and the story works regardless but not all readers may appreciate the exaggeration. I also don’t think this the best Lane’s done and the writing especially misses some of the polish and effortlessness of earlier titles. It’s worth reading though if you’re a fan or like angsty men as it certainly delivers on that score.
The plot follows third person narrator Xander as he meets and falls in love with Christian. Xander is a poor boy with a drug addicted mother who’s struggling to raise himself without a warm place to sleep, enough food, or any hope for a future. Then he meets Chris, a young boy with a seemingly perfect family and affinity for basketball. Together the two are inseparable from day one and they go on to play basketball together in high school, college, and finally the pros. Yet hiding their personal relationship is taking a heavy toll on them both and they just may crack under the pressure.
The story beings with a glimpse into the future as Chris and Xander are playing together in the NBA. Then the next chapter starts in the past when the two first meet. Told entirely from Xander’s perspective the story is surprisingly affective. I really enjoy reading about angst driven and emotional men so the depth of emotion and tortured soul on display didn’t bother me. In fact I ate it up entirely. The writing makes it believable and brings out that emotion so you can indulge and live the roller coaster of emotion with the characters. And boy is it an up and down journey.
The two boys fall in love almost immediately and there is never any internal debate, doubt, or worry. They are together forever and they never forget it. It’s a nice change and though it may seem overly sweet to some readers I found there is enough external conflict and tension to keep my attention. The pressure to stay hidden and closeted makes sense against the backdrop of Xander’s life and his needs. He and Chris both need basketball, or so they think, to the degree that they can’t think of ever doing anything to jeopardize that. It takes some suspension of disbelief, especially later on when both players are so talented and revered that I find it hard to believe they never flexed their star power to get their way.
Instead they let events happen around them that damage their relationship and each man individually. This is emotional and often exaggerated. Xander and Chris repeatedly throw up under emotional stress and this happens a lot. I can see why some readers may find this too much so be sure you’re the type of reader that likes to invest that much. They’re complicated men though and well developed. They react differently and have matching strengths and weaknesses. It’s nice to see Chris also develop some vulnerability as Xander’s perspective of him is rather skewed.
The supporting cast is nice but totally superfluous. Almost everyone the boys encounter is very supportive and accepting with the exception of one typically homophobic coach. There are several women in the book but I’m not sure why they were added. They’re pleasant enough additions to the nuclear group but beyond Chris’ sister Penny they don’t make much sense or add anything significant to the story or character development. However the external pressure really is enough and I have no problems not adding more to the already burdened characters.
The writing is engaging and immediately captures your attention. The only issues I have are the repeated and numerous parenthetical additions. These give necessarily information yet they remind me each time that I’m reading a story and pull me out of the experience. The frequency of these thankfully drops off as the story progresses but they bug me each time. There has to be a better way to incorporate that information. Additionally the prose sometimes feels not as polished and sophisticated as other works by this author. That’s not to say the writing is bad but it doesn’t have the same flawless, effortless feeling I usually get from Lane’s work.
Overall I really enjoyed reading Locker Room, even though I hate the non-ending. I realize why the author had to end it this way but I still hate it. Yet I still would recommend this story easily to those fellow angst lovers. It’s exaggerated so if that’s not your thing you may not like this but otherwise it’s a very pleasant way to pass the time with a great couple you can’t help but root for.
I have mixed feelings about Locker Room. The premise honestly works for me as I adore angst driven men –it’s a weakness of mine- but the ending really disappoints me. I know not all readers will feel the same but I personally feel cheated. The book also tends to exaggerate and the emotions are wild and outrageous, always the depths of despair and the height of happiness. That doesn’t bother me as I like Lane’s writing and the story works regardless but not all readers may appreciate the exaggeration. I also don’t think this the best Lane’s done and the writing especially misses some of the polish and effortlessness of earlier titles. It’s worth reading though if you’re a fan or like angsty men as it certainly delivers on that score.
The plot follows third person narrator Xander as he meets and falls in love with Christian. Xander is a poor boy with a drug addicted mother who’s struggling to raise himself without a warm place to sleep, enough food, or any hope for a future. Then he meets Chris, a young boy with a seemingly perfect family and affinity for basketball. Together the two are inseparable from day one and they go on to play basketball together in high school, college, and finally the pros. Yet hiding their personal relationship is taking a heavy toll on them both and they just may crack under the pressure.
The story beings with a glimpse into the future as Chris and Xander are playing together in the NBA. Then the next chapter starts in the past when the two first meet. Told entirely from Xander’s perspective the story is surprisingly affective. I really enjoy reading about angst driven and emotional men so the depth of emotion and tortured soul on display didn’t bother me. In fact I ate it up entirely. The writing makes it believable and brings out that emotion so you can indulge and live the roller coaster of emotion with the characters. And boy is it an up and down journey.
The two boys fall in love almost immediately and there is never any internal debate, doubt, or worry. They are together forever and they never forget it. It’s a nice change and though it may seem overly sweet to some readers I found there is enough external conflict and tension to keep my attention. The pressure to stay hidden and closeted makes sense against the backdrop of Xander’s life and his needs. He and Chris both need basketball, or so they think, to the degree that they can’t think of ever doing anything to jeopardize that. It takes some suspension of disbelief, especially later on when both players are so talented and revered that I find it hard to believe they never flexed their star power to get their way.
Instead they let events happen around them that damage their relationship and each man individually. This is emotional and often exaggerated. Xander and Chris repeatedly throw up under emotional stress and this happens a lot. I can see why some readers may find this too much so be sure you’re the type of reader that likes to invest that much. They’re complicated men though and well developed. They react differently and have matching strengths and weaknesses. It’s nice to see Chris also develop some vulnerability as Xander’s perspective of him is rather skewed.
The supporting cast is nice but totally superfluous. Almost everyone the boys encounter is very supportive and accepting with the exception of one typically homophobic coach. There are several women in the book but I’m not sure why they were added. They’re pleasant enough additions to the nuclear group but beyond Chris’ sister Penny they don’t make much sense or add anything significant to the story or character development. However the external pressure really is enough and I have no problems not adding more to the already burdened characters.
The writing is engaging and immediately captures your attention. The only issues I have are the repeated and numerous parenthetical additions. These give necessarily information yet they remind me each time that I’m reading a story and pull me out of the experience. The frequency of these thankfully drops off as the story progresses but they bug me each time. There has to be a better way to incorporate that information. Additionally the prose sometimes feels not as polished and sophisticated as other works by this author. That’s not to say the writing is bad but it doesn’t have the same flawless, effortless feeling I usually get from Lane’s work.
Overall I really enjoyed reading Locker Room, even though I hate the non-ending. I realize why the author had to end it this way but I still hate it. Yet I still would recommend this story easily to those fellow angst lovers. It’s exaggerated so if that’s not your thing you may not like this but otherwise it’s a very pleasant way to pass the time with a great couple you can’t help but root for.
March 27, 2016
No one makes me feel all the feelings quite like Amy Lane and The Locker Room is no exception. I read this book in a single sitting, and wow. Just wow.
The Locker Room takes us from the moment Xander and Chris meet when they're 14, until they are 28 with professional basketball careers. Their journey is full of hope and heartbreak as they try to navigate a course with too many obstacles and too much to lose. Xander only wants two things in his life -- Chris and basketball. And as long as he and Chris are together, they're unstoppable.
The first 14 years of Xander's life were exceptionally shitty and, while he could have followed his mom into the hole of drugs, he didn't want that. At all. He was very tall for his age and he liked basketball, which is how he met Chris. They met and bonded over a friendly game and Chris pretty much adopted him. And so did Chris's family. Thank goodness Xander managed to find a good example of a family. Being absorbed into Chris's family was the best thing that ever happened to Xander -- but it was also the best thing that ever happened to Chris. Through Xander, Chris was really able to shine and together they fly.
But this is an angsty Amy Lane book, so you know that nothing is going to be easy. Our boys will go through hell on the way to their happy. And you will cry, so bring tissues (extra large Costco size) and something to cuddle. You will need them. And tell everyone else to go away. Then just read.
The Locker Room takes us from the moment Xander and Chris meet when they're 14, until they are 28 with professional basketball careers. Their journey is full of hope and heartbreak as they try to navigate a course with too many obstacles and too much to lose. Xander only wants two things in his life -- Chris and basketball. And as long as he and Chris are together, they're unstoppable.
The first 14 years of Xander's life were exceptionally shitty and, while he could have followed his mom into the hole of drugs, he didn't want that. At all. He was very tall for his age and he liked basketball, which is how he met Chris. They met and bonded over a friendly game and Chris pretty much adopted him. And so did Chris's family. Thank goodness Xander managed to find a good example of a family. Being absorbed into Chris's family was the best thing that ever happened to Xander -- but it was also the best thing that ever happened to Chris. Through Xander, Chris was really able to shine and together they fly.
But this is an angsty Amy Lane book, so you know that nothing is going to be easy. Our boys will go through hell on the way to their happy. And you will cry, so bring tissues (extra large Costco size) and something to cuddle. You will need them. And tell everyone else to go away. Then just read.
January 9, 2015
I do not think I've read a book that has ever wiped me out emotionally like this one has. (I mean, I write it, but rarely read it.) I tip my hat to Amy Lane. To write things like this can be just as exhausting as reading it. Sometimes I think more so because as authors, our characters are with us all the time. They become a part of our lives. In our heads, in our thoughts, with us throughout the day. Today, Chris and Xander were with me WAY after I finished reading the book.
I think this is one of the very best books I've read. Not only was the story strong and believable, but the style of writing was extremely unique. At first it bothered me, (if only because it was unusual) and then I grew used to it and felt that it needed to be like that because it FIT. So much was going on, but to have it all from Xanders POV, I felt it deep in my gut. And as L-D sorta put it, I lost in in almost the first chapter. Rarely does a books grab me THAT FAST and keep me ALL THE WAY THROUGH!
Ms. Lane delivered passion, (Oh yeah!), anguish, (holy sh**), and truly deep emotional love was beautiful- even down to throwing up during "the third home game of the month" etc. This story ripped my heart out, but it was worth.
when I hit page 188, I had to stop reading. I knew what was coming up. (This is why I hardly ever read reviews.) As soon as I read the line "The text never came" I felt this grip in my gut and I felt sick. Sick because I knew what was coming. I didn't know HOW, or WHY it was going to happen, but knowing something happened to Chris (because I read that "Best tear-jerker scene" vote in the m/m choice awards) smacked me hard. I felt Xander's pain. So, thank you for that Ms. Lane. Your book socked it to me and then some!
I can not recommend this book enough. (I may even blog about it.)
I think this is one of the very best books I've read. Not only was the story strong and believable, but the style of writing was extremely unique. At first it bothered me, (if only because it was unusual) and then I grew used to it and felt that it needed to be like that because it FIT. So much was going on, but to have it all from Xanders POV, I felt it deep in my gut. And as L-D sorta put it, I lost in in almost the first chapter. Rarely does a books grab me THAT FAST and keep me ALL THE WAY THROUGH!
Ms. Lane delivered passion, (Oh yeah!), anguish, (holy sh**), and truly deep emotional love was beautiful- even down to throwing up during "the third home game of the month" etc. This story ripped my heart out, but it was worth.
when I hit page 188, I had to stop reading. I knew what was coming up. (This is why I hardly ever read reviews.) As soon as I read the line "The text never came" I felt this grip in my gut and I felt sick. Sick because I knew what was coming. I didn't know HOW, or WHY it was going to happen, but knowing something happened to Chris (because I read that "Best tear-jerker scene" vote in the m/m choice awards) smacked me hard. I felt Xander's pain. So, thank you for that Ms. Lane. Your book socked it to me and then some!
I can not recommend this book enough. (I may even blog about it.)
June 2, 2015
The Locker Room by Amy Lane
This is the beautiful coming of age story of Xander and Chris. The two met when they were 14 on a basketball court. Xander grew up in the home with an addicted mother who was never there for him. Upon meeting Chris, Xander felt like he was salvation.
I'm at a loss as to what to what write because I feel like if I go beyond this point I'll be spoiling the feeling and emotion of the book and I don't want to do that for any future reader. Instead I will tell you that this is one of the most heartfelt books I've ever read. The friendship, devotion, loyalty, anguish, and love between these two men is felt in every single page of this book. It also saddened me to think that the events that took place in their story still occur in this day and age. It's sad that people still feel afraid to love openly but I have faith that society as a whole will open their eyes
I'll stop preaching now, but I really was so angry for them for what they went through and felt forced to do. The fact that Miss Lane was able to evoke all these emotions is a true testament of her magnificent writing. It was flawless. This is a book I highly recommend. 5 gigantic, beautiful, moving stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the beautiful coming of age story of Xander and Chris. The two met when they were 14 on a basketball court. Xander grew up in the home with an addicted mother who was never there for him. Upon meeting Chris, Xander felt like he was salvation.
I'm at a loss as to what to what write because I feel like if I go beyond this point I'll be spoiling the feeling and emotion of the book and I don't want to do that for any future reader. Instead I will tell you that this is one of the most heartfelt books I've ever read. The friendship, devotion, loyalty, anguish, and love between these two men is felt in every single page of this book. It also saddened me to think that the events that took place in their story still occur in this day and age. It's sad that people still feel afraid to love openly but I have faith that society as a whole will open their eyes
I'll stop preaching now, but I really was so angry for them for what they went through and felt forced to do. The fact that Miss Lane was able to evoke all these emotions is a true testament of her magnificent writing. It was flawless. This is a book I highly recommend. 5 gigantic, beautiful, moving stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 14, 2024
Re-Read: Apr 2024
Re-Read: July 2021
Original Read: Oct 2011
I first read this book when it was published in 2011 and when I re-read it a decade later, I loved it just as much. Unfortunately, when I re-read it again 3 years later, I discovered that my enjoyment of it wasn't nearly as high as it was the previous two times. During my third read, I noticed some flaws that hadn't stood out during my previous reads and I've read many other friends-to-lovers romances and sports romances since 2021 that were done better so my overall impression of the story dropped from 4 stars to 3 stars.
That being said, I still loved the progression of the MCs relationship during my third read through.
Xander and Chris' relationship is a perfect example of how to do a friends-to-lovers story really well. I also like how well the author balanced dark versus light moments in this story. While these boys go through a lot over the course of the story (which covers about 20 years), I never felt overwhelmed because every difficult and gut-wrenching situation was followed by Xander and Chris getting a period of reprieve, during which things stayed relatively calm and pleasant.
I love the chosen family trope and this story has always been (and continued to be during my 2024 re-read) one of my favorite examples of it. Chris and Xander meet at 14 and bond over their love of playing basketball but once Chris realizes that Xander lives in an abusive/neglectful home, he shifts into protector mode and pulls Xander into his own family. The fact that Chris' parents and sister immediately accept Xander and treat him like another son/brother really warmed my heart. It was especially nice that Chris' family continued to treat Xander like a son/brother, even during the brief time when . Seeing that unconditional love from Chris' family towards Xander was wonderful.
It was also great to see how Xander and Chris changed as they grew from teenage boys to adults and how their relationship dynamic shifted over time. The author made the brilliant decision to make both boys the same age, give them shared life experiences and have them desire the same career (playing in the NBA), which means they spent the majority of their time together over the course of 20 years. But what made this even more meaningful is that none of these situations seemed contrived or done as plot conveniences. Xander living with Chris' family, them were all situations that were realistic and it allowed their relationship to continue developing. It was fascinating that these two boys basically became a married couple during their teenage years then remained living as a married couple for the next two decades and readers got to see them navigate the difficulties that any long term romantic relationship creates, with the added pressure of them being closeted professional athletes. The author did a great job of picking interesting situations for the boys to deal with as they went through life and I loved all the ups and downs that they encountered.
Another thing I enjoyed was the basketball. The author doesn't go into too much depth (which is good because I don't know very much about basketball) but there's enough detail that I believed how much Chris and Xander loved the game and how talented they were at playing. Lastly, I love that the present timeline of this book is in 2011 so the story starts in approximately 1997, which the author went all out to acknowledge. Since I'm a 90s kid, it always makes me feel nostalgic to have authors include references to the 90s and early 2000s so that was another plus for me. In particular, I got a kick out of the author including offensive terminology which was considered normal in the 90s, since the inclusion of that language made the story even more realistic. But in another nod to realism, the author phased out the use of that language as the story moved into the late 2000s.
While some readers think the ending of the story is abrupt, I don't think it is. Is there more story that could be told? Sure. But the author wrapped up the main plotlines of the story and left Xander and Chris in a happy and hopeful spot.
During my initial re-read in 2021, my only complaint with the story was the odd writing style. This is one of Amy Lane's earliest works and she used a slightly different writing style than normal and it resulted in some odd phrases being sprinkled throughout the book. Some phrases are trying way too hard to be artistic and instead, come across as pretentious sounding nonsense. For example: 'the sound was so thick you could cut it with the slice of a sweating palm' and 'Xander let out a hideous bark, a parody of laughter, the sound of a sick seal being gutshot with a rusty musket'. Other phrases may have some meaning to the author, but they made no sense to me, like my favorite: 'Twenty years ago, this [Sacramento] was a coyote's toilet'. Then there's the author's insistence on stuffing way too many adjectives into a sentence and while the adjectives are synonyms, some of them don't fit the context ('There was an awkward, flustered, and blushing silence between the two of them'). Weirdly enough, I remember these phrases really annoying me during my read through in 2021 but I barely noticed them and they seemed way less frequent during my 2024 read so take that whatever way you want.
Unfortunately, my read through in 2024 made another flaw pop up and it's one I can't get past: the author's tendency to make characters act OTT and be drama llamas. This is a staple of Lane's style and maybe I didn't notice it the previous few times because my tastes were different but this time it was a major distraction. The book is written from Xander's POV from start to finish and even though it's written in 3rd person, there are some fourth wall breaks, some telling instead of showing and in general, Xander's mannerisms, speech patterns and personality were very apparent in the writing style. If somebody doesn't have the patience to read from the perspective of an incredibly talented athlete who often has the emotional depth of a spoon then this book isn't for them. I enjoyed it but what I didn't enjoy is that the writing style and characterizations don't change very much as the boys age. It made no sense that 28 year old Xander would use the exact same language, have the same maturity level and view the world the exact same way as when he was 14 years old. While I loved him and Chris being immature dumb-dumbs who did their best despite having no clue how the world worked when they were 14, I was annoyed when they continued acting that way in their late 20s. Having Xander throw full on temper tantrums where he's throwing things, yelling, on the verge of tears and dramatically stomping around when he's a 28 year old man was off putting and it got annoying fast.
What especially annoyed me this time around was how both Chris and Xander act completely traumatized when they decide to have sex with women (as part of their closet routine). Both of them act as if having sex with women is the most disgusting thing that anybody could ever do. There's crying, there's vomiting, there's sitting in the cold shower for an hour, there's excessive drinking etc. The fact that the behavior was misogynistic didn't bother me overly much since rampant misogyny was pretty much a staple of the MM romance genre in its early days. Also - having the boys be ignorant to their own misogyny fit their characterizations since they've only had regular positive interactions with two women throughout their lives: Chris' sister and Chris' mom. But constantly having these overly dramatic meltdowns was too much and pushed the situation into OTT territory.
Not only was Xander a drama llama who acted OTT way too much but their coach was basically a cartoon villain. The guy shouts homophobic slurs at Chris and Xander in front of everybody (literally during televised games!) and is relentless with his homophobic bullying, he due to his homophobia (despite that not being how professional NBA teams work) and he also goes on a loud, enraged religious rant at one point. A big part of this can be put down to the book having been written in 2011 when religious homophobia (always Christian based) was basically a requirement in every MM romance. I liked the idea of the coach being homophobic but his behavior was OTT and unrealistic.
Overall, I'm left with mixed feelings about this one. The romance is top notch and I adore Xander and Chris' relationship but the OTT behavior by Xander and the coach resulted in me not enjoying the story during my third read. For now, this book will go back on the shelf and maybe I'll give it another shot in a few years. But if you're not as sensitive to drama llamas as I am, I highly suggest checking this one out if you're a fan of friends to lovers and/or sports romances.
Re-Read: July 2021
Original Read: Oct 2011
I first read this book when it was published in 2011 and when I re-read it a decade later, I loved it just as much. Unfortunately, when I re-read it again 3 years later, I discovered that my enjoyment of it wasn't nearly as high as it was the previous two times. During my third read, I noticed some flaws that hadn't stood out during my previous reads and I've read many other friends-to-lovers romances and sports romances since 2021 that were done better so my overall impression of the story dropped from 4 stars to 3 stars.
That being said, I still loved the progression of the MCs relationship during my third read through.
Xander and Chris' relationship is a perfect example of how to do a friends-to-lovers story really well. I also like how well the author balanced dark versus light moments in this story. While these boys go through a lot over the course of the story (which covers about 20 years), I never felt overwhelmed because every difficult and gut-wrenching situation was followed by Xander and Chris getting a period of reprieve, during which things stayed relatively calm and pleasant.
I love the chosen family trope and this story has always been (and continued to be during my 2024 re-read) one of my favorite examples of it. Chris and Xander meet at 14 and bond over their love of playing basketball but once Chris realizes that Xander lives in an abusive/neglectful home, he shifts into protector mode and pulls Xander into his own family. The fact that Chris' parents and sister immediately accept Xander and treat him like another son/brother really warmed my heart. It was especially nice that Chris' family continued to treat Xander like a son/brother, even during the brief time when . Seeing that unconditional love from Chris' family towards Xander was wonderful.
It was also great to see how Xander and Chris changed as they grew from teenage boys to adults and how their relationship dynamic shifted over time. The author made the brilliant decision to make both boys the same age, give them shared life experiences and have them desire the same career (playing in the NBA), which means they spent the majority of their time together over the course of 20 years. But what made this even more meaningful is that none of these situations seemed contrived or done as plot conveniences. Xander living with Chris' family, them were all situations that were realistic and it allowed their relationship to continue developing. It was fascinating that these two boys basically became a married couple during their teenage years then remained living as a married couple for the next two decades and readers got to see them navigate the difficulties that any long term romantic relationship creates, with the added pressure of them being closeted professional athletes. The author did a great job of picking interesting situations for the boys to deal with as they went through life and I loved all the ups and downs that they encountered.
Another thing I enjoyed was the basketball. The author doesn't go into too much depth (which is good because I don't know very much about basketball) but there's enough detail that I believed how much Chris and Xander loved the game and how talented they were at playing. Lastly, I love that the present timeline of this book is in 2011 so the story starts in approximately 1997, which the author went all out to acknowledge. Since I'm a 90s kid, it always makes me feel nostalgic to have authors include references to the 90s and early 2000s so that was another plus for me. In particular, I got a kick out of the author including offensive terminology which was considered normal in the 90s, since the inclusion of that language made the story even more realistic. But in another nod to realism, the author phased out the use of that language as the story moved into the late 2000s.
While some readers think the ending of the story is abrupt, I don't think it is. Is there more story that could be told? Sure. But the author wrapped up the main plotlines of the story and left Xander and Chris in a happy and hopeful spot.
During my initial re-read in 2021, my only complaint with the story was the odd writing style. This is one of Amy Lane's earliest works and she used a slightly different writing style than normal and it resulted in some odd phrases being sprinkled throughout the book. Some phrases are trying way too hard to be artistic and instead, come across as pretentious sounding nonsense. For example: 'the sound was so thick you could cut it with the slice of a sweating palm' and 'Xander let out a hideous bark, a parody of laughter, the sound of a sick seal being gutshot with a rusty musket'. Other phrases may have some meaning to the author, but they made no sense to me, like my favorite: 'Twenty years ago, this [Sacramento] was a coyote's toilet'. Then there's the author's insistence on stuffing way too many adjectives into a sentence and while the adjectives are synonyms, some of them don't fit the context ('There was an awkward, flustered, and blushing silence between the two of them'). Weirdly enough, I remember these phrases really annoying me during my read through in 2021 but I barely noticed them and they seemed way less frequent during my 2024 read so take that whatever way you want.
Unfortunately, my read through in 2024 made another flaw pop up and it's one I can't get past: the author's tendency to make characters act OTT and be drama llamas. This is a staple of Lane's style and maybe I didn't notice it the previous few times because my tastes were different but this time it was a major distraction. The book is written from Xander's POV from start to finish and even though it's written in 3rd person, there are some fourth wall breaks, some telling instead of showing and in general, Xander's mannerisms, speech patterns and personality were very apparent in the writing style. If somebody doesn't have the patience to read from the perspective of an incredibly talented athlete who often has the emotional depth of a spoon then this book isn't for them. I enjoyed it but what I didn't enjoy is that the writing style and characterizations don't change very much as the boys age. It made no sense that 28 year old Xander would use the exact same language, have the same maturity level and view the world the exact same way as when he was 14 years old. While I loved him and Chris being immature dumb-dumbs who did their best despite having no clue how the world worked when they were 14, I was annoyed when they continued acting that way in their late 20s. Having Xander throw full on temper tantrums where he's throwing things, yelling, on the verge of tears and dramatically stomping around when he's a 28 year old man was off putting and it got annoying fast.
What especially annoyed me this time around was how both Chris and Xander act completely traumatized when they decide to have sex with women (as part of their closet routine). Both of them act as if having sex with women is the most disgusting thing that anybody could ever do. There's crying, there's vomiting, there's sitting in the cold shower for an hour, there's excessive drinking etc. The fact that the behavior was misogynistic didn't bother me overly much since rampant misogyny was pretty much a staple of the MM romance genre in its early days. Also - having the boys be ignorant to their own misogyny fit their characterizations since they've only had regular positive interactions with two women throughout their lives: Chris' sister and Chris' mom. But constantly having these overly dramatic meltdowns was too much and pushed the situation into OTT territory.
Not only was Xander a drama llama who acted OTT way too much but their coach was basically a cartoon villain. The guy shouts homophobic slurs at Chris and Xander in front of everybody (literally during televised games!) and is relentless with his homophobic bullying, he due to his homophobia (despite that not being how professional NBA teams work) and he also goes on a loud, enraged religious rant at one point. A big part of this can be put down to the book having been written in 2011 when religious homophobia (always Christian based) was basically a requirement in every MM romance. I liked the idea of the coach being homophobic but his behavior was OTT and unrealistic.
Overall, I'm left with mixed feelings about this one. The romance is top notch and I adore Xander and Chris' relationship but the OTT behavior by Xander and the coach resulted in me not enjoying the story during my third read. For now, this book will go back on the shelf and maybe I'll give it another shot in a few years. But if you're not as sensitive to drama llamas as I am, I highly suggest checking this one out if you're a fan of friends to lovers and/or sports romances.
January 22, 2016
Whilst the title might lead you to believe otherwise, it really isn't that heavy on sport. Basketball in this story to me, is a means to an end. Xander wants two things in life:- basketball and Christian.
It is however, a powerful story of boys becoming men. A love between two men that face down hardship, bigotry and other hurdles in their quest to be together. A quest to share a lifetime of enduring love.
5 stars
It is however, a powerful story of boys becoming men. A love between two men that face down hardship, bigotry and other hurdles in their quest to be together. A quest to share a lifetime of enduring love.
5 stars
October 11, 2011
Xander and Chris share a bond that is so deep that it endures when it is tested by external forces as well as internal ones. The boys are a testament to true love and I will re-read this one again and again. My paperback is on it's way.
May 4, 2017
What a fantastic little gem! The book takes place over approximately 15 years and I loved every minute of it. Xander and Chris grip your heart from the first page and don't let go until the very end. We get a great story, loveable characters (for the most part), a nice dose of saucy steam and above all else......lots of heart.
My favorite thing about this book is that you never question the love between Xander and Chris. And it is melt your heart, bone deep love.
My only grievance is a bit of an abrupt ending. It's left open ended, which I thought might mean a sequel, but alas this ending is the one the author wants. There are no plans to write another book about Xander and Chris. With how deeply invested I was in the story, I really wanted a nice little bow at the end. My greedy little mind doesn't want to use my imagination.....I want a finished tale. Maybe I can hold out hope there may be a novella in the future just "checking in" with Xander and Chris.....I'd be OK with that!
My favorite thing about this book is that you never question the love between Xander and Chris. And it is melt your heart, bone deep love.
My only grievance is a bit of an abrupt ending. It's left open ended, which I thought might mean a sequel, but alas this ending is the one the author wants. There are no plans to write another book about Xander and Chris. With how deeply invested I was in the story, I really wanted a nice little bow at the end. My greedy little mind doesn't want to use my imagination.....I want a finished tale. Maybe I can hold out hope there may be a novella in the future just "checking in" with Xander and Chris.....I'd be OK with that!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 827 reviews