Kyle: I’m confident that with hard work, my position as point guard can carry me from rural Indiana to the NBA. I also know I’m attracted to guys, but admitting it might disappoint my father, who is all I have in this world. I have big dreams, so I’ll stay in the closet. As long as my life remains scandal-free, I have a shot.
Micah: My large family can’t spare the money to help with my education, but that won’t stop me from studying medicine. I needed to get out of the house I was sharing with my ex before I went insane. Luckily, I heard about a guy looking for a roommate. Living with a straight jock won’t be easy, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take.
Let me just start off my saying reading has been rough for me for almost a year. I love reading, I am a reader and a hopeless romantic but reading and me weren’t getting along. I honestly thought that I lost my love for it but I was determined to find my mojo again. This book, in a time where I couldn’t read… I read it in a day.
Yeah.
Now, I will confess to being a big fan of this author’s work and her Sunshine and Happiness series is one of my favorites. Add in the fact that this would be a favorite trope of mine with the jock and the smart boy and then add in the angst of a closeted athlete… I was sold before I even opened the book.
But then I opened it and met Kyle.
The hardest part of my life was letting go of what “normal” is.
Where do I begin with Kyle? I loved him for so many reasons; his athleticism, his dedication to the sport, training and nutrition needed to be a top basketball player at Harrison University, his faithfulness to his team and to his father. Kyle is the epitome of the all American Jock but he’s hiding something. When his roommate Jason Keller has to move out of the dorm and leave college because his girlfriend is pregnant, he suggests Kyle room with Micah, the team’s trainer assistant. Kyle knows Micah is gay and has a boyfriend but is worried Micah could catch on to Kyle’s heavily guarded secret. Also, Kyle thinks Micah is cute so…
Micah just needs the heck out of his living situation that includes his ex and his new boyfriend. Leaving a crappy relationship and being able to nail all his classes as well as holding down two jobs makes for one busy Pre-Med Micah. So when his phone lights up with a call from well-known basketball player who is totally eye candy and offering a place to live, Micah can’t refuse.
I adored these two together. This is totally a romance but it’s also a tale of two young men finding themselves and coming to terms with their fears and wants. Both boys have baggage and both boys need to learn how to trust and let go. For Kyle, it’s trusting his sexuality and that coming out will be okay and for Micah, it’s trusting his feelings and that love won’t always hurt him. They are perfect for one another and their chemistry burns the pages from day one. But while the chemistry is hot and the UST is insane, this truly is a slow burn romance letting the boys become friends and find their way to one another through friendship. Had they not been such good friends, things would have gone a completely different way with the whole Kyle scrubs deal. Just saying.
How many times had I watched him in silence, wanting him? And now I could reach for him and it was real. But I cautioned myself. It was also temporary.
Goodness but this was so sweet to read. The way the young men realize that what they thought was the end all be all of their existence pales in comparison to what it means to truly love and be a partner to someone. Even though Kyle is closeted through most of the book and their relationship is kept secret, I liked that it was Kyle that had the biggest issue with it and that Micah was there for him without resentment or reservation. Sure, they both had moments where they wanted to be out and affectionate in public but the respect they had for one another was beautiful to witness.
There is a good amount of sex in this and the way it’s all explored made for a hot read. You can’t have intimacy without trust and you can’t have mind blowing sex without respect and Kyle and Micah had loads of it while they learned each other’s bodies. I am so on board with what Kyle loves having Micah do and I think Micah may be one of the best at it I’ve ever read.
It seems I have not lost my ability to ramble so I am going to wrap this up.
This was a college aged sports romance that gives just enough sports to know how important it is to Kyle but really delivers on the romance between two friends who turn into lovers… this was so good.
A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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