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Winter Ball #1
Winter Ball
an alternate cover edition can be found here
Through a miserable adolescence and a lonely adulthood, Skipper Keith has dreamed of nothing but family. The closest he gets is the rec league soccer team he coaches after work—and his star player and best friend, Richie Scoggins.
One brisk night in late October, a postpractice convo in Richie’s car turns into a sexual encounter neither of them expected—nor want to forget. Soon Skip and Richie are living for the weekends and their winter league soccer games—and the games they enjoy off the field. Through broken noses, holiday decorating, and the killer flu, they learn more about each other than they ever dreamed possible. Every new discovery takes them further beyond the boundaries of the soccer field and into the infinite possibilities of the best relationship of Skipper’s life.
Skipper can’t dream of a better family than Richie—but Richie’s got real family entanglements he can’t shake off. Skipper needs to convince Richie to stay with him beyond winter ball so the relationship they started on the field might become their happy future in real life!
Through a miserable adolescence and a lonely adulthood, Skipper Keith has dreamed of nothing but family. The closest he gets is the rec league soccer team he coaches after work—and his star player and best friend, Richie Scoggins.
One brisk night in late October, a postpractice convo in Richie’s car turns into a sexual encounter neither of them expected—nor want to forget. Soon Skip and Richie are living for the weekends and their winter league soccer games—and the games they enjoy off the field. Through broken noses, holiday decorating, and the killer flu, they learn more about each other than they ever dreamed possible. Every new discovery takes them further beyond the boundaries of the soccer field and into the infinite possibilities of the best relationship of Skipper’s life.
Skipper can’t dream of a better family than Richie—but Richie’s got real family entanglements he can’t shake off. Skipper needs to convince Richie to stay with him beyond winter ball so the relationship they started on the field might become their happy future in real life!
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 25, 2015
107 people are currently reading
1325 people want to read
About the author
Amy Lane
203 books3,487 followersAmy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 296 reviews
January 1, 2016
Richie waxes poetic about Skip's dick: "I like the length, I like the width, I like the color ... Most especially I like it in my ass."
This calls for a haiku:
I dream about you
dream about your perfect cock
in my ass, so right
Skip (real name Christopher, but he's the Skipper, so) and Richie aren't shy. They lick and suck and smell. Richie is a shameless pushy bottom, and Skip finally has no problems keeping it hard. He only has to think about Richie's wiry pale body, his red hair, his freckles ... and he's a goner.
Winter Ball is the best kind of friends-to-lovers story: low on angst & believable, with REAL MCs.
Richie and Skip are just regular guys who've played rec league soccer together for years. Skip has a *ahem* four-pack and doesn't take off his shirt voluntarily, but he can't take his eyes off Richie, all five feet eight inches of him, ginger hair flying, as he races down the field.
There's a reason that Skip can't get hard with women, and that neither man has moved from "like" to "love" in a relationship. Not until that one October night in Skip's silver Honda Accord ... kisses like that don't lie.
Skip is so in love with Richie, and it shows in the way he narrates the story. He catalogs every freckle, every movement. He takes care of Richie when Richie's idiot stepbrothers strike again, and Richie returns the favor when Skip is sick with the flu.
The secondary characters here rock:
- Carpenter, Skip's straight but definitely not narrow friend who knows he's fat and stays that way partly to serve as a foil to his wealthy, beautiful parents who might be easier to dislike if they weren't so damn nice (the other reason is hamburgers).
- Mason, the VP whom Skip could possibly sue for sexual harassment but won't because Mason's awesome and so very lonely; plus, he makes Richie jealous.
- The entire soccer team for having Skip and Richie's back. Because. FAMILY.
Not so awesome are Richie's vile father, stepmother, and stepbrothers. Richie is hesitant to let his controlling, homophobic father go, even though Richie's the family scapegoat, not good enough, never good enough. Richie works for pennies in the family auto scrap yard and is charged premium rent for the shitty room above his dad's garage.
Richie's a good guy, but I got impatient with his reluctance to just walk away. Skip IS patient, though, and waits for his man ... until he can't wait any longer.
Everyone deserves a hero. Even Richie. ESPECIALLY Richie.
BONUS POINTS for two very enthusiastic butt sex virgins; lots of bawdy lovin'; homemade bread; tofurky (and someone to hate on it as much as you do); golf prodigies; (very) creative dollar-store decorations; a HOME where you belong, escapee cat and all; and falling in love with your best friend.
This calls for a haiku:
I dream about you
dream about your perfect cock
in my ass, so right
Skip (real name Christopher, but he's the Skipper, so) and Richie aren't shy. They lick and suck and smell. Richie is a shameless pushy bottom, and Skip finally has no problems keeping it hard. He only has to think about Richie's wiry pale body, his red hair, his freckles ... and he's a goner.
Winter Ball is the best kind of friends-to-lovers story: low on angst & believable, with REAL MCs.
Richie and Skip are just regular guys who've played rec league soccer together for years. Skip has a *ahem* four-pack and doesn't take off his shirt voluntarily, but he can't take his eyes off Richie, all five feet eight inches of him, ginger hair flying, as he races down the field.
There's a reason that Skip can't get hard with women, and that neither man has moved from "like" to "love" in a relationship. Not until that one October night in Skip's silver Honda Accord ... kisses like that don't lie.
Skip is so in love with Richie, and it shows in the way he narrates the story. He catalogs every freckle, every movement. He takes care of Richie when Richie's idiot stepbrothers strike again, and Richie returns the favor when Skip is sick with the flu.
The secondary characters here rock:
- Carpenter, Skip's straight but definitely not narrow friend who knows he's fat and stays that way partly to serve as a foil to his wealthy, beautiful parents who might be easier to dislike if they weren't so damn nice (the other reason is hamburgers).
- Mason, the VP whom Skip could possibly sue for sexual harassment but won't because Mason's awesome and so very lonely; plus, he makes Richie jealous.
- The entire soccer team for having Skip and Richie's back. Because. FAMILY.
Not so awesome are Richie's vile father, stepmother, and stepbrothers. Richie is hesitant to let his controlling, homophobic father go, even though Richie's the family scapegoat, not good enough, never good enough. Richie works for pennies in the family auto scrap yard and is charged premium rent for the shitty room above his dad's garage.
Richie's a good guy, but I got impatient with his reluctance to just walk away. Skip IS patient, though, and waits for his man ... until he can't wait any longer.
Everyone deserves a hero. Even Richie. ESPECIALLY Richie.
BONUS POINTS for two very enthusiastic butt sex virgins; lots of bawdy lovin'; homemade bread; tofurky (and someone to hate on it as much as you do); golf prodigies; (very) creative dollar-store decorations; a HOME where you belong, escapee cat and all; and falling in love with your best friend.
"I just ... I don't ever want you to think you can have a better dream."
"No," Skip whispered cupping Richie's neck and pulling him in for a kiss that could finally go somewhere. "No better dream than this."
August 10, 2016
I absolutely LOVED and adored so much about this book.
First, Skip, whose deep longing for friends and a real family made my heart ache. He'd dreamed and planned toward both since he was in middle school, after his parents divorced, but it hadn't ever really happened for him. He had no solid faith that he'd every be anything other than alone.
Then Richie, who'd been his dysfunctional family's verbal punching bag since his mother skipped town when he was a teen and he later started doing the books at his father's junk yard. He was a spunky, little spitfire with a bit of a temper to match his ginger hair.
The two met 6 years prior, during tech school, and became fast friends, spending many hours together either playing on their recreational league soccer team, the Scorpions, or just hanging out at Skip's small house. But only as friends.
Until they scored...
During an after-practice beer in Skip's car, an accidental touch 'down there' lit a fire inside them that could never be put out, so the two got hot and heavy pretty quickly.
It's pretty funny how quickly two 25 year old guys talking about how sex had never been that great with their ex-girlfriends could take an extremely interesting, and sexy, twist.
And sweet baby Jesus, Amy put some hot and nasty ass words on the page this time, let me tell you. And, to my delight, a whole lot of them.
In the sudden silence, Skip could hear Richie’s breathless moan, and then that sound again, of a spoonful of tapioca flung at a canvas sail.
Skip’s vision darkened and he came, huge, dumping what felt to be a lifetime of spend into Richie, marking him from the inside out as irrevocably Skip’s now, nobody else’s. Skip was this kind of friend, and nobody else could be.
(But I'm not sure I'll ever see tapioca pudding again without having truly dirty thoughts, just sayin'.)
But fucking hell, once Skip and Richie got a taste of ' the pene ,' it was all game over and check please, with a healthy dose of "get your ass naked right NOW, dammit!"
Anywhooo, now that I have your attention... ;- )
The story was also chocked full of feels, too.
Skip was so gentle and loving with Richie, even the descriptions of something as ordinary as lying in bed together, just talking, were a thing of beauty.
Their connection was bone-deep, with every tender touch meaning the world and giving both men something that they'd never truly had before.
“I wish you didn’t have to go home.”It really was amazing to watch and turned out to be one of my very favorite aspects of the story.
Richie didn’t look horrified—he looked sad.
“Yeah, me too.” They’d locked Hazel in the bathroom, so they were standing in a lighted doorway. The whole world could see them. And Richie grinned up at him and tapped his cheek gently with a knuckle. “You think I want to leave a place that serves cold pizza for breakfast and has Almond Joys?”
Another large part of the story that I enjoyed was the friendship that developed between the men and Carpenter, Skip's personable, overweight co-worker. Over the course of the story, they went from work friends to genuine family.
Plus, there were plenty of parts in the story that kept me cracking up. Like when Mason, "Mr. Gay Porn", Skip's company's VP of Sales, would call and blatantly hit on him (yes, that set Richie's jealousy on high heat), then thanked him for not suing for sexual harassment. Wiping the floor with Carpenter's douchey, pretentious high school friends while golfing. Skip throwing up on command on the soccer field to get what he wanted. All of that stuff was pure gold in my eyes.
For me, this book worked so well because of the delicate balance of attraction, tenderness, humor, friendship and family that was so well maintained. And the sex, of course. Every little thing was doled out to the reader in precisely the correct amount, never really over-the-top and most certainly never dragging down the story's momentum.
The sex never came across as gratuitous, the feels never felt forced and the conflict from Richie's family never approached a level of melodrama.
The book really was pretty much perfect for me and ended with a strong HEA.
The only, and I mean only, thing that I maybe, kinda, sorta would've liked to see was a short epilogue of a year or so down the road, but that's mostly just me being especially greedy for more Amy Lane.
Sue me, we've all been there, people, so don't judge. : )
So yes, this one was a very solid 4.5 stars in my book and I highly recommend picking it up at your first opportunity.
-----------------------------------------------
My copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
December 29, 2019
*3.5 stars*
I liked this book, I really did, but in the world of awesome Amy Lane holiday novellas, this wasn't my favorite.
I'm actually pretty stunned that I didn't adore this one. I mean, this is Amy-freaking-Lane we are talking about, and not just regular Amy Lane, HOLIDAY Amy Lane.
I adore sexuality discovery stories. Like reallllyyyy adore them. However, this wasn't exactly my favorite version of one. Sure, it was a really lovely friends-to-lovers story, but the tension, the build-up wasn't really there. We are thrown right into the action because the guys have their first intimate scene right at the get-go. I like to be teased with my stories. Torture me, build up the sexual tension! That buildup, especially in a story where both guys are trying to sort through their emotions, it what really gets me going. These guys were just technically figuring out their sexuality, though their closet doors were paper thin. A strong wind could have outed these guys as being attracted to each other.
The plot itself was very well done. It was fairly angsty- you know, messed up family, childhood neglect, pretty standard Amy Lane material. However, I dig angsty Amy Lane, and I enjoyed seeing these guys struggle though their everyday lives. I liked the sports team and the dimension that that brought to the story. The players were pretty awesome, and I loved how they rallied around Richie and Skip.
I think if this had more buildup, more tension I would have given this 4+ stars. In the end, I liked it because, you, know, butt virgins. *grins*
**Copy provided in exchange for an honest review**
I liked this book, I really did, but in the world of awesome Amy Lane holiday novellas, this wasn't my favorite.
I'm actually pretty stunned that I didn't adore this one. I mean, this is Amy-freaking-Lane we are talking about, and not just regular Amy Lane, HOLIDAY Amy Lane.
I adore sexuality discovery stories. Like reallllyyyy adore them. However, this wasn't exactly my favorite version of one. Sure, it was a really lovely friends-to-lovers story, but the tension, the build-up wasn't really there. We are thrown right into the action because the guys have their first intimate scene right at the get-go. I like to be teased with my stories. Torture me, build up the sexual tension! That buildup, especially in a story where both guys are trying to sort through their emotions, it what really gets me going. These guys were just technically figuring out their sexuality, though their closet doors were paper thin. A strong wind could have outed these guys as being attracted to each other.
The plot itself was very well done. It was fairly angsty- you know, messed up family, childhood neglect, pretty standard Amy Lane material. However, I dig angsty Amy Lane, and I enjoyed seeing these guys struggle though their everyday lives. I liked the sports team and the dimension that that brought to the story. The players were pretty awesome, and I loved how they rallied around Richie and Skip.
I think if this had more buildup, more tension I would have given this 4+ stars. In the end, I liked it because, you, know, butt virgins. *grins*
**Copy provided in exchange for an honest review**
January 2, 2016
Solid 4 stars.....probably closer to 4.5!
This whole story....
I loved everything about it. You couldn't not root for Skip and Richie!
Swoon-worthy--check
Low angst--check
Great steam--check
Good banter--check
2016 is off to a great reading start!!!
This whole story....
I loved everything about it. You couldn't not root for Skip and Richie!
Swoon-worthy--check
Low angst--check
Great steam--check
Good banter--check
2016 is off to a great reading start!!!
December 17, 2015
It's a late October night. Skipper, coach of the rec league soccer team, and Richie, his favourite player and best friend, have just finished practice. They get in Richie's car, and it's only natural for two friends to share their concerns about their love life, right? There must be a reason why Skip doesn't get hard with women or why Richie needs the lights off during sex. If you don't talk to your friend about these things, who are you going to talk to?
Good thing they did! Because they found out why!
This is a truly amazing friends-to-lovers story. That night, in Richie's car, everything clicks into place and everything makes sense. And it felt natural and real and all kinds of awsome.
"This thing, this living breathing warm human thing, it had been brewing between them for a long time, hadn’t it? [...]
It was him and Richie, as they always were, just a little more naked now"
Skip doesn't have any family. All he has is the team and Richie. It broke my heart a little that he thought nobody would care whether something happened to him or not. He takes care of everyone and he worships the ground Richie walks on.
He's also an amazing narrator. I felt his words and I only realised that I didn't get Richie's POV when it was pointed out to me.
As for Richie...
Ginger, pale, freckled, green-eyed, wiry (I'm licking my lips as I write this. Yes, I have a ginger fetish, what of it?). But also fierce and loyal. And holly hotness, he was so uninhibited and eager in bed...he was unstoppable, I tell you!
"Skip took Richie while he was plastered up against the headboard, hands clutching the rail, the bed rocking so loud they probably couldn’t have heard a bomb go off. Richie was screaming, “Fuck me! Fuck me, Skip! Fuck me!”
But poor Richie tries so hard to hold on to a family that treats him like dirt and takes advantage of him. Because he was always the "useless" one, and now he needs to feel needed.
And despite his reluctance to leave this family, I never felt that he loved Skip less, or that he didn't have his back. And I was so damn proud of him for the way he stood up for him and Skip in the end.
The secondary characters are perfection. The VP who sents gifts with a card that reads "Thanks for not suing for sexual harassment. I hope your boyfriend took good care of you." Carpenter, who proved to be a great friend, and a whole soccer team that deserved more credit than it was given.
This story is like all Amy Lane Christmas stories. All the feels but not very angsty, with the right amount of steam and fluff, and men that find the family they deserved. Highly recommended!
*Also posted on Gay Book Reviews*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Christmas BR with my Renee~
December 17, 2015
Amy Lane,
You have nailed this out of the park! One of my favorite tropes- if not my favorite- is friends to lovers, and this was a delicious little tale. There was no possible way that I wouldn't fall in love with these two men.
This book it had it all.
Great main characters ✔
Great dialogue ✔
Humor ✔
Text messages!! Love banter in emails or texts. ✔
Sweet romance ✔
Dirty hot sex ✔
Heartbreak ✔
Awesome secondary characters ✔
HEA that will leave you smiling ✔
I just adored this to bits! If you love holiday stories- even if you don't- I promise you will love this book. 4.5 Stars!
ARC kindly provided to Gay Book Reviews for an honest review.
March 6, 2017
3/5/17
Re-read as audio -- loved listening to Skip & Richie fall in love all over again!! Nick J. Russo does a superb job in his production of the audio. Great tone, cadence, and character differentiation. ..his emotion added to the story brought the book to life!
Another 5 stars for Winter Ball!!
12/2015
I loved this book!!-- 5 Stars
It is not secret that Amy Lane is one of my favorite male/male authors. She has a witty sense of humor and an ability to make even the most awkward man lovable. So it was really no surprise to me that I fell in love with Winter Ball - this is a unique and fun story that fits right in with all of Amy Lane's other stories.
In this story we have Skipper and Richie, two "straight" men who are socially awkward introverts, but they are best friends. These two love nothing more than to hang out together and you can usually find them together at Skippers house or playing Soccer.
I loved watching these two men realize that their feelings were more than friendly and then watching them learn to explore their sexual attraction to each other. Overall this is a feel good story full of awesome humor, heartwarming moments, and hot as hell sex.
One of my favorite moments of the story was between Skip and Richie as they told each other "I Love you"
"Love you, Richie." "Love you too, Skip." "That gets easier to say every time." "Yeah, I know. It's more important too, like, you know, brushing your teeth or coffee in the morning. Like you have to do it." "Yeah." Skip smiled, his fever receding somewhat, his brain tired but sound for the first time in days. "Like drinking water or going to the bathroom. You can't think of it not happening." "Or breathing, Skip. That sounds better." "Yeah. Like Breathing."
I just love the relationship between these two MC and how they were not afraid to show each other emotion or accept that they are gay. It was just something they accepted and moved on with life. Learning to love each other and build a life together.
Amazing Book!!
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by JLoves2Read from Alpha Book Club
and Gay Book Reviews
Re-read as audio -- loved listening to Skip & Richie fall in love all over again!! Nick J. Russo does a superb job in his production of the audio. Great tone, cadence, and character differentiation. ..his emotion added to the story brought the book to life!
Another 5 stars for Winter Ball!!
12/2015
I loved this book!!-- 5 Stars
It is not secret that Amy Lane is one of my favorite male/male authors. She has a witty sense of humor and an ability to make even the most awkward man lovable. So it was really no surprise to me that I fell in love with Winter Ball - this is a unique and fun story that fits right in with all of Amy Lane's other stories.
In this story we have Skipper and Richie, two "straight" men who are socially awkward introverts, but they are best friends. These two love nothing more than to hang out together and you can usually find them together at Skippers house or playing Soccer.
I loved watching these two men realize that their feelings were more than friendly and then watching them learn to explore their sexual attraction to each other. Overall this is a feel good story full of awesome humor, heartwarming moments, and hot as hell sex.
One of my favorite moments of the story was between Skip and Richie as they told each other "I Love you"
"Love you, Richie." "Love you too, Skip." "That gets easier to say every time." "Yeah, I know. It's more important too, like, you know, brushing your teeth or coffee in the morning. Like you have to do it." "Yeah." Skip smiled, his fever receding somewhat, his brain tired but sound for the first time in days. "Like drinking water or going to the bathroom. You can't think of it not happening." "Or breathing, Skip. That sounds better." "Yeah. Like Breathing."
I just love the relationship between these two MC and how they were not afraid to show each other emotion or accept that they are gay. It was just something they accepted and moved on with life. Learning to love each other and build a life together.
Amazing Book!!
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by JLoves2Read from Alpha Book Club
and Gay Book Reviews
December 28, 2015
I'm not sure if this is Amy Lane light or dark - the guys won't tear your heart to little shredded, bloodied bits, but they sure will squeeze it a lot. Either way, signature Amy Lane style, with two young men who have been avoiding looking their own desires in the face. Until one day, in a car together, tired and sweaty in the dim October evening, it comes together. They touch each other, and all pretense of being straight, or uninterested, or anything but falling headlong, becomes impossible.
Skipper is alone in the world, a good guy whose soccer team and work colleagues are the closest to family he has. From that night in the car, the first touch, and kiss, he knows he wants Richie to be the family he so desperately needs. But he's not sure he has enough to offer to make up for what Richie might lose. And the thought of coming out, and maybe giving up the people he cares about on the team or at work, is a scary thing. If he does that, and Richie can't stick with him, he'll have nothing at all...
Richie has a family, of sorts. But his father mostly is interested in the work Richie does for the family scrapyard, his step-mom dislikes him, his step-brothers mock him. Only a sense of responsibility and old fading affection for his father keeps him home, paying them to rent his room and working for crappy wages to keep the business afloat. With his homophobic father and brothers breathing down his neck every day, falling in love with any man, even a guy like Skip, is a hard thing to do.
These guys are in a tough place. Their inability to articulate the dilemma, along with a strong sense of responsibility, keeps their relationship from being the no-brainer it would be if one of them was a girl in their heterocentric world. They're hot together from the first private moment, but their hesitations outside the bedroom are believable and painful.
I look forward to doing a reread on this one. Whether due to the book, or my own distraction, this was the only Amy Lane I remember where I had to stop after a page and go back to figure out whose POV I was reading as the story opened - perhaps due to both guys being referred to by first names, last names and a nickname. (Reading the blurb might have told me it was Skipper's book, but Amy is such an auto-buy author I didn't even bother...) There were a few other moments when I felt like the POV shifted, leaving me a little less deeply embedded in Skipper's life than I'm used to. But my heart ached nicely for both these boys, and I appreciated the pleasures of a lovely holiday read.
Skipper is alone in the world, a good guy whose soccer team and work colleagues are the closest to family he has. From that night in the car, the first touch, and kiss, he knows he wants Richie to be the family he so desperately needs. But he's not sure he has enough to offer to make up for what Richie might lose. And the thought of coming out, and maybe giving up the people he cares about on the team or at work, is a scary thing. If he does that, and Richie can't stick with him, he'll have nothing at all...
Richie has a family, of sorts. But his father mostly is interested in the work Richie does for the family scrapyard, his step-mom dislikes him, his step-brothers mock him. Only a sense of responsibility and old fading affection for his father keeps him home, paying them to rent his room and working for crappy wages to keep the business afloat. With his homophobic father and brothers breathing down his neck every day, falling in love with any man, even a guy like Skip, is a hard thing to do.
These guys are in a tough place. Their inability to articulate the dilemma, along with a strong sense of responsibility, keeps their relationship from being the no-brainer it would be if one of them was a girl in their heterocentric world. They're hot together from the first private moment, but their hesitations outside the bedroom are believable and painful.
I look forward to doing a reread on this one. Whether due to the book, or my own distraction, this was the only Amy Lane I remember where I had to stop after a page and go back to figure out whose POV I was reading as the story opened - perhaps due to both guys being referred to by first names, last names and a nickname. (Reading the blurb might have told me it was Skipper's book, but Amy is such an auto-buy author I didn't even bother...) There were a few other moments when I felt like the POV shifted, leaving me a little less deeply embedded in Skipper's life than I'm used to. But my heart ached nicely for both these boys, and I appreciated the pleasures of a lovely holiday read.
December 28, 2019
Sweet hollandaise sauce, could Skip and Richie be any more fucking adorable? I absolutely love them. They navigate the waters of sexual exploration and awakening with a strangely innocent zeal that is somehow perfectly paired with experience and a slight cynicism. Their innate caution leads to the occasional misunderstanding, but they're close enough to be achingly open with one another, leading to frank and honest revelations. They're one of those literary couples that you just want to wrap up in some soft wool and protect.
Amy Lane occasionally hits one completely outta the park for me. This is one of those times.
Amy Lane occasionally hits one completely outta the park for me. This is one of those times.
December 25, 2015
My 1000th book on GR. Woohooooo.
Oh, how do I love these Amy Lane low-angst books.
This was such a sweet GFY, best-friends-to-lovers story.
Skipper and Richie have been best friends and soccer buddies for the past 6 years. When they are talking about their previous relationships and how neither of them can seem to stay interested in a woman, something else happens. They kiss, they touch.
What I really liked about that first scene is that there is no awkwardness after. Both are just thinking:
We must do this again. We must do this again.
The GFY in this was just perfect.
These guys have been best friend for years and they are somewhat struggling with the whole gay thing. Not how it feels between them, but more how to fit their new relationship into their lives. There is no angst within the relationship, these guys were it for each other.
I adored the guys’ soccer team and especially loved Carpenter.
These guys were lovely together. This is a loving, tender, and sweet holiday book. I absolutely loved it.
Oh, how do I love these Amy Lane low-angst books.
This was such a sweet GFY, best-friends-to-lovers story.
Skipper and Richie have been best friends and soccer buddies for the past 6 years. When they are talking about their previous relationships and how neither of them can seem to stay interested in a woman, something else happens. They kiss, they touch.
What I really liked about that first scene is that there is no awkwardness after. Both are just thinking:
We must do this again. We must do this again.
The GFY in this was just perfect.
These guys have been best friend for years and they are somewhat struggling with the whole gay thing. Not how it feels between them, but more how to fit their new relationship into their lives. There is no angst within the relationship, these guys were it for each other.
I adored the guys’ soccer team and especially loved Carpenter.
These guys were lovely together. This is a loving, tender, and sweet holiday book. I absolutely loved it.
December 23, 2015
Review originally posted at Sinfully.
4.5 stars
Low angst, plenty of sex, dirty talking, flu-medication induced confessions and a number of holidays made this friends-to-lovers story a wonderful read.
Skipper doesn’t have any family. Richie has a dysfunctional family he can’t seem to drag himself away from. They’ve been friends for six years, through tech school and playing in a rec soccer league. One night after practice, while talking in Richie’s car and discussing their less than stellar, eerily similar, sex lives, they find out why the women they go out with never seem to turn them on. Skip and Richie enthusiastically embrace that discovery each week, while making sure nobody else finds out, growing desperate for more each time they say goodbye. As the rest of their lives continue, it gets harder to keep things hidden and harder to rein in their emotions. Skip fears losing the friendship of his team and being alone, while Richie fears losing his father if anyone was to find out. Of course “if” becomes “when” and although not everyone reacts the way the men expected, others don’t fail to disappoint.
The two men have such a great connection and are so sweet with each other. I loved how they accepted their feelings and the newly discovered side of their sexuality. Their relationship moved forward so naturally, that almost immediately, Skip and Richie are making a home and family together without even realizing it. Skip is so in love with and so devoted to Richie, he can’t help but fear that Richie doesn’t feel as strongly and he worries that Richie will allow his family to tear them apart.
The biggest stumbling block in their relationship is Richie’s incredibly vile family, made up of his father, his father’s wife and her two sons. Richie’s feelings for his father are complex and his inability to tear away when the whole family treats him so poorly was a bit confusing at first. Since we don’t get Richie’s POV, sometimes his true feelings were a mystery. I always knew how he felt when he was with Skip but when text messages weren’t returned and Richie wasn’t there, I was often wondering right along with Skipper.
There are some great secondary characters, first and foremost Carpenter, Skip’s co-worker and newly inducted soccer league teammate, who helps Skip learn how to build the family he needs. Then there is Mason aka Skip’s mysterious Gentleman Caller/sexual harasser who turns out to not be quite the creeper he first comes off as. There is also the soccer team that has been together for six years and who Skip fears would not accept him as their leader once they find out he is gay.
This is a sweet, touching story with plenty of humor, sex that spans from tender to dirty, and a range of emotion that should satisfy anyone looking for a good character driven romance, especially friends-to-lovers fans.
4.5 stars
Low angst, plenty of sex, dirty talking, flu-medication induced confessions and a number of holidays made this friends-to-lovers story a wonderful read.
Skipper doesn’t have any family. Richie has a dysfunctional family he can’t seem to drag himself away from. They’ve been friends for six years, through tech school and playing in a rec soccer league. One night after practice, while talking in Richie’s car and discussing their less than stellar, eerily similar, sex lives, they find out why the women they go out with never seem to turn them on. Skip and Richie enthusiastically embrace that discovery each week, while making sure nobody else finds out, growing desperate for more each time they say goodbye. As the rest of their lives continue, it gets harder to keep things hidden and harder to rein in their emotions. Skip fears losing the friendship of his team and being alone, while Richie fears losing his father if anyone was to find out. Of course “if” becomes “when” and although not everyone reacts the way the men expected, others don’t fail to disappoint.
The two men have such a great connection and are so sweet with each other. I loved how they accepted their feelings and the newly discovered side of their sexuality. Their relationship moved forward so naturally, that almost immediately, Skip and Richie are making a home and family together without even realizing it. Skip is so in love with and so devoted to Richie, he can’t help but fear that Richie doesn’t feel as strongly and he worries that Richie will allow his family to tear them apart.
The biggest stumbling block in their relationship is Richie’s incredibly vile family, made up of his father, his father’s wife and her two sons. Richie’s feelings for his father are complex and his inability to tear away when the whole family treats him so poorly was a bit confusing at first. Since we don’t get Richie’s POV, sometimes his true feelings were a mystery. I always knew how he felt when he was with Skip but when text messages weren’t returned and Richie wasn’t there, I was often wondering right along with Skipper.
There are some great secondary characters, first and foremost Carpenter, Skip’s co-worker and newly inducted soccer league teammate, who helps Skip learn how to build the family he needs. Then there is Mason aka Skip’s mysterious Gentleman Caller/sexual harasser who turns out to not be quite the creeper he first comes off as. There is also the soccer team that has been together for six years and who Skip fears would not accept him as their leader once they find out he is gay.
This is a sweet, touching story with plenty of humor, sex that spans from tender to dirty, and a range of emotion that should satisfy anyone looking for a good character driven romance, especially friends-to-lovers fans.
October 27, 2019
This one sat in my tbr for a very long time. Mostly because I'm not a fan of holiday themed stories. So glad I finally read it. It is lovely! Full of emotion and good people I wish I could meet in real life. A winner for sure.
December 29, 2015
4.5 stars
The first thing I realized as I started to read this is that I love romances between guys who are just, well, ordinary. And you can't get much more ordinary than two guys who meet in tech school and then become good friends through rec soccer league.
Did I mention they're good friends? So, yes, this was a friends to lovers romance which is, of course, the best trope of all. Oh yeah, they're also gay virgins. Who are making up for lost time. So there's that too.
But this wasn't just about Skip and Richie falling in love, it was about them stepping past the families they were given and making their own family -- the two of them, but also an extended family with the new friends they met along the way.
"But this … this, you and me -- it's nothing I ever dreamed of, you know? But it's all I ever wanted."
The first thing I realized as I started to read this is that I love romances between guys who are just, well, ordinary. And you can't get much more ordinary than two guys who meet in tech school and then become good friends through rec soccer league.
Did I mention they're good friends? So, yes, this was a friends to lovers romance which is, of course, the best trope of all. Oh yeah, they're also gay virgins. Who are making up for lost time. So there's that too.
But this wasn't just about Skip and Richie falling in love, it was about them stepping past the families they were given and making their own family -- the two of them, but also an extended family with the new friends they met along the way.
"But this … this, you and me -- it's nothing I ever dreamed of, you know? But it's all I ever wanted."
December 27, 2015
A sweet warm-fuzzy Christmas story, and somehow exactly what I needed to read when I woke up at five in the morning on a Sunday.
February 19, 2016
There were parts of this book I really wanted to like and find adorable (though others were suuuuper cheesy). Honestly, I did. But I just couldn't because I kept getting stuck on how sudden it all felt. They jumped into a relationship so easily after having been straight friends and exclusively dating women for years. I think part of it is also that we're dropped right into the middle of everything. We don't see anything happening before...just them leaving their soccer game and immediately getting sexual. And then the author tries to make up for it by making Skip look back on their previously-innocuous moments and adding some sort of extra meaning there. It felt false. It felt like there was meaning being forced into a relationship by trying to make it anything but what it was: instalust.
It's not that I wanted them to do a push-pull deal and for them to act out with homophobia or something, but after "six years of playing soccer together, playing video games and watching movies, going out to beer and pizza with the guys," it felt inauthentic to me for them to jump right into a sexual relationship with no hesitation between them, no slowing down to talk...no nothing. I didn't buy it. And, also, because they jump right into a relationship, there was no sexual tension in between--no instances of will they/won't they (which is something I love seeing happening in romance books). So all these cute moments between them? Not working for me.
And then one weekend of sex and a week of texting/phone calls...and they're in love??? And then they're moving in together soon after?? They hooked up just between Halloween...and then they were moving in together less than a month later (just after American Thanksgiving). So damn fast! All the stuff I like reading about relationship-wise was nowhere to be found because once they're in this (from the beginning of chapter 1), they're in it until the end.
Other than that, I also wasn't too fond of the mentions of their previous sex lives. Even though they make it perfectly clear that what they have together is special ("They were the same two guys who had discovered their first real sex and their first kiss and their first love in each other’s arms."), but I really could've done without all the mentions of their sexual pasts. I get that they've both been in relationships prior to, but I really don't need to hear how this one gf of theirs preferred the back door, or how this other one liked this sexual act and that sexual act, or how he thinks women taste sweeter in comparison to men (while the two MCs are supposed to be having their intimate moments). Like, if we're gonna do romance...can we just do romance? I don't find it romantic to read such specific mentions of their exs. (And, no, it's not any different no matter what sex/gender the ex is that's being mentioned.)
And while I'm on the topic of sex...did there need to be so much of it?? I didn't know this was erotica going into it, but I realized pretty quickly that it was. I was hoping things would cool off and there'd be more relationship stuff, but all their relationship consisted of was sex. Nearly every chapter contained AT LEAST one descriptive sex scene. And those that didn't? They still had sex, just not as descriptive. I mean...couldn't we just lay off the sex RIGHT AFTER one of the MCs gets a broken nose? And then later when the other one is sick? Please? It's not sexy in those situations anyway, so why is it in there??
I was also unhappy with the entire "gentleman caller"/Mason (aka: the OM) business.
This is Skip basking in the attention of an OM because Richie's been trying to deal with family shit (on top of which, having to deal with their homophobia) and Skip's feeling insecure. It makes Skipper seem fickle and immature that, barely a month into their relationship, because of a single bump in the road (because Richie hasn't been answering his messages all day since he's deal with his family), Skip decides to react this way. Not only is it damn early in their relationship, but it's only been ONE day of Richie not responding! What happens later when things get more complicated (because, as is the case with relationships, they inevitably will)? Is Skip going to turn around and bask in the attentions of someone else who gives him a bit of attention and practically emotionally cheat on Richie? (Again?) Possibly do more? Not cool, man. It was especially annoying because Skip had told Richie he's cool with putting off the coming-out and giving Richie time to deal with his family shit. And besides, forget the relationship aspect -- they've been friends for six years! Where the hell is the respect due to a close (best) friend?
And I know Skip quit trying to look attractive to this OM a little bit after, but why did the author feel the need to include this bit at all? I felt it was unnecessary and just tainted the overall sweetness of their relationship. The inclusion of it kind of pissed me off even more than the mentions of past lovers, tbh.
And Carpenter. I was fine with him for the most part, but then there was the part where he brought Skip to play golf with his high school "friends." Hmm...I can't be the only one bothered by Carpenter dragging Skip to meet his homophobic friends, right? He's doing it because it'll be sooooo f'ing funny but wtf? I don't know if there's a word for it (maybe homophobia?), but it just makes me uncomfortable that Carpenter dragged his gay friend, Skip, along with him to put on display for his homophobic buddies. Like, why is this ok? What's so funny about this? It's like haha, isn't it just sooooooo hilarious how I brought you, my gay friend, to come out and hang out with my homophobic friends in order to make them super uncomfortable?? What a lark, yeah!! So funny, right? Except not. I really don't give a shit about his homophobic friends feeling uncomfortable, but what about the feelings of the person you're putting on display for your little joke? Insensitive, much? (And Carpenter doesn't tell Skip about his little joke beforehand...he just asks him to come along and it's revealed while they're golfing. Skip was written to be fine with it, but I had a big problem with it.)
And as if the book didn't have enough drama...why did the author feel the need to add some extra homophobic drama to the mix? I found the stuff with McAlister wholly unnecessary. There was no point to it and it just felt unnecessary and added on. Not every LGBTQ+ story needs the trope-y someone who's going to be outwardly hateful and homophobic. We had enough homophobia from Richie's family, we didn't need McAlister's homophobic outburst and hate-speech added to the mix.
It's not that I wanted them to do a push-pull deal and for them to act out with homophobia or something, but after "six years of playing soccer together, playing video games and watching movies, going out to beer and pizza with the guys," it felt inauthentic to me for them to jump right into a sexual relationship with no hesitation between them, no slowing down to talk...no nothing. I didn't buy it. And, also, because they jump right into a relationship, there was no sexual tension in between--no instances of will they/won't they (which is something I love seeing happening in romance books). So all these cute moments between them? Not working for me.
And then one weekend of sex and a week of texting/phone calls...and they're in love??? And then they're moving in together soon after?? They hooked up just between Halloween...and then they were moving in together less than a month later (just after American Thanksgiving). So damn fast! All the stuff I like reading about relationship-wise was nowhere to be found because once they're in this (from the beginning of chapter 1), they're in it until the end.
Other than that, I also wasn't too fond of the mentions of their previous sex lives. Even though they make it perfectly clear that what they have together is special ("They were the same two guys who had discovered their first real sex and their first kiss and their first love in each other’s arms."), but I really could've done without all the mentions of their sexual pasts. I get that they've both been in relationships prior to, but I really don't need to hear how this one gf of theirs preferred the back door, or how this other one liked this sexual act and that sexual act, or how he thinks women taste sweeter in comparison to men (while the two MCs are supposed to be having their intimate moments). Like, if we're gonna do romance...can we just do romance? I don't find it romantic to read such specific mentions of their exs. (And, no, it's not any different no matter what sex/gender the ex is that's being mentioned.)
And while I'm on the topic of sex...did there need to be so much of it?? I didn't know this was erotica going into it, but I realized pretty quickly that it was. I was hoping things would cool off and there'd be more relationship stuff, but all their relationship consisted of was sex. Nearly every chapter contained AT LEAST one descriptive sex scene. And those that didn't? They still had sex, just not as descriptive. I mean...couldn't we just lay off the sex RIGHT AFTER one of the MCs gets a broken nose? And then later when the other one is sick? Please? It's not sexy in those situations anyway, so why is it in there??
I was also unhappy with the entire "gentleman caller"/Mason (aka: the OM) business.
Skip frowned unhappily. That hand on his shoulder felt really good, and Mason had been warm and kind and funny and… well… gay. Not in the obvious television way, but in the “I’d totally want you if you weren’t taken” way.
He just wasn’t sure if this was a come-on or not.
“Yeah,” Skip said, stepping smoothly backward. “I really want to help him. I hate that I won’t see him until after Thanksgiving. I….” I’m afraid he’s going to try so hard to forget about us that he succeeds. “I’m used to seeing him more,” he finished weakly.
Mason sighed and looked at him wistfully from earth brown eyes. “Skip, I don’t want to… you know… intrude, but….” He laughed and dragged a hand through very well cut hair. “Look, I hit on you before I saw you. You’re… you know. Not bad on the eyes. Just….”
Skip found he was blushing, shifting from foot to foot and uncomfortable in a way that he’d never been with Richie. But his stomach also ached a little from holding it in, which meant Skip wanted this guy to find him attractive too.
This is Skip basking in the attention of an OM because Richie's been trying to deal with family shit (on top of which, having to deal with their homophobia) and Skip's feeling insecure. It makes Skipper seem fickle and immature that, barely a month into their relationship, because of a single bump in the road (because Richie hasn't been answering his messages all day since he's deal with his family), Skip decides to react this way. Not only is it damn early in their relationship, but it's only been ONE day of Richie not responding! What happens later when things get more complicated (because, as is the case with relationships, they inevitably will)? Is Skip going to turn around and bask in the attentions of someone else who gives him a bit of attention and practically emotionally cheat on Richie? (Again?) Possibly do more? Not cool, man. It was especially annoying because Skip had told Richie he's cool with putting off the coming-out and giving Richie time to deal with his family shit. And besides, forget the relationship aspect -- they've been friends for six years! Where the hell is the respect due to a close (best) friend?
And I know Skip quit trying to look attractive to this OM a little bit after, but why did the author feel the need to include this bit at all? I felt it was unnecessary and just tainted the overall sweetness of their relationship. The inclusion of it kind of pissed me off even more than the mentions of past lovers, tbh.
And Carpenter. I was fine with him for the most part, but then there was the part where he brought Skip to play golf with his high school "friends." Hmm...I can't be the only one bothered by Carpenter dragging Skip to meet his homophobic friends, right? He's doing it because it'll be sooooo f'ing funny but wtf? I don't know if there's a word for it (maybe homophobia?), but it just makes me uncomfortable that Carpenter dragged his gay friend, Skip, along with him to put on display for his homophobic buddies. Like, why is this ok? What's so funny about this? It's like haha, isn't it just sooooooo hilarious how I brought you, my gay friend, to come out and hang out with my homophobic friends in order to make them super uncomfortable?? What a lark, yeah!! So funny, right? Except not. I really don't give a shit about his homophobic friends feeling uncomfortable, but what about the feelings of the person you're putting on display for your little joke? Insensitive, much? (And Carpenter doesn't tell Skip about his little joke beforehand...he just asks him to come along and it's revealed while they're golfing. Skip was written to be fine with it, but I had a big problem with it.)
And as if the book didn't have enough drama...why did the author feel the need to add some extra homophobic drama to the mix? I found the stuff with McAlister wholly unnecessary. There was no point to it and it just felt unnecessary and added on. Not every LGBTQ+ story needs the trope-y someone who's going to be outwardly hateful and homophobic. We had enough homophobia from Richie's family, we didn't need McAlister's homophobic outburst and hate-speech added to the mix.
May 27, 2017
***** :) Amy Lame has the best character development ever ! :) This well written tale is the journey of two long time friends who discover they are gay, they explore this discovery with each other and find a true, deep loving relationship. Big, fit athlete Skip has reluctantly taken over the soccer team, and is doing a great job keeping the team well tuned. Smaller, shorter, "ginger" Richie is a team member who looks up to Skip. They realize their attraction after a game one night, when after talking, there's a kiss, touching, and satisfaction. This led to weekends spent together.
"...damn, he finally knew what sex was about..." ..." discovered their first real sex and their first kiss and their first love in each other's arms..."
"Skip's hands shook in his hair, and his hips thrust upward spasmodically, needing...needing...needing so damn hard." "He kissed every inch, sucked on every pleasure point, hit every spot..."
We have Richie's verbally abusive family, and Skip's lack of family, plus a terrific group of teammates, an anonymous porn seeker at work, and a new friend to add to the cast. Skip takes care of Richie with his broken nose, and Richie cares for Skip when he's got 103' fever with the flu/bronchitis. We get their "coming out" at work, with the team, and family.
"Richie...murmuring things to him, kissing his temple, stroking his neck and shoulders, nuzzling his cheek. Skip returned the soft touches, the hushed words..."
This stand alone is deeply passionate, with erotic, new found M/M sexiness and true emotions.
I recommend it highly. ENJOY !!!
==============================
"...damn, he finally knew what sex was about..." ..." discovered their first real sex and their first kiss and their first love in each other's arms..."
"Skip's hands shook in his hair, and his hips thrust upward spasmodically, needing...needing...needing so damn hard." "He kissed every inch, sucked on every pleasure point, hit every spot..."
We have Richie's verbally abusive family, and Skip's lack of family, plus a terrific group of teammates, an anonymous porn seeker at work, and a new friend to add to the cast. Skip takes care of Richie with his broken nose, and Richie cares for Skip when he's got 103' fever with the flu/bronchitis. We get their "coming out" at work, with the team, and family.
"Richie...murmuring things to him, kissing his temple, stroking his neck and shoulders, nuzzling his cheek. Skip returned the soft touches, the hushed words..."
This stand alone is deeply passionate, with erotic, new found M/M sexiness and true emotions.
I recommend it highly. ENJOY !!!
==============================
December 25, 2015
This was another great addition to the holiday season of m/m yummy goodness of 2015! Skipper and Richie have been friends for many years and even play in a rec soccer league together. One hot and steamy encounter changes the way they see each other.
This was the perfect mix of sweet, friends-to-lovers and dirty, dirty hotness between the sheets! Done the way that only Amy Lane can do! And there is something so refreshing about the "realness" of her characters. Their physical attributes and their bluntness.
My martyr-meter went off for this one when Richie sacrificed his and Skip's happiness for his family's BS way too long for my taste, but that was my only beef with this story. Otherwise, this was another great delivery from a favorite author. Definitely recommend!
This was the perfect mix of sweet, friends-to-lovers and dirty, dirty hotness between the sheets! Done the way that only Amy Lane can do! And there is something so refreshing about the "realness" of her characters. Their physical attributes and their bluntness.
My martyr-meter went off for this one when Richie sacrificed his and Skip's happiness for his family's BS way too long for my taste, but that was my only beef with this story. Otherwise, this was another great delivery from a favorite author. Definitely recommend!
July 12, 2018
4 Stars!
I’ve got to say that though I haven’t read a lot from this author, this is probably my favorite by far.
What happens when two seemingly straight best friendsaccidentally? explode together, having the best intimate experience ever? Only great things right?
Skipper simply wants to give himself all the stuff he missed out on as a child - good friends, reliable family, and holiday traditions, and Richie pretty much fits that bill. This is made all the more clear as these two navigate their new relationship status.
Richie is a bit stuck in life. He feels obligated to work for the family business, despite being harassed and unappreciated repeatedly. Skipper is definitely the best thing he has, and Richie’s not giving him up. He just has to reconcile some things first before he’s all in.
Thankfully low on the actual relationship angst - these two communicate! It was quite lovely to see how they smoothly transition from friends to lovers, becoming exactly what the other needs. Although there are some realistic doubts and fears that have to be resolved, they both realize that finally getting their happy ending is so worth fighting for.
I’ve got to say that this was also the smexiest Lane book I’ve come across. A very, very nice blend of twisty-lite feels and first time, hot explorations, all with a warm holiday backdrop!
I’ve got to say that though I haven’t read a lot from this author, this is probably my favorite by far.
What happens when two seemingly straight best friends
Skipper simply wants to give himself all the stuff he missed out on as a child - good friends, reliable family, and holiday traditions, and Richie pretty much fits that bill. This is made all the more clear as these two navigate their new relationship status.
Richie is a bit stuck in life. He feels obligated to work for the family business, despite being harassed and unappreciated repeatedly. Skipper is definitely the best thing he has, and Richie’s not giving him up. He just has to reconcile some things first before he’s all in.
Thankfully low on the actual relationship angst - these two communicate! It was quite lovely to see how they smoothly transition from friends to lovers, becoming exactly what the other needs. Although there are some realistic doubts and fears that have to be resolved, they both realize that finally getting their happy ending is so worth fighting for.
I’ve got to say that this was also the smexiest Lane book I’ve come across. A very, very nice blend of twisty-lite feels and first time, hot explorations, all with a warm holiday backdrop!
January 25, 2022
Amy Lane has created many great characters over the years, but Richie and Skip are among the most surprising, unpretentious, lovable, devoted, and dedicated you will encounter. These are mid-20s guys caught in the middle of the divide between blue-collar and techie universes. It was a nice story...sweet with a lot of innocence. There was something tender and likeable about these two, how much they already cared about one another, and the wonder of their sexual attraction made them realize they can have everything they wanted...in each other. They are enough for one another. As the other half, as a new family. I wish the book had been just a bit longer. I wanted to see and understand more about each of the characters... their jobs...their lives in general...more about the team that obviously means a lot to both of them. We didn't really get a lot of their mutual time together off the field either. For myself, it would have given a better feel to both Richie and Skipper as well as Jefferson, one of the main characters appearing in the next book...which I have.
December 2, 2019
Audio Review 29Nov2019 No Change
Just as hot, sweet and romantic the second time around. I think I appreciated the "newly gay" fumbling and experimentation even more this time. NJR really delivers on the narration, too!
(*LOL, I read this one 3 years ago to the DAY. How's that for serendipity?)
Original Review 29Nov2016: 4.2 Stars
Ha! This one was sweet and all the sex was really, really hawt. I love how - despite not knowing how a functioning, caring, dependable, supporting & loving family works - Ritchie and Skipper really make an effort to be exactly that for each other.
Also, love how the angst and drama isn't internalized as much as many "newly-gay" books detail the characters' introspection. These guys? Yeah, they just jumped right in with the whole experience...reveling in the wonder and awe of how amazing this recent development in their connection made them feel.
Their worries were centered on the reactions from family (Ritchie) and teammates (Skipper), but it didn't bother them enough not to give up on love. And hey, if a small (very small - like microscopic sized) part of me thinks that Ritchie's dad realized what he'd lost, swallowed his pride, and showed up for Christmas dinner with the rest of that crazy made-up family? With this book, it doesn't seem impossible, ya know?
Just as hot, sweet and romantic the second time around. I think I appreciated the "newly gay" fumbling and experimentation even more this time. NJR really delivers on the narration, too!
(*LOL, I read this one 3 years ago to the DAY. How's that for serendipity?)
Original Review 29Nov2016: 4.2 Stars
Ha! This one was sweet and all the sex was really, really hawt. I love how - despite not knowing how a functioning, caring, dependable, supporting & loving family works - Ritchie and Skipper really make an effort to be exactly that for each other.
Also, love how the angst and drama isn't internalized as much as many "newly-gay" books detail the characters' introspection. These guys? Yeah, they just jumped right in with the whole experience...reveling in the wonder and awe of how amazing this recent development in their connection made them feel.
Their worries were centered on the reactions from family (Ritchie) and teammates (Skipper), but it didn't bother them enough not to give up on love. And hey, if a small (very small - like microscopic sized) part of me thinks that Ritchie's dad realized what he'd lost, swallowed his pride, and showed up for Christmas dinner with the rest of that crazy made-up family? With this book, it doesn't seem impossible, ya know?
December 5, 2016
4 Stars
This was a very sweet friends-to-lovers story, featuring two young, sort of lonely, soccer playing guys, who are both looking for their place in the world and who just happen to find it with each other.
This story is light on angst (which I appreciated), and all the drama that does ensue is outside of their blossoming relationship (yay!). Once Skipper and Richie begin exploring the possibilities between them (i.e. start having delicious man-on-man sex) they thankfully deal with everything together like grown-ups (i.e. they communicate!); they play, they learn, they love and they grow as individuals and as a couple.
It was all very sweet, sexy and happy, with the perfect amount of personal insecurities and jealousies, and a dash of family related dramas to deal with, which kept things interesting.
This was truly a fun read. I haven't read too many Amy Lane stories in the past, but this is easily my favourite so far.
This was a very sweet friends-to-lovers story, featuring two young, sort of lonely, soccer playing guys, who are both looking for their place in the world and who just happen to find it with each other.
This story is light on angst (which I appreciated), and all the drama that does ensue is outside of their blossoming relationship (yay!). Once Skipper and Richie begin exploring the possibilities between them (i.e. start having delicious man-on-man sex) they thankfully deal with everything together like grown-ups (i.e. they communicate!); they play, they learn, they love and they grow as individuals and as a couple.
It was all very sweet, sexy and happy, with the perfect amount of personal insecurities and jealousies, and a dash of family related dramas to deal with, which kept things interesting.
This was truly a fun read. I haven't read too many Amy Lane stories in the past, but this is easily my favourite so far.
January 19, 2016
I read this book in one sitting. Seriously, the world could have gone to hell around me and I doubt I would have noticed. I LOVED Winter Ball! Oh, Amy Lane, how I adore thee! This was the perfect, low angst Christmas read that I wish I could have read over the Christmas holiday. Better late than never, yeah?
December 17, 2022
Winter Ball was delightful. Thematically it’s all about family—not having one and wanting it, having one that is difficult to deal with, and creating one of your own full of people who love and accept you.
Also, another Nick J Russo audio book narration win.
Also, another Nick J Russo audio book narration win.
March 14, 2016
If Mary Calmes is comfort food than...
Amy Lane is quite possibly shelter from the storm. I don't think I've ever read an Amy Lane book that I didn't love...forget like with Ms Lane it's all about the 'love' and Winter Ball has quite possibly become one of my favorites.
For me this was just simply a story of 'we love who we love'. The MCs were perfect...sorry, no other word describes them for me. The secondary characters Carpenter and the rest of the soccer team, Mason and his brother were all fabulous and Hazel let's not forget here and then we have Ritchie's family...ok, I was going to have a little rant here but instead I'm going to stick to the story. To say that Ritchie's family is dysfunctional is an understatement and then some. Mostly though I have to admit my anger is directed at his father. Ritchie was his son and he failed him miserably. That he thought he had the right to have any expectations at all of Ritchie only speaks to his arrogance. Ritchie's behavior in light of his family situation only speaks to the quality of his character and how little his own father knew him.
What I liked the way Skipper (or Christopher) and Ritchie's relationship developed. I liked that once they figured out they wanted to be more than just friends neither of them played the 'come here, come here, get away, get away' game. Instead we got to see the little things that they started doing that added to and helped build their relationship...such a nice change and so much sweeter. The conversations between these two men both in and out of bed were so real and believable and the fact that once they figured things out they were all in...trust me every chance they got these two were in each others pants and sometimes for me if this part isn't done right it becomes a little tedious, no worries here. The sex between these two from start to finish was hot and sexy and sweet and just right. Enough to show that the physical attachment was in sync and reflective of the emotional bond that had and was continuing to develop between these two. In other words it was just right.
Ok that's it. I'm done now if you need more info/reviews on this book than scroll down and read Todd's (I blame him that this one jumped line in the TBR list) and when you get his done there are a bunch more so you can just keep reading.
Amy Lane is quite possibly shelter from the storm. I don't think I've ever read an Amy Lane book that I didn't love...forget like with Ms Lane it's all about the 'love' and Winter Ball has quite possibly become one of my favorites.
For me this was just simply a story of 'we love who we love'. The MCs were perfect...sorry, no other word describes them for me. The secondary characters Carpenter and the rest of the soccer team, Mason and his brother were all fabulous and Hazel let's not forget here and then we have Ritchie's family...ok, I was going to have a little rant here but instead I'm going to stick to the story. To say that Ritchie's family is dysfunctional is an understatement and then some. Mostly though I have to admit my anger is directed at his father. Ritchie was his son and he failed him miserably. That he thought he had the right to have any expectations at all of Ritchie only speaks to his arrogance. Ritchie's behavior in light of his family situation only speaks to the quality of his character and how little his own father knew him.
What I liked the way Skipper (or Christopher) and Ritchie's relationship developed. I liked that once they figured out they wanted to be more than just friends neither of them played the 'come here, come here, get away, get away' game. Instead we got to see the little things that they started doing that added to and helped build their relationship...such a nice change and so much sweeter. The conversations between these two men both in and out of bed were so real and believable and the fact that once they figured things out they were all in...trust me every chance they got these two were in each others pants and sometimes for me if this part isn't done right it becomes a little tedious, no worries here. The sex between these two from start to finish was hot and sexy and sweet and just right. Enough to show that the physical attachment was in sync and reflective of the emotional bond that had and was continuing to develop between these two. In other words it was just right.
Ok that's it. I'm done now if you need more info/reviews on this book than scroll down and read Todd's (I blame him that this one jumped line in the TBR list) and when you get his done there are a bunch more so you can just keep reading.
February 26, 2016
3.5 Stars
This is not a bad book. Skipper Keith and Richie Scoggins are two adorable MCs that will surely take a while before they get out of my system.
But Amy Lane's writing style is getting old. Too much sex with little story. This is NOT a juicy book if we are going to talk about story depth and plot, but very juicy in terms of steam and sex. The family drama is overused. This is almost the same problem that her other MC had in her other book, Sidecar. The resolution is also the same.
If you want a "chill" book without any drama, this book might be for you. But for me, since I've been reading a LOT of these books for more than a year, I think I am ready for something more.
This is not a bad book. Skipper Keith and Richie Scoggins are two adorable MCs that will surely take a while before they get out of my system.
But Amy Lane's writing style is getting old. Too much sex with little story. This is NOT a juicy book if we are going to talk about story depth and plot, but very juicy in terms of steam and sex. The family drama is overused. This is almost the same problem that her other MC had in her other book, Sidecar. The resolution is also the same.
If you want a "chill" book without any drama, this book might be for you. But for me, since I've been reading a LOT of these books for more than a year, I think I am ready for something more.
October 10, 2019
Cute and very funny, a little bit of angst and great chemistry between the MCs. A pretty even split between plot development and hot & heavy sex. Amy Lane writing her best erotica of 2015 (if you know what I mean...).
April 8, 2020
When I think about this book, the word 'innocent' comes to mind. Not because either of the main characters are virginal - though this was their first time experiencing sex with a man - but because it felt so natural for these two friends to fall in love.
I found it unusual how fast and how easily they fell into bed. It's not what I would've expected. They basically got over the whole kissing, jacking off, sucking each other off and having anal sex in a weekend (okay it might have been two), and also falling in love in the process. So they weren't just fooling around with their guy friend and THEN realizing they are also in love. The physical and emotional part went hand in hand, in sync To me it felt natural.When they said the i-love-yous, that might be my favorite moment in the whole book, it was so sweet. :)
I actually started this book a month ago, but stopped right after the first chapter. I was really confused, because the author used a lot of names, sometimes the characters' first name, other times their last name. And I thought Scoggins and Richie were two different people. Coupled with the third person pov, I was really lost after that first chapter. Picking it up again I didn't have the same problem, weirdly enough. And they stuck to calling each other by one name, most of the time.
Also you don't have to wait for long for the story to get moving. We're jumping in right in the first chapter. ;)
Overall this is a light-toned, warm and pleasant story. I enjoyed it very much.
I found it unusual how fast and how easily they fell into bed. It's not what I would've expected. They basically got over the whole kissing, jacking off, sucking each other off and having anal sex in a weekend (okay it might have been two), and also falling in love in the process. So they weren't just fooling around with their guy friend and THEN realizing they are also in love. The physical and emotional part went hand in hand, in sync To me it felt natural.When they said the i-love-yous, that might be my favorite moment in the whole book, it was so sweet. :)
I actually started this book a month ago, but stopped right after the first chapter. I was really confused, because the author used a lot of names, sometimes the characters' first name, other times their last name. And I thought Scoggins and Richie were two different people. Coupled with the third person pov, I was really lost after that first chapter. Picking it up again I didn't have the same problem, weirdly enough. And they stuck to calling each other by one name, most of the time.
Also you don't have to wait for long for the story to get moving. We're jumping in right in the first chapter. ;)
Overall this is a light-toned, warm and pleasant story. I enjoyed it very much.
November 26, 2018
It's so nice, to read a book by a quality author! Everything was just so well done, and so real. These aren't perfect guys, with perfect bodies and perfectly flawed lives and personalities, these were real people, with real issues.
I loved how organic Skipper and Richie moved from best friends to lovers. I don't usually like it when the sex occurs so quickly, and so often, but I didn't mind it at all here. All the sex felt vitally important to the growth of these characters.
I admit to some difficulty at the start, keeping all the names straight. I really hate when authors switch between calling characters by their first and last names. It was Skipper and Scoggins, and I had to backtrack a few pages, to remind myself who Richie was, lol!
But all in all, I genuinely enjoyed this one, it reminded me again why Amy Lane has always been a favorite of mine. When she's on, she's really on.
I loved how organic Skipper and Richie moved from best friends to lovers. I don't usually like it when the sex occurs so quickly, and so often, but I didn't mind it at all here. All the sex felt vitally important to the growth of these characters.
I admit to some difficulty at the start, keeping all the names straight. I really hate when authors switch between calling characters by their first and last names. It was Skipper and Scoggins, and I had to backtrack a few pages, to remind myself who Richie was, lol!
But all in all, I genuinely enjoyed this one, it reminded me again why Amy Lane has always been a favorite of mine. When she's on, she's really on.
Want to read
June 25, 20206/25/2020
Currently FREE via Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...
Currently FREE via Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...
March 3, 2017
Once again I'm reviewing an audio book that I've already read in e-book format and once again in regards to the story I'm sticking with my original rating and review. So here's the link...
Winter Ball - ebook review
Now as for the audio portion of this review. It was Nick J. Russo on the mic, so no worries there. Mr. Russo did an awesome job of narrating and kept me engaged from start to finish. I have very quickly become a fan of this narrator.
Venturing into audiobooks this time around has definitely been a far more positive experience for me and it is very much due to this narrator right here. He consistently gives me voices that work and are identifiable so that I'm able to effortlessly enjoy the story without have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to keep track of who's saying what.
Since starting my foray into audiobooks I have so far listened to 18 different narrators on a total of 27 audiobooks of which 6 have been narrated by Nick J. Russo and I have enjoyed every one of those books so much so that I have listened to them more than once.
At the end of it all this was a total win for me...a really sweet story by one of my favorite authors and narrated by someone who has quickly become one of my favorite narrators. I highly recommend this one. It's a sweet story that's well narrated and I just can't imagine not enjoying it and being left smiling.
********************
An audiobook of 'Winter Ball' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Winter Ball - ebook review
Now as for the audio portion of this review. It was Nick J. Russo on the mic, so no worries there. Mr. Russo did an awesome job of narrating and kept me engaged from start to finish. I have very quickly become a fan of this narrator.
Venturing into audiobooks this time around has definitely been a far more positive experience for me and it is very much due to this narrator right here. He consistently gives me voices that work and are identifiable so that I'm able to effortlessly enjoy the story without have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to keep track of who's saying what.
Since starting my foray into audiobooks I have so far listened to 18 different narrators on a total of 27 audiobooks of which 6 have been narrated by Nick J. Russo and I have enjoyed every one of those books so much so that I have listened to them more than once.
At the end of it all this was a total win for me...a really sweet story by one of my favorite authors and narrated by someone who has quickly become one of my favorite narrators. I highly recommend this one. It's a sweet story that's well narrated and I just can't imagine not enjoying it and being left smiling.
********************
An audiobook of 'Winter Ball' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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