First Catch

San Diego Seals #1

by Cecelia Storm

The hardest play to master is a touchdown of the heart… Will these two opposites come together to score the ultimate goal?

Oliver

Teaching languages on the side is the only thing keeping me afloat right now, but when a golden-retriever of a man hired me for double my usual rate, I was suspicious. Question everything, that’s my motto. But there’s something about Spencer - besides his incredible athletic body - that puts my defenses at ease. Then my past catches up with me at gunpoint, and all hell breaks loose.

Spencer

The NFL is expecting great things from me this season, not to mention upholding my family’s pro-sports legacy. But when grumpy Oli showed up at my door to teach me French, it didn’t take long for me to fall for his beauty and mind. But… why does he feel like he’s always in danger? What is he running from? We could be so happy together if he'd just let me protect him from whatever, or whoever, seems to be catching up to him.

First Catch is a standalone Shady Past & Grumpy/Sunshine MM Sports Romance novel, and the first in the San Diego Seals series.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Sports, LGBT, Contemporary, Football, Gay

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 26, 2023

Reviews

[S a n d r a · Rating 1 out of 5]

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I’m sorry to say this book seemed ridiculous to me. I can’t say I liked nothing about this story, not the author’s style, nor the characters… And the plot, either!

Where to start? Things just happen. Just like that. Characters’ personalities don’t relate to what they do or how they act. And they all are so random. Every time.

We have a language virtuoso, Oliver, who speaks we don’t how many languages (it was not said) nor how he ended up speaking so many of them. We do know he didn’t graduate HS and that he happens to be good with languages, so he knows many. Ok. Then we have Spencer, a golden retriever like football pro-player who volunteers with kids from different nationalities and who would like to be able to talk to them in their mother language. And so he looks for a language tutor, and meets Oliver.

Their first meeting is awkward, but reasonably so considering Oliver is covered in blood. My disappointment came when they met for the second time and just like that the two were kissing. Ok. What? Soon I realized that’s how everything in this book goes. Just random advances that make no sense, and have zero build up. But I kept reading, hopeful things would get better, or that the romance would be nice enough to hook me… But when I reached 40% I realized that wouldn’t happen; this book just isn’t for me. I kept reading (kinda diagonally) to make sure I wasn’t missing anything good (I hate reading about people that DNF a book right before something major happens that I know would change their opinions, so I try to keep reading even if I’m not liking the story).

There’s no chemistry between them, and if you ask me why they fell in love I wouldn’t be able to answer. What is it that has Oliver falling for Spencer? I mean, that’s an easier answer, I guess, since Spencer is more likable. But even so, I can’t pinpoint a moment that could have made Oliver go from lusting for the hot football player to actually liking him. And Spencer? What reasons could he have to fall for the not-just-grumpy but unbearable man?

Oliver’s attitude changes so much. Now he’s somewhat fun and smiling, and then he’s cold and hurtful. And when his cousin comes asking for help? At first his attitude could be understood, considering; it’s obvious he had some issues with his family, after all. But then he keeps being mean to Alex just because!!

I was somewhat intrigued by what happened to Oliver in his past to make him the way he is… so I kept reading (diagonally, I’m not gonna lie), and the answer was even more ridiculous than I was expecting. Everything about Zeke and Leo and their common past with Oliver was so poorly developed it makes no sense. And that’s what this whole book made me feel.

Same with Mrs. Xu, Oliver’s Chinese neighbor, whose character is absurd and makes no sense at all. Wasn’t even funny, really.

This is one of those times that I know for sure I won’t keep reading a series. I have no reasons to, not even Leo, who will star in Fumbled Pasts. I wasn’t even interested enough in the main supporting character!!! And I always end half in love with them lol

[DLB2572 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Hoped For More

I was interested in this one after reading the blurb, but I was a bit disappointed after reading it. There are quite a few things that just happen in the story without explanation or reasoning. It took away a lot of the enjoyment of reading this one. I'm not sure I will read book two.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Panzarella]

I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

I did not finish at 11%. The storyline was just too implausible for me. When there is a bone sticking out of your leg, you’re gonna be screaming bloody murder. Not be all cheery about it. Also the 2 MC kissing by the 2nd tutoring session!?!! Yeah nope I couldn’t continue reading anymore.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/24/2023)! 🎁

[Tonya Kloiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spenny is possibly the biggest cinnamon roll ever written. Oliver is a snarky, untrusting language savant with a big secret. Their interaction is sweet. They both have some serious issues with relationships, and neither are very good at communicating. Yet, they work, and they are quite cute together. When Oliver's past shows up to cause trouble, Spenny is at his finest. And we find out Oliver is not the only one with a secret past. I truly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more in this series. I hope Mrs Xu keeps showing up.

[Roger R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book by Cecelia Storm that I had the pleasure of reading! One thing I was impressed with was how the story opened. It is not your usual sweet opening. That opening certainly surprised me in a good way. Also I enjoyed how this particular opposite attraction was played into the story especially with the “opposites”. One is a professional football player while the other one is a “language” tutor with a questionable past! There are times when I want to strangle Oliver, one of the MCs because of how he treats his younger cousin! I’d give this book 5 stars out of 5!!!

The story focuses on Oliver, a barista who moonlights as a language tutor. He had gotten on an app which hooks him up with someone who was interested in hiring a language tutor. At that time he got the email, he begrudgingly helped his neighbor get to the hospital. You’d have to pick up the book to read to find out why!!! While at the hospital, he finally read the email which was pretty cryptic. The email basically asked for a tutor in many languages. He decided to respond to the email and got a quick reply. They decided to meet at the guy’s place. When he got there from the hospital, he was surprised to find that it was in an affluent area and the house was like a mansion.

The guy who resides at the mansion was Spencer, the professional football player who plays for the San Diego Seals. When Oliver arrived, Spencer was surprised to see him wearing a shirt that had blood on it. Oliver told him it wasn’t his blood and he wasn’t out to murder him. Spencer loaned him clothes to change into. Then they discussed what Spencer wanted and to clarify his reasons for multiple languages. It turned out Spencer volunteers his time at a community center where many patrons speaks different languages. He just wanted to learn some basic words so he could converse with them. That was the beginning. I’m just going to stop right there and have you pick up the book to find out what all it entails, what Oliver’s past was and what the heck happened to Oliver’s neighbor! A wonderful reading!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs Xu is my hero. She's a cross between Kung Fu and Confucius and a walking, slithering, 8th wonder of the world. Her wisdom and fortitude are legendary. She helped Oliver to grow and find courage to live his life. Oliver and Spencer are the odd couple that just works. It was inspiring that the volunteer work continued even with busy lives. This was an impactful story with several important life lessons and an hea!!!

[Laura Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Catch is the first novel in the San Diego Seals series. It is a dual point of view from grumpy Oliver and golden retriever Spencer. Oliver works in a coffee shop and teaches languages on the side. Spencer is in the NFL and volunteers at a community center. They meet when Spencer hires Oliver to teach him different languages so he can communicate better with the kids there. They are interested and attracted to each other and eventually agree to separate their time into dating and tutoring.

Throughout the story, Oliver gets closer to his neighbor Mrs. Xu and also develops a relationship with his cousin Alex. Spencer has a great friendship with his NFL teammate and BFF Leo. Spencer deals with pleasing his family and upholding their sports legacy. Oliver has to deal with his shady past that catches up with him, but Spencer is there along with Leo and Alex to help.

The ending all came together and overall it was an interesting read.

I did receive an ARC and voluntarily read it for an honest review.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This review and much more can be found at Love Bytes Reviews

Oliver is basically a hermit. He doesn’t go outside his apartment except for his job as a barista. He lives on his computer mostly it seems and in his little apartment on the wrong side of town in San Diego. The story starts off with him answering a sort of off the wall ad for a language tutor. He’s promptly drawn into the orbit of his elderly Chinese neighbor who only speaks Mandarin when she’s injured. He takes her to the hospital and then off to see his client – who is an American Football player for the local NFL team. Spencer Marsh comes from a football dynasty as it were. Oliver doesn’t follow football, so he has no clue, but his student is certainly smoking hot.

There is an instant attraction between Spencer and Oliver. Spencer is a big bundle of sunshine. Loves his job – even though it’s not THE love of his life. He has lots of money and he loves to volunteer at a community center, hence his desire to learn languages to convers with the people he’s helping. Oliver agrees to help – heck he needs to the money. They get off to a strange start. Then things get physical and Oliver pulls away. It’s clear he is scared of something and he isn’t forthcoming. To anyone.

I don’t want to spoil it because it’s not mentioned in the blurb, but Oliver’s past isn’t as far gone as he’d like. It also intersects with Spencer world. And it comes back to cause them both problems. There is a very circuitous route to a happy ending 😉

While I really enjoyed some parts of this story, it felt like it was just all over the place. Too many things were happening. The Coco Chanel adage comes to mind. Before you leave the house, take one thing off. That’s how I felt about this book. It needed to be less “busy” as it were. Certainly the grumpy/sunshiny vibes were there, but a lot of it had to do with life circumstances. Spencer was truly a big puppy dog of a personality. Oliver was so guarded, although it was clear early on that he wasn’t hard-hearted. I loved Mrs. Xu, although she seemed like a secret ninja character caught up in the wrong novel. The story is told from alternating POVs of Spencer and Oliver so at least we had some idea of what each guy was thinking. But the writing was a bit stilted in a lot of places. I feel like a really good edit would have helped this book a lot. It’s not bad – but I just wished for a tighter and more cohesive execution I guess.

There were quite a few niggles for me. A Barista in SD would in no way be able to afford a two bedroom apartment. Then there are sort of weirdly English/British phrases and words thrown in. Never have I ever heard of an American Football field being called “the pitch”. Gridiron, Football Field, the field, yes. Pitch, no. We also don’t call anything a car park. It’s always a parking lot or parking garage. Even Spencer’s nickname is a mostly English nickname of Spenny. There is some additional phraseology that kind of threw me out of the story. Just seemed a bit off for a clearly American setting/story. I am sort of interested to see what happens next with Leo, Spencer’s bestie.

[Xanthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Catch is very much an opposites attract romance with Spencer being a lovable guy with a golden retriever type energy who loves to play football but it's not his life, something his father, brother and grandfather cannot understand. Oliver is very much an introvert, grumpy with everyone and very secretive about his past. He is excellent at languages, speaking many of them and that's how Spencer comes onto his radar as he has an ad out looking for a tutor to help him speak more language that are used at the community centre he volunteers at.
Now, I did enjoy the story aspect of this book. The plot and tropes are all very much up my street - jock/nerd, grumpy/sunshine, secretive past, weirdly lovable older lady neighbour - but the relationship and Oliver's character were not for me. A grumpy character can be a lot of fun to read, if they have redeeming features or become less so over time. That kind of happens but he is also quite mean with some of his comments, especially to a family member who turns up looking for help. Mrs Xu, his neighbour, is one random lady, and to find her supposedly with an open leg break and consider leaving her there.....? Spencer definitely brings sunshine into his life and he somewhat reluctantly lets it in but then within no time at all, they seem to be together. I didn't really feel the emotions that the couple were. There was definitely the heat and chemistry but not an emotional connection for me. Spencer made it an entertaining story, always wanting to help and support however he could but he also has a lot of insecurities, I think mostly brought on by living in the shadow of his famous family.
Oliver's secret past is what brings the drama, along with both MC's struggling to see their worth to each other and not having enough confidence. Mrs Xu definitely brings her own brand of crazy and a what the.... vibe but is entertaining enough all on her own. A story of two halves for me, and not in regards to pages but the different aspects that bring the story together.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Nancy Lockett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver is a grumpy and a bit paranoid coffee shop worker who is a genius with languages despite not finishing high school after being kicked out of his family for being gay. He is trying on the side to supplement his income with his language skills but everyone wants someone with a formal language education as a tutor. Spencer is a NFL player who comes from a family of great football players and feels that he has to live up to their expectations so puts a lot of pressure on himself to do so. He enjoys volunteering t the local community center but feels that he needs to learn more languages to better communicate with the people there. His sister puts out a weird ad for him for a language tutor and Oliver applies and gets the job. When they first meet, Oliver is covered in blood, from helping his neighbor Mrs Xu, who only speaks Mandarin, after the has a fracture in her leg. Oliver has no interest in sports and feels like Spencer has the personality of Golden Retriever with a hot body. Spencer is a bit intimidated by Oliver but is instantly attracted to him. They begin a physical relationship but try to keep it separate from the tutoring. However, they each have to overcome their own insecurities and learn to better communicate with each other especially when a dangerous from Oliver's past shows up. This was a cute book with moderate angst. I was happy when Spencer finally stood up for himself with his family and the pressure they put him under. Oliver's neighbor Mrs Xu was a hoot and made me laugh. I look forwards to Leo's story next.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Oliver answers an odd ad for a language tutor, he never dreamed his whole life would change. He meets Spencer for a tutoring session, and finds he is just like a golden retriever. He happily pays better than most of his jobs which makes Oliver suspicious. He does not recognize him as the well-known NFL player he is. Oliver finds himself attracted to Spencer as much as Spencer is attracted to Oliver. The two embark on a relationship troubled by insecurities and danger coming to call.

Oliver’s past makes him very suspicious of everyone. He has major trust issues and the inability to believe anyone would really want him. He does not have his high school diploma and because of that, he cannot find a steady job even though he is gifted in languages. Spencer loves to volunteer as well as play football. In fact his volunteering led him to place an ad so he could learn more languages. He feels the pressure from his family to be the best, causing him to take unnecessary chances. When it all comes to a head, their actions to solve their troubles are based on love but will that be enough to save them?

First Catch starts out slow but quickly becomes a tense story of survival while facing your past. You cannot help but route for these two to find a happy ending amidst the pressures on both of them from their pasts and from their family. The two are amazing together with Spencer so happy and Oliver so grumpy. You will fall in love with them and their story. Pick up First Catch. You will be glad you did.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oliver and Spencer are as unlike as any two human beings can be. Where Spenny is outgoing and warm, Oliver is a cold fish and apparently almost friendless. Spenny is kind and focused on helping others, while Oliver is focused on protecting himself. Oliver has a gift for languages and that's how he meets Sopenny, who wants to know how to communicate with the variety of people who are part of the community center where he volunteers. Without giving anything away, suffice it to say they find an unexpected attraction to each other which they explore, despite all the hurdles Spenny has to jump over to keep Oliver in his life. HIS attraction to Oliver is a stretch, not to put too fine a point on it. I'm not sure I believe it, frankly. The way that Oliver ends up with a group of people all pulling for him -- Spencer, Alex, and Mrs. Xu (his neighbor) -- shows that he does grow and change somewhat over the course of the story. That makes me feel more comfortable giving this a 3, though I am not a fan of his continual vacillating and making Spencer have to jump through hoops to be with him. And to be honest, I don't know if I believe their love is real, though I don't deny that there is something special between them. And finally, the writing style was sometimes a bit awkward to me, interfering with my understanding or enjoyment. All reasons I can't give this a higher rating.

[LJ Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming from a long line of professional football players, Spencer is expected to be better than best, focusing on football and little else. His father is a helicopter parent, calling Spencer's coach like a middle school parent would. Even though he makes a lot of money, he isn't happy. Spending is extra time at a community center, he meets lots of people who speak different languages. Hiring a tutor to teach him lots of languages has Oliver showing up at his door.

Oliver is all kinds of messed up. His back history is troubled to say the least. But he's making it. Their feelings for each happen pretty quickly, but Oliver is skittish. Add in a quirky neighbor, a cousin who's needing a place to stay, a rough and gruff best friend who wants best friends necklaces to him and Spencer, an ex who can't get over Oliver, you've got a great story! I'm hoping that a few side characters or people on the Seals team get a story too!

I received an ARC of this book and am excitedly, enthusiastically leaving a review!

[Pontiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spencer wants to learn languages to communicate with the kids he volunteers with at the community centre. Oliver replies to his strange ad, and then appears for their meeting with blood on his clothes after helping his neighbour get to the hospital.

They both feel a pull towards each other, and agree to divide their time into tutoring and dating.

But Oliver has a past that’s left him worried about his safety, and he tries to protect himself by being scowly and distant. Spen gets under his skin, though, sp they fall in love. When his past catches up with him, others are there to help, including Spencer’s teammate and Oliver’s cousin Alex.

Interesting story, Spencer and Oliver are cute, but I love Mrs. Xu best. Some of the writing is awkward, but the story flows well enough.

I received this ARC for free and am pleased to provide my honest review in appreciation.

[Janice Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was well-written and had genuine emotion and connection. The MC’s had an instant connection and their chemistry was amazing. Oliver is a bit of a grumpy Gus while Spencer is a ray of sunshine. Oli is struggling to make ends meet while Spencer is raking in the dough. Even though they were complete opposites, they fit perfectly and were truly meant to be. You could see the attraction is very mutual and I loved the dual POV so you could tell how they were both falling for each other and that it was more than just physical. This book has a lot of heart and I just love watching two men falling in love and becoming vulnerable together. Being this was my first time reading a book from this author, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and any other works available.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read and has a little of everything. I can't deny that sports romance is one of my favorite tropes, but I promise you this is not a biased review based on that. These two men should not make a good couple, but they do. Oliver, barista and a side job of teaching languages. Spencer is the NFL player that he is teaching French. When they meet, it is obvious chemistry is there, but Oliver has a past that terrifies him. All Spencer wants to do is keep him safe. Get this book and find out what has Oliver scared and hiding. You will also find out how Spencer helps him all while falling head over hills for the cute coffee guy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[K-Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the reason for Oliver and Spencer meeting. Learning a language is well kind of intimate! Oliver might not be the athlete in this story, but he is tough and keeps on persevering. He can be a bit negative and poor Spencer is just a bit intimidated by him! Spencer really is a young cinnamon roll, and it was wonderful to see him interacting with grumpy Oliver as they really are different as night and day. Such a great balance. We get some angst and suspense outside of their relationship with Olivier's past and Spencer coming to terms with who he really is, but we also get some fun with Mrs. XU. Great series opener!!

[Thera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Spencer and Oliver were so opposite I wasn't sure how they were going to figure out how to be together. But they did. They both had massive insecurities but they somehow talked through them. Maybe not always in the best way but they still did.
Mrs Xu was one of the best side characters ever. She was hilarious and very perceptive. I'm glad Oliver had her as a friend.
When everything with the gun came to a head I was worried they might not survive their relationship. But of course they did. It was the right amount of drama for the book.
Overall I highly recommend this book!

[Alison Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver and Spencer were both interesting characters and I loved seeing them find their way to happiness! I love a sports romance and it is always interesting to see how each author writes about the sports world. There were parts of the story that didn't seem as developed as they could have been. At times, it felt like the story moved forward without any explanation of the characters decisions but ultimately, this was an engaging story that I read in one sitting because I wanted to see how the story would end! I loved seeing Oliver and Spencer be happy together and can't wait to see what is next in the series!

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spencer shares the joy! Spencer, is prepared to exceed the expectations of the NFL and his legacy family. He hires Oliver to teach him French. Oliver, keeps his head down and walks on egg shells in fear of his past. Spencer, senses Oli's negative aura and just wants to protect him and keep him safe. Is Oli's past that bad? Can Spencer make Oli feel safe? Oli's past is frightening. It is joyful watching Spence and Oli develop considering their opposite demeanor's. Spence's up nature, brings you along with him. Great exciting flow, nice characters. Hot cover art! Well done. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Courtney Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so overall I liked this book. But I did find some parts of the story a bit hard to grasp. I feel like Oliver’s character was so erratic. He was chaotic and you would think you knew what he was gonna do and then he would do the opposite. So he was a hard character to fall in love with. Spencer on the other hand was a very gentle soul who you just wanted to get his happy ending even though his love interest was a bit nutty. I did find the story interesting and it kept me on the edge of my seat till the end. I just wish Oliver’s character was a bit more subdued. Oh and his neighbor was a hoot!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver is a barista who also works as a language tutor. He gets connected to a potential new client via an app that he uses. Oliver goes to the home of the client and it's basically a mansion. He meets Spencer, a professional football player there. Spencer volunteers at a community center and the people there speak multiple languages. He would like to be able to at least minimally converse with them. As these two spend more time together, there are sparks.

I liked this story and the characters. The only real issue that I had was that things seemed to happen off-page and would make the story hard to follow at certain points. There were jumps in the action without the actions happening.

[Traci S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author to me, and I really enjoyed this story. The two main characters are rwell done, a really good take on grumpy/ sunshine. Spencer is really a force of nature, good humored, kind, and I especially loved how patient he was with Oliver. Oliver is complicated and prickly, but he has good reasons. I loved how hard it was for him to resist Spencer. Mrs Xu, Leo and Alex are some fun and interesting side characters, I loved how they band together for Oliver. Good plot, very good characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver and Spencer’s story has a bit of everything. There’s a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, an athlete/tutor dynamic, a fair amount of angst and peril for reasons I will not spoil, and a relationship that develops with some nice moments of connection between the characters. Shout out also to Mrs. Zu, for being a truly interesting supporting character.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Rodin · Rating 5 out of 5]

French is the language of love.
Oliver teaches French.
Spencer is a special pupil!
The language of this first catch is a brilliant plot!
Sensational characters.
Beautiful MM lifestyle !
Beautiful descriptive prose - not just for the love scenes - and that is what they are - love sessions!
The plot is sensational with twists and turns to keep the reader wanting more!
A must read if you enjoy MM
Five white hot pulsing shooting stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always enjoy a book with great secondary characters and I loved Oliver's neighbor Mrs. Xu. I expected the usual sports romance, but the addition of the danger to Oliver was an interesting twist as was the reason Spencer wanted to learn another language. It added extra dimensions to their characters and I liked these surprises. Spencer and Oliver, the athlete with loads of family pressure and the guy with no interest in sports made a good pair for a romance.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not into sports so I use to avoid sports based stories, but a few recently, just like this one, pulled me in and I now realize I did them a disservice, they can still be a great tale even with the sports reference. This is a lovely story with a splash of drama, but mostly the sweet slow growing affection between Spencer and Oliver. Both are adorable young men but one has a past that haunts him and the other a family that pushes him. A wonderful read.

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was boring and I Ioved Spencer but Oliver, not so much. Spencer was the perfect boyfriend meanwhile Oliver keep making a reckless decision again and again like when Zeke, Oliver's ex finally found him but he hides it from Spencer and the final straw for me was when Oliver agreed to do some work for Zeke without even telling Spencer.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He teaches languages to bring the money in while playing football. He will be hired by them who is also plays football. There is something about them that he is not sure about. An incident when he he is at the wrong end of the gun will have him questioning everything. What is going to happen? How will it all go? Can life get better for them both? See if they get a better life