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Crocker University isn't exactly known for its football program. But three hotshot freshman football players are about to turn that around, and in the process discover what it means to be a team, the challenges of adulthood, and the true meaning of love.
Erick West, the charismatic Texan quarterback, is the top recruit at Crocker when he meets Lowell Menacker, a handsome blond All-American tight end, and the two become fast friends. Completing the trio is receiver Dale Lennart, who feels Crocker is where he can finally be out and be himself--until he lands a spot on the football team.
Against a backdrop of rocky relationships, unexpected rivalries, and setbacks on and off the field, Erick, Lowell, and Dale form lasting bonds. When Crocker starts winning football games, Erick and Lowell's on-field connection leads to romance. But can the bonds of love and friendship survive the unexpected pressures of success and going pro?
Note: M/M and M/F
Erick West, the charismatic Texan quarterback, is the top recruit at Crocker when he meets Lowell Menacker, a handsome blond All-American tight end, and the two become fast friends. Completing the trio is receiver Dale Lennart, who feels Crocker is where he can finally be out and be himself--until he lands a spot on the football team.
Against a backdrop of rocky relationships, unexpected rivalries, and setbacks on and off the field, Erick, Lowell, and Dale form lasting bonds. When Crocker starts winning football games, Erick and Lowell's on-field connection leads to romance. But can the bonds of love and friendship survive the unexpected pressures of success and going pro?
Note: M/M and M/F
445 pages, ebook
First published January 30, 2013
7 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 14, 2016
This was going to be a long winded, ranty review about all the reasons I didn't like this book and when it came down to it. I just don't have the energy or maybe I want to save it for a book that I really like and want to gush about. I have some Mary Calmes, Josh Lanyon, Rhys Ford and Harper Fox that I need to catch up on so I'm going with the latter.
So let's see if I can do this and keep it short and sweet, ok?
Basically this was one of the most pointless books I've ever read. I should have trusted my instincts and did a DNF on this one, but no not me! I decided to keep reading I was sure I'd find that amazing book that got all the 4 and 5 star reviews somewhere, right? No, just no! That was not the copy of the book that I got.
Instead I got around 400 pages of 'oh my god Erick West is so amazing!!! Everybody loves him!' and 'Lowell Menacker is so gorgeous, everbody wants him!' and 'Ohmygod, Dale Lennart is...well he's Dale Lennart and the only person truly smart enough to realize that he was the best one of the bunch was Andy and that almost didn't end well.
Can I just say Erick West for me was not all that and a bag of potato chips and Lowell Menacker was a horn dog, so it's a good thing he was good looking, wasn't it?'
Ok that's it I'm done with this one. If you read it and loved it. I'm happy for you. If you read it and didn't love it I share your pain. If you haven't read it...think about it, there are other books out there that you might want to give consideration to, ok?
1.5 stars rounded up to 2 stars because I finished the book.
So let's see if I can do this and keep it short and sweet, ok?
Basically this was one of the most pointless books I've ever read. I should have trusted my instincts and did a DNF on this one, but no not me! I decided to keep reading I was sure I'd find that amazing book that got all the 4 and 5 star reviews somewhere, right? No, just no! That was not the copy of the book that I got.
Instead I got around 400 pages of 'oh my god Erick West is so amazing!!! Everybody loves him!' and 'Lowell Menacker is so gorgeous, everbody wants him!' and 'Ohmygod, Dale Lennart is...well he's Dale Lennart and the only person truly smart enough to realize that he was the best one of the bunch was Andy and that almost didn't end well.
Can I just say Erick West for me was not all that and a bag of potato chips and Lowell Menacker was a horn dog, so it's a good thing he was good looking, wasn't it?'
Ok that's it I'm done with this one. If you read it and loved it. I'm happy for you. If you read it and didn't love it I share your pain. If you haven't read it...think about it, there are other books out there that you might want to give consideration to, ok?
1.5 stars rounded up to 2 stars because I finished the book.
August 14, 2014
An intimate cock jock-journey of secret love with a touch of sentimental co-dependency featuring two college-ball studs that go PRO-NFL.
It's a very humanized story..but if you're low on empathy chips regarding infidelity, you shouldn't read this. It's brutally honest and sweetly-refreshing. And if you don't have a love for sports or football, you also shouldn't read this.
It's an erotically masculine love story without being alpha-loaded or porn-punched. And (for me) really was a pleasure to read.
Hands itched a few times during a couple of the sex scenes. Some minor edits kept short-circuiting my hard-wiring..on how to fix. But-still well-written..and just a really great story.
It's a very humanized story..but if you're low on empathy chips regarding infidelity, you shouldn't read this. It's brutally honest and sweetly-refreshing. And if you don't have a love for sports or football, you also shouldn't read this.
It's an erotically masculine love story without being alpha-loaded or porn-punched. And (for me) really was a pleasure to read.
Hands itched a few times during a couple of the sex scenes. Some minor edits kept short-circuiting my hard-wiring..on how to fix. But-still well-written..and just a really great story.
March 17, 2015
There were parts I really liked, but sadly they couldn't make up for the parts I really didn't like.
There was too much M/F (which I didn't expect from reading the blurb), ...
I liked the premise, the football and the moment they got together, but I did not like the execution after that.
And I am very unhappy about the epilogue! When I read '5 years later', I had high expectations. So much that could have happened, so much they could have done... It was a big disappointment.
There was too much M/F (which I didn't expect from reading the blurb), ...
I liked the premise, the football and the moment they got together, but I did not like the execution after that.
And I am very unhappy about the epilogue! When I read '5 years later', I had high expectations. So much that could have happened, so much they could have done... It was a big disappointment.
May 31, 2013
I wish I could like this book more, but I just hated all the crap these two main characters pulled! Be warn! Infidelity, cheating on your wife/girlfriend/lover, all that I love you crap, but I also love her. Seriously, it is like reading a page off of Cary Tennis's advice column about the jerk who can't decide what to do with his situation and I could just imagine how the readers will tear him apart!
Read
February 12, 2013dnf at 73%. I might come back to it, but there is just too much m/f action with these boys after they get together.
October 2, 2013
It took me about 100 pages to get into this ~450 page book, but once I did, it was worth the read and I wanted more pages.
The whole Lowell, Eric & Candice cheating triangle left me a bit cold. Can you love two people? Yes. *Should* you tell both people if you're not going to end it with one of them. YES.
Anyway, Dale & Andy helped make the book for me, too. You never knew what the hell was going to pop out of Dale's mouth, which was fun.
The moral of this very long story is that you actually need to TALK to the people you love and you're life will be way less full of bullshit, heartache and headache.
The whole Lowell, Eric & Candice cheating triangle left me a bit cold. Can you love two people? Yes. *Should* you tell both people if you're not going to end it with one of them. YES.
Anyway, Dale & Andy helped make the book for me, too. You never knew what the hell was going to pop out of Dale's mouth, which was fun.
The moral of this very long story is that you actually need to TALK to the people you love and you're life will be way less full of bullshit, heartache and headache.
February 7, 2016
I just have one question.........
**Sighs**
I didn't even really read this book, it was more of a curious browse through the pages. There was nothing to keep me interested and to top it all off it was 400 plus pages of "what the fuck am I reading really?" Erick, Dale and Lowell are college football players, (ok, ok) they begin their journey as freshmen **insert football jargon here** and eventually form a close friendship over the years. (ok, ok) For a few excessively long and unnecessary chapters chemistry between MC's is the equivalent of a dying fish....I mean really there was nothing there besides weird stares and awkward compliments.
Then BAM! Dale & Lowell become oral connoisseurs of Cock tasting.........
..........Dale has always identified as gay but Lowell? What the fuck was his excuse? (Oh forgive me I probably skimmed over that explanation)
Then all of sudden there's a random, "I'm in love with Erick" (This from Lowell said to Dale after a random fuckfest)
Then feelings are caught and a relationship between Lowell & Erick develops out of the random blue and I'm still like.........
This wasn't for me. Nope, it wasn't, it made no sense, the characters were dull and boring, the pace was slower than a snail, the plot...........(I don't even know if it had one), ugh!! Whatever, if you guys wanna give this a try best of luck to ya, as for me I'm done and thank fucking god for that. Meh.
**Sighs**
I didn't even really read this book, it was more of a curious browse through the pages. There was nothing to keep me interested and to top it all off it was 400 plus pages of "what the fuck am I reading really?" Erick, Dale and Lowell are college football players, (ok, ok) they begin their journey as freshmen **insert football jargon here** and eventually form a close friendship over the years. (ok, ok) For a few excessively long and unnecessary chapters chemistry between MC's is the equivalent of a dying fish....I mean really there was nothing there besides weird stares and awkward compliments.
Then BAM! Dale & Lowell become oral connoisseurs of Cock tasting.........
..........Dale has always identified as gay but Lowell? What the fuck was his excuse? (Oh forgive me I probably skimmed over that explanation)
Then all of sudden there's a random, "I'm in love with Erick" (This from Lowell said to Dale after a random fuckfest)
Then feelings are caught and a relationship between Lowell & Erick develops out of the random blue and I'm still like.........
This wasn't for me. Nope, it wasn't, it made no sense, the characters were dull and boring, the pace was slower than a snail, the plot...........(I don't even know if it had one), ugh!! Whatever, if you guys wanna give this a try best of luck to ya, as for me I'm done and thank fucking god for that. Meh.
August 25, 2016
Lyndsey’s Rating Scale:
1 - Horrible (DNF)
2 - Not Horrible, BUT Not Much Better
3 – It Was OK, BUT Nothing Special
4 - The Good Stuff
5 - Loved It! Can’t Live Without It! Buying the Hardcopy!!!
Overview:
This bromance is about two football players who create a strong friendship that eventually fall in love with each other. It’s about how they deal with their relationship as they move through life together and apart. In essence, you get to see this relationship from beginning to (almost) the end.
Thoughts, Likes, Dislikes:
Having played a college sport there is a certain amount of bonding that happens due to ones proximately to their teammates and the hardships they overcome. With that said, I can say with complete confidence that this author was able to capture the true meaning of team spirit and soul mates. Not only do you get a sense of what happens when individuals come together as a team to accomplish a specific goal but you also see how a romance can develop over time in this type of situation. And that brings me to the “likes” part of my review… I loved that through the entire book KK was able to have various life issues come along while not making it overly dramatic or with a lot of angst. I also enjoyed that this seemed to be a true romance that developed over time instead of instant love (this is a certain topic that has really been getting on my nerves lately). KK was able to space out the love scenes that they were not too plentiful but also not non-existent. What really had me hooked was the author’s ability to keep me on my toes. To be perfectly honest I wasn’t really sure who was going to end up with who by the end of the story which is great because this is life and not everything is butterflies and rainbows. Overall, this was a really good story that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to (almost) finish. HOWEVER, I couldn’t give it a five star rating for a couple of reasons. One, what in the heck was going on with Erick dragging out his relationship with Candace? I get it, you love her but it’s only in a best friend kind of way… took way to long for him to figure this out. Two, Dale. Poor guy…. I just hated that he always got stuck with the smallest stick. The only redemption for this oversight was the ending (kind of). Three, where is the EPILOGUE?????????????????? KK, finish the story!!!! Grrr…. This story truly needed a great wrap-up after everything that had happened. Aside from everything just mentioned, this really was a great story!
Happy Reading!!! Lynz
1 - Horrible (DNF)
2 - Not Horrible, BUT Not Much Better
3 – It Was OK, BUT Nothing Special
4 - The Good Stuff
5 - Loved It! Can’t Live Without It! Buying the Hardcopy!!!
Overview:
This bromance is about two football players who create a strong friendship that eventually fall in love with each other. It’s about how they deal with their relationship as they move through life together and apart. In essence, you get to see this relationship from beginning to (almost) the end.
Thoughts, Likes, Dislikes:
Having played a college sport there is a certain amount of bonding that happens due to ones proximately to their teammates and the hardships they overcome. With that said, I can say with complete confidence that this author was able to capture the true meaning of team spirit and soul mates. Not only do you get a sense of what happens when individuals come together as a team to accomplish a specific goal but you also see how a romance can develop over time in this type of situation. And that brings me to the “likes” part of my review… I loved that through the entire book KK was able to have various life issues come along while not making it overly dramatic or with a lot of angst. I also enjoyed that this seemed to be a true romance that developed over time instead of instant love (this is a certain topic that has really been getting on my nerves lately). KK was able to space out the love scenes that they were not too plentiful but also not non-existent. What really had me hooked was the author’s ability to keep me on my toes. To be perfectly honest I wasn’t really sure who was going to end up with who by the end of the story which is great because this is life and not everything is butterflies and rainbows. Overall, this was a really good story that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to (almost) finish. HOWEVER, I couldn’t give it a five star rating for a couple of reasons. One, what in the heck was going on with Erick dragging out his relationship with Candace? I get it, you love her but it’s only in a best friend kind of way… took way to long for him to figure this out. Two, Dale. Poor guy…. I just hated that he always got stuck with the smallest stick. The only redemption for this oversight was the ending (kind of). Three, where is the EPILOGUE?????????????????? KK, finish the story!!!! Grrr…. This story truly needed a great wrap-up after everything that had happened. Aside from everything just mentioned, this really was a great story!
Happy Reading!!! Lynz
no-thanks
March 7, 2013I feel almost certain this book is going to disappoint me. I just can't be lucky enough to accidentally stumble across something good, can I? Especially based on an Amazon recommendation... But I can't resist the blurb!
ETA after reading the kindle sample (or trying to anyway): I was right. :((
(That's a frownie face with the lower lip sticking way out!)
They should use this book in writing classes as an example of what not to do during the "show, don't tell!" unit.
ETA after reading the kindle sample (or trying to anyway): I was right. :((
(That's a frownie face with the lower lip sticking way out!)
They should use this book in writing classes as an example of what not to do during the "show, don't tell!" unit.
May 25, 2013
I'm such a sucker for stories of friendship, stories with sports, and stories that span through time...this had all of that!
This book is all for the love of football, you can feel it throughout the story and you know how ingrained this sport is within the lives of these men.
This story does involve "open relationships" and it's so integrated into the thought process and love of these men.
I absolutely loved Erick, Lowell, and Dale!
This book is all for the love of football, you can feel it throughout the story and you know how ingrained this sport is within the lives of these men.
This story does involve "open relationships" and it's so integrated into the thought process and love of these men.
I absolutely loved Erick, Lowell, and Dale!
October 6, 2013
I really wanted to like this story, as I love football but unfortunately this fell really flat for me. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but I don't enjoy reading about people cheating on each other. With this book, infidelity runs rampant throughout, as well as a lot of M/F action. I also didn't really feel the connection between the couples. I know others have really liked this book, but it just didn't work for me.
March 31, 2013
Eric, Lowell, and Dale, need I say more.?
Forget how long the book was, I just couldn't get enough.
Some books I never want to end, this one caught me off guard.,when I got to the epilogue, I was like what? What the hell! My daughter only said, sweet book hmm? Still crying...
Want my boys back!
Sequel maybe... Just something where I see them married?
Mmmmmm.....
Forget how long the book was, I just couldn't get enough.
Some books I never want to end, this one caught me off guard.,when I got to the epilogue, I was like what? What the hell! My daughter only said, sweet book hmm? Still crying...
Want my boys back!
Sequel maybe... Just something where I see them married?
Mmmmmm.....
March 12, 2013
Goodreads book Discription:
Crocker University isn't exactly known for its football program. But three hotshot freshman football players are about to turn that around, and in the process discover what it means to be a team, the challenges of adulthood, and the true meaning of love.
Erick West, the charismatic Texan quarterback, is the top recruit at Crocker when he meets Lowell Menacker, a handsome blond All-American tight end, and the two become fast friends. Completing the trio is receiver Dale Lennart, who feels Crocker is where he can finally be out and be himself--until he lands a spot on the football team.
Against a backdrop of rocky relationships, unexpected rivalries, and setbacks on and off the field, Erick, Lowell, and Dale form lasting bonds. When Crocker starts winning football games, Erick and Lowell's on-field connection leads to romance. But can the bonds of love and friendship survive the unexpected pressures of success and going pro?
Beccas book review:
i wanted to love this book, since i am a huge football fan. and there was lot of football stuff in the book. you don't have to know anything about football to like this book.
Erick, Dale, and Lowell were great characters and i loved all of the college parts of the book about 2/3's of the book. my problem is when they left college and it kind of stalled for me, but i finished the book because i wanted to find out what would happen with all three friends and of course the characters that they met along the way.
there isn't alot of discription in the M/M sex. compared to some books, but it was a good lighter mix to them.
overall it was a good book and i enjoyed the characters alot and of course the over all theme of the book.
Crocker University isn't exactly known for its football program. But three hotshot freshman football players are about to turn that around, and in the process discover what it means to be a team, the challenges of adulthood, and the true meaning of love.
Erick West, the charismatic Texan quarterback, is the top recruit at Crocker when he meets Lowell Menacker, a handsome blond All-American tight end, and the two become fast friends. Completing the trio is receiver Dale Lennart, who feels Crocker is where he can finally be out and be himself--until he lands a spot on the football team.
Against a backdrop of rocky relationships, unexpected rivalries, and setbacks on and off the field, Erick, Lowell, and Dale form lasting bonds. When Crocker starts winning football games, Erick and Lowell's on-field connection leads to romance. But can the bonds of love and friendship survive the unexpected pressures of success and going pro?
Beccas book review:
i wanted to love this book, since i am a huge football fan. and there was lot of football stuff in the book. you don't have to know anything about football to like this book.
Erick, Dale, and Lowell were great characters and i loved all of the college parts of the book about 2/3's of the book. my problem is when they left college and it kind of stalled for me, but i finished the book because i wanted to find out what would happen with all three friends and of course the characters that they met along the way.
there isn't alot of discription in the M/M sex. compared to some books, but it was a good lighter mix to them.
overall it was a good book and i enjoyed the characters alot and of course the over all theme of the book.
March 7, 2013
this is a long book filled with so many football facts. I thought I was gonna be so lost since I don't know anything about this game. in reality I couldn't put this book down. I loved Erick and Lowell and even Dale. I felt l like I was a part of their lives and just didn't want it to end.
I do have to admit there are open relationships and cheating in this book (which is usually a turn-off) but somehow it works in this book. I mean Erick has been with Candace technically what? A couple of weeks in the summer then a couple days during winter break then she leaves the country for a year. they hadn't been together together for a month and they're young. I get it. I'd probably cheat also. it's not like a commitment was made.
another thing I liked about this book was the fact that I just didn't know what was gonna happen. who was gonna end up with who. was it gonna be a happy ending or what. well come the end of the book I was very satisfied.
I do have to admit there are open relationships and cheating in this book (which is usually a turn-off) but somehow it works in this book. I mean Erick has been with Candace technically what? A couple of weeks in the summer then a couple days during winter break then she leaves the country for a year. they hadn't been together together for a month and they're young. I get it. I'd probably cheat also. it's not like a commitment was made.
another thing I liked about this book was the fact that I just didn't know what was gonna happen. who was gonna end up with who. was it gonna be a happy ending or what. well come the end of the book I was very satisfied.
May 8, 2013
Interesting and possibly semi-realistic book about 3 friends on a college football team (Crocker = Stanford, right? LOL) and their complex relationships with each other and some other people as they move through their college and post-college lives. Very New Adult. Plenty of sexin' for those of you who like that. And really, you people down there who read sports romances and complain about there being too much sports in them--are you for real? I enjoyed the football content, and found the mix of real and fake teams amusing. If I wasn't up for football, I would not have read a football book since there are plenty of books not about football out there.
October 25, 2014
4.5 stars
As fucked up as this was, I liked it a lot. Great read for football fans. You will enjoy a pretty realistic college football and professional football setting.
This however is not your traditional MM romance. The two MCs are bi and both date women during the time covered by the book (about 5 years plus another 5 in the epilogue). There's also cheating if that bothers you and the guys have an open relationship for a while.
But the story is very entertaining and engrossing if you can get into the underlying football theme.
PS. The guys kept calling each other "bro" all throughout the book. IDK I just thought that they should have outgrown that after a while.
As fucked up as this was, I liked it a lot. Great read for football fans. You will enjoy a pretty realistic college football and professional football setting.
This however is not your traditional MM romance. The two MCs are bi and both date women during the time covered by the book (about 5 years plus another 5 in the epilogue). There's also cheating if that bothers you and the guys have an open relationship for a while.
But the story is very entertaining and engrossing if you can get into the underlying football theme.
PS. The guys kept calling each other "bro" all throughout the book. IDK I just thought that they should have outgrown that after a while.
April 23, 2013
I enjoyed this. I'm a bit conflicted because while it was nice to be able to wallow in the story for a long time, to really get to know the three main characters, it was a very slow read. A lot happened, but it took forever between events because of all the information and the day-in and day-out nature of the story. Definitely a 4.5 for the story, though. I doubt I'll forget Erick, Menacker or Dale quickly.
March 15, 2013
It was a very well written book. I will say that if you don't like football, then this book might not be for you, as it does deal with football players, and their passion for the game is not glossed over. In fact it gets pretty technical, so at times you might forget what the actual story is about. I do hope to see Dale have his own story, he was a pretty cool sidekick for both Lowell and Erick.
April 5, 2013
Really enjoyed this book. It did go into a lot of detail about the game, but it wasn't too much. It was a story about football players, and what they felt they had to do in order to play the game they loved. There was some really beautiful moments between not just the 2 MC's but between the friends also.
doubt-it
March 3, 2013ontinuous
October 12, 2014
4.5 stars
I loved this book, and didn't want it to end.
The book length and fantastic writing enabled the characters to develop and build slowly - although saying that Ericks declaration of feelings for Lowell was somewhat out of left field.
The three MCs Erick, Lowell and Dale were brilliant. Each character had their own story and background, and the way the author wrote them brought them to life.
Erick and Lowells relationship, built throughout the book, becoming more and more in love as it went on. Surprisingly, and this is yet another credit to the authors writing, their love and declarations were never cheesy.
I'm a soppy romantic at heart, and so didn't really understand the need for Candace/other sexual partners after Erick and Lowell got together. For people who are not a fan of open relationships or MF relationships, this may put you off the book.
Dale was the other MC- he was my favourite and I really hope there is a follow up book for him. His character, was hilarious as well as incredibly loyal. I personally would love him as my best friend. I won't spoil things for other readers, but just let's say I really want him to have a successful HEA.
Overall I rated this book 4.5 stars, the only reason I dropped 0.5 was because there were times when the American football referrences became a little too much.
I'd highly recommend reading this book for any romantic, whether you are a mm fan or not. It is a beautiful story of Friendship, Love and Loyalty.
I loved this book, and didn't want it to end.
The book length and fantastic writing enabled the characters to develop and build slowly - although saying that Ericks declaration of feelings for Lowell was somewhat out of left field.
The three MCs Erick, Lowell and Dale were brilliant. Each character had their own story and background, and the way the author wrote them brought them to life.
Erick and Lowells relationship, built throughout the book, becoming more and more in love as it went on. Surprisingly, and this is yet another credit to the authors writing, their love and declarations were never cheesy.
I'm a soppy romantic at heart, and so didn't really understand the need for Candace/other sexual partners after Erick and Lowell got together. For people who are not a fan of open relationships or MF relationships, this may put you off the book.
Dale was the other MC- he was my favourite and I really hope there is a follow up book for him. His character, was hilarious as well as incredibly loyal. I personally would love him as my best friend. I won't spoil things for other readers, but just let's say I really want him to have a successful HEA.
Overall I rated this book 4.5 stars, the only reason I dropped 0.5 was because there were times when the American football referrences became a little too much.
I'd highly recommend reading this book for any romantic, whether you are a mm fan or not. It is a beautiful story of Friendship, Love and Loyalty.
January 21, 2014
I fell in love with this book. And then I fell into hate with this book. And then fell into lukewarm like.
(Spoilers below)
Things I liked -
* The friendships
* The detailed building of characters and not cookie cutouts
* The slow build relationship between the two guys and not the stereotypical two straight boys are just gay for each other immediately
* The semi real feelings of "am I gay, straight or bi?" that any person can/does go through
* All the detailed football stuff
Things I didn't like -
* The infidelity and the general sense that every character seemed to be ok cheating on each other
* All the friends pretty much hooking up with each other at one point or another. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in my group of friends, that really doesn't happen.
* All the detailed football stuff (I don't know jack about football and this was like a crash course)
* The whole time they were so worried about being "outed" and the story ended without that being resolved. I would have really liked seeing that happen. Being out in the NFL could have been a hell of a story line instead of building the story line out of cheating. Hell, I would have liked to see the boys at least tell their families, not a "5 years later epilogue"
(Spoilers below)
Things I liked -
* The friendships
* The detailed building of characters and not cookie cutouts
* The slow build relationship between the two guys and not the stereotypical two straight boys are just gay for each other immediately
* The semi real feelings of "am I gay, straight or bi?" that any person can/does go through
* All the detailed football stuff
Things I didn't like -
* The infidelity and the general sense that every character seemed to be ok cheating on each other
* All the friends pretty much hooking up with each other at one point or another. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in my group of friends, that really doesn't happen.
* All the detailed football stuff (I don't know jack about football and this was like a crash course)
* The whole time they were so worried about being "outed" and the story ended without that being resolved. I would have really liked seeing that happen. Being out in the NFL could have been a hell of a story line instead of building the story line out of cheating. Hell, I would have liked to see the boys at least tell their families, not a "5 years later epilogue"
December 2, 2014
Overall, I really enjoyed Lowell, Erick, and Dale's story. As others have noted, there is a lot about football, but none of it was over my head or completely confusing. Was there too much? At times I think so, but even then it was supporting the story. Additionally, this book was long. I'm good with longer books, but this one was a little slow for me in the middle. However, I appreciated the fact that one continuous story was told.
Those two things aside, it was a great book. In some ways (not all) it reminded me of The Locker Room, but with a completely different writing style. Lowell and Erick's love was tough to take at times. There were things I didn't understand (frustrated me) on an emotional level, but it worked for them. And Dale. (For those of you wondering, no M/M/M) Dale was a story unto himself. Such a good friend. I do want to note that although there was an epilogue, there were still some unresolved things that left me unsettled, even though it made sense if staying true to today's reality.
Those two things aside, it was a great book. In some ways (not all) it reminded me of The Locker Room, but with a completely different writing style. Lowell and Erick's love was tough to take at times. There were things I didn't understand (frustrated me) on an emotional level, but it worked for them. And Dale. (For those of you wondering, no M/M/M) Dale was a story unto himself. Such a good friend. I do want to note that although there was an epilogue, there were still some unresolved things that left me unsettled, even though it made sense if staying true to today's reality.
April 8, 2013
Okay I have to say that I cried a few times during the book. These type of books with m/m are so completely emotional. When a person has to hide from the world the person they love it is a harsh reality. What I've noticed in reading these types of books is that they have so much love and passion for each other but they are practically forbidden by society to hide their love. Especially for men in sports. How these guys played football doesn't reflect their sexuality but society made them feel this way as well as some prejudice team members. Enough about my rant because each m/m book I read breaks my heart. I would have given this five stars but only problem was that there was so much football lingo in the book it took me forever to figure out what was going on. I'm talking seriously in depth football terms. At the end of the book there is a term list which I had to keep referencing to....lol So you see it slowed me down. Other than that I loved this book and will read it again. Maybe when my husband is watching football again when the season starts. :)
July 21, 2015
This is a cute story. As a romance, however, I was disappointed. The characters didn't feel emotionally invested in their relationship. I wanted just once in the story to have them react to a challenge to their relationship by feeling something.
One cool thing about this book. There is an unwritten "rule" in genre fiction that if a race is not mentioned for a character, the character is white (this is actually just a symptom of our society and the assumption that "normal" means white, but especially in books about LGBT characters it is sometimes annoying to have cultural conditioning regarsing what is "normal" or "regular" so obvious). If you read a lot of romance, you'll find that books that don't follow the rule are a bit surprising. This author does not mention the race of a character unless it becomes an issue for the plot. It is a nice change, and a good challenge to our default thinking, and she does address some racial and cultural issues.
One cool thing about this book. There is an unwritten "rule" in genre fiction that if a race is not mentioned for a character, the character is white (this is actually just a symptom of our society and the assumption that "normal" means white, but especially in books about LGBT characters it is sometimes annoying to have cultural conditioning regarsing what is "normal" or "regular" so obvious). If you read a lot of romance, you'll find that books that don't follow the rule are a bit surprising. This author does not mention the race of a character unless it becomes an issue for the plot. It is a nice change, and a good challenge to our default thinking, and she does address some racial and cultural issues.
October 20, 2016
I loved the characters and the over-all story.
However the one thing that kept me from a full 5-star rating is all those football stats and recounts of the games, trainings and what ever. To me, as an European girl where football is actually played using the feet, (that is what people on the other side of the pool calls soccer.) those parts of the book was boring, irrelevant and frankly totally incomprehensible. Yeah, I get they were playing (American) football some of it might have been ok, but this excessive... Well, it put me out of the mood of even reading the book, hence the time it took to finish. I usually read a book like this one in a day, but I had to leave this to be able to get back to the story.
But in the end it was worth persisting. The ending was perfect. Not the happily-ever-after kind of ending, but certainly a realistic happy ending. I'm satisfied with that.
However the one thing that kept me from a full 5-star rating is all those football stats and recounts of the games, trainings and what ever. To me, as an European girl where football is actually played using the feet, (that is what people on the other side of the pool calls soccer.) those parts of the book was boring, irrelevant and frankly totally incomprehensible. Yeah, I get they were playing (American) football some of it might have been ok, but this excessive... Well, it put me out of the mood of even reading the book, hence the time it took to finish. I usually read a book like this one in a day, but I had to leave this to be able to get back to the story.
But in the end it was worth persisting. The ending was perfect. Not the happily-ever-after kind of ending, but certainly a realistic happy ending. I'm satisfied with that.
July 30, 2013
During much of the first part of this book, I was reminded of "The Art of Fielding". The interaction of the team with one another which eventually blended them into one. Not being a football fan, I have to admit that I found this portion of the story very interesting and informative.
When the book moved to the relationship between the three main characters, I found the story less believable. Perhaps it's because I grew up in an era when any hint of gayness could get you branded as a faggot and these guys went way past any of those actions. However, if I suspended my disbelief, I was able to enjoy the story and envy them the sex and fun that they had.
When the book moved to the relationship between the three main characters, I found the story less believable. Perhaps it's because I grew up in an era when any hint of gayness could get you branded as a faggot and these guys went way past any of those actions. However, if I suspended my disbelief, I was able to enjoy the story and envy them the sex and fun that they had.
April 2, 2013
This was incredible. It is a long story taking the appropriate amount of time for the story to develop. The two main characters manoeuvre through their emotions like they are playing a game. In fact, the team gets better as their relationship develops. These two guys do not identify as gay. In fact that will probably distance them from a lot of readers. It won't distance they from people in the same boat.
May 1, 2013
If you're looking for a m/m "penny dreadful" this book isn't for you! If, on the other hand, you're a fan of strong plot lines coupled with detailed characterisations then Safety Net is well worth a read. Yes the Football aspect is possibly overdone, but I'm in the UK and it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. Books you can get your teeth into are all too rare in the m/m genre and this is a book I'll happily read again.
December 4, 2013
really love the story~ their relationship got have some big complications here and there but that just make the story more interesting~! plus its sports and football! that made thing a hell lot more awesome. didn't expect it to be quite a long read but it was satisfying nonetheless~ my whole afternoon spent reading was worth it!
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