The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

Blitz (Railer’s Legacy 2)
By R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey
Published by Love Lane Books, 2025
Five stars

I can’t imagine why sports-themed romance appeals to me so much, not being remotely a sporty person. I suspect it has to do with the authors who have focused on this sub-genre of romance—because they are so good at building stories around sports

In this instance, we have TWO sports involved, in the persons of Trick Harrington, a twenty-five-year-old hockey hotshot, and Tom Fulkowski, an elderly (thirty-two!) football star in his last season before retirement. Trick is newly assigned to the Harrisburg Railers, having gotten traded on purpose by emphasizing a negative character on and off the ice. Tom, on the other hand, is a much-beloved veteran, on top of being star muscle for the Philadelphia Pumas.

Trick is paired with Tom for a massive publicity campaign for a sports nutritional drink, hoping to expand the brand beyond pro athletes into the game-watching audience. Trick sees Tom as a big dumb jock, and is jealous of his open, friendly nature. Tom sees Trick as a troubled young man whose nasty demeanor hides some sort of profound pain.

Ironically, what binds them together is that both men are deep in the closet. Trick is on the run—but still under the thumb—of his powerful televangelist father, Pastor Cole Harrington. Tom is biding his time, waiting to come out until he retires after one more chance at the Super Bowl. His reason is mostly because of the innate homophobia he sees in the world of professional football.

The surprise (of a sort) is that Trick and Tom find in each other the answer to prayers they didn’t know they had. It takes these two talented authors’ skills to weave a narrative that is both plausible and emotionally authentic. I may not automatically care about professional jocks, but I cared about these two guys and was rooting for them from the start.