The Matchup

by Sam Elswit

William

Sometimes life requires that you take a dive.

After years of training, I’ve made it to the Olympics. I’ve wanted this more than anything else.

But when my coach offers me a way to the top I’m forced to make the hardest decision of my life. Would I follow my dream and become an Olympian, or would I save my teammate from a horrible fate?

Brad

I’m just a nobody from a small town who likes to swim.

And then a couple of recruiters noticed me, and I was sent to the Olympics where I came face to face with the sexiest man I had ever seen. From the start, he had me in a trance.

Too bad he’s an asshole.

Someone who’s willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if it means stepping on everyone else.

And yet I can’t seem to stay away from him…

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2019

Reviews

[Qin · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is not much meat to this story, despite the two leads being literally meatheads, and it shows. High-level sports and romance mingle best, at least in my reading experience, when both elements are written with flair or, barring that, a minimal amount of verisimilitude, for otherwise all the author achieves barely goes beyond the subliterary actualization of their personal fantasies; the present book fails miserably below even that, being a fanwriting writ large. All the hallmarks of this dreaded genre are in attendance between those covers: a jumbled narrative alternatively too hurried in the necessary preparation of the things to come (the entire introduction of Brad and William, and then their first competition, are so breezily written as to carry no credibility) and too slow-moving (the lads' procrastination after the poor boy handily defeats the rich scion for a spot on the A-team, and so on); a corny storyline whose desultory agency of actions fully rivals the awkward pacing; a gossamer-thin gallery of characters merely meant to serve as foils for the leads and who forever betray the writer's appalling ignorance of basic psychology in the ways they talk and behave (you will never see in real life a high-level diver congratulate a newcomer who just won big with such words as "Hey! That was some great diving out there!", for this witless quip belongs on a kid or a layman; and so on, and so forth); last but not least, a pair of romantic interests with pudding for brains, the emotional girth of the seagull that at one moment pesters Brad, and the capacity for interpersonal communication most usually seen in rocks. It goes without stating that the writing chops of Mr Elswit are no better than such a plot bunny deserved (another wannabe author who mistakes insta-lust for an easy trope).

[CJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf at about 25%

William was above and beyond a spoiled brat and I don't think anything I read from here on out will make me like him. I'm all for enemies to lovers but this was all one sided and Brad was all "oh he's a dick but so hot"

And the story line seems absurd already so I'm really not invested in either of them. Just not for me.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go team

I really liked this story. You made the characters seem like they were real people and i was reading an autobiographical story about how they met. Please keep up the excellent work and thank you for the great story

[Katie Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

William and brad's journey was incredible beautiful and intense

I felt everything William and brad were going through ups downs decisions uncertainty

The storyline was fantastic beautiful and incredible with emotional moments i love it