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Black Jack Gentlemen #1
Man On
Bad boy of European football, Nicolas Garza is about to hit American shores with a vengeance. Signed by the Detroit Black Jack Gentlemen as lynch pin for their expansion club, Nicco only half believes he’s making the right move. But with a past full of ghosts and rotten behavior chasing him from his homeland, he has no real choice.
Parker Rollings is a college soccer superstar, but his parents’ plans for their only son do not include professional athletics. When the Black Jacks approach him to finalize their roster, Parker leaps at the chance to keep playing, leaving behind medical school, stability and his first and only college sweetheart.
Nicco and Parker face off as bitter rivals for a coveted starting spot at midfield and are forced to channel their negative energy into something positive for the sake of the group—and themselves.
All eyes are on the fledgling team in its debut season. It’s crucial that the Black Jacks prove all the doubters wrong. They must make a good showing in the league and with new fans. But player drama, club dynamics, and misplaced priorities may tear it apart before it even begins.
Parker Rollings is a college soccer superstar, but his parents’ plans for their only son do not include professional athletics. When the Black Jacks approach him to finalize their roster, Parker leaps at the chance to keep playing, leaving behind medical school, stability and his first and only college sweetheart.
Nicco and Parker face off as bitter rivals for a coveted starting spot at midfield and are forced to channel their negative energy into something positive for the sake of the group—and themselves.
All eyes are on the fledgling team in its debut season. It’s crucial that the Black Jacks prove all the doubters wrong. They must make a good showing in the league and with new fans. But player drama, club dynamics, and misplaced priorities may tear it apart before it even begins.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2013
4 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Liz Crowe
100 books1,230 followersLiz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in South Carolina. She's spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a digital marketing and fundraising consultant, in addition to being an award-winning author.
The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
Her favorite things to do when she’s not scrolling social media for cute animal videos is walk her dogs, cuddle her cats, and watch her favorite sports teams while scrolling social media for cute animal videos.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 27, 2015
~Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review~
2.5 stars
This review is posted on Way Too Hot Books.
Somehow, when it comes to arcs from Netgalley, I had more luck with mm romance reads than fm so far, but sadly, this book was one of the exceptions.
~ Why it didn't work out for me:
- I had mixed feelings about one of the protagonists- Nicolas Garza. In my opinion he behaved as a arrogant, uptight, spoiled brat/ man-whore / drama queen since the very beginning and even if he did have some redeeming moments later on, I couldn't warm up to him completely. In comparison to him Parker was more likable despite his insecurities.
- The story was only around 140 pages long, but there was so much unnecessary "high school level" drama that got on my nerves.
- The book is written from three points of views: Nicco's, Parker's and Rafe's, who was their temporary coach. I really didn't understand through the whole story the importance of Rafe's POV. I think it was totally unnecessary and his marriage struggles which had nothing to do with the main couple only added to the drama.
- Add to that the rushed and abrupt ending which left many questions and situations to our imagination. I thought I was missing pages. Up til' this point I was undecided whether to rate it 2.5 or 3 stars, but the anticlimatic ending with loopholes decided it for me.
There were some good moments in the story too, but for me they eventually became overshadowed by the reasons mentioned above. I'm sure that there will be readers who will enjoy it more than I did. Considering all the great mm romance books I've read so far, this is a 2.5 stars for me.
2.5 stars
This review is posted on Way Too Hot Books.
Somehow, when it comes to arcs from Netgalley, I had more luck with mm romance reads than fm so far, but sadly, this book was one of the exceptions.
~ Why it didn't work out for me:
- I had mixed feelings about one of the protagonists- Nicolas Garza. In my opinion he behaved as a arrogant, uptight, spoiled brat/ man-whore / drama queen since the very beginning and even if he did have some redeeming moments later on, I couldn't warm up to him completely. In comparison to him Parker was more likable despite his insecurities.
- The story was only around 140 pages long, but there was so much unnecessary "high school level" drama that got on my nerves.
- The book is written from three points of views: Nicco's, Parker's and Rafe's, who was their temporary coach. I really didn't understand through the whole story the importance of Rafe's POV. I think it was totally unnecessary and his marriage struggles which had nothing to do with the main couple only added to the drama.
- Add to that the rushed and abrupt ending which left many questions and situations to our imagination. I thought I was missing pages. Up til' this point I was undecided whether to rate it 2.5 or 3 stars, but the anticlimatic ending with loopholes decided it for me.
There were some good moments in the story too, but for me they eventually became overshadowed by the reasons mentioned above. I'm sure that there will be readers who will enjoy it more than I did. Considering all the great mm romance books I've read so far, this is a 2.5 stars for me.
August 13, 2013
Review written for Hearts On Fire Reviews
This is book 1 of the Black Jack Gentlemen Series. This is a solid start to an interesting new series about professional soccer. This story centers around the start of a new Detroit team, the Black Jack Gentlemen. This team is somewhat of a crapshoot project, comprising of retired professional stars for coaches, players retired or kicked out of European leagues, and a few up and coming rising stars.
This installment is about the team coming gathering and becoming successful, but the main characters here are Nicolas Garza, or Nicco, who was kicked out of the European league after a downward behavioral spiral stemming from his ex-wife outing him as gay/bi which is strictly forbidden or frowned upon in that league. He sees the Detroit team as a fresh start that will enable him to continue playing his sport. He is basically a bad boy, man whore, known for being somewhat of a trouble maker. After losing the one love of his life, he turned to a life of non-emotional sex and lots of it, with guys and girls, strangers and orgies.
On the flip side, we have Parker Rolling, a sweet young college star, who accepted the contract with team after turning down many offers to follow his parents’ dreams of his becoming a doctor. He realizes he might be gay but tries to deny it first to make his parents happy and then to be able to play soccer. While he makes a few monumental changes before moving to Detroit, denial is still a major factor here for the sweet southern boy who has only ever been with his long-time girlfriend.
When these two meet, there is instant sparks, though not all good. Nicco knows he has a problem, knows he is no good for the young star who, ironically, he must compete with to play the same position. Even though Nicco is essentially a slut for most of the story, it is easy to feel for him and what he has been through up to this point. That is not to say I didn’t want to kick his hot smexy accented Nicco’s ass more than a few times. Parker is sweet and innocent and you just want to protect him and help him out.
There are a few other things going on here, including the first out professional gay soccer player and the resulting aftermath, Nicco’s sex addiction and a few other issues. Aside from a way-too-convenience incident bringing Nicco and Parker together, this was a well written, very enjoyable story. I loved how things ended and am really looking forward to the continuation of this series.
August 21, 2015
1.5 stars
Warning: M/M, M/F and M/F/M on page sex scenes.
This book is the first instalment of The Black Jack Gentlemen series, all set around Detroit expansion soccer team. There were three leading characters here: Nicco, the Spanish footballer; Parker the fresh-face American, Rafe the ex footballer turned club manager cum assistant coach. And the main pairing - at least I assumed so - was of the in the closet Parker and bisexual Nicco.
Worried if there'd be too much sports talk in this book? Don't be; this book mainly focused on the drama happened in the life of those three mentioned above.
The story started with drama! Nicolas Garza was kicked out of La Liga (Spanish Football League) when his wife discovered he was maricón and she spread the news to the world. Not only that, the love of his life, a fellow footballer, died when the plane he and his teammates had taken crashed. Nicco found himself transferred across the world to a newly established soccer club in Detroit.
With that kind of beginning, one would expect we'd sympathized with the characters, but Nicco was one hard man to like. In fact, most of the characters in this book were either slutty or bitchy or BOTH. It was hard to like a story when you disliked the main characters so!
Added to my irritation was the super callous attitudes this story seemed so gladly exposing. While I understand some of the high life of sports stars would involve women/men, booze, drugs, overindulgence, etc etc these football club, especially, had all of those in abundance. And don't get me started with the way the club's high echelon speaking: it's like they were still in high school, what's with the dude, F words, and all spilled into their daily vocabularies whenever wherever.
The plot was choppy at best. It felt like some of the important things were left out from the page, like .
I also didn't get why Rafe took so many pages of his own struggles with marriage life, becoming a father and his new job taking care boy-men of Black Jack Gentlemen. Probably his story served as in-between just to fill in the void from both Nicco's and Parker's spiel. There was even a scene in the locker room which left me feeling flabbergasted what the heck was going on.
There were not enough on page scenes between Nicco and Parker, the supposed love couple of the book, until about... oh, 60 percent in. Somehow their relationship evolved from cautious-on-the-verge-of-hostile into mutual respects then good teammates. THIS, mostly only told instead of showed.
Their coming together was too accidental, rather than the result of effort from either sides. And I didn't get what's wrong between the time they finally got their blissful relationship to someone bungled it all before finding their way back together again. Then again, I seemed to be missing a lot of things here...
Note: ARC was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Warning: M/M, M/F and M/F/M on page sex scenes.
This book is the first instalment of The Black Jack Gentlemen series, all set around Detroit expansion soccer team. There were three leading characters here: Nicco, the Spanish footballer; Parker the fresh-face American, Rafe the ex footballer turned club manager cum assistant coach. And the main pairing - at least I assumed so - was of the in the closet Parker and bisexual Nicco.
Worried if there'd be too much sports talk in this book? Don't be; this book mainly focused on the drama happened in the life of those three mentioned above.
The story started with drama! Nicolas Garza was kicked out of La Liga (Spanish Football League) when his wife discovered he was maricón and she spread the news to the world. Not only that, the love of his life, a fellow footballer, died when the plane he and his teammates had taken crashed. Nicco found himself transferred across the world to a newly established soccer club in Detroit.
With that kind of beginning, one would expect we'd sympathized with the characters, but Nicco was one hard man to like. In fact, most of the characters in this book were either slutty or bitchy or BOTH. It was hard to like a story when you disliked the main characters so!
Added to my irritation was the super callous attitudes this story seemed so gladly exposing. While I understand some of the high life of sports stars would involve women/men, booze, drugs, overindulgence, etc etc these football club, especially, had all of those in abundance. And don't get me started with the way the club's high echelon speaking: it's like they were still in high school, what's with the dude, F words, and all spilled into their daily vocabularies whenever wherever.
The plot was choppy at best. It felt like some of the important things were left out from the page, like .
I also didn't get why Rafe took so many pages of his own struggles with marriage life, becoming a father and his new job taking care boy-men of Black Jack Gentlemen. Probably his story served as in-between just to fill in the void from both Nicco's and Parker's spiel. There was even a scene in the locker room which left me feeling flabbergasted what the heck was going on.
There were not enough on page scenes between Nicco and Parker, the supposed love couple of the book, until about... oh, 60 percent in. Somehow their relationship evolved from cautious-on-the-verge-of-hostile into mutual respects then good teammates. THIS, mostly only told instead of showed.
Their coming together was too accidental, rather than the result of effort from either sides. And I didn't get what's wrong between the time they finally got their blissful relationship to someone bungled it all before finding their way back together again. Then again, I seemed to be missing a lot of things here...
Note: ARC was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2015
Favorite Quotes:
“He felt strong but weak at the same time. Sure of himself, yet gut-churning terrified. All of which buoyed him, and made him even more positive about his decision.”
“Men, boys, there wasn’t much difference especially among pro athletes. They worked hard and played harder, spending their money on fast moving things that made a lot of noise, looked nice, and made them fell important. Rafe stopped, realizing he could be describing their automobiles as well as their wives and girlfriends.”
“The little kid at the grown up part sensation burned a hole in his gut.”
“The young man oozed vulnerability, but it combined with a sort of innate strength just under the surface.”
“‘I’ve been bad, yes. But now, I’m completely good. With you. Badness over.’ He raised a dark eyebrow. ‘Well other than the badness I’m about to get into with you.’”
My Review:
Liz Crowe tells unusual stories in a compelling way. She has a knack for presenting conflicting information in a way that makes sense. She also has a remarkable skill for putting a feeling or sense into words that had previously been just under my skin or a mist across my brain. She has mad skills, and I am in awe. Her characters are madly complicated and typically unlikable, yet she forces me to look beneath the surface and care about them nonetheless. In addition, she also manages to squeeze my cold heart while doing so. I have now read a few of her insightful and richly detailed books and have come to the conclusion that her dastardly characters are the story, the rest is just what happens. She never fails in her mission to enlighten, entertain, and satisfy, regardless of the subject matter, trope, or genre. I am kicking my reading calendar and TBR to the curb for now and diving in for more Liz, she has become my guilty pleasure.
“He felt strong but weak at the same time. Sure of himself, yet gut-churning terrified. All of which buoyed him, and made him even more positive about his decision.”
“Men, boys, there wasn’t much difference especially among pro athletes. They worked hard and played harder, spending their money on fast moving things that made a lot of noise, looked nice, and made them fell important. Rafe stopped, realizing he could be describing their automobiles as well as their wives and girlfriends.”
“The little kid at the grown up part sensation burned a hole in his gut.”
“The young man oozed vulnerability, but it combined with a sort of innate strength just under the surface.”
“‘I’ve been bad, yes. But now, I’m completely good. With you. Badness over.’ He raised a dark eyebrow. ‘Well other than the badness I’m about to get into with you.’”
My Review:
Liz Crowe tells unusual stories in a compelling way. She has a knack for presenting conflicting information in a way that makes sense. She also has a remarkable skill for putting a feeling or sense into words that had previously been just under my skin or a mist across my brain. She has mad skills, and I am in awe. Her characters are madly complicated and typically unlikable, yet she forces me to look beneath the surface and care about them nonetheless. In addition, she also manages to squeeze my cold heart while doing so. I have now read a few of her insightful and richly detailed books and have come to the conclusion that her dastardly characters are the story, the rest is just what happens. She never fails in her mission to enlighten, entertain, and satisfy, regardless of the subject matter, trope, or genre. I am kicking my reading calendar and TBR to the curb for now and diving in for more Liz, she has become my guilty pleasure.
August 12, 2013
I love Liz Crowe and have never been disappointed by any story she has put on paper! I was given Man On as a Arc and am honored by this. I fell in love with this book on some many levels. I loved the soccer background as I played for many years. This first book in the Black Jack Series was awesome. Liz always writes strong characters and Nicco and Parker were amazing. The story is about two men standing up to their demons and overcoming life's complications while finding love. Nicco is the ex soccer superstar who has ruined his career with his off the field antics of partying and sex addictions. He is a gay man in an heterosexual sport. He has lost his European career and knows the Black Jacks are his last chance for playing the game he loves. Parker is the college soccer star that can't seem to give up the persona his parents have created for him. They want the perfect life for him.. Him a doctor w the perfect family. The problem is Parker wants to play soccer and really thinks he is bisexual if not totally gay. Once these two men meet the sparks fly! Can these two men get all they want out of life on the field or will their demons prevent them for going after what they actually really want: each other? This book is a short fun read with amazingly sexy men. The chemistry is undeniable from the first meeting. Liz has this great niche for bringing her readers inside the story and having them feel every emotion of each character. This book will have you playing soccer on the field with Nicco and Parker. You will experience all the emotions of each man as you read. I have been a fanatic fan of Liz Crowe for a long time and this book won't disappoint! I can't wait for the next book in the series. What a great start to a marvelous story!!
June 20, 2015
I don't think I've read a book about soccer players before and this one was a good one to start on.
Nicco and Parker have a unique chemistry that really shines through in their interactions. I would say that both are bisexual, although they are more portrayed as gay. Both have been married to women and randomly hook up with women, but in the end they only want to be together and only have real feelings toward each other.
While the plot was pretty good, I had issues with so many time jumps in the book that weren't always so clearly stated and felt like we were missing so much that happened to create these feelings and situations that ALL of the characters were in.
Also, I had issues with Ashley calling Nicco at the end of the book when it didn't make sense as to WHY she would call him over Parker.
The sex scenes were fast and almost unnecessary as they weren't hot and didn't really add anything to the book in my opinion (and we all know I love the sex scenes normally)
All in all, I can't wait to read more of this series and see which other characters we get to meet.
**I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.**
Nicco and Parker have a unique chemistry that really shines through in their interactions. I would say that both are bisexual, although they are more portrayed as gay. Both have been married to women and randomly hook up with women, but in the end they only want to be together and only have real feelings toward each other.
While the plot was pretty good, I had issues with so many time jumps in the book that weren't always so clearly stated and felt like we were missing so much that happened to create these feelings and situations that ALL of the characters were in.
Also, I had issues with Ashley calling Nicco at the end of the book when it didn't make sense as to WHY she would call him over Parker.
The sex scenes were fast and almost unnecessary as they weren't hot and didn't really add anything to the book in my opinion (and we all know I love the sex scenes normally)
All in all, I can't wait to read more of this series and see which other characters we get to meet.
**I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.**
June 21, 2015
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads
This is one really hot, enjoyable and addictive start to a series read. I know a fair amount about football (European style), and the bad behaviour of the players such as Nicco, isn't really a surprise - but is fascinating to see from the inside. For Parker, the US educated player, things in his repressed world have been somewhat different than for Nicco - but those differences force them both to reevaluate what is important to them.
I have the rest of the series on my Kindle, and can't wait to get to them. I enjoy sports series, and as always the first one tends to have a world building element and settle down in the future books. I also look forward to seeing the story of the leads being references in later story-lines.
This is one really hot, enjoyable and addictive start to a series read. I know a fair amount about football (European style), and the bad behaviour of the players such as Nicco, isn't really a surprise - but is fascinating to see from the inside. For Parker, the US educated player, things in his repressed world have been somewhat different than for Nicco - but those differences force them both to reevaluate what is important to them.
I have the rest of the series on my Kindle, and can't wait to get to them. I enjoy sports series, and as always the first one tends to have a world building element and settle down in the future books. I also look forward to seeing the story of the leads being references in later story-lines.
July 7, 2015
Wow - I'm not a big sports person but I LOVED this book, come to think of it I'm not a big M/M reader either but I LOVED this book.
This book is written in true Liz style and my advice would be, if you can't handle the heat don't step into the kitchen. This book is filled with the high drama you would expect to surround professional athletes and a few of those legendary Liz style curve balls.
What can I say I absolutely love it when a book throws me off the plot, when I can't figure out which way its going to go, when I have to keep flipping pages at all hours of the night just to get to the end so I can KNOW!
I also liked that Nicco was the complete opposite of Parker. And I liked how the author wove real life, currently existing issues into the story.
This is a great series, but seriously if you can't handle plot twists and real life relationships, flaws and all, ones not surrounded in fantasy then you might want to pass on this series.
But if you like a book that keeps you on your toes then pick up your copy of Man On today!
This book is written in true Liz style and my advice would be, if you can't handle the heat don't step into the kitchen. This book is filled with the high drama you would expect to surround professional athletes and a few of those legendary Liz style curve balls.
What can I say I absolutely love it when a book throws me off the plot, when I can't figure out which way its going to go, when I have to keep flipping pages at all hours of the night just to get to the end so I can KNOW!
I also liked that Nicco was the complete opposite of Parker. And I liked how the author wove real life, currently existing issues into the story.
This is a great series, but seriously if you can't handle plot twists and real life relationships, flaws and all, ones not surrounded in fantasy then you might want to pass on this series.
But if you like a book that keeps you on your toes then pick up your copy of Man On today!
June 13, 2015
Wow! I was not expecting how great of a read this was. I saw the cover and was like meh, just shows never judge of book by its cover. I normally research teasers but this is part an anthology i am reading so I was reading regardless. Anyways, I loved this book! I have really never read anything like this and I am glad that i did because I want to read more from this author. The characters were awesome and lovable. There was some sports in it but not overboard (yeah I am not a sports fan!) and it was perfectly written in. The emotions that came from this story was surprisingly good!
August 12, 2013
Read this review, and others, at MIDWEST GALLEY GIRL.
http://midwestgalleygirl.wordpress.co...
A literary conundrum. I has one.
I love a good love story. I don't typically like most books marketed as "romances" though. Most of them are just FAR too fantasy-based for me. I am a stark realist...except when I like dystopian teen fiction. Damnit, Katniss.
I don't HAVE to have an Alpha male in a story to love it (although I won't rule one out). I have a not-so-secret crush on most sensitive man-types (in no small part, I'm sure, to all the M*A*S*H I watched as a kid...Alan Alda ruined me for bad boys). It's probably why I love almost everything Aaron Sorkin produces. He writes super-intelligent, sexy, sensitive men. Some of them ARE pretty Alpha, though.
I should also mention that I don't particularly like to watch sports. Not on television. Not usually live. I do enjoy sports-themed movies, especially ones about baseball. (Case in point: MONEYBALL. A baseball movie written by Aaron Sorkin.)
So, all of these conundrums are likely why I love everything I've ever read by Liz Crowe. At this point the book count is hitting double digits. Um, since May. Serious booknerdgirl love.
People who haven't heard of Liz (and, people, come on...it's time to fix that) ask me "So, what does she write?" And, I've had to hem and haw a bit because she doesn't really fit into any genre perfectly. Not so much HEA (Happily Ever After) but WHA (What Happens After). This doesn't mean her characters don't find happiness. They do. It's just REALLY, REALLY realistic happiness. The kind that doesn't end with anyone riding off into the sunset together. You know...like real people...except with FAR more interesting histories and storytelling.
So, I'm calling it now. Liz writes Fiction.
Which leads me to my next conundrum. When I describe MAN ON, I have to pause to try to peg it. Let's start with the official "blurb".
Bad boy of European football, Nicolas Garza is about to hit American shores with a vengeance. Signed by the Detroit Black Jack Gentlemen as lynch pin for their expansion club, Nicco only half believes he’s making the right move. But with a past full of ghosts and rotten behavior chasing him from his homeland, he has no real choice.
Parker Rollings is a college soccer superstar, but his parents’ plans for their only son do not include professional athletics. When the Black Jacks approach him to finalize their roster, Parker leaps at the chance to keep playing, leaving behind medical school, stability and his first and only college sweetheart.
Nicco and Parker face off as bitter rivals for a coveted starting spot at midfield and are forced to channel their negative energy into something positive for the sake of the group—and themselves.
All eyes are on the fledgling team in its debut season. It’s crucial that the Black Jacks prove all the doubters wrong. They must make a good showing in the league and with new fans. But player drama, club dynamics, and misplaced priorities may tear it apart before it even begins.
Nicco has been a mess of casual sex and bad boy behavior. He has been around the block and the worst-kept secret in international soccer is that he plays for "both teams". Herein lies the problem. Gay and bi-sexual men aren't embraced in professional sports. Soccer is gaining popularity by the minute in the USA, but gay men typically haven't been out on professional sports teams. This taboo is fading slowly, but it's not without controversy.
Parker is as Midwestern and white bread as they come. Always the perfect son and boyfriend and soccer star, he doesn't rock the boat or disappoint anyone if he can help it. After throwing away his parents' dreams of med school, a picket fence, a gorgeous wife, and 2.5 kids to play professional soccer, he just can't come to terms with himself.
Nicco and Parker will collide on the field and in real life, both trying to figure out how to be themselves in a world that isn't sure what to make of them.
STEWART REALTY fans rejoice! We get a few glimpses of Jack and Sara. Rafe (now a coach for The Black Jack Gentlemen) and Maureen play very prominently into the storyline. Rafe is so adorably Alpha AND sensitive. More conundrums...sorry.
MAN ON is about a lot of things, but at its heart, it's a very human story. Despite the fact that some will paint MAN ON as a story about gay men (who happen to have sex), that's just one kernel of the tale. It's about the usual ups and downs and hard questions and choices that accompany coming to terms with learning to love another human being.
And despite my previous descriptors of WHA, this story has SERIOUS HEA mojo. A toe curling, happily human story whose real life counterparts are playing out on professional soccer pitches, football fields, and baseball diamonds as we speak.
Cue Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' SAME LOVE.
September 16, 2013
This review can be found at The Armchair Reader.
The first thing I want to say is if you’re coming into this book thinking it would be a real sports story, you won’t get what you expect in this one because it follows Nicco through his journey to finding love in Parker but doesn’t contain many scenes regarding the actual sport.
I liked Parker because he was so innocent, naive and vulnerable. He comes from money but he’s not an obnoxious spoiled brat. He’s very sweet, dedicated to soccer and just wants a simple life where he can be himself. I adored the fact that he blushed so much at the littlest provocative comment. I found it so cute. Nicco is a different story. I won’t lie, I didn’t like him at all. He’s arrogant, stubborn and doesn’t give a crap about anyone else but himself. He does what he wants to and won’t care if someone objects to it. His reaction to Parker is instantaneous and intense. The lust he feels for Parker consumes him to the point he can’t stop thinking about Parker. However, Nicco is a sex addict and he’ll take that lust out on anyone.
The biggest issue I had with this story is that the blurb is very misleading. Coming into this book, I was expecting some intense sexual tension of enemies with a lot of sports related scenes, showing the rivalry between Nicco and Parker, the aggression and face offs for the same spot and ultimately the soccer season that they play together in. Unfortunately, that is not what this book is about and you don’t actually see any of those scenes but are told about them in just a few short paragraphs throughout the story.
To be honest, I didn’t like a majority of it because it is so focused on showing Nicco’s sex addiction (which is not mentioned in the blurb and considering it is SUCH a huge part of the book, I have to wonder why). I struggled to get through at least the first half of the story because Nicco would do anything that had two legs, even indulging in threesomes and orgies with women and men. I will say that while Nicco does have a lot of sex, thankfully most of it (especially with the women) were either glossed over or fade to black. Even with that, however, the constant talking about his conquests and how many he did last night, the orgies he partook in, the soft flesh of so and so grew extremely aggravating and annoying. I kept asking myself, “Why is this in here? Shouldn’t we be focusing on more of Parker and Nicco?”
A lot of the book revolves around that aspect of Nicco and I can’t say that it endeared me to him. It made my opinion that he was selfish and couldn’t understand the concept of monogamy nor be able to uphold it even more intense. It also made me think that even if he did get into a relationship with Parker, that he wouldn’t be able to keep it in his pants long enough to not break Parker’s heart. Regardless, the physical showing of Nicco’s clubbing and conquests took away from the actual Parker/Nicco story, IMO. By the end of the story, we are told and somewhat see the love and supposed devotion (as I said, it’s hard for me to believe Nicco won’t cheat eventually) but we didn’t see the lead up to this love and devotion. Out of the whole story, Parker and Nicco only spend maybe a third of it actually together that we see. The rest is either told to us (such as the time they spend on the field, their teamwork together and this long vacation they took) or of Nicco and Parker getting some action from other individuals.
Personally, that is not something I’m fond of. I like to SEE the development between characters but this book didn’t have any of that until the very end and I found that disappointing. I wanted to like this book but it started off really bad for me because I don’t appreciate seeing to this extent how much of a whore a character is. I want to see the connection between the main characters not between ONE main character and other people. We aren’t shown the connection between Nicco and Parker until very far into the book and at that point, many months have already past between them, none of them where we see them together and this happens more than once where weeks or months pass without us seeing any of what I believe were crucial moments to these characters relationship. More than anything, I really wished we had seen them play together on the field, during practice, at a game, anything to show that not all these boys have is lust because the emotions of love they share, I didn’t see and couldn’t FEEL.
In the end, I will freely admit this isn’t the type of story I like. I prefer to have stories that focus on the emotions that characters share and seeing them NOT on the physical releases of the flesh. Readers that enjoy books that have layers of sex and decadence will enjoy this but if you’re looking for a story about sports and love, this won’t exactly fit the bill. I will say that while I didn’t enjoy the story as a whole, there were pieces that I adored but those happened at the very end and by then, not enough was focused on that to lift my overall opinion. Still, I encourage readers to make up your own mind about this one because I know others will enjoy it much more than I did.
One last thing I want to say is that this book seems to be somewhat of a spin-off of another m/f series by this author. I say this because a few times it was hinted that we should already know a side character’s background and having looked up the author after reading this book, I can say that some of the secondary characters have books of their own in other works by this author.
The first thing I want to say is if you’re coming into this book thinking it would be a real sports story, you won’t get what you expect in this one because it follows Nicco through his journey to finding love in Parker but doesn’t contain many scenes regarding the actual sport.
I liked Parker because he was so innocent, naive and vulnerable. He comes from money but he’s not an obnoxious spoiled brat. He’s very sweet, dedicated to soccer and just wants a simple life where he can be himself. I adored the fact that he blushed so much at the littlest provocative comment. I found it so cute. Nicco is a different story. I won’t lie, I didn’t like him at all. He’s arrogant, stubborn and doesn’t give a crap about anyone else but himself. He does what he wants to and won’t care if someone objects to it. His reaction to Parker is instantaneous and intense. The lust he feels for Parker consumes him to the point he can’t stop thinking about Parker. However, Nicco is a sex addict and he’ll take that lust out on anyone.
The biggest issue I had with this story is that the blurb is very misleading. Coming into this book, I was expecting some intense sexual tension of enemies with a lot of sports related scenes, showing the rivalry between Nicco and Parker, the aggression and face offs for the same spot and ultimately the soccer season that they play together in. Unfortunately, that is not what this book is about and you don’t actually see any of those scenes but are told about them in just a few short paragraphs throughout the story.
To be honest, I didn’t like a majority of it because it is so focused on showing Nicco’s sex addiction (which is not mentioned in the blurb and considering it is SUCH a huge part of the book, I have to wonder why). I struggled to get through at least the first half of the story because Nicco would do anything that had two legs, even indulging in threesomes and orgies with women and men. I will say that while Nicco does have a lot of sex, thankfully most of it (especially with the women) were either glossed over or fade to black. Even with that, however, the constant talking about his conquests and how many he did last night, the orgies he partook in, the soft flesh of so and so grew extremely aggravating and annoying. I kept asking myself, “Why is this in here? Shouldn’t we be focusing on more of Parker and Nicco?”
A lot of the book revolves around that aspect of Nicco and I can’t say that it endeared me to him. It made my opinion that he was selfish and couldn’t understand the concept of monogamy nor be able to uphold it even more intense. It also made me think that even if he did get into a relationship with Parker, that he wouldn’t be able to keep it in his pants long enough to not break Parker’s heart. Regardless, the physical showing of Nicco’s clubbing and conquests took away from the actual Parker/Nicco story, IMO. By the end of the story, we are told and somewhat see the love and supposed devotion (as I said, it’s hard for me to believe Nicco won’t cheat eventually) but we didn’t see the lead up to this love and devotion. Out of the whole story, Parker and Nicco only spend maybe a third of it actually together that we see. The rest is either told to us (such as the time they spend on the field, their teamwork together and this long vacation they took) or of Nicco and Parker getting some action from other individuals.
Personally, that is not something I’m fond of. I like to SEE the development between characters but this book didn’t have any of that until the very end and I found that disappointing. I wanted to like this book but it started off really bad for me because I don’t appreciate seeing to this extent how much of a whore a character is. I want to see the connection between the main characters not between ONE main character and other people. We aren’t shown the connection between Nicco and Parker until very far into the book and at that point, many months have already past between them, none of them where we see them together and this happens more than once where weeks or months pass without us seeing any of what I believe were crucial moments to these characters relationship. More than anything, I really wished we had seen them play together on the field, during practice, at a game, anything to show that not all these boys have is lust because the emotions of love they share, I didn’t see and couldn’t FEEL.
In the end, I will freely admit this isn’t the type of story I like. I prefer to have stories that focus on the emotions that characters share and seeing them NOT on the physical releases of the flesh. Readers that enjoy books that have layers of sex and decadence will enjoy this but if you’re looking for a story about sports and love, this won’t exactly fit the bill. I will say that while I didn’t enjoy the story as a whole, there were pieces that I adored but those happened at the very end and by then, not enough was focused on that to lift my overall opinion. Still, I encourage readers to make up your own mind about this one because I know others will enjoy it much more than I did.
One last thing I want to say is that this book seems to be somewhat of a spin-off of another m/f series by this author. I say this because a few times it was hinted that we should already know a side character’s background and having looked up the author after reading this book, I can say that some of the secondary characters have books of their own in other works by this author.
June 30, 2015
I think this is my favorite of Liz Crowe's books. This one had a bit of everything in it for me. The start up of the soccer team is interesting, the love story is complicated, and the various characters are fun. It is not a cut and dried love story. Both main characters have a lot of baggage, and they struggle to be what the other one needs. It is kind of like real life. Things rarely go smoothly. If you are a fan of the author, you will like this one. It is very true to her style of writing. You can easily identify the other by the layers to the story line.
Nicolas Garza is a superstar. He has the talent, but it is his sex life and partying that brings him down. He is an equal opportunity lover, and his stories are legendary. The wildness was calmed for a while, but when he loses the love of his life shortly after they have a big fight, he is a bit of a wild card.
Parker Rollings is an all-american kind of soccer star. He comes from money, his family has his life planned out, and he is supposed to marry his girlfriend and be a doctor. But he wants to play soccer. Plus, he is realizing that he might be gay. But he can't go there if he wants to play soccer.
When those two come together on the field in Detroit, there is an instant attraction. They are fighting for the same spot on the team, and Nicco is not about to give in. After a night out, Parker is more confused then ever, but the attraction is hot under the surface. Throw in a PR department that wants Nicco as the poster boy for gay players and a surprising off season trip, and you have fireworks. But things go from great to bad in a flash back in the motor city. Can these two sexy stars find a way towards happily ever after, or is it just a pipe dream? Can two men who are so different find a way to be together? There is so much going on in the book, you won't want to put it down.
Nicolas Garza is a superstar. He has the talent, but it is his sex life and partying that brings him down. He is an equal opportunity lover, and his stories are legendary. The wildness was calmed for a while, but when he loses the love of his life shortly after they have a big fight, he is a bit of a wild card.
Parker Rollings is an all-american kind of soccer star. He comes from money, his family has his life planned out, and he is supposed to marry his girlfriend and be a doctor. But he wants to play soccer. Plus, he is realizing that he might be gay. But he can't go there if he wants to play soccer.
When those two come together on the field in Detroit, there is an instant attraction. They are fighting for the same spot on the team, and Nicco is not about to give in. After a night out, Parker is more confused then ever, but the attraction is hot under the surface. Throw in a PR department that wants Nicco as the poster boy for gay players and a surprising off season trip, and you have fireworks. But things go from great to bad in a flash back in the motor city. Can these two sexy stars find a way towards happily ever after, or is it just a pipe dream? Can two men who are so different find a way to be together? There is so much going on in the book, you won't want to put it down.
June 19, 2015
**I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.**
Nicolas (Nicco) Garza comes to America to play soccer for the Black Jack Gentlemen. He's been forced into retirement after being a star in Europe. The love of his life, Leandro, died in a plane crash. He's wild ways are exposed by his now ex-wife. It has his agent and his team giving up on him. He's signed to the Black Jack's in their first season in hopes of drawing attention. They know he's the bad boy of the game but they are willing to take the chance. Nicco doesn't care if he's with a woman, a man, or a combination of the two as long as he has a good time and gets off. That's the high he's after.
Parker Rollings life was planned out for him by his parents, graduate college head to medical school, marry his college sweetheart. Parker follows along with the plan until he just can't anymore, it isn't who he is. He's young, confused, and naive. He gives up everything he knows to sign with the Black Jack's. Nicco has him questioning everything he thought he knew.
Man On was a good read, but I hated the jumping in time that happened. I wish there was more of that inner story that was skipped. I know the author used it to move the story along in time but I found the story lacking when this happened, but I enjoyed the authors voice. I look forward to reading the next two books in the Black Jack Gentlemen's series.
Nicolas (Nicco) Garza comes to America to play soccer for the Black Jack Gentlemen. He's been forced into retirement after being a star in Europe. The love of his life, Leandro, died in a plane crash. He's wild ways are exposed by his now ex-wife. It has his agent and his team giving up on him. He's signed to the Black Jack's in their first season in hopes of drawing attention. They know he's the bad boy of the game but they are willing to take the chance. Nicco doesn't care if he's with a woman, a man, or a combination of the two as long as he has a good time and gets off. That's the high he's after.
Parker Rollings life was planned out for him by his parents, graduate college head to medical school, marry his college sweetheart. Parker follows along with the plan until he just can't anymore, it isn't who he is. He's young, confused, and naive. He gives up everything he knows to sign with the Black Jack's. Nicco has him questioning everything he thought he knew.
Man On was a good read, but I hated the jumping in time that happened. I wish there was more of that inner story that was skipped. I know the author used it to move the story along in time but I found the story lacking when this happened, but I enjoyed the authors voice. I look forward to reading the next two books in the Black Jack Gentlemen's series.
June 1, 2023
Parker and Nicco
Parker Rolling has always been bound by what his parents want and they want a doctor, not a professional athlete in the family. He hates confrontation and despises disappointing people, but the Black Jacks of Detroit have given him a new goal. It shines like a beacon of hope - to continue playing soccer away from his parents and girlfriend. The niggling doubt and worry about how he should channel his burgeoning sexual awareness still remains, however, being a pro athlete leaves zero room for being bisexual or gay or what ever he is’ Nicco Garza was a former soccer star attacking midfielder and now he is on his way to utter soccer ignominy as part of a startup team. His agent, his ex-wife, his own mother all yelling at him in various stage of pissed off at his seeming inability to control himself and stay out of trouble. His life has spiraled downward since the man he loved left him and was killed. He will do anything to ease the knot of frustrated anger in his chest. His sexual fulfillment have become an addiction. Now he needs to focus on keeping his starting spot ahead of the delectable Parker. This is a compelling story with emotion, drama and unexpected turns. The characters are deep and with real life issues of sexual identitly and emotions. Just what I expect in a book by Liz Crowe.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in return for voluntarily writing an honest review.
Parker Rolling has always been bound by what his parents want and they want a doctor, not a professional athlete in the family. He hates confrontation and despises disappointing people, but the Black Jacks of Detroit have given him a new goal. It shines like a beacon of hope - to continue playing soccer away from his parents and girlfriend. The niggling doubt and worry about how he should channel his burgeoning sexual awareness still remains, however, being a pro athlete leaves zero room for being bisexual or gay or what ever he is’ Nicco Garza was a former soccer star attacking midfielder and now he is on his way to utter soccer ignominy as part of a startup team. His agent, his ex-wife, his own mother all yelling at him in various stage of pissed off at his seeming inability to control himself and stay out of trouble. His life has spiraled downward since the man he loved left him and was killed. He will do anything to ease the knot of frustrated anger in his chest. His sexual fulfillment have become an addiction. Now he needs to focus on keeping his starting spot ahead of the delectable Parker. This is a compelling story with emotion, drama and unexpected turns. The characters are deep and with real life issues of sexual identitly and emotions. Just what I expect in a book by Liz Crowe.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in return for voluntarily writing an honest review.
May 17, 2023
I received this book as an ARC to provide and honest review.
Admittedly, this would not typically be a book I would have chosen to read myself as I am not usually a fan of M/M romances. However, once I started, I found I actually enjoyed it.
This is not your typical romance story where they meet, have the instand attraction, slight bump in the road, get over it and hace their HEA. This is filled with real life struggles and dealing with deep emotions that really grips you and keeps you reading.
Absolutely loved both Nicco and Parker as individual characters, also loved reading them together.
Admittedly, this would not typically be a book I would have chosen to read myself as I am not usually a fan of M/M romances. However, once I started, I found I actually enjoyed it.
This is not your typical romance story where they meet, have the instand attraction, slight bump in the road, get over it and hace their HEA. This is filled with real life struggles and dealing with deep emotions that really grips you and keeps you reading.
Absolutely loved both Nicco and Parker as individual characters, also loved reading them together.
June 22, 2023
I just love this author. She really does write emotionally messy stories. This one veered away from my typical read in that it was a m/m sports romance. The story behind the couple was full of angst...so much doubt, so much self sabotage. I was, absolutely, rooting for Parker and Nicco. Seems they both took a lot of convincing but, getting there was worth it.
Definitely sexy...full of emotion and, I just love all the sports to the story! Really good read.
Definitely sexy...full of emotion and, I just love all the sports to the story! Really good read.
September 29, 2013
I’ve always been a fan of sports-themed plots in movies and books, so I jumped at the opportunity to read MAN ON, a book about a newly formed professional soccer team with male players who were likely to have as much fun in the locker-room shower as they would playing the game itself. Sweaty bodies… flailing limbs… balls… the Black Jacks soccer team nicknaming themselves BJs… I mean, how can you resist? I had never read anything by Liz Crowe before, but I thought that this series would be a good place to start with a new author based on the theme.
I was a little puzzled when the hero introduced in the first few pages, Nicolas Garza, decided to finger-fuck a complete stranger on a plane, let alone a female character. Where were the other passengers? How did they not get arrested as the plane landed? I guess I went into the book expecting gay characters, not men that were going to have sex with women as well. Not that there’s anything wrong with bisexuals (I’m bisexual myself, so I can hardly hold it against a character). However, I’m not too keen on my heroes in a romance sleeping around at random, especially if it’s pretty clear that they’re having sex with someone that they have no connection with whatsoever – a throwaway character, if you will. In defense of the author in this regard, Nicolas does struggle throughout the book with sexual addiction. So, it wasn’t completely random after all - it just felt that way when the story started.
The other hero, Parker Rollings, was an interesting, closeted guy who was torn between his love of the game and his family and girlfriend and their ideal view of him as a future doctor. Once again, the hero was bisexual, but the females that he was intimate with felt like throwaway characters to me as well. The author piqued my interest when she seemed to indicate that Nicolas and Parker would be competing for the same position on the newly formed team, despite their instant sexual attraction when they met. Unfortunately, I felt that portion of the story was glossed over and wasn’t delved into the way I would have liked to see. Too bad.
Getting back to the instant sexual attraction between Parker and Nicolas, I really was perplexed because on their first encounter, Nico’s scalp tingled at the sight of Parker. All I could think when I read this was that Nico had been abusing his dandruff shampoo. I can’t say that I have ever in my life had my scalp tingle. I laughed it off and was prepared to let it go, but I found that the author had a fascination with describing the feelings of her characters’ scalps. One time, even the phone ringing caused someone’s scalp to tingle. I ended up counting more than a handful of times where the zing of scalps was described. EEK! I asked my husband if his scalp ever tingled or zinged when he was aroused. His response was of course not and clearly the characters in the book were likely aliens. I admit my husband’s logic may be a bit flawed, but I might just have to agree with him.
Though I liked the characters of Nico and Parker and found their attraction to be sexually charged, there was a scene in the book that really pulled me out of relationship. I’ll paraphrase (if you read this out loud, be sure to use a ridiculous Spanish accent a la Antonio Banderas as that is how it sounded in my head):
•Fuck Me.
•No, I’m no good for you.
•Fuck Me.
•No, but I will make love to you.
•If you don’t fuck me right now, I will be pissed.
•No, I need to watch your face while we make love.
•Shut up and fuck me.
I happen to have a big prejudice to the ‘make-love’ vs. ‘fuck’ thing in my books, so I was very distracted by that sort of dialogue. I guess I just wanted to tell the one character to shut up and pound the fuck out of the other guy (especially because he was begging for it!) *grumble* ☺
I was slightly disappointed that the author would at times focus attention away from the two heroes and switch perspectives to the coach and his family. I didn’t really feel invested in the coach, so I found it distracting when she did that.
Re-reading this review so far, I realized it sounds like I didn’t like the book and all I am doing is complaining or mocking. I thought I better qualify to say that I definitely didn’t dislike MAN ON. It kept my interest and I enjoyed reading it. I liked how author, Liz Crowe wasn’t afraid to focus on sports; it wasn’t merely a backdrop to the book. I liked how the characters interacted with each other. I thought most of the sex scenes were interesting to read. I can just get nit-picky at times. I definitely plan to continue the series, as I would like to read more about the Black Jacks to see where things go.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
June 11, 2014
4.5 Crown Stars
This is book 1 in the Stewart Realty spin off series, The Black Jack Gentleman
firstly, I am ashamed to admit that even though the Stewart Realty Series is one of my top reads EVER!! This series has been on my TBR for ages. Having now read the series, all I can say is: Why haven't I read this sooner?
Book 1 starts with the set-up of Detroit's new Football (soccer) team. Rafe Inez (a crossover character) has been integral in this and has been given the task of putting together a team. Having secured various players, he is pleased if not a little apprehensive to have Nicco Garza joining the team. Nicco is a huge European football star; a serious bad boy who has recently seen his huge career in Spain go down the toilet. Apart from his wild partying and drinking, his life has been hung out to dry by his bitter ex-wife after outing him to the press as bisexual/gay. As a league that won't tolerate homosexuality, his only choice if he wants to continue playing is to head to Michigan for a fresh start.
Parker Rollings is an all American college football star. An only child he is giving up a life playing the sport he loves to please his parents who want him to go to medical school and marry his long term girlfriend. Rafe goes to visit him as he wants the nineteen year old to join his team of footballing misfits; to convince him this is the right path for him. Parker agrees and decides that it is about time he makes his own pathway through life, especially as he has started to question who he is and what he wants and needs from life.
So what will happen when Nicco and Parker are pitted against each other on the field of play? Can Nicco curb his destructive ways? and can Parker finally accept who he is?
This is a fantastic book, from the dedication right through to the end. Nicco is a fabulous but very floored character. Having finally come to terms with his bisexuality, his bitter wife really does a number on him. To make matters worse he loses the only person that grounds him in the most tragic of circumstances and this sent him spiralling into a journey of self destruction. A heavy drinker and sex addict, he turns to either sex to keep his demons in check.
Parker is just lovely. fresh out of college, he has questioned his sexuality for a while. Having spent the last 4 years in a relationship with a woman, he decides he needs to discover who he is. When he meets Nicco, sparks fly and this leads him into denial; leaving him to jump into yet another sexual relationship with a woman.
For both characters this is a journey of discovery and acceptance. The level of angst is high throughout the book, as they both fight there true feelings and desires in very different ways.
I loved that the back drop is the world of football. I have read lots of sport related books, usually baseball or Ice hockey. To read a book that is based in a sport I love was brilliant. I would say that it is only a back drop though; if you are not a football fan, you will still love this book.
I commend Liz on both her writing and her bravery once again. This is a new series and to kick it off with a M/M romance takes serious balls. Liz is the queen of romance for real life and again and again she pulls it out of the bag. The journey is a hard one for both characters and you feel everyone of those emotions along the way. I was hooked form the dedication,
"To all professional athletes who struggle with their sexual identities for the sake of their sport"
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Nicco and Parker's story and highly recommend the story to anyone who loves to read about finding love the hard way.
This is book 1 in the Stewart Realty spin off series, The Black Jack Gentleman
firstly, I am ashamed to admit that even though the Stewart Realty Series is one of my top reads EVER!! This series has been on my TBR for ages. Having now read the series, all I can say is: Why haven't I read this sooner?
Book 1 starts with the set-up of Detroit's new Football (soccer) team. Rafe Inez (a crossover character) has been integral in this and has been given the task of putting together a team. Having secured various players, he is pleased if not a little apprehensive to have Nicco Garza joining the team. Nicco is a huge European football star; a serious bad boy who has recently seen his huge career in Spain go down the toilet. Apart from his wild partying and drinking, his life has been hung out to dry by his bitter ex-wife after outing him to the press as bisexual/gay. As a league that won't tolerate homosexuality, his only choice if he wants to continue playing is to head to Michigan for a fresh start.
Parker Rollings is an all American college football star. An only child he is giving up a life playing the sport he loves to please his parents who want him to go to medical school and marry his long term girlfriend. Rafe goes to visit him as he wants the nineteen year old to join his team of footballing misfits; to convince him this is the right path for him. Parker agrees and decides that it is about time he makes his own pathway through life, especially as he has started to question who he is and what he wants and needs from life.
So what will happen when Nicco and Parker are pitted against each other on the field of play? Can Nicco curb his destructive ways? and can Parker finally accept who he is?
This is a fantastic book, from the dedication right through to the end. Nicco is a fabulous but very floored character. Having finally come to terms with his bisexuality, his bitter wife really does a number on him. To make matters worse he loses the only person that grounds him in the most tragic of circumstances and this sent him spiralling into a journey of self destruction. A heavy drinker and sex addict, he turns to either sex to keep his demons in check.
Parker is just lovely. fresh out of college, he has questioned his sexuality for a while. Having spent the last 4 years in a relationship with a woman, he decides he needs to discover who he is. When he meets Nicco, sparks fly and this leads him into denial; leaving him to jump into yet another sexual relationship with a woman.
For both characters this is a journey of discovery and acceptance. The level of angst is high throughout the book, as they both fight there true feelings and desires in very different ways.
I loved that the back drop is the world of football. I have read lots of sport related books, usually baseball or Ice hockey. To read a book that is based in a sport I love was brilliant. I would say that it is only a back drop though; if you are not a football fan, you will still love this book.
I commend Liz on both her writing and her bravery once again. This is a new series and to kick it off with a M/M romance takes serious balls. Liz is the queen of romance for real life and again and again she pulls it out of the bag. The journey is a hard one for both characters and you feel everyone of those emotions along the way. I was hooked form the dedication,
"To all professional athletes who struggle with their sexual identities for the sake of their sport"
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Nicco and Parker's story and highly recommend the story to anyone who loves to read about finding love the hard way.
September 13, 2015
This is the first in the blackjack gentlemen series and what a terrific start. We have Nicco who comes to the team from Europe after his ex-wife outs him as gay/bi. Than there is Parker who is so far in the closet and denial that Narnia isn’t even in the stratosphere of where he is because its to close to reality. Parker is trying to be his Parents dream person. He has already disappointed them by doing professional athletics so he doesn’t want to disappoint them further. These two meet on the pitch and wow. He have attraction undeniable attraction but also a kind of hate and serious competitive juices going on.
As they get to know each other, they see beyond the field, the scars and find the man. the man that each of them want to have come out and the man they want to be with. Parker poor Parker. He’s a great character and so so struggling with his identity. He wants to be with Nicco and he is a sweet considerate guy but he is battling so many demons. He is in his own form of denial of being gay. He is trying not to disappoint his parents further and he just wants to play ball without distractions. Nicco is comfortable with himself and knows what he wants. He wants Parker. They do have a sweet steamy beginning. But we do have some issues along the way and mainly it is parker’s denial. I am not sure how Nicco gets to where Parker is hiding because beyond Narnia is a dangerous place. Dangerous enough to put this adorable couple in the no go zone and in the you are in for a bumpy ride so he better be the one zone. I think Nicco realizes that Parker is the one early on. They argue, they respect each other and they support each other. they are competitive on the field and steam up the pages off. They understand each other and am able to talk to each other with no barriers. It is only the hangup of Parker and his fear of coming out. As he struggles with himself and who he loves you will feel for him but also want to smack him because along the way he begins to unintentionally hurt Nicco’s feelings.
A beautiful, fun steamy story of two men who start out not really liking each other but end up loving one another in the end. Of a young man fighting himself about his sexuality and growing up to not only find himself, his confidence in who he is but also love. And a man who gets a second chance and embraces that and himself wholly. when these two are together it is amazing. A great beginning to what should be a fun flirty and interesting series.
As they get to know each other, they see beyond the field, the scars and find the man. the man that each of them want to have come out and the man they want to be with. Parker poor Parker. He’s a great character and so so struggling with his identity. He wants to be with Nicco and he is a sweet considerate guy but he is battling so many demons. He is in his own form of denial of being gay. He is trying not to disappoint his parents further and he just wants to play ball without distractions. Nicco is comfortable with himself and knows what he wants. He wants Parker. They do have a sweet steamy beginning. But we do have some issues along the way and mainly it is parker’s denial. I am not sure how Nicco gets to where Parker is hiding because beyond Narnia is a dangerous place. Dangerous enough to put this adorable couple in the no go zone and in the you are in for a bumpy ride so he better be the one zone. I think Nicco realizes that Parker is the one early on. They argue, they respect each other and they support each other. they are competitive on the field and steam up the pages off. They understand each other and am able to talk to each other with no barriers. It is only the hangup of Parker and his fear of coming out. As he struggles with himself and who he loves you will feel for him but also want to smack him because along the way he begins to unintentionally hurt Nicco’s feelings.
A beautiful, fun steamy story of two men who start out not really liking each other but end up loving one another in the end. Of a young man fighting himself about his sexuality and growing up to not only find himself, his confidence in who he is but also love. And a man who gets a second chance and embraces that and himself wholly. when these two are together it is amazing. A great beginning to what should be a fun flirty and interesting series.
June 24, 2015
Man On is the first book in a new series called The Black Jack Gentlemen, which is based around a new Detroit soccer team. This particular book is m/m, but I believe some of the other books are m/f, so it's nice to have a variety of stories in a series. I am a big soccer (or football as it's called here in the UK) fan, so I was excited to discover this series as I don't think I've read a romance novel about this sport before. I was happy with the sport to romance ratio, I think the author got this about right to please both both fans and non-fans of soccer. This was an enjoyable read and a great start to a series.
Nicco is the bad boy of European soccer and his antics have meant he is no longer welcome at most top clubs, so he makes the trip to the U.S. to join a new club as their star signing. Parker is a soccer college star who dreams of going pro, but is being pushed by his parents to go to medical school. Following his heart, he joins the Black Jack Gentlemen and has to fight Nicco for a starting place. They are attracted to each other, but both deny their feelings because any relationship between them would be forbidden. As professional sports stars and gay/bisexual men, they have to carefully balance their professional lives with their personal lives. It is notoriously difficult for gay professional athletes to come out, and this is dealt with in this book.
I found Nicco quite difficult to like to be honest. He is very troubled, is a sex addict and extremely arrogant. He also seemed to sleep with nearly everyone he met! I eventually grew to like him, but nowhere near as much as I liked Parker. He is a sweet character, yet also managed to be very sexy. The chemistry between these two was good, and led to some hot scenes. On a slightly negative note I felt that parts of this story were rushed or skipped over, I would have preferred it to be longer and fleshed out a little . I still enjoyed this book though, it is a nice, easy read. Man On gets four out of five stars.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Nicco is the bad boy of European soccer and his antics have meant he is no longer welcome at most top clubs, so he makes the trip to the U.S. to join a new club as their star signing. Parker is a soccer college star who dreams of going pro, but is being pushed by his parents to go to medical school. Following his heart, he joins the Black Jack Gentlemen and has to fight Nicco for a starting place. They are attracted to each other, but both deny their feelings because any relationship between them would be forbidden. As professional sports stars and gay/bisexual men, they have to carefully balance their professional lives with their personal lives. It is notoriously difficult for gay professional athletes to come out, and this is dealt with in this book.
I found Nicco quite difficult to like to be honest. He is very troubled, is a sex addict and extremely arrogant. He also seemed to sleep with nearly everyone he met! I eventually grew to like him, but nowhere near as much as I liked Parker. He is a sweet character, yet also managed to be very sexy. The chemistry between these two was good, and led to some hot scenes. On a slightly negative note I felt that parts of this story were rushed or skipped over, I would have preferred it to be longer and fleshed out a little . I still enjoyed this book though, it is a nice, easy read. Man On gets four out of five stars.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
July 22, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
This is the first book in The Black Jack Gentlemen’s series focusing on two of the players of the new expansion team. For a sports-themed book, there really wasn’t a whole lot of sports action going on. If anything, this book was a “behind the scenes” look at the players. So, for those of you who aren’t into sports, this book really doesn’t really have any play-by-play on the field. For the rest of you, who are like me, and like to have a bit of action going on in the field as well as in the bedroom, you may be disappointed that there really isn’t a whole lot of soccer balls being kicked around.
I instantly fell for Parker. He has been playing soccer since he was three years old, but his mom and dad have his life planned for him, and it doesn’t include playing professional sports. With his playing days numbered, the coach from the Black Jack Gentlemen’s team seeks him out and makes him an offer he doesn’t want to refuse. Defying his parents’ wishes about going to medical school and breaking it off with his long-term girlfriend, Parker heads off to Detroit. Having suspected he is gay, meeting Nicco pretty much seals the deal as he has to remember to stop himself from staring at the European player. Yet, after attending a club with Nicco, Parker finds it is really hard to not remember what Nicco did to him.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
This is the first book in The Black Jack Gentlemen’s series focusing on two of the players of the new expansion team. For a sports-themed book, there really wasn’t a whole lot of sports action going on. If anything, this book was a “behind the scenes” look at the players. So, for those of you who aren’t into sports, this book really doesn’t really have any play-by-play on the field. For the rest of you, who are like me, and like to have a bit of action going on in the field as well as in the bedroom, you may be disappointed that there really isn’t a whole lot of soccer balls being kicked around.
I instantly fell for Parker. He has been playing soccer since he was three years old, but his mom and dad have his life planned for him, and it doesn’t include playing professional sports. With his playing days numbered, the coach from the Black Jack Gentlemen’s team seeks him out and makes him an offer he doesn’t want to refuse. Defying his parents’ wishes about going to medical school and breaking it off with his long-term girlfriend, Parker heads off to Detroit. Having suspected he is gay, meeting Nicco pretty much seals the deal as he has to remember to stop himself from staring at the European player. Yet, after attending a club with Nicco, Parker finds it is really hard to not remember what Nicco did to him.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
June 22, 2015
Storyline: 4
Angst: 4
Tissue: 0
Value: 5
Panty Scorching: 3
Over All Rating: 4 Stars
Netgalley eArc reviewed by Robin
I haven’t read many soccer books so I was pretty excited to jump into Liz Crowe’s Black Jack Gentlemen series. We start off with Nicco Garza, the bad boy of the European leagues. He has a bit of a sex addiction so his impulse control is a little on the shaky side and his previous relationships have crashed and burned. At 29 years old, he’s not exactly a “star” anymore. Parker is a college sports star whose family thinks he should be a doctor and marry his sweetheart. These two collide in a big way when they get signed to the new Detroit expansion club to play soccer.
“Nicco rolled his eyes but his gut burned. He knew he had to stop all the fantasizing before it went any further. Parker had a full life ahead of him. An amazing young talent, who’d doubtless soon have the soccer world at his feet— what could Nicco offer him?”
I enjoyed this book. Sometimes I didn’t understand why Nicco or Parker didn’t communicate more and deal with their attraction in a mature way, but then we wouldn’t have the delicious angst in this story, would we? Several moments I felt like we took one step forward and two steps backwards. If you like MM, there is a good pay off in the end and it definitely makes this story worth reading.
Angst: 4
Tissue: 0
Value: 5
Panty Scorching: 3
Over All Rating: 4 Stars
Netgalley eArc reviewed by Robin
I haven’t read many soccer books so I was pretty excited to jump into Liz Crowe’s Black Jack Gentlemen series. We start off with Nicco Garza, the bad boy of the European leagues. He has a bit of a sex addiction so his impulse control is a little on the shaky side and his previous relationships have crashed and burned. At 29 years old, he’s not exactly a “star” anymore. Parker is a college sports star whose family thinks he should be a doctor and marry his sweetheart. These two collide in a big way when they get signed to the new Detroit expansion club to play soccer.
“Nicco rolled his eyes but his gut burned. He knew he had to stop all the fantasizing before it went any further. Parker had a full life ahead of him. An amazing young talent, who’d doubtless soon have the soccer world at his feet— what could Nicco offer him?”
I enjoyed this book. Sometimes I didn’t understand why Nicco or Parker didn’t communicate more and deal with their attraction in a mature way, but then we wouldn’t have the delicious angst in this story, would we? Several moments I felt like we took one step forward and two steps backwards. If you like MM, there is a good pay off in the end and it definitely makes this story worth reading.
August 11, 2013
Man On
by Liz Crowe
Man On is a sweet tale of love that can’t be denied. It doesn’t matter who the two people are who fall in love. Nicco Is an older famous soccer player who’s wife publically humiliated him before she divorced him. With nothing to lose, he comes to Detroit to play for a new expansion team funded by Jack Gordon from Liz Crowe’s wildly popular Stewart Realty Series. Nicco comes face to face with fresh faced Parker who is hiding his desires.
Misunderstandings ensue as these two men find a friendship and camaraderie as they work to bring the Black Jack’s team together. Both men must overcome demons in order to accept themselves and the love they’re offered.
Liz Crowe’s stories resonate with readers. The characters are real people with needs, flaws and desires. They could be your neighbor or yourself which draws the reader into the story. I loved Man On because of the dramatic storytelling of two people who while flawed, fall in love and learn to accept themselves. This new series is sure to be another hit!
I was given this book as an ARC for a non-biased review. All thoughts are mine.
by Liz Crowe
Man On is a sweet tale of love that can’t be denied. It doesn’t matter who the two people are who fall in love. Nicco Is an older famous soccer player who’s wife publically humiliated him before she divorced him. With nothing to lose, he comes to Detroit to play for a new expansion team funded by Jack Gordon from Liz Crowe’s wildly popular Stewart Realty Series. Nicco comes face to face with fresh faced Parker who is hiding his desires.
Misunderstandings ensue as these two men find a friendship and camaraderie as they work to bring the Black Jack’s team together. Both men must overcome demons in order to accept themselves and the love they’re offered.
Liz Crowe’s stories resonate with readers. The characters are real people with needs, flaws and desires. They could be your neighbor or yourself which draws the reader into the story. I loved Man On because of the dramatic storytelling of two people who while flawed, fall in love and learn to accept themselves. This new series is sure to be another hit!
I was given this book as an ARC for a non-biased review. All thoughts are mine.
May 3, 2014
A wonderful story, as I find all of Liz Crowe's books! A lovely continuation of the Stewart Realty series (which I also highly recommend, as they are extremely addictive!). She always makes me want to be part of the story which takes me in from the second I begin reading.
The characters in this book draw you in and make you feel so deeply for them and their struggles. Socially conscious at all turns, no matter the struggles, you instantly feel for Nicco and Parker and are drawn into a love story where they ultimately find themselves where they belong.
This is a great stand alone story but you really should read from the start of the Stewart Realty series. There isn't anyone that I hadn't felt strongly about in one way or another. Liz Crowe makes you feel all of it...PASSIONATELY!!!
I also had receive this book as an ARC (after binge buying, and reading Floor Time which was a free book)...I cannot wait to begin Red Card now...then Shut Out, after which, I will read every other book she has written.
The characters in this book draw you in and make you feel so deeply for them and their struggles. Socially conscious at all turns, no matter the struggles, you instantly feel for Nicco and Parker and are drawn into a love story where they ultimately find themselves where they belong.
This is a great stand alone story but you really should read from the start of the Stewart Realty series. There isn't anyone that I hadn't felt strongly about in one way or another. Liz Crowe makes you feel all of it...PASSIONATELY!!!
I also had receive this book as an ARC (after binge buying, and reading Floor Time which was a free book)...I cannot wait to begin Red Card now...then Shut Out, after which, I will read every other book she has written.
August 19, 2015
This is the 1st book in this series, about a Detroit soccer team called the Black Jack Gentlemen. The bad boy Nicolas Garza played in the European leagues until signing with the BJ's (Black Jack's), known for his bad behavior and sexual acting out with men, women and men, and women together. Hoping to start over with a new team and a new country...
Parker Rollings is a sweet and innocent college soccer phenom, controlled by his parents, get married, become a doctor like his father. Parker has other plans and joins the BJ's, he breaks up with the girlfriend, his parents disown him, alone he moves to Detroit. He is ready to start new. When they meet, they are rivals for the same position. Will the older more experienced soccer player get it or the younger soccer phenom? I've read other books from this author that I loved. This is a 4 star book, liked it, still a good read. There were many typo's, and other editing issues.
Read as part of the Indulgence Anthology bundle. For mature readers due to content M/M sex.
Parker Rollings is a sweet and innocent college soccer phenom, controlled by his parents, get married, become a doctor like his father. Parker has other plans and joins the BJ's, he breaks up with the girlfriend, his parents disown him, alone he moves to Detroit. He is ready to start new. When they meet, they are rivals for the same position. Will the older more experienced soccer player get it or the younger soccer phenom? I've read other books from this author that I loved. This is a 4 star book, liked it, still a good read. There were many typo's, and other editing issues.
Read as part of the Indulgence Anthology bundle. For mature readers due to content M/M sex.
June 26, 2015
What a fantastic book! Liz Crowe, you are an amazing author. Parker Rollings wanted to play soccer. He didn't want to quit and go to med school like his parents wanted. He also didn't want to marry Christie like they wanted. He always suspected he was gay. After his parents disowned him he accepted Rafael Inez's offer to play for the Detroit Black Jack Gentlemens expansion soccer team. The first time Parker laid eyes on team bad boy Nicolas Garza, the sparks flew. The only thing Parker didn't expect was Nicco's addiction and how far Nico would go to push him away.
Great story line. The further I read into Nicco's issues and the reasons for it all, the more I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him it would be okay. There was a depth to the story that I wasn't expecting and that's what made it a five star read for me. I can't wait for the next book in the blackjack gentleman series
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Great story line. The further I read into Nicco's issues and the reasons for it all, the more I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him it would be okay. There was a depth to the story that I wasn't expecting and that's what made it a five star read for me. I can't wait for the next book in the blackjack gentleman series
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2015
A gifted copy was given in exchange for an honest review. (Indulgence Anthology)
It was very difficult for me to get into the story. Nearly the whole book refers to Nicco’s sex addiction. It is one orgy after another and then some more. I don’t like him at all. However, I like Parker. He is so sweet, humble and honest. I love him. It should have been better if the author would have cut on some of the orgies and developed further the relationship between Nicco and Parker.
It has some editing issues; wrong use of verbs, awful punctuation and one thing I couldn’t understand was the constant use of Jesus. It is an interjection used to express surprise, anger, shock or annoyance but most of the time here, I couldn’t see any of them and when used it’s normally written at the beginning of the sentence and not at the end of it.
I’m sorry I can’t give you more stars, I’m just being honest.
It was very difficult for me to get into the story. Nearly the whole book refers to Nicco’s sex addiction. It is one orgy after another and then some more. I don’t like him at all. However, I like Parker. He is so sweet, humble and honest. I love him. It should have been better if the author would have cut on some of the orgies and developed further the relationship between Nicco and Parker.
It has some editing issues; wrong use of verbs, awful punctuation and one thing I couldn’t understand was the constant use of Jesus. It is an interjection used to express surprise, anger, shock or annoyance but most of the time here, I couldn’t see any of them and when used it’s normally written at the beginning of the sentence and not at the end of it.
I’m sorry I can’t give you more stars, I’m just being honest.
October 15, 2015
Nicco is an a$$ plain and simple. A cocky jerk who needs put in his place. I don't like him much even reading from his prospective. Kinda just wanted him to lose out. However like all bad boys he starts to grow on you like a pair of super cute shoes that are such a pain to wear but you love them so can't toss em'.
Parker is such a doll and a sweetheart. I just wanted to wrap him in bubblewrap so the world couldn't hurt him.
I was able to read all four books and loved them. That said they were all very NA in the sexy times department. They weren't fade to black but not much to get you fired up either. I didn't rate them based on that because I loved the stories and thought they deserved what I gave them, but sexy times were more 3/5 than a 4. Keep in mind I'm an erotic romance reader and descriptions are my cherry on top. ;)
Thank you Liz for some hot soccer players and the push to use my imagination. ;)
ARC RCVD 4 HR
Parker is such a doll and a sweetheart. I just wanted to wrap him in bubblewrap so the world couldn't hurt him.
I was able to read all four books and loved them. That said they were all very NA in the sexy times department. They weren't fade to black but not much to get you fired up either. I didn't rate them based on that because I loved the stories and thought they deserved what I gave them, but sexy times were more 3/5 than a 4. Keep in mind I'm an erotic romance reader and descriptions are my cherry on top. ;)
Thank you Liz for some hot soccer players and the push to use my imagination. ;)
ARC RCVD 4 HR
September 18, 2013
The first installment of the new Black Jack Gentlemen series by Liz Crowe. And what a way to start. Never one to shy away from controversial issues, Man On delves into the burgeoning love affair of two world-class professional soccer players. In a world where homosexuality occurs but is never acknowledged, Nicco and Parker find themselves trying to discover each other, while keeping their relationship under wraps. Throw in an older man with a severe sex addiction, and a younger man still not fully ready to admit he is gay, and this is page after page of turmoil. But there is also a journey of deep love, that is constantly challenged by both inside and outside forces.
Proof that love is blind to sexual orientation, this is another soon-to-be-classic Crowe story that leaves you breathless and begging for more. My only criticism…it was too short. I want more Nicco and Parker!!
Proof that love is blind to sexual orientation, this is another soon-to-be-classic Crowe story that leaves you breathless and begging for more. My only criticism…it was too short. I want more Nicco and Parker!!
June 26, 2015
3.5 STARS
Man On was the first book by Liz Crowe that I've read. It was also my first M/M read. I loved Parker. He was sweet, and innocent, and the blushing he always did brought a little smile to my face. Coming from money, I was almost waiting for the moment where you got the vibe that he felt better than others, but I honestly never felt that. Nicco on the other hand is a different story. I couldn't connect to him at all. I didn't like how cocky and arrogant he was. All in all, the book was not bad. I think that I will probably re read it in the future to see if I can gain a deeper connection with it. I think Liz Crowe knows how to write amazingly, and grab a readers attention. I'm excited for the next chapter in the series.
Man On was the first book by Liz Crowe that I've read. It was also my first M/M read. I loved Parker. He was sweet, and innocent, and the blushing he always did brought a little smile to my face. Coming from money, I was almost waiting for the moment where you got the vibe that he felt better than others, but I honestly never felt that. Nicco on the other hand is a different story. I couldn't connect to him at all. I didn't like how cocky and arrogant he was. All in all, the book was not bad. I think that I will probably re read it in the future to see if I can gain a deeper connection with it. I think Liz Crowe knows how to write amazingly, and grab a readers attention. I'm excited for the next chapter in the series.
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