Down by Contact

The Barons #2

by Santino Hassell

Two rival football players begin a game with higher stakes than the Super Bowl in this steamy romance from the author of Illegal Contact.

Simeon Boudreaux, the New York Barons’ golden-armed quarterback, is blessed with irresistible New Orleans charm and a face to melt your mama’s heart. He’s universally adored by fans and the media. Coming out as gay in solidarity with his teammate hasn’t harmed his reputation in the least—except for some social media taunting from rival linebacker Adrián Bravo.

Though they were once teammates, Adrián views Simeon as a traitor and the number-one name on the New Jersey Predators’ shit list. When animosity between the two NFL players reaches a boiling point on the field, culminating in a dirty fist fight, they’re both benched for six games and sentenced to joint community service teaching sullen, Brooklyn teens how to play ball.

At first, they can barely stand to be in the same room, but running the camp forces them to shape up. With no choice but to work together, Simeon realizes Adrián is more than his alpha-jerk persona, and Adrián begins to question why he’s always had such strong feelings for the gorgeous QB…

Genres: M M Romance, Sports, Romance, Contemporary, Sports Romance, LGBT, Contemporary Romance

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 16, 2018

About the author

Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family but grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into a grumpy introvert and unlikely romance author with an affinity for baseball caps. His novels are heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, and his desire to write relationships fueled by intensity and passion.

He’s been a finalist in both the Bisexual Book Awards and the EPIC Awards, and was nominated for a prestigious RITA award in 2017. His work has been featured in BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Washington Post, RT Magazine, and Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Santino@santinohassell.com
www.santinohassell.com
http://santinohassell.com/newsletter/
amazon.com/author/santinohassell
https://www.facebook.com/groups/getha...
https://twitter.com/SantinoHassell
https://www.instagram.com/santinohass...
https://www.patreon.com/santinohassell

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~]

Review and rating removed

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!!



I love a good enemies to lovers story, especially one with good back and forth banter. Down to You is one of those books that gripped me from the start and didn’t let go. This is the first book of Santino Hassell’s I’ve read, and I can’t wait to read more!

Adrián and Simeon don't get along. They are on rival football teams and there is bad blood between them. When they get aggressive with each other and both end up suspended, they end up being forced to spend much more time together then they would like.

Simeon and Adrián aren’t friends, but the more time they spend together, the more they can both see redeemable qualities in each other. More than that, they are both attracted to one another, even if Adrián doesn’t want to admit his attraction. The build up to them being together… gah! I loved the slow burn! Once it finally happened, though… holy hell. HOT!

“You’re killing me, Adrián,” he whispered. “You’re dangerous.”
“I’m not apologizing for it. I like making your heart beat faster.”
“It does. Trust me.”

I loved both Simeon and Adrián. Both were real and raw characters. I enjoyed the banter between the two, and loved even more seeing them together for real. The last bit was a real treat. There were great supporting characters as well. Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I can’t wait to read more from this author. I think I need to go back and read Illegal Contact ASAP!

[Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read**]

Review and rating removed.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾]

Review & rating removed

[Nissa | Of Pens and Pages Book Blog]

*In light of the recent events, I've removed my star rating for this book*



Down by Contact is a beautiful slow burn, enemies to lovers romance between two incredibly sexy football players from rival teams. I've been waiting for this book since Illegal Contact came out last year because Simeon is my sunshine and I want to read more about him, and 👏this 👏 story👏delivered! I'm in love with this couple, y'all.

New York Barons quarterback Simeon Boudreaux continues to stay a fan and media darling even after coming out as gay, but it doesn't mean everyone loves him. Bravo, the linebacker of his team's main rival, the New Jersey Predators, hates him and isn't afraid to say it. He saw it as a huge betrayal when Simeon jumped ship from the Predators to the Barons and someone said Simeon spilled his old team's playbook to his new one.

When their bad blood ends up in almost a riot at a practice game, they're suspended from playing six games and sentenced to community service. It's good publicity and gives them the chance to learn how to work together.

Once upon a time, Simeon and Adrián got along really well, and if they can just let go of their grudges, they might have that again.

I wanted to kick Adrián for talking smack about Simeon, but I softened to him when he became aware of his mistakes and his own sexuality. Adrián at the start of the book represents not just heterosexuals, but society in general. While he never meant to be homophobic (or at least not as homophobic as his other teammates), he made jokes about Simeon's sexuality like it was nothing. Like he could say those things without being labeled a homophobe because he only meant it as a joke.

His confusion, hesitation, and struggle were depicted wonderfully. This is why his character growth made me so happy. Not only did he have a lesson to deal with, he also had to come to terms with his own sexuality. And then he fell in love. This man. ugh I adore him He's not just intense on the field; he's like that in every aspect of his life. Go big or go home, am I right?

I loved Simeon in Illegal Contact, and loved him even more in Down by Contact. He's charming, lovable, and proud of who he is and rarely lets the negativity get to him. He was so patient with Adrián without coming to a point of being a doormat—he doesn't hesitate to call him out when he's wrong. He has friends who supports him and is there for him 24/7, a community who has fully embraced him, and a mother who will always be there for him.

I loved seeing their backgrounds, the contrasts of how they were raised. It really showed the effect of their relationship with their families and friends on how they became who they are and how they handled things.

This book fully cemented my love for Santino Hassell's words. This isn't just a book about sexy footballers with explosive chemistry and fantastic banter. It talks about how religion, society, and peer pressure can affect one's perception and understanding of LGBTQIA. But it's also a book about sexy footballers with explosive chemistry and fantastic banter. Did I say explosive chemistry? Because they have it in spades.

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Sports—American Football
POV: First Person, Dual POV
Standalone: Yes

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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[Shile (Hazard's Version) semi-hiatus]

Rating Removed

****************************


5++++++ stars

Honestly i don't think i can give Santino's books less than 5 stars, his characters and their stories feel so real to me.

I love the cover and i started picturing Simeon like that but when it came to the description it was different. It bugged me a little but i got over it.

He is described as: golden brown skin, hazel eyes, dark russet-colored hair and freckles, so i pictured this guy and all was fine.

Simeon



Adrian is latino with dimples, once i had my cast, the story was perfection.



I loved every word of it. Santino's writing will forever be my drug of choice, his words and characters get into me.

I loved Simeon and Adrian together, they fit perfectly.

The Banter was on point as usual i was laughing so hard.

“Don’t worry,” Adrián said, stroking my hand. “Like I said, they’ll fine me or they’ll release me, and I’ll go free agent. To be honest, I hope they go that route. Fuck them. All of them.”
“But—you told . . . How . . . ?”
“Because I’m tired of lying and hiding. And if they don’t want me back because I’m a big bisexual linebacker, then fuck ’em.” Adrián winked. “’Sides, like I said, I’m about to move in with you. You can be my sugar daddy.”
This time it was my laugh bordering on hysteria. “You crazy bastard.”

-Bisexual representation was done so well. There was no hooking up with girls and P***y mentioning all the time to prove character's bisexuality. (some authors should take notes.)

-The Chemistry and the sex was hot as usual, after all it is Santino.

- Gavin!Gavin! my grumpy boyfriend, loved seeing him around in this book and Noah the sweet one.



I hope Rocky's story is next. I would love to see how he redeems himself.

[Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth]

In the light of recent events I removed my rating.



Homophobia is vile, there is no whitewashing it. It attacks a person’s choice of who they love and that in itself is evil. Most of the MM books make it a theme one way or another but Santino Hassell always puts his own stamp on it. Just take the setting of the book: two players in one of the most hypermasculine sports and let them butt heads on a football field.

On one side there is Adrián Bravo, who slams homophobic comments towards Simeon Boudreaux, who is the guy playing for the other team, in more than one sense – Simeon is Adrian’s rival on the football field. After an altercation between the former-friends-turned-enemies that turned violent they are forced together, working at a Community Center for the length of their suspension.

Simeon is out and proud and completely unapologetic about his sexuality. His charm and easy-going, laid-back manners make him a favorite of the press, and me. Simeon is kind, affectionate and totally lovable. He’s also very observant and calls Adrián out when he messes up but that mostly comes from a good place. I fell in love with him Illegal Contact and nothing has changed. Especially thesweet affectionate little gestures which he bestowed on Adrián made me break out in a smile repeatedly. He is an endearing, sweet character with his heart in the right place.

“I need you to tell me I won’t ruin your career by being in your life. Because no matter how hard I try to be discreet, I know somehow . . . I’ll screw it up. ’Cause that’s me, boo. I’m a mess. A loveable mess, but still a goddamn mess.” - Simeon

Adrián seems shallow in the beginning. His behavior toward Simeon is more the one of a grade school boy pulling pigtails, seemingly unrepentant about his actions. It takes a while until he can admit to himself where his hostility towards Simeon stems from and until then he acts a lot like a brat.

From the moment he has his come-to-Jesus-moment Adrián pulls out all the stops to make it up to Simeon. I loved how he fought for their relationship, how once he realized that he was falling in love he was all in. Adrián is a complex character, adorkable, hilarious, with a too-smart-for-his-own-good mouth, but his devil-may-care attitude is only for show. Underneath there is an insecurity, a vulnerability and a sensitive soul that surfaces the more time he spends with Simeon.

Simeon touched my hand, fingers so tentative and so light it broke my heart. He shouldn’t be afraid to touch me.

I adored them together. They are playful, cheeky, their dynamic is sizzling and totally engrossing because both of them are dominant characters but with Simeon being the more relaxed one of the duo they find common ground. He lets Adrián set the pace of their developing relationship. When they get dirty it’s downright combustible, their chemistry is insane.



That Santino Hassell chose people of color doesn’t go unappreciated. It’s s rare to find in MF books, even less in MM. The way the two main characters talk feels entirely natural, authentic, which made their interaction even better. The dialogues are full of wit and banter and their exchanges made the book lighter than I thought it would be.

“Motherfucker, I do not have no small dick.”
“If you say so, partner. No judgment here in the land of seven inches.”
“And ain’t no need to front over here in the land of eight.”
Adrián leaned farther across the table. “Wanna check?”

This enemy-to-lovers story is powerful, has enough grit to make it not too sweet and has an important message. The writing is top-notch, gripping and keeps you invested in Adrian and Simeon’s journey. Santino Hassell is quickly becoming a favorite. I am super curious who the next book will be about. I’ll definitely pick it up!

[Geri Reads]

In light of what happened and after much deliberation, I've removed Santino Hassell's books from my Read and TBR shelves. No one forced me to do this, I've reached a decision on my own.

ARC provided by the publisher

[Rachel Reads Ravenously · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review now posted! 1/8/18

4 stars!

“It was perfect. He was perfect. We were perfect together.”

Adrian and Simeon are enemies on rival football teams. They snark at each other during games, call each other out on social media and can’t stand the sight of each other. Simeon is a openly gay football player and Adrian seems to be anti-gay. When the two of them get into trouble on the field they are forced to spend time together working for a charity, where they both learn there is more to the other than they originally thought.

“All this time, I’d not only been starving for his body—I’d been deprived of his kisses. Now I couldn’t get enough.

Santino Hassell became one of my all time favorite authors very quickly this past year. A very talented writer, he never delivers the same story twice and never the same character twice. That’s what I love about his books, they always bring something new to the table. Football isn’t my sports romance genre of choice usually but I that didn’t even cross my mind when reading this book, the game was important but it also didn’t overwhelm the story which I appreciate.

Simeon and Adrian were both such amazing characters, I loved both in different ways and for different reasons. While they may have started out hating each other, I loved being on the journey of understanding and acceptance with them and thought they had a very beautiful love story.

“I need you to tell me I won’t ruin your career by being in your life. Because no matter how hard I try to be discreet, I know somehow . . . I’ll screw it up. ’Cause that’s me, boo. I’m a mess. A loveable mess, but still a goddamn mess.”

ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley. All/any quotes in this review came from an advance unedited copy and may be subject to change in the final product.


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[Wendys Wycked Words]

I absolutely loved book 1, and I was damn sure, I was gonna love book 2 as well. I love it when I am right !!!



I loved this one even more then I did book 1 which is saying something, because that one was pretty damn awesome as well ;)

This time it's Simeon's turn.... He and Adrian used to be on the same team, "The Predators" and they used to be friends. That is until Simeon changed teams and joined "The Barons". Ever since, Adrian has been quite hostile towards him, especially sonce Simeon "came out".

This hostility escalates during a game between "The Predators" and "The Barons", and both of them get a six week suspension.....but that's not all ...



They are forced to do community service together at a kids center. Which means they will be spending plenty of time together...

Slowly but surely, they start getting close again. Which also means that the reason for all of Adrian's hostility comes to the surface.

Now as much as Adrian was an ass during the beginning of the book, I never once hated him. I am a big fan of assholes redeeming themselves and I think he really did....redeem himself. I liked him from the moment he made his appearance...even when he was still a little ass.



Adrian was very confused about his feelings for Simeon, and most of his hostility came from feeling betrayed in some way.

I really loved seeing him "catch feels" and finally giving in to these feelings....



Once he was in (pun intended).....he was ALL in !! And I loved him even more for standing up for himself and the person he wants to be with...

I loved reading this one, and I can't wait to see what Santino comes up with next !!

Highly recommended ;)

 

My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession

[~Mindy Lynn~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!

I loved the first book and was excited when I got an ARC for this one. I couldn't wait to read about Simeon. I love the friendship that these three have. You have Brawley who is the protector of the group, Marcus who seems to be the softy and the most level headed, then we have Simeon who is the jokester of the group and gets himself in trouble a lot because he says and does things before thinking them through. They balance each other out and they're fiercely loyal to each other which comes through just as strong in this book as it did in the first.

Simeon and Adrian use to be friends once upon a time when they were both team members of the football team, the Predators. That friendship died a quick death when Simeon left the team to join another football team called the Barons. Adrian felt blindsided by his leaving and was hurt but unwilling to admit to himself a 100% why. So he uses that hurt to lash out against Simeon on social media accusing him of handing over the Predator's handbook over to his new team. He also makes backhanded comments about Simeon's sexuality. Simeon claps back with his own roundabout comments. Soon their teams are facing each other at a preseason game and things come to blow between the two men. The outcome from their fight leaves them both suspended and having no choice but to work together volunteering at the Grant Street Center working with kids. Neither man is thrilled to be in each others space. They both protest too much me think. LOL

This was just as much as Adrian's story as it was Simeon's. The more time Adrian spends around Simeon the more the attraction he has been harboring comes closer to the surface. Simeon is just as attracted and is patient in waiting for Adrian to come to his AHA moment. Simeon is full of charm and is such a sweetheart where Adrian is constantly saying things wrong and getting flustered by his own mouth. He was endearing. I loved that when he realized that he was in fact catching feelings for Simeon he owned them and admitted to himself he was bi.

I loved these two together. They had loads of chemistry and some really sweet and sexy times together. I really liked their interactions with the kids as well and how they came to caring about them and wanting to continue doing for them even when their time was up.

I don't see how Santino is going to make me love Rocky, but I am looking forward to see if he can.

This is fastly becoming a favorite series. If your a fan of MM sporty books then you need to read this series.

Happy reading dolls! xx

**I RECIEVED AN ARC FROM NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.**

[Sophia Triad · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I have read two book by this author and I loved them. I have noticed that ratings and reviews for the author's books keep disappearing from GR and most of you probably know the reason. I have decided to leave everything as it is. I don't applaud bad behaviours, but I still liked the books.***

The book is based on my favorite enemies to lovers trope.

“God, I hate you.”
No, you just hate that you want to fuck me this badly.

Adrián Bravo and Simeon Boudreaux play for rival teams in Super Bowl and they hate each other since forever. When they have a dirty fist fight on the field, as punishment , they will need to work together in order to teach some teenager kids in Brooklyn how to play ball.

As we already know from the first book Illegal Contact, Simeon is gay and proud. He admitted this fact after he was framed and a dirty video with him and several men became viral. If I remember correctly in the previous book Simeon was a bit embarrassed about this video. His teammate and best friend Gavin Brawley beat up a few men to protect Simeon. In this book Simeon seems to have embraced his sexuality and he does not hesitate to show the video to Adrián to piss him off.

Adrián on the other hand appears homophobic in the beginning of the book and insults Simeon with stupid jokes and offensive comments. Thus, the dirty fist fight between them.

Adrián’s journey to accept his true self and feeling is the most attractive feature of the book. I enjoyed it, but I think the confessions came a bit too fast. I would have appreciated a bit more groveling. And a bit more sex, before admitting everything including his obsession. But I am sure that other readers may find this more appealing than me.

I think that things had been too easy for Adrián in terms of confessing and acceptance by Simeon and the rest of the world.

As a result, I liked it a bit less than Illegal Contact. Still it is a very much engaging and satisfying book that I read in one sitting.

I have a feeling that the next book will be about Rocky and I am looking forward to it:

“Wow. So you’re joining the Barons’ queer brigade?”
“Nah, I’m starting one right here in the Predators,” I said sarcastically. “If you stop being such an asshole, I’ll let you join.”
A spasm went through him, an aborted movement, and I knew he’d been about to hit me. “I’m not gay. Don’t you ever say that. Ever.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Uh, okay, bro.”

[Rosalinda *KRASNORADA*]

RATING REMOVED




I enjoyed this one, I just wish the enemies part would have lasted longer than that because it was kinda clear from the beginning that they had a thing for each other and I didn't feel the hatred

Quick and easy read with a couple awwww-worthy moments.

I really hope Rocky's story shows a better character development as in I really want to see the homophobe struggling with feelings and stuff and coming to terms with his sexuality. I think there is a lot of potential with Rocky's story

BR with Pavlina

[.Lili.]

Rating removed.

Original review under spoiler.




Down by Contact by Santino Hassell is the enemies to lovers story of Simeon and Adrián. They were once teammates and friends, but things quickly soured between them when Simeon was traded from the Predators to the Barons. Adrián made it his mission to bully his old teammate in any way he could. During a preseason game, the two get into it causing them both to get suspended and having to do community service- together. What ensues is slow burn deliciousness.

Some highlights:

-Simeon, in Illegal Contact, he was Gavin's supporting friend, and although he was still a nice guy in this book, he wasn't perfect. That added to his appeal- had he been an immaculate human being it would've been boring so it was nice to see that he's flawed just like everyone else.

-Adrián. He was tone deaf, cocky, and an asshole, but he will steal your heart. He grew throughout the story, and once he started coming to terms with his sexuality and developing feelings for Simeon, he was all in. No pun intended.

-UST! Palpable in every encounter between these two men.

-BANTER! It added to the sexual tension and made me laugh.

-The pace of the story is quick and flawless.

-Narration. The story is told from POVs which was perfect, loved being in both main characters' heads.

-Sexual discovery.

-Bisexual rep.

-And the end....♥

Can this be read as a standalone? Yes, but read Illegal Contact. Don't cheat yourself out of a great book.

Down by Contact lived up to the high expectations I'd set in my head for it. It was funny, moving, relevant but still raw. This was another outstanding book by Santino Hassell.

“You’re killing me, Adrián,” he whispered. “You’re dangerous.”

“I’m not apologizing for it. I like making your heart beat faster.”

“It does. Trust me.”

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Nile Princess]

[RATING REMOVED]

Sooo, ehhh. I totally get why people say they were expecting more. This had a bit of a novella feel to it; the sexual tension that I was looking for wasn't really there, and right up until Adrian practically begged Simeon to give him a chance, this was a three star read for me. Things didn't really start panning out the way I expected until about 75% in. But, first things first.

The GALL of the author to use that sexy-assed dark skinned GOD on the cover when Simeon was medium brown with reddish brown hair (wah??) and hazel eyes...I was not amused. I TOLD Y'ALL from jump that that dude on the cover was supposed to be Simeon and he didn't nowhere, no how match Simeon's description from Book 1. I couldn't figure out how the HUHYELL we got that cover. Not that I'm complaining about the cover, but come on, man! Talk about misrepresentation! Anyway, I just pictured the dude on the cover because the physical description of the actual characters was so sparse, really they could have been anybody. I kept forgetting Adrian was supposed to be Latino, and Simeon was supposed to be whatever the heck he was (Creole). I guess it was too much to make him a dark-skinned black man. I mean if you're going to finally write ONE black character, dammit, go for broke! Right. I'm letting it go now....okkk, now. There, it's released.

The sexual tension was not there! I really wanted something in depth with these two characters. Book 1 was much better, and felt more realistic. Lawd knows I love me some Gavin. Geezusss. He was the best character in THIS book, I kid you not. The way he's so protective of Simeon and calls Adrian on his ish. Sigh. "Save that sarcasm for someone who thinks you're cute." I luvvvvs him. I may need to read Book 1 again. This book was ok. It felt like the author was just coasting. Everything felt very superficial, the 'competition' felt silly. We hate each other, but I'm going to 'compete' with you and suck your dick to see who 'wins' ie breaks first (no pun intended). Ok. Not. Things getting hot and heavy and then having them go out in a storm to look for Brayden. Yeah. No. I don't know. I was just expecting more here. There was no real 'relationship'. It kind of went from competition sex to we're so in love. I will say that after 75% things really started looking up, and the showdown on the field was glorious! As was everything that came after.

Still, I'm looking forward to Book 3 if it's going to be the super homophobe. He will really have an uphill battle, and I hope that's given its due.


3.5 stars.

------------

A black lead. Yes, Yes, I am here for it!! I was beginning to wonder if black men hadn't yet been invented in this author's world, so I am readyyyyy! *twirls*

I'm guessing the guy on the cover is Simeon...though not the Simeon described in Book 1 - 'light brown skin, freckles, and curly reddish hair' (beginning of Chapter 2)....which, eh, could be biracial/Creole. I didn't know he was African American as nowhere in any other part of the book does it mention that he is. All I ask is PLEASE don't whitewash the character. Every time an author I've silently (or not so silently) begged for black characters includes one, I either get some passing reference to slavery, or the character is so nondescript I don't know which character is supposed to be black! You've given us a tall glass of dark chocolate on the cover. Please let this gorgeous man's rich complexion, and features, come into play so we can fully appreciate the beauty of this romance.

[h o l l i s · Rating 5 out of 5]

DOWN BY CONTACT is the best thing I've read all year. Now don't go rolling your eyes. I know we're only three days into 2018 but hey. My point stands.

Adrián gave me big, owlish eyes. He was so boyishly adorable it was hard to hate him for long periods of time. I solved that little dilemma by reminding myself that he was a douche canoe.

I've still not yet read any of Hassell's other solo works since finishing book one in The Barons series and honestly I need to stop wasting my breath over any promises or good intentions to do so any time soon. It'll happen but the tbr is what the tbr does, you know? Things happen. That said.. while I totally enjoyed ILLEGAL CONTACT, book two blew it out of the water.

"Unlike the rest of our crap society, I don't peep sex tapes and leaked pics, okay? I take privacy seriously and that's an invasion of it. I wouldn't like it if some girl I fuck takes secret pics and suddenly has my cock on Snapchat."
"Why not? Is it small?"

This follow up novel had me laughing pretty much from the opening pages. If you were a fan of FAST CONNECTION from the Megtino Cyberlove series, I think you'll love this one, too. Because Adrián is basically Costigan in football form. Translation? He is fucking hilarious and is my precious.

What was it about this kid that had me acting like a teenager all over again? I couldn't even stand his ass, and yet he had that whole badass-in-the-back-of-the-class charm that drew me in like candied bacon.

The dynamic between the Predator player and Simeon, the quarterback for the Barons who we saw a lot of in book one, was perfect. A mix of hate, confusing fascination, games, oneup-manship, and (by the end, at least) real, disarming, beautiful, affection. Throwing these two at-odds adults together, who are basically oversized children themselves, and putting them in charge of sassy straight-talking youth in an effort to promote the teamwork they failed to show themselves was just nonstop entertainment.

"I feel like writing apology letters to every teacher who ever had to deal with me."

But there is also a lot of wonderful dialogue about queer culture, basic human respect, and understanding mixed in among Hassell's banter and flirting, all set up to help educate Adrián's tendency to make jokes he believed to be funny and harmless until Simeon offered up a woke perspective. It does a pretty great job at keeping the narrative informative, without reading like a TED Talk or essay, and yet still being relevant as fuck to the story itself.

I wanted us to fuck so he could know how it felt to be a queer in a homophobic industry, and then regret everything he'd ever said while in his feelings about something that had happened years ago. I wanted him to understand.

I've talked about the funny, I've talked about the realness, but I also have to mention the hot factor. It. is. dialed. up. Watching Simeon toy with the supposed-straight boy in the early parts of the story was delicious, watching them tussle and strong arm each other around was fan-worthy, and the brief moment where Adrián hugs Simeon from behind (during a scene I'll keep from spoiling) and does a little puppy snuffle into his neck? I mean, come on, Hassell, you're killing me. The final chapter was perfect, too. I would have been happy seeing it close even without the epilogue but that addition just ended up being the cherry ontop of this beautiful sundae.

Denial was powerful in most men, but Adrián Bravo settled on intrigued.

This whole book was just delightful. Giving this five stars was a no brainer considering I highlighted probably 75% of the file. I really hope there's a book three in the works because, yeah, I can see where the author has made effort to set it up and it has great potential to be a total angst fest, but I also just want more of these characters and this series.

Gavin was still looking at me like he wanted to break my neck. Or maybe that was just his face.

Highly recommend.

5 "we're both messy. can't we just throw caution to the wind and be messy together?" stars


** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

[Dia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars

I adore Santino Hassell's writing style! He's one of my favorites authors and it's always a real struggle waiting for the release of every book by him.

I absolutely adored Illegal Contact and the excerpt that we got at the end of it, from Down by Contact, made me want to read this one like yesterday!!! So imagine my huge expectations.

I also reread Illegal Contact right before Down by Contact's release. Now I start to think it was not a good idea. Illegal contact was absolutely amazing, and one of my favorites in 2017. So after rereading it, well I felt this one wasn't rising to my expectations.

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, so I was expecting A LOT of banter and sarcasm, and more I don't know... more tension. Remember how Gavin and Noah were in Illegal Contact? You could practically feel them struggling to hold back. Oh, how I loved the first book!

Here both MC's are extremely sweet. Both have good back stories. Forced to work together for 2 months hey find a way to get along and get to know each other better, but that was a little strange since they were colleagues in the past. Adrian was super homophobic for a long time, ever since Simeon left The Predators, but Simeon forgot too easily all the bullshit Adrian spread through the years. Now they were attracted to each other. OK, I get it. What I think it was a little forced was how Adrian lived in denial. Even from himself. I think it would have been more credible if he'd known all along that he was super attracted to Simeon, but chose not to act on his attraction, because he was scared he might be bisexual and was afraid to come out to his team and family.

The sex scenes were amazing, but I am not surprised. Santino writes the hottest scenes!!

Overall it was a pretty sweet romance. But I expected a lot of angst from this supposed to be enemies-to-lovers story. So I'm not rating this with 5 stars because I didn't get to love this to pieces. Not like I expected, anyway.
There was not enough teasing, not enough banter, not enough sarcasm, not enough angst either. Hard to believe Santino wrote such a sweet romance, with almost no angst. But when they started to get hot, they were amazingly hot!!

I loved the ending!!! The best thing here, and also the reason I was tempted to give this book 4,5 but I ended giving it 4,25, would be the sweetest epilogue Santino gave us. Illegal Contact didn't have one, and many reviewers pointed out that it was so needed. Here we got it and it's full of joy and happiness! I really am a sucker for beautiful epilogues.

Ummm, I still loved Illegal Contact more. But hope the next books in this series will surprise me more.

[⊱✿⊰ Alicia ⊱✿⊰]

Looking forward to this one 😜

[Alisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review deleted because the author may have have misrepresented themselves as ownvoices and accepted cash gifts from fans under potentially false pretenses.

statement from publisher

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[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

I really didn't think I could like Adrian. Ever. But somehow by the end I did.

Unfortunately, I just never did love Adrian or Simeon.

But it's Santino Hassell. And it's football.

[Natasha]

Review and rating removed

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘]

[rating & review removed]

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*feigns nonchalance while crossing and uncrossing legs* The sexual frustration continues! 😅 These books are great. Brb while I add everything by Santino Hassell to my smutty smut tbr

[Steven]

I'm saddened to say, while the writing is really good, the author has done some terrible things, and I have to remove my rating. Lying, catfishing, gaslighting, bullying, conning people out of money... such a shame. My original review was 4 stars.
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Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Yowza, this book was chock full of hotness. Fiesty dudes, getting busy with each other! Sexual tension you could cut with a knife! Emotional turmoil and angst!

Serioualy though, I loved this book so much I read it in a few hours. The first book was better, in my opinion, because, well, Gavin Brawley was super effing sexy! This one had some ridiculously heated scenes though, and definitely differentiated Simeon and Adrian from Gavin and Noah. They didn't feel like generic copies, like so many romance series following different couples each time seem to fall into.

Definitely thinking there will be a third (probably Rocky? paired with Wyatt maybe?), and will definitely be all in for that one too.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really enjoyable... Simeon & Adrien had a love hate relationship. Playing on rival teams, trash talking on social media then losing their cool in a practice match which led to a six week suspension. Forced together to support a youth Centre Simeon and Adrien began to realize they actually had more in common than they thought. As they shared deeper feelings after a few “dares” both men realized they were clearly hooked on each other. This was really cute actually and it was nice watching Adrien come to terms with his sexuality. Another great book by Santino- he really is one talented guy !

[LenaLena]

https://twitter.com/sweetsakuradoll/s...
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https://twitter.com/i/moments/9707166...

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To be honest, I was ready to toss the book about a third of the way in. Where the previous book ended weakly, the start of this one wasn’t very appealing. Both main characters seemed shallow, needlessly pissy all the time and immature even for their age. The community center setup was a bit of a cardboard cutout too. And the game of gay chicken Adrián and Simeon start seemed far fetched and not quite believable.

However, I am glad I pushed through. Where many books kind of lose their energy when the UST has been resolved, this one actually becomes more interesting after the guys have sex. It’s still a little hand wavey when it comes to the speed with which Adrián comes to accept his gayitude and the depth of his feelings for Simeon, but it was a nice change of pace and the feelings were well done. And that’s pretty much all that counts in a romance novel.

What I am missing in this one as well as in the previous book is a good hard look at the price of fame. All this coming out in the spotlight (for a sport with a notoriously conservative fanbase) seems to have surprisingly little effect on these guys’ daily lives. There’s some paparazzi hanging around, but nobody’s asking nasty questions, there’s no Fox talking heads foaming at the mouth about the demise of the sport, no fan protests. The guys only get recognized in public when it is convenient for the plot, otherwise they’re free to move about. It’s all just a little too easy in the New Jersey blue bubble. I mean, if this book is contemporary enough to have Twitter use 280 characters instead of 140, where is Mike Pence’s ostentatious support of more wholesome teams and the Reddit Red Pill army with their sniveling youtube manbaby sidekicks? I know, it’s Romance. But Hassell has a reputation for being ‘gritty’ and I think that should go beyond using a big city setting and the occasional need to have Urban Dictionary open on your phone.

Still, it was a decent story, if not the most memorable one I’ve read from Hassell.

[Marion]

Review and rating removed.

[Ami]

** RATING IS REMOVED, BECAUSE REASONS.

http://riptidepublishing.com/a-statem...

https://twitter.com/dreamspinners/sta...

Original Review stays under spoiler tag because Goodreads is first and foremost *my* record of reading activities, and the fiasco doesn't change the fact that I've read this book **

Simeon of New York Barons and Adrián of New Jersey Predators are rivals – though once they were teammates before Simeon moves to Barons, their rivalry and social media taunting is legendary, and pretty much fueling the media and fans alike. It all breaks loose when they involve in dirty fight on the field. Simeon and Adrián find themselves benched and stuck together doing community service of teaching camp kids.

I will say this again … I am not such a big fan of enemies-to-lovers trope. Sometimes I find itoff putting because I cannot see how two people who hate each other can suddenly fall in love. Give me friends-to-lovers every time; that makes my heart goes pitter-patter.

BUT Hassell really knows how to write a convincing tale and I always end up wanting the ‘enemies’ to start dueling tongue and to christen every single horizontal (or vertical, I don’t care) spaces they can find *laugh*

I was amused with Simeon and Adrián interaction throughout – yes, sure, they fought and seemed to hate each other (well, since this book has dual perspectives, we know that they really, really don’t *lol*) but it only added up to such delicious sexual tension which I gobbled up like ice cream for dessert.

Slowly but surely the two learn things about each other – amidst of teaching the kids, arguing, and having scorching sex. I admit I was more into Adrián’s journey to figuring out his bisexuality rather than Simeon’s – maybe because Simeon was out and proud already. Simeon has no confusion whatsoever. I loved Adrián’s denial, his confusion, his reaching out, and later his acceptance.

This has been a great series so far. Are there more? Will we ever get Rocky Swoops and his homophobic ass realizes that he is actually into men as well?


A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls



The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

I love this series and I was so excited to start reading Down by Contact!I was hooked from the beginning, I couldn't put it down!Santino delivers a captivating,intense and passionate story!

These two drive me crazy in a good way!They were full of tension and they were passionate.I couldn't get enough of these two. They start off arguing a lot and then they start have feelings!I love their smart dialogues, and it was fun reading about them.Simeon is such a sweetheart I loved him immediately, I can't say the same for Adrian.The truth is I didn't like him a lot at the beginning.

My only complaint is about the ending which felt a little bit rushed in my opinion.
Overall it was a great story, I'm excited for the next book.If you like the first books in the series you must read this one!

  

[Debra]

Rating removed. I am keeping my review under a spoiler tag for my personal record.

Review originally posted at Sinfully.

4 stars

There is no question that Santino Hassell has another hit series on his hands with The Barons. Once again a Barons player, the out and proud Simeon Boudreaux, who we met in Illegal Contact, finds himself with time on his hands after being suspended and injured as well. Too bad he’s being forced to spend it with the man who used to be a teammate, but now is nothing but a homophobic trouble maker, and who started the whole fracas, Adrián Bravo. These two have a history, but each of them have a different take on it. Adrián hates Simeon and Simeon isn’t sure why. A lot of times that hate comes out as homophobic comments and macho posturing as the two, and their teammates, trade barbs on social media.

Although this one lacked the emotional punch for me that I got out from Illegal Contact, I thoroughly enjoyed Simeon and Adrián’s relationship whether it was antagonistic or hot and heavy. I loved Simeon in the first book and he’s just as wonderful as we get to know him a bit more here. He has a great support system in his friends and his mother, a heart of gold and a love of life, and he’s not afraid to put Adrián in his place.

I wasn’t so sure how I felt about the game of “gay chicken” they were playing at the start, but Simeon had his reasons and Adrián was a willing player. Things are bumpy still, but the two forge sort of truce and start to get along more than not as they work off their time at a community center. After they eventually drop the façade that it was all a game, when it came down to it, Adrián proved himself as more interested in Simeon than in fighting or labeling his feelings as anything but what they were. Underneath all the BS, it turns out that Adrián is a smart and delightful counterpart to Simeon.

Adrián is really surprised by the realization that his hurt feelings over Simeon’s leaving the Predators and all the bitterness that followed were more than just professional or platonic anger. While his bisexuality comes as a revelation (Simeon's the only man he's been attracted to) he’s not all that put off. He knows what he feels for Simeon is real and he is ready to be all in, though I wish we had a little bit more of his thoughts and reasoning on leading up to it. Adrián goes from really unlikable to being an incredible, supportive and sympathetic character. Brought up to be a manly man and a winner by his ballplayer father, he knows that any coming out is not going to be easy personally or professionally, but I loved that he didn’t use that as an excuse.

The story was surprisingly light after the first chapters where the two men were at each other's throats. When they’re together, they are a fun and playful couple complete with good banter and sizzling chemistry, who can be just as tender as they can rough. They don’t shy away from serious conversation either, communicating pretty well with a few small hiccups.

I don’t need to sing the praises of Santino’s writing more than I have in the past. I love his simple, straight-forward style even when some of the slang sends me to Google. There were some good secondary characters, including the kids from the community center, the men’s parents and Simeon’s Barons family from the first book. This story will work as a standalone, but I don’t suggest missing out on Illegal Contact. Also, if sports aren’t your thing, most of the action takes place off the field. I’m glad to see that there appears to be at least one more story to come and I’ll be ready and waiting for it.