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Before the Rivalry
One summer. One lake. One kiss that satisfies how it all started.
Varsity Heat Crew is a bingeable MM college sports romance series following one couple across multiple books—high-stakes rivalry, slow-burn obsession, explosive chemistry, and emotional payoffs that keep readers turning pages.
Before they were rivals, they were strangers on opposite sides of a dock.|
Liam Moore spends his summers hauling fuel lines and scrubbing boats at Brackett Lake Marina — working for the kind of people who treat his town like a vacation and him like the help. Four more weeks and he's gone. Full ride to Riverside State. Rowing scholarship. A real shot at something.
Alex Harrington spends his summers suffocating. The house on Peninsula Point. Dinner at seven sharp. A father who measures love in trophies and obedience. When a docking stunt goes wrong, his punishment is the best thing that's ever happened to him: a summer working at the marina alongside a boy who doesn't care about the Harrington name.
Late nights on the dock. Early mornings on the water. Two rowers who move together like they were built for it.
And one kiss that changes everything — then ends before either of them is brave enough to hold onto it.
Before the Rivalry is the short prequel to the Varsity Heat Crew series. It's the summer Alex and Liam don't talk about. The one that explains everything that comes after.
This prequel is FREE when you join the Varsity Heat Crew reader list.
Varsity Heat Crew is a bingeable MM college sports romance series following one couple across multiple books—high-stakes rivalry, slow-burn obsession, explosive chemistry, and emotional payoffs that keep readers turning pages.
Before they were rivals, they were strangers on opposite sides of a dock.|
Liam Moore spends his summers hauling fuel lines and scrubbing boats at Brackett Lake Marina — working for the kind of people who treat his town like a vacation and him like the help. Four more weeks and he's gone. Full ride to Riverside State. Rowing scholarship. A real shot at something.
Alex Harrington spends his summers suffocating. The house on Peninsula Point. Dinner at seven sharp. A father who measures love in trophies and obedience. When a docking stunt goes wrong, his punishment is the best thing that's ever happened to him: a summer working at the marina alongside a boy who doesn't care about the Harrington name.
Late nights on the dock. Early mornings on the water. Two rowers who move together like they were built for it.
And one kiss that changes everything — then ends before either of them is brave enough to hold onto it.
Before the Rivalry is the short prequel to the Varsity Heat Crew series. It's the summer Alex and Liam don't talk about. The one that explains everything that comes after.
This prequel is FREE when you join the Varsity Heat Crew reader list.
- GenresM M Romance
122 pages, ebook
Published December 1, 2025
About the author
Dylan Joseph
15 books39 followersGrab your free copy of Before the Rivalry at dylanjoseph.co/vhc
Dylan Joseph writes the kind of MM romance that lingers long after the last page—slow-burn connections, emotional depth, open door spice, and moments of raw vulnerability. His stories invite readers into worlds where love feels both magical and deeply human, where every glance, touch, and conversation matters.
When he’s not writing, Dylan loves gardening, exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, and spending time with his partner, Ben, and three dogs, Oak, Bear, and Mopsy.
If you believe love stories should stir your heart, spark your imagination, and take you somewhere extraordinary, you’ll feel right at home in Dylan Joseph’s world.
All inquiries for podcast appearances, video shows, and speaking can be sent to dylan@dylanjoseph.co
Dylan Joseph writes the kind of MM romance that lingers long after the last page—slow-burn connections, emotional depth, open door spice, and moments of raw vulnerability. His stories invite readers into worlds where love feels both magical and deeply human, where every glance, touch, and conversation matters.
When he’s not writing, Dylan loves gardening, exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, and spending time with his partner, Ben, and three dogs, Oak, Bear, and Mopsy.
If you believe love stories should stir your heart, spark your imagination, and take you somewhere extraordinary, you’ll feel right at home in Dylan Joseph’s world.
All inquiries for podcast appearances, video shows, and speaking can be sent to dylan@dylanjoseph.co
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 26, 2026
I just finished reading *Varsity Heat Crew: The Prequel - Before the Rivalry* by Dylan Joseph, and wow, it was incredible! The story dives deep into the lives of Liam Moore and Alex Harrington, two rowers heading into a heated rivalry that’s about way more than just the sport.
Liam’s working at the marina now but has a full ride to Riverside State University for rowing—he’s got a real shot at something big. Meanwhile, Alex, the legacy kid, is also working there but thanks to his wealthy background, he’s off to Kingswell with every advantage. His mom’s words really stuck with me: *“Every morning when you’re on the water and you see Riverside across from you, remember this—you’re better. You were raised to be better.”* Talk about pressure and pride.
What makes it even more captivating is how their positions in the boat—stroke for one, bow for the other—mirror their personalities. They’re like the perfect blend of lead and balance, setting the stage for some intense moments.
Honestly, the prequel hooked me so much I jumped right into the first book, *The First Stroke*. I couldn’t wait to see how their story would unfold!
You’ve seriously got to give it a read.
Liam’s working at the marina now but has a full ride to Riverside State University for rowing—he’s got a real shot at something big. Meanwhile, Alex, the legacy kid, is also working there but thanks to his wealthy background, he’s off to Kingswell with every advantage. His mom’s words really stuck with me: *“Every morning when you’re on the water and you see Riverside across from you, remember this—you’re better. You were raised to be better.”* Talk about pressure and pride.
What makes it even more captivating is how their positions in the boat—stroke for one, bow for the other—mirror their personalities. They’re like the perfect blend of lead and balance, setting the stage for some intense moments.
Honestly, the prequel hooked me so much I jumped right into the first book, *The First Stroke*. I couldn’t wait to see how their story would unfold!
You’ve seriously got to give it a read.
April 10, 2026
This prequel is my gift to readers — Grab your free copy at dylanjoseph.co/vhc
The summer that started everything between Alex and Liam, before the rivalry tore them apart.
If you're new to the series, this is the perfect place to start. If you've already read The First Stroke, this is the context that makes every angry look and loaded silence hit twice as hard.
Thanks for reading. This series means everything to me, and I can't wait for you to meet these two.
The summer that started everything between Alex and Liam, before the rivalry tore them apart.
If you're new to the series, this is the perfect place to start. If you've already read The First Stroke, this is the context that makes every angry look and loaded silence hit twice as hard.
Thanks for reading. This series means everything to me, and I can't wait for you to meet these two.
May 1, 2026
I read this back in January, but for the longest time it was never on here for me to review it. I got an ad on Instagram back when the first book came out and y’all know how I eat up gay romances especially ones with angst and rivalries, so I added it to my list to eventually read. Then I discovered this prequel and was like, well if I’m gonna read the first I gotta read this first because I want all of the context and story. So I got this by signing up for the author’s newsletter and I read it in a day and really enjoyed it!
Now, this is very much the first part of a still ongoing story. Don’t go into this expecting a full arc or storyline. Think of it like the first episode of a TV show. You are introduced to the characters, their history, and are then left with an ending setting up the rest of the season.
Having read the first book after this I couldn’t imagine reading it without having read this first. You don’t get any of their history besides a few moments and don’t get the nuances of their characters, feelings for each other, or even their lives outside of school without this. Everyone should start here! You don’t get to know Liam and Alex away from their angst and rivalry without this, and reading this makes them all the more human.
As a story this prequel is good. It’s paced well, has some angst, but also a lot of sweetness, and sets up what is quickly becoming one of my favorite gay romance series.
Now, this is very much the first part of a still ongoing story. Don’t go into this expecting a full arc or storyline. Think of it like the first episode of a TV show. You are introduced to the characters, their history, and are then left with an ending setting up the rest of the season.
Having read the first book after this I couldn’t imagine reading it without having read this first. You don’t get any of their history besides a few moments and don’t get the nuances of their characters, feelings for each other, or even their lives outside of school without this. Everyone should start here! You don’t get to know Liam and Alex away from their angst and rivalry without this, and reading this makes them all the more human.
As a story this prequel is good. It’s paced well, has some angst, but also a lot of sweetness, and sets up what is quickly becoming one of my favorite gay romance series.
July 7, 2026
A good set up for the series. This prequel introduces us to the MCs and does a very good job of defining their characters and the expectations and stereotypes that they noth have to see through. It gives us the journey to their friendship, the feelings that are more than friendship, and the realization that as much as they may want it, it can never be more. The final nail in the coffin is when they discover that they are going to schools that are across a river from each other and bitter rivals. One the prestigious, wealthy, legacy filled Kingswell University that “summer rich”Alex will be attending and the other Riverside State scrappy, upstart, hard working, grinding students like Liamwhowill be going on a rowing scholarship. They will be on opposing teams, expected to be not only rivals but mortal enemies.
It’s such a bittersweet end to their summer of breaking those barriers and hoping for something more. I’m looking forward to starting book one to see how things progress.
It’s such a bittersweet end to their summer of breaking those barriers and hoping for something more. I’m looking forward to starting book one to see how things progress.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews