Professional basketball player Bri Early needs a physical therapist after an injury, and he’s heard that Obie is the best. Bri takes an immediate liking to the out-and-proud man with the magic touch, and even though Bri isn’t openly gay himself, he’d never let anything stand in the way of something he wants.
Obie can’t deny that the sexy athlete presses all his buttons, but he’s a professional and has no intention of getting involved with a client. While they’re working together, it’s hands off, no matter how great the temptation.
But being a pro athlete isn’t easy. Bri has enemies, and one of them is making his life hell. When his house is set ablaze, Bri can no longer pretend the threatening messages he’s receiving are jokes. He needs a safe place to stay, and Obie can’t turn his back. But the two of them in the same house is a recipe for combustion that could burn them both….
A romance with a suspense/mystery side plot : one of my favorite trope. And written by an author I usually enjoy. And with a blurb looking very tempting for me : : promise of an injured professional player, Bri, falling for his physical therapist, Obie, while dealing with some threatening phone calls.
Alas, it felt short for me.
I didn’t like the execution, moving rather rapidly between situations and issues, with "flip-flop" reactions that didn't make sense for me. As for the writing, it was very "descriptive", so much I didn't feel any emotion : as if the author were only reporting what’s going on.
Basically, it didn’t look like the good stuff this author usually delivers : no feels, no hotness – only 2 sex scenes, wrapped up in a couple of sentences - corny. with a bad guy who is far from being the brightest and with a very thin reason to go after Bri.
Not for me.
ARC of “Rebound” was generously provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I usually enjoy Andrew Grey's work but this one just didn't mesh for me into a cohesive narrative at all.
The suspense element was out of place and I still don't really think there was enough build up given to it or to the big reveal of who the bad guy was. It just made no sense to me at all.
The romance element also seemed subdued and the lack of sexual intimacy until right at the very end left me feeling disjointed and not really connected to the characters at all.
Individually though, Obie and Bri were nicely crafted and I liked the setting and the secondary characters helped flesh out the world.
Still, overall I would have loved more of them together as a couple and a little bit more depth to the suspect's identity.
#ARC kindly received from the publishers Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Rebound turned out to be way more than the “pro-athlete comes out” story I expected. The stalker becomes more and more dangerous. Obi and Bri start a down-low romance that finally acts as the balm Bri’s needed, likely since college. Traumatic memories of homophobic acts against a friend that he regrets not standing up for have haunted him, to a degree. As Bri backtracks through his life trying to pinpoint his stalker, his self-disgust is stoked. Obie’s sweetness is a big help—and it’s not long before Bri’s ready to come out. If he’s going to be attacked for his silence, he may as well own his truth and see what happens.
I liked both Bri and Obie and their humorous names gave me chuckles. They have some amazing parents and I loved how each man’s family, particularly their fathers, embraced their new love interest. It was really sweet to see such healthy family units. Obie’s best pals are a hoot, as they catwalk their way through nightclubs and basketball games. The mystery regarding the stalker was well done, with some red herrings placed to distract from the true identity. His cunning and ruthlessness added an element of danger that kept the pace hopping in the second half of the book.
> > Judging a Book by its Cover < < The cover shows a man with a bare torso, loosely holding a basketball at his hip/side. The image is partly obscured by a smoke or mist effect, which lends an air of mystery. The title is bold and legible and the author font is just strong enough. The overall composition does catch the eye and is visually appealing to me. The synopsis reads well and left me intrigued enough to want to read it.
> > Looking Deeper < < POV ~> Mostly third-person. (The assailant had a few one-paragraph moments of first-person)
Recovering from a game-related sports injury, professional basketball player, Bri, is referred to Obie after yet another of the team’s therapists refuse to work with him anymore. Attraction is immediate, tho Bri is not publicly out. Obie is determined to keep things professional, at least until Bri is no longer his client. A stalker is out to punish Bri, to teach him a lesson. Mr. Grey really had fun with the characters’ names in this one. Ha! Both Obie and Bri were likable characters and I felt their chemistry progressed naturally. Most of the secondaries were enjoyable additions to the plot. The dialogue was smart and the interactions felt natural. The plot flowed smoothly and provided entertainment and a bit of action/suspense. There were a few minor conflicts that were met head-on and resolved swiftly. Predictability was nil; I thought I knew –without a doubt- who the “baddie” was. I was wrong! The conclusion provides a nice solid-enough implied HEA with no loose ends. Overall, it was another enjoyable read from Andrew Grey. . Rating: [R] ~ Score: 4.35 ~ Stars: 4 ========================== ⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐
“Rebound” by Andrew Grey features Bri Early, a successful basketball player driven to recover quickly from a knee injury, and therapist Obi Kenoble, who is torn between his responsibilities to his patient and his attraction to the man. An escalating danger forces both men to do a bit of soul searching and to decide what is most important in their lives.
This contemporary gay sports and romantic suspense story covers multiple tropes, including the conflict between a semi-closeted man and one who is very much out and proud, homophobia, ethical conflicts, and mysterious attacks. I enjoyed Bri’s prickly personality and chuckled at the name revelations even as I was impressed by Obi’s capabilities (and delicious connections). There are stories that give you chances to cheer the characters on or empathize with their trials and tribulations and this one did just that, particularly given the contrast between Bri’s and his dad’s situations. Although the mysterious attacks provided an element of suspense, some of the revelations felt a bit forced and the main characters seemed to have a bit of a role reversal at times but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story. I love that both men had multiple facets to their personalities and would be interested in seeing more of them in future stories.
‘Rebound’ is full of emotion, suspense, and a slow-burn romance that had me crossing my fingers for both men to realize the great potential between them. Bri is a professional athlete who falls for his therapist, has a creepy stalker after him, and is conflicted about coming out. Obie is a great therapist who is out and proud, great at his job, and super tempted to give in to his feelings for Bri. I enjoyed the dynamics between the two of them and their friends – two of whom, Monty and Hunter, I remember from ‘The Playmaker’ – because it makes for a great ambience. Both men’s families added to that as well because, for once, they were very supportive and I really liked seeing that. All in all, this turned out to be an intense read with lots of emotion around Obie and Bri’s developing romance and quite some suspense around the mysterious stalker and his evil intentions.
I really enjoyed this read. Andrew Grey is one of the top authors that I enjoy reading. Each book is different from the last book. That is what makes each of the books by Andrew such a great read. This book is about a basketball player but this book is not primarily based around the game but more around the man who plays the game. This is a story about a man who is in th closet. After an exhibition game, he was hurt and had to do rehab. While doing his rehab, he started getting threats and at first he ignored them but as things start to happen, he knows he can no longer ignore them. And the fact that he has someone in his life that could be hurt in the crossfire worrieshim most.
This book was a great read with a huge air of mystery and some danger about it. I also like that through everything going on there is also anlovw story as well. Andrew did a great job on this book.
Bri knows he is gay but he has not come out because of his love for his professional career as a basketball player. When Bri hurts his knee and needs therapy to get back to the game that he loves. This is ho he meets Obie.
Obie is Bri’s therapist. Thoughhw feels the attraction between the two of them, he is not willing to go down that road because Bri is a client. But as he gets to know Bri better, he cannot he’ll to question if he can keep things strictly professional. Then Obie becomes aware of the threats being made towards Bri. And the more dangerous things get, the more Obie can no longer deny how he feels about Bri.
When Obie gets caught in the middle of Bri’s mess, Bri realizes it is more important to be with Obie then it is to be in the closet. But can these two make it through this threat without either of them getting hurt?
As I said, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely look forward to the next book by Andrew Grey.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
Rebound by Andrew Grey 3 stars M/M Romance Triggers: Stalking, attempted murder I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Rads.
Bri is wanting to get back to what he loves...playing basketball. Despite having a great career, Bri does feel that something might be missing. He has been hiding his true identity for so long that when he might have the chance at something real, he's hesitant to take it.
Despite wanting to be back playing, Bri knows that he has to follow the physical therapist's recommendations. When he meets the one physical therapist who will work with him since he's run off everyone else, he is immediately attracted.
Obie has lived his life on his terms. He loves what he does and knows that even though he hasn't found the right guy yet, he's out there. I really also loved how fierce Obie can be. He has great friends and even though they can be over the top, he loves them.
I really liked watching Obie and Bri find their way. Even when things were tense, they knew that it was going to be OK.
I was so happy reading this book and considering the fact that one character is being stalked...that’s saying something. I just found so much joy in these characters and I loved getting to know them.
Bri Early is a professional basketball player with an injury and in need a great physical therapist. He finds the best in Obie and is also immediately intrigued by the man. Due to his career, Bri is not openly gay to most of the world and Obie is delightfully open. These two men seem so very different and yet, together they just work. They are fun and hardworking and they love food.
Their mutual love of food is shown throughout the book and I loved each time they shared a meal together. It sounds silly, but for all that this is a story with an NBA star in it, they are just regular guys. Bri is dealing with threats from an increasingly dangerous source and Obie is by his side through it all. This book is rounded out by a wonderful cast of side characters that bring a lot of laughs and a lot of insight. Obie and Bri definitely are the stars though and that’s just perfect because they steal the show.
I think Rebound is my new favorite book from Andrew Grey, is really is special. I loved all of the relationships so much, the friendships and familial bonds are fabulous. A great book to curl up with when you need some happy.
Book blurb is fairly accurate – Bri needs a physical therapist after an injury and he finds the flamboyant Obie interesting, intriguing and attractive. But as a pro-athlete, being openly gay could be a detriment to the career he’s worked so hard to achieve.
Obie is a respected physical therapist to the average person and celebrities alike. When he agrees to work on Bri’s knee, he realizes almost immediately his attraction to the 6’6’ basketball star, but is too much of a professional to act on that attraction.
But when Bri starts receiving verbal and physical threats, Bri and Obie both start questioning their personal and moral choices.
Oh, dear. I have such mixed thoughts on this book.
I wanted a book that revolved around basketball, and this did, kind of. There were two on-court games and some interaction with Bri's manager. There just wasn't much interaction with the rest of the team.
What I got was a book on regrets, verbal recriminations, and a fair amount of reminiscing about high school and college. The mystery of who was harassing Bri was interesting and well written, but it was overshadowed by Bri and Obie rehashing their pasts, the regrets of acting or not acting, of being the passive bystander or avoiding getting beaten up again.
As Bri is trying to think of who has it in for him, he rehashes all the times he stood back rather than stood up. I get it. I have regrets too. We all do. But it became tiresome in a 200 page book. As Obie is getting to know Bri and their attraction is heating up, Obie struggles between keeping their relationship professional and wanting more. I’ve read other books with a therapist/doctor/nurse in this predicament – what bothers me with this plot is Obie’s friends pushing him to cross that ethical line.
Which brings me around to David and Chippy. The tell all besties. Not my favorite. Chippy’s character just rubbed me the wrong way and it was specifically egging Obie to cross that therapist/patient line. Obie had the right of it – treat Bri, then engage in the relationship. What I did like – I liked Bri’s character. He was interesting, he was portrayed as a down-to-earth athlete who was worried about what could happen to his career, his passion, if he came out as gay. I enjoyed that dynamic.
I enjoyed the mystery of who was trying to harm Bri.
And I did enjoy the Bri and Obie dynamic when they weren’t discussing high school. This was a hard review to write, my thoughts are rather all over the place. If you like sports themed romances, this might be a read for you.
Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Bri is Pro basketball player and he's in therapy after being injured during a charity game. He had run off his other therapist and is now seeing Obie who is a friend of a friend.
Bri has been getting anonymous calls and threats. And he even has someone try and burn down his house thankfully they only smoked up the garage and destroyed his car. After that he stays with Obie.
They are falling for each other while they're trying to figure out what's going on. Obie's dad is the police commissioner and he gets involved trying to figure out where all the threats and stuff comes from and Bri is going down memory lane trying to figure out what could have caused stuff there's nothing he's directly related to that he can remember. But somebody blames him for what happened to someone.
Obie tries to keep Bri at arm's length even though they're falling for each other claiming it's patience therapist boundaries. But later he realizes that he scared that he might get a left. The sex was hot for sure.
Bri isn't out to the entire media world he has a few close friends and his family that know that he's gay however Obie is out loud and proud with all the glitter and eyeliner which I thought that was hot. I also adored his friends they were hilarious. I like that his dad was also trying to protect him.
It kept me guessing on who it could have been cuz there was a lot of people that could have been behind this. The person that actually caused his injury was not the same person that tried to kill him however the guy paid the guy to injure Bri.
In the end it was someone that I didn't know about because it was related to another person which Bri had liked that person but back in college he was too scared to actually admit his feelings and come out because of playing so he never opened up or told the guy that he liked him. They were friends but he also always felt guilty that he couldn't stop the guy's roommate from what he did because he was scared.
Another excellent book and I have read all the books of Andrew's I put on my list for this year. I have more I hope to read by him before end year.
Rebound is a fantastic sports romance by Andrew Grey. A closeted basketball player falling for his physical therapist, hell yes, sign me up!
I love how determined Bri is from the start, wanting to force his recovery from an injury to get back into the game quickly. This is so damn realistic, and wonderfully written.
Bri's a closeted basketball player who ends up befriending his physical therapist, Obie. Their friendship develops naturally and is seamless, which I adore. And the attraction is instant.
I love and adore these men, especially the way they are with one another. Everything develops naturally and at a great pace.
One of my favorite parts is the name factor. Both Bri and Witt have funny/embarrassing names. But it's the way that it's used for more than just laughs that I enjoy and appreciate.
Adding to the tale, Bri has a stalker who's threatening him and the threats keep escalating.
Rebound's an amazing story of an athlete living only half a life, hiding who he is for years. Every decision he makes has been to hide who he is and what he wants. Andrew Grey does a terrific job of exploring the journey of learning to live an authentic life. And, omg, the last line of the book if superb!
Professional ethics... what a nice change from the real world!
I am of the mindset that unless it is a run-away game... the last two minutes are all that count in basketball! Such was the case in this game also!
As for Obie and Bri's relationship... that wasn't quite as simple! First, let me just say that their names made reading the book worthwhile. It was a "giggle" moment every time I heard one of them and the story behind Obie's given name was absolutely wonderful!
As for the complications of the relationship... we see a young man using his professional work ethic to hide behind because of his fear of failing at a relationship with Bri. This leads us to Bri, whose life couldn't get any more complicated... or could it? It would take me forever to list Bri's complications, so just read the dang book and find out for yourself how becoming your true self can hopefully lead to happiness!
Sports romance isn't my favorite genre but I do read them especially since this was an Andrew Grey book. You can always count on good, solid characters, an interesting storyline, with a hint of mystery, and hot sex that is never crude but sensual and sexy.
Both Bri and Obi had odd names that was a running joke in the story that really lightened it up. I liked both dad's and was glad to see acceptance and they both work to protect the men. I also liked how the antagonist had small parts of view added in and they were in first person and that made it easier to distinguish from the main characters. I would have loved to have seen a little more. If you like friends to lovers, sports romance, a slow building romance with a happy ending this is for you.
As always, Andrew Grey delivers again. I loved the dynamic between Obie and Bri, not to mention their similar name issues :P While the back and forth between keeping things professional and getting together caused as much tension in me as it did the potential couple, it was the suspense that clinched the book.
What begins with relatively harmless phone calls soon escalates into threatening behavior and assault.
While the threat level increases so does the chemistry between our two star players.
I can't wait to see what else Andrew Grey has in store.
3.5 stars. This book was okay... Definitely not the author's best. Unfortunately I think that the MC would have a harder time coming out to the public, so that part of the story was unrealistic. Also, the whole deal with the mystery stalker was just weird (reading from the stalker's point of view), and the reasoning behind it.
Overall I finished the book, but I consider it just "meh."
Bri and Obie have unique names and wonder professions. As an athlete and a physical therapist they initially form a copacetic relationship. As danger comes at one of them, the bond they form is strong.
Enjoyed the book and all the loose ends are tied at the end. Good thrill to it without being over the top and it's not quite what you expect which is grand. Had the pleasure of speaking with Mr Grey at GRL and he was just as much of a delight as this book. Stay cool, Mr Grey!
I picked this new release from one of my favorite authors because I know how great Andrew Grey is and I found the blurb quite interesting. Rebound is well written, with a good plot, well defined characters. Plus there was a mystery to solve, something I like to read once in a while.
I have to say the novel started pretty well, easy and fast to read, engaging. I liked the first part a lot, discovering Bri and Obie stories, their meeting and quick friendship, how they actually knew each other without falling in bed. Plus I had some laughs with them and their families.
That said, from a moment the story went down and I struggled a lot to finish it. First of all, I missed the feelings, I wasn’t able to see the emotions the MCs felt, they seemed strangers and things were almost forced. Then the mystery part was really unreal and puzzling, it didn’t make a lot of sense and so the all book lost its strength.
The cover art by Kanaxa is lovely, I like it very much.
Ugh. At 23%, there's the evil-doer POV. I do not like to read evil POV. It makes me feel yucky and I believe stories can be told without it. Also, the coworker drama felt melodramatic, so I'm DNFing.