Sweat

Like Teammates #1

by Jonah Yorke

Tommy

I should hate Rowan Hughes. He was a bully when we were kids, and now I find out he’s messed around with my girlfriend. But how can I hate the campus soccer star when he’s everything I’ve always wanted to be?

With my reputation on the line, I can’t let Rowan get away with humiliating me in front of people I know—people we both go to school with.

When he swears he didn’t know Annalese was my girlfriend, I actually believe him. When he says I’m good enough to play beside him, I want to believe that too. But when he insists he’s not gay, all I want is to prove him wrong.

Rowan

I made one dumb decision at a party, and now Tommy Mathison thinks I’m into his girl. He couldn’t be more wrong, but it’s not because I’m gay. It’s because I’m weak. Now I’ve got a beefed-up babyface’s knuckle prints bruising the side of my face, and I can’t get him out of my head.

Tommy isn’t weak, and he may just be the missing piece my team needs to win a championship before I go pro. I don’t know why he quit soccer after high school, but getting him back on the field is easy. Keeping him close without losing control? That’s the real challenge.

SWEAT is a high-spice hurt/comfort sports romance that deals with heavy themes related to identity, mental health, grief, and coping with past trauma. This book is intended for readers age 18 and up.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Sports, Sports Romance, Enemies To Lovers, College, LGBT

463 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[Megan [Jaded AF] · Rating 2 out of 5]

MM Romance
Debut
2 Stars ⭐️


I never update my reviews but I wanted to in this case because someone actually referenced part of my review on instagram when reviewing this book and hearing how it sounded plus the points she made had me wanting to change how I worded some stuff but I didn’t want to just do it on the sly. I’ll leave the original below but she mentioned the part of my review where I talk about where this takes place and my issues with the amount of smut compared to plot. Her review talked about how she really struggled with this book at the start, all the misogyny among other things but because she didn’t DNF, she was able to understand the trauma the characters had and how that led them to act the way they do and she ended up 4 starring the book and would have missed out on it had she DNF’d plus some other critical thinking that I didn’t consider because I was so mad when I read this. She didn’t attack me, just used what I wrote as a reference for what she wanted to discuss and it then made me reflect on how my review sounds compared to what I meant to convey with it. I thought her review was really well done and she brought up a lot of points I had never considered before. I haven’t decided if I want to reach out to her because I don’t want to make it weird but I just really respect how she said everything.

So, with that said, I think it was in poor taste for me to state that Rowan’s internal homophobia was offensive to the LGBTQ+ community as a whole and to all women because who am I to speak for all of us? Just because I found him offensive doesn’t mean that his behavior didn’t resonate with others. As the reviewer pointed out, what I found problematic could have been what made someone else rate this 5 stars and feel seen. That also goes for the pacing of the book because this isn’t my book and obviously the author wrote his book the way he did for a reason. Just because I wanted more plot than smut doesn’t mean everyone feels that way but more so, it wasn’t my decision to make. When it comes to books with a lot of trauma, I like to have more plot than smut at the start so I can understand the characters better but that’s a me problem and it wasn’t fair for me to put that on the author. I also think it’s not my place to state how other people feel living in California because someone else could have had a completely different experience than I did and that was an extremely entitled thing I said about it feeling OTT. For me, it felt that way while reading it but saying that, I live in a purple county now where I am seeing a lot more issues with my state and I’m sure there are people who have read this book that felt very seen by what was written. I grew up in the Bay Area and because I was around so much diversity and acceptance, it took me years to work out that not everyone that lived in California experienced that especially in the more rural parts of the state so for me to write that in my review was just tone deaf. The last thing I want, is to come off sounding like an asshole who doesn’t respect others and I made a lot of blanket statements in my review that don’t sit well with me. I do have issues with this book but it wasn’t fair for me to assume everyone else did too. I’m glad this author was able to find his audience and that people loved this book and felt seen. I just wish it wasn’t so misogynistic but saying that, this reviewer made a good point about the characters having horrible mothers and how the trauma from that most likely influenced their behavior towards women. I never even considered that before tbh and it’s a fair point. I just didn’t see the point of having every female character being horrible not just through their POVs but in general and it really triggered me when reading this.

And I guess it should also be noted that I did end up finishing this book, I just never updated my review because 2 stars felt fair.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ORIGINAL REVIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DNF @ 70%

I feel like I’ve been on a long journey with this book because I wasn’t feeling it at the start and DNF’d at 12% only to pick it up again and DNF at 32% but then I obviously picked it back up 🤡🙄😂 and skimmed my way to 70%. Unfortunately this story is just not for me and I’m going to explain why. Originally I DNF’d this because I hated the choppy writing style and while it did seem to improve slightly as time went on, I think this needs a few more rounds of editing. The second time I DNF’d was because it was hard for me to feel invested in either of these characters because they both felt so similar that I kept forgetting whose POV I was in and that choppy writing style was making me cringe again as were the nicknames baby boy and gay boy. 💀Then I read reviews from arc readers like myself to try and gauge if this would improve for me and they all mentioned how lovely this story is and that there is a lot of smut so I decided to go back to it last night when my insomnia kicked in. I have now reached 70% and have no intentions of finishing this book for the reasons listed above but also I find the content in this book a bit offensive.

This is by a male author and the misogyny is just off the charts. There are some books I can look over misogynistic bs because the plot or writing wowed me but this isn’t one of them. Every female character in this book besides Rowan’s adopted mom is really unlikable. All of the women the same age as the boys are desperate, cheating whores and the internal monologues of our boys are also problematic in the way they view women. This takes place in Sacramento, California and while there are misogynistic bigoted people in my state, this feels really OTT for this area. The internalized homophobia Rowan has for himself and others is offensive to not just the LGBTQ+ community as a whole but to women as well. It’s hard to have any empathy for Rowan because this book has been mostly smut and I don’t feel connected to him as a character at all. I don’t even have an understanding to why or how Tommy fell for Rowan tbh and I actually think that Tommy can do better and that’s not how I want to feel about the MC in a romance book I’m reading. The smut scenes in this book are overkill especially when the majority of them are the same scene repeated over and over. I was just starting to learn Rowan’s back story when I DNF’d and it feels like the same story I’ve read a thousand times but even more superficial because there’s only been smut. After this last and final DNF, I feel like 150+ pages should have been taken out and this might have had a chance at keeping my interest but in its current state it’s just not readable for me and I’m not vibing with it at all.

Also, Tommy’s mom is one of the most awful characters I’ve ever read. I can’t discuss all the reasons why without major spoilers so I won’t but she’s worse than Declan’s mom in Without You and I think that says it all. IYKYK. IMO there will never be a redemption for her because I just cannot believe how horrible she is to not only her son but her daughter and grandson. Holy shit she’s the absolute worst. 💀💀💀

I received an arc from netgalley and this is my honest feedback.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it when men cry, but not too much, and this had the perfect amount of men crying...

✨Vibes:✨
Being together in secret whilst denying their sexualities to themselves (and to eachother) whilst sucking dicks in each others cars in secret for 75% of the book and saying “no homo” afterwards… despite being totally homo for eachother.

✨In summary:✨
Sports romance without too much boring sport, TOO MANY handjobs/blowjobs/smut but an overwhelming tenderness between these two men that was so gentle that I wasn’t expecting it at all, and LOVED THEM.


I admit, I got so fucking tired of the blowjob in secret… training…. Handjob in secret… training…. blowjob in secret…. Training… handjob in secret…. ON REPEAT in the middle there, because while it’s hot af, the smut really put the brakes on the plot development and it became exhausting.
But when the plot kicked in again at the end and the trauma enters the room 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
BABY BOYS WAS TRAUMATISED AND HEALED THROUGH IT TOGETHER????? 😭

Also, I HAVE NEVER ENJOYED SO MANY PETNAMES BEFORE??? and this even has an appropriately dropped “sweetheart” and I was instantly moist.
HOWEVER,
I wish the “daddy” part was cut out.

I think I’m just at this age now that 20 year olds saying that is just fkn weird to me.
'Baby boy' was super endearing and I loved it as a taunt, and I loved it out of kindess... until it mixed with the “daddy” thing and then I wanted to bleach my eyeballs.


HAIR WASHING AND STEAMY WASHROOM STALL ROMPS ARE MY FAVOURITE MICROTROPES AND I GOT FUCKING BOTH

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horn-dogs with sad puppy eyes, as the author puts it, is the perfect summary of Tommy and Rowan.
Two boys; so lost, so sad, so in need of love and affection. So absolutely right for each other.

The chemistry between them was earth shattering. So much heat, so much angst, so much tenderness. Obsession. Clinginess. Vulnerability. Hurt/comfort. Filthy, delicious steam. All laced with the softest moments that made me choke up repeatedly 🥹

Some of my absolute favorite things:

🧡 Tommy calling Rowan beautiful for the first time

🧡 Them crying in front of each other (and not running from it)

🧡 The baby boy moments (which I’m usually not into, but it so worked here)

🧡 The unwavering certainty they have about each other; that rare, all-encompassing kind of love where there’s no doubt, no plan B. Just them. It was such a powerful thing to read.


Two things though:
First:
there is some OM action in the beginning of this book (random BJ), after they first get intimate. For some reason it didn’t bother me at all (and I can be quite iffy in that regard!), but I’m sure it will others, so here’s your heads up!

Second:
I really wished the author would have added a specific tw into the list at the beginning of the book (cancer, chemo, death of family member) because this is literally my one no-go while reading. So wow, did that smack me in the face when I got to it in the first 4% of the book. BUT I messaged the ever lovely Sandy (♥️) and she could reassure me to the extent, that I was quite confident I could deal and/or skip/skim, and thankfully I was right. In this instance the author opening up plot lines and then not giving them much page time worked absolutely in my favour!
Still, I think it would be fair to the reader to put that up front because it was still an important plot line and triggering, at least to me.

I still enjoyed Tommy’s and Rowan’s story IMMENSELY and I could not stop thinking about them, which - in my book - is the biggest compliment.
I’m sure this won’t be for everyone. The internalised homophobia was a lot, the way women were portrayed was… a choice, the steam level might be too much for some. But I can’t help myself and love it despite all that, because Tommy and Row were that good together.

“I only wanna kiss you.” His lips fold tight together. He doesn’t say anything else, but he turns his head and finally looks at me. The sight of him makes me want to pull him to my chest and never let go. Screw a relationship, screw a five-year plan, screw gay or straight or bi, or whatever. All I want is one more moment with Rowan Hughes. Moment after moment after moment.

His hand touches my face, tracing my brow, my cheekbone, and the slope of my nose. “You gonna be okay?”
“I dunno,” I answer honestly. “Don’t think I’ve been okay for a long time. But right now, I feel okay. With you.”

“I think you’re the first person in my life to make me feel like I’m lucky.”

“You’re lovable, Row,” he tells me. “You’re generous, supportive, protective, and beautiful. That’s all you. I’ve never met anyone as special as you. What happened to you…what those people did…that’s not who you are, and that’s not why you’re gay. You’re gay because you’re supposed to be loved by a man, and I’m gonna be that man. I’m gonna love you. I’m gonna take care of you whenever you need it, and I’m gonna help you get through this. Anytime you’re feeling any type of way about what happened, I’m gonna be here for you.”

I’m really excited for book 2 of the series, the blurb sounds fire ❤️‍🔥

Can’t decide on a rating, it’s somewhere between 3,5 and 4 ⭐️ but as it’s this authors DEBUT I’ll round up!

Thanks to GRR for the chance to read and review this arc, this is my honest opinion!

[Shaz ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much smut, many sads 😮‍💨🥲

_________
Pre-read:
Time to sweat baby 🥵

[kaye taz · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook

perfection. per-FUCKING-fection. if i could scrub this from my brain just so i could immediately reread, i would.

rowan and tommy are my perfect babies and this story was everything. i laughed, i sobbed, i could not. put. this. down. lowkey bummed i’ve read this book in january because it’ll be a hard act to follow for the rest of the year.

and you best believe i am sat here for all future jonah yorke books.

[Sandy Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 frustrated stars. This book has stellar 5-star emotion and character development, and I recommend it on many levels (read others’ reviews! So far no one else is bothered by the things that irked me) but includes 1-star (for me) elements that overshadowed my enjoyment and kept distracting me from the read.

Sweat is an NA college-set sports romance. The heroes are former high-school-opposing-teams soccer rivals who brought out the best in each other’s play. Later in college, MC Rowan hooks up with MC Tommy’s girlfriend without realizing she has a boyfriend, and Tommy hunts him down and confronts him over it (great scene! Ha ha read it for that!), and that brings them back on each other’s radar. Although...Tommy never forgot Rowan, the player he admired and who fascinated him...and who once called him the f-slur out of nowhere. One might say he’s a little obsessed with Rowan without understanding why.

Rowan can’t resist needling Tommy into playing again, training with him, and pushing him to try out for the Sac State team (as a Davis grad, I wanted more of the setting!). Their training sessions lead to awkward mutual boners and some killer UST, neither wanting to even think he might be gay, but both slowly realizing...yeah. Yep. This attraction is undeniable.

What I enjoyed:
As noted, that visceral chemistry between the MCs! Whoosh. HOT. Intimate in lovely, sometimes charmingly awkward, sizzling ways. The text exchanges alone...whoa, they took WAY bigger risks than I expected, and were a bit TSTL on that front. Anyone snooping on their phone would immediately know. There’s also some fun (for me LOL) jealousy before they admit outright how into each other they are. Tommy is all-in much sooner; Rowan has secrets and un-faced trauma that keeps him in denial and more secretive far longer, yet still unable to stay away from Tommy for too long. The push-pull of their awkwardly beautiful encounters followed by Rowan ghosting Tommy for a bit could have gotten old; instead, it amped up tension and made the conflict and UST emanate from the pages. They’re SO clearly into each other; it was heart-wrenchingly impossible not to root for them to find their way to accept themselves and claim each other for real. Their training workouts were a lot of hot sweaty fun. And toward the end the way they got soft for each other, supported and cared for each other...ah, it really was sublime. 🥰

There are some potentially triggering heavy themes, and I thought they were handled respectfully and added depth to the story. Rowan has experienced trauma that is revealed late in the book and informs a lot about his character, though I wish it had been seeded more. It was a bit of a late jump-scare. Tommy lives with his mother and his sister, Erica, who is dying of cancer, and his sister’s 6-year-old son, Mav, a sweetheart. Rowan’s found family landlords also had some kind and charming moments, though it took a long time to reveal who they were to him.

What bumped me out of the read/didn’t work for me:
The read was not safe for me, due to an on-page OM-action scene that happened after the MCs started getting physical, and it wound up being completely gratuitous. It wasn’t used to build conflict, or for an epiphany, or as a catalyst to drive the story forward. It stunk up the joint and overshadowed a lot of the MCs’ subsequent intimacies, even though the MC who engaged in it, Rowan, barely thought about it again, and Tommy never even found out it happened. (Therefore I ask... why bother? It served only to ruin things for ME. 😡)

That scene also revealed that Rowan is a hypocrite, because he protested he never would have hooked up with Tommy’s gf had he known she had a bf, yet when he finds out his rando Grindr contact is married, he thinks nothing of it at all, decides to meet the man anyway, and shoves his cock down the man’s throat. He also didn’t think to get tested for STIs after finding out he’d hooked up with Tommy’s serial-cheater girlfriend (soon ex), but after he was with rando-man, he did. Then he compounded my extreme irritation by revealing he was “clean” instead of “negative.” Personal pref of term, sure, but, that grated on me. Also, there’s no mention of Tommy ever being tested, and he was the one dating the serial cheater. And these two never do have a safety conversation before going bare. It’s only on Rowan’s side, and in his own head. Bummer.

Here’s the spoiler on the circumstances, (def skip this if you don’t care about OM action): At this point, Rowan and Tommy have shared hand jobs, can’t stop thinking about each other, can’t keep their hands off each other when they’re alone, though neither is comfortable admitting/thinking about being gay. So instead of focusing on experimenting with Tommy, Rowan decides hey, why not really “pop my gay cherry” (his term!?!) with some rando on Grindr like he’d been thinking about for months and never done before (which, if he’d already been hooking up via Grindr, would have made sense to me. But, no. He’s finally getting his hands on Tommy, and that’s when he’s inspired to pull the trigger and meet a rando from Grindr? Really?)? And so ensues Rowan’s first-ever BJ from a man. Then when he gets his second BJ from a man—aka Tommy (which, sad, could have just done it with Tommy in the first place)—he doesn’t think about that first one, no comparisons, no “this is so much better”...nothing. Which, yeah, yuck, I wouldn’t want to know, but also... not believable. Instead, I was stuck feeling sick as my dumbass brain made the comparisons. And that never stopped. Such as, during a sweet, tender moment when they talk about Tommy being Rowan’s first kiss ever, all I could think was, yeah, but, are you gonna tell Tommy about your first time getting a BJ from a man, knowing you were Tommy’s first and he gave you his first? No? So why did I have to be there for it? Any time they’re at McKinley Park...same “scene of the rando BJ” loop on replay. And later there’s a “what Rowan had done before” discussion moment where a clear choice is made not to have him think about or admit to the rando, and it felt dishonest and cringey. The encounter is barely ever on Rowan’s mind again, and Tommy never finds out, but, for me it infiltrated everything they did together after. There are at least two opportunities when Rowan also could have revealed it and didn’t that felt oddly dishonest, like it was cheating, even though it wasn’t. It kept replaying in my messed up broken mind. For no reason. No payoff. 🤬

If you want to skip it, that all happens in the final scene of chapter 9. Stop reading at the scene break after the Moustache Jack scene. He does follow through,
and skipping the scene will impact nothing in the story.

It baffled me because the author is so good at using the OW-action moments as catalysts to move the story and the relationship development forward. All those moments have an impact. Random OM hookup? Nothing. Pointless. 🤯

I also didn’t enjoy the depiction of women. The only positive women figures are Xia (Rowan’s mother-figure—NOT his bio mother) and in some ways, Tommy’s sister, Erica. Others are caricatures who constantly get drunk, cheat, and/or beg to hook up with the MCs, or any guy around, it seemed. They were used as tools in ways that read as misogynistic. Girls are hanging around practice and parties, and even the pool, fawning over the guys and asking to hook up. As if that’s all college girls think about. At one point someone says “Men can’t be sluts...That’s just called being men.” Which, yes, that’s realistic toxic masculinity, but also, 😱. And Rowan and Tommy treat their women peers more like disposable annoyances than people. Lese, Tommy’s ex, comes across as desperate to be with him, and a figure to be pitied, even though she cheated on him. Tommy’s mom is a homophobe, and she disappears for a good part of the book, despite being set up as a potential conflict for Tommy. I thought Erica was terrific until her reaction to finding out Tommy is gay was disappointing, and then, a truth about Mav was disturbing. She majorly flubbed the dismount. She was human, I guess. But her choice around a certain thing was super shitty. You don’t do that to a good person. If she hadn’t been dying, they might never have known, and that was absolute crap.

I could have done without so many f-slurs, and the use of “clean” instead of “negative.”

There’s an unfortunate moment when Tommy admits to being depressed and Rowan says—like it’s a simple solution— “Don’t be depressed.” 😳 The obliviousness was disturbing.

Finally, there was some contrariness around Rowan’s determination not to think about being gay/saying he’s not gay/not wanting anyone to know anything about it. He openly hangs out at a gay bar. He texts (and soon receives) SO many dick pics to Tommy—which, you’re just asking for someone to see those at random. Then he has no issue going with Tommy to an on-campus LGBTQ+ club event where anyone could see him there with a man. It was confusing, like he was hoping to be outed but couldn’t admit it. And like it was supposed to be a conflict, but then wasn’t? It was resolved easily. Which, okay, good for low-angst on that front.

There are far, FAR more good moments than jarring ones, but the things that jarred for me jangled quite loudly. Still, I loved seeing Rowan and Tommy on page together, even after their developing intimacy was tainted by the OM scene. That’s my issue, my brain. I understand these things don’t impact most other readers the same way. And hey, I kept reading.

What can I say? It’s complicated.

Would I read the author again? Not sure. I’ll scrutinize reviews ahead of time first, or ask my spoilers group for help before diving in. I hope more stories will work for me, because this author spins an engaging tale with terrific tension and intriguing, complex main characters. He created warm and truly lovely, authentic intimacy between these men and is talented. I wanted to read this book the moment I read the sample chapters; it hooked me.

HEA, hard fought. Rivals to lovers; college soccer teammates. Gay awakening, homophobia, both internalized and external, including copious f slurs. OM on-page action after the heroes have connected physically, but fairly early/before they commit to each other—not cheating, but felt like it to me. OW action—one MC’s gf cheats on him with the other MC (off page/we hear afterward) before the MCs meet again, and both MCs are approached by girls at parties; one gets felt up and the other kisses a girl. Not a safe read for me. Recommended for those without my hang-up; for those who share it, it might be worth reading anyway, but, you have a head’s up. I do get unreasonably grumpy when something so completely unnecessary messes with a read I would otherwise have utterly loved.

My thanks to BookSirens for the ARC; this is my opinion and biased reactions.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut book, I really enjoyed this story and the writing style, although there could have been some heavier editing to remove some repetitive events - this is a really long book!!

The chemistry between Tommy and Rowan was so good, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. It was difficult to read all of the internal homophobia because it made me sad for Rowan, and for anyone who goes through that.

There were some events that felt like they could have been removed completely because they didn't particularly add to the plot, and instead slowed the pacing down. The androgynous customer, the party girl, and the birth mum just felt like they weren't relevant to the plot?

I also got a little confused with the terminology around 'soccer'. I'm English, football is the big deal here, and in my family there's just no escaping it, so it was really noticeable to me when things didn't match up to what I know. I don't know if American soccer is different but there is no position called point guard, and the person fouled in the penalty box isn't necessarily the person who takes the penalty - they have designated players for that who train extra specifically for penalty taking. Some things were just not true to my knowledge but again, I don't know if America do things differently!

I'm definitely curious about the next book though!!

*****
I received an ARC of this book from Book Sirens, and this is my honest review

[ceiling.sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is accurate for 20yr old boys there is A LOT of blowjobs, handjobs and leaking dicks 🍆 💦



BUT there is also a lot of sweet moments and when certain things are uncovered I just wanted all the happiness for these two! 🥹 Life is heavy for both of them and it was very sweet how they supported each other through it. Angsty sports romances with some hurt/comfort + found family are always my jam.

The daddy stuff was…a choice. Particularly in this instance, I think it was an odd one.




Solid debut, a little repetitive at times. I listened to the audio and the narration was really good 🎧

[Atefeh · Rating 3 out of 5]

ناز و دوست‌داشتنی🥹🎀

[M's ☆~HEA~☆]

I am choosing to dnf @16% as it has come to my attention that, after the boys begin being intimate with each other several times, one of them receives a bj from a Grindr hookup. This MC does not tell MC2 that is has happened and has effectively taken away one of their "firsts" together without MC2's knowledge.

And just what the actual fuck, dude, why would you write this into the story? For what reason? I read the bj scene and a couple Tommy/Rowan scenes that come before, and I honestly don't understand the need nor placement of this park bj. Sometimes OW/OM scenes make sense in the plot but this one makes me nauseated.

Not safe for me, and there are too many books out there, so for that reason I'm out 🤗

[⪩ tuba ⪨ ꠹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The angst wasn’t overwhelming, the acceptance didn’t feel rushed, my boys were as sweet as they come, and the smut wasn’t too much and was REALLY FUCKING GOOD.

All in all, this was a well-balanced book.

3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4 for my sweet baby Tommy˚ʚ🧸ɞ˚

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have generally meh feelings about Rowan but Chapter 24 Rowan? I fuck with him.

Because let's face it, up until then, he's a bit of a pill. Not in an outright dick way but in a very reluctant MC way where for ANYTHING to move forward in the relationship, Tommy had to make it happen.

But Chapter 24 Rowan?

I'm a huge fan of this guy. Because let me tell you the reaction I expected?

Hate crime levels of terrible, I'll be honest.

And you know, maybe that's a low bar in comparison to the spectrum of possible reactions he could have had. But given how he is, I was massively impressed that he retained enough presence of mind to talk himself down.

Nothing convinced me of his love for Tommy more than him actively making the choice to have a good reaction to what he thought was a potential irreversible end to his lifelong dream.

'Don’t be mad.
Don’t be mad.
Don’t be mad.
I can’t let myself be mad. Tommy did a dumbass thing, but I can’t be mad. For him, I can’t be mad.'

“Don’t worry,” I tell him, even though I’m so chock-full of worry I can hardly stand it. I just don’t want Tommy to worry. He’s mine, so whatever consequences come from this, it’s on my back.

Maybe it's unfair of me to have expected worse from him but I adored that his first reaction after that moment was to make sure Tommy was ok because he could see how fucking scared Tommy was that he'd ruined everything.

Anyway. For how ever slowly Rowan was able to progress, Tommy was on warp speed.

This book sfarts out with Tommy holding a grudge against Rowan for not only calling him a slur when he was 12, but also hooking up with his girlfriend (and not even remembering it) but I swear it's like he experienced the lightning bolt kind of attraction when he interacted with Rowan.

Punched the fuck out of Ro but it's him that got hit because it was almost comical how into him he was after that. Criminally down bad.

And while this deals with some pretty heavy stuff, aside from chapter 24, imo it's not paradigm shifting for a sports romance. But there's a very high probability that I'm simply comparing it to Salt and I just didn't love it as much.

As a cheater MCs enthusiast, I was a bit disappointed by the OM action in this. I was hoping for something more scandalous.

But as someone who read book 2 before this one, I have to appreciate that there's really zero hint in this one who the MC for book 2 is. Author had a lot of pages and almost half were dedicated to sex scenes but at least the last quarter of the book wasn't wasted on setting up the next book.

I kind of liked their sexual dynamics. Very unexpected. Had moments like -

"I might be your bottom bitch but I'm still your daddy."

And "Coach says xyz but you're daddy so I'll do whatever you say."

But you know, looking back? Tommy was vocally a Rowan enthusiast but Rowan was just as down bad. Though he was more an actions guy. Not a grand gesture kind of guy but the kind who quietly made as many compromises as was required to be what he thought Tommy deserved.

So by the end, I didn't think the effort and affection was as one sided as I did during the first two thirds of it.

Can't hate that.

But I DID hate the endearments. I blame the author. 'Baby boy' in this and 'puppy' in Salt. Maybe I'm just a hater?

Why is a 22 year old calling you baby boy? These MFs were a year away from starting kindergarten together lmao.

This is a 3.5 that I'm not motivated to round up to a 4.

AND......

I still think Connor and Dane are the superior pairing.

*Disclaimer - that could be because I looooooooove me some cheating ass MFs.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok but I do love a sexy sad book. Give me angst, longing, spice, and beautiful writing, and I’m done for.

THE PREMISE: when he punches the soccer player he used to hero worship when he was younger, and ends up being trained by him to make the team, where they both pretend to be straight and unbothered as he calls him “baby boy” as a taunt.

TROPES & VIBES:
- Wrath meets The Foxhole Court
- Hurt x comfort
- Slice of life about healing and embracing happiness and who you are
- Kind of read like a long fic [affectionate]
- “Baby boy”
- Amazing debut. They were both so lovely I could scream
- Was a touch too long, and had my two no-go triggers (I didn’t realise), and I still adored it.

4.5⭐️ 4🌶️

[Papillon]

DNF @ 1%. I’ve seen enough.

[Notagingerninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Audiobook 🎧
Narrators: Tom Taylorson & Daniel Lewis

Let’s start the review by saying, the narrators did a fab job 👏👏

⚽️ College soccer
⚽️ First times
⚽️ First kiss
⚽️ Mental health representation
⚽️ Suicide reference
⚽️ Cancer reference
⚽️ Child SA
⚽️ Childhood trauma

This a sweet story about two, twenty something year olds who are firmly in the closet.

Rowan the soccer god, is scared of relationships, scared of opening up to someone and scared of accepting his true self. (We love Rowan, he is so broken but still trying to be amazing)

Tommy has been living in the closet for years, while being accused of suffering from erectile dysfunction by his cheating long term girlfriend. Tommy is also dealing with huge family drama, which lead him to quit his beloved soccer.

The two men form a unique friendship after an initial rocky start. Rowan convinces Tommy to pull on his cleats, and they become training partners, and the rest is a journey of sexual awakening, finding love and acceptance and finding your peace.

Super sweet story, plenty of laughs, some tears, lots of sex, and fun banter.

HEA 💜

[Youssra {very busy-review slumping}]

Once you start reading angsty mm books, it is impossible to stop🤧
(adding this to force myself to read it soon)

[Livvvvvvvv · Rating 4 out of 5]

because people don't chase life, tommy. they chase happiness

(sorry for being so inactive recently, been struggling with a load of health stuff, however, going on holiday on saturday and believe me i will be reading a lot)

oh boyyy,

i actually really enjoyed this book. it has so much depth and heart to it and the characters were so fleshed out. i loved that it wasn't an angsty enemies-lovers and actually the enemies part was really minimal, so it didn't feel like the main point of the book.

this was just a genuinely good story about two good people who fall in love and happen to play football (i'm british, i refuse to call it soccer). it's a coming of age tale, of two boys coming to terms with their sexuality in a world that has convinced them they are wrong to feel as they do. the football didn't feel much of a main story beat, just more of a side character in their relationship, a tool to keep the story going (so honestly, because of that i don't really care that some of the football terminology and descriptions were off lmao).

rowan and tommy care about eachother so much, their relationship bleeds into everything they do, everything they say to eachother, the need, the love, the passion these two have, i adored. it was a really beautiful relationship. nothing scared them away and their love for eachother was what got them both through some really difficult times.

HOWEVER, my gosh, this book was far too long. it took me longer than normal to get through it and i am a quick reader. i have read longer books in less time. it just felt too saturated and not in a good way, there was repetition and some unnecessary elements. the prologues were drawn out and it made the ending just feel a bit too much like a chore.

i also have some minor issues with some of the terminology in the book, like i know it wasn't said with hatred or with disgust, but the way rowan called tommy 'gay boy' made my toes curl... hmm but maybe that's a me thing, i know it has been traditionally used as a mock/insult, so maybe this is them reclaiming the term...

anyway, i liked it. it was nice and although there was trauma, and internalised homophobia, i loved that the two MMCs got through all of this together and didn't push away from one another.

3.75 ⭐⭐⭐ (rounded up to 4 because i am KIND)

[a_n_i_t_a · Rating 5 out of 5]

• m/m • college soccer • hurt/comfort • dual pov •

Ok I loved this. I combo read via audio and ebook. Solid audio performances by both narrators. Definitely recommend the audiobook.

• Rowan & Tommy •

Tommy - 20yo soft hearted, ex soccer player. He’s having a difficult time. His sister has cancer and so he is helping to take care of her and his 6yo nephew, while they are living with their loving but rigid and narrow minded mother. He has a troubled relationship with a long term girlfriend. Tommy has known he might be more than a little into guys ever since he was called a homophobic slur when he was 12, but he has tried to not give it all much thought.

Rowan - 22yo college soccer team captain. Rowan refuses to give his sexuality any thought other than being ‘not gay’. He is a bit of a mystery, aloof, a broken soul. His sole focus in life is soccer, and going pro. Idolised by Tommy when they were younger, Rowan was an untouchable soccer star but was cruel the times they interacted.

The only person I can’t accept is myself

A confrontation between the two turns into an impromptu soccer match and Rowan ends up convincing Tommy to train with him and try out for their college team. They spend a lot of time together, becoming almost friends.

A slowish burn where they first become something like friends and a hidden attraction ultimately forges into a deep emotional connection. They both have a gradual journey to self discovery, self acceptance and love. These boys had such tenderness towards each other… they treated each other so gently but fiercely protected each other. I loved it, so touching.

“I got you”

The way Rowan accepted Tommy despite his own difficulty accepting himself, and the way Tommy quietly supported Rowan with unpressured time and space to come into his own was done especially well. It was all very angsty and very believable.

When Tommy starts calling Rowan ‘Row’ my heart turned into a mushy pile of heart shaped goop 🥹🥹 And I just loved the way the ‘baby boy’ and ’gay boy’ banter turned into the softest terms of endearment. Gah 🥹🫠

Xia’s character deserves a special mention, the way she and Matt unobtrusively supported Rowan. Perfection 👌

I’m often picky with stories told in the first person but this was written quite well. It was a little long with some parts a bit repetitive, but overall a solid story of self acceptance, comfort in gestures of love, and finding your person.

You’re gay because you’re supposed to be loved by a man, and I’m gonna be that man.

This made me cry… I’m sure the author tried to destroy me with the lead up to that bath scene 😭

4.5 ⭐️
3-4?🌶️

[Sona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was basically 80% two boys discovering they are very, very interested in each other and 20% other stuff 😏

The romance was sweet, heartfelt, and beautifully tender. Watching these two boys slowly stop pretending to be someone they’re not and finally find a safe place in each other and explore their sexuality was genuinely Awesome! .
But.
There is a LOT of spice.

A lot.

Don’t get me wrong it was hot, it made sense for the characters, one is 20 and the other 22 so yea I get it! Also considering both of them spent years denying themselves, their inability to keep their hands off each other was believable. But after a certain point I found myself skipping a few lines because there are only so many ways two people can be doing the stuff to each other before my brain starts looking for the next chapter heading.

This aside there was another tiny issue and It was the various types of angst.

This book collected angst types.

Foster care trauma?.

Sexual Identity struggles?

Family rejection?

Cancer storyline?

Complicated parent-child relationships?

Mysterious unresolved threads that appear and then wander off into the distance?

Individually, all of these themes can be heavy to read about . Together, they felt like they were just there but before we address one pain one more was added and that also crammed in this short spaces between the sex scenes without each being properly expressed and handled . The book kept introducing emotional threads that I expected to become major storylines, only for them to remain lightly explored before the focus shifted elsewhere.

That said, the emotional heart of the story was strong enough that I still didn’t mind.

I loved to see these boys become each others safe place, each others family. I was happy for their happiness.
Did I adore Rowan turning out to be a giant softie who would probably fold into a puddle if Tommy looked at him too lovingly? Absolutely.

And despite all the things I think could have been developed more, I finished the book smiling.

Sometimes a story doesn’t have to be flawless to be lovable.

It just has to make you care about the people in it.

And somehow, this imperfect little romance managed exactly that.

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweat (Like Teammates, #1) by Jonah Yorke
MC: Tommy & Rowan 4.5⭐

“It’s always darkest before the dawn, right?” he says. “I can feel it now, though. The dawn.”

“You’re gay because you’re supposed to be loved by a man.”

Tropes & tags
⚽College romance🔥 Soccer Hotties⚽ Hurt/Comfort🔥 Gay Awakening⚽ Tortured Hero🔥 Insta-lust⚽ "daddy"/"baby boy"🔥 Horn dogs with sad puppy eyes⚽Mutual Pining

And finally, a sport I can relate to and understand without Google help!!!! In Portugal, soccer is called football (futebol), and it's the king sport over here. And what a big ass review... I need some good editing :D

Anyway… About my new babies……….

It’s a college sports romance centered on Tommy and Rowan, two soccer players with a messy history. They knew each other as teens → not a great history (homophobia + resentment). Present day → Tommy’s girlfriend cheats… with Rowan. That confrontation turns into: rivalry → teammates → something much more complicated. From there, it’s a mix of sexual tension, emotional damage, and slow emotional unraveling as they’re forced into each other’s orbit.

For some reason, I got it into my head that this book was all roughness and aggressiveness, but oh my sweet gay boys, how wrong I was. This is soooo sweet, swoon-worthy, adorable at first, like two missing puzzle pieces that just complete each other kind of book.

Tommy thinks so badly of himself that he would accept a cheating girlfriend over having none at all. His daydreams about Rowan are so hot—poor baby.

In logic, there's nothing forbidden about this relationship except their own obstacles, but I have to say that reading this tension, the hiding, and then going for it all is so goddamn hot it burns… The kisses, every time they touch each other, look at each other, and the dirty talk? Instant combustion. Imagine all that pent-up tension of never accepting or acting on who you are finally coming out to play? And CUM they do 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

There’s a lot of smut, yes—pure hotness overload—but at the same time, it does not feel repetitive. It feels intimate, and it evolves along with their connection. It feels necessary, it feels ground-shaking, it feels right. Loved their dynamic, even if that daddy/boy came out of nowhere—it was just freaking HOT!!!!

And the pet names? ADORE. THEM. ALL. ALL THE BABY, BABY BOY, BABY FACE, BABY GAY, DADDY, GOOD BOY. Licking my fingers—loved it.



Both characters have vulnerabilities and setbacks. I melted watching Tommy break down all the walls Rowan built around himself. His internalised homophobia was debilitating, his denial crippling, but he tried so hard for Tommy—and he did it! So proud of you, babies.
But what really got to me, what really made me love this book, was all the caring moments, the devotion, the worship, the love they share. This book has the sweetest moments two horndogs can have.

Matt and Xia—people like them make me keep my faith in humanity!

Do I fully understand why they can't accept it right away or have to hide that they are gay? No. It doesn't make total sense to me, but do I judge? Did I go through something similar? No. Every individual is different, and every reality is their own. I’m here to read about their lives—I adore them, seeing all that lurks beneath, all that family- and self-induced homophobia. I see you, babies!

While I tried not to get overwhelmed by the bigotry, it's there, and it sucks 🙁
I also wish for a more detailed note about the abuse and Erica's illness—these are hard topics and might be triggering for some readers.

In the end, my heart was full. Their love and future are undeniable. What a bumpy road this was—abuse, trauma, monster parents, homophobia, and everything that comes with it—but it ends on such a positive note. Maybe a bit unrealistic in some areas, wrapped up too easily in others, but overall I was drunk on true love.

“Imagine,” I murmur, “doing that every night for the rest of our lives.”
A dazed chuckle rocks Rowan’s chest as he tightens his arms around me, picking his leg up over my hip again. “Fucking gay boy,” he rasps.
“One-hundred percent.” Not even one percentage point of doubt left over.”

⚠️Author Content Warnings
Please be aware, this book deals with challenging topics such as internal and external homophobia, including use of the f-slur by queer characters as an expression of internal struggle. Additionally, expect mature discussions that include but are not limited to grief, depression, suicidal ideation, and past childhood trauma. Please prioritize your mental health while reading.
This book is intended for readers age 18 and up. All depicted sexual scenarios are between consenting adults. Related content warnings include but are not limited to:
A sex act between a protagonist and someone other than his eventual romantic partner (no cheating, no love triangle).
Unprotected sex.
Affectionate teasing/name-calling.
Power exchange.

❣️Book Safety & Content
Other Person Drama: Yes (one bj and a kiss with other persons, insignificant and both serve the purpose imo)
Third-Act Breakup: No
Role Dynamics: Versatile one switch on page. Their dynamic will be more Strict roles with switching from time to time.
POV: 1st person dual
Format: Series (a book for each couple)
Ending: HEA
Angst Level: Medium
Spice Level: High heat
Communication: Some miscommunication
Pining: Mutual

[Liz ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goddamn it… believe me when I say I really tried to give this book a chance, even making excuses to say I read the TW’s I knew that the term “fag” or “faggot” were going to be used but omg it was in every chapter AND AS SOMEONE WHO WAS CONSTANTLY CALLED THAT I WAS TRIGGERED 😭😭😭

i only read 31% of it so i can’t imagine how many times it actually shows up. ALSO, the nail in the coffin for my dnf was this line

“There’s a rumor going around among the girls that he’s gay, but i just think he’s autistic or something”

respectfully, im out lol.

[Jo⁷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow.

RTC 🩷

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️

🎧𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 — 𝙰𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝, 𝚂𝚘 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎, 𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗🎧

// Swear it's platonic with your hands on my waist
Don't care what we call it 'cause I'm not thinking straight
Tonight or forever I'll take you any which way //

“Relax,” he murmurs, then runs the tip of his tongue along his lips.
“It doesn’t have to be gay.”

TROPES:
❤️‍🔥Animosity to lovers
❤️‍🔥Coming out
❤️‍🔥Soccer players
❤️‍🔥Black cat vs golden retriever

There are only so many times one can pop an ‘accidental’ boner for his teammate and still think he’s straight.
Cute hurt boys falling in love. Forever my favorite type of story.
Sweat had me feeling all my emotions, a super sexy but equally romantic and loving romance.

If I only had the courage to stretch my finger out, I’d be touching him right now instead of just thinking about touching him. I want to savasana on top of him.

The tension between Tommy and Rowan was sooo good, the brojobs becoming secret hookups, the kissing turning into loving, and then everything. I loved seeing them heal their past wounds, learning what love is meant to feel like.

“I’m close,” he huffs.
“You gonna come for me, baby boy?”
“Fuck”

And the spice was plain HOT. A fitting title, ‘cause it’s hot as fuck where I live and that’s not the only reason I’m melting over here.
First times, backseat blowies, exploring hands, Rowan’s hot dirty talk — I need an ice bath.

“It’s always darkest before the dawn, right?” he says. “I can feel it now, though. The dawn.”

All the sweaty smut aside, their relationship was also very sweet and you can see from the start that they care about each other.
They found their person, and I’m a romantic, so my heart is all fuzzy and warm now.
I absolutely can’t wait for more installments of this series, ‘cause up next we got ‘girlfriend’s brother’ and that sounds very very enticing.

“Can we be happy now?”

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Homophobia
- Use of the f slur
- Grief/death of a family member (cancer)
- Depression
- Suicidal ideation and discussion of past suicide attempts
- Past childhood trauma
- Mentions of past child abuse (not graphic)
- Mentions of foster care
- Mentions of past bullying
- Mostly top/bottom (one switch scene)
- Cheating (not between MCs)
- MC hooks up w/ OM before MCs are officially together
- Frotting
- Rimming
- 69
- Snowballing
- Light edging
- Semi-public sex
- Light daddy kink

[⋆★taylor★⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chemistry & tension between Tommy & Rowan was sooo good. Tommy is so bashful & a cutie and I love him. I loved seeing him break down Rowan’s walls & the way their relationship progressed. The character development for both of them was really strong. Both of them coming to terms with their sexuality was such an emotional journey (more for Rowan maybe) but I loved how supportive they were of each other through everything. They just felt so raw & real and I loved when Rowan finally believes he’s deserving of Tommy’s love for him. Also, Rowan planning to commit to San Jose so they could be near Tommy’s family and doing all this research for them was so sweet I was cryin a lil 😭

There was sooo much internalized homophobia in here & I feel like it was hard to read, it just hurt my heart & so did Rowan’s trauma from when he was a kid 😢 yes I did hate the scene with Rowan getting a blowjob from some random guy who is also married 🫠 I feel like that was super weird with the way he insisted he wouldn’t have fooled around with Tommy’s girlfriend if he knew she wasn’t single. but anywayyy, that was really the only thing I didn’t like. Overall, I still loved this & I’m looking forward to the next book!

Fav parts:
Usually, I’m pretty good at dodging peer pressure, but this is Rowan we’re talking about. If he ever jumps off a cliff, I’ll find it just so I can jump after him. Maybe that should embarrass me. It does embarrass me, but it’s still true.

“It’s not just about soccer for me. Even when we first started training together, it wasn’t. I think it’s always been about him for me.”

“I love you,” he murmurs against my hair before kissing my head. For the first time in my life, it’s easy to tell someone, “I love you too,” because it’s Tommy. And Tommy really is special.

“You’re my dream, Rowan,” he murmurs. “It’s always been you, and I will never give up on you. Ever. Not for anything.”

[Kati *☆･ﾟ]

***no rating***
dropped @70%

Can’t say I became a big fan of this story. But then again, this book also fell victim to my still raging audio slump. It’s no ones fault but mind and I loved the narrators.

Still, I’m now finally putting this to rest.

[Ash’s reading corner ✨🌈 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Somehow, while I’m breaking down all over him, he makes me feel whole.

Tropes:
✨MM
✨Soccer players
✨He trains him and enjoys a bit too much
✨Black cat x Golden retriever
✨Submissive top x Power Bottom
✨Daddy kink (no age play)
✨Animosity to lovers
✨Coming out (lots of internalized homophobia)
✨Sneaking around
✨Virgin MMC
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨Found Family

⚠️Please READ the TWs before diving into this book. + I'm warning you, there's a useless scene of one MMC sleeping with someone else before they start dating. If you usually stay away from books with scenes like that, rest assured that it's at the beginning, short, and isn't really important or mentioned again. ⚠️

My review:

“It’s always darkest before the dawn, right?” he says. “I can feel it now, though. The dawn.”

I ate this UP. The tension between Tommy and Rowan was unreal. Watching those secret hookups slowly turn into something softer and deeper had me glued to the pages. What starts as stolen moments and heat grows into real care, real love, and honestly some really beautiful healing. Seeing them unlearn their past hurts together was my favorite part. There's A LOT of internalized homophobia, from both of them at first, and those parts and thoughts were extremely well-written. I 100% can relate to some of those thoughts or fears and I'm surprised how well this was written considering that Sweat was the author's debut work. I usually always feel like the whole internalized homophobia thing is only written to add "reasons" for one character or the other to run away or deny the attraction in the name of angsts, but it was much deeper than that in this book which I appreciate greatly. I also loved the way they both dealt with it in opposite ways, all while giving each other space and time to grow and let go of their fears/trauma.

Tommy is an absolute sweetheart, and Rowan is rough around the edges in that way where you just know there’s a lot hiding underneath. The way Rowan softens only around Tommy, how protective he gets of his baby boy, how far he’s willing to go for him… I loved that dynamic so much. And once the story starts peeling back Rowan’s past, his behavior finally starts to make sense. You really do have to be patient with him and sometimes, you have to forgive him for hurting Tommy. I feel like Rowan was the character who perhaps deserved a bit more focus from the author... but I'll explain why later. He's an absolute sweetheart nonetheless, and he grows into such a good and confident gay dude, I'm proud of him.

Their dynamic worked ridiculously well, both emotionally and in the bedroom. Sweet but confident Tommy, guarded but needy Rowan, and the way those roles flipped and blended felt natural and hot. The book is definitely long, but I didn’t mind because it gave their relationship room to breathe and for the character-growth to happen. (ALSO ... who doesn't LOVE a bulky submissive top being a total whiny and shy baby for his power bottom?)

Is she hot, though? I don’t even know, but she looked like the sort of woman that a guy like me would find hot, if I weren’t so fucking gay.

That said, a couple of plot choices near the end threw me off. Rowan’s reaction to being outed didn’t fully line up with how scared and in denial he’d been up until then, and the family trauma reveal felt a bit abrupt. It didn’t ruin the story for me, but it did make the climax feel a little messy.

“I’m close,” he huffs.
“You gonna come for me, baby boy?”
“Fuck”

I also am still unsure of the reason the author wrote that scene at the beginning, where one MC gets a blowjob from someone else. It didn't add anything to the story, no character-growth or any big realization. It happens, does nothing, and then it's not talked about again. I do feel like this book was a tad long, as I said previously, and that's typically the type of scene we could have lived without.

I'm also a bit disappointed we didn't dig a bit more into the reason Rowan is so into that whole Daddy Kink. Given his past and everything he went through.... It's definitely a coping thing for him, and I would have liked for the focus to switch on that, especially towards the end.

I love doing gay shit with Rowan more than I ever liked having straight sex.

Still, this was angsty, raw, emotional, and impossible to put down. I was fully invested in these two and rooting for them hard. The ending was really satisfying, and overall, this was such a good time. Highly recommend if you like slow-burn tension, healing arcs, and couples who grow together! (and soccer, of course)

A fucking sadist in the body of an obscenely buff sixty - year - old. Man looks like an aging gay porn star, like he should be bottoming for hung twinks in his office between practices.

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy and Rowan embark on quite an unexpected journey in this story. I love their affection for one another and their willingness to provide unwavering support and guidance during their most emotional moments. Tommy and Rowan demonstrate significant emotional growth and depth, making for a compelling story overall.

I truly enjoyed this story. At times, it was tough to see these characters, especially Tommy, struggling so much, but having Rowan constantly supporting and helping him through his pain was such a relief. Overall, I couldn't get enough of these two and wholeheartedly supported and enjoyed their hard-won HEA.

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***

[LauraSt · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS

Ugh. Social media did me SO wrong with this recommendation because this was just… bad. And I’m genuinely sad about it because this book had the potential to be SO much better than what it ended up being.

This is an MM college sports romance about a former soccer player dealing with grief and depression who gets pulled back into the sport after reconnecting with the campus soccer star he has a complicated history with. There’s supposed to be tension, secret relationship vibes, enemies-to-lovers energy, hurt/comfort, healing, and self-discovery.

And honestly? The premise sounded RIGHT up my alley.

The problem is that almost everything surrounding the relationship completely took me out of the story.

First of all… this absolutely did NOT need to be this long. I’m so serious when I say this could have been cut down to like 35% of the book and probably worked better as a short story because the majority of this felt repetitive. Same conversations. Same internal monologues. Same sex scenes over and over again with very little emotional progression in between.

And the crazy part is? The only part I genuinely enjoyed was probably the LAST 15%.

The tension and banter at the beginning had potential. I could see glimpses of what this story COULD have been. I even liked the idea of Rowan being this internally conflicted athlete struggling with identity issues while Tommy is trying to navigate grief, depression, and his sense of self-worth.

But then the execution just completely lost me.

The misogyny in this book was genuinely exhausting. Mind you, I love a terrible ex-girlfriend or bad mom character when it actually serves the plot. But there was absolutely no reason for almost EVERY female character to be written in such an awful, degrading, cartoonishly mean and slutty way. It felt excessive and honestly uncomfortable to read after a while.

And then the internalized homophobia and stereotypes… dear God.

Some of the dialogue and inner monologues had me physically cringing. This quote genuinely made me stop and stare at the wall for a second:

“I blink and discover tears in my eyes. Being gay would explain how sensitive I’ve always been.”

Like… what???

Also, I feel like this book kept throwing in heavy topics just for shock value and emotional manipulation instead of actually exploring them with care. There’s internalized homophobia, assault mentions involving a child, misogyny, suicide attempts, depression, grief, abusive parents… and instead of feeling meaningful or layered, a lot of it felt like someone made a checklist of “dark emotional topics” they thought would automatically make the story deeper.

And that’s what bothered me the most. None of it felt genuine. It felt forced in to make readers emotionally react instead of naturally earning those emotions through the storytelling.

The writing style also just did not work for me. The POVs blended together constantly, I kept forgetting who’s POV I was on. The pacing was all over the place, and some of the wording during the spicy scenes had me wanting to evaporate from existence. Why are we saying “tummy” and “smooch” this much? WHY was “scrotum” fighting for its life in every other scene???

And don’t even get me started on the inconsistency in characterization because Rowan would say one thing and then completely contradict himself five pages later.

The thing that frustrates me most is that there actually WERE elements I liked underneath all the mess. The portrayal of grief at times felt very real. Tommy’s pain felt believable. There were moments where the hurt/comfort aspects almost landed emotionally for me. Rowan giving in and trying to embrace being a “gay boy” -his words not mine- for Tommy cause he loved him.

But the story focused so heavily on the sex and random unnecessary moments that it neglected the emotional and plot development that would’ve made me actually CARE about these characters together.

By the end I wasn’t rooting for them. I was just tired.

So yeah… definitely not for me. I will absolutely NOT be reading book two.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rowan and Tommy were a pair of very dumb, very gay boys. They were both doing the gayest thing possible, flirting left and right and then panicking, they were being too gay and that the other one was straight. And let’s not forget the numerous hookups they had, while not admitting they were maybe not straight.

I was sure I was going to give it 3 stars, cuz NGL, it dragged a bit in the middle, but I liked how it picked up by the end. Poor Rowan had some serious hidden depths, but I liked how he had his found family and Tommy in his corner to help him get through it. Tommy, on his side, was super endearing, and I liked the relationship with his sister and nephew; the mom deserves no honourable mention at all. I loved the babyboys and sweethearts; these boys were absolutely smitten with each other, and it was so cute to read.

I think my only complaint is how Tommy and everyone else kept saying how Rowan has hot shit and “the next Messi,” but the dude was 22 and playing in California. If he had actually been that promising, he would have been scouted and playing in Europe since he was 18. Also, if this had 30% less training and sweaty BJs and none of the random daddy thrown around, it could’ve been a 5 stars. It’s still pretty good for a debut novel, though. I had a good time and would probably read another book by the same author.

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new author's debut novel is absolutely wonderful.

Tommy is a sweet guy who is a totally gay, but is kinda in the closet at the start of this. Not as much as Rowan, who is also totally gay, but has his own trauma that prevents him from admitting it for a long while, even when he and Tommy start to do things together.

The book warns for this in the beginning, but I thought I'd go into more detail if anyone is curious to know exactly what happens. It warns that one MC is with another other than the other MC but there is no sharing or cheating of the sort. Here is more on that below the cut: Rowan and Tommy start things a bit, maybe a hand job or two.

They are not in any way serious yet or committed. Rowan is very much in the "I'm not gay" portion of the book, and also that he's not too into Tommy and he's not gaining the feelings he totally is gaining. He is very much in denial.

He goes on Grindr is tempted to just get some sex out of way with other men. He eventually meets up with this married suburban dad and the guy gives him a blowjob behind a tree. Rowan isn't very happy about it even if he gets off. He never does it again and basically regrets this one time he did it.

When he and Rowan are still in their "not serious, just messing around stage" Tommy also kisses a girl at this party in front of Rowan. But Tommy feels nothing and it's to make Rowan jealous as from Tommy's POV is seemed he was letting a girl flirt with him and Tommy gets upset over it and so kisses this one girl out of that jealousy.

Both instances are very quick, somewhat glossed over and happens earlier on in the story. Once these boys are all in, there's no one else for them.

Of course, there's what starts off their love story - Tommy has a girlfriend at the start of this story, and she hooks up with Rowan (we don't see it, really, just Rowan describing the underwhelming event) and that is what makes Tommy seek him out, of course.

Tommy breaks up with her right after this, too, of course, so aside from under the cut and his ex-girlfriend, there's no one else for them in the story, especially when their relationship really starts to take off.

That out of the way, getting into the rest, I loved this. Tommy was so sweet and Rowan was more hard/rough around the edges, but he loosened up around Tommy so much and was so sweet with him. His fierce protectiveness of his 'baby boy' was wonderful too, I loved how much he was ready to throw down for his baby.

This was long, and perhaps it took me a bit to get through, but I didn't feel like penalizing the rating of this for that, because I was still enjoying this, it was just a long story.

But I loved that we got to know these two so well and got to learn so much about that. We don't learn about Rowan much at first and I was like 'okay why is he like this? Why did he call Tommy the F word?' and the story slowly unravels his past, his story, and what he's been through and it all starts to make sense.

Be patient with Rowan's story as Tommy is with Rowan himself, it all starts to make sense as the story goes along and more and more is revealed.

I love how great their dynamic was too. Tommy was the sweet one, the more submissive one in the bedroom as well, but he was the top almost exclusively, and it totally worked for them. Rowan was more of a power bottom than anything. We do get them trying it the other way once, but they come to the conclusion that they prefer their usual positions. Seems the other way around would be a once in a awhile type thing.

It just worked and I loved that. Usually I'd be bemoaning how it should be the other way around, because honestly sometimes the authors don't put in the work to make the sexual positions feel right or earned. But it just felt right for it with these two from the beginning, as well as them maintaining their more dominant and submissive roles even though Tommy was the top and Rowan the bottom.

Before I forget, Trigger Warning for: Tommy's sister has cancer, and it's advanced and she eventually stops treatment and near the end of this, passes. It's very sad and heartbreaking and a lot to take at times. So just keep that in mind while reading this as well.

But while this is certainly angsty and these two both go through SO much, they eventually make it out the other side with a happy ending, and it's so wonderful.

Seeing these two get their happy ending from where they start is beautiful.

And I can't wait for Connor's story next...falling for your girlfriend's brother? Oh I hope like hell it's juicy and dramatic AF. This is an exciting new author that I can't wait for more from. This was an excellent introductory novel.

Can't wait for the next one - until then! 😍