In Real Time

Cadence Cougars #3

by S. Manship

Elliot Bennett is doomed to love Matthew Grady from afar. It wasn’t as bad when he only saw the man on TV or the occasional home game, but now? Now, Elliot can’t seem to escape the other man. Everywhere he looks, there’s Grady, smiling, laughing, asking Elliot questions that are perfectly reasonable yet entirely too much for him to handle. As long as Grady remains healthy and Elliot stays in his office, there’s nothing to worry about.

Matthew Grady has never said no to a challenge, but everyone has their limits, and Grady just found his. A torn shoulder labrum has him off the field for four weeks with zero movement, but you know what’s worse? Six to eight weeks of PT with the one and only Elliot Bennett. It shouldn’t be a problem that Elliot hates him. Grady doesn’t need to be liked by everyone…he just wants to be.
This is fine. Everything is fine.

Until it isn’t.

Genres: Sports Romance, M M Romance, Baseball, Workplace, Sports

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2024

Reviews

[Tonya ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was literally everything I needed to be 🫠😍

Absolutely loved Grady & Elliot. I love how this was a sports romance but not not overall explained because I know nothing about baseball. But I thought this book was perfectly smutty with a decent storyline. I would have been very happy with like 5 more chapters.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Have you ever had someone offer you everything you’ve ever wanted, and you’re not sure what to do with it?” 🩵

WHAT TO EXPECT:
⚾️ mutual pining
❤️‍🔥 found family
⚾️ spicy lessons
❤️‍🔥 witty banter
⚾️ nicknames

Elliot has had a crush on first baseman of the Cadence Cougars for years, so when Matthew Grady has an injury and Elliot is assigned to be his PT, he has no idea how to act. The only issue is that Grady thinks Elliot hates him and desperately wants to make him his friend. Their professional relationship’s lines start to blur and completely disintegrate as an experimental friends with benefits situation starts to form.

These boys were HOT 🥵 my god I was not expecting the level of spice with this one. Grady is an openly bi MMC with lots of experience, and Elliot has never felt comfortable with anyone to express the things he’s wanted to try. The two of them fit so well together and their chemistry was so good. The pining really got me and they were both just obsessed with each other 🤭 I really enjoyed this book (and this whole series let’s be real) and I’m so happy Grady & Elliot got their happy ending 🥹

Microtropes & moments I loved:
Lots of blushing
Elliot’s awkwardness
Spicy FaceTime
Text messages
Meddling friends
Mutual pining
Mental health rep

[Smutty Sully · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

The first glaring problem is Series Side Character Overload Syndrome (is that what it's called? I'm spacing on the phrase), there are 8-10 side characters that are basically side mains.

This is the first MM book in an MF series, and the first third of the book is confusing because every side character is given ample page time, and I **do not know who they are.**

My next problem was with the writing style and maturity levels of the nearly 30-year-old physiotherapist who is intelligent and successful yet turns into a bumbling mess when around one particular baseball player.

Why would you take a job with a pro baseball team if you can't speak or act professionally around the players? It made absolutely no sense to me. The first baseman is over 30 and was also written in a juvenile way, in fact (and I feel comfortable saying this since I just read four pro-baseball books before this one) everyone in the book was immature and silly. Pranks, fighting, umm these men are aiming for the World Series? Yeah, no.

The book starts 10 weeks before the World Series, and everyone is acting like they wouldn't even be on a Little League team.

Then in the third act, we get a totally random Mafia subplot, LOL. The baseball player's brother is a mob guy and the player used to dispose of dead bodies or something?! Just what? That wasn't enough Drama, so the other MC had to reveal a sudden explanation for his anxiety or isolation, spoiler >!a friend died in a car crash, driving because he was too high to drive, and the guilt made him antisocial!< which not only made zero sense, it did nothing to further the "plot" or the romance.

Sadly, all the tags and tropes sound great, but the dirty talk was so awkward and unnatural, and the sex scenes were uncomfortable, I wanted to see what happened and pushed until the end. And then my least favorite sports romance thing happened, after having very little on-page game time, of course, a miraculous win.

It's possible this would be good for someone who doesn't want sports in their sports romance and is going to read the other books first...

MC Names: Elliott & Matthew

Tags: Sports romance, baseball, injured player/physical therapist,
part of an MF series, series side character overload, anxiety, mafia, past trauma, praise, degradation, mutual pining, secret crush, found family, FWB "sex training/exploration", kink-exploration, phone sex, audio sex recordings, awkward flustered MC

[Paige (wingsandsmut) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This book had me giggling and blushing, but I could not get enough of Grady & Elliott! This was my first book of this series and it read well as a standalone, although I will be reading the other books because I love the side characters too! The tension and spice between these two is HOT and I loved the kinks! Basically, I just need more of them in my life. This is a perfect MM romance that I literally finished in mostly one sitting and it was exactly what I needed!

What to expect:
-Baseball player x physical therapist
-Workplace romance
-Friends with benefits
-MM romance
-Degradation/Praise
-Found family
-Slow burn

This will release on September 4th and is one you won't regret reading if this is your jam!

Thank you so much to S. Manship for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I’d like to thank Suz for having me on her ARC team for this read - I’m always so grateful to be a part of her literary world! Second, this is my first ever MM romance and let me tell you it’s HOT, Matthew Grady can GET IT. Grady and Elliot have always been a couple of my favorite side characters in this series and I’m so pleased they got their story! I also really loved how Grady ties the Forest Falls boys into the Manship universe. I really enjoyed the role Grady took on in the beginning of their relationship… almost like a sexual mentor, it was highly entertaining. And I loved Elliot’s inner monologue when it came to his thoughts about Grady. I giggled a LOT through this book, Suz’s humor is speculative in her writing and her character development is great! You guys HAVE to get a copy of this book when it comes out on Sept 4th!!

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Steamy and spicy and sexy but I didn’t get much emotional connection between the characters. Heavier on the spice instead of the romance. But it was a good palate cleanser that kept me entertained.

[Trine ||| danereadingromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.25 stars*

"I think we all end up living with the weight of our childhood on our shoulders. But one of the best things about life is finding the people who will share that burden with you. The ones who won't judge or push but will listen to what you're willing to share and help shoulder the weight until you can breathe again."

This was such a sweet and funny story - and VERY steamy too!
Grady was perfect and so precious, and Elliot is such a gem.

Genre: MM romance.
Tropes: Baseball player x physio therapist, workplace, found family, forced proximity, mutual pining, friends with benefits (spicy lessons), degradation & praise.
Trigger warnings: No.

I'm entirely fucked on this man. He's so much more than I deserve, but I don't think I can let that stop me this time. Elliot Bennett is mine, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to be his.

~ arc review ~
While the spice was spicing and the steam, tension and chemistry was evident, it was also an emotional slow burn.

Matthew Grady is so good and precious and must be protected at all costs. He is also a very hot alpha man, and his dominance in the sheets were HOT! He really found his perfect match in Elliot.
Elliot Bennett has had a crush on Grady forever and acts very aloof around him, and it was hilarious getting the POV of them both and seeing how they actually felt about each other. I really felt for Elliot, and adored his awkwardness, and I loved how everyone embraced him fully. It was also great seeing him slowly let other people in again.

They both had quite a bit of character growth, especially with them being vulnerable together which allowed them to let go of issues from their past and see things differently. Also, despite them being opposites they were still like magnets being drawn together, and the sparks were flying!

Banter, nicknames, explosive chemistry and pining were heavy features, and I loved it all. The spice was a major plot point and helped drive the story forward, so if you're not that into degradation this might not be the book for you. The degradation kink was strong, but so well executed and I just felt the love and respect they had for each other at all times.

The found family was amazing. Although it took me a bit of time to get all the characters and their various relations straight, I just adored the scenes when they were all hanging out. It felt like a very real friend group that truly cared about one another no matter how different they might be.

I will say, that no matter how much I loved the characters and had a blast reading, I did wish for just a bit more plot. This was a very character driven story, and it did frustrate me just a bit with their lack of communication at times. Also, it could have been a bit shorter, however, since I loved them so much, I also didn't want the book to end.

It can be read as a standalone, as I had no trouble following the story, but there were a LOT of side characters and intertwined characters, which has me only more excited to go back and read the previous books.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Cadence Cougars series so much. No Trick Plays was one of my favorite reads last year. It feels like I’ve been waiting for In Real Time for ages, but I can tell you, it was well worth the wait. S. Manship delivers the goods with this MM workplace romance story between an injured first baseman and his athletic trainer. What I love about this series is that it feels like a real friend group. These people truly care about one another even if they couldn’t be more different. We’ve got some serious found family vibes amongst the Cadence Cougars and their significant others.

Grady and Elliot are just so good together. As a firm supporter. I particularly appreciated their comradery when it came to pineapple on pizza. I believe there just isn’t enough pineapple on pizza representation out there in the world, and particularly not in the romance book community. Thank you S. Manship, I feel seen. But in all seriousness, this book was so incredibly heartfelt. I was grateful that neither character had to navigate “coming out,” as they were already a fully formed individual with an accepting and supportive community. Their biggest hurdle was saying their feelings aloud to one another. Everyone could see their pull. It was as if two magnets were drawing them together.

The best part of this book is the interior monologue of each of these characters. Both Elliot and Grady do a lot of second thinking. To the point where Grady can identify the faces and words that Elliot uses when he’s processing. It was cute to see these grown men get flustered by a crush. And don’t you fret, the spice was spicing. The voice note Elliot sent? I think I’m melting just thinking about it. When someone asks for a MM romance book, this will be the first suggestion on the list. The characters are relatable and flawed. The friend group and advice is equally terrible and fantastic. I love watching a group of men try to aid their friend in navigating the launch of a relationship. You just want to shake them and be like, “just tell him already!” I absolutely loved this book and the entire Cadence Cougars series. It was well worth the wait.

[isthisakink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahem. I have waited a very long time to write this review.

A direct quote from my review of Hey, Batter Batter: ”I actually INSIST on a m/m romance for Elliot. I will not accept a no.”

Also, she lies. I did not threaten violence. I’m a peaceful human bean. I may have been creatively, verbally, slightly aggressive-adjacent. Maybe. I won’t admit to anything.

I may have championed this book from the jump, and I may love it beyond measure and think it’s absolutely perfect, but that’s only because it was worth fighting for and it really is quite perfect.

Elliot and Grady are… so fucking relatable . I spent just as much time telling the pages “fucking same” as I did enjoying the story. I mean, who hasn’t been completely clueless, or totally awkward and unsure? We have all definitely experienced “where brain?” moments over a crush. The feels and the realism are insane and we are living for it A L L.

It’s also spicy asf and not in a creepy, skeevy way. It’s actually fantastic representation across the board, same as every other book in the series. It’s more of that good-good realism and the genre DESPERATELY needs more of it. Also, extra finger snaps for the kink being done well. So, so well.

Tl;dr: It hits every single thing a good romance should and we aren’t worthy. The book gives nothing but joy, too. No TAA here, just two idiots in love, doing idiots-in-love shit, living life and enjoying the ride.

5/5. I am clearly biased, yes, but I’m not a liar. This book is everything. I couldn’t love it more. You’re going to love it, too, I ~pinky promise~.




**[I received an ARC from the author. I also Beta read and demanded it. All ratings, reviews, and opinions are my own.]**

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Like life, like love, baseball exists in real time.” - Carol Tavris

Grady (MMC): MLB player, currently sidelined with an injury, openly Bi, has a crush on his trainer but afraid to act on it
Elliot (MMC): Athletic trainer for the Cougars, twin sister is Ellie (book 1), romance reader, has a crush on his new patient

Tropes:
⚾️Baseball Player x Athletic Trainer
🩻 MM Sports Workplace Romance
⚾️ Friends with Benefits to Love
🩻 Found Family
⚾️ Slowish Burn to Full Steam Ahead
🩻 Awkward MMCs
⚾️ Text Conversations
🩻 Adorable Nicknames
⚾️ Consent King 👏🏼👏🏼
🩻 Witty Banter
⚾️ Mutual Pining
🩻 Backwards Baseball Hat Wearing
⚾️ Spicy F-it List
🩻 No 3rd Act Breakup

Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑 (5⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (consent conversation, toys as teammates, degradation, O denial/edging, 👅, 🍑 play, praise, begging, impact play, public play, 🥗 eating, spicy FaceTime and voice memos, 🐫)
T/W: panic attack (on page), mention of parental death (referenced), mentions of cheating (referenced, not MCs), alcohol consumption and a mention of past drug use, physical injury (torn shoulder labrum), physical therapy sessions (on page), mafia family (referenced, on page)

I loved this book! Grady and Elliot were perfect for each other. They are absolutely obsessed with each other. Healthy communication, serious spice, adorable swoony moments and great storyline. I love this book…No notes. Catch me in the stands cheering for the Cougars all season long.

I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.

[Erika [The Smut Files] · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
In Real Time by S. Manship
Cadence Cougers Book 3

This book is an interconnected standalone in the Cadence Cougars baseball universe. It follows recently injury baseball star Grady and the physical therapist that has loved him from afar for years, Elliot.
Grady assumed Elliot disliked him based on their previous interactions but what Elliot is doing is trying to not act like a fool in front of his crush.

This book had me laughing out loud and blushing like crazy. I enjoyed the way it discussed kink exploration with a partner and the discussion around safety and consent. Oh, and Grady had a top notch dirty mouth!

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
⚾️ baseball
🩵 sexual exploration
⚾️ patient & physical therapist
🩵 gay MMC & bi MMC
⚾️ no 3rd act breakup
🩵 miscommunication in the best way

Excellent book! Easy 5 stars.

[M W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Holy Hotness
Wow, I need a water dang. Suzanna has always written the funniest slow burns, and this was a slow burn emotionally. Elliott has wanted Grady forever, and now that Grady needs extra pt to get back on the field, Elliott is with him a lot. If you need a spicy spicy mm book, yep, here it is. Emotionally, they both have baggage from really diving deep with someone emotionally, and that is the plot of the book. If you do not like degradation, then this kink in the book is not for you, but I was here for every page! Eill never get over how Grady is one hot alpha man, and Elliott is perfect for him. What a spicy ride and a pf course you see a lot of your faves cougars from before. Dang, this was hot!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grady and Elliot have been dancing around each other for a while. Elliot is so shy and nervous around Grady that it gives Grady the impression that he doesn't like him. Of course, these two have epic amounts of miscommunication and misinterpretation as they can't figure out that the other is into them. Until.... Finally, that all changes by chance and what happens next is a very explicit seduction where they learn each other's kinks and work through each other's lists to find where their limits are. Overall, I really enjoyed these two and I was so happy when they finally shared their relationship with their friends. I also thought the anxiety rep in this story was very well done and I enjoyed how Elliot helped one of the players and how Grady helped Elliot.

[Saarah Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review: Firstly, I want to thank @smanshipwrites for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book. I kid you not, I was anticipating Elliot & Grady's book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the build-up into their relationship as to how each had their own perceptions on the other and were so apprehensive to start a simple friendship due to their fears. Their story brought me joy in various ways like I was giggling like crazy at certain moments but the couple had there soulful moments as well. This had brought a new light into their character development but also the progression of the book. I can 100% say that this book is one of my favorites of the year.

[Natalie (Novels__&__Needles) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC.

⚾️ Baseball romance
⚾️ Workplace
⚾️ Friends with benefits
⚾️ “Teach me”

This is how you write a spicy book with just enough storyline to keep your readers engaged and captivated. I’m so glad this was a MM romance, it was the perfect way to tell their story. The banter was too tier and the added fact that both Grady and Elliot just don’t take life too seriously was an added level I didn’t know I wanted in a book. This was the perfect pallet cleanser read, just what I needed!

[A. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book….. 🥵Honestly these characters have been two of my favorites for the start of this series. The spice is spicing but also the sweet moments. If you have not checked out this series or any of the authors other books then you are really missing out. Truly love this author and her books.

Baseball
Workiah romance
Dirty talk (holy cow the dirty talk)
Friends w/ benefits
Mutually think the other hates them.
Openly bi MMC

[Lilah Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥵 the amount of times I squealed during this book should probably be embarrassing. The slow burn of wanting the other person but not knowing if they want you too, but it turns out you’re both pining for each other. The way Grady takes an interest in Elliot’s interests is also 🥵.
S. Manship, thank you allowing me to have an ARC and bringing these characters into the world 💚

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, hear me out - I LOVED Elliot and Grady from the first time they popped up in this series. But I didn’t love this book - the lore drops about Grady’s hometown/family and then the skating over of Elliot’s backstory just felt out of place and without stakes. It was DELIGHTFULLY spicy though and their chemistry was fantastic.

[Audrey Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cadence Cougars never disappoint! This book has everything for me. Mills, love, and spice! The dynamic of this team and its love for all the couples stemming from it is just my favorite. I loved Elliot and Grady’s story and ATE UP all the breadcrumbs for the other characters. 💜

[Torie Stallings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg the story of Grady and Elliot was more than I ever imagined! What starts as friends with benefits always ends up as something more 🫣😏 I absolutely loved reading how they forgives out the situationship 🩶

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book! This was my first read of the series and I will absolutely be going back for more of it. These boys were so funny and sweet and I can just imagine being a fly on the wall with their relationship. Steamy slow burn sports romance at its best.

[paige dickinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliot and Grady’s story was such a pallet refresher from the more recent books I’ve read. The way I yelled at my kindle as if they could hear me. I really enjoyed reading how their love story unfolded.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved their story!!

[Melissa Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew F**king Grady, is *chef's kiss* This book will have you swooning and giggling, while also melting 🫠. Couldn't get enough.

[Natalie Schoenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so damn great and I loved Grady and Elliot so much. I didn’t want to put it down, it was interesting from start to finish

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will NEVER get over this book 🥹🤤

THE DEGRADING IS TOP TIER
THE BANTER WILL HAVE YOU WHEEZING FROM LAUGHER
if you love MM sports romances this is a fucking must!!

[vaidhs · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Real Time is the third book of the Cadence Cougars series by S.Manship.

Tropes :

• Workplace Romance
• Baseball Romance
• Forced Proximity (kind of)
• Dual POV
• Friends with Benefits
• MM Romance
• Found Family
• No THIRD-ACT breakup

OMG! This was such an awesome read for me. I was sick and had nothing better to do so I picked the book up. BEST. DECISION. EVER. The storyline was pretty entertaining. I had sm fun reading Elliot and Grady. They were so cute together. First few chapters had that character development that's a miss most of the times to me, because that's how I decide to continue or dnf a book. This one had it pretty good. Being a fan of straight romances who's slowly expanding her realm of the book world to more niche specific reads, I loved reading this one. I love characters who take sm interest in their potential significant others interests. This one had Grady who did a pretty awesome job at it. Having someone to talk to about you is like the epitome of every good feeling you've ever got to experience as a reader. Elliot found a good one in that case. She pretty sure wrote a book that I'll be thinking about whenever I think about love. I absolutely devoured this book in one sitting. You should read it like ASAP!

- 4.5/5
- 5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy.

Every S. Manship book just keeps getting better and better. I love Elliot and Grady’s book! I spent most of this book giggling and kicking my feet reading them fall in love. S. Manship is why I love reading baseball romances!

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

All hail the Queen of sarcasm & witty banter 🙌🏼 No surprise here that I was instantly cackling from the first chapter all the way through!

Grady & Elliot are pure JOY 🥹 Just two goofballs in love!! And both characters are sooo relatable! They made me feel immersed into the story & their world!

🌶️ The spicy lessons were *chef’s kiss* 🌶️ If you love MMCs with a dirty f*cking mouth, look no further!! THE MATTHEW f*cking GRADY certainly delivers 🙌🏼

Cannot recommend this book (or any book by S. Manship) ENOUGH 👏🏼😍

*P.S. pineapple on pizza actually is an abomination