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The Riptide #1
The Rivalry
The first time NFL quarterback Heath Harris meets Sam Crawford, it’s just them, a luxury yacht and a few days of fun in the sun. Sam turns out to be nothing like Heath expects. He’s kind and funny and irreverent—and also unbelievably, shockingly sexy. For three short, glorious, life-changing days, there are no rules.
The second time they meet, Sam has just been traded to Heath’s team, and instead of lovers, now they're rivals. Heath has spent the last five years working desperately to be the best quarterback the Riptide could ever need, but when injuries threaten to derail his career, Sam is right there, standing on the sideline. Ready to take over, and ready to ruin everything Heath has given his life for.
Rival. Enemy. Teammate. Friend. Lover.
As their orbits collide, sparks fly, and Heath struggles to find the right label and the right box to shove Sam into, hoping to keep him contained. But Sam—and Heath’s feelings—refuse to cooperate.
Sam might not be just one of those things, he might be all of them, and so much more.
The second time they meet, Sam has just been traded to Heath’s team, and instead of lovers, now they're rivals. Heath has spent the last five years working desperately to be the best quarterback the Riptide could ever need, but when injuries threaten to derail his career, Sam is right there, standing on the sideline. Ready to take over, and ready to ruin everything Heath has given his life for.
Rival. Enemy. Teammate. Friend. Lover.
As their orbits collide, sparks fly, and Heath struggles to find the right label and the right box to shove Sam into, hoping to keep him contained. But Sam—and Heath’s feelings—refuse to cooperate.
Sam might not be just one of those things, he might be all of them, and so much more.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2020
454 people are currently reading
1078 people want to read
About the author
Beth Bolden
77 books689 followersA lifelong Oregonian, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband and their sweet kitten, Earl Grey. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published fourteen novels and five short stories.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published fourteen novels and five short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
October 5, 2020
Audiobook - 5 stars
Story DNf @ 55% - 1.5 stars
Damn, this was too long and felt like nothing was happening. The author kept saying the same thing over and over in a gazillion different way. It needed a lot of editing.
There was too much telling and not enough showing. No chemistry between the MCs, i thought it would get better but it didn't.
Story DNf @ 55% - 1.5 stars
Damn, this was too long and felt like nothing was happening. The author kept saying the same thing over and over in a gazillion different way. It needed a lot of editing.
There was too much telling and not enough showing. No chemistry between the MCs, i thought it would get better but it didn't.
March 8, 2020
3.5 stars Heath and Sam
They both play quarterback. Heath plays for the Riptide and Sam for the Piranhas.
Both at a boat for a few days.
Heath is straight and Sam doesn’t know if Heath understands Sam is gay.
They could be friends. Not.
Heath feels something towards Sam, not sure what. Both think the other wants a one night stand. Only Heath had never one before and Sam wants something more. Impossible, Heath isn’t out, and a great chance he will never.
After they spend a night together Heath feels awkward and that made Sam feels awful.
Misunderstanding their behavior they both think the other doesn’t want more.
Personally, I don’t like these situations, where no one speaks out what they think.
They are in a situation where Sam gets a job at the Riptide as Heath’s back up because Heath has physical issues. He doesn’t want Sam there, he’s a threat, Period.
Heath wants a physical therapist but it seems he needs a different one.
He had a rough life and his head is full of denial.
Heath will never let his guard down, for anyone. He has a lot of inner turmoil. With that, we get to know him better, because his actions lack it.
Sometimes I had the urge to shake. He was so unfair to Sam, with rude comments ugh.
After both agreed to an arrangement between them it only seems to go downward.
Keeping it a secret is harder than it seems. And with Heath being not in the right mind Sam thinks it will not work.
I had a hard time liking Heath, he constantly gave me whiplash with his contradictory action and attitude. Sam was way too patient with Heath.
I wasn’t always sure what he exactly loved about Heath.
For my personal joy I would have loved a faster pace, I found it a bit dragging, but that’s me. I know other love some slow burn, 458 pages is a lot with a slow pace. I missed something in this story and after some thoughts I knew I missed passion, passion towards each other and maybe even towards their sport.
A widely written story, good developed. The sport had a big space and was good entwined with other secondary parts. All the inner conversations were enlightening. Overall an enjoyable and entertaining story.
They both play quarterback. Heath plays for the Riptide and Sam for the Piranhas.
Both at a boat for a few days.
Heath is straight and Sam doesn’t know if Heath understands Sam is gay.
They could be friends. Not.
Heath feels something towards Sam, not sure what. Both think the other wants a one night stand. Only Heath had never one before and Sam wants something more. Impossible, Heath isn’t out, and a great chance he will never.
After they spend a night together Heath feels awkward and that made Sam feels awful.
Misunderstanding their behavior they both think the other doesn’t want more.
Personally, I don’t like these situations, where no one speaks out what they think.
They are in a situation where Sam gets a job at the Riptide as Heath’s back up because Heath has physical issues. He doesn’t want Sam there, he’s a threat, Period.
Heath wants a physical therapist but it seems he needs a different one.
He had a rough life and his head is full of denial.
Heath will never let his guard down, for anyone. He has a lot of inner turmoil. With that, we get to know him better, because his actions lack it.
Sometimes I had the urge to shake. He was so unfair to Sam, with rude comments ugh.
After both agreed to an arrangement between them it only seems to go downward.
Keeping it a secret is harder than it seems. And with Heath being not in the right mind Sam thinks it will not work.
I had a hard time liking Heath, he constantly gave me whiplash with his contradictory action and attitude. Sam was way too patient with Heath.
I wasn’t always sure what he exactly loved about Heath.
For my personal joy I would have loved a faster pace, I found it a bit dragging, but that’s me. I know other love some slow burn, 458 pages is a lot with a slow pace. I missed something in this story and after some thoughts I knew I missed passion, passion towards each other and maybe even towards their sport.
A widely written story, good developed. The sport had a big space and was good entwined with other secondary parts. All the inner conversations were enlightening. Overall an enjoyable and entertaining story.
March 19, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
First, let me be clear that I have zero knowledge of football. In fact, I barely understand what the quarterback even does beyond throwing the ball. For such a reader, I found Bolden’s descriptions of the actual football events (both games and practices) easy to follow. The actual game scenes are peppered throughout, but I don’t recall ever reading through an entire game. Usually, the prior scenes set up what kind of opponent Heath and Sam and the rest will be facing and what kind of practice they need to do to play their best. This builds opportunities for Heath and Sam to talk shop together and build rapport (or not, depending on how moody/defensive/fed up the characters are) outside of their blatant (to them and the reader) sexual attraction. In this way, Bolden creates scenarios where it feels natural to jump into a scene where the guys are in the middle of their game and, usually, worrying about how much they’re sucking at playing football. All that is to say, if you don’t know much about football, that won’t prevent you from being able to follow and appreciate what the actual game-related scenes are doing.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
First, let me be clear that I have zero knowledge of football. In fact, I barely understand what the quarterback even does beyond throwing the ball. For such a reader, I found Bolden’s descriptions of the actual football events (both games and practices) easy to follow. The actual game scenes are peppered throughout, but I don’t recall ever reading through an entire game. Usually, the prior scenes set up what kind of opponent Heath and Sam and the rest will be facing and what kind of practice they need to do to play their best. This builds opportunities for Heath and Sam to talk shop together and build rapport (or not, depending on how moody/defensive/fed up the characters are) outside of their blatant (to them and the reader) sexual attraction. In this way, Bolden creates scenarios where it feels natural to jump into a scene where the guys are in the middle of their game and, usually, worrying about how much they’re sucking at playing football. All that is to say, if you don’t know much about football, that won’t prevent you from being able to follow and appreciate what the actual game-related scenes are doing.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
dnf
April 15, 2020How do you make this so boring? And what rivalry? And why the awful, awful overwriting???
I tried really hard to find *something* about this book to keep me going but the author was so determined to fuck up her own story I finally conceded and DNF'd. THERE IS BASICALLY NO FOOTBALL IN THIS. That is the first sin. Then, most of the story doesn't even take place during the season. The main characters meet and hook up before the season even starts and even after that there is no football. I didn't pick this up to read about football necessarily but they might as well have been accountants with how much of a role their professions played here. That's just annoying.
And then there is the writing. If something could be said in a word this author will find a way to make it three sentences. She even managed to overwrite the admittedly quite steamy sex scenes so much I didn't even want to stick around for more of that. That's an accomplishment.
NOPE.
I tried really hard to find *something* about this book to keep me going but the author was so determined to fuck up her own story I finally conceded and DNF'd. THERE IS BASICALLY NO FOOTBALL IN THIS. That is the first sin. Then, most of the story doesn't even take place during the season. The main characters meet and hook up before the season even starts and even after that there is no football. I didn't pick this up to read about football necessarily but they might as well have been accountants with how much of a role their professions played here. That's just annoying.
And then there is the writing. If something could be said in a word this author will find a way to make it three sentences. She even managed to overwrite the admittedly quite steamy sex scenes so much I didn't even want to stick around for more of that. That's an accomplishment.
NOPE.
March 8, 2020
Disclaimer: I beta read this book for Beth.
Having got that out of the way, I still absolutely adored this book even though I spent most of the time wanting to thump Heath or give him a right good shake!
I loved the tensions Beth created between the two men, not only personally, but professionally. The sparks and back and forth was built up with enough leeway that it never became too frustrating and I liked having both POVs so we could see what their thoughts were.
Sam is just wonderful, he's honest and open, but he's a bit flaky on the football field. Heath is the absolute opposite and he hides such deep pain that while I was shaking him, I'd also have been patting his back going there, there because what an awful life.
I liked how the positions between the two quarterbacks regarding their feelings for playing football were also mirrored and then twisted, the solution I felt was an earned one and made sense.
Great secondary characters and can I get a shout out to my main guys Nick and Colin, whose special guest appearance reminded me just how much I loved their book (more please Beth?!) and whose sage advice made a big difference to Heath's expectation of himself.
Definitely not your typical fluffy sports romance, this covers some tough subjects and has a fairly angsty journey to happiness but the ending is all ends up awesome 😁
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
Having got that out of the way, I still absolutely adored this book even though I spent most of the time wanting to thump Heath or give him a right good shake!
I loved the tensions Beth created between the two men, not only personally, but professionally. The sparks and back and forth was built up with enough leeway that it never became too frustrating and I liked having both POVs so we could see what their thoughts were.
Sam is just wonderful, he's honest and open, but he's a bit flaky on the football field. Heath is the absolute opposite and he hides such deep pain that while I was shaking him, I'd also have been patting his back going there, there because what an awful life.
I liked how the positions between the two quarterbacks regarding their feelings for playing football were also mirrored and then twisted, the solution I felt was an earned one and made sense.
Great secondary characters and can I get a shout out to my main guys Nick and Colin, whose special guest appearance reminded me just how much I loved their book (more please Beth?!) and whose sage advice made a big difference to Heath's expectation of himself.
Definitely not your typical fluffy sports romance, this covers some tough subjects and has a fairly angsty journey to happiness but the ending is all ends up awesome 😁
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
September 15, 2020
Many thanks to GayRomanceReviews.com for the free review copy
3.5 Stars
I definitely picked this because of the cover but once I dived into it, I found that it was more than just a pretty cover. It covered some heavy(ish) themes such as exploring your sexuality and how to come out to your loved ones. There was just a bit of steam but not a ton but I didn't mind. Although the love between Sam and Heath was a little insta-lovey, it was still really sweet.
Overall, this was a slightly steamy and very sweet gay sports romance.
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3.5 Stars
I definitely picked this because of the cover but once I dived into it, I found that it was more than just a pretty cover. It covered some heavy(ish) themes such as exploring your sexuality and how to come out to your loved ones. There was just a bit of steam but not a ton but I didn't mind. Although the love between Sam and Heath was a little insta-lovey, it was still really sweet.
Overall, this was a slightly steamy and very sweet gay sports romance.
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March 8, 2020
As other reviewers noted, it took me a bit to get into this book but once I got past the first couple of chapters, I completely bought into Sam and Heath's relationship. There's plenty of push-pull tension with the characters, both between each other and each one with his own lifepath.It's more a rivals-to-lovers romance than an enemies-to-lovers. If you don't like feeling that you're starting a series on the second book, you might want to read The Rainbow Clause first, as those characters make an appearance in this book and play a pivotal role in the resolution of the story. Not reading it didn't make me confused but it did make me feel as if something happened that I wasn't privy to. I still enjoyed The Rivalry and recommend it.
March 11, 2020
This book started off really slow. It was actually pretty boring in the beginning and when it started to pick up, it still fell flat like something was missing. Lots of telling and not enough doing. I really didn’t get to see a relationship build between the couple. It was just Heath in his head overthinking the majority of the time and Sam just settling for the ride. Also, I wanted more information on the relationship that he had with his dad. I really liked his best friend Bran. I felt he was a great supporting character.
May 10, 2021
2.5 stars
First, this book was way too long. I almost DNF’d at 30%, 50%, and 77%. I like long books, but it was the same crap over and over.
Heath and Sam are the main characters, and while Sam is essentially an *insert yourself here* character, Heath was almost entirely unlikeable, and often a complete asshole. His issues and personality explanations were there, but it was taken too far. I felt like he was not nice to Sam once until like 80% in. When Heath had his “wake up” moment, his personality changes but I didn’t even care because none of these good personality traits were shown before even in small bits.
Sam most certainly deserved better, and he was dragged through the mud. Although, Sam did out Heath, without his permission, to Sam’s sister, who was a ridiculous caricature of the stereotypical “troublemaking woman.” The only other woman in this book is the good ol’ devoted wife and mother, oh and don’t forget she’s a mother, who’s only personality trait is “busybody.” She is the wife of side characters Bran, who decided his wife needs to know all of Heath’s personal business because they’re the same person. Typing this out I can’t believe I finished this book.
We also have Heath’s therapist who says he maybe never felt sexual attraction to anyone before Sam because he might be demisexual, which is most certainly not the definition of a sexuality of someone who is immediately sexually attracted to someone upon first meeting.
The pacing was off, I couldn’t take one more second of Heath’s internal monologue, the 80% break up scene was the same as all the rest, so many plot points were created and never tied up, etc. When Heath finally decided to *gasp* communicate with Sam, he barely tells him ANYTHING he didn’t already know, and Sam immediately forgives him.
Overall writing (grammar, etc.) and editing was good in that sense. Needed to be tightened up quite a bit though. Honesty I was more touched by the author’s note at the end than I was the story.
First, this book was way too long. I almost DNF’d at 30%, 50%, and 77%. I like long books, but it was the same crap over and over.
Heath and Sam are the main characters, and while Sam is essentially an *insert yourself here* character, Heath was almost entirely unlikeable, and often a complete asshole. His issues and personality explanations were there, but it was taken too far. I felt like he was not nice to Sam once until like 80% in. When Heath had his “wake up” moment, his personality changes but I didn’t even care because none of these good personality traits were shown before even in small bits.
Sam most certainly deserved better, and he was dragged through the mud. Although, Sam did out Heath, without his permission, to Sam’s sister, who was a ridiculous caricature of the stereotypical “troublemaking woman.” The only other woman in this book is the good ol’ devoted wife and mother, oh and don’t forget she’s a mother, who’s only personality trait is “busybody.” She is the wife of side characters Bran, who decided his wife needs to know all of Heath’s personal business because they’re the same person. Typing this out I can’t believe I finished this book.
We also have Heath’s therapist who says he maybe never felt sexual attraction to anyone before Sam because he might be demisexual, which is most certainly not the definition of a sexuality of someone who is immediately sexually attracted to someone upon first meeting.
The pacing was off, I couldn’t take one more second of Heath’s internal monologue, the 80% break up scene was the same as all the rest, so many plot points were created and never tied up, etc. When Heath finally decided to *gasp* communicate with Sam, he barely tells him ANYTHING he didn’t already know, and Sam immediately forgives him.
Overall writing (grammar, etc.) and editing was good in that sense. Needed to be tightened up quite a bit though. Honesty I was more touched by the author’s note at the end than I was the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2020
When two quarterbacks meet for the first time, sparks fly. They shouldn't be attracted to each other, and on paper, they definitely do not work. Sam is the golden boy whose life has been nothing but easy - everything handed to him. Heath grew up under the thumb of a truly horrible father, with nothing to his name but his ability. It's what got him out of his father's thumb. So they have a few days of fun in the sun, then part ways.
Imagine their surprise when Sam is traded to Heath's team and becomes his rival for the starting quarterback position. Those sparks? Now they just might be snuffed out under the weight of their rivalry.
This is a great rivals to lovers story. For much of the story, Heath is hard to like. Then the author flips the script and Sam is hard to like. But when the two finally got on the same page, they were a wonderful couple. If you like your MM reads of the forbidden deliciousness type, then I highly recommend this one. I don't have any hopes that this is realistic, because I highly doubt professional sports will ever be inclusive and tolerant. However, it's nice to hope for, and this is a great read to give me hope.
ARC via GRR/LesCourt ARC Team for an honest review.
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April 11, 2020
The book was definitely longer than it needed to be, but I enjoyed the story and the characters.
November 28, 2022
Después de llevar el 35% del libro esperando que pase algo interesante, intentando conectar con los protagonistas y luchando contra mi misma para conseguir que algo me gustase ,desisto.
Y aunque normalmente no valoro los libros que no termino, éste va a ser la excepción porque hay que bajar la media para que la gente como yo no se sienta engañada.
Y aunque normalmente no valoro los libros que no termino, éste va a ser la excepción porque hay que bajar la media para que la gente como yo no se sienta engañada.
December 5, 2020
3.5 Stars.
I think.
I liked a lot of things about this book. The exploration of Heath's sexuality. The certainty of Sam's. The story these two needed to tell.
I liked it all.
What I didn't like, and this is clearly a personal preference, was the 3rd person POV. I don't know why it doesn't work for me.
Because sometimes it does. It works, things are magical, and life is great.
And I did really like this book. But there were a few instances when I needed to reread a line or two because I wasn't sure who we were at the time. Unfortunately that pulls me from the story.
It's still good.
I'm seriously considering reading Colin O'Connor and Nick Wheeler's story.
I think.
I liked a lot of things about this book. The exploration of Heath's sexuality. The certainty of Sam's. The story these two needed to tell.
I liked it all.
What I didn't like, and this is clearly a personal preference, was the 3rd person POV. I don't know why it doesn't work for me.
Because sometimes it does. It works, things are magical, and life is great.
And I did really like this book. But there were a few instances when I needed to reread a line or two because I wasn't sure who we were at the time. Unfortunately that pulls me from the story.
It's still good.
I'm seriously considering reading Colin O'Connor and Nick Wheeler's story.
February 29, 2024
Gosh, this is a slow read! I kept psyching myself up to turn the page for more lack of communication, more misunderstandings, more push-pull. I came here to check out what others are saying about the story. It’s over 400 pages?! Of what I’ve been reading?? No way.
It must have been tough just to write it. What a waste of hot MCs.
DNF 20%
It must have been tough just to write it. What a waste of hot MCs.
DNF 20%
March 18, 2020
Given the raving reviews, I expected quite a lot from this book. In retrospect, the sheer excess of praise was suspect, for indeed this proved to be the kind of half-baked story in which the careless attitude with respect to writing and the rather defective execution of the concept entirely snuffed out the romantic potential, entertainment being a lost cause from early on. As we do say in French, c'est écrit avec les pieds, all cheesy, stereotype-laden prose replete with punctuation issues or syntactic infelicities (boy does Mrs Bolden love anacolutha), continuity errors at very short range, inept balancing of sentences when it comes to narrating, and moronic psychology force-fed on the reader with the grace of a hammer. Samples will show what I mean:
"Should’ve bailed, Heath told himself, but then really, how bad could this be? Three days in the sun, cruising down towards the Keys. Someone else cooking for him, and champagne handed to him by waiters. Even if you added in fishing—possibly the most boring activity ever conceived—spending a couple of days on a luxury yacht was hardly going to suck"
"Sam inclined his head, a lock of his famous honey-blond hair falling over one blue eye. That hair was too damn long, full of too many damn highlights, way too damn fancy, too damn everything. A reminder that while they might work for the same organization, and hold the exact same job title, they were absolutely nothing alike. But even though Heath wanted to count that against Sam, he found himself thinking that was hardly a bad thing"
"A flash of clear frustration passed over Sam’s face. Heath didn’t want to understand how he felt, but it was impossible not to. If you were really goddamned lucky, you might possess all the necessary tools and skills to be a successful quarterback, then if you worked your entire life to hone and shape them, and then in college, you might be good enough to win the starting job. Then, hopefully you played well, and didn’t get hurt, and miraculously, you made it to the NFL Combine. Then, against all the odds, you were selected in the draft. None of that ever meant you’d start your position when the season began—or that you’d even be on a team during the opening game. Sam had jumped through every single hoop, but then Miami’s starting quarterback had decided he had a few years left in him, and so Sam, despite flashes of something that might be either brilliance or pure, foolhardy arrogance during the preseason, had spent the next sixteen games holding a clipboard on the sidelines"
"Personally, Heath thought with those comments, Sam was wearing out his welcome in Miami quickly, and had been surprised he hadn’t been traded yet"
"Sam’s smile had diminished but he still flashed it regardless. Cocky and arrogant had been Heath’s first and only impression of the quarterback, and so far that hadn’t quite held up. There was vulnerability hiding under all that bountiful confidence"
"Someday, Heath would stop stiffening at the question. Someday was not today, because it happened anyway. He told himself it was because he was already ill at ease with Sam Crawford right there and the grandiosity of the Flipper, but the truth was, he didn’t know what to say"
"Sam, with his wild blond model hair and all those straight white teeth he liked to flash in a never-ending parade of smiles, didn’t seem particularly sharp at first glance, but Heath would have to be a lot slower to miss the intelligence in those eyes"
Really, for this book to hold a four star plus rating on GR, it seems as if only ignoramuses are grading and reviewing those days.
"Should’ve bailed, Heath told himself, but then really, how bad could this be? Three days in the sun, cruising down towards the Keys. Someone else cooking for him, and champagne handed to him by waiters. Even if you added in fishing—possibly the most boring activity ever conceived—spending a couple of days on a luxury yacht was hardly going to suck"
"Sam inclined his head, a lock of his famous honey-blond hair falling over one blue eye. That hair was too damn long, full of too many damn highlights, way too damn fancy, too damn everything. A reminder that while they might work for the same organization, and hold the exact same job title, they were absolutely nothing alike. But even though Heath wanted to count that against Sam, he found himself thinking that was hardly a bad thing"
"A flash of clear frustration passed over Sam’s face. Heath didn’t want to understand how he felt, but it was impossible not to. If you were really goddamned lucky, you might possess all the necessary tools and skills to be a successful quarterback, then if you worked your entire life to hone and shape them, and then in college, you might be good enough to win the starting job. Then, hopefully you played well, and didn’t get hurt, and miraculously, you made it to the NFL Combine. Then, against all the odds, you were selected in the draft. None of that ever meant you’d start your position when the season began—or that you’d even be on a team during the opening game. Sam had jumped through every single hoop, but then Miami’s starting quarterback had decided he had a few years left in him, and so Sam, despite flashes of something that might be either brilliance or pure, foolhardy arrogance during the preseason, had spent the next sixteen games holding a clipboard on the sidelines"
"Personally, Heath thought with those comments, Sam was wearing out his welcome in Miami quickly, and had been surprised he hadn’t been traded yet"
"Sam’s smile had diminished but he still flashed it regardless. Cocky and arrogant had been Heath’s first and only impression of the quarterback, and so far that hadn’t quite held up. There was vulnerability hiding under all that bountiful confidence"
"Someday, Heath would stop stiffening at the question. Someday was not today, because it happened anyway. He told himself it was because he was already ill at ease with Sam Crawford right there and the grandiosity of the Flipper, but the truth was, he didn’t know what to say"
"Sam, with his wild blond model hair and all those straight white teeth he liked to flash in a never-ending parade of smiles, didn’t seem particularly sharp at first glance, but Heath would have to be a lot slower to miss the intelligence in those eyes"
Really, for this book to hold a four star plus rating on GR, it seems as if only ignoramuses are grading and reviewing those days.
January 16, 2022
I’m going to go ahead and say it: The Rivalry is quite possibly the most realistic m/m romance that I have ever read, and I have read a lot. Here I refer not to the romance itself (two quarterbacks getting it on, okay, sure, whatever), but to author Beth Bolden’s well-researched and realistic depictions of Heath’s journey with his sexuality. In a genre of books primarily written for and by people who (to be quite honest) often just don't get it, Bolden manages to stick out with a book that seems real to life. All I have to say is this: the mirror scene is something that I have never seen done in another queer book, yet it is something that I guarantee a good portion of queer people have done or have experienced in their lives. The book as a whole is a little angstier than I tend to like in my romances, but I am very eager to read more books by Bolden. Recommended for fans of sports (football) romances; people interested in stories of self-acceptance; people looking for nuanced and realistic takes on sexuality.
March 8, 2020
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
4.5 Stars
Spoiler-Free Review.
The Rivalry was my first taste of Beth Bolden. After reading this novel, as a new-to-me author, I'm more than curious to check out her backlist and see what more is in store in the future.
Two NFL quarterbacks from rival teams meet for the first time on a 3-day fishing excursion on a yacht. This is where it could have turned into enemies-to-lovers, but more a quickie friendship springs up, which develops into more. This shifts into a slight enemies-to-lovers premise, but is more miscommuncation and situational factors than anything.
The man in charge: Heath is super focused on his career, needing to be the best of the best. He struggles to let his guard down, as well as just relax and make buddies. He's always questioned his sexuality, due to a lack of interest, until he finally finds someone that throbs that spark.
Sam has been riding the bench an entire season, the backup QB, and he's looking to be traded in order to see some game time. He's naturally gifted, enjoys the sport, but doesn't take it too seriously. It's not life or death for him.
Heath and Sam are a good balance, both on an off the field. Without spoilers about the how/why/when the guys come back into each other's lives, it creates plenty of yummy tension, almost a slow-burn. Toss in the family and team dynamics, their names always being flashed in the spotlight, and the fear of coming out of the closet, The Rivalry was an engrossing read that I couldn't put down.
More than pleased I stuck it out, I'm not going to sugarcoat the beginning. I struggled. I actually contemplated DNFing for the first 10%. Nothing against the storyline itself. I feared the writing style wasn't to my taste.
The first page was Heath describing the Sun. Many descriptors, the sentences pretty much repeating what the previous one said, but using different words from the thesaurus.
As a man who grew up in Texas, currently lives in California, the waxing poetic about the Sun in Florida, the heat, the brightness, to a flowery purple prose degree, when this was a heart-hardened adult quarterback... Texas & California are SUNNY & HOT, not much differently than Florida, minus the suffocating humidity that wasn't described.
It wasn't the discrepancy, it was how uber focused, spending more than a page on "It's HOT." The descriptions were overboard, burying the story beneath. I understand setting a scene, trying to draw life to the surroundings, but for the first chapter or so, it was overpowering. This writing style eventually leveled out and this stopped shortly in the beginning, where the story became organic, so I was pleased I didn't get discouraged and called it quits.
I'd highly recommend The Rivalry to fans of MM Romance, particularly the sports subgenre. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
4.5 Stars
Spoiler-Free Review.
The Rivalry was my first taste of Beth Bolden. After reading this novel, as a new-to-me author, I'm more than curious to check out her backlist and see what more is in store in the future.
Two NFL quarterbacks from rival teams meet for the first time on a 3-day fishing excursion on a yacht. This is where it could have turned into enemies-to-lovers, but more a quickie friendship springs up, which develops into more. This shifts into a slight enemies-to-lovers premise, but is more miscommuncation and situational factors than anything.
The man in charge: Heath is super focused on his career, needing to be the best of the best. He struggles to let his guard down, as well as just relax and make buddies. He's always questioned his sexuality, due to a lack of interest, until he finally finds someone that throbs that spark.
Sam has been riding the bench an entire season, the backup QB, and he's looking to be traded in order to see some game time. He's naturally gifted, enjoys the sport, but doesn't take it too seriously. It's not life or death for him.
Heath and Sam are a good balance, both on an off the field. Without spoilers about the how/why/when the guys come back into each other's lives, it creates plenty of yummy tension, almost a slow-burn. Toss in the family and team dynamics, their names always being flashed in the spotlight, and the fear of coming out of the closet, The Rivalry was an engrossing read that I couldn't put down.
More than pleased I stuck it out, I'm not going to sugarcoat the beginning. I struggled. I actually contemplated DNFing for the first 10%. Nothing against the storyline itself. I feared the writing style wasn't to my taste.
The first page was Heath describing the Sun. Many descriptors, the sentences pretty much repeating what the previous one said, but using different words from the thesaurus.
As a man who grew up in Texas, currently lives in California, the waxing poetic about the Sun in Florida, the heat, the brightness, to a flowery purple prose degree, when this was a heart-hardened adult quarterback... Texas & California are SUNNY & HOT, not much differently than Florida, minus the suffocating humidity that wasn't described.
It wasn't the discrepancy, it was how uber focused, spending more than a page on "It's HOT." The descriptions were overboard, burying the story beneath. I understand setting a scene, trying to draw life to the surroundings, but for the first chapter or so, it was overpowering. This writing style eventually leveled out and this stopped shortly in the beginning, where the story became organic, so I was pleased I didn't get discouraged and called it quits.
I'd highly recommend The Rivalry to fans of MM Romance, particularly the sports subgenre. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
November 7, 2024
That gorgeous ending was not enough for this book to get top marks from me. I so wanted it to be written better, better decisions made. I wanted to love it, it had everything I'd want, from the back story to the drama. But the execution of it felt wrong.
Thoughts as reading. Maybe SPOILERS...
.
.
.
This is delicious so far. The beginning of the rivalry is so very well portrayed.....and then it all goes to sh*t.
Ooofff, a lot of wasted opportunity and energy. Why create all that tension and then just deflate it like that? They both act like robots, seriously bad chemistry and dare I say bad choices in writing.
Heath's toxicity drags on for so long. Way past most of the book and he still hasn't opened up.😕
Sam feels too weak. He let's Heath get away with everything and that doesn't feel good at all.
Another distraction is that they seem to never talk even though they hook up at Heath's house, they don't actually discuss thing. We get fragments of talk, sex, and then half talking in front of others or innuendos. And a whole lot of bad decisions.
The discussion back and forth is all wrong. There is never a clear cut follow through with all the build up, even when they speak, they speak in half riddles, I just can't follow the thought pattern and that makes for messy writing.
Thoughts as reading. Maybe SPOILERS...
.
.
.
This is delicious so far. The beginning of the rivalry is so very well portrayed.....and then it all goes to sh*t.
Ooofff, a lot of wasted opportunity and energy. Why create all that tension and then just deflate it like that? They both act like robots, seriously bad chemistry and dare I say bad choices in writing.
Heath's toxicity drags on for so long. Way past most of the book and he still hasn't opened up.😕
Sam feels too weak. He let's Heath get away with everything and that doesn't feel good at all.
Another distraction is that they seem to never talk even though they hook up at Heath's house, they don't actually discuss thing. We get fragments of talk, sex, and then half talking in front of others or innuendos. And a whole lot of bad decisions.
The discussion back and forth is all wrong. There is never a clear cut follow through with all the build up, even when they speak, they speak in half riddles, I just can't follow the thought pattern and that makes for messy writing.
March 15, 2020
This is my first Beth Bolden book and I really enjoyed it. Heath and Sam are really great together but it's not really an enemies-to-lovers story. It's more of a miscommunication rather than hatred. There were moments where I wanted to scream at them because they were both being idiots, especially Heath. Idiots in love.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. There's some amazing tension between them after their first meeting, delicious chemistry and steamy sex scenes. I'm a huge fan of sports romances and this one doesn't disappoint.
Loved the side characters, especially Heath's best friends, Bran and Frankie. Highly recommended to fans of rivals-to-lovers and sports romances!! And I'm looking forward to reading more books from the author.
*ARC provided by the author via Gay Book Promotions in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
I had a lot of fun reading this book. There's some amazing tension between them after their first meeting, delicious chemistry and steamy sex scenes. I'm a huge fan of sports romances and this one doesn't disappoint.
Loved the side characters, especially Heath's best friends, Bran and Frankie. Highly recommended to fans of rivals-to-lovers and sports romances!! And I'm looking forward to reading more books from the author.
*ARC provided by the author via Gay Book Promotions in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
July 21, 2023
i'm truly a fan of BB and i'm really glad that this book was not my first book of hers. I'm not sure if it's because my brain is shorting out or there is an actual lack of cohesiveness in this, her earlier writing style, but i definitely did not vibe with this book. And while this book is not my favourite anything by a long shot, i do appreciate that i can go through the backlist of one of my favourite comfort read authors and see the evolution of BB becoming just that, from her earlier work to current faves :)
May 22, 2022
I don’t think anything in a book has ever made me as irrationally happy as the mirror scene. Idk it made me feel very seen.
October 10, 2022
3.75 rounded up to a 4!
whilst a bit insta-lovey, this worked for me - especially with the angle on mental health that i think was ultimately handled quite well. i should probably go and write an English essay now shouldn’t I?
whilst a bit insta-lovey, this worked for me - especially with the angle on mental health that i think was ultimately handled quite well. i should probably go and write an English essay now shouldn’t I?
February 4, 2021
Hot. Complex Characters.
This was a hit on many levels. The hot attraction and first BJ. I thought a cute story. Then it went deeper. I felt the emotions of complex characters. I didn't want the story to end. I also appreciated a truly edited book so my reading was not interrupted by grammar and other such errors.
This was a hit on many levels. The hot attraction and first BJ. I thought a cute story. Then it went deeper. I felt the emotions of complex characters. I didn't want the story to end. I also appreciated a truly edited book so my reading was not interrupted by grammar and other such errors.
March 10, 2020
Sooooooo much telling. It was a storyline with potential, but it read like a newspaper report.
Want to read
September 16, 2024🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/30/2023)! 🎁
February 28, 2020
"I'm with you every day, one day at a time."
I've read several sports romances, but not many measure up to the epic love Heath and Sam share. Their journey wasn't easy: misunderstandings, rivalries, and fears threatened to derail their relationship before it got off the ground. Instead of giving up, Sam and Heath fought to stay together, and that made me love their happy ending even more.
Heath is a complicated character. To the outside world, he's a superstar quarterback: focused, determined, and unstoppable. In reality, he has a lot of issues that stem from his upbringing. He spends most of his life in "survival mode", doing everything he can to be the best and stay in control of his life. He's never had much luck dating women and hasn't been intensely attracted to anyone before. All of that changes when he meets Sam, a quarterback for a different team. Sam awakens something wild and unpredictable in Heath. As he says himself, "this is the first time I get why people do this. Why people want to do this all the damn time." Though Sam and Heath jump in bed together shortly after meeting, Heath struggles with what it means for him to be attracted to Sam. He can't stay away from Sam, can't deny their intense attraction, but ends up pushing Sam away anyway. Sam, on the other hand, has known he's gay for a long time. He's closeted, mostly because of what it would mean to be gay in the NFL. When he meets Heath, he's just gotten over a bad breakup. All he wants is to have a relationship where someone will put him first and consider his wants and needs.
Sam and Heath's initial fling is short, but everything changes when Sam is traded to Heath's team as the new backup quarterback. Heath initially resents Sam for what he represents: the truth that he isn't invincible and can't be a football player forever. However, he can't avoid Sam since he's supposed to be training him to be his replacement. Heath pushes Sam away at work and pulls him close in private in a dizzying back-and-forth. They're not exactly lovers, but certainly not just friends. Heath comes up with a list of rules to try to contain their relationship, but he and Sam's chemistry keeps creeping out during practice and in public. Because of Heath's fears, he doesn't open up to Sam and it leads to a lot of misunderstandings. There were times when I wanted to beg Heath to just talk to Sam because everything made sense to me, but to Sam it came across as uncaring or harsh.
A big focus of this story was Sam's and Heath's journey of self-discovery and personal growth. I'm glad Beth decided to go this route instead of making "coming-out" the biggest theme, because it added so much depth to the story. By the end of the book, Heath has worked through most of his fears and insecurities and Sam has gained discipline and confidence in his skills as a football player. Though Sam and Heath's relationship is a catalyst for change, I think it's important to clarify that each man's growth happens individually. No one can single-handedly save someone who doesn't want it, and we see that here. At the beginning, Heath doesn't think anything is wrong with his life, so he has no desire to make any changes. Meeting Sam makes him realize that things could be different, but he has to decide for himself to start on a path to actually being different. As one of his friends says, “You saved you, but Sam made you realize that your existence wasn’t exactly living.”
I loved getting to see Sam and Heath grow into themselves and fall in love with each other. As Sam says, "He’d wanted someone who stuck, who cared about him no matter what, who always had his back. Heath, despite all the odds being stacked against them, was sitting here, telling Sam that he was that guy. Promising to be that guy." In the end, Sam and Heath got exactly what they wanted and needed: "Someone he loved, who loved him in return, who would gladly walk across the screaming hot coals of public opinion, hand in hand."
** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I've read several sports romances, but not many measure up to the epic love Heath and Sam share. Their journey wasn't easy: misunderstandings, rivalries, and fears threatened to derail their relationship before it got off the ground. Instead of giving up, Sam and Heath fought to stay together, and that made me love their happy ending even more.
Heath is a complicated character. To the outside world, he's a superstar quarterback: focused, determined, and unstoppable. In reality, he has a lot of issues that stem from his upbringing. He spends most of his life in "survival mode", doing everything he can to be the best and stay in control of his life. He's never had much luck dating women and hasn't been intensely attracted to anyone before. All of that changes when he meets Sam, a quarterback for a different team. Sam awakens something wild and unpredictable in Heath. As he says himself, "this is the first time I get why people do this. Why people want to do this all the damn time." Though Sam and Heath jump in bed together shortly after meeting, Heath struggles with what it means for him to be attracted to Sam. He can't stay away from Sam, can't deny their intense attraction, but ends up pushing Sam away anyway. Sam, on the other hand, has known he's gay for a long time. He's closeted, mostly because of what it would mean to be gay in the NFL. When he meets Heath, he's just gotten over a bad breakup. All he wants is to have a relationship where someone will put him first and consider his wants and needs.
Sam and Heath's initial fling is short, but everything changes when Sam is traded to Heath's team as the new backup quarterback. Heath initially resents Sam for what he represents: the truth that he isn't invincible and can't be a football player forever. However, he can't avoid Sam since he's supposed to be training him to be his replacement. Heath pushes Sam away at work and pulls him close in private in a dizzying back-and-forth. They're not exactly lovers, but certainly not just friends. Heath comes up with a list of rules to try to contain their relationship, but he and Sam's chemistry keeps creeping out during practice and in public. Because of Heath's fears, he doesn't open up to Sam and it leads to a lot of misunderstandings. There were times when I wanted to beg Heath to just talk to Sam because everything made sense to me, but to Sam it came across as uncaring or harsh.
A big focus of this story was Sam's and Heath's journey of self-discovery and personal growth. I'm glad Beth decided to go this route instead of making "coming-out" the biggest theme, because it added so much depth to the story. By the end of the book, Heath has worked through most of his fears and insecurities and Sam has gained discipline and confidence in his skills as a football player. Though Sam and Heath's relationship is a catalyst for change, I think it's important to clarify that each man's growth happens individually. No one can single-handedly save someone who doesn't want it, and we see that here. At the beginning, Heath doesn't think anything is wrong with his life, so he has no desire to make any changes. Meeting Sam makes him realize that things could be different, but he has to decide for himself to start on a path to actually being different. As one of his friends says, “You saved you, but Sam made you realize that your existence wasn’t exactly living.”
I loved getting to see Sam and Heath grow into themselves and fall in love with each other. As Sam says, "He’d wanted someone who stuck, who cared about him no matter what, who always had his back. Heath, despite all the odds being stacked against them, was sitting here, telling Sam that he was that guy. Promising to be that guy." In the end, Sam and Heath got exactly what they wanted and needed: "Someone he loved, who loved him in return, who would gladly walk across the screaming hot coals of public opinion, hand in hand."
** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 10, 2023
Tropes: second chances, rivals to lovers, teammates
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 4/5
Kinks: no
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content themes: abusive alcoholic dad, mental health issues, demisexual
Heath is a NFL quarterback in his prime. He goes on a vacation and gets left on his own own because his friend's wife goes into labor. He meets rookie quarterback, who is a benchwarmer, Sam. Heath has always been bordering on asexual, but he is wildly attracted to Sam. They have a fling for a couple days then go back to their separate lives.
A couple months later Sam gets traded to Heath's team because he's the suffering from a shoulder weakness and his team needs a backup. He has to coach him. There's intense attraction and feelings develop because they both learn what kind of people they are and the goodness in them shines through. Despite Heath being standoffish and Sam being overly cocky and carefree.
Heath is a standoffish grump, completely focused on the game. It's revealed that he's like this because of how he was raised by his alcoholic abusive father. He is struggling with a lot of issues.
I really liked this book. The characters were compelling. I love a grump, and Heath was a very likeable grump. Sam wanted to love and be loved and he saw through Heath but he also was strong enough to not be a doormat to bad treatment and pushed for what he wanted. The tension was great, the feelings were strong. It was great payoff seeing them hide their relationship in plain sight and then come out. I like seeing Heath in therapy working on his issues, I think it was a realistic development.
Some notable moments:
"“I think she’d definitely go for me over Mark,” Heath threw out. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” Sam’s answer was one long offensive drawl. “Nobody likes an uptight prick.”"
"“I’m going to take your issues and . . .” Sam took a deep breath. “You know what? This isn’t getting us anywhere. It definitely isn’t getting me or you anything we actually want. Tonight, your room again, okay?” Silence."
"Wetness slid across Sam’s bicep and he was pretty sure that Heath was crying again, and Sam was pretty sure it wasn’t because it felt f****** amazing."
*FYI, I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink."
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 4/5
Kinks: no
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content themes: abusive alcoholic dad, mental health issues, demisexual
Heath is a NFL quarterback in his prime. He goes on a vacation and gets left on his own own because his friend's wife goes into labor. He meets rookie quarterback, who is a benchwarmer, Sam. Heath has always been bordering on asexual, but he is wildly attracted to Sam. They have a fling for a couple days then go back to their separate lives.
A couple months later Sam gets traded to Heath's team because he's the suffering from a shoulder weakness and his team needs a backup. He has to coach him. There's intense attraction and feelings develop because they both learn what kind of people they are and the goodness in them shines through. Despite Heath being standoffish and Sam being overly cocky and carefree.
Heath is a standoffish grump, completely focused on the game. It's revealed that he's like this because of how he was raised by his alcoholic abusive father. He is struggling with a lot of issues.
I really liked this book. The characters were compelling. I love a grump, and Heath was a very likeable grump. Sam wanted to love and be loved and he saw through Heath but he also was strong enough to not be a doormat to bad treatment and pushed for what he wanted. The tension was great, the feelings were strong. It was great payoff seeing them hide their relationship in plain sight and then come out. I like seeing Heath in therapy working on his issues, I think it was a realistic development.
Some notable moments:
"“I think she’d definitely go for me over Mark,” Heath threw out. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” Sam’s answer was one long offensive drawl. “Nobody likes an uptight prick.”"
"“I’m going to take your issues and . . .” Sam took a deep breath. “You know what? This isn’t getting us anywhere. It definitely isn’t getting me or you anything we actually want. Tonight, your room again, okay?” Silence."
"Wetness slid across Sam’s bicep and he was pretty sure that Heath was crying again, and Sam was pretty sure it wasn’t because it felt f****** amazing."
*FYI, I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2020
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
I am a huge Sports romance fan, and really enjoyed the direction which this one took. Some elements were familiar, but the way that they first meet was very clever.
Stuck alone on a fishing trip (even a very deluxe one) is not what Heath wanted at all, but then he finds another NFL QB from across the country on board - Sam. And suddenly he realises that he finds him attractive. After years of working hard to leave his unhappy home life, and finding that football was the key to his escape, he had never found any interest in dating, and had always only ever gone out with women. But here is a very manly man who makes his heart race. Confusing and yet the chemistry cannot be restrained, even if he refuses to verbalise it. Sam admits that he has had a distant crush on Heath for a long time, but holds back all his thoughts, as he doesn't get the feeling that Heath is really fully engaged. Little does he know that Heath is new to the whole situation.
This introduction to the men gives the reader some really interesting insights into their thoughts, their hangups and their issues. It sets the scene perfectly which then unfolds giving us a clear understanding of the title of the book.
Beth Bolden does a great job of setting it up so we want to believe it will work out, but at the same time there is a complicated journey to get there. It is wonderful to read of their progress and the fact that Heath in particular acknowledges that he needs to move past his childhood fears. He learns to trust that his first thoughts on Sam's importance to his life, back on the fishing trip were right.
I am a huge Sports romance fan, and really enjoyed the direction which this one took. Some elements were familiar, but the way that they first meet was very clever.
Stuck alone on a fishing trip (even a very deluxe one) is not what Heath wanted at all, but then he finds another NFL QB from across the country on board - Sam. And suddenly he realises that he finds him attractive. After years of working hard to leave his unhappy home life, and finding that football was the key to his escape, he had never found any interest in dating, and had always only ever gone out with women. But here is a very manly man who makes his heart race. Confusing and yet the chemistry cannot be restrained, even if he refuses to verbalise it. Sam admits that he has had a distant crush on Heath for a long time, but holds back all his thoughts, as he doesn't get the feeling that Heath is really fully engaged. Little does he know that Heath is new to the whole situation.
This introduction to the men gives the reader some really interesting insights into their thoughts, their hangups and their issues. It sets the scene perfectly which then unfolds giving us a clear understanding of the title of the book.
Beth Bolden does a great job of setting it up so we want to believe it will work out, but at the same time there is a complicated journey to get there. It is wonderful to read of their progress and the fact that Heath in particular acknowledges that he needs to move past his childhood fears. He learns to trust that his first thoughts on Sam's importance to his life, back on the fishing trip were right.
March 15, 2020
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is an exciting and emotional sports romance. It’s the story of two NFL athletes competing for the same position on the same team. It’s also the story of two men who can’t stop themselves from falling in love with each other.
This is a high angst, high drama read. Heath and Sam are addictive characters. When we first meet Sam, he is a reckless rookie. Heath is a disciplined veteran grappling with a potentially career ending injury. The men are opposites in almost every way - but the chemistry when they are together is electric. Add in the fact that they are closeted athletes under constant media scrutiny - and Heath’s dark childhood secrets - and this is a book full of emotional turmoil. Readers who love dramatic fallouts, exaggerated miscommunication and relationship drama will love this story. Readers who want understated realism need to look elsewhere.
I loved the characters and the relationships in this book. The detailed insider’s perspective on the lives of professional athletes is fascinating. The pacing is a little bit erratic with a few too many slow moments. For a sports romance, the focus is sometimes too much on the football at the expense of character and relationship development but this makes some sense with both characters being professional athletes. There is some heat in this story but the relationship feels sweet rather than sexy.
This is an exciting and emotional sports romance. It’s the story of two NFL athletes competing for the same position on the same team. It’s also the story of two men who can’t stop themselves from falling in love with each other.
This is a high angst, high drama read. Heath and Sam are addictive characters. When we first meet Sam, he is a reckless rookie. Heath is a disciplined veteran grappling with a potentially career ending injury. The men are opposites in almost every way - but the chemistry when they are together is electric. Add in the fact that they are closeted athletes under constant media scrutiny - and Heath’s dark childhood secrets - and this is a book full of emotional turmoil. Readers who love dramatic fallouts, exaggerated miscommunication and relationship drama will love this story. Readers who want understated realism need to look elsewhere.
I loved the characters and the relationships in this book. The detailed insider’s perspective on the lives of professional athletes is fascinating. The pacing is a little bit erratic with a few too many slow moments. For a sports romance, the focus is sometimes too much on the football at the expense of character and relationship development but this makes some sense with both characters being professional athletes. There is some heat in this story but the relationship feels sweet rather than sexy.
March 18, 2020
Review by: Jennifer
(3.5 stars)
Two closeted football players meet on a fishing trip. From there the secret they both hid ended up being shared with each other. Moments had and memories created, they both were aware that what they were sharing was only for the moment and never again. That is until they are both suddenly playing for the same team. Heath is less than thrilled that Sam is now suddenly his backup... or more to the point his replacement. Now Sam is there, in Heath's face, a reminder of what they shared and the feelings they each have. But will Heath risk his almost over career for Sam? Is Sam willing to risk his up and coming future for Heath?
I am so on the fence with this story. IMO this was such a slow read, I actually struggled for the first half of the book but I kept going and it picked up… a bit. Loads of football, and this being a football story that's not a bad thing, but it was almost too much football; I didn't feel Heath and Sam's chemistry at all. Too much push and pull for my taste. This did have a bit of drama, loads of football, and some ok naughty moments... not amazing, just great. I give this 3.5 stars.
(3.5 stars)
Two closeted football players meet on a fishing trip. From there the secret they both hid ended up being shared with each other. Moments had and memories created, they both were aware that what they were sharing was only for the moment and never again. That is until they are both suddenly playing for the same team. Heath is less than thrilled that Sam is now suddenly his backup... or more to the point his replacement. Now Sam is there, in Heath's face, a reminder of what they shared and the feelings they each have. But will Heath risk his almost over career for Sam? Is Sam willing to risk his up and coming future for Heath?
I am so on the fence with this story. IMO this was such a slow read, I actually struggled for the first half of the book but I kept going and it picked up… a bit. Loads of football, and this being a football story that's not a bad thing, but it was almost too much football; I didn't feel Heath and Sam's chemistry at all. Too much push and pull for my taste. This did have a bit of drama, loads of football, and some ok naughty moments... not amazing, just great. I give this 3.5 stars.
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