Tigers and Devils (Tigers and Devils #1)

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Tigers and Devils (Tigers and Devils #1)

by Sean Kennedy (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 3,168 ratings · 365 reviews

The most important things in Simon Murray’s life are football, friends, and film—in that order. His friends despair of him ever meeting someone, but despite his loneliness, Simon is cautious about looking for more. Then his best friends drag him to a party, where he barges into a football conversation and ends up defending the honour of star forward Declan Tyler—unaware th...more

ebook, 2nd Edition, 376 pages

Published August 31st 2012 by Not Avail (first published March 9th 2009)

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Apr 11, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nancy by: Lily

Shelves: e-books, lgbt, romance, sports, favorites

Declan Tyler is a famous, but closeted, football player. Simon Murray is a film festival director. These two very different men meet at a party that Simon is forced to attend by his best friend, Roger, and his wife, Fran. Declan and Simon hit it off instantly, but they are in for many difficult times ahead.

Because of Declan’s fame, both men have to deal with lots of media attention, which eventually casts a spotlight on Declan’s sexuality and creates problems for Declan and Simon, both within th...more

40 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2009 Lily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, m-m, challenge-books-2009, athletes, loved-it, free-arc-gifts-contest-wins, what-i-read-in-2009

I'm so glad I finally read Simon and Declan's story. I've had this book for a while now but for some reason kept passing it over to read other books. What a big mistake. This was a fabulous story that from page one to the very end had me totally hooked. Told in first person POV from Simon's perspective Tigers and Devils is an entertaining, funny and romantic story featuring two very appealing and likable men. Simon, who is a film festival organizer and Declan, an Australian Rules football player...more I'm so glad I finally read Simon and Declan's story. I've had this book for a while now but for some reason kept passing it over to read other books. What a big mistake. This was a fabulous story that from page one to the very end had me totally hooked. Told in first person POV from Simon's perspective Tigers and Devils is an entertaining, funny and romantic story featuring two very appealing and likable men. Simon, who is a film festival organizer and Declan, an Australian Rules football player meet at a party where Simon's friends Roger and Fran have dragged him to.

From that first meeting to the end of the story about two years later I was swept away right along with the protagonists through the ups and downs of their relationship. From the sweet moments when two people really start to get to know each other to the intimacy of an established couple, Sean Kennedy brings the characters to life on the pages of his book. Rich in character description and with love scenes that are a wonderful change from the usual erotic sex scenes found in most M/M romance books this is a wonderfully compelling story. The plot is well thought out and has a real and sensible feeling to it. At issue is dealing with a relationship where one of the partners is not just in the closet but is also a highly visible and very popular sports personality.

The many supporting characters found in the book are wonderful additions to the story. The couple's best friends, Roger and Fran, as well as Abe and Lisa, are well developed and interesting characters and along with Simon's coworker Nyssa help to define the protagonists as more than just romantic leads. The complexities of blending together firmly established friendships when two people fall in love and become a couple was also very well written. Another thing that was realistically handled was their relationship with their families. Simon is out to his family and that has caused his relationship with them to become a bit strained and Declan's family has no idea that he's gay. The interactions between the main characters, their friends and families plus a few others are realistic and bring added depth to this story.

Another thing that really made this a very entertaining story was the setting. I really enjoyed the author's descriptions of life in Melbourne, the love for the sport of Australian Rules football the people have and the expressions they use. It's always nice when I read a story set in another country and when the author is able to really bring it to life for me it's even better.

All in all this is a wonderful story. I loved Simon and Declan and they have taken a place on my favorite couples list. This is a book that I know I'll enjoy reading again. A definite 5 star keeper. (less)

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Oct 24, 2009 Jordan Price added it

I find it ironic that I just told someone two days ago, "There's nothing in the world I care less about than sports," and then I proceeded to get completely and utterly sucked into a book about a regular guy (okay, an arty wanker, which I can relate to) coping with the stresses of being involved with a hugely famous athlete.

I love this book. I'm sad it's over and I can't wait to read it again.

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 15, 2009 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was having quite a bit of trouble writing a review of this book mainly because I really, really loved Tigers and Devils. You would think that shouldn't be too much of a problem when writing a review, wouldn't you? After all, as long as you varied your superlatives, it should be easy to write about a book you loved. Well, not for me. Firstly I wanted to remain impartial and objective but that was rather difficult when there wasn't anything bad to say about the book (apart from one very tiny sli...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Heather C rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Heather C by: Marisa DaSilva

Shelves: contemporary-romance, ebook, m-m, read-2011, sports

This is one of those goofy-grin books. You know, one of those where you're glad no one else is in the room to see the silly smile on your face. Well, that's how this book was for me. I found myself giggling and the silliest moments. Simon and Declan were so sweet and cute together.

I loved the characters and the dialogue. And the relationships and interactions felt so real to me. I did get frustrated with the main characters a few times because they were so stubborn. But I think that's also what...more

10 likes · like · see review

Feb 09, 2013 Bev rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, total-keepers, feel-good, happy-ever-after, i-think-i-m-in-love, lots-of-giggles, in-the-closet, romance, really-good-friends, sean-kennedy, favorites

Simon and Declan

I absolutely adored this book, which details the ups and downs in the relationship between Simon, a prickly, cynical and extremely cautious film festival manager and Declan, an Aussie Rules footballer

, who is obviously in the closet, but all the things that Simon is not - warm, laid back, personable and rich (and totally hot to boot!). The relationship is fraught with problems as you would expect, and the superb way that the couple deal with everything that life throws at them...more

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May 07, 2013 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, everyone-else-loves-it, full-of-angst, m-m, romance, sports

I am again going to be in the lonely camp of those who didn't love this book.

I was really expecting to love it and for it to be another The Locker Room for me, but alas, it wasn't exactly to my tastes.

What did I like about this book? Many things, really. I liked when the guys were playful and affectionate towards each other. I craved the scenes when they showed some real feelings. I also liked it when Simon was flirty and snarky, but in a cute way. I also dug the idea of a jock and the out-of-s...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Ryan Loveless rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review of 1st ed: 6/14/12. A book might not be perfect, and there might be moments when you want to smack the characters, but the fact is, when you forgo bathroom breaks for 3 hrs because you don't want to stop reading and almost get hit by a car and can't sleep because you can't stop thinking about Simon and Declan, Fran and Roger, or Lisa and Abe to pay attention to the world you're in, you'd better give it five stars. And, at the end of the day, the characters smack themselves for you.

Review...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE.

Shelves: m-m, desert-island-keeper, favourites, amazing, 5-stars, awesome-couples, comfort-reads, on-kindle, to-buy-in-paperback, mm-seriously-adorable, smokin-hot-guys

This is the second time I read this book in only a few months, and it’s definitely not going to be the last. Tigers and Devils definitely ranks up in my top 2 favourite MM books. There are 376 pages in this book, and not one second you’ll be bored while reading them.

Let’s start out with the characters. If I could describe Simon, the main character, with only one word I would probably say likable. There are so many books where you just can’t connect with the main character because he’s a class 1...more This is the second time I read this book in only a few months, and it’s definitely not going to be the last. Tigers and Devils definitely ranks up in my top 2 favourite MM books. There are 376 pages in this book, and not one second you’ll be bored while reading them.

Let’s start out with the characters. If I could describe Simon, the main character, with only one word I would probably say likable. There are so many books where you just can’t connect with the main character because he’s a class 1 asshole, etc., but with Simon… just can’t not like him, in my opinion. Yes he makes mistakes and yes sometimes you won’t agree with his actions but you’ll never dislike him during this book. I’m just really glad that this book was written in his POV because it was a joy reading his thoughts. Not only that, but like I mentioned earlier, you can connect with him. He’s just a normal guy living his life like everyone else, going out with his friends, finding love, going to work, feeding his cat, etc. He’s witty and sarcastic and I love, love, looove his sense of humour.

Next, there was Declan Tyler, the love interest. Ahhh, Declan… I loved him! He’s a football player and in the closet. Him being in the closet was one of the main themes in this book. Going out with a closeted guy was hard for Simon, but at the same time he understood why Declan couldn’t just come out of the closet. And as a reader, you’ll understand as well. It is a struggle Declan has to deal with, but not on second you’ll doubt that he loves Simon. Him and Simon are so different one so many levels but they just work, you know? To be honest, I would like the have a Declan in my life as well… :)

I have to mention the secondary characters now, and more specifically Fran and Roger, Simon’s best friends. They’re a couple and they’re great. Honestly, I wouldn’t even mind having a spin-off book about them. They’re funny and they’re cute together and I understand why Simon loves them so much. Yes, Simon and Roger have a few arguments in this book (mainly caused by some things Roger says at the beginning of Simon and Declan's relationship), but I could never even get angry at Roger because I understood why he said those things; he was just looking out for Simon. Now, sometimes I did get a little bit annoyed because like Simon said, it was his life and not Roger's, but at the end of the day I still liked him a whole whole lot.

The humour was great in the book and often I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things the characters did or said. Tigers and Devils is just a great humourous (but still serious at times), sweet book. It’s my top comfort-read because you just can’t help feeling happy while reading it. Even the second time around I had this stupid sappy smile on my face basically the whole time and I couldn’t shake it off.

So don’t waste anymore time and go read it as soon as possible!
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Sep 09, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt-fiction, favorites

ootball, friends, and film are the most important parts of Simon Murray’s life, likely in that order. Despite being lonely, Simon is cautious about looking for more, and his best friends despair of him ever finding that special someone to share his life. Against his will, they drag him to a party…
From Dreamspinner Press.

This was the most addictive book to read. Written in first person, I found Simon’s story rather difficult to put down. At times he was a bit whiny and I did get a little over hi...more

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Heller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, sports

I love this book, it's been one of the most favorite sports M/M that I've ever read. This one is all about relationships: friends, family, lovers. It was the first MM story that I read that was sex-light and I loved that, sex was alluded to but it was fade to black for the details and that really worked for me. I adored the development of the relationship between Simon, an arty wanker, and Declan, a dumb jock. These two hit it off almost right from the start and they are definitely the case of o...more I love this book, it's been one of the most favorite sports M/M that I've ever read. This one is all about relationships: friends, family, lovers. It was the first MM story that I read that was sex-light and I loved that, sex was alluded to but it was fade to black for the details and that really worked for me. I adored the development of the relationship between Simon, an arty wanker, and Declan, a dumb jock. These two hit it off almost right from the start and they are definitely the case of opposites attracting. The problems start to arise when other people get involved. Declan is a well known athlete who isn't out to his family, his coaches, his teammates or the public.

This is at its core a coming out story. How to deal with the issues surrounding that when you're in the public eye and you're not in control of it and what happens around you and your relationship when when things just start to fall apart.

This story is held together by the narration of Simon Murray, the director of an independent film festival in Melburne, Australia and huge AFL (Australian Football League) fan. Simon is all kinds of snark. He is sarcastic and funny and cute but he's also insecure and stubborn. It's his humor that carries this story and, I think, really elevates it. Declan is an in the closet famous football player plagued by injures and who is playing for a team he doesn't want to be on. He is a kind, sweet, funny man who falls for Simon and is then outed in the most public, painful way.

Most of the fallout of this happens to Simon and at times it is difficult to read the things he's forced to endure. Neither of these men are perfect but they love each other and that just shines through these pages no matter what the issues they have to confront, they're a team.

This book has a fantastic story with rich secondary characters that I came to love. It's an Australian story so be prepared to be immersed in the language and culture, I had to look up a few things so that I could get the references but it really made me just fall into and enjoy the story that much more. I'd recommend this story to anyone who just loves a great story with strong, flawed characters. I'm really looking forward to the sequel. (less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-i-own, kindle-mm-read, sex-off-page, coming-out, honey-baby-sugar-pie-gag, friends-to-lovers, sports, lendle-loaned

4 stars

I really loved this book and wish I had read it faster rather than dragging it out over a week. I judge a lot of books by their covers so I wasn't sure what I was getting into. Once I started I gave myself a face palm for not reading it sooner.

I immediately fell in love with Simon. His personality, weird sense of humor, snarkiness, everything. I also loved his friends Roger (I always imagined he looked like Roger from Jersey Shore...mmmmm. Don't ask.) and Fran. Sometimes it seemed like th...more

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May 03, 2013 GymGuy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, m-m-sports

"Cinderello and the Prince"

In many ways, this is a re-telling of the "Cinderello" story. Not-so-handsome, Plain Paul goes to the Ball (only it's just a party) and meets the handsome Prince (only he's a stud Aussie Football player). The story is probably every gay guy's fantasy of falling in love with a Greek God--HE'S the one who ravishes you first--and living happily ever after.

However, there are some bumps along the way. Maybe after you meet him, you find out he's not quite perfect, and worse...more "Cinderello and the Prince"

In many ways, this is a re-telling of the "Cinderello" story. Not-so-handsome, Plain Paul goes to the Ball (only it's just a party) and meets the handsome Prince (only he's a stud Aussie Football player). The story is probably every gay guy's fantasy of falling in love with a Greek God--HE'S the one who ravishes you first--and living happily ever after.

However, there are some bumps along the way. Maybe after you meet him, you find out he's not quite perfect, and worse yet, you find out that you feel you're not worthy of such a match. You also have to learn not to just love him, which isn't very hard, but what is really hard is to learn to let your own fences down and trust him as much as you love him. And to do that you actually have to communicate.

These are the themes I found in "Tigers and Devils." There is good character development. Declan is a wonderful character. Solid, mature and up front. Simon is the drama queen. I don't like drama queens, so I have to be understanding about what I say about him. Not my favorite character, but nonetheless, he is a good contrast. Since this is written in first person, Simon's character being the POV, I really don't get to know Declan like I would have liked. The 'Ugly Step-sisters,' actually married-couple friends of Simon, are really pretty cool people. One is a real jerk at times, but they are fun to read about and actually are pretty well developed. There's a bad guy along the way and some other characters to entertain.

I would have given this an "A." Five Stars, dang it. But I just couldn't, for a couple of reasons. It's too long, way too long. While it doesn't ramble, it just seems to have far too much detail. Too many episodes that don't tell you much more than you already know. If it were 30-40% shorter, it would have been a really wonderful read. Editing is the problem here. Cut the excess. The other thing that really gripes me about books in this genre, is again the lack of good editing. GRAMMAR, PEOPLE!!! This book is LOADED with grammar errors--the kind that your mum should be correcting before you got to first grade, and your teacher should have corrected before you got to second. I ran out of fingers and toes 10 times over reading things like "between Declan and I." Maybe they speak this way in Aussieland, but I'll bet not.

Just can't give five stars to books with those kind of errors. Four stars. Fix the grammar, trim down to the essence, and we'll see next time.

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Oct 17, 2011 L-D rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, favorites, sports-athletes, romance, recommended-to-me, multiple-reads-would-read-again

I bought this book at the same time that I bought Amy Lane's book The Locker Room, and decided that they would be too similar to read back-to-back. Now I'm a little bit sorry I waited so long to read this book because I truly enjoyed it. Simon Murray is an "arty wanker" that is in charge of the Triple F - an independent film festival. Dragged to a party by his best friends Roger and Fran, Simon meets Declan Tyler, a star football player, while defending him to some fickle fans. Declan has been o...more I bought this book at the same time that I bought Amy Lane's book The Locker Room, and decided that they would be too similar to read back-to-back. Now I'm a little bit sorry I waited so long to read this book because I truly enjoyed it. Simon Murray is an "arty wanker" that is in charge of the Triple F - an independent film festival. Dragged to a party by his best friends Roger and Fran, Simon meets Declan Tyler, a star football player, while defending him to some fickle fans. Declan has been out for injuries for most of the season and as fair weather fans tend to do, they blame the team's losses on Declan's inability to play. Intrigued by the first man in ages who is not falling all over his feet, Declan pursues Simon and asks him out.

I loved both Simon and Declan. Simon is extremely self-deprecating, gruff, and a little caustic in his relationships with others. Fran and Roger, who have known him for ages, seem to be the only ones that have witnessed his sensitive side. He is also a touch insecure which is to be expected when no one, not even your closest friends, find it believable that a gorgeous football player is chatting you up. Declan is said gorgeous footy player who has never developed the arrogant or entitled attitude some famous and rich people tend to. He is extremely down to earth and has two very close friends of his own, Abe (the team captain) and Abe's girl, Lisa. While Declan and Simon are quite opposite from each other, their relationship seems to work well and develop nicely even though Declan is safely tucked into his closet and Simon is out and proud.

The biggest point of frustration for me in this book is the stubbornness of almost every character. There are a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunications, but no one seems to know how to swallow their pride and say sorry without turning a spat or a small bicker into a huge, drawn out fight. The first couple of times this happened I chalked it up to a book meeting its proscribed angst quota. But after this happened a half dozen more times, I was a little bit weary of it. There were more rejected calls, ignored texts, unreturned voicemails, and silent treatments in this book than in all the books I've read this year combined. Maybe ever.

Fran and Roger, as well as Abe and Lisa, play very large roles in this book. They are extremely loyal friends. At times, their over-protectiveness cause issues between Simon and Declan when they question whether or not it's fair for Simon to get shoved back in the closet to be with Declan. At the end of the day, however, it's clear that they only want what's best for their friends. The relationships between Simon and Declan and their friends are just as critical to this book as Simon and Declan's romance.

Two final notes:
1.) I barely noticed as I was reading the book, but the intimacy between Simon and Declan is never explicit. There are a few "fade to black" sexual moments, but the physical descriptions of any love-making are basically non-existent. The fact that this was not missed pays tribute to the fact that this book was engaging in other ways. Just a brief warning for those expecting mad, passionate love scenes.
2.) It actually took me quite a while, (okay, the whole book + some wikipedia listings) to figure out what Australian football is. I never pictured it as regular football because pads were never described and at some point Declan kicked a goal. So then I pictured it as soccer, with the European "football" nomenclature. But that was clearly wrong also because at another point the ball was "passed" via hands. So I finally gave in and did a quick search online to figure out what the heck I had been reading about for the last few hours. If you're not familiar with Australian rules football, do a quick Google before you read this book. It's very enlightening and will save some confusion while you read.

This book has made my favorites shelf and I strongly recommend it.(less)

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Sep 09, 2009 JenMcJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, mm-mmm-a-few-mmf-too

This felt like a very long book. It revolves around a film festival organizer and a football player...but it is set in Australia. Many of the terms were unfamiliar to me. I could figure many of them out, but the biggest one, the one that drives much of the angst and utterly stumped me was football. I am still not sure if Declan played soccer (football elsewhere in the world) or if Australian Football is that game that is sort of a cross between American football and rugby without pads. I still d...more

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May 09, 2012 Fani rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, athlete-actor-celebrity, in-the-closet, hero-i-cant-forgive, tension-free, not-my-cuppa, i-am-not-good-enough-for-you, forgettable, feel-good-romance

This book could be so much more, but instead turned more into a manual about "how difficult life can be for a gay athlete" than a true romance. Simon and Declan get into a relationship way too fast and with no background on what made Declan fall for Simon at all, as he's snurky, whinny and sarcastic but in a mean-spirited rather than fun way most of the time. Declan himself, is so perfect, he's almost a caricature, until he does something 20 pages before the end, that branded him as a huge a-hol...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Anthony rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. It was light but definitely had some underpinnings that hit upon what most couples go through which is a lack of communication. I think I would tend to agree with most reviewers that Declan was a much nicer character. I think the one thing I wanted from the story was it to be also told from Declan's narrative. Part of the story does hinge on Simon's inability to full comprehend that the "soccer God" Declan would be interested in him so it would have been nice to see Dec...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Veronica / V rated it 3 of 5 stars

My god these guys drove me crazy with how little they communicated. I was often frustrated by them but I couldn't stop liking them.
I also love that it takes place in Australia, I haven't had a chance to read many stories taking place in this beautiful country.
I'm so glad this story had a mix of high drama and comedy, because I would have given up otherwise, too much miscommunication and stubbornness.
While I did enjoy the book a lot, it was terrific, I found the story a bit too long.(Did it need...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Tj rated it 5 of 5 stars

Good solid story. The characters were well developed and were very easy to connect to. I loved the humor that was thrown in too. I always like characters that are able to poke fun of themselves and recognize their own faults. It was a warm and caring tale.

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Feb 20, 2013 Vivian Archer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013bingo, 2013az, romance-contemp

3.5 stars

Sports' story with heart and ache.

Simon is funny, laden with deficit relatives and skittish--in a manly way. Love his mouth. I like snark and sass and Simon is perfect. Antisocial except for when his job requires it, he's sort of given up on the dating scene. Here comes the great secondary characters and his best friends, Roger and Fran whom like all blissful couples are bent on hooking together other loose people.

Harassment to stop being a loser and get out, aka we want to go out and...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Adara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gangbang2010q4, favorites

Really, really excellent story. It takes place over the course of two plus years, and you get to see the relationship truly develop over time. And unlike a lot of stories, the men feel like men - I'm going to have to figure that's because a man wrote it, and you can tell. It felt like a real documentary instead of just a story.

I'm not sure if it'll have the re-readability that I usually require a story to have before I give it five stars, but it was just so good and so real that I can't not giv...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Jon O rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, romance, favorites

It has been such a long time since Simon has a partner. To make up for it, his time is spent on his job, dealing with film festival, as well as time for his best friends - Roger and his wife, Fran. Roger and Fran are aware of Simon's sexual orientation and accepts him for who he is. However, they are not so thrilled with his single status and hence, Simon is dragged to a party.[return][return]At the party, where everyone else seems to know everyone else, Simon meets the famous football player, D...more It has been such a long time since Simon has a partner. To make up for it, his time is spent on his job, dealing with film festival, as well as time for his best friends - Roger and his wife, Fran. Roger and Fran are aware of Simon's sexual orientation and accepts him for who he is. However, they are not so thrilled with his single status and hence, Simon is dragged to a party.[return][return]At the party, where everyone else seems to know everyone else, Simon meets the famous football player, Declan. It is a not a pleasant first meet. Simon defends Declan's ability in the football field, while calling Declan arrogant when Simon overhears a group of football fans criticizing Declan. Declan has been out of action due to a knee injury.[return][return]Since that night, Declan and Simon begin to keep in touch with one another. However, this is kept a secret as Declan is a national star, in closet. When Roger and Fran find out, they have been nothing but supportive friends (in awe of Declan). Simon gets to meet Declan's version of Roger-and-Fran best friends - Abe and Asian Lisa. Together, Simon and Declan the hardship of starting and maintaining a gay relationship, between an unknown gay and a gay superstar.[return][return]I have always been a big fan of beautiful gay love story. Until now, I have the greatest respect for Steve Kluger's Almost Like Being in Love. It is witty, funny and well-written. I have often wondered when I would be able to come across another gay novel that would make me fall in love with the art of story-telling, like Steve Kluger's fine work. I found it eventually, when I picked up Sean Kennedy's Tigers and Devils.[return][return]Okay. I am shallow. I did not even think highly of the book title. On the first page itself, it is already giving the warning sign that I may not favor this book. It talks about football. Me? Football? Oh boy.. so I thought.[return][return]However, as the storyline progressed, I was drawn into the characters. I cared for Simon. I cared for Declan. I even read slower to find the witty remarks between Fran, Roger and Simon. The conversation was divinely pleasing that I had to slow down my reading just to enjoy each and every punch line I could find. Throw in Abe and Lisa, and I was more in love with this book than a mere loving thoughts for Simon and Declan.[return][return]I love how Sean Kennedy is able to portray well the situation one would think of, and even not think of, when a non-jock guy dates a jock - an unknown guy in love with a famous national player. I mean, questions like - what does he see in me when he can date any supermodel? Will this be a fling? How long can this last? What is it in me that is interesting for him to be attracted to me?[return][return]In fact, the coming-out process was dealt well when even more insights were provided to the expected pressure for someone like Simon to blend in with the Wives and Girlfriends (WAGs) as well as the unwelcome attention of the nation on his relationship with Declan. A moment there, I thought I was catching a glimpse of the lives of Britney Spears, Zac Efron, Megan Fox and the stars of Gossip Girls for all the negative remarks of how a common him in the world of celebrities. And how he was the inferior half of the media darling couple.[return][return]You know what.. Almost to the end of the book, I had my eyes in tears. It was touching. And I have to thank Sean Kennedy for ending the book in a beautiful note and not to write another tragic love story for the gay community. Kudos. I am over the moon with this great gay story book.[return][return]This gay novel is highly recommended. [return][return]http://e-gayspot.blogspot.com (less)

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May 08, 2013 Alex Alden rated it 5 of 5 stars

I resisted reading this book for so long: not only was it centered on sports, but it was centered on *football*. I hate football. I *really* hate football. I *really* liked this book despite that.

I have to admit I was thrown a bit when I realized it was Australian; I really don't know a lot of the lingo, but it wasn't heavy handed in its use, so I managed to piece things together without an Australian-American translation dictionary.

Often when characters are written loving someone despite them b...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Patois rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review was previously posted at All About Romance: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...

Grade: A
Sensuality: Warm

When I was growing up my dad was an avid Green Bay Packers football fan as well as a University of Nebraska Cornhusker football fan. (Go Big Red!) What this meant is on most Saturdays in the fall we’d go to a game, and on Sundays we’d watch one on television.

All of this was great preparation for Kennedy’s wonderful Tigers and Devils even though I’d never heard of Australian f...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Mel Bradley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Author: Sean Kennedy
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Word/Page Count: 376 pages epub
Published: March 2009, August 2012

I must confess that I read both books in this series, out of order! Usually that means I can never go back, but I loved the second book so much that I thought I’d give the first book (Tigers and Devils) a go. And it didn’t disappoint! Even with knowing how the story progressed, it was a completely different story and held its own nicely.

This is the love story of two unlikely and oppo...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/

Sean Kennedy weaves us an interesting story of love and romance full of surprises that will both have you crying and surely make you laugh. At any given moment you find yourself wishing you could actually reach out and pull Simon or Declan into a heartwarming hug, then within the blink of an eye you’ll want to slap them or kick some sense into one or both of them.

It would seem I might gravitate toward the stories that have the importance of open, honest com...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Charly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Real characters and an in-depth look at their relationship

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 8/10

PROS:
- The story covers not just the initial “meet and fall for each other” phase of Declan and Simon’s relationship; it covers a period of approximately two years, with the highs, the lows, and everything in between. As a result, the relationship really seems like it’s a long-term fixture when the story ends.
- Simon’s narrative voice is easy to follow, wi...more Real characters and an in-depth look at their relationship

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 8/10

PROS:
- The story covers not just the initial “meet and fall for each other” phase of Declan and Simon’s relationship; it covers a period of approximately two years, with the highs, the lows, and everything in between. As a result, the relationship really seems like it’s a long-term fixture when the story ends.
- Simon’s narrative voice is easy to follow, with a conversational tone that flows smoothly. He relates things matter-of-factly, and he drops little asides in that made me smile, like this: “You’re probably wondering why this is all important. I’m trying to give you a little background information about myself before we get to the meat of this story.”
- The dialogue is natural-sounding, funny but not overly clever. The characters make plenty of humorous and/or meaningful comments, but they aren’t back-to-back-to-back. They occur periodically throughout the course of normal conversations.
- I liked reading a story set in Australia because I’m not familiar with the country, nor are many books in this genre set there.

CONS:
- I found large sections of the book to be quite a downer. The book shows both the highs and the lows of the men’s relationship; however, more often than not, we see a wonderful scene the two men share but are then left with the sadness of their having to separate again, or deal with homophobia, or keep their relationship a secret. Simon even says at one point, “And that was how it was for us. Ups and downs. Sometimes more downs than ups.”
- I know very little about Australian Rules Football, so some of the discussions about the game and the league--particular plays, where the teams are from, who’s rivals with whom, etc.--lost me. To be fair, though, Kennedy keeps such sections of the story to a minimum.

Overall comments: I think this is a great story, and I’m glad I read it. Kennedy’s a good writer, and the book has a lot more depth than many m/m stories have. I doubt I’ll ever read it again, though, because even though it ends happily, I was left with, as Simon says, “a somewhat bittersweet feeling. Perhaps slightly more bitter than sweet.”(less)

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Jul 13, 2012 Camille rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-rom-erotica, male-1stp-pov-romance

Way too damn angsty for my part. Plus, I didn't exactly agree with all the blame being heaped at the main character, Simon's, feet. Added to which, a little bit too much snark, emotional reticence and prolonged negativity for me to enjoy this title. There were too many times that I just wanted to chuck it but I prevailed just because, which never bodes well. And would you believe, by the end I was still as disgruntled. Yeah, big surprise there. Too little pay off for too much angst.

I could hard...more

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May 21, 2012 Sunne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Basics first: The book itself has about 7600 locations on kindle - so it really is a book, not just a novella.

I have to admit - I have no clue about Australian football and will never have but still I was able to enjoy the book. It is a story about two very different characters, the closted sport star and the openly gay "arty wanker". Both guys are described in an troughout way that you just have to get them - the way they are thinking, feeling and living their lifes.

Especially Simon is a very c...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Push through the slow beginning on this book because it gets better. I almost quit reading several times, but at some point I got caught up in the story. Before I knew it, it was 3 a.m. and I still couldn't stop reading 'cause I had to know the end.

I liked a lot of the plot elements - particularly how the author works out what would happen to the closested pro athlete if he's outed. I liked that it was shown how the 'outing' would be difficult for both men, even the one who was out already. I wa...more Push through the slow beginning on this book because it gets better. I almost quit reading several times, but at some point I got caught up in the story. Before I knew it, it was 3 a.m. and I still couldn't stop reading 'cause I had to know the end.

I liked a lot of the plot elements - particularly how the author works out what would happen to the closested pro athlete if he's outed. I liked that it was shown how the 'outing' would be difficult for both men, even the one who was out already. I was happy the author didn't end the book with Declan being outed and the two guys deciding they'll Iive HEA regardless of what the world thinks. The author shows them battling through some of these challenges (both internal and external) and making it to the other side. I teared up several times when the going got tough for them.

I think what I liked most is it showed relationships take work. They take admitting you're wrong sometimes. They take doing things you don't necessarily want to do. And the characters, esp. Simon, had those realizations - eventually. I think some reviewers quibbled with this book's length, but it wasn't a problem for me because we saw the guys struggling through new situations. They weren't just immediately moving in the direction they needed to go just to move the plot along. By the end, I could believe they would make it because they'd already made it so far.

There were some faults with this book that kept me from rating it higher. The first chapter should have been cut - it's an info dump of Australian football facts and Simon's coming out story. Book easily could have been started at chapter 2 and the pertinent background filtered in later. The initial meeting between Simon and Declan, which spurs their relationship, is a little weak. And much of the dialogue is rather stilted.

Two other factors that are more personal preferences: the story is presented entirely from Simon's pov in first person. I prefer books that show me both main characters' perspectives. Also, the sex is far from graphic. You'll get kissing, cuddling and some jacking/frottage. But the rest of the sex is implied. I like it to be explcit :) (less)

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About Sean Kennedy

Sean Kennedy was born in 1975 in Melbourne, Australia, but currently lives in the second most isolated city in the world (although there still seems to be conjecture over whether it is actually number one). Living in such deprived circumstances can only affect his writing, which is published by Dreamspinner Press.

More about Sean Kennedy...

Books by Sean Kennedy

One Less Stiff at the Funeral (Petit Morts #8)

Just Like Florence Nightingale (Tigers & Devils)

The first supper (Tigers and Devils #1.1)

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Quotes from Tigers and Devils

“When single you are,” Roger said, imitating Yoda dispensing advice to Luke, “get laid you can. When married you get, make love you do.” — 20 people liked it

“So what are you going to wear?”
I looked at her, wondering if she thought I had suddenly grown a vagina in the past five minutes. “Clothes.” — 14 people liked it

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Tigers and Devils (Tigers and Devils #1)

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