Dono del cielo (I Daddy di Paddle Creek Vol. 1)

Paddle Creek Daddies #1

by H.J. Welch, Mary Vitrano (Translator)

Due atleti rivali. Un nerd adorabile. Una scommessa che cambia tutto.

SETH

Essere il capitano dei Paddle Creek Panthers è la mia vita. Di norma non mi preoccuperei per un peggioramento nei miei voti, tranne che questa volta potrebbe costarmi la possibilità di diventare un professionista… oltre al fatto che il ragazzo ricco della città ha scommesso che se non mi laureerò gli dovrò un favore gigantesco . Riuscirà Gabe, questa splendida matricola nerd, a salvare davvero la mia laurea e la mia reputazione? Tutto quello che so è che non appena ho posato gli occhi su di lui ho sentito che doveva essere mio. E non voglio condividerlo.

MARTY

Ho passato quasi quattro anni a cercare di farmi notare dal mio capitano, Seth. È un gran figo e sa come comandare chiunque, anche un tipo grosso come me. Per lui, però, sono solo il clown della squadra. Eppure, quando mi trascina con sé nella scommessa per la laurea, non c’è niente da ridere. Ma perché, però, quell’angioletto di Gabe non dovrebbe fare da tutor anche a me? A dirla tutta non vedo perché non possiamo condividerlo in ogni modo possibile. È chiaro che Seth sia predisposto naturalmente a essere un Daddy, mentre Gabe dà il meglio di sé quando riceve quel tipo di attenzioni; io… sono felice di essere un Daddy e anche di averne uno. Vinciamo tutti, giusto?

GABE

Chissà come, mi sono trovato davanti a un tizio la cui famiglia possiede praticamente tutta Paddle Creek, e in più ho messo a rischio la pelle per due dei migliori giocatori del college. Ora passiamo ogni giorno insieme, e mentre cerco di salvare i loro voti loro… non so se sono pazzo, ma è come se entrambi mi volessero . Non ho mai avuto un fidanzato. Non mi sono nemmeno dichiarato con i miei genitori invadenti. Come potrei scegliere tra loro? O si suppone debba farlo per forza, dal momento che entrambi vogliono essere i miei Daddy? Tuttavia, quando la mia vita crolla a picco tocca a loro venire in mio soccorso. E se quello che ho con questi uomini che sembrano dèi non fosse solo un flirt?

Dono del cielo è una bollente storia d’amore MMM standalone. È il primo libro della serie Paddle Creek College , dove sono sempre i più tranquilli a mettersi nei migliori guai possibili. In questo romanzo troverete un ragazzo nerd che fa da tutor a due atleti sexy, due atleti sexy che fanno da tutor al nerd in un modo completamente diverso, un orsetto lavatore dal cuore d’oro, un gelato sundae in versione umana, una “maledizione” per vendetta e un lieto fine garantito senza alcun tipo di cliffhanger.

Genres: M M M, M M Romance, Sports, Romance, College, Polyamory, LGBT

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 20, 2023

About the author

HJ Welch is a British author of contemporary American MM small town series and books in multi authored shared universes, including the international number one bestselling Homecoming Hearts. She lives just outside of London with her husband and three balls of fluff that occasionally pretend to be cats.

She began writing at an early age, later honing her craft online in the world of fanfiction on sites like Wattpad. Fifteen years and over half a million words later, she sought out original MM novels to read. By the end of 2016 she had written her first book of her own, and in 2017 she achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a full-time author.

When she’s not writing she’s usually dancing, singing, filming music videos, taking long walks, working on jigsaw puzzles, drinking prosecco, or talking about Eurovision.

She also writes contemporary British MM fairy tale adaptation as Helen Juliet, including bestsellers Thorn in His Side, A Right Royal Affair, and Three.

Reviews

[Rin (indefinite hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book… is a thing. I don’t know, ya’ll. It started out as something fun and fluffy but it spiraled into NICKNAME CHAOS.

I legit made a list.

Let’s not forget that Greek gods were literal trash in the actual myths so lusting after them is pretty gross.. but all I need to highlight here are the absolutely monstrous plethora of nicknames that were used for all three MC’s interchangeably in all the scenes throughout the book. The editor should be fired. And this author is finally shelved. Ugh. This book was a MESS. The daddy thing came out of nowhere and didn’t fit with the previous plot and once that started it was just… a drug filled nickname menagerie of nonsense.

Marty-
Quinn
Papa
Papa D
Dionysius
Big man
Cave man
Viking
Naughty boy
Minotaur

Seth-
Eisen
Daddy
Daddy Z
Daddy Zeus
Captain

Gabe-
Gabriel
Angel
Cherub
Baby boy
Slut
Baby
Little dude
Darlin’
Sugar

Seth and Marty-
Gods
Daddy gods

[Janet (iamltr) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one...

Ok listen, I was not sure if I could read about Daddies who are college aged guys, but I can say that I absolutely can.

In here were have Gabe, a freshman who has been lonely as he has not come out yet because of his ultra religious parents, Seth, the quarterback star who did not realize that he didn't have enough credits to graduate and Marty, a giant puppy who just wants to be dominated, whose grades are bad enough that he may not graduate.

These three meet when Logan, the rich bully of the town, tries to force Seth to drop out so his friend could play Seth's spot. Gabe steps in and volunteered to help them graduate.

Lo and behold, they all like each other. I was so impressed with the actual communication that occurred between these three. That was the sexiest part of the story for me.

Things mostly go well for the throuple, until the 80% angst part where poor Gabe was hurt very badly by his mother because the bad guy publicly outed him.

I think the best part was the whole Daddy\Papa titles. Though Papa really did not do a lot of Daddying.

[megan]

DNF @ 50%

Each character having 4+ cutesy nicknames and the repetition of certain phrases (e.g. “heavenly”, or his “you know what”, etc) drove me nuts and I couldn’t keep going.

Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

[Kasumatata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet as sugar!

This was an amazing, low angst, comfort read for me. I absolutely loved Marty, Seth and Gabe and the introduction to the town of Paddle Creek. The acceptance in this town was what made this book even better and I am sure planning to read more in this series!

[thunderlightning · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Nah man I just could not.
I was steadily cringing throughout the book. It was a serious of consecutive icks
“Bubblelah” “daddy zeus” “papa dionysus” “cherub”
Im a huge greek mythology fans but i just hated it here.
Also the ending was so dramatic

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a high cringe tolerance but...oh my. The nicknames. The weird dialogue. Surprise Daddying?

I really had to force myself through this one but Mama ain't no quitter.

I've liked other books by this author so I'm not gonna condemn the entire thing cause the writing itself was alright. Just wish we'd done away with the cringe and kept to the regular story which had such potential.

[BrittReadsALot · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute

This book was so perfect and sweet. This 3 sum met with some serious challenges and also managed to really fall in love! I loved their story and how we were able to see it from all different perspectives!

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heaven Sent is the first book in Paddle Creek College series by HJ Welch. This book is about Gabe, Marty and Seth. At first Seth looks like a jerk, Marty as a clown and Gabe is a nerd.... that's until they show their real selves. Seth is dedicated and protective, Marty is loveable and optimistic and Gabe is cute and so precious.

I loved their story. It was sweet, sexy, full of feels and very well written.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 up to 3.5 stars back to 3.

Okay, the author did go way over the top with nicknames, Daddy S and Daddy M should have been enough. It was distracting af.
If you can read around them and just go on, you’ll find a sexy read with three lovable guys, a nerd and two jocks. Both jocks are hugely protective over their little vulnerable cherub, it’s fun and super sexy.
There are some hurt comfort moments, endearing moments and a lot of hot sexy ones.
When you can place it in the frame where it belongs, a theatrically sexy ott read, then you’ll have fun.

[Monica Lanzafame · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

…seeing them acting like a team for me is worth it.

My big linebacker is a romantic at heart…

“Sex lessons?”

“You don’t have to choose, angel,”

“…We’re your Gods now.”

…we fell in love.

When I tell you my jaw was on the FLOOR!

Wow, when I read the blurb for this book I was not expecting what I read.

I LOVE their relationship and the way it developed organically. How they talked things through and all of them loved each other :)

I absolutely love Marty & Seth’s family!

& Omg the epilogue?? PERFECT!

-College
-MMM
-Daddy kink
-STEAM
-HEA

🖤I RECEIVED AN ARC FROM GAY ROMANCE REVIEWS & THIS IS MY HONEST REVIEW🖤

[Hannah Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first MMM book, it was glorious. I need more recs!

We have Seth our football captain and quarterback aka daddy. Stern,dominant, but oh so soft for his boys. So possessive

Marty our giant (literally) goofball and sweetheart. So much love to give and a little ditzy but that just make him so lovable, our big papa.

Gabe our baby nerd virgin, he was such an amazing person with so much heart and kindness to help everyone he could, which is how he got into the situation that changed all 3 of their lives.

We have so much love, inside jokes and meanings, tutoring sometimes with a lil spice. I just couldn’t get enough of it.

Steam-5/5 lots of different things, pretty good detail

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

There were a lot of things to love about Heaven Sent. I adored the small town vibe, the feeling that this was going to build into a series that I was going to love. The characters were all great and stayed defined throughout. It was easy to tell which POV came from which character.
A couple of things niggled. The gods thing was a tiny bit too much for me on occasion and threw me out of the story, and I hate having that criticism because I loved the rest of it! It also took me a minute to warm up to the daddy thing. It seemed to come out of nowhere to me. Once I was there, I was set. I loved how Gabe had a Daddy and a Papa. So cute! They were so sweet with him.
The steam was fantastic and the epilogue just lovely. I cannot wait for more from the series.

[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heaven Sent is the first book in the Paddle Creek College series. Fantastic characters in small town charm. MMM with Seth the jerk, but serious focused, Marty is a puppy, so freakin lovable and Gabe wants to be true to himself. Each are so different but ultimately perfect for the others. They love and support one another. Sweet and steamy. Well written with pacing that hooked me!

[Kathreadsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heaven Sent by HJ Welch is a fun time!

This was a fun, quick read! There is so much humor in this M/M/M romance you will laugh out loud!

They use the Daddy kink a lot, but they really love and support each other and this was a fun read with a happy ending!

[Daniela Tirrito (Tivvys_books_world) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5*

https://www.letturesalepepe.com/recen...

[⭐Toonasa⭐ *Romance Book Lovers' Haven* (For long and deep.... reviews!)]

Ohk, I've definitely checked this book out before...why wasn't it on my tbr?!

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the dynamic between these three lovable men! They have such different personalities and strengths but fit together unbelievably well. I like that we dive into things straight away with a bully actually being the reason Gabe comes to Seth and Marty's attention, with Seth and Marty being on the football team together and then Gabe being the one who decides he is going to help them study and graduate. Their dynamic is so good, a great balance between heated, supportive and caring. The daddy thing does seem to come a little out of nowhere but once suggested, all are in favour and it works out to be a big part of their relationship. It's sweet how they bring the classics that they've actually been studying into their relationship, each earning a well deserved nickname.
I enjoyed the college they're at and it being a progressive one as well, meaning the MC's didn't have to stress about coming out but there is drama in store from the bully who causes trouble at the beginning and someone's family is just a bit...much. I can see several characters who could be getting their own story. I also like the epilogue and added chapters at the end that gives the reader more past the time of their HEA, seeing how they get on with life in the year after graduation.
A recommended new series that I'm looking forward to more from.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Amy Crull · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Seth, Marty and Gabe especially with the whole scene of bringing them together but my love died when the Daddy,Papa and baby boy came out to play. It worked for them and their dynamic. I know the book is short but some of the moments I was looking forward to, got a short mention. A little disappointing but I kept reading.
I liked Gabe a lot. He had a lot happening back home and finally had to be honest with his family. It was heartbreaking how they reacted but he was good hands with Seth and Marty's families.
It was a good start to the series.

[Marika Schiavone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione di Marika per Marika.bookblogger

Seth Eisen è il capitano della squadra di football dei Paddle Creek Panthers. Con lui gioca Marty Quinn, il pagliaccio, colui che gli dà sempre sui nervi, ma che vorrebbe solo attirare la sua attenzione. Due giocatori così agli antipodi: controllato e serio il primo, chiassoso e irriverente il secondo. Il loro percorso universitario è quasi giunto al capolinea, tuttavia, il traguardo è ancora in bilico, a causa del loro scarso rendimento nei voti. Galeotta fu la scommessa e, con un bel gruzzoletto in gioco, Seth e Marty si ritrovano ad accettare la sfida di laurearsi e salvare così, oltre alla loro carriera universitaria, anche quella sportiva. Ad aiutare entrambi i ragazzi, che dovranno mettere da parte i loro attriti, entra in gioco Gabe Visoth, nerd e amante della cultura greca, nonché appassionato di football. Per pura casualità, Gabe si trova invischiato nella scommessa di vedere questi due splendidi uomini, per i quali nutre una profonda ammirazione, giungere alla laurea. Iniziano così le loro sessioni di ripetizioni e più tempo i tre ragazzi trascorrono insieme, più iniziano a provare forti sentimenti. Sia Seth che Marty capiscono ben presto che il loro dolce e premuroso tutor è un ragazzo dal cuore d'oro e non hanno nessuna intenzione di farselo sfuggire. Mentre Gabe, ancora incredulo per aver stretto, non solo amicizia con i due giocatori di football più ambiti del campus, ma anche per aver attirato la loro attenzione, capisce di non poter scegliere fra i due. Tuttavia, quando le certezze di Gabe vacillano, a dargli tutto il sostegno di cui ha bisogno saranno proprio Seth e Marty. Riusciranno questi tre ragazzoni a trovare un equilibrio in questa fragile ma intensa relazione? Oppure lasceranno che le difficoltà e i problemi li separino per sempre?

Non vi resta che leggere Dono del cielo di H.J. Welch e farvi conquistare dalla frizzante storia di Seth, Marty e Gabe, scoprendo così cosa accadrà nelle loro vite. È la prima volta che mi capita di leggere un romanzo di Welch. La sua penna è piacevole, coinvolgente e diretta, senza orpelli o lunghe descrizioni. Lo stile è leggero e accattivante, molto discorsivo e colloquiale, con un linguaggio a volte volgare e ben contestualizzato all'ambiente sportivo - universitario in cui si muovono i nostri protagonisti. Sin dalle primissime pagine mi sono affezionata a Seth, Marty e Gabe. I primi due, inizialmente rivali, sono in realtà due ragazzoni dal cuore tenero come un marshmallow e trovo che per Gabe siano proprio perfetti. Tutti e tre insieme si completano a vicenda, proprio come se fossero i pezzi di un puzzle. L'affetto e il sentimento che li unisce sbocciano pian piano, per poi esplodere con una tale intensità ben percepita dal lettore. Le scene spicy sono molte e davvero bollenti, con tanto di role play, che ho trovato carino. Anche qui, il linguaggio utilizzato è particolare, pertanto è consigliata la lettura a un pubblico adulto e consapevole. Ho apprezzato il fatto che H.J. Welch abbia dato spazio a tutti e tre con il loro punto di vista alternato di capitolo in capitolo, dandoci così modo di conoscere i pensieri di ognuno. Seth e Marty sono così teneri e dolci con Gabe: sono proprio ciò di cui questi ha bisogno. L'unica precisazione che vorrei fare, però, riguarda l'equilibrio della relazione poliamorosa. Ovvero, nel corso della narrazione, ho percepito come meno approfondito il legame tra Marty e Seth, poiché viene dato più spazio al loro affetto verso Gabe, come se tutto ruotasse quasi esclusivamente intorno a lui. Nonostante questa mia sensazione, ho comunque apprezzato nella sua totalità la loro storia e come i tre protagonisti si uniscono nel formare una tripletta innamorata in cui si supportano l'uno con l'altro. Fra le pagine di questo libro, Welch affronta in modo delicato, ma realistico, i temi del coming out e del rapporto genitori-figli. Spesso, durante la lettura, avrei voluto abbracciare Gabe per dirgli che tutto si sarebbe sistemato. Anche con Seth e Marty avrei fatto lo stesso, ma semplicemente perché sono due cuccioloni dal cuore d'oro. Dono del cielo è il primo volume autoconclusivo della serie I Daddy di Paddle Creek. Ha un basso livello di angst: quel giusto pizzico in grado di tenere sulle spine e far sperare per il meglio. È un Romance M/M/M contemporaneo ambientato nel mondo sportivo del football universitario, molto passionale e romantico, con tanta dolcezza, un po' kinky e decisamente spicy. Direi perfetto per trascorrere qualche ora di serenità e in leggerezza in compagnia di tre bei protagonisti che vi faranno emozionare. Ideale se siete alla ricerca di un volume senza particolari scossoni, che vi faccia ridere e sospirare dalla gioia, nonché trascorrere il tempo con una storia frizzante e piacevole. Insomma, una vera e propria coccola rilassante. A me non resta che scoprire cosa accadrà nel secondo volume autoconclusivo della trilogia I Daddy di Paddle Creek ed emozionarmi con una nuova tenera coppia. Consigliato!

Per me sono 4 stelle!

[Simona · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Intanto inizio ringraziando l’autrice per aver scritto questa storia. Grazie 😘 ”

Recensione

Buon pomeriggio lettori,

Eccomi oggi con la recensione del libro DONO DAL CIELO della serie I DADDY DI PADDLE CREEK #1 di Hj Welch. Storia bella, dolce, scritta bene e scorrevole, una storia particolare dove vediamo tre ragazzi che sono uniti da un sentimento ma che uno dei ragazzi viene ostacolato dalla famiglia perché non vogliono che sia se stesso. Una storia dove gira attorno ai sentimenti, sulle relazioni e sull’evoluzione dei personaggi.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mi piace la scrittura della Welch è piacevole, coinvolgente e allo stesso tempo piacevole, una storia molto spicy. Unica cosa ma per un gusto mio non amo molto le storie a tre e dove ci sono diciamo giochi di ruolo, perché non riesco a empatizzare ma tutto sommato la storia ha il suo perché e vale la pena leggerlo. Ora non vedo l’ora di leggere il secondo volume.

Trama

Due atleti rivali. Un nerd adorabile. Una scommessa che cambia tutto.

SETH

Essere il capitano dei Paddle Creek Panthers è la mia vita. Di norma non mi preoccuperei per un peggioramento nei miei voti, tranne che questa volta potrebbe costarmi la possibilità di diventare un professionista… oltre al fatto che il ragazzo ricco della città ha scommesso che se non mi laureerò gli dovrò un favore gigantesco. Riuscirà Gabe, questa splendida matricola nerd, a salvare davvero la mia laurea e la mia reputazione? Tutto quello che so è che non appena ho posato gli occhi su di lui ho sentito che doveva essere mio. E non voglio condividerlo.

MARTY

Ho passato quasi quattro anni a cercare di farmi notare dal mio capitano, Seth. È un gran figo e sa come comandare chiunque, anche un tipo grosso come me. Per lui, però, sono solo il clown della squadra. Eppure, quando mi trascina con sé nella scommessa per la laurea, non c’è niente da ridere. Ma perché, però, quell’angioletto di Gabe non dovrebbe fare da tutor anche a me? A dirla tutta non vedo perché non possiamo condividerlo in ogni modo possibile. È chiaro che Seth sia predisposto naturalmente a essere un Daddy, mentre Gabe dà il meglio di sé quando riceve quel tipo di attenzioni; io… sono felice di essere un Daddy e anche di averne uno. Vinciamo tutti, giusto?

GABE

Chissà come, mi sono trovato davanti a un tizio la cui famiglia possiede praticamente tutta Paddle Creek, e in più ho messo a rischio la pelle per due dei migliori giocatori del college. Ora passiamo ogni giorno insieme, e mentre cerco di salvare i loro voti loro… non so se sono pazzo, ma è come se entrambi mi volessero. Non ho mai avuto un fidanzato. Non mi sono nemmeno dichiarato con i miei genitori invadenti. Come potrei scegliere tra loro? O si suppone debba farlo per forza, dal momento che entrambi vogliono essere i miei Daddy? Tuttavia, quando la mia vita crolla a picco tocca a loro venire in mio soccorso. E se quello che ho con questi uomini che sembrano dèi non fosse solo un flirt?

[CateReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

****2 stars****

Honestly, this book was not for me. It’s fluffy af with a ton of tropes, and while that can be up my alley, the fluff and tropes (and the damned nicknames!) overwhelmed me to the point that I could not enjoy the story.

Heaven Sent reads like the author was trying to make a fluffy romance cocktail, so they mixed polyamory, geek/jock, grumpy/sunshine, himbo/intellectual, new adult/college, and sports romance in a shaker and shook the shit out of it, but then proceeded to strain plot and character development out of it when pouring it in a glass.

The three leads are comprised of The Driven Jock, The Sweet Himbo, and The Shy Virgin Nerd. They are thrown together after The Evil for No Reason Rich Boy makes a bet that the Jock and HImbo won’t graduate. Nerd steps up to tutor them and, obvs, one thing leads to another and they are a throuple.

Now, I am all for well-trod tropes! But this was nothing but well-trod tropes and little to no substance. We are eventually given background on why the Jock is so Driven, why the Sweet guy is not as much of a Himbo as he seems, and why the Shy Nerd is still a Virgin, but the behavior continues to be so stereotypical that it’s hard to see them as anything other than their labels.

It doesn’t help that the plot does not make a ton of sense, either. Honestly, it feels a bit like this was a high school story that the author aged up. There is no way a college star quarterback does not know that he is missing enough credits and may not graduate. There is no way that someone who has a shot at being drafted does not have his eye on his eligibility the entire time he is in school. There is no way that a rich kid could access a player’s records to know that the star quarterback may not graduate. There is no way that the rich kid with a weird grudge against the Jock and Himbo would use his power and influence to just…creep on their grades. There is no way a freshman can just “tutor” a couple of seniors without knowing what they are taking. There is no way that these 18-21-year-olds are just able to slide into polyamory and Daddy kink without missing a beat. I’m sorry, I just can’t buy any of it.

I had a whole paragraph here about the nicknames, but after I wrote my review I saw that several other reviewers commented on it so I’m just gonna point you their way because yes, it is as bad as they say it is.

If you want fluff and uncomplicated kink in a new adult story, this is for you. But don’t expect more than what is on the tin.

****I received this as an ARC and this has been my honest review.****

[Amur Thera · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good
+ Marty and Seth just claiming Gabe
+ No shame about their relationship
+ All of them choosing love over whatever else
+ Their freedom in the bedroom. Nobody was ashamed about what they liked
+ No toxic family redemption. I felt awful for Gabe, but he did not need those toxic people in his life

The neutral
o The storyline with Logan was very over the top, and not in a good way. The bet was fine, but Logan trying to spread those rumors afterwards and then orchestrating that big confrontation was too much. There was no real reason why he would do that, as he had nothing to gain from it
o Personal preference: I can't stand the word Papa used in a kinky way. If they were going to have the Greek god names anyway, I would have preferred Daddy Z and Daddy D over Daddy and Papa

The bad
- The Greek stuff during sex was weird as fuck. "Can we worship at your altar?" Also, Seth and Marty were already Daddy and Papa, so why did they even need the name of a Greek god? And all the 'angel' and 'cherub' stuff was clearly based on Abrahamic religions, so that didn't fit the rest of the narrative. Also, some sex scenes were just painful to read. "Two gods bearing down over a mere mortal as they lose themselves and start spilling their ambrosia all over me."
- Seth really disliked Marty, and then suddenly he did a complete 180 and was totally into Marty. And I was happy for Marty, but after all that pining for all those years I feel like he deserved... more? Seth's feelings compared to Marty's felt very superficial now
- When everyone started cheering "Gabe! Gabe! Gabe!" I wanted to hide under the furniture. I understand this is supposed to be lighthearted, but that was just cringy

Quotes
x I have little choice in the matter as about two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle comes flying into me with an excitable bellow, like a wrecking ball with the temperament of a puppy dog.
x "You said you didn't get a prom, and that made me sad and shit, so I'm going to dance with you now, all right?"
x I'm going to be the best fucking boyfriend this town has ever seen.
x I tip my figurative hat at Dukey. I know what figurative means now thanks to Gabe. I'm un-fucking-stoppable.


This book was alright. It was cute and I liked the relationship, but it was too ridiculous for me sometimes. The Greek stuff was just weird. But they were all sweet together and they were very protective of each other, and that was cute.

[Silvia Turi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unire il dinamismo del football universitario con la cultura classica sembra un’impresa improbabile, ma Dono del cielo dimostra come due mondi all’apparenza opposti possano incastrarsi alla perfezione. H.J. Welch ci porta nel campus dei Paddle Creek Panthers, mettendo al centro della scena una dinamica a tre frizzante, dolce e decisamente passionale.
La trama prende il via da una scommessa accademica che costringe Seth, il capitano rigoroso e focalizzato sul proprio futuro sportivo, e Marty, il compagno di squadra irriverente e sempre pronto alla battuta, a dover salvare la propria carriera universitaria.
Ad affiancarli in questa corsa contro il tempo arriva Gabe, matricola brillante, amante della mitologia greca e grande fan del football. Quello che nasce come un semplice rapporto di tutoraggio si trasforma ben presto in una profonda intesa emotiva e fisica, capace di stravolgere le certezze di tutti e tre.
Sebbene la relazione tra i tre protagonisti non sia affatto convenzionale, la penna dell'autrice è riuscita a trascinarmi completamente nella storia e a coinvolgermi a livello emotivo.
Ho amato ognuno di loro, tifando dal primo all'ultimo capitolo per il loro lieto fine e sostenendo a pieno questo legame così speciale. L'alternanza dei punti di vista permette di entrare davvero in empatia con i personaggi: Seth e Marty, sotto la corazza da atleti, si rivelano due cuori teneri e protettivi, mentre Gabe trova nella loro presenza la forza per affrontare l'accettazione di sé e i difficili rapporti familiari.
La componente spicy è molto presente e intensa: le scene intime e le pratiche erotiche esplorate dalla triade non appartengono alla sfera tradizionale, ma sono arricchite da dinamiche specifiche di coppia e giochi di ruolo che rendono il loro legame unico.
Per questo motivo, oltre che per la particolarità del triangolo amoroso, va sottolineato che non si tratta di una lettura adatta a tutti, ma è consigliata a un pubblico adulto, consapevole e con la mente aperta.
Lo stile di Welch resta comunque diretto, colloquiale e scorrevole. Pur con una trama semplice e a basso contenuto di angst, la storia regala una bellissima atmosfera di supporto reciproco, che trova nel viaggio conclusivo in Grecia il suo coronamento perfetto. Una lettura passionale e ricca di sentimenti, perfetta per chi cerca uno sport romance originale e sopra le righe.



Valutazione ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spicy 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Recensione a cura di Silvia Turi.

[Flick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had promise but wasn’t quite as good as I’d hoped

I liked the idea behind this book. I will admit I can be a bit weary about poly romances as they aren’t always done well (and they are always a triad which bothers me on a representation front). However, I’m always willing to try them out as I’ve read some truly fantastic poly romances. Honestly, the poly side of the romance was much better than I expected and there is genuine communication between the MCs (I know, shock horror they talked!). I liked the idea behind these three getting together and I like seeing representation of switches (Marty was happy being Gabe’s Daddy and being submissive to Seth - though the whole Daddy element didn’t feel particularly natural to the characters). The problem for me was honestly the writing and I’m hoping it’s maybe an editing issue or just an author finding their voice but dear lord the nicknames and phrasing. I swear half the time I felt like I was doing mental gymnastics figuring out which nickname referred to which character. Tbh I don’t have a problem with the standard interchanging of one or two of honey/darling/babe/sweetheart/love. They’re fairly standard and as long as it doesn’t go beyond maybe two, max three of those specific generic ones I don’t have an issue. This was so far beyond that it’s actually kind of hilarious. I swear there were something like 10 for Marty and Gabe EACH. That’s not a combined number. Plus some of the phrasing was repetitive and/or oddly unnatural. Personally, I wasn’t sold on the Daddy element either and I do wonder if some of that is down to the writing. It just felt off in quite a few places and like it had been added because the author wanted to include it vs it was naturally how the characters were. Honestly, that might be partly I didn’t like the writing style because I think that can really change whether certain things feel natural to the characters. To be fair, if you don’t have a problem with a million nicknames then you quite possibly will really enjoy this. Writing styles are tricky and what works for one might not for another and much of this (for me) was a style issue I think. I’d definitely give it a try, as the premise is a cool idea and if you’re into nicknames then that will definitely be a plus!

[Emily Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth, Gabe, and Marty's story was the sweetest, steamiest thing I've read in a while! I absolutely loved watching these three get to know each other and fall head over heels in love, and what an entertaining journey it was. Though Seth and Marty were both college football players, they couldn't have had more different personalities. Seth was the serious QB with a game plan and take-charge attitude, while Marty was a lovable teddy bear who just wanted to make friends and cuddle. Ordinarily, they would have never crossed paths with a nerdy freshman like Gabe, but when a confrontation from the town bully took a nasty turn, Gabe had Marty and Seth's backs. It felt like the perfect twist of fate that one bully's attempt to knock people down instead brought these three together. Gabe, Marty, and Seth may have only been study buddies when they started hanging out, but their attraction to each other was obvious. It only took time and the right circumstances for one of them to make a move, and once they all got on the same page their romance absolutely took off. I wasn't expecting how utterly filthy and insatiable the three of them would be together, but I seriously could not get enough. Their Daddy/Papa/baby boy dynamic was incredibly hot, and the Greek God twist their lovemaking often took was even better. Before long these three felt like an unstoppable force, and no college or family drama could stop them from coming out on top. I was sad that not everyone in these men's lives could appreciate how special their connection was, but their real family stood by them from start to finish. I'm over the moon with happiness at the way their story concluded, and if the rest of this series is anything like this book, sign me up for more!

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Tara Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marty was the power on the Paddle Creek Panthers, it was his job to protect the quarterback, and he took it seriously. Big, strong, and a goofball, it was who he was, but underneath all that, there was more. It was just how he presented himself. What he wanted was to be friends with Seth, the Quarterback he protected on the field. He couldn’t help it that his body was interested in more.

Seth was annoyed by Marty and wished he would just wander away. He was good at his job on the field, so he tolerated it. His goal was to get signed in six months by an NFL team and then live his best authentic life.

When Gabe finds himself having to tutor the two most popular players on the football team, he can hardly wrap his head around it. Of course, he was attracted to them. They were both gorgeous in their own ways, but there was no way they would be interested in a nerdy guy like him.

OPINION: This author was new to me. It was interesting to see these three men come together and find feelings for each other. I got enough of an overview of them to know where their heads were. In my opinion, it was about fifty percent spice and fifty percent plot. The spice was a big part, which was great if you like a spice-forward book. The MCs were all wonderful, with a big cinnamon roll, a sweet, innocent nerd, and a dominant (but very young) Daddy figure. It's a great daddy book that fits the genre very well. I liked it. The town was great, the characters were great, and the little I got to see of secondary characters gave a lot of opportunities for future stories. What was great about this story was that love was equal amongst men, which is my favorite way of reading an MMM romance. Give it a read. It was quick, sweet, and low angst.

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted my copy of this book.

Oh it's been a while, but Ms Welch nails this, she really does!

I'm not sure it was meant to come out of too stinking cute, but it really was for me.

Smexy and steamy, emotional and dreamy, I started reading it and lost the morning!

What I loved the most about this, was that none of them saw it coming, AT ALL. It crept up on them all, in the best way!

Yes, Marty had lusted after Seth for a time, but Seth hated his guts now. So getting to spend some quality time with just Seth and Gabe, to hot little nerd who offered to tutor them both to get their grades up, makes Marty's day.

Seth hated Marty's loud mouth, but now he sees that is a front, he has different ideas about that mouth. Ideas that suddenly include Gabe.

And Gabe?? Oh I loved Gabe! I loved how he stands up for Seth and Marty, then panics about what he's gonna do. I loved that, when Marty and Seth come to him with their idea, he is like . . um . . .ok then!

I loved that from their very first time together, it was Seth who was the Daddy, Gabe was the baby boy and Marty was the brat who went both ways. Daddy Z, Papa D and their baby angel.

I did NOT like Gabe's female parental unit. I refuse to call her his mother.

And Logan McKenna?? I think that boy is hurting. I know he is a bully and uses his money to get what he wants but I think what he REALLY wants, is what Gabe has. Will he get a book and redeem himself?? I hope so.

I want to gush and gush, but I need to wrap up.

Read the damn book, folks!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth Eisen and Marty Quinn are senior football players at the Paddle Creek College in Indiana. Unfortunately, directly after a football loss, and to add insult to injury, the two men are accosted by Logan McKenna, whose family is huge in the political and societal scene of the small town. When the arrogant and boisterous Logan bets the guys won't pass their necessary classes to graduate, in steps Gabriel Visoth, a cute freshman nerd and liberal arts intellectual who looks up in awe to the two handsome jocks. Gabe takes the bet with Logan as well, promising that with his tutoring, the two WILL graduate on time. But as the three college students work together, the attraction between them becomes more and more impossible to ignore. But what happens to Gabe when graduation comes and Seth and Marty move on with their lives?

I really enjoyed reading Heaven Sent! The book is filled with a wide array of romantic emotions and deep feelings. The plot is simple, but very sensual, fun and entertaining. Certainly, the character development in this book is beyond fabulous!! I couldn't help but to fall in love with Gabe, Seth and Marty. The love and loyalty with which the three treat each other, and their deep affection toward one another was monumentally heartwarming. What begins as a intimate ménage a trois ends as an emotionally solid polyamorous relationship.

An absorbing romance with all the feels!! Well worth reading! 5 stars!!

[Love Is All Around · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECENSIONE A CURA DI EVELYNE
Primo volume della serie “Paddle Creek College” di H.J.Welch, “Dono del cielo” racconta la storia di Seth, Marty e Gabe.
Seth e Marty sono due giocatori di football: Seth è il quarterback, il capitano della squadra, vive per i suoi ragazzi e per una futura carriera nella NFL, Marty è il linebacker, il giullare del gruppo, colui che fa di tutto per poter essere notato da Seth, ma che non è mai stato considerato dal suo capitano.
Entrambi hanno molto da offrire e quando saranno costretti a trascorrere del tempo insieme non ci vorrà molto prima che si crei un vero e proprio legame e che i due inizino a conoscersi e amarsi. Tutto ciò però avviene grazie a Gabe, il ragazzo che decide di aiutarli a vincere una scommessa e superare l’anno accademico per laurearsi. Gabe ama studiare, in particolare la branca umanistica, e ama il football. Quindi poter aiutare due delle star della scuola ed essere considerato da loro è pressoché un sogno per lui.
Quando entrambi iniziano a provare dei sentimenti per Gabe tutto cambia e i ragazzi devono trovare un accordo per poter continuare a studiare ma allo stesso tempo mostrare al piccolo angelo cosa ha perso in tutti questi anni di vita casta e pura.
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