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Pivot and Slip

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Former Olympic hopeful Jack Douglas traded competitive swimming for professional yoga and never looked back. When handsome pro boxer Felix Montero mistakenly registers for his Yoga for Seniors class, Jack takes an avid interest in his struggles to manage stress—as well as in his heart—and discovers he may have healing of his own to do.

Faced with the ghosts of his athletic aspirations, will Jack return to his old dream or carve out a new path, and will their budding romance survive the test of Felix’s next bout in the ring?

174 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2014

2 people are currently reading
407 people want to read

About the author

Lilah Suzanne

12 books85 followers
Author of LGBT+ contemporary
rom-coms. Bi-furious. Genderqueer. Lambda/Indies/Bi Book Awards finalist.

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5 stars
25 (14%)
4 stars
66 (38%)
3 stars
55 (31%)
2 stars
22 (12%)
1 star
4 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Ro.
3,123 reviews16 followers
August 15, 2014
Oh, so interesting to have a different kind of athlete! Jack was a competitive swimmer, Olympic caliber, who gave it up and is now a yoga instructor. His Yoga for Seniors class is suddenly much more interesting (although those seniors are seriously funny!) when Felix becomes part of the class. For their part, the seniors are trying to fix Jack up with someone and it’s sort of adorable to see.

Felix is a pro boxer who took a too terrible hit to the head trying to defend his title. Now he’s trying to recover and gain himself back. Where does he end up? Yoga for Seniors! Of course, he’s extremely rude during the class, even after both he and Jack can feel the sparks flying. Jack is ticked off and gains access to Felix’s phone number from the work computer in order to call and tell him off. As always though, once you cool down, things seem a little different.

When it comes down to some personal yoga lessons, there is a misunderstanding that truly is that – a misunderstanding and I could totally get both Felix’s panic and Jack’s embarrassment. They do manage to get past that and as they get to know each other, you really like them. Felix, “The worst part was being broken and alone and realizing no one cared.” Wanted to just hug him tight. Jack, sitting on his couch waiting for Felix, “Great. It was uncomfortable, too. Now Felix would never want to make out.” Adorable.

There is Lydia, a BFF who is lovely and a positive female character. There are the truly lovely yoga seniors. But mostly, there are Jack and Felix and how they are navigating this unfamiliar water of falling in love. It’s not always easy, and I admit to being so pissed at Felix at one point (you could DIE!!) but it’s very real for them.

Not an angst-filled story and not overly sweet. It’s just right.
Profile Image for Jude Sierra.
Author 7 books110 followers
August 21, 2014
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. It was a quick and sweet read, with a lovely story that moved quickly and satisfied the whole way. I very much needed to read something like this, angst free and and lovely love story. I enjoyed themes of reconnecting with dreams and overcoming; Jack and Felix had wonderful chemistry as well. I do wish it was a little longer, I would have loved slowing things down to savor and roll around in how wonderful their relationship and story was.
Profile Image for Leaundra.
1,208 reviews47 followers
August 6, 2015
3.5 stars...Would have loved a dual POV, sometimes you feel like you don't get to know the one without one. I would have loved to have seen their interaction with each other more instead of just hearing about it. I enjoyed them together though. They were cute and so sweet.
Profile Image for Annie ~ Queer Books Unbound.
356 reviews54 followers
November 30, 2016
I have no idea how to rate this and I'll explain that in a bit.

First let me tell you that I liked the story overall. It's nothing mind blowing but it's a nice story to escape reality for a bit. The characters were interesting although I would have liked to know more about them.
It was a bit short (more to that in a sec) and therefore didn't explore things as much as I would have liked. But still it was a nice read.

Until it suddenly ended at SEVENTY-NINE percent! I was, what felt like, in the middle of the story, turned the page and that was it. It was over. Just. like. that.

And that's where I don't know how to rate it because I was expecting the story to go on for the other 20% and was in no way prepared for it to end. It felt too abrupt; like someone had closed a door in my face. Bam! Over. And this is unsatisfying to say the least.

The other 21% are an excerpt about the next book by the same author. And I really don't mind excerpts but not when they take up a FIFTH of the book!

I'm not saying don't read the book, because the story is nice. But be aware that it ends at 79% instead of the 100% you'd typically expect..
Profile Image for A.J. DeWall.
Author 1 book33 followers
August 31, 2014
Pivot and Slip is a charming romance that kept me smiling the whole way through. I'm a sucker for stories about down-on-their-luck athletes who find courage through new love and this delightful novella hit all the right notes. The scenario is entirely unique. I loved the boxer-meets-yoga-instructor story, complete with hilarious supporting characters (senior yoga!).

A fun and sexy read!
Author 4 books47 followers
January 30, 2016
Although I’ve heard the stories of famous boxers and football players studying ballet in order to improve their nimbleness, there seems no more star-crossed a pair of lovers than Jack Douglas and Felix Montero. While Felix is a boxer, Jack is a former-Olympic-hopeful-swimmer-turned-yoga-instructor. It sounds like a recipe for a sit-com, but this novel is anything but. Instead, it’s a story about kindness, about hurt and healing and how we help each other toward a good place. After a disastrously-humiliating experience in his swimming career, Jack’s gone yoga; Felix was critically injured as a boxer (so much so that boxing again could kill him) and is, perhaps mistakenly, enrolled in jack’s yoga class for seniors.

The two, as different as they may be, are both healing from the most painful loss: one day you’re headed surely down a path, and then the path is, without warning, and in the most painful and public way possible, irrevocably blocked. Though Felix appears to be the one suffering the most when he angrily storms out of Jack’s yoga class, and though Jack takes on the project of helping Felix heal and move on from his loss, it turns out that Felix helps Jack find his way back to what he loves, too.

It’s a novel about healing, and how we can help each other do that, and how even the most put-together people probably need to heal from something. It’s a novel about letting go of the past, the dead parts of ourselves that only weigh us down, and unearthing those parts that were prematurely buried but might still give us life, and how to tell the difference. Perhaps even more importantly, it’s a novel that declares that we don’t have to do that alone (there are so many people that want to help Jack, for instance—aside from Felix, there’s his roommate and his class of yenta-ish old yoga students). This is a story about falling in love with another person, but it’s also about how to love yourself, and how to let yourself be loved by other people (lovers and friends and community). Allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to be cared for by others is, perhaps, the hardest thing of all, and the mountain that these two characters try to climb.

Profile Image for Adrienne -kocham czytać-.
688 reviews60 followers
December 7, 2014
Ended at 79%, so shorter than I expected, but good. And sweet! Oh, these two were so effing adorable!

"'You saw him yesterday. You went for a walk in the park and and a picnic and then got ice cream, and it was so disgustingly adorable little old ladies cooed in your wake.'"

And these characters were so funny too. I don't even remember how many times I laughed or snorted from Jack's quips and wit or Murray's wonderfully dirty mind. It was a brave story, about two men who needed to move past their shadows and find ways to redeem themselves in their own minds to be able to live their lives fully.

"'Somebody much wiser than me once told me that dreams change. My dream changed. It never had you in it before.'"

But I do feel like it could have (should have) been developed more, been more cathartic and challenging to get to the relief of the happy ending. It was a good story, yes, but it could have been a lot better. Nice if you want to read a sweet and simple story with no angst and lots of laughs and two hot athletes...but beyond that...

"'Oh I see,' Jack replied. The sky swirled in pinks and oranges as the sun went down and they walked to their bus stop. 'You just want me to to cook and service you sexually. Well let me tell you something, mister.' He stopped and turned and poked a finger into Felix's chest. 'I am totally on board.'"
Profile Image for Milica.
261 reviews5 followers
August 9, 2015
This was OK...no more no less. It was supposed to be feel-good story,and it was,but things went so smoothly for Jack and Felix that I was beginning to feel bored...and that's saying something considering this is only 84 pages long book. Which brings me to other issue I have with this book.On Amazon it says that this is 174 pages long book. Uhm...no,it's 84 pages long,and the price of 5.99 bucks is absolutely outrageous for that length. I paid 0.99 for stories like this one length-wise,but five times better in terms of quality and how much I enjoyed them. I should give this book one star for false page count...

Can't recommend this one.
Profile Image for Brandilyn.
1,126 reviews50 followers
January 10, 2016
Reviewed for Prism Book alliance

If you like your athletes to be a little on the broken side, Pivot and Slip may just be the story for you. Jack and Feliz are both broken. Felix physically. Jack mentally. They find each other and run toward and away from each other in equal measure.

http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...

Profile Image for Mimsy Hale.
Author 2 books36 followers
August 21, 2014
A sweet, quick read that had me laughing one minute and sighing wistfully the next. A great new voice in the LGBTQ lit community, and I can't wait for her next release!
Profile Image for Kara Bianca.
568 reviews76 followers
April 9, 2015
I found this really fun! It was short and fast, and sometimes seemed a bit rushed, but I didn't mind it at all. This was just fun and light and I loved it!
Profile Image for Laura.
38 reviews7 followers
December 22, 2017
The writing style is fresh and charming, and the characters so loveable that you don't want to put the book down. Can't wait to read more of this author's work!
Profile Image for Zeke Gonzalez.
333 reviews20 followers
February 14, 2021
My roommate challenged me to read a romance novel to celebrate Valentine’s Day so I picked up this little slip of a novella as an ebook from my local library!

Pivot and Slip is a sweet and easy read about two queer athletes whose growing bond forces them to reckon with the ghosts of their past and how to move into their future. As I was reading it, I felt disconnected from the charming but otherwise underdeveloped characters. My roommate did some digging and discovered this is a revised and published version of a Glee (Klaine) fanfic, which made perfect sense. Without the fanon context for the characters, they’re cardboard cut-out Mary Sues. On top of that, the whole novella is positively SLATHERED with fanfiction tropes (anguished past, meddling best friend, fast n’ easy conflict resolution, quippy main character, etc.), but to Lilah Suzanne’s credit, the plot is mostly nice and light-hearted. However, I will say that as somebody who’s worked at the YMCA, the sex scene INSIDE the YMCA showers is horrifying and utterly disturbing for too many reasons to list here.

With all my bitching and moaning you probably wouldn’t guess it, but I did enjoy this book despite (perhaps in spite of?) all its cheesy shortcomings (I imagine they’re common issues in the genre). All things considered, Pivot and Slip is a lovely, quick, and romantic read to lift your mood!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jody.
2,088 reviews60 followers
August 14, 2014
It's said that when life gives you lemons make lemonade, but in this story it's more about making love and finding new dreams when old ones are lost. It's a charming story with likable characters that left me with a smile on my face. As her debut book, it's a promising start for Ms. Suzanne.

Jack was on track to become an Olympic swimmer when the pressures had him walking away from the sport. He buried all the physical remains of his sport and let go of his past....or so he thought. The day he encounters Felix, another lost soul, he realizes that he's been lying to himself and to help Felix he must once and for all make amends with his past. To truly be happy is not to ignore past dreams but to blend them with the present. Jack was immensely likable, charming with a sparkling personality. He was a bundle of positivity and was supportive of everyone. His interactions with his friend and roommate Lydia were reminiscent of siblings, playful and humorously chiding as she overtly played matchmaker between him and Felix. His Seniors yoga class made for hilarious fodder too as his interactions with the older students were laugh out loud and showed some very spry elderly people.

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and with Felix that's very true as there's a world of hurt and loneliness radiating off him. He loved boxing, it defined him and gave him friends that deserted him the day he was told to give up boxing or risk death. He realized that there was no one to care for him until the day Jack touched him to offer comfort. In that moment his life changed completely. Jack brought him peace and support long thought lost. Felix was a ball of anger, energy, and sex appeal. Being with Jack stabilized him and took the weight of the world off him and you could sense a carefree attitude overtaking him as the story, and his relationship with Jack, progressed.

Jack and Felix's pairing was delightful to see evolve as there were moments of awkwardness and unrelenting sexual tension. Their interactions were sweet yet sexy with verbal banter loaded with sexual innuendos that made me smile. Their sexual encounters were hot and were blended with some erotic yoga moves too. They're an immensely likable couple with a relationship that had virtually no conflict which made for a pleasant, though slightly unchallenging, read. From start to finish the story had a nice pace, heartwarming and thoughtful moments, sexy interludes, delightfully entertaining interactions with secondary characters, and gave me a few hours of fun. This book shows great promise for Ms. Suzanne and I look forward to what she has planned next.
Profile Image for Carly.
Author 5 books50 followers
August 11, 2014
All Felix Montero has ever known is fighting. His strength, determination and success in the ring is what defines who he is. When his career is threatened, Felix feels his identity slipping away and doesn't know how to find redefine himself, or if he even can.

Jack Douglas gave up swimming without a second thought, and though he still enjoys the peace of the water, he's okay with himself and the choices he made. At least that's what he thought up until Felix walked into his classroom by mistake and turned his life upside down.

Both men have lost sight of what is most important in life without ever realizing that there was something lacking until unexpected changes snuck up, caught them unaware and forced them to face the choices of their past. Working together just might be the only way to accomplish what neither man could do on his own. If they have the courage to face life head on and not run away they may be able to help a few other people along the way.

I was impressed with the quality of writing, strong characters, and unique storyline that Lilah Suzanne crafted for her first published novel, Pivot and Slip. Felix, Jack, and the supporting characters are deliciously entertaining. Balancing laughter with touching emotions, this novella is a great first effort and I wouldn't hesitate to read more books by Lilah Suzanne in the future. 4.5 of 5 Stars

My OFFICIAL REVIEW written for Carly's Book Reviews
Profile Image for Anita.
2,001 reviews27 followers
January 6, 2016
Sweet, funny and sexy but a little short. As I was reading I got this feeling - they meet, then this happened, and they KISSED, then this happened, then they are in a RELATIONSHIP, then this happened then a little ANGST then they had SEX then this happened - sort of a frenetic pace that may be due to length requirements or something. But there are the bones of a real 5 star read here if the book had been a little longer and paced a little slower for me. Perhaps if I'd gotten some more of a backstory on Jack and Felix, Jack's best friend Lydia, why they are roommates - just something to let me connect with the MCs. That thread I needed to connect was always just out of reach. More of a 3 but the author's voice is strong and sure so 3.5 but bumped to 4. I wanted more of her writing! Felix and Jack meet cute when Felix mistakenly signs up for Jack's senior yoga class. Felix is a fighter who was terribly hurt in his last match. Jack is sort of hiding from life after becoming an Olympic hopeful in swimming. Jack's friend, Lydia is hysterical. A real friend to Jack. And Jack's yoga class students - like performance troupe at a Catskill resort!! What a hoot these guys were! Even if it did move quickly, the ending was marvelous! This is a new to me author and I will definitely be looking for more of her work.
1,938 reviews11 followers
February 29, 2016
I loved this couple they were so endearing and supportive even though they both had a lot of stuff to work through. It was one of those insta-love books but their relationship still had depth and they still had to work for it.

The book is a really quick read, but definitely worth the time. I really liked that they both had dreams that didn't quite work out and you got a taste of what effect that has on them. Despite the shortness I really feel like I know Jack and Felix and understand their characters. I think a lot of people have failed dreams and the idea of moving on and changing but not forgetting is really nice.

I received this book as for free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
Profile Image for Misty Fritz.
24 reviews23 followers
March 14, 2015
Never in my life would I have expected a book about a boxer and a swimmer to draw me in so completely and have me rooting so fiercely for the characters. I had read and loved the fic Pivot and Slip was based on, but the book is so much RICHER than the fic (which I reread after reading the book), both in terms of plot and the characters themselves. Lilah has really grown as an author in the nearly two and a half years since the fic was first posted, and it really shows.
Profile Image for Juli.
31 reviews2 followers
August 12, 2014
Would have been four or five stars if it was longer. Loved the story but read the whole thing in an hour. Will definitely look for more from this author in the future- I really enjoyed her character voices.
84 reviews10 followers
September 14, 2014
Sweet story, a little rushed. I would have given it 4 stars but it was too short for the $6.99 price.

Profile Image for Jennifer.
14 reviews31 followers
December 6, 2014
Definitely worth the sleep lost from staying up late to finish. Left me with a smile on my face and a happy heart.
Profile Image for Cyril.
180 reviews
August 23, 2016
This was a quick read. If you like characters shallow and insta-love, you'll love this one.

I have been longing for some well-done fighter stories with grit and depth. This did not fit the bill.
Profile Image for jules0623.
2,531 reviews8 followers
April 2, 2016
I expected IP to put more effort into helping their authors edit their stories so they were distinguishable from the original Glee fanfic. I love the fanfiction and I do support the author's right to P2P but I'd hoped for more than an almost word for word copy of what I've already read. I think from now on, I'll use my free book code at AR for these IP releases instead of paying almost ten Aussie bucks for something I already own.

Having said that, the story itself is a sweet one and nicely written.
Profile Image for Ashley E.
610 reviews31 followers
March 28, 2015
Sports romances have never been my favorite, but I picked this one up because of the yoga. I enjoy yoga, even if I'm not good at it, and I thought this seemed like it might be interesting. I'm pleased to say that I was not disappointed. Felix and Jack are both in tough places when this book starts, and both have pasts that are difficult to let go off. Just as much as this is a romance, it's also about moving forward, and Jack and Felix give each other the motivation and encouragement to do that. Though it's a short read, it was still a very inspiring story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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