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The District Line #1
Kick Off
What if you had to choose between falling in love or chasing your dreams?
Jay’s dream of becoming a professional footballer hangs by a thread. He’s got a plan: keep his head down, train hard, and get scouted. Any distraction could shatter his career before it even starts, especially the magnetic pull of a rising rock star with a notorious reputation. In the world of football, being gay isn’t just taboo—it’s a career killer.
Seb’s got one last shot at rock stardom. His mantra: chase the dream, no matter the cost. Getting involved with someone who’s closeted, especially a footballer, is a surefire way to derail his ambitions. Everyone knows that’s a recipe for heartbreak and ruin.
But when their worlds collide, the chemistry is undeniable. Walking away seems impossible.
Risking everything for love is a colossal gamble.
Follow your heart or chase your dreams?
Kick Off is the first book in the gripping soccer/rocker MM romance serial. Filled with first times, coming outs, and heart-wrenching hurt/comfort, eastend Londoner Jay and elite public school rebel Seb will capture your heart and refuse to let go.
The bigger you become, the harder you fall.
Jay’s dream of becoming a professional footballer hangs by a thread. He’s got a plan: keep his head down, train hard, and get scouted. Any distraction could shatter his career before it even starts, especially the magnetic pull of a rising rock star with a notorious reputation. In the world of football, being gay isn’t just taboo—it’s a career killer.
Seb’s got one last shot at rock stardom. His mantra: chase the dream, no matter the cost. Getting involved with someone who’s closeted, especially a footballer, is a surefire way to derail his ambitions. Everyone knows that’s a recipe for heartbreak and ruin.
But when their worlds collide, the chemistry is undeniable. Walking away seems impossible.
Risking everything for love is a colossal gamble.
Follow your heart or chase your dreams?
Kick Off is the first book in the gripping soccer/rocker MM romance serial. Filled with first times, coming outs, and heart-wrenching hurt/comfort, eastend Londoner Jay and elite public school rebel Seb will capture your heart and refuse to let go.
The bigger you become, the harder you fall.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2016
169 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
C.F. White
37 books227 followersBrought up in a relatively small town in Hertfordshire, C F White managed to do what most other residents try to do and fail—leave.
She eventually settled for pie and mash, cockles and winkles and a bit of Knees Up Mother Brown to live in the East End of London; securing a job and creating a life, a home and a family.
She writes gritty British based stories about imperfect men falling in love against the odds and has been accused of sprinkling a bit of humour into them from time to time too.
She eventually settled for pie and mash, cockles and winkles and a bit of Knees Up Mother Brown to live in the East End of London; securing a job and creating a life, a home and a family.
She writes gritty British based stories about imperfect men falling in love against the odds and has been accused of sprinkling a bit of humour into them from time to time too.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
March 29, 2020
Story - 3.5 stars
Audiobook - 3.5 stars
This is was an okay read, about an aspiring Footballer - Jay and an aspiring Rock star Seb.
The narrator has a thick British accent that sometimes i couldn't understand what he was saying.
The characters were likable enough to carry me through the story. I was interested to see how their relationship was going to develop. It was good but anticlimactic. It's like i blinked and they were together.
Overall it was an okay story. I may or may not listen to the rest of the series.
Audiobook - 3.5 stars
This is was an okay read, about an aspiring Footballer - Jay and an aspiring Rock star Seb.
The narrator has a thick British accent that sometimes i couldn't understand what he was saying.
The characters were likable enough to carry me through the story. I was interested to see how their relationship was going to develop. It was good but anticlimactic. It's like i blinked and they were together.
Overall it was an okay story. I may or may not listen to the rest of the series.
March 3, 2020
Audio 3.75 stars
Story 3.75 stars
Story 3.75 stars
November 11, 2016
So, this should be RIGHT up my alley, but there was something with the POV that just yanked me out of the story again and again.
I'm not sure about the proper technical terms, but the story was told from Jay, Mike and Martin's POV when I threw in the towel, but the shifts were weird.
So I would be reading Mike's 'thoughts' when all of a sudden Martin would 'pipe up' in Mike's POV.
'He ruffled a hand through his hair, contemplating whether the mess was enough to pass off as punk or if he really did need to go put his emergency gel through it. He decided he didn't give a shit and that was punk enough. Martin watched Mike go through his usual self-absorbed ritual over his appearance, making him miss the beer mats entirely and they tumbled to the floor. He kicked them under the table, folded his arms and rolled his eyes over at his front man. Mike was, unfortunately for the rest of the male population, an exceptionally gifted young man.'
As I read it, we are in Mike's head, but in the middle of it all, we switch to Martin's, and that didn't work for me.
However it didn't stop there. At one point we are in Jay's POV, when:
'As Jay slipped his hand away, self conscious of his clammy palms, he turned to acknowledge the vast queue of coffee lovers."Can I get you a coffee?" he asked. "Or a tea or a mocha choca latte frappe thing? To say sorry about earlier." Mike smiled, holding up the cup of piping hot Americano in his hand. "Already got one, Champ," He picked up one of the square sugar sachets and shook it out. "Oh, right, yeah, sweet," Jay said and Mike swore he saw his shoulders deflate. Mike smiled and tore open the packet, adding the contents into his cup.'
This writing-style didn't work for me, and it could very well be that I don't have any idea on how to do POVs and the technical aspects of writing, so blame this one on me and my ignorance.
I'm not sure about the proper technical terms, but the story was told from Jay, Mike and Martin's POV when I threw in the towel, but the shifts were weird.
So I would be reading Mike's 'thoughts' when all of a sudden Martin would 'pipe up' in Mike's POV.
'He ruffled a hand through his hair, contemplating whether the mess was enough to pass off as punk or if he really did need to go put his emergency gel through it. He decided he didn't give a shit and that was punk enough. Martin watched Mike go through his usual self-absorbed ritual over his appearance, making him miss the beer mats entirely and they tumbled to the floor. He kicked them under the table, folded his arms and rolled his eyes over at his front man. Mike was, unfortunately for the rest of the male population, an exceptionally gifted young man.'
As I read it, we are in Mike's head, but in the middle of it all, we switch to Martin's, and that didn't work for me.
However it didn't stop there. At one point we are in Jay's POV, when:
'As Jay slipped his hand away, self conscious of his clammy palms, he turned to acknowledge the vast queue of coffee lovers."Can I get you a coffee?" he asked. "Or a tea or a mocha choca latte frappe thing? To say sorry about earlier." Mike smiled, holding up the cup of piping hot Americano in his hand. "Already got one, Champ," He picked up one of the square sugar sachets and shook it out. "Oh, right, yeah, sweet," Jay said and Mike swore he saw his shoulders deflate. Mike smiled and tore open the packet, adding the contents into his cup.'
This writing-style didn't work for me, and it could very well be that I don't have any idea on how to do POVs and the technical aspects of writing, so blame this one on me and my ignorance.
May 28, 2022
Ugh I don't like where this ended. I should probably write a review but the disappointment is real.
February 26, 2021
3 stars audio and story
December 13, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Jay and Seb are not so much oil and water as fire and ice. In almost every way, they’re complete opposites: Jay is the son of a loving, working class family and Seb is the heir to his father’s vast business empire. Jay is in the closet, even to himself, while Seb is out nightly, flaunting his sexuality. But when golden boy Jay Ruttman and the ice prince Sebastian Saunders come together, it’s steamy passion and an unforgettable first love.
Both young men transferred to a local East London university from other, more prestigious colleges. Jay got into a fight on the football pitch and lost his spot at the pro-Academy, having to settle for being a Sports Scholar and hoping to do well enough to impress a scout for a chance at the future he’s always wanted. Sebastian tanked his grades to get himself kicked out of his expensive private school, ending up in a public university to piss off his father. It’s here that he met Martin and Noah, his band mates, and here he ended up running into Jay.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Jay and Seb are not so much oil and water as fire and ice. In almost every way, they’re complete opposites: Jay is the son of a loving, working class family and Seb is the heir to his father’s vast business empire. Jay is in the closet, even to himself, while Seb is out nightly, flaunting his sexuality. But when golden boy Jay Ruttman and the ice prince Sebastian Saunders come together, it’s steamy passion and an unforgettable first love.
Both young men transferred to a local East London university from other, more prestigious colleges. Jay got into a fight on the football pitch and lost his spot at the pro-Academy, having to settle for being a Sports Scholar and hoping to do well enough to impress a scout for a chance at the future he’s always wanted. Sebastian tanked his grades to get himself kicked out of his expensive private school, ending up in a public university to piss off his father. It’s here that he met Martin and Noah, his band mates, and here he ended up running into Jay.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
did-not-finish
July 20, 2024DNF @ 27%. No rating.
I knew going into this that it likely wouldn't be my cup of tea because it's a college romance and one of the MCs is a rock star. The reason I picked it up is because I love sports romances, I adore UK-based romances and it had a great class divide setup (the footballer is working class while the rock star is upper class). Unfortunately, the latter stuff wasn't good enough to override my dislike of the former.
Jay was a really great character and I love how the author wrote his East End Londoner accent and how his working class family and living situation were portrayed. I found his female BFF annoying (as usual) but she had some specific characteristics that made her more interesting than her counterparts usually are so I was willing to cut her some slack.
Where I quickly lost my patience was Seb because he's a type of character I can't stand. He's a typical spoiled, selfish 20-something year old who has the privilege of growing up with massive wealth and all his father ever asked of him was for Seb to earn that privilege by following on the path set before him. Seb doesn't like that path but instead of striking out on his own, he continues living off his dad's wealth while acting like a spoiled little boy with a bad attitude. Nobody is forcing Seb to live in his family's mansion, use his dad's unlimited credit card to buy whatever he wants and spend his days being a rock star while barely bothering to attend his university classes. Seb choses to stay there because he likes living with unlimited wealth and being able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. The only complication is that his nasty, horrible dad demands that Seb do certain things to earn the right to continue having those privileges, such as doing well with his business classes and taking his unearned position at his dad's company seriously.
I get that Seb and his dad had bigger problems than that but I didn't care. Seb's spoiled, immature attitude drove me up the wall instantly and I can't deal with characters like him. Maybe the point of the series is that Seb will mature and start acting like a grown up (ie either cut ties with his dad completely or find a compromise between what his dad wants vs what Seb wants in order to enjoy the best of both worlds) but I can't put up with characters like that for any amount of time.
In addition to that, there were some odd writing issues, such as randomly hopping into side characters POV when it was convenient for a scene or the heavy focus on details related to the side characters. There was way too much time spent talking about the side characters (physical appearance, living situations, backgrounds, personalities etc), which may or may not be a relic from this having been fanfic at one point? I'm not 100% sure but I know it was published on Wattpad many, many years ago before being taken down and the author had done massive re-writes on it since then but in any case, this wasn't working for me.
I knew going into this that it likely wouldn't be my cup of tea because it's a college romance and one of the MCs is a rock star. The reason I picked it up is because I love sports romances, I adore UK-based romances and it had a great class divide setup (the footballer is working class while the rock star is upper class). Unfortunately, the latter stuff wasn't good enough to override my dislike of the former.
Jay was a really great character and I love how the author wrote his East End Londoner accent and how his working class family and living situation were portrayed. I found his female BFF annoying (as usual) but she had some specific characteristics that made her more interesting than her counterparts usually are so I was willing to cut her some slack.
Where I quickly lost my patience was Seb because he's a type of character I can't stand. He's a typical spoiled, selfish 20-something year old who has the privilege of growing up with massive wealth and all his father ever asked of him was for Seb to earn that privilege by following on the path set before him. Seb doesn't like that path but instead of striking out on his own, he continues living off his dad's wealth while acting like a spoiled little boy with a bad attitude. Nobody is forcing Seb to live in his family's mansion, use his dad's unlimited credit card to buy whatever he wants and spend his days being a rock star while barely bothering to attend his university classes. Seb choses to stay there because he likes living with unlimited wealth and being able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. The only complication is that his nasty, horrible dad demands that Seb do certain things to earn the right to continue having those privileges, such as doing well with his business classes and taking his unearned position at his dad's company seriously.
I get that Seb and his dad had bigger problems than that but I didn't care. Seb's spoiled, immature attitude drove me up the wall instantly and I can't deal with characters like him. Maybe the point of the series is that Seb will mature and start acting like a grown up (ie either cut ties with his dad completely or find a compromise between what his dad wants vs what Seb wants in order to enjoy the best of both worlds) but I can't put up with characters like that for any amount of time.
In addition to that, there were some odd writing issues, such as randomly hopping into side characters POV when it was convenient for a scene or the heavy focus on details related to the side characters. There was way too much time spent talking about the side characters (physical appearance, living situations, backgrounds, personalities etc), which may or may not be a relic from this having been fanfic at one point? I'm not 100% sure but I know it was published on Wattpad many, many years ago before being taken down and the author had done massive re-writes on it since then but in any case, this wasn't working for me.
August 5, 2017
A MILLION PLUS STARS!!
Where do I even begin with this story?! I read a crap ton and this book has quickly made it onto my all-time-faves shelf. (The shelf in my head, haven't got around to making a Goodreads one yet O.o - UPDATE JAN 2017: Made the shelf!!)
I'm going to go ahead and do the standard Goodreads thing and introduce you to the characters first ...
Meet Jay Rutland...
And Mike Saunders...
And then there's a whole cast list picked out by the incredible C. F. White over on her Wattpad page if you're wondering what Noah/Martin/Ann/Bryan and the rest of the gang look like. She's absolutely nailed it.
Onto the story though, I CAN'T RAVE ABOUT IT ENOUGH!! So we have a beautiful, blond haired, blue eyed angel who referee runs (literally) into the man of his dreams, Mr Mike-f*ck the f*ck off-Saunders...not that they'll acknowledge they're perfect for each other for a looong while (this is a trilogy after all).
Jay's at Uni on a Sports Scholarship hoping to be picked up by his old team again (from which he was unceremoniously dropped for reasons further discussed in the book...juicy reasons js...). And Mike's an up-and-coming rock star in a band called The Drops (pls enjoy some fanart below, unft)
They come from either sides of London, east and west ends of the District Line (don't you just love how the title works into the book?) but this isn't a Romeo and Juliet type story. It's just two guys finding something that they didn't realise they were looking for. And it's a hell of an adventure along the way.
With arseholes from the past trying to break up the tentative relationship that Mike and Jay are trying to build and Jay's potential career as a professional footballer on the line, these two have a lot against them. Not that that stops them from some saucy encounters under Blowjob Bridge (an actual place, honest) and a noisy night of passion with Jay's brother just downstairs.
I haven't got enough good words, my vocabulary doesn't stretch that far. Sadly I'm a reader not a writer. What I can tell you is, you WILL NOT regret reading this book. Jay and Mike are stupidly easy to fall in love with and now, three books and several months later, they're still bouncing around in my head waiting for me to reread their stories.
This was C. F. White's first full length novel and HOLY CRAP she's insanely talented. She now has a bunch of other books (also all-time-faves of mine) on her Wattpad profile, which I'll leave a handy link to because I'm kind and helpful: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Finnor
Please read and enjoy. You're going to love it, I promise.
Where do I even begin with this story?! I read a crap ton and this book has quickly made it onto my all-time-faves shelf. (The shelf in my head, haven't got around to making a Goodreads one yet O.o - UPDATE JAN 2017: Made the shelf!!)
I'm going to go ahead and do the standard Goodreads thing and introduce you to the characters first ...
Meet Jay Rutland...
And Mike Saunders...
And then there's a whole cast list picked out by the incredible C. F. White over on her Wattpad page if you're wondering what Noah/Martin/Ann/Bryan and the rest of the gang look like. She's absolutely nailed it.
Onto the story though, I CAN'T RAVE ABOUT IT ENOUGH!! So we have a beautiful, blond haired, blue eyed angel who referee runs (literally) into the man of his dreams, Mr Mike-f*ck the f*ck off-Saunders...not that they'll acknowledge they're perfect for each other for a looong while (this is a trilogy after all).
Jay's at Uni on a Sports Scholarship hoping to be picked up by his old team again (from which he was unceremoniously dropped for reasons further discussed in the book...juicy reasons js...). And Mike's an up-and-coming rock star in a band called The Drops (pls enjoy some fanart below, unft)
They come from either sides of London, east and west ends of the District Line (don't you just love how the title works into the book?) but this isn't a Romeo and Juliet type story. It's just two guys finding something that they didn't realise they were looking for. And it's a hell of an adventure along the way.
With arseholes from the past trying to break up the tentative relationship that Mike and Jay are trying to build and Jay's potential career as a professional footballer on the line, these two have a lot against them. Not that that stops them from some saucy encounters under Blowjob Bridge (an actual place, honest) and a noisy night of passion with Jay's brother just downstairs.
I haven't got enough good words, my vocabulary doesn't stretch that far. Sadly I'm a reader not a writer. What I can tell you is, you WILL NOT regret reading this book. Jay and Mike are stupidly easy to fall in love with and now, three books and several months later, they're still bouncing around in my head waiting for me to reread their stories.
This was C. F. White's first full length novel and HOLY CRAP she's insanely talented. She now has a bunch of other books (also all-time-faves of mine) on her Wattpad profile, which I'll leave a handy link to because I'm kind and helpful: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Finnor
Please read and enjoy. You're going to love it, I promise.
June 26, 2018
A free copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
So this book has clearly been through some major, major revisions since a lot of the earlier reviews. I would say that the edits have overall been successful at improving the writing quality, although the dialogue still often sounds very stilted. The story was easy to read and generally entertaining.
I really loved Jay even though I struggled personally with his storyline - having just finished a book about queer soccer players on a team that emphasizes acceptance, it was hard to return to an athlete who feels that he has to keep his sexuality secret from everyone. But I felt that Jay was closeted without being self-hating, which was a really important distinction for me. (And just to be contradictory, I was also a little unconvinced by how easily he seemed to leave that behind at the end - especially back in 2004, I'd think that it would remain really challenging to be openly gay as a football player.) I am definitely also in the crowd that would have liked to see much more actual football in the book. Nevertheless, Jay was a character I understood and liked a lot.
Sebastian, on the other hand, struck me as more than a bit of a cliche- poor little rich boy with daddy issues. I had a hard time feeling anything about him as a person. And ughhhh Stephen is such an evil cheating bisexual stereotype that I couldn't read a scene he was in without cringing. I did enjoy his interactions and dynamics with his bandmates, though, which felt like the most real part about him.
However, I think my biggest issue with the story was the underlying misogyny and anti-fem attitudes throughout, which probably cost it a whole star for me. At one point, Sebastian makes it clear that he doesn't think of feminine gay men as being "real men", and nearly every female or feminine character is over-the-top flirty and very focused on getting male attention, especially from the two main characters. I really hated this thread throughout the book, especially because it seemed so unnecessary. One of the things I really appreciated about Jay was that he was for the most part not the stereotypical narrow-minded jock, with unfortunately one of the only exceptions being his reaction to Tarquin.
I wouldn't say the book ends on a cliffhanger - it's a clear transition point and an obvious place to close this part of the story - but it leaves a lot of things hanging. Not sure if I'll continue with the next book, though, as the blurb makes it sound as though it is likely to focus on the things that I didn't enjoy as much in book 1.
So this book has clearly been through some major, major revisions since a lot of the earlier reviews. I would say that the edits have overall been successful at improving the writing quality, although the dialogue still often sounds very stilted. The story was easy to read and generally entertaining.
I really loved Jay even though I struggled personally with his storyline - having just finished a book about queer soccer players on a team that emphasizes acceptance, it was hard to return to an athlete who feels that he has to keep his sexuality secret from everyone. But I felt that Jay was closeted without being self-hating, which was a really important distinction for me. (And just to be contradictory, I was also a little unconvinced by how easily he seemed to leave that behind at the end - especially back in 2004, I'd think that it would remain really challenging to be openly gay as a football player.) I am definitely also in the crowd that would have liked to see much more actual football in the book. Nevertheless, Jay was a character I understood and liked a lot.
Sebastian, on the other hand, struck me as more than a bit of a cliche- poor little rich boy with daddy issues. I had a hard time feeling anything about him as a person. And ughhhh Stephen is such an evil cheating bisexual stereotype that I couldn't read a scene he was in without cringing. I did enjoy his interactions and dynamics with his bandmates, though, which felt like the most real part about him.
However, I think my biggest issue with the story was the underlying misogyny and anti-fem attitudes throughout, which probably cost it a whole star for me. At one point, Sebastian makes it clear that he doesn't think of feminine gay men as being "real men", and nearly every female or feminine character is over-the-top flirty and very focused on getting male attention, especially from the two main characters. I really hated this thread throughout the book, especially because it seemed so unnecessary. One of the things I really appreciated about Jay was that he was for the most part not the stereotypical narrow-minded jock, with unfortunately one of the only exceptions being his reaction to Tarquin.
I wouldn't say the book ends on a cliffhanger - it's a clear transition point and an obvious place to close this part of the story - but it leaves a lot of things hanging. Not sure if I'll continue with the next book, though, as the blurb makes it sound as though it is likely to focus on the things that I didn't enjoy as much in book 1.
Read
February 25, 2018This is a rerelease of The District Line originally published both on Wattpad and self-published on Amazon Kindle Unlimited for a short time in 2016. It has gone through major edits, with parts of the story adapted, new content, and character names changed to fit in with the theme of this newer version. For those who have read the original, it is advised to restart the series to be aware of the changes that have been made.
Therefore, in light of this, I am offering a free copy of this book for a limited time to any of those who had read the original and left a review so they do not have to re purchase the book to continue. Please contact me via private message for more information.
Therefore, in light of this, I am offering a free copy of this book for a limited time to any of those who had read the original and left a review so they do not have to re purchase the book to continue. Please contact me via private message for more information.
February 2, 2021
Huh. I didn't expect it not to be a HEA. It was not a very sad ending but kinda...abrupt I guess? I didn't even realise I was reading a series. I really liked the book even if I'm not a big fan of the writing.
And I hated Stephen, though that was probably the point. Also, I'm conflicted on whether I'm going to read the next book. 'Cause I really don't want to read what happens between Stephen and Seb (if it does) in New York.
And I hated Stephen, though that was probably the point. Also, I'm conflicted on whether I'm going to read the next book. 'Cause I really don't want to read what happens between Stephen and Seb (if it does) in New York.
November 24, 2020
loved this romance rough start-hard finish
Overall 5 out of 5 stars
Performance 4 out of 5 stars
Story 5 out of 5 stars
Two young, viral, ambitious, sexy men find that they have some commonalities. Being from the same world is not one of them. Being of the same gender, young, determined, and attracted to the other. Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes. Jay and Seb were so far apart yet so close. There was a tale there that draws you in and have you expecting more.
There was intensity. There was rawness. There was passion and struggles. There were huge obstacles. And for me a reason to come back and read the next installation. I want to know that this was not the end for Jay and Seb. I want to see where life takes them and how they come back to each other.
Piers Ryman did a beautiful job with UK English. I love that there was just the clarity in properness and the definition in the two different males and there speech pattern.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read Entertaining Realistic Wonderful characters
Overall 5 out of 5 stars
Performance 4 out of 5 stars
Story 5 out of 5 stars
Two young, viral, ambitious, sexy men find that they have some commonalities. Being from the same world is not one of them. Being of the same gender, young, determined, and attracted to the other. Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes. Jay and Seb were so far apart yet so close. There was a tale there that draws you in and have you expecting more.
There was intensity. There was rawness. There was passion and struggles. There were huge obstacles. And for me a reason to come back and read the next installation. I want to know that this was not the end for Jay and Seb. I want to see where life takes them and how they come back to each other.
Piers Ryman did a beautiful job with UK English. I love that there was just the clarity in properness and the definition in the two different males and there speech pattern.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read Entertaining Realistic Wonderful characters
December 29, 2019
3.5 stars- I'm still torn over this one
I saw a few recommendations about this sports meets rock star romance recently, so I jumped on the opportunity to listen and review the title. Honestly, I don’t know that my enjoyment of a book every vacillated so much chapter to chapter. There were parts of Kick Off I really loved, then I’d hit a scene or chapter that had my enjoyment bottoming out, and a few chapters later there’d be another scene which left me absolutely impressed. I ended up being completely torn over this book, especially given the ending.
First things first, it’s worth noting that Kick Off ends as a cliffhanger. The first part of the story wraps to give a logical close, but there is absolutely no resolution for the couple- not necessarily a bad thing but something I feel readers/listeners should know going in. Secondly, I was a little surprised by the narrator. This is my first experience with him and while his talent is undeniable and I enjoyed the tone and rhythm of his voice, his maturity came across straight away and it felt like an odd choice for a book about immature, new adult characters. As such, the voices never matched to what the characters were doing and saying. That said, he did an excellent job switching up between the various accents and dialects referenced in Kick Off.
As far as the story went, I really liked the concept of Kick Off- a closeted football player (soccer for US readers) paired with a rock musician who’s stuck under his wealthy father’s thumb. I liked that both were fighting for notoriety because it gave them an immediate connection and understanding about what they’d willingly sacrifice to achieve their dreams. For the most part, I enjoyed the progression of the story. I simply felt the drama and characterization of many of the secondary characters (antagonists, female admirers, etc.) were overblown. Similarly, some of the back and forth the characters go through felt like it was done solely to create angst and conflict. I have a thing about books feeling like soap operas and I think that was the major thing that turned me off Kick Off. It boasted good characters, a great plot, and room for enough natural conflict that it didn’t need the excess. Will I continue, I’m certainly tempted, but at the moment I’m uncertain.
*Received ACX promo code via LesCourt Author Services. The PA and author had no influence over this review*
I saw a few recommendations about this sports meets rock star romance recently, so I jumped on the opportunity to listen and review the title. Honestly, I don’t know that my enjoyment of a book every vacillated so much chapter to chapter. There were parts of Kick Off I really loved, then I’d hit a scene or chapter that had my enjoyment bottoming out, and a few chapters later there’d be another scene which left me absolutely impressed. I ended up being completely torn over this book, especially given the ending.
First things first, it’s worth noting that Kick Off ends as a cliffhanger. The first part of the story wraps to give a logical close, but there is absolutely no resolution for the couple- not necessarily a bad thing but something I feel readers/listeners should know going in. Secondly, I was a little surprised by the narrator. This is my first experience with him and while his talent is undeniable and I enjoyed the tone and rhythm of his voice, his maturity came across straight away and it felt like an odd choice for a book about immature, new adult characters. As such, the voices never matched to what the characters were doing and saying. That said, he did an excellent job switching up between the various accents and dialects referenced in Kick Off.
As far as the story went, I really liked the concept of Kick Off- a closeted football player (soccer for US readers) paired with a rock musician who’s stuck under his wealthy father’s thumb. I liked that both were fighting for notoriety because it gave them an immediate connection and understanding about what they’d willingly sacrifice to achieve their dreams. For the most part, I enjoyed the progression of the story. I simply felt the drama and characterization of many of the secondary characters (antagonists, female admirers, etc.) were overblown. Similarly, some of the back and forth the characters go through felt like it was done solely to create angst and conflict. I have a thing about books feeling like soap operas and I think that was the major thing that turned me off Kick Off. It boasted good characters, a great plot, and room for enough natural conflict that it didn’t need the excess. Will I continue, I’m certainly tempted, but at the moment I’m uncertain.
*Received ACX promo code via LesCourt Author Services. The PA and author had no influence over this review*
August 24, 2017
WTF just happened? I know this is part one of a trilogy but we just get left there? Hanging? Crying? I just adore these two guys especially as a new couple. They have completely opposite situations but somehow seem to fit together perfectly. Mike is a rich, bad boy rocker and Jay is an athlete from the other side of town. The poor part. But Jay has the parents happily married and Mike has a domineering father and a mother who left him. Mike is definitely the more damaged of the two. Jay has had a tough go of his soccer career and is in the closet but he doesn't seem broken or anything. And Steve. Could someone please just end this guy somehow. What an awful character. We're left with quite the cliffhanger and with no date for number two, I just hope I can remember this when one finally comes out.
February 24, 2020
The working-class footballer and the wealthy guitarist (an audio review)
The tag line for this book is what happens when opposite sides of the track collide? It’s perfect because of course there’s the literal collision and then all the mini collisions afterward. Talk about two men who should be together, but are facing a million obstacles.
Jay Ruttman is a footballer. It’s all he’s ever wanted and mostly what he’s good at. He’s in uni studying psychology, but his heart is in the game. He almost made it to the pros but got sidetracked. Now he’s waiting for a scout from a pro team to come and see him play. See how good he is. Pluck him from obscurity and take him to the big leagues. Pull him out of his working-class life into something amazing.
Seb Saunders is rich. Well, his dad’s rich, and Seb has no problems taking daddy’s money. He’s in uni because that’s the way to keep the taps flowing with cash. He’s got a ‘job’ helping out with his dad’s company and he only half pays attention. The truth is that he wants to be a guitarist. It’s all he’s ever wanted. He belongs to a band with two other guys and they haven’t made it big yet, but they do have potential.
So when Jay and Seb collide on the campus at uni, they truly are coming from different worlds. Rich versus poor. A sloppy student versus one who takes his studies seriously. Guitarist versus footballer. There is also the little matter of their sexuality. Neither man is truly ‘out’ and both knowing coming out will spell disaster. For Seb it’s all about daddy’s approval, and for Jay it’s the little matter that there are no professional out footballers. Plenty of gay ones, undoubtedly, but none who’ve been brave enough to show the world who they truly are.
Where does that leave the men? In a push and pull. There’s attraction, to be sure, but Jay is completely inexperience and Seb isn’t much further along. They are new to true intimacy – physical and emotional. They are new to a same-sex relationship. I felt my heart break as I saw all the obstacles piled up before them, keeping them from being their authentic selves.
Then Seb’s father steps in and it looks like there’s no hope for the men.
I won’t spoil the ending, but there is an HFN and more books to come. I can’t wait to see how the men overcome all their problems because, of course, I want them to have their happy ending.
Piers Ryman is a new-to-me narrator and I thought he did a great job. I don’t know from English accents, but he certainly put in a strong performance and I’ll definitely listen to more of his work. So, sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next book.
The tag line for this book is what happens when opposite sides of the track collide? It’s perfect because of course there’s the literal collision and then all the mini collisions afterward. Talk about two men who should be together, but are facing a million obstacles.
Jay Ruttman is a footballer. It’s all he’s ever wanted and mostly what he’s good at. He’s in uni studying psychology, but his heart is in the game. He almost made it to the pros but got sidetracked. Now he’s waiting for a scout from a pro team to come and see him play. See how good he is. Pluck him from obscurity and take him to the big leagues. Pull him out of his working-class life into something amazing.
Seb Saunders is rich. Well, his dad’s rich, and Seb has no problems taking daddy’s money. He’s in uni because that’s the way to keep the taps flowing with cash. He’s got a ‘job’ helping out with his dad’s company and he only half pays attention. The truth is that he wants to be a guitarist. It’s all he’s ever wanted. He belongs to a band with two other guys and they haven’t made it big yet, but they do have potential.
So when Jay and Seb collide on the campus at uni, they truly are coming from different worlds. Rich versus poor. A sloppy student versus one who takes his studies seriously. Guitarist versus footballer. There is also the little matter of their sexuality. Neither man is truly ‘out’ and both knowing coming out will spell disaster. For Seb it’s all about daddy’s approval, and for Jay it’s the little matter that there are no professional out footballers. Plenty of gay ones, undoubtedly, but none who’ve been brave enough to show the world who they truly are.
Where does that leave the men? In a push and pull. There’s attraction, to be sure, but Jay is completely inexperience and Seb isn’t much further along. They are new to true intimacy – physical and emotional. They are new to a same-sex relationship. I felt my heart break as I saw all the obstacles piled up before them, keeping them from being their authentic selves.
Then Seb’s father steps in and it looks like there’s no hope for the men.
I won’t spoil the ending, but there is an HFN and more books to come. I can’t wait to see how the men overcome all their problems because, of course, I want them to have their happy ending.
Piers Ryman is a new-to-me narrator and I thought he did a great job. I don’t know from English accents, but he certainly put in a strong performance and I’ll definitely listen to more of his work. So, sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next book.
March 9, 2018
This is a bit hard for me to rate. I wasn't really in love with the first half or so of the book. It really took a while for me to get a feel for the characters and figure out why I should like them. Jay was too afraid of being himself, and Seb was just an obnoxious ass.
The next quarter of the book got better. Once Jay and Seb finally really got together, you could see Jay struggle more about his sexuality, but it was in a positive more affirming way. He was starting to want to come out, but very afraid (as opposed to avoiding the thought at all costs). We also finally started to learn about Seb's father and his MEGA JERK ex (he doesn't warrant the energy to write his name. I hate him. Very much).
By the last quarter of the book, I was devastated. I knew there would be a continuation into the next book, but I was still wrecked at the ending. To feel that kind of emotion, I really must have connected with the characters finally. Now I really want to know what happens next. These two better get an HEA.
So that's why it was tough to rate. It ranged between a 2 and 4.5 star book at different parts. I think overall it would average out to a 3.5 star read, but I will round up to a 4. There was some cockney slang that was a bit confusing at first, but I got the hang of it mostly. The story itself was well written. Be prepared that the book does not have a typical HEA ending, and there is at least 1 more book coming out to continue the story.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of the book that I received from the author
The next quarter of the book got better. Once Jay and Seb finally really got together, you could see Jay struggle more about his sexuality, but it was in a positive more affirming way. He was starting to want to come out, but very afraid (as opposed to avoiding the thought at all costs). We also finally started to learn about Seb's father and his MEGA JERK ex (he doesn't warrant the energy to write his name. I hate him. Very much).
By the last quarter of the book, I was devastated. I knew there would be a continuation into the next book, but I was still wrecked at the ending. To feel that kind of emotion, I really must have connected with the characters finally. Now I really want to know what happens next. These two better get an HEA.
So that's why it was tough to rate. It ranged between a 2 and 4.5 star book at different parts. I think overall it would average out to a 3.5 star read, but I will round up to a 4. There was some cockney slang that was a bit confusing at first, but I got the hang of it mostly. The story itself was well written. Be prepared that the book does not have a typical HEA ending, and there is at least 1 more book coming out to continue the story.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of the book that I received from the author
May 11, 2018
I had a mix feeling about this book. I liked Jay, but Seb, not so much. In my eyes, he's too soft, not that was wrong, but being a play toy to his father and his former f*** buddy when he's with Jay and cannot say 'NO', irritated me so much. I felt this is too long and and dragging, I have missed a feeling when a book can glued you to your reading nook.
I liked that I can revisit places I knew well in London in this book (that's a plus), I liked Jay and Seb together and how they can't deny the feeling, but still. Something was missing.
I hate Stephen and William to death, I wanted them to die (just saying).
So, yeah, not enjoying this as much as I wanted to. It was okay, I hope the next book would be better than this one. I'm heading to read the ARC tonight. Wish me luck!
Fair warning : this book ended with cliffhanger, and the series won't be stop at book number two.
~ 2,5 stars ~
* I received this book as a companion to the second book's ARC*
May 22, 2020
Real rating 2.5 stars, so, have rounded up to 3 stars. This was a bit of a surprise to find a good m/m romance that is also the start of a trilogy of books. I did have some issues with the switching of the POV and it could have been a better read if it had been written in the third person rather than switching POV. Have already purchased the next in the series so it will be interesting to see if gets better.
April 28, 2022
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration was great. I loved his accent. It just brought the book alive. However, I didn’t care for the ending at all. I know the story continues, but I’m just not that invested in Jay and Seb.
October 7, 2025
3.5 stars
This series is off to a good start. More angst than I was expecting. Can't wait to read the next one.
This series is off to a good start. More angst than I was expecting. Can't wait to read the next one.
March 2, 2021
2/24/2021 - Relistening to the series because there’s a book 4!!!!
4/20/2020 - Audible.
This is my first book by C. F. White and I enjoyed it immensely. While this is a sports romance in that Jay is a University footballer (soccer for those of us in the U.S.), there isn’t a focus on actual game play. Jay and Seb are opposites in so many ways yet find a connection – initially physical attraction, but it blooms into so much more. White brings us fully into both Jay & Seb’s worlds, introduces us to their families, their friends, their hope and dreams, as well as their fault and defeats. While incorporating many popular romance tropes, this didn’t feel over-the-top angsty or make any antagonist overly caricature.
Cliffhanger. This is absolutely a cliffhanger in the sense that this kicks off the District Line trilogy. You *could* read/listen to this story all on it’s own. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Duets & Trilogies. Too many of them feel like single stories needlessly dragged out or chopped into smaller sections to become multiple books. There’s no HEA for Jay & Seb, but there is a complete and compelling story here.
I didn’t think twice about purchasing the next book in the series, Break Through.
This is my first time listening to Piers Ryman and he is absolutely phenomenal. He expertly navigated a massive cast of characters using a variety of accents and registers consistently throughout the book. You always knew who was talking whether the text indicated it or not. This isn’t a criticism of Ryman as an artist – but I’m not entirely sure he was the appropriate voice to cast for this. He sounds older. Not like the 20-somethings he is portraying. While the performance was fantastic, feeling like a 40+ year old was speaking sometimes brought me out of the story.
(Update: I've listened to the whole series (more than once!) since this review originally posted - and I now can't imagine anyone else as the voices of Seb & Jay. I've definitely become a Ryman fan and am enjoying listening to even more of his work.)
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
4/20/2020 - Audible.
This is my first book by C. F. White and I enjoyed it immensely. While this is a sports romance in that Jay is a University footballer (soccer for those of us in the U.S.), there isn’t a focus on actual game play. Jay and Seb are opposites in so many ways yet find a connection – initially physical attraction, but it blooms into so much more. White brings us fully into both Jay & Seb’s worlds, introduces us to their families, their friends, their hope and dreams, as well as their fault and defeats. While incorporating many popular romance tropes, this didn’t feel over-the-top angsty or make any antagonist overly caricature.
Cliffhanger. This is absolutely a cliffhanger in the sense that this kicks off the District Line trilogy. You *could* read/listen to this story all on it’s own. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Duets & Trilogies. Too many of them feel like single stories needlessly dragged out or chopped into smaller sections to become multiple books. There’s no HEA for Jay & Seb, but there is a complete and compelling story here.
I didn’t think twice about purchasing the next book in the series, Break Through.
This is my first time listening to Piers Ryman and he is absolutely phenomenal. He expertly navigated a massive cast of characters using a variety of accents and registers consistently throughout the book. You always knew who was talking whether the text indicated it or not. This isn’t a criticism of Ryman as an artist – but I’m not entirely sure he was the appropriate voice to cast for this. He sounds older. Not like the 20-somethings he is portraying. While the performance was fantastic, feeling like a 40+ year old was speaking sometimes brought me out of the story.
(Update: I've listened to the whole series (more than once!) since this review originally posted - and I now can't imagine anyone else as the voices of Seb & Jay. I've definitely become a Ryman fan and am enjoying listening to even more of his work.)
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
March 9, 2018
This book just didn’t do it for me. I was looking forward to reading this book as I love sports romances and I love England. Well, England came shining through big-time. It was the East End at its best with the Cockney accent and phrases. The football (soccer in the US) aspect not so much. This book didn’t give me that pleasure I was hoping for. There are actually not many sport-related moments. The only thing I could relate to was when Jay was dragging his muddy shoes inside the house, and he was trying to get the grass sods from between the studs. That was very familiar.
I liked the characters, and their struggles were real. Jay who comes from a low background but can play football like a pro and therefore has earned a scholarship. Sawyer who is the son of a rich CEO but rebels against his father to get noticed. They were given each their instinctive voice. They meet when they literally bumped into each other, and the attraction is immediate. Sawyer is out; Jay not. Being in a non-gay-friendly environment makes it harder to be your true self.
There was something in the writing that didn’t make me enjoy the book. I didn’t find it engaging. It just couldn’t keep my interest, my mind kept wandering from the story, and I had a hard time finishing the story. The story ends on a cliffhanger. I am not the biggest fan of cliffhangers, but if the story and characters capture me, it doesn’t bother me that much.
In this case, I don’t know if I will read the next book.
I liked the characters, and their struggles were real. Jay who comes from a low background but can play football like a pro and therefore has earned a scholarship. Sawyer who is the son of a rich CEO but rebels against his father to get noticed. They were given each their instinctive voice. They meet when they literally bumped into each other, and the attraction is immediate. Sawyer is out; Jay not. Being in a non-gay-friendly environment makes it harder to be your true self.
There was something in the writing that didn’t make me enjoy the book. I didn’t find it engaging. It just couldn’t keep my interest, my mind kept wandering from the story, and I had a hard time finishing the story. The story ends on a cliffhanger. I am not the biggest fan of cliffhangers, but if the story and characters capture me, it doesn’t bother me that much.
In this case, I don’t know if I will read the next book.
November 7, 2016
The story of Jay and Mike is truly "Somethin' else," to quote Jay directly. An East London footballer trying to make it into the big leagues meets his match when he collides (literally) with Mike, the wealthy rebel who's trying to escape from under daddy's thumb. A great story of learning to accept yourself and embrace love when it comes around, even if it isn't easy or convenient. I completely fell in love with the story, especially the supporting characters, like Mike's band mates, Noah and Martin, and Jay's best friend, Ann, and his brother, Bryan.
Holding my interest from the start, this is a great story and I loved every bit of it. Reading about the politics of London, the class differences, and even about the District Line, itself, was engrossing, but add the love angle and I was completely hooked. An excellent read. :)
Holding my interest from the start, this is a great story and I loved every bit of it. Reading about the politics of London, the class differences, and even about the District Line, itself, was engrossing, but add the love angle and I was completely hooked. An excellent read. :)
March 13, 2018
Kick Off is a new adult romance, but parts of it feel a bit like a coming of age romance. Jay's innocence is so endearing and at times, he seems like a fish out of water. He knows what he wants, but he flounders a little on how to get it. I loved the dynamic between Jay and Seb. Jay is as reserved as Seb is outgoing, and they work so well together. Seb is an absolute hoot and I found myself chuckling several times at the things he said, but he's also more sensitive than he lets on. The whole story did hold my interest, even though we get a cliffy in the end. That left me feeling a touch melancholy, but my interest in certainly piqued about whatever's next for this series.
Want to read
December 7, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/10/2019)! 🎁
September 27, 2020
Hm...Ok,this was so cute and sweet and I really hope the second book isn't going to piss me off as much as I'm expecting it will. I will say that I was so impressed with Jay, who exceeded my expectations character-wise and courage-wise, while Seb did the opposite.
Still, both are endearing characters and I want to see them defeat their fears and demons and get their happy ending that will be their happy beginning. Get to it, boys!
Still, both are endearing characters and I want to see them defeat their fears and demons and get their happy ending that will be their happy beginning. Get to it, boys!
December 8, 2020
This was a new author to me and I wasn't sure how the read would be.
Seb and Jay are opposites attract, both with secrets. They work but timing is wrong so this book is not a HEA but I'm hoping continuing books in the series will give Seb and Jay there HEA .
Im now off to read book 2 as I enjoyed this book.
Seb and Jay are opposites attract, both with secrets. They work but timing is wrong so this book is not a HEA but I'm hoping continuing books in the series will give Seb and Jay there HEA .
Im now off to read book 2 as I enjoyed this book.
November 26, 2020
Dios mio, por que leo tanta m*erda...
December 3, 2016
A brand new author’s first time offering.
Jay Rutland is attending the University after an incident got him removed from a star position with a premier football team, severely hampering his chances to be drafted as a professional footballer. He is extremely regimented in his life. He treats his body as a temple, works hard in all things important to him…school, sports, training and conditioning, family and his best friend Ann, his childhood friend. When Jay accidentally runs into Mike Saunders, at the end of his grueling run, sparks ignite in him. Mike is a fellow student and aspiring Rock Star that preforms, along with his band that he headlines, at the Underground, a bar on campus. He is also the son of an extremely rich businessman who has always been too busy for his only child, especially after his wife abandons them both. A son who is openly gay. “The District Line” is the story of how these two young men navigate the waters of trying a relationship.
Jay is only out to his best friend Ann, who he has been best friends with since she moved next door at eight years of age. The natural progression was for them to start dating and live happily ever after. The only problem with that is that Jay is gay. Hiding deep in the closet gay but still gay. He fells awful for devastating Ann in high school so he acts as her “pretend” boyfriend when she needs to make a guy jealous. That all changes when Mike and Jay meet up and start exploring their chemistry. Both Jay and Mike tug at your heartstrings. Jay, because he is afraid of what it would do for his football career, what we call soccer here in the US, if it was ever discovered that he is gay. And Mike, who is literally the poor little rich kid. Neither know how to get out from under all the baggage surrounding them.
One of the things I had a problem with was how the book’s point-of-view was written. You would be in the middle of a paragraph, believing Mike was talking, and all of a sudden you were in Jay’s head. I’m not just saying it was Mike in one paragraph speaking and it transitioning to Jay in the next paragraph, which also happened, but I’m saying within one paragraph you had both Mike and Jay’s POV. It just jumped all over the place as to who was talking or thinking. I finally fell in sync with the style but it was really difficult to follow at first and it easily took me out of the moment in the story.
Now for the real kicker…this is a cliffhanger! Upon reading up a bit after I finished the book I discovered that the author plans for this to be a trilogy, with the next book currently in editing and due out before Christmas. That being said, I finished the book with a “What the Heck???” moment! Nothing in the blurb had stated it was part of a series until I started investigating and found the author had announced today that it was going to be a series. I had started to get very anxious when I looked at the bottom of the page I was reading and it was at 97%. Although I am genuinely interested in reading the next book, I was a bit put-off that I had not been warned that this book was part of a series or that it was a major cliffhanger. Looking forward to getting off that cliff fast!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
http://lovebytesreviews.com
Jay Rutland is attending the University after an incident got him removed from a star position with a premier football team, severely hampering his chances to be drafted as a professional footballer. He is extremely regimented in his life. He treats his body as a temple, works hard in all things important to him…school, sports, training and conditioning, family and his best friend Ann, his childhood friend. When Jay accidentally runs into Mike Saunders, at the end of his grueling run, sparks ignite in him. Mike is a fellow student and aspiring Rock Star that preforms, along with his band that he headlines, at the Underground, a bar on campus. He is also the son of an extremely rich businessman who has always been too busy for his only child, especially after his wife abandons them both. A son who is openly gay. “The District Line” is the story of how these two young men navigate the waters of trying a relationship.
Jay is only out to his best friend Ann, who he has been best friends with since she moved next door at eight years of age. The natural progression was for them to start dating and live happily ever after. The only problem with that is that Jay is gay. Hiding deep in the closet gay but still gay. He fells awful for devastating Ann in high school so he acts as her “pretend” boyfriend when she needs to make a guy jealous. That all changes when Mike and Jay meet up and start exploring their chemistry. Both Jay and Mike tug at your heartstrings. Jay, because he is afraid of what it would do for his football career, what we call soccer here in the US, if it was ever discovered that he is gay. And Mike, who is literally the poor little rich kid. Neither know how to get out from under all the baggage surrounding them.
One of the things I had a problem with was how the book’s point-of-view was written. You would be in the middle of a paragraph, believing Mike was talking, and all of a sudden you were in Jay’s head. I’m not just saying it was Mike in one paragraph speaking and it transitioning to Jay in the next paragraph, which also happened, but I’m saying within one paragraph you had both Mike and Jay’s POV. It just jumped all over the place as to who was talking or thinking. I finally fell in sync with the style but it was really difficult to follow at first and it easily took me out of the moment in the story.
Now for the real kicker…this is a cliffhanger! Upon reading up a bit after I finished the book I discovered that the author plans for this to be a trilogy, with the next book currently in editing and due out before Christmas. That being said, I finished the book with a “What the Heck???” moment! Nothing in the blurb had stated it was part of a series until I started investigating and found the author had announced today that it was going to be a series. I had started to get very anxious when I looked at the bottom of the page I was reading and it was at 97%. Although I am genuinely interested in reading the next book, I was a bit put-off that I had not been warned that this book was part of a series or that it was a major cliffhanger. Looking forward to getting off that cliff fast!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
http://lovebytesreviews.com
January 17, 2020
This book gave me SO many feelings. It had so much more angst than I expected; so much angst that halfway through the audio, I switched to the print version - not because of anything wrong with the audio - but because I can read print a helluva lot faster. I HAD to know how it was going to end. I needed their resolution and happy ending. I wanted for Seb & Jay to have a total love fest without the horrible interference of Seb's rotten father, and I also wanted Seb's ex to have a serious comeuppance, hopefully complete with a brick to his face.
BUT...just as a warning that I wish I'd had...their story does not come to a resolution at the end of the book. I felt that the ending was very well-written, but APPARENTLY, I will have to suffer through two more books. And I only say suffer because I have so many feelings for Jay & Seb and I want their happy ending NOW. However, I would recommend NOT reading the blurbs for the next 2 books if you haven't already, because I think that might reduce the emotions one might feel while getting wrapped up in the story. (There IS a preview of the next book contained within the ebook).
The author wrote this in a clever fashion, causing a sort of suspense in a book that was not actually a suspense novel - little tidbits of information are dropped along the way as we get to know the characters. It's not all laid out - why they are the way they are, what they've dealt with in the past that got them to being the people they are at the book's start. They're both characters who hold things back from people, from each other, so they also hold the reader back to some extent. (But if you're afraid of "The Big Misunderstanding" that many readers dislike, I didn't think that this is the kind of story completely driven by unnecessary miscommunication.)
So far as the narration for the audio, I think it was okay. I'm American, so the difference in accents to do with class & region, which is mentioned at times throughout the story, is something that probably went over my head. The differences in slang was clear and charming though. I think a little more differentiation in the voices, so far as people having higher or lower pitched voices - particularly women, would've been good, but I didn't struggle to know who was speaking; (and at least the women didn't have artificially squeaky high voices). (I will say that the appearance of the words on the page at the end had a bigger impact on me than the audio might have).
All in all, I really, really enjoyed this book, despite all the feelings of angst & wanting to throw my Kindle when I found out I wouldn't get to see their happily ever after...yet.
BUT...just as a warning that I wish I'd had...their story does not come to a resolution at the end of the book. I felt that the ending was very well-written, but APPARENTLY, I will have to suffer through two more books. And I only say suffer because I have so many feelings for Jay & Seb and I want their happy ending NOW. However, I would recommend NOT reading the blurbs for the next 2 books if you haven't already, because I think that might reduce the emotions one might feel while getting wrapped up in the story. (There IS a preview of the next book contained within the ebook).
The author wrote this in a clever fashion, causing a sort of suspense in a book that was not actually a suspense novel - little tidbits of information are dropped along the way as we get to know the characters. It's not all laid out - why they are the way they are, what they've dealt with in the past that got them to being the people they are at the book's start. They're both characters who hold things back from people, from each other, so they also hold the reader back to some extent. (But if you're afraid of "The Big Misunderstanding" that many readers dislike, I didn't think that this is the kind of story completely driven by unnecessary miscommunication.)
So far as the narration for the audio, I think it was okay. I'm American, so the difference in accents to do with class & region, which is mentioned at times throughout the story, is something that probably went over my head. The differences in slang was clear and charming though. I think a little more differentiation in the voices, so far as people having higher or lower pitched voices - particularly women, would've been good, but I didn't struggle to know who was speaking; (and at least the women didn't have artificially squeaky high voices). (I will say that the appearance of the words on the page at the end had a bigger impact on me than the audio might have).
All in all, I really, really enjoyed this book, despite all the feelings of angst & wanting to throw my Kindle when I found out I wouldn't get to see their happily ever after...yet.
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