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Double Hit
A year has passed since gaming streamer Kai Reid watched his longterm relationship crumble to pieces, and he’s still struggling to stitch himself back together. Even an incredible hookup with volleyball star Atticus Mills, the NVA’s resident playboy, couldn’t pull Kai out of his past.
Six months after their one night stand, Atticus has resigned himself to the friendzone. But when Kai suddenly needs a place to crash for a week, right before the start of the season, Atticus jumps at the opportunity to offer up his spare bedroom. What’s the worst that could happen? They are friends, after all.
But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for Atticus to hide his feelings, especially when his teammates think Kai is just another fling-of-the-week. Even Kai struggles to ignore the physical attraction building between them, while fending off offers of friendship from his ex that threaten to keep him tethered to the painful past he wants to escape. All while, together, they take in a stray kitten who turns out to be an absolute menace.
Can Atticus break past the reputation he’s built for himself and convince Kai that there is something more between them? Can Kai finally come to terms with the fact that his life irrevocably changed a year ago? And will they ever come to an agreement on a name for their new pet?
Six months after their one night stand, Atticus has resigned himself to the friendzone. But when Kai suddenly needs a place to crash for a week, right before the start of the season, Atticus jumps at the opportunity to offer up his spare bedroom. What’s the worst that could happen? They are friends, after all.
But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes for Atticus to hide his feelings, especially when his teammates think Kai is just another fling-of-the-week. Even Kai struggles to ignore the physical attraction building between them, while fending off offers of friendship from his ex that threaten to keep him tethered to the painful past he wants to escape. All while, together, they take in a stray kitten who turns out to be an absolute menace.
Can Atticus break past the reputation he’s built for himself and convince Kai that there is something more between them? Can Kai finally come to terms with the fact that his life irrevocably changed a year ago? And will they ever come to an agreement on a name for their new pet?
343 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2025
44 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 10, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️
He felt so broken. Like something within him had shattered a year prior, and the pieces had fallen in a way that wedged the hole inside of him wide open. A gaping wound that refused to close.
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Friends to lovers
✨Slow-burn
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Emotional
✨Anxiety rep
✨Forced proximity
✨Volleybal player x his streamer crush
✨Cockblocking kitten
✨Banter
✨Supportive friend group
🔞
✨No strict Top/Bottom
✨"Good boy"
✨Discovering their dominant/submissive sides
✨One night stand that turns into more
✨Hair pulling
✨Hickey, marking
✨Sexting/Phone sex
My review:
Because in the end, when it all had come to a crashing halt, it had become glaringly clear that Kai’s feelings had been so much more. That what he’d felt had pulsed deeper in his veins, had sung louder with every beat of his heart. And Nicholas had taken it all away. Had ripped the rug out from under the entire life Kai had seen spread out before them.
Double Hit completely caught me off guard in the best way. I went in expecting something cute and spicy and ended up with a story that hit much deeper than I anticipated. This book balances romance, heat, and character growth so well that it never feels like one element is stealing space from the others.
“Because you’re a menace and you probably need to be muzzled.”
He thought for a moment. “I wonder if Kai would be into that?”
“Jesus christ,”
Kai and Atticus are both carrying baggage, just in very different ways. Kai is closed off, guarded, and clearly still haunted by the fallout of a past relationship that left lasting scars. He does not believe in love anymore, and that loneliness seeps into every part of his life. Watching him slowly confront those fears felt raw and painfully relatable. His journey is not about being magically fixed by love, but about relearning how to trust himself and use his voice again.
“He’s just not as loud about things as you are,” Ori continued. Atticus scoffed. “But you’re wrong thinking that means you feel more than he does. Just because his feelings are quiet doesn’t mean they’re not just as big.”
Atticus, on the other hand, is all heart. Beneath his reputation as a volleyball star and former playboy is someone deeply earnest and emotionally generous. He has been in love with Kai for a long time, and what stood out most was his patience. He never pushes, never demands answers, and never treats Kai’s hesitations as something to overcome quickly. Instead, Atticus also has his own growth to do, learning when to wait and when to stand up for himself. Their relationship works because both of them change, not just one.
He might need to pass his friend-zone crown along to his sister, if he could work out the mess he’d made with Kai.
Even though much of the romance unfolds over a short period of time, I never questioned the depth of their connection. The feelings feel established, lived in, and earned, especially considering their past and the way they naturally fall into being safe places for each other. The friends to lovers progression is handled with so much care that it never feels rushed.
I also loved the contrast in their personalities. Kai’s sharp humor paired with Atticus’s golden retriever energy made their interactions genuinely fun to read. There is a lot of warmth and humor here, but it is grounded by emotional honesty. The spice is present, but it never overshadows the story. It fits who they are and where they are emotionally.
It seemed as though, maybe, it had only taken one night for him to begin to fall in love.
What really stayed with me is how human this book feels. It captures the lingering impact of betrayal, the fear of opening up again, and the quiet bravery it takes to let someone see you when you are still hurting. If you have ever felt stuck after a breakup or unsure how to move forward, this story will resonate.
Double Hit is tender, emotional, and deeply satisfying. It is about love, yes, but also about healing, patience, and becoming better versions of yourself together. By the end, I was completely invested in these two idiots and their happiness, and that is the highest praise I can give.
🌶️
He felt so broken. Like something within him had shattered a year prior, and the pieces had fallen in a way that wedged the hole inside of him wide open. A gaping wound that refused to close.
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Friends to lovers
✨Slow-burn
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Emotional
✨Anxiety rep
✨Forced proximity
✨Volleybal player x his streamer crush
✨Cockblocking kitten
✨Banter
✨Supportive friend group
🔞
✨No strict Top/Bottom
✨"Good boy"
✨Discovering their dominant/submissive sides
✨One night stand that turns into more
✨Hair pulling
✨Hickey, marking
✨Sexting/Phone sex
My review:
Because in the end, when it all had come to a crashing halt, it had become glaringly clear that Kai’s feelings had been so much more. That what he’d felt had pulsed deeper in his veins, had sung louder with every beat of his heart. And Nicholas had taken it all away. Had ripped the rug out from under the entire life Kai had seen spread out before them.
Double Hit completely caught me off guard in the best way. I went in expecting something cute and spicy and ended up with a story that hit much deeper than I anticipated. This book balances romance, heat, and character growth so well that it never feels like one element is stealing space from the others.
“Because you’re a menace and you probably need to be muzzled.”
He thought for a moment. “I wonder if Kai would be into that?”
“Jesus christ,”
Kai and Atticus are both carrying baggage, just in very different ways. Kai is closed off, guarded, and clearly still haunted by the fallout of a past relationship that left lasting scars. He does not believe in love anymore, and that loneliness seeps into every part of his life. Watching him slowly confront those fears felt raw and painfully relatable. His journey is not about being magically fixed by love, but about relearning how to trust himself and use his voice again.
“He’s just not as loud about things as you are,” Ori continued. Atticus scoffed. “But you’re wrong thinking that means you feel more than he does. Just because his feelings are quiet doesn’t mean they’re not just as big.”
Atticus, on the other hand, is all heart. Beneath his reputation as a volleyball star and former playboy is someone deeply earnest and emotionally generous. He has been in love with Kai for a long time, and what stood out most was his patience. He never pushes, never demands answers, and never treats Kai’s hesitations as something to overcome quickly. Instead, Atticus also has his own growth to do, learning when to wait and when to stand up for himself. Their relationship works because both of them change, not just one.
He might need to pass his friend-zone crown along to his sister, if he could work out the mess he’d made with Kai.
Even though much of the romance unfolds over a short period of time, I never questioned the depth of their connection. The feelings feel established, lived in, and earned, especially considering their past and the way they naturally fall into being safe places for each other. The friends to lovers progression is handled with so much care that it never feels rushed.
I also loved the contrast in their personalities. Kai’s sharp humor paired with Atticus’s golden retriever energy made their interactions genuinely fun to read. There is a lot of warmth and humor here, but it is grounded by emotional honesty. The spice is present, but it never overshadows the story. It fits who they are and where they are emotionally.
It seemed as though, maybe, it had only taken one night for him to begin to fall in love.
What really stayed with me is how human this book feels. It captures the lingering impact of betrayal, the fear of opening up again, and the quiet bravery it takes to let someone see you when you are still hurting. If you have ever felt stuck after a breakup or unsure how to move forward, this story will resonate.
Double Hit is tender, emotional, and deeply satisfying. It is about love, yes, but also about healing, patience, and becoming better versions of yourself together. By the end, I was completely invested in these two idiots and their happiness, and that is the highest praise I can give.
June 23, 2025
A volleyball sports romcom that serves the spice and spikes the heavy themes and rep.
Book Stats:
📖: 345 pages
Genre: Sports rom com
Publisher: Indie
Format: Author distributed eARC
Series: 1/? The Chicago Cats Series
Themes:
🐈 : Embracing Love
🐈 : Letting go of the past
Representation:
🏐 : Bi/Queer main characters.
🏐: Anxiety Rep
🏐: Migraine Rep
Tropes:
💗: Golden Retriever/Black Cat main characters
💗: Animal Companion
🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
A year after their one night stand, Atticus and Kai are in completely different spots in their lives. Atticus is trying hard to change peoples perception of him as a Playboy while Kai is trying to get over his disastrous last relationship. When Kai is forced to move into Atticus's apartment they realize they might have more than just simple feelings for each other. But will their current personal struggles interrupt the love that could possibly blossom between them?
General Thoughts:
This is the author's debut romance and it did not read like a debut at all. I enjoyed this novel so much that I could not put it down. I read this in like a day and a half.
I really fell in love with the characters and I was really endeared towards their personal struggles. Atticus was definitely my favorite because I felt he was so open, honest and just willing to accept as he was. Atticus was totally willing to give Kai all the space and time he needed in order to come to terms with feelings. And I really loved that there was no need to "fix Kai" with his mental health struggles.
I felt like the sub plots of Kai's past relationship as well as the friendships between the members of the volleyball. Team were really fun inclusions to the story. It felt very organic and normal and not at all forced. I would love to learn more about the different characters and I'm assuming the interconnected standalone will do that for me so I'm really looking forward to that.
The spice is spicy. The sex scenes in this novel were really well done and felt very realistic. I felt like they were written with a sensitive hand and have clearly been gone over with a sensitivity reader. Some of the best scenes of MM romance I've read.
I cannot wait for more interconnected standalone's within the same world. I'm interested to learn more about the other characters in their relationships and looking forward to seeing a little glimpse of my two favorite guys in the process.
Disclaimer: I read this book via author distributed eARC from Tor Nightfire. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Book Stats:
📖: 345 pages
Genre: Sports rom com
Publisher: Indie
Format: Author distributed eARC
Series: 1/? The Chicago Cats Series
Themes:
🐈 : Embracing Love
🐈 : Letting go of the past
Representation:
🏐 : Bi/Queer main characters.
🏐: Anxiety Rep
🏐: Migraine Rep
Tropes:
💗: Golden Retriever/Black Cat main characters
💗: Animal Companion
🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
A year after their one night stand, Atticus and Kai are in completely different spots in their lives. Atticus is trying hard to change peoples perception of him as a Playboy while Kai is trying to get over his disastrous last relationship. When Kai is forced to move into Atticus's apartment they realize they might have more than just simple feelings for each other. But will their current personal struggles interrupt the love that could possibly blossom between them?
General Thoughts:
This is the author's debut romance and it did not read like a debut at all. I enjoyed this novel so much that I could not put it down. I read this in like a day and a half.
I really fell in love with the characters and I was really endeared towards their personal struggles. Atticus was definitely my favorite because I felt he was so open, honest and just willing to accept as he was. Atticus was totally willing to give Kai all the space and time he needed in order to come to terms with feelings. And I really loved that there was no need to "fix Kai" with his mental health struggles.
I felt like the sub plots of Kai's past relationship as well as the friendships between the members of the volleyball. Team were really fun inclusions to the story. It felt very organic and normal and not at all forced. I would love to learn more about the different characters and I'm assuming the interconnected standalone will do that for me so I'm really looking forward to that.
The spice is spicy. The sex scenes in this novel were really well done and felt very realistic. I felt like they were written with a sensitive hand and have clearly been gone over with a sensitivity reader. Some of the best scenes of MM romance I've read.
I cannot wait for more interconnected standalone's within the same world. I'm interested to learn more about the other characters in their relationships and looking forward to seeing a little glimpse of my two favorite guys in the process.
Disclaimer: I read this book via author distributed eARC from Tor Nightfire. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
July 19, 2025
This is a Haikyu fanfiction.
The author made us pay for a fanfic and that's not okay for legal and ethical reasons.
I will try to be as kind as possible, but I am genuinely angry about this book.
I won't criticise the story too much. It's not badly written, and the author is talented. However, I spent the entire book hating how cruel and hurtful everything and everyone was. For a story that seemed to be marketed as 'fluffy', it was a hundred pages too long, focusing far too much on painful stuff.
But that's a matter of personal taste. That's not the real problem I have with this "book".
This is a Haikyu fanfiction and it's doing the bare minimum to hide it.
I knew as soon as I saw the cover, and reading the blurb only confirmed my suspicion.
I wouldn't have minded if the author had repurposed an old story, truly modified it to make it original and then published it. It happens all the time. It's perfectly fine.
But that's not what happened here.
The author took the story, changed the names of the characters and locations and... Yep. That's it.
Everything is unmistakably "Haikyu". It is clear from the setting, the description of the characters, their personalities, their stories, their backstories and even their speech patterns.
Hell! Bokuto - Bowen in the story - literally drops the iconic "Oya Oya" - "Ohoho" in english. That's not even trying!
It's lazy of the author to put so little effort into publishing an actual book. It's also disrespectful and dishonest not to disclose to the reader, the customer, what they are paying for. Finally, it's illegal to make money using someone else's intellectual property.
I'm convinced that the manga's author could win a plagiarism case if they decided to sue.
I understand that the author is proud of their work. I understand that they spent a lot of time and energy writing it. I also understand that they may want to broaden their readership and capitalise on their hard work and passion.
However, it's not okay to do it like this.
Even the writing suffers as a result. Fanfiction assumes that the reader is already familiar with the characters. The book's lack of editing is evident in its exposition. From the first pages, you're bombarded with characters that are not introduced. Some are never described. If you don't recognise them from the original work, you'll never receive any explanation about them. This weakness continues throughout the entire book, where quite a few things are barely touched on or never explained.
Overall, it's disappointing that the author isn't making better use of their talent. They absolutely have the potential. However, I'm sad to see that it's going to be a series and that they are just going to double down without acknowledging the issue.
I'm genuinely sorry if this review hurt the author's feelings, but it really needed to be said. It's important for both them and their future as a writer, as well as for future readers who deserve to be informed.
For full disclosure, I DNF it at around 80% because picturing anime characters in my head and playing "Who's who" the entire time was making my blood boil.
The author made us pay for a fanfic and that's not okay for legal and ethical reasons.
I will try to be as kind as possible, but I am genuinely angry about this book.
I won't criticise the story too much. It's not badly written, and the author is talented. However, I spent the entire book hating how cruel and hurtful everything and everyone was. For a story that seemed to be marketed as 'fluffy', it was a hundred pages too long, focusing far too much on painful stuff.
But that's a matter of personal taste. That's not the real problem I have with this "book".
This is a Haikyu fanfiction and it's doing the bare minimum to hide it.
I knew as soon as I saw the cover, and reading the blurb only confirmed my suspicion.
I wouldn't have minded if the author had repurposed an old story, truly modified it to make it original and then published it. It happens all the time. It's perfectly fine.
But that's not what happened here.
The author took the story, changed the names of the characters and locations and... Yep. That's it.
Everything is unmistakably "Haikyu". It is clear from the setting, the description of the characters, their personalities, their stories, their backstories and even their speech patterns.
Hell! Bokuto - Bowen in the story - literally drops the iconic "Oya Oya" - "Ohoho" in english. That's not even trying!
It's lazy of the author to put so little effort into publishing an actual book. It's also disrespectful and dishonest not to disclose to the reader, the customer, what they are paying for. Finally, it's illegal to make money using someone else's intellectual property.
I'm convinced that the manga's author could win a plagiarism case if they decided to sue.
I understand that the author is proud of their work. I understand that they spent a lot of time and energy writing it. I also understand that they may want to broaden their readership and capitalise on their hard work and passion.
However, it's not okay to do it like this.
Even the writing suffers as a result. Fanfiction assumes that the reader is already familiar with the characters. The book's lack of editing is evident in its exposition. From the first pages, you're bombarded with characters that are not introduced. Some are never described. If you don't recognise them from the original work, you'll never receive any explanation about them. This weakness continues throughout the entire book, where quite a few things are barely touched on or never explained.
Overall, it's disappointing that the author isn't making better use of their talent. They absolutely have the potential. However, I'm sad to see that it's going to be a series and that they are just going to double down without acknowledging the issue.
I'm genuinely sorry if this review hurt the author's feelings, but it really needed to be said. It's important for both them and their future as a writer, as well as for future readers who deserve to be informed.
For full disclosure, I DNF it at around 80% because picturing anime characters in my head and playing "Who's who" the entire time was making my blood boil.
June 1, 2025
A slow burn that will make your heart (and other things 🤭) ache for relief.
🌶🌶🌶
Stop drop and Preorder Double Hit right now! How is this a debut novel?!?! I am obsessed with Kai and Atticus. OBSESSED.
Kai is a tortured soul and who has a lot of growing to do over the course of this novel. Atticus, while head over heels for Kai, must learn both how to stand up for himself and how to be patient with love.
Both Kai and Atticus are dynamic characters that, by the end of the book, are better versions of themselves. It takes a talented writer to give equal amounts of spice, plot, and character development and Katie Steele delivered it all, y'all! No crumbs were left--I'm too old to say this. Even typing that didn't feel right, but I don't know how else to express how much this book hit my SOUL. If you've ever felt betrayed by a friend, a lover, or forgot how to use your voice, you'll love Double Hit. 💜
🏐 MM romance with bisexual rep
🎮 anxiety rep
🏐 migraine rep
🎮 forced proximity
🏐 second-chance romance
🎮 online friends to one night stand to friends to roommates to lovers
🏐 dual timeline
🎮 dual POV
🏐 betrayal (not mc's)
🎮 hilarious side characters
🏐 a mischievous c0(k-blocking kitten
🎮 control play with hair pulling!! 🫠
🏐 "good boy"
Themes:
💜 Journey through healing, forgiveness, and gaining closure.
💜 Learning to trust yourself and your heart.
💜 Discovering your self worth.
I can't wait to read more of these characters in future books in this series. Katie, congratulations on your debut novel! It was HOT and everything I wanted in a MM contemporary romance. 💜 Thank you for allowing me to read an e-galley of Double Hit....but I need more of them. Now. I mean, Pleaseandthankyou. 🫶
🌶🌶🌶
Stop drop and Preorder Double Hit right now! How is this a debut novel?!?! I am obsessed with Kai and Atticus. OBSESSED.
Kai is a tortured soul and who has a lot of growing to do over the course of this novel. Atticus, while head over heels for Kai, must learn both how to stand up for himself and how to be patient with love.
Both Kai and Atticus are dynamic characters that, by the end of the book, are better versions of themselves. It takes a talented writer to give equal amounts of spice, plot, and character development and Katie Steele delivered it all, y'all! No crumbs were left--I'm too old to say this. Even typing that didn't feel right, but I don't know how else to express how much this book hit my SOUL. If you've ever felt betrayed by a friend, a lover, or forgot how to use your voice, you'll love Double Hit. 💜
🏐 MM romance with bisexual rep
🎮 anxiety rep
🏐 migraine rep
🎮 forced proximity
🏐 second-chance romance
🎮 online friends to one night stand to friends to roommates to lovers
🏐 dual timeline
🎮 dual POV
🏐 betrayal (not mc's)
🎮 hilarious side characters
🏐 a mischievous c0(k-blocking kitten
🎮 control play with hair pulling!! 🫠
🏐 "good boy"
Themes:
💜 Journey through healing, forgiveness, and gaining closure.
💜 Learning to trust yourself and your heart.
💜 Discovering your self worth.
I can't wait to read more of these characters in future books in this series. Katie, congratulations on your debut novel! It was HOT and everything I wanted in a MM contemporary romance. 💜 Thank you for allowing me to read an e-galley of Double Hit....but I need more of them. Now. I mean, Pleaseandthankyou. 🫶
September 5, 2025
My sweet baby angel boys. So emotional and so much pining, but the sweetest boys. Their journeys are beautiful. PERFECTION
June 2, 2025
“Atticus had loved him from the beginning, and Kai had always been too damaged to love him back.”
Volley ball star and notorious playboy Atticus Mills had always had a bit of a crush on video game streamer, Kai Reid. When a mutual friend sets them up on a date Atticus thinks he may finally have a chance. But Kai is plagued by ghosts from his past relationship and is unsure if he can ever move on.
First of all, this was adorable. These characters were so incredibly lovable. Atticus with his giant himbo heart and Kai with his quick wit. I flew through this book in a day. It was just the type of romance novel that I’d been itching for! I did NOT expect to get all in my feelings while reading but I saw so much of myself in Kai 😭 I will forever love these two idiots.
Volley ball star and notorious playboy Atticus Mills had always had a bit of a crush on video game streamer, Kai Reid. When a mutual friend sets them up on a date Atticus thinks he may finally have a chance. But Kai is plagued by ghosts from his past relationship and is unsure if he can ever move on.
First of all, this was adorable. These characters were so incredibly lovable. Atticus with his giant himbo heart and Kai with his quick wit. I flew through this book in a day. It was just the type of romance novel that I’d been itching for! I did NOT expect to get all in my feelings while reading but I saw so much of myself in Kai 😭 I will forever love these two idiots.
May 14, 2025
Omg where do I even start, this book was fantastic! This is a MM friends to lovers, volleyball player / gamer romance! The writing flows so well, it's very easy to read and it has amazing side characters (who I'm hoping we get books about 👀). Katie so realistically describes the post breakup feelings and the effects it has on not only yourself, but the friendships you develop. The development of Kai and Atticus' relationship was beautiful to read, this will definitely tug on your heart strings. For this being Katie's first published book it far exceeded any expectations I had! Thanks for the ARC Katie it was beautiful, one of my top reads of the year!
July 10, 2025
First of all, full kudos to the author for having the guts to take what I'm assuming was a pre-written fic and turn it into a novel, and still make the characters different without being "too" different. If I hadn't watched a certain volleyball anime, I would've had no idea about any of this, lol. As it was, I was like "this sounds like ... hang on, isn't that ... that's gotta be..." 😂😂
The only thing keeping it from a 5 star review was the length - there was a LOT of internal monologuing and angsting which probably didn't need to be there. I love a bit of will-they-won't-they, but a lot of what was happening in Kai's head in particular was repetitive to the point of OH MY GOD JUST DO IT ALREADY.
Anyway, hooray for climbing out of my reading funk, and I'm very much looking forward to the next instalment in the series, hopefully involving Oi-- er, Julian and H-- I mean, Ori. 😇
The only thing keeping it from a 5 star review was the length - there was a LOT of internal monologuing and angsting which probably didn't need to be there. I love a bit of will-they-won't-they, but a lot of what was happening in Kai's head in particular was repetitive to the point of OH MY GOD JUST DO IT ALREADY.
Anyway, hooray for climbing out of my reading funk, and I'm very much looking forward to the next instalment in the series, hopefully involving Oi-- er, Julian and H-- I mean, Ori. 😇
July 23, 2025
Off the bat, I felt like I was reading a Haikyu Fanfic (which, I'm obsessed with) The characters are well written, well developed, and the way we get to see both the current unfolding story as well as Kai's past with Nicky is done so well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2025
DNF at 74%.
Spoilers:
Man this book pissed me off. I just could NOT get over Nicholas and Theo. Especially after Theo berated Kai the way he did. Then tbh, Kai’s other friend Orion…. Knowing Nicholas was going to leave Kai and move to STL? And he was just casually talking about it at a damn party? Keeping it all from Kai? Ick. The last straw was Atticus saying that foul stuff to Kai because he was disappointed that Kai was leaving. Red flag behavior. Not cute. Does Kai even have any real true friends? These people are terrible.
Spoilers:
Man this book pissed me off. I just could NOT get over Nicholas and Theo. Especially after Theo berated Kai the way he did. Then tbh, Kai’s other friend Orion…. Knowing Nicholas was going to leave Kai and move to STL? And he was just casually talking about it at a damn party? Keeping it all from Kai? Ick. The last straw was Atticus saying that foul stuff to Kai because he was disappointed that Kai was leaving. Red flag behavior. Not cute. Does Kai even have any real true friends? These people are terrible.
July 6, 2025
A volleyball sports romance? I’m in. I love smaller sport romances(I read a lot of hockey romance and they’re great but I wish other sports were more popular). It gives the reader a chance to encounter a different group of people. I did preorder this then got an ARC from the author and it was wortttthh it. Atticus and Kai was kind of a spicy beginning, slow to romance kind of vibe and I dig it. Both are dealing with a lot of anxiety surrounding relationships in the form of Kai’s ex needing closure and Atticus’s PR image of being a fuck boy. In the end they get there and it was super heart warming. The sex scenes were well written and I can’t wait to get more characters stories in this universe (Ori and Julian 👀?)
May 11, 2025
Give it up for Katie Steele’s debut novel. If you like MM romance, volleyball romance, adopted kittens, traumatic breakups/healing, and he falls first and hard, then be sure to add this to your TBR today!
Kai had his heart broken by the one man that should have been there for him, his childhood best friend turned lover….who left him and then got with a mutual friend. Absolutely disgusting Nik, ugh. Kai is moving through life a broken shell, he has timid moments, won’t grieve his past or get closure, and is pushing away the one man that has been there as a friend since that one night when they said they were only meant to be friends. At least that is what Kai thinks Atticus is okay with being.
Atticus is a professional volleyball player, reformed playboy, openly bisexual, a twin, and madly in love with the cute game streamer that stole his heart. Can Attie survive the week of letting Kai stay in his house when Kai’s bathroom is being remodeled, or will the boundaries get blurred, and Kai find the healing he needs to fire his heart for love?
I loved Attie’s character, it was very clear he was going to be that sunshine, super adorable guy, that you can take a look at and know he is deeply in love! Kai, I really didn’t like the way he pushed Attie away for so long when closure was in his grasp, I get it he needed to heal and process his trauma but, it wasn’t fair to treat Attie that way. Honestly my favorite characters were the side characters: Ori and Julian, they definitely have a story to tell! I did receive this as an arc copy and couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen, thank you Katie!
I can’t wait to see what kind of amazing career Katie Steele has ahead of her! I will definitely be reading more books by this author!
Kai had his heart broken by the one man that should have been there for him, his childhood best friend turned lover….who left him and then got with a mutual friend. Absolutely disgusting Nik, ugh. Kai is moving through life a broken shell, he has timid moments, won’t grieve his past or get closure, and is pushing away the one man that has been there as a friend since that one night when they said they were only meant to be friends. At least that is what Kai thinks Atticus is okay with being.
Atticus is a professional volleyball player, reformed playboy, openly bisexual, a twin, and madly in love with the cute game streamer that stole his heart. Can Attie survive the week of letting Kai stay in his house when Kai’s bathroom is being remodeled, or will the boundaries get blurred, and Kai find the healing he needs to fire his heart for love?
I loved Attie’s character, it was very clear he was going to be that sunshine, super adorable guy, that you can take a look at and know he is deeply in love! Kai, I really didn’t like the way he pushed Attie away for so long when closure was in his grasp, I get it he needed to heal and process his trauma but, it wasn’t fair to treat Attie that way. Honestly my favorite characters were the side characters: Ori and Julian, they definitely have a story to tell! I did receive this as an arc copy and couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen, thank you Katie!
I can’t wait to see what kind of amazing career Katie Steele has ahead of her! I will definitely be reading more books by this author!
December 29, 2025
I love them.
I didn't know how much I needed sunshine bi Atticus and anxious queer bean Kai in my life until I read this. OMG and Trigun reference? My favorite anime!? Absolutely.
Atticus is an ex serial dater turned expert piner. He's willing to go Kai's pace just so he can still be around him. Which props to you, dawg. Idk if I could have had that level of patience. But Kai went through a bad breakup, and I get the need to want to be there and support your friend first.
Julian and Ori are top tier best friends. The two of them are so funny and such goals. Would love a book focused on the two of them. Even if it'll make me sad when CLEARLY THE TWO OF THEM ARE IN LOVE so you gotta have some sort of conflict, I guess.
Thanks so much Katie for the ARC! Can't wait for book 2!
edit: I did in fact already reread this. I needed quotes for content and I'm terrible at annotating as I read. Sue me!
I didn't know how much I needed sunshine bi Atticus and anxious queer bean Kai in my life until I read this. OMG and Trigun reference? My favorite anime!? Absolutely.
Atticus is an ex serial dater turned expert piner. He's willing to go Kai's pace just so he can still be around him. Which props to you, dawg. Idk if I could have had that level of patience. But Kai went through a bad breakup, and I get the need to want to be there and support your friend first.
Julian and Ori are top tier best friends. The two of them are so funny and such goals. Would love a book focused on the two of them. Even if it'll make me sad when CLEARLY THE TWO OF THEM ARE IN LOVE so you gotta have some sort of conflict, I guess.
Thanks so much Katie for the ARC! Can't wait for book 2!
edit: I did in fact already reread this. I needed quotes for content and I'm terrible at annotating as I read. Sue me!
June 6, 2025
what an amazing debut novel!!
i went into this book with the promise of a surprise kitten encounter, and i came out with such love for our two main male characters and for the love they have towards each other. i feel like i read this book at exactly the right time; what kai’s character is going through in the story mirrors my life in a lot of ways, and it actually felt a bit healing to see how his ending turned out. i just absolutely adored the way atticus pined so HARD for kai, and the way they talked about how they felt about each other had me grinning like a weirdo and kicking my feet. and the SPICE was SPICY omg, i just loved it all so much. i’m very excited to learn that this is a series, and i will be picking the next one when it comes out!!
thank you so so much to katie for allowing me an early copy!!
i went into this book with the promise of a surprise kitten encounter, and i came out with such love for our two main male characters and for the love they have towards each other. i feel like i read this book at exactly the right time; what kai’s character is going through in the story mirrors my life in a lot of ways, and it actually felt a bit healing to see how his ending turned out. i just absolutely adored the way atticus pined so HARD for kai, and the way they talked about how they felt about each other had me grinning like a weirdo and kicking my feet. and the SPICE was SPICY omg, i just loved it all so much. i’m very excited to learn that this is a series, and i will be picking the next one when it comes out!!
thank you so so much to katie for allowing me an early copy!!
June 3, 2025
This was the first book I finished in 24 hours in awhile- so shout out to Katie for an amazing debut! I love a good sports romance, especially when the characters are working on themselves in more ways than one. I thought Atticus and Kai’s dynamic was not only sweet but thoughtful and considerate. I’m a huge Haikyuu fan, and although that’s what roped me in what solidified this as a 5 star was the way that it didn’t feel predictable. I know what I wanted to happen (and yeah, I got it) but to be honest the way the character dynamic was written, the outcome could of been different, and I still would of love it. I can’t wait to see more of the side characters in book 2!
July 2, 2025
This book was INCREDIBLE. I thought the pacing was smooth and flowed effortlessly. Double Hit is incredibly engaging and an easy read! I had a hard time putting the book down to go back to real life. A lot of people found themselves in Kai, but me? Attie is where it’s at! Atticus is an incredibly relatable and real character. I found myself in his shoes perfectly. This is a book I can see myself reading again and again! Maybe I’ll start another read now!
Looking forward to more!
Looking forward to more!
June 22, 2025
ARC REVIEW
This was so cute and I love Atticus ❤️ I thought this was a sweet MM romance. I did feel like some aspects felt forced and awkward, and I did feel some parts were a little dragged out.
BUT overall, I liked it and it was a quick read 💜
This was so cute and I love Atticus ❤️ I thought this was a sweet MM romance. I did feel like some aspects felt forced and awkward, and I did feel some parts were a little dragged out.
BUT overall, I liked it and it was a quick read 💜
May 13, 2025
Absolutely obsessed with! I NEED more!
July 8, 2025
What a wonderful debut! Such a sweet story, full of feels, and so well written. Definitely will be eagerly awaiting the next one!
August 26, 2025
Well that was one chaos disaster train wreck of a provoking read. Note—this is NOT a romcom. It has cute fluffy moments, but, overall, no. Just no. Stopit.
I’m giving it three stars because the writing kept me turning pages just to see what I’d be infuriated or fascinated by next, although, I was in a rage quite a lot, and not for my usual reason. There are so many lovely heartwarming parts too, enough that, yes, I do rec the read overall.
It does have a lot of oddities though.
First, there’s an odd lack of grounding for the characters. They’re in a nebulous stage of life. I *think* they’re intended to be adult professionals, but, they read like younger college students who don’t yet have goals and a direction in life. The goal of each MC here is, Atticus: get Kai to fall for me; and Kai: wallow in bitterness and don’t get attached to anyone. There are no “I need to win this championship and move forward in my career” or “I need to reach X streaming goal and get/keep sponsors” type goals or obstacles, no money issues, no regular-life concerns. Apart from Atticus’s sister, no family is mentioned. Everyone also seems able to be where Atticus and Kai live (Chicago), no problem. Two characters who move to St. Louis and one from Los Angeles are just...there whenever, as if those places are just a town away from Chicago. Huh? It’s also unclear where many people are from or how/where they met and how long they’ve known each other. The book opens with a “10 years ago” flashback in which MC Kai is thinking he and (now-ex) Nicholas are “boys” but...were they in middle school? High school? College?
I needed more specifics to ground their world. I don't even know what game/s Kai streams, or what Attie's training schedule is like. There's one pro game, but...a lot about their careers and lives outside the romance was glossed over or missing entirely.
The romance features pro volleyball player (yes, that is a thing!) sunshine golden-retriever Atticus, who’s known for his rep as a goodtime-guy hookup artist, until he meets...pro-gamer/online streamer Kai, a grumpy black cat who is still hung up on his ex-boyfriend, Nicholas, and making no effort to get over it. Attie falls for Kai hard and fast, gives up his hookup ways (and gets a hard time about it, which was a strong minor element of the narrative) and is patient, holding out hope Kai will eventually See him and give them a chance. After getting to know each other online and becoming friends who then share one hookup, they still remain friends, but when the main story opens, Kai has remained warily friendly after the hookup, but holding Attie at arm’s length for six months, as far as anything more happening. He’s just not ready to try with a new guy. Fair enough! But.
The story is, in large part, a depiction of the aftermath of Kai’s sad but typical first-love breakup, and unfortunately the present-day romance with Attie gets the short-shrift. The situation is an honest look at what happens when one partner loves the other romantically but the other falls out of love much sooner and realizes he loves the other only as a dear friend and possibly should not have gotten romantic. There was no cheating, nothing underhanded, it’s just a straight up “one loves the other more/desperately, and the other finally (after much too long, tbh) nopes out” situation that was realistic, but that also got tough to slog through as the frame for the present-day romance.
There are frequent flashbacks, and all but one focus solely on the old relationship and how it devolved. That’s how much importance is given to it. I did not enjoy them; they kept stopping the present-day story momentum to focus on Kai and Nicholas’s old relationship. It got tedious and took away from poor Atticus and the present; I didn’t need the flashbacks to understand Kai’s pain and how the dynamic with Nicholas came to be. Their no-fault breakup inserts itself everywhere. Which again, is fascinating and well-drawn, but also irritating AF, because my goodness does sunny lovely Atticus get overshadowed by yesterday’s news. The story focuses SO much on Kai’s old relationship breakdown.
The present-day story starts a bit more than one year post breakup for Kai and six months post Kai and Attie’s hookup, and Kai is still in a deep dark rut of pain, one he does not want to get out of. And you can’t help someone who does not want help, adding to my frustration but also to the authenticity of the situation. Although he has absolutely no illusions they’ll ever be together again (thank goodness!) Kai does not want to get over Nicholas. He’s locked in a place of wallowing and self-protective wall building. Which, fair enough, but really didn’t have me rooting for him and Attie. I was rooting for Kai to find his way out of his depression though. Kai is a layered character, and I liked him personally, and wanted to defend him from the ex situation.
When Kai’s apartment gets flooded, he accepts Attie’s invite to live with him while it’s repaired, putting them in a nice close-proximity trope to have their relationship develop in their own little bubble.
Nicholas, the ex who, a bit more than a year ago after ~10 years of best friendship and being in a romantic relationship (not sure exactly how long it was sexual/romantic?), finally admitted he didn’t love Kai the same way Kai loved him and broke up with him and moved away, and then a few months later admitted he was in love with one of their friends/started up a relationship with that friend (the friend is also a pro volleyball player who now plays for St. Louis). Now, Nicholas is pushing and pushing and PUSHING for Kai to talk to him, make up with him, be his friend again, despite Kai saying No leave me alone I still want space, and it. Was. RELENTLESS and inappropriate and shitty. The new boyfriend, Theo (who was a friend of them both when they were a couple...ewwwww), even calls Kai and yells at him—YELLS at him!—that he has to talk to Nicholas and is being a terrible person for not talking to Nicholas—essentially gaslights Kai and tries to make Kai think he’s shitty for drawing clear boundaries and being up front with Nicholas that No, he does not want to talk/make up/be friends. He’s hurt and he’s working through it and leave him alone AS HE ASKED.
But no. No, these two jerks keep pushing because oh, pooooor Nicholas misses his old friendship with Kai SO MUCH and Kai OWES him a conversation. WTAF?!
It was gross. So gross that, on another front, I didn’t even care much about Attie being former fuck buddies with the fourth person in the Kai/Nicholas/Theo/Ori (yes, it’s Ori) friend group and having Ori wind up being the magical matchmaker who eventually has a hand in getting Attie and Kai together in the end. That former-fuck-buddy situation did bug me—incestuous friend groups are just not for me, and this is a major one, because Ori is now Kai’s closest friend and confidant as well as Attie’s good friend, former teammate and fuck buddy, and now confidant—but the old relationship overshadowed even my distaste for that whole situation.
And then, Attie and Kai's own meltdown bleak moment went to a place I could not like, both of them being cruel to the point of Why Am I Even Here. Though both did apologize, it was a sour note of just how low each went. Not a great look.
However, the characters were mostly authentic and fun enough as individuals that I wanted to read about them and the other parts of their strong friendship anyway, through my crawling skin and all. I really liked both Attie and Kai. And Ori separately, and his Whatever is going on with Ori’s good friend and teammate-to-be Julian, also delightful as a character. (How Julian knows any/all of them remains a mystery though...yet another of those nebulous deets...)
ANYWAY. The good parts are Kai and Attie’s developing friendship. Attie was a goner before he even met Kai, because he admired the pro-gamer online before he ever met Kai in person, and when he did meet him, he was lights out, gaga, gone over Kai. Attie’s admiration of and enjoyment in Kai and acceptance of all Kai’s self was lovely to read about, even when Kai wasn’t yet able to appreciate Attie fully—Attie’s unconditional acceptance was a terrific (if possibly unhealthy for Attie?!) foundation for a real lasting love and future for them. I was into that.
The kitten that comes into their lives is another highlight, and the time they spend getting to really know each other, even through Kai’s pain, was well-written and credible and poignant. I was rooting for them more in the end, but, MAN did the chronic flashbacks and angst about the old relationship overshadow the beauty of the newly developing romance.
That was probably the point, but...oof. It was a lot to take, and the messaging around Kai having to talk to Nicholas was crappy to the point of feeling like *I* was being gaslit about it. Note, people, if you aren’t in a place where you want to talk to an ex and rebuild any kind of relationship, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT. YOU OWE THEM NOTHING. THIS DOES NOT REFLECT BADLY ON YOU.
I said what I said.
The way Kai does get resolution with Nicholas felt both inevitable and cliché, and I struggled with the kinda cheap way it came about. I did appreciated the realistic place their friendship/connection got to; it was not Disney-level fixed. But the indication that they’ll all be buddies in the future...blech. Please no. Sure it’s healthy to be friends with exes, but, the way this situation evolved, the messaging around how to deal with a breakup and an ex who was once a good friend felt heavy-handed and questionable. 👀😤 I still felt gaslit.
Anyway, I had a lot of Feels, and if this book had been more focused on the current romance without so much of the old one, I’d probably have loved it more, because I really did love Attie and Kai together in the end. Shoot, my entire review got hijacked by the old relationship. But there IS a lot to appreciate and sink your teeth into here, so if the premise appeals, give it a shot.
HFN to HEA, including an epilogue months in the future to cement it with what actually was an adorable final image. Grumpy-sunshine, pro-streamer and pro-volleyball player, hookups to more. Hard-fought, angst-filled relationship. One falls both first and so much harder, and I’m not sure that they’ll ever be really balanced, but, maybe that’s okay for them/what each needs. Strong secondary cast of characters. Incestuous friend group. Safe for me in the present though, neither MC is with anyone else in the present timeline. I don’t think Attie was with anyone else ever since he and Kai hooked up 6 months ago. Kai? I’m not sure. He wasn’t in a place to be that into Attie, and, it’s unclear whether he was with anyone else since then. He did have a few hookups before he and Attie first hooked up, but it was unclear whether he saw anyone after.
Woof, sorry, TMI! I got ranty, but, I did truly enjoy many parts here.
I do recommend the read as immersive and having fascinating elements.
I’m giving it three stars because the writing kept me turning pages just to see what I’d be infuriated or fascinated by next, although, I was in a rage quite a lot, and not for my usual reason. There are so many lovely heartwarming parts too, enough that, yes, I do rec the read overall.
It does have a lot of oddities though.
First, there’s an odd lack of grounding for the characters. They’re in a nebulous stage of life. I *think* they’re intended to be adult professionals, but, they read like younger college students who don’t yet have goals and a direction in life. The goal of each MC here is, Atticus: get Kai to fall for me; and Kai: wallow in bitterness and don’t get attached to anyone. There are no “I need to win this championship and move forward in my career” or “I need to reach X streaming goal and get/keep sponsors” type goals or obstacles, no money issues, no regular-life concerns. Apart from Atticus’s sister, no family is mentioned. Everyone also seems able to be where Atticus and Kai live (Chicago), no problem. Two characters who move to St. Louis and one from Los Angeles are just...there whenever, as if those places are just a town away from Chicago. Huh? It’s also unclear where many people are from or how/where they met and how long they’ve known each other. The book opens with a “10 years ago” flashback in which MC Kai is thinking he and (now-ex) Nicholas are “boys” but...were they in middle school? High school? College?
I needed more specifics to ground their world. I don't even know what game/s Kai streams, or what Attie's training schedule is like. There's one pro game, but...a lot about their careers and lives outside the romance was glossed over or missing entirely.
The romance features pro volleyball player (yes, that is a thing!) sunshine golden-retriever Atticus, who’s known for his rep as a goodtime-guy hookup artist, until he meets...pro-gamer/online streamer Kai, a grumpy black cat who is still hung up on his ex-boyfriend, Nicholas, and making no effort to get over it. Attie falls for Kai hard and fast, gives up his hookup ways (and gets a hard time about it, which was a strong minor element of the narrative) and is patient, holding out hope Kai will eventually See him and give them a chance. After getting to know each other online and becoming friends who then share one hookup, they still remain friends, but when the main story opens, Kai has remained warily friendly after the hookup, but holding Attie at arm’s length for six months, as far as anything more happening. He’s just not ready to try with a new guy. Fair enough! But.
The story is, in large part, a depiction of the aftermath of Kai’s sad but typical first-love breakup, and unfortunately the present-day romance with Attie gets the short-shrift. The situation is an honest look at what happens when one partner loves the other romantically but the other falls out of love much sooner and realizes he loves the other only as a dear friend and possibly should not have gotten romantic. There was no cheating, nothing underhanded, it’s just a straight up “one loves the other more/desperately, and the other finally (after much too long, tbh) nopes out” situation that was realistic, but that also got tough to slog through as the frame for the present-day romance.
There are frequent flashbacks, and all but one focus solely on the old relationship and how it devolved. That’s how much importance is given to it. I did not enjoy them; they kept stopping the present-day story momentum to focus on Kai and Nicholas’s old relationship. It got tedious and took away from poor Atticus and the present; I didn’t need the flashbacks to understand Kai’s pain and how the dynamic with Nicholas came to be. Their no-fault breakup inserts itself everywhere. Which again, is fascinating and well-drawn, but also irritating AF, because my goodness does sunny lovely Atticus get overshadowed by yesterday’s news. The story focuses SO much on Kai’s old relationship breakdown.
The present-day story starts a bit more than one year post breakup for Kai and six months post Kai and Attie’s hookup, and Kai is still in a deep dark rut of pain, one he does not want to get out of. And you can’t help someone who does not want help, adding to my frustration but also to the authenticity of the situation. Although he has absolutely no illusions they’ll ever be together again (thank goodness!) Kai does not want to get over Nicholas. He’s locked in a place of wallowing and self-protective wall building. Which, fair enough, but really didn’t have me rooting for him and Attie. I was rooting for Kai to find his way out of his depression though. Kai is a layered character, and I liked him personally, and wanted to defend him from the ex situation.
When Kai’s apartment gets flooded, he accepts Attie’s invite to live with him while it’s repaired, putting them in a nice close-proximity trope to have their relationship develop in their own little bubble.
Nicholas, the ex who, a bit more than a year ago after ~10 years of best friendship and being in a romantic relationship (not sure exactly how long it was sexual/romantic?), finally admitted he didn’t love Kai the same way Kai loved him and broke up with him and moved away, and then a few months later admitted he was in love with one of their friends/started up a relationship with that friend (the friend is also a pro volleyball player who now plays for St. Louis). Now, Nicholas is pushing and pushing and PUSHING for Kai to talk to him, make up with him, be his friend again, despite Kai saying No leave me alone I still want space, and it. Was. RELENTLESS and inappropriate and shitty. The new boyfriend, Theo (who was a friend of them both when they were a couple...ewwwww), even calls Kai and yells at him—YELLS at him!—that he has to talk to Nicholas and is being a terrible person for not talking to Nicholas—essentially gaslights Kai and tries to make Kai think he’s shitty for drawing clear boundaries and being up front with Nicholas that No, he does not want to talk/make up/be friends. He’s hurt and he’s working through it and leave him alone AS HE ASKED.
But no. No, these two jerks keep pushing because oh, pooooor Nicholas misses his old friendship with Kai SO MUCH and Kai OWES him a conversation. WTAF?!
It was gross. So gross that, on another front, I didn’t even care much about Attie being former fuck buddies with the fourth person in the Kai/Nicholas/Theo/Ori (yes, it’s Ori) friend group and having Ori wind up being the magical matchmaker who eventually has a hand in getting Attie and Kai together in the end. That former-fuck-buddy situation did bug me—incestuous friend groups are just not for me, and this is a major one, because Ori is now Kai’s closest friend and confidant as well as Attie’s good friend, former teammate and fuck buddy, and now confidant—but the old relationship overshadowed even my distaste for that whole situation.
And then, Attie and Kai's own meltdown bleak moment went to a place I could not like, both of them being cruel to the point of Why Am I Even Here. Though both did apologize, it was a sour note of just how low each went. Not a great look.
However, the characters were mostly authentic and fun enough as individuals that I wanted to read about them and the other parts of their strong friendship anyway, through my crawling skin and all. I really liked both Attie and Kai. And Ori separately, and his Whatever is going on with Ori’s good friend and teammate-to-be Julian, also delightful as a character. (How Julian knows any/all of them remains a mystery though...yet another of those nebulous deets...)
ANYWAY. The good parts are Kai and Attie’s developing friendship. Attie was a goner before he even met Kai, because he admired the pro-gamer online before he ever met Kai in person, and when he did meet him, he was lights out, gaga, gone over Kai. Attie’s admiration of and enjoyment in Kai and acceptance of all Kai’s self was lovely to read about, even when Kai wasn’t yet able to appreciate Attie fully—Attie’s unconditional acceptance was a terrific (if possibly unhealthy for Attie?!) foundation for a real lasting love and future for them. I was into that.
The kitten that comes into their lives is another highlight, and the time they spend getting to really know each other, even through Kai’s pain, was well-written and credible and poignant. I was rooting for them more in the end, but, MAN did the chronic flashbacks and angst about the old relationship overshadow the beauty of the newly developing romance.
That was probably the point, but...oof. It was a lot to take, and the messaging around Kai having to talk to Nicholas was crappy to the point of feeling like *I* was being gaslit about it. Note, people, if you aren’t in a place where you want to talk to an ex and rebuild any kind of relationship, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT. YOU OWE THEM NOTHING. THIS DOES NOT REFLECT BADLY ON YOU.
I said what I said.
The way Kai does get resolution with Nicholas felt both inevitable and cliché, and I struggled with the kinda cheap way it came about. I did appreciated the realistic place their friendship/connection got to; it was not Disney-level fixed. But the indication that they’ll all be buddies in the future...blech. Please no. Sure it’s healthy to be friends with exes, but, the way this situation evolved, the messaging around how to deal with a breakup and an ex who was once a good friend felt heavy-handed and questionable. 👀😤 I still felt gaslit.
Anyway, I had a lot of Feels, and if this book had been more focused on the current romance without so much of the old one, I’d probably have loved it more, because I really did love Attie and Kai together in the end. Shoot, my entire review got hijacked by the old relationship. But there IS a lot to appreciate and sink your teeth into here, so if the premise appeals, give it a shot.
HFN to HEA, including an epilogue months in the future to cement it with what actually was an adorable final image. Grumpy-sunshine, pro-streamer and pro-volleyball player, hookups to more. Hard-fought, angst-filled relationship. One falls both first and so much harder, and I’m not sure that they’ll ever be really balanced, but, maybe that’s okay for them/what each needs. Strong secondary cast of characters. Incestuous friend group. Safe for me in the present though, neither MC is with anyone else in the present timeline. I don’t think Attie was with anyone else ever since he and Kai hooked up 6 months ago. Kai? I’m not sure. He wasn’t in a place to be that into Attie, and, it’s unclear whether he was with anyone else since then. He did have a few hookups before he and Attie first hooked up, but it was unclear whether he saw anyone after.
Woof, sorry, TMI! I got ranty, but, I did truly enjoy many parts here.
I do recommend the read as immersive and having fascinating elements.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
Angsty
I enjoyed this angsty romance between a streaming gamer and a hot professional volleyball player. Relationships are hard and it is rewarding to see that they are worth it in the end.
I enjoyed this angsty romance between a streaming gamer and a hot professional volleyball player. Relationships are hard and it is rewarding to see that they are worth it in the end.
August 22, 2025
Engaging and enjoyable
Loved this.
Full of elements I usually steer clear of - angst over a previous relationship, flashbacks - but so well executed that I easily got over myself and fell deeply into the story.
Probably the most realistic depiction of recovering from the loss of a relationship that I've read in a romance.
Loved this.
Full of elements I usually steer clear of - angst over a previous relationship, flashbacks - but so well executed that I easily got over myself and fell deeply into the story.
Probably the most realistic depiction of recovering from the loss of a relationship that I've read in a romance.
August 24, 2025
I need to preface this by saying this is not a “badly” written book, the writing did keep me engaged the whole way through and the pacing was good.
However, I did not know any of these characters, at all. Beyond hair colour for the two MCs I couldn’t tell you what anyone looked like, I don’t know what motivates them, what their personalities are like, and I have absolutely no idea why the two MCs like each other. Herein lies my problem, a romance book cannot survive without the reader being invested in the main characters.
Then we had the second timeline plot with Nicholas. I hated it. I can’t even begin to sugar coat that. I was full on skim reading these chapters and I was so close to DNFing when the big drama came at 75%. Nicholas and Theo are awful people, Theo is the shittiest character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading about. If it hadn’t been for this side plot I’d have given the book 3 stars, but this genuinely ruined the book for me. It served no purpose to the story, we learnt nothing from it other than Kai deserves a hell of a lot more from his so-called friends.
Ex drama is fine, but give it to me through Kai’s character development, not pointless flashbacks that tell me nothing other than “this poor guy has been manipulated his whole life and the cycle continues”. Yuck.
However, I did not know any of these characters, at all. Beyond hair colour for the two MCs I couldn’t tell you what anyone looked like, I don’t know what motivates them, what their personalities are like, and I have absolutely no idea why the two MCs like each other. Herein lies my problem, a romance book cannot survive without the reader being invested in the main characters.
Then we had the second timeline plot with Nicholas. I hated it. I can’t even begin to sugar coat that. I was full on skim reading these chapters and I was so close to DNFing when the big drama came at 75%. Nicholas and Theo are awful people, Theo is the shittiest character I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading about. If it hadn’t been for this side plot I’d have given the book 3 stars, but this genuinely ruined the book for me. It served no purpose to the story, we learnt nothing from it other than Kai deserves a hell of a lot more from his so-called friends.
Ex drama is fine, but give it to me through Kai’s character development, not pointless flashbacks that tell me nothing other than “this poor guy has been manipulated his whole life and the cycle continues”. Yuck.
May 23, 2025
if you like sports romance, slow burn, forced proximity, and swoon-worthy characters, this is the book for you! i immediately fell in love with our mmcs, and their story kept me hooked until the end. katie is an incredible writer, and she excels at conveying emotions that make you feel for the characters. i can’t wait for the rest of the series!
June 24, 2025
I poured my whole heart into Attie & Kai’s story, I hope you all love them as much as I do 🫶🏐🏳️🌈
November 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — So good! But also, I almost combusted in anger for Kai. Poor guy.
I really liked this book! It was emotional, messy, and full of feelings — but also infuriating in the best way.
SPOILERS AHEAD ‼️‼️‼️‼️🚨
I kinda hate Nicholas.
No, you know what? I definitely hate that guy. He comes off as naive (in a dumb way) and selfish.
Beside the fact that... ok, got it, the relationship between Nicholas and Kai was not working anymore because of the same old in almost every couple that were together for many years. They didn't do romantic things anymore, they were different (Nicholas is a social person, Kai isn't, etc), they didn't have sex anymore and a long etc. But they still loved each other, so I think they just needed a couple counseling and things would have worked. Now, obviously Nicholas didn't loved Kai that much (or not how Kai loved him at least) to make an effort.
Nicholas IS the villain in this story.
This is my explanation of why:
1) he broke up with Kai after 6 years of relationship and when Kai didn't give him the reaction he wanted it (he was with a neutral face in front of him, but after he left he almost died crying) he was furious.
2) he broke up with Kai (again, after 6 years) and right after breaking his heart he asked him to stay friends— because he needed Kai in his life. never mind Kai’s feelings.
3) he ends up starting a relationship with a mutual friend of theirs after a few months of the breakup. and in one part in the book, is reveled that it was actually the mutual friend—Theo—that wanted to wait a little more to start the relationship, because apparently at least he has a little more respect for his ex friend, than Nicholas for his supposedly childhood best friend and ex lover.
4) Kai cut contact with him a Theo (his now new boyfriend), Nicholas OF COURSE didn't respect that boundary, and insists that they talk, finish they business and amends things. because he loves Kai, NEEDS HIM in his life... but of course not as a lover! as a best friend! this just ends up hurting Kai deeper.
5) after a year of the breakup, his boyfriend and Nicholas showed up in town again and AGAIN started harassing Kai to talk, to just amend things... so things became just like before. Like, sincerely... what the fuck dude, you can't be that dense and naive. Kai AGAIN put a boundary, asked to be left alone, but HE INSISTS.
And there’s more, but I’m too tired to keep ranting. 😤
That final part involving Nicholas? Yeah. I was livid for real.
I'm just... while reading, from the bottom of my heart, I wanted him to finally be alone and have what he deserved. But at the same time, I didn't want for Theo to suffer.
Actually, I had this perfect ending in my head... Nicholas realizing that he actually loved Kai and wanted him back, but after a year of suffering Kai FINALLY decided to start to move on from the breakup and start something with Attie.
But again, I didn't want for Theo to suffer.
OH! Loved Kai and Attie. They're perfection together 💓
A wild ride this book 🫠
A fantastic first book for the author! I'm happy that I found it.
I really liked this book! It was emotional, messy, and full of feelings — but also infuriating in the best way.
SPOILERS AHEAD ‼️‼️‼️‼️🚨
I kinda hate Nicholas.
No, you know what? I definitely hate that guy. He comes off as naive (in a dumb way) and selfish.
Beside the fact that... ok, got it, the relationship between Nicholas and Kai was not working anymore because of the same old in almost every couple that were together for many years. They didn't do romantic things anymore, they were different (Nicholas is a social person, Kai isn't, etc), they didn't have sex anymore and a long etc. But they still loved each other, so I think they just needed a couple counseling and things would have worked. Now, obviously Nicholas didn't loved Kai that much (or not how Kai loved him at least) to make an effort.
Nicholas IS the villain in this story.
This is my explanation of why:
1) he broke up with Kai after 6 years of relationship and when Kai didn't give him the reaction he wanted it (he was with a neutral face in front of him, but after he left he almost died crying) he was furious.
2) he broke up with Kai (again, after 6 years) and right after breaking his heart he asked him to stay friends— because he needed Kai in his life. never mind Kai’s feelings.
3) he ends up starting a relationship with a mutual friend of theirs after a few months of the breakup. and in one part in the book, is reveled that it was actually the mutual friend—Theo—that wanted to wait a little more to start the relationship, because apparently at least he has a little more respect for his ex friend, than Nicholas for his supposedly childhood best friend and ex lover.
4) Kai cut contact with him a Theo (his now new boyfriend), Nicholas OF COURSE didn't respect that boundary, and insists that they talk, finish they business and amends things. because he loves Kai, NEEDS HIM in his life... but of course not as a lover! as a best friend! this just ends up hurting Kai deeper.
5) after a year of the breakup, his boyfriend and Nicholas showed up in town again and AGAIN started harassing Kai to talk, to just amend things... so things became just like before. Like, sincerely... what the fuck dude, you can't be that dense and naive. Kai AGAIN put a boundary, asked to be left alone, but HE INSISTS.
And there’s more, but I’m too tired to keep ranting. 😤
That final part involving Nicholas? Yeah. I was livid for real.
I'm just... while reading, from the bottom of my heart, I wanted him to finally be alone and have what he deserved. But at the same time, I didn't want for Theo to suffer.
Actually, I had this perfect ending in my head... Nicholas realizing that he actually loved Kai and wanted him back, but after a year of suffering Kai FINALLY decided to start to move on from the breakup and start something with Attie.
But again, I didn't want for Theo to suffer.
OH! Loved Kai and Attie. They're perfection together 💓
A wild ride this book 🫠
A fantastic first book for the author! I'm happy that I found it.
didnt-finish
September 25, 2025after just 5 pages all of my worst fears were confirmed: this is haikyuu fanfiction with the serial numbers filled off. (haikyu is a volleyball manga written by furudate haruichi). BARELY filled off, possibly just hidden with one coat of paint, one that's already starting to peel. well, that's just absolutely NOT done. I flipped through the book and checked some more, of course, but full disclosure: I did not read it. I simply could not.
(and yes, I condemn it with all IPs when there's not truly been proper work done to truly separate the story/characters/setting from the source material, not 'just' when the original IP is harmful.)
this practice, no matter if done by big publishers or indie authors, is harmful. to publishing and fanfiction spaces. the ongoing discussions on why/how are easy to check out with a bit of research. (I added some resources at the end, if you're not aware.)
I really wanted a queer sports romance with a sport I actually enjoy and know things about. on top of that I wanted to support and indie author and ... I wish I'd listened to my gut.
edit:
rating cleared, and links why retooling fanfiction is bad, actually.
https://www.threads.com/@victoriaavey...
https://shannonathompson.com/2025/09/...
https://youtu.be/HulHhQZzujU (read the comments on this one, as well!)
and, of course: https://reactormag.com/with-the-seria...
(and yes, I condemn it with all IPs when there's not truly been proper work done to truly separate the story/characters/setting from the source material, not 'just' when the original IP is harmful.)
this practice, no matter if done by big publishers or indie authors, is harmful. to publishing and fanfiction spaces. the ongoing discussions on why/how are easy to check out with a bit of research. (I added some resources at the end, if you're not aware.)
I really wanted a queer sports romance with a sport I actually enjoy and know things about. on top of that I wanted to support and indie author and ... I wish I'd listened to my gut.
edit:
rating cleared, and links why retooling fanfiction is bad, actually.
https://www.threads.com/@victoriaavey...
https://shannonathompson.com/2025/09/...
https://youtu.be/HulHhQZzujU (read the comments on this one, as well!)
and, of course: https://reactormag.com/with-the-seria...
August 14, 2025
I'm trying to be so normal about this!!! Double Hit is a one night to more, friends to lovers, unrequited love (kind of) story that follows black cat Kai and golden retriever Atticus. Several months before the start of the book, these two had a steamy hook up. Now, Atticus is mostly content with being just friends with the man he loves. This book is full of so much love. Even though their romance takes place over the course of the week Kai spends living with Atticus, I never doubted their love for each other.
Much of the story follows Kai as he struggles to adjust to life after breaking up with his childhood best friend. He doesn't believe in love. He's living a pretty lonely life. Katie Steele writes in such a way that I could feel Kai's pain. I got why he's still struggling a year later and doesn't want to form new attachments with basically anyone.
Atticus is a former playboy (I hate that word) full of so much love and hope. He doesn't pressure Kai to talk about his past or move past it before he's ready. He just wants to be there for Kai in any way he can. Honestly, I'd do anything to protect him, especially from his teammates who won't stop poking fun (read: slut shaming) at his history of hook ups.
I can't wait to see what's next in the Chicago Cats series and how Katie Steele an hurt my feelings after this one!
Much of the story follows Kai as he struggles to adjust to life after breaking up with his childhood best friend. He doesn't believe in love. He's living a pretty lonely life. Katie Steele writes in such a way that I could feel Kai's pain. I got why he's still struggling a year later and doesn't want to form new attachments with basically anyone.
Atticus is a former playboy (I hate that word) full of so much love and hope. He doesn't pressure Kai to talk about his past or move past it before he's ready. He just wants to be there for Kai in any way he can. Honestly, I'd do anything to protect him, especially from his teammates who won't stop poking fun (read: slut shaming) at his history of hook ups.
I can't wait to see what's next in the Chicago Cats series and how Katie Steele an hurt my feelings after this one!
July 1, 2025
Double Hit gave me everything I ever needed, and more that I didn't know I needed! This follows Kai and Atticus through inordinate amount of pining, a cat without a name, heartbreak and healing to create one of the best debut novels I've ever read. Kai was so broken after being dumped by his childhood boyfriend and the little snippet you get of their past really shows how earth-shattering it was to suddenly be on his own without the man he thought he'd spend the rest of his life with. Then there's Atticus who is already half in love with Kai from watching him stream and progressively becoming friends, into more. It was the sweetest fall and Atticus' pining might just be top tier book content. The supporting cast of characters were hilarious entertainment and I cannot WAIT for them to have books as well. So, so, so, sooooo good. I adored this, one of my favourite reads of the year.
*I received an ARC copy of Double Hit from the author in exchange for my honest review.
*I received an ARC copy of Double Hit from the author in exchange for my honest review.
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