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Scrambling
LGBT Contemporary
Evan McAdams has two constants in his life--football and his friendship with Reed Matthews. From the age of six, Evan's played football alongside Reed. In his teens, he realized he was gay and loved Reed, but fear kept him from confiding his deepest emotions to his best friend.
When he and Reed are drafted to the L.A. Stars, Evan decides to come out. His decision impacts Reed who's been in the closet too. The two men struggle with secrets of unrequited love while facing the world as the first two openly gay NFL players.
When injury forces Evan to retire, the love he bears Reed can no longer be hidden. But will Reed be able to reciprocate, or will Evan lose both football and the man he's always loved?
This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find male/male sexual practices.
Evan McAdams has two constants in his life--football and his friendship with Reed Matthews. From the age of six, Evan's played football alongside Reed. In his teens, he realized he was gay and loved Reed, but fear kept him from confiding his deepest emotions to his best friend.
When he and Reed are drafted to the L.A. Stars, Evan decides to come out. His decision impacts Reed who's been in the closet too. The two men struggle with secrets of unrequited love while facing the world as the first two openly gay NFL players.
When injury forces Evan to retire, the love he bears Reed can no longer be hidden. But will Reed be able to reciprocate, or will Evan lose both football and the man he's always loved?
This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find male/male sexual practices.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2012
3 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Lex Valentine
83 books198 followersAward-winning author Lex Valentine writes across genres from contemporary to urban fantasy but mostly M/M these days. A native of California, Lex lives in Orange County, with her husband Rott and a bunch of cats she collectively calls “babies.” She's a 17 year employee of a 100+ year old cemetery, builds her own computers and is generally considered the IT geek at work and to her family and friends.
A member of the Romance Writers of America, Lex is active in her local Orange County chapter and is a past treasurer for PASIC. Her publishers include Loose Id, Ellora's Cave, and MLR Press. She's the author of the self-published ARe and Amazon best selling series Souls in Bondage.
Lex loves to hear from her readers. Her door is always open at lex@lexvalentine.com or on her personal or author Facebook pages.
Website: http://lexvalentine.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/lexvalentineauthor
Facebook: http://facebook.com/cemeterywinter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lexvalentine
A member of the Romance Writers of America, Lex is active in her local Orange County chapter and is a past treasurer for PASIC. Her publishers include Loose Id, Ellora's Cave, and MLR Press. She's the author of the self-published ARe and Amazon best selling series Souls in Bondage.
Lex loves to hear from her readers. Her door is always open at lex@lexvalentine.com or on her personal or author Facebook pages.
Website: http://lexvalentine.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/lexvalentineauthor
Facebook: http://facebook.com/cemeterywinter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lexvalentine
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 5, 2013
A life-long friendship, unrequited love, gorgeous and out NFL players, injury, illness, heartbreak, happy ending...what's not to love!
This was the type of book I was just in the mood for with lots of emotional ups and downs. One of those books where you just want to shake the characters and shout "Just tell him how you feel!".
Evan has been in love with Reed ever since he was old enough to know what love is. As they move to college, before Evan can admit to his feelings, Reed let's him know that he's gay and has met someone. This is the start of a long term (albeit largely unhappy) relationship for Reed and prevents Evan from telling Reed how he feels.
Although both men have strong feelings for each other, fate conspires to make sure that the time is never right for them to come clean with each other. They are either in a relationship or think the other is, need to act a certain way because of the press or are just plain worried about ruining their friendship. Frustrating! But as the story evolves the decisions made by the men so seem to make some sort of sense.
Reed's relationship is hugely complicated and guilt and media worried keep him with a man who has betrayed him. Evan makes career decisions that take him away from Reed. Thank goodness for the morphine that finally gets the tongue loose enough to talk about the real heart-felt emotional stuff!
I now publish all my m/m reviews on my blog so if you want to see all my m/m reviews in one place come visit at Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
This was the type of book I was just in the mood for with lots of emotional ups and downs. One of those books where you just want to shake the characters and shout "Just tell him how you feel!".
Evan has been in love with Reed ever since he was old enough to know what love is. As they move to college, before Evan can admit to his feelings, Reed let's him know that he's gay and has met someone. This is the start of a long term (albeit largely unhappy) relationship for Reed and prevents Evan from telling Reed how he feels.
Although both men have strong feelings for each other, fate conspires to make sure that the time is never right for them to come clean with each other. They are either in a relationship or think the other is, need to act a certain way because of the press or are just plain worried about ruining their friendship. Frustrating! But as the story evolves the decisions made by the men so seem to make some sort of sense.
Reed's relationship is hugely complicated and guilt and media worried keep him with a man who has betrayed him. Evan makes career decisions that take him away from Reed. Thank goodness for the morphine that finally gets the tongue loose enough to talk about the real heart-felt emotional stuff!
I now publish all my m/m reviews on my blog so if you want to see all my m/m reviews in one place come visit at Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
October 15, 2012
I really liked Evan and Reed. They were both very likeable guys who’d adored each other since they were 6 years old. They were best friends from the day the met on their Pee-Wee football team, and stood by each other through thick and thin. Their issues began when they each realized they were gay (at 15 and 16) and were so afraid of losing their friendship that they hid their feelings from the other. Unfortunately, it took them from 16 to 29 years of age before they were finally able to be a couple, with no secrets between them. It was a hard fought 13 years. Both ended up in dead end relationships. Both suffered needlessly because of fear. Both suffered unnecessarily.
But honestly, I loved the angst. I love when “love’ doesn’t come too easy. They never doubted the love they had for the other; they just didn’t realize they both harbored “that” kind of love, the “in-love” love. They also had the input of friends and co-workers who “advised” them to keep it to themselves. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and hope for the best. But, had they done that, there would not be a story.
Reed and Evan were the first openly gay men in the NFL. In addition to dealing with what they both considered unrequited love from the other, they had to handle the upheaval they caused by being true to themselves by being “out” in a very heterosexual, testosterone laced sport. It was not easy.
Besides the fact that their romance didn’t truly begin until they were 29, this story reminded me a lot of The Locker Room. Both were best friends since they were kids and both were successful athletes who made in to the Pro’s on the same team. And both were really awesome guys who always looked out for the other.
Evan was my favorite. He was like a huge teddy bear…and being 6’6” tall and 290 pounds that was not too far from the truth. He dropped everything and everyone anytime Reed needed him. How Reed didn’t know that Evan was in love with him amazed me. And Reed was a sweetheart. He was also a big guy, 6’4” tall and 250 pounds. I swear my dirty mind was in heaven picturing these two guys together. And when they did have sex, it was HOT…they truly are meant for each other.
But honestly, I loved the angst. I love when “love’ doesn’t come too easy. They never doubted the love they had for the other; they just didn’t realize they both harbored “that” kind of love, the “in-love” love. They also had the input of friends and co-workers who “advised” them to keep it to themselves. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and hope for the best. But, had they done that, there would not be a story.
Reed and Evan were the first openly gay men in the NFL. In addition to dealing with what they both considered unrequited love from the other, they had to handle the upheaval they caused by being true to themselves by being “out” in a very heterosexual, testosterone laced sport. It was not easy.
Besides the fact that their romance didn’t truly begin until they were 29, this story reminded me a lot of The Locker Room. Both were best friends since they were kids and both were successful athletes who made in to the Pro’s on the same team. And both were really awesome guys who always looked out for the other.
Evan was my favorite. He was like a huge teddy bear…and being 6’6” tall and 290 pounds that was not too far from the truth. He dropped everything and everyone anytime Reed needed him. How Reed didn’t know that Evan was in love with him amazed me. And Reed was a sweetheart. He was also a big guy, 6’4” tall and 250 pounds. I swear my dirty mind was in heaven picturing these two guys together. And when they did have sex, it was HOT…they truly are meant for each other.
October 5, 2012
I loved the idea of a book about the first 2 out players in the NFL. Sports stories are a favorite genre of mine. So....I had a couple of problems with this story. I spent most of my time while reading this book wanting to smack the two main characters upside the head (repeatedly) for being stupid and/or cowardly with each other. Reed and Evan are good guys in and of themselves but another character never makes an appearence at all, and most of the others are pretty one dimensional. Other than one team owner and the PR rep for the football team the guys play for, everyone else barely registered. The epilogue was actually my favorite chapter in the whole book. I didn't find any errors or major inconsistancies and the story was well written **shrug** The characters just didn't work for me.
September 30, 2012
This was an okay story.
For 'best friends' who knew each other inside out,, the amount of time it took for them to get their heads out of their butts and admit their feelings for each other, when every man and his dog knew they loved each other became a little too drawn out.
For 'best friends' who knew each other inside out,, the amount of time it took for them to get their heads out of their butts and admit their feelings for each other, when every man and his dog knew they loved each other became a little too drawn out.
September 27, 2012
Love gay athlete stories. The angst which seemed a bit heavy at times worked itself out in the end. Just wish real life would imitate fiction and gay athletes come out. Thanks Lex for a great story.
March 22, 2015
Review can be found at The Armchair Reader
This site is down. Here is the review.
Lex Valentine has written a book that is kind of a fantasy – at least it is today. Her story is about the first two players in the NFL to come out while playing. In this scenario, the players actually come out after they are drafted and before the first game of the season.
Evan and Reed have been best friends since they were six years old. Evan realizes he is gay when he is 16 and he comes out to his family. They are not surprised and completely supportive. However, he does not come out to his best friend based on some perhaps misguided advice. Evan can’t stand the thought of his best friend rejecting him, so he keeps his feelings to himself thinking that he will tell him when the time is right. Evan thinks the time is right when they go off to college. While Reed does not reject him and confesses that he too is gay, there are reasons why they cannot be together and Evan is devastated.
Though college they continue to play football (Evan is the center and Reed is the QB) and keep their sexuality a secret. However, this takes a toll on them and when they are drafted by the same new LA expansion team, Evan wants to come out of the closet and Reed finally agrees. They enlist the aid of the head Marketing person for the team and she determines the best way to help them spin the story and make it a positive PR coup for the team and for Evan and Reed.
While they are definitely out and become role models and PR shills for the team, both men feel like they are still not free to just live their lives. They must conduct themselves beyond reproach at all times. Their relationships are scrutinized and they feel at times that they are living in a glass bowl. Reed’s personal relationships suffer quite a bit as a result of his choice of career and lead to some pretty dire consequences.
There are a several twists and turns to the story that I don’t want to reveal here as I think they will spoil the story for readers, but suffice to say that these men have a very hard time communicating with each other. Neither is honest about his feeling for the other. It turns out that Reed has been in love with Evan for as long as Evan has been in love with Reed and he too has been driven by fear of rejection. But a crisis sends them into each other’s arms and bed one night that then leads to guilt and a declaration by Reed that once again causes Evan to back off and distance himself. They have spent a lifetime protecting themselves against the possible pain of losing the other’s friendship so they continue to act as if nothing has changed in their relationship.
Finally after years of separation and career ending injuries, Evan and Reed are at last in a place to begin to possibly start building a life together. But they continue to have difficulty being honest about their feelings unless there are heavy doses of pain medication involved. Evan’s family gets involved, but even with that intervention, they nearly ruin their chance at happiness.
I enjoyed this story overall, but I must say that I got very frustrated with both men at times. Neither was willing to take a chance for so long and I really became worried that they were going to miss the boat entirely. Their whole lives had been built around football and only when that career was over did they truly have the freedom to pursue their relationship and a real life. I hope we when a professional athlete in the big 4 (football, baseball, basketball and hockey) does come out while still an active player that things will be easier than they were for the men in this story. And I hope we don’t have to wait another 20 years.
This site is down. Here is the review.
Lex Valentine has written a book that is kind of a fantasy – at least it is today. Her story is about the first two players in the NFL to come out while playing. In this scenario, the players actually come out after they are drafted and before the first game of the season.
Evan and Reed have been best friends since they were six years old. Evan realizes he is gay when he is 16 and he comes out to his family. They are not surprised and completely supportive. However, he does not come out to his best friend based on some perhaps misguided advice. Evan can’t stand the thought of his best friend rejecting him, so he keeps his feelings to himself thinking that he will tell him when the time is right. Evan thinks the time is right when they go off to college. While Reed does not reject him and confesses that he too is gay, there are reasons why they cannot be together and Evan is devastated.
Though college they continue to play football (Evan is the center and Reed is the QB) and keep their sexuality a secret. However, this takes a toll on them and when they are drafted by the same new LA expansion team, Evan wants to come out of the closet and Reed finally agrees. They enlist the aid of the head Marketing person for the team and she determines the best way to help them spin the story and make it a positive PR coup for the team and for Evan and Reed.
While they are definitely out and become role models and PR shills for the team, both men feel like they are still not free to just live their lives. They must conduct themselves beyond reproach at all times. Their relationships are scrutinized and they feel at times that they are living in a glass bowl. Reed’s personal relationships suffer quite a bit as a result of his choice of career and lead to some pretty dire consequences.
There are a several twists and turns to the story that I don’t want to reveal here as I think they will spoil the story for readers, but suffice to say that these men have a very hard time communicating with each other. Neither is honest about his feeling for the other. It turns out that Reed has been in love with Evan for as long as Evan has been in love with Reed and he too has been driven by fear of rejection. But a crisis sends them into each other’s arms and bed one night that then leads to guilt and a declaration by Reed that once again causes Evan to back off and distance himself. They have spent a lifetime protecting themselves against the possible pain of losing the other’s friendship so they continue to act as if nothing has changed in their relationship.
Finally after years of separation and career ending injuries, Evan and Reed are at last in a place to begin to possibly start building a life together. But they continue to have difficulty being honest about their feelings unless there are heavy doses of pain medication involved. Evan’s family gets involved, but even with that intervention, they nearly ruin their chance at happiness.
I enjoyed this story overall, but I must say that I got very frustrated with both men at times. Neither was willing to take a chance for so long and I really became worried that they were going to miss the boat entirely. Their whole lives had been built around football and only when that career was over did they truly have the freedom to pursue their relationship and a real life. I hope we when a professional athlete in the big 4 (football, baseball, basketball and hockey) does come out while still an active player that things will be easier than they were for the men in this story. And I hope we don’t have to wait another 20 years.
July 22, 2020
One of the most essential components of a successful relationship is good communication. Evan and Reed, in 'Scrambling' by Lex Valentine, are operating under the false assumption that their relationship is all that it could be. They're committed, trusting, and loving toward each other. They would rather be with each other than with anyone on Earth. Their relationship would be perfect except for the one thing. Through a false sense of protecting each other, they are lying to themselves and each other. If Evan and Reed have the caliber of friendship they claim, acknowledging their mutual love would be a wonderful gift, it would complete them. Instead, they've created a negative barrier which is reinforced each time they deny their feelings. If they were as close as they say, nothing would ever come between them.
Essentially, I like both men. They are the strapping, all American, boy-next-door types, with admirable moral compasses and they are very good at what they do. However, this fatal flaw they have, of assuming they know what's best for the other person, irked me to no end. The sheer amount of times the subject was brought up made me want to scream and smack them both. Wake up, guys! How could you be close enough to complete each other's sentences and not trust each other enough to share your deepest feelings? Not only are they cheating themselves, but they are cheating each other out of a fulfilling life and leaving bodies along their confused ways. I find this appalling. It was difficult to feel sorry for them knowing about their deception.
I do love Lex's love scenes though, and savor every word. They portray much more than the physical act. They are descriptive, sensual, passionate, and just plain hot. They also evoke a great deal of emotion and understanding. Even in the heat of passion, Evan staunchly refuses to reveal his feelings, which made me even angrier at him and the situation. With this said, I truly wanted these two men to have a happy ending. I felt like they had struggled enough.
'Scrambling' is a good story. As it delves into the world of the NFL it brings the issue of gays coming out into the spotlight. After all, how can one be at their best on the field, if they have the angst involved with keeping their true self hidden. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes an enjoyable friends to lovers story with engaging characters, an honesty is the best policy theme, and a happy ending. Thanks, Lex, for the pleasant read.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Essentially, I like both men. They are the strapping, all American, boy-next-door types, with admirable moral compasses and they are very good at what they do. However, this fatal flaw they have, of assuming they know what's best for the other person, irked me to no end. The sheer amount of times the subject was brought up made me want to scream and smack them both. Wake up, guys! How could you be close enough to complete each other's sentences and not trust each other enough to share your deepest feelings? Not only are they cheating themselves, but they are cheating each other out of a fulfilling life and leaving bodies along their confused ways. I find this appalling. It was difficult to feel sorry for them knowing about their deception.
I do love Lex's love scenes though, and savor every word. They portray much more than the physical act. They are descriptive, sensual, passionate, and just plain hot. They also evoke a great deal of emotion and understanding. Even in the heat of passion, Evan staunchly refuses to reveal his feelings, which made me even angrier at him and the situation. With this said, I truly wanted these two men to have a happy ending. I felt like they had struggled enough.
'Scrambling' is a good story. As it delves into the world of the NFL it brings the issue of gays coming out into the spotlight. After all, how can one be at their best on the field, if they have the angst involved with keeping their true self hidden. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes an enjoyable friends to lovers story with engaging characters, an honesty is the best policy theme, and a happy ending. Thanks, Lex, for the pleasant read.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
December 31, 2012
Reviewed at The Romance Reviews
SCRAMBLING is a fantastic journey into the lives of the first two openly gay NFL players. It explores their struggles with being in the closet and keeping secrets even once they are out of the closet.
I really enjoyed the story of Evan and Reed, friends since the age of six when they met on the peewee football field. Although a quick read, the relationship development showed the strength of the love and friendship between these two men. The author also did a good job of presenting the issues related to being openly gay, professional football players.
The character of Darcy was actually one of my favorites. Being a PR person she was able to approach the issue of coming out in the NFL from a completely logical and unemotional prospective. But Darcy never neglected the struggles and challenges these two men, who she came to care for, would have to face. The coming out story felt real with these two men getting support, friendship, hatred and fear all thrown at them.
But coming out in the NFL is only a small part of this story. The underlying themes are coming out and being honest, which are not the same thing. Evan and Reed, with Darcy's help, do become the first two openly gay NFL players, but they are both keeping many more secrets besides their sexual preferences. Both of them are involved in relationships that are not what they seem. And both of them are hiding their true feelings for the other.
While a certain level of angst makes a good, emotional love story, I felt this book bordered on having too much. Reading the initial moments when these two, individually, realize they had feelings for the other, but could never express them, was heartbreaking. And the way the two of them suffered in silence for years believing that the other was in a good, happy relationship was very sad. The frustration for me came when every person these two encountered knew how they felt about each other. Despite their feelings being so obvious to those around them, neither of them figures it out and no one else encourages them to express their feelings. It takes years apart and a potentially career-ending injury for Evan to finally be honest about his feelings.
The slightly overdone angst is the only thing about this book that kept me from rating it 5 stars. I quickly became obsessed with wanting to know more about these two characters and devoured this book in a few hours.
SCRAMBLING is a fantastic journey into the lives of the first two openly gay NFL players. It explores their struggles with being in the closet and keeping secrets even once they are out of the closet.
I really enjoyed the story of Evan and Reed, friends since the age of six when they met on the peewee football field. Although a quick read, the relationship development showed the strength of the love and friendship between these two men. The author also did a good job of presenting the issues related to being openly gay, professional football players.
The character of Darcy was actually one of my favorites. Being a PR person she was able to approach the issue of coming out in the NFL from a completely logical and unemotional prospective. But Darcy never neglected the struggles and challenges these two men, who she came to care for, would have to face. The coming out story felt real with these two men getting support, friendship, hatred and fear all thrown at them.
But coming out in the NFL is only a small part of this story. The underlying themes are coming out and being honest, which are not the same thing. Evan and Reed, with Darcy's help, do become the first two openly gay NFL players, but they are both keeping many more secrets besides their sexual preferences. Both of them are involved in relationships that are not what they seem. And both of them are hiding their true feelings for the other.
While a certain level of angst makes a good, emotional love story, I felt this book bordered on having too much. Reading the initial moments when these two, individually, realize they had feelings for the other, but could never express them, was heartbreaking. And the way the two of them suffered in silence for years believing that the other was in a good, happy relationship was very sad. The frustration for me came when every person these two encountered knew how they felt about each other. Despite their feelings being so obvious to those around them, neither of them figures it out and no one else encourages them to express their feelings. It takes years apart and a potentially career-ending injury for Evan to finally be honest about his feelings.
The slightly overdone angst is the only thing about this book that kept me from rating it 5 stars. I quickly became obsessed with wanting to know more about these two characters and devoured this book in a few hours.
February 9, 2013
Some of my favorite M/M books have had a sports theme in them: The Locker Room, Caught Running and Out in the Field. So, I was really looking forward to Lex Valentine’s Scrambling, which tells the story of not one, but two NFL football players coming out as gay.
Evan and Reed have been friends since they were children. They attended school together, played football and eventually signed with the same NFL team. Their big secret? Both of them are gay and want out of the closet – each for different reasons. Reed wants out because he doesn’t want to hide his college boyfriend, Len any longer, and Evan because he’s just plain tired of hiding. When career-ending injuries mean the two can no longer play the sport they love, how will this affect their friendship?
What I really liked about Scrambling was Evan and Reed’s relationship. They are best friends, later lovers, but even when they are apart, the emotion is there in every page. They mesh so well that everyone around them sees they belong together, but they are blind to that fact. True star-crossed lovers fighting to find and keep their love.
But despite my adoration for the couple, there were some issues with the novel. Unfortunately, the secondary characterizations were extremely one-dimensional. For example, we never really see Reed’s boyfriend, Len, we hear about him a lot. One, he’s a cheater, two, he’s sick with HIV, and three, wham, he’s dead from cancer. But the reader never gets to know Len or see Reed and Len together, which gives us no insight of why Reed was even with this guy. Because most of the secondary characterizations are telling, not showing, as a reader I couldn’t connect with anyone but Reed and Evan. That’s a shame, as I think this could have helped the overall plot of the book.
Second, for readers who don’t like cheating, this will probably not be your book. While technically not cheating, even after Reed and Evan finally get together (sort of), they aren’t exclusive and there are sex scenes with other men. I only mention this as, again, I thought this was a missed opportunity for the author to cement Reed and Evan’s deep and complex relationship, but instead we get other people involved, which I did not enjoy.
So, while Scrambling did not live up to my expectations, I am sure some readers will enjoy it, especially if like me you enjoy a good sports coming-out tale about long-time friends becoming lovers.
Dark Divas Reviews
Evan and Reed have been friends since they were children. They attended school together, played football and eventually signed with the same NFL team. Their big secret? Both of them are gay and want out of the closet – each for different reasons. Reed wants out because he doesn’t want to hide his college boyfriend, Len any longer, and Evan because he’s just plain tired of hiding. When career-ending injuries mean the two can no longer play the sport they love, how will this affect their friendship?
What I really liked about Scrambling was Evan and Reed’s relationship. They are best friends, later lovers, but even when they are apart, the emotion is there in every page. They mesh so well that everyone around them sees they belong together, but they are blind to that fact. True star-crossed lovers fighting to find and keep their love.
But despite my adoration for the couple, there were some issues with the novel. Unfortunately, the secondary characterizations were extremely one-dimensional. For example, we never really see Reed’s boyfriend, Len, we hear about him a lot. One, he’s a cheater, two, he’s sick with HIV, and three, wham, he’s dead from cancer. But the reader never gets to know Len or see Reed and Len together, which gives us no insight of why Reed was even with this guy. Because most of the secondary characterizations are telling, not showing, as a reader I couldn’t connect with anyone but Reed and Evan. That’s a shame, as I think this could have helped the overall plot of the book.
Second, for readers who don’t like cheating, this will probably not be your book. While technically not cheating, even after Reed and Evan finally get together (sort of), they aren’t exclusive and there are sex scenes with other men. I only mention this as, again, I thought this was a missed opportunity for the author to cement Reed and Evan’s deep and complex relationship, but instead we get other people involved, which I did not enjoy.
So, while Scrambling did not live up to my expectations, I am sure some readers will enjoy it, especially if like me you enjoy a good sports coming-out tale about long-time friends becoming lovers.
Dark Divas Reviews
December 28, 2012
Ms. Valentine always gives me strong characters and great emotion. This story is no different. Evan and Reed are deep men with a large range of emotion. I'm not someone who normally likes the "time switches". (I have often ranted about Nora Robert's "Blue Smoke" with its chapters and chapters of prologue, but that's another story) Lex Valentine pulls it off. She inserts these timelines at smart places giving the reader the chance to really fall into these characters and their problems. Reed's character was slower to unfold (which was well done) and that made the ending chapters more gut wrenching and satisfying. I like the way the author doesn't feel the need to make one of the characters a sissy type, but actually makes them both strong masculine people who are attracted to each other. Beautifully done!!!!
October 5, 2012
this was pretty good. there is a fine line b/w too much angst and too little. this may have swayed more toward too much angst at times.
the mc's were very likeable. (i didn't get why reed stayed in his relationship with len so long. as the story unfolds, we are given so many reasons why they shouldn't be together) for me, the secondary character was given too much page time. I
i liked the story going back and forth and bring us to the present. and i really liked the other secondary character bryce. thought he was a sweet and strong guy and hope he gets his own hea!
overall, the writing was good and the story was good. I will definitely read more from this author. :)
the mc's were very likeable. (i didn't get why reed stayed in his relationship with len so long. as the story unfolds, we are given so many reasons why they shouldn't be together) for me, the secondary character was given too much page time. I
i liked the story going back and forth and bring us to the present. and i really liked the other secondary character bryce. thought he was a sweet and strong guy and hope he gets his own hea!
overall, the writing was good and the story was good. I will definitely read more from this author. :)
October 7, 2012
An excellent story about prop football players and their deciding to come out from the beginning of their careers. I found it to be realistic as their problems didn't go away and even as they were "out", it seemed that they still had to hide things. Their closet ended up just being a different one. The interaction between the two men sparked with desire and the love they had for one another (even though they didn't know it) showed in everything they did. This is an angsty story and there were times I wanted to yell at these guys to just talk to one another but it fit the characters and by the end you were happy to see the results. A definite re-read one for me.
January 4, 2013
3 1/2 sweet peas!
Some of this story is heartbreaking. Some of it is uplifting. Some of it is more “damn it, get your act together!” but it’s a good story, especially with the attitudes about sports and homophobia today. The ending takes a bit to get to and a few sad/implausible (to me) things occur. Someone gets hurt and even though it’s understood it’s going to happen, it still seems somewhat unhappy for that character. (I just love HEA’s for everyone, I’m a sucker for romance.)
Please see Mr. P's complete review on January 22, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Some of this story is heartbreaking. Some of it is uplifting. Some of it is more “damn it, get your act together!” but it’s a good story, especially with the attitudes about sports and homophobia today. The ending takes a bit to get to and a few sad/implausible (to me) things occur. Someone gets hurt and even though it’s understood it’s going to happen, it still seems somewhat unhappy for that character. (I just love HEA’s for everyone, I’m a sucker for romance.)
Please see Mr. P's complete review on January 22, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
October 27, 2012
There was a space of time where I felt like a yoyo being yanked around from past to present to further past and back.
Other than that, an enjoyable read.
Other than that, an enjoyable read.
June 6, 2014
My path to finding a good m/m sport story will go on.
I can't even say anything other than the writing, the characters and the plot can be summed in one word:
HYSTERICAL.
Yeah.
I can't even say anything other than the writing, the characters and the plot can be summed in one word:
HYSTERICAL.
Yeah.
September 13, 2015
3.75 stars
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