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Cayuga Cougars #2
Open Net
August Miles has the world on a string professionally.
Augie, as his friends and teammates call the unassuming young goaltender, is on the fast track to the pros. The starting goalie for the Cayuga Cougars, he has a year or two in Cayuga to hone his skills and all his career dreams will have come true. Pity his personal life isn’t riding the same high. He’s the only one among his group of friends without that special someone to call his own.
Until he meets Salvatore Castenada at a lakeside party. The attraction is white-hot and more than a little wonderfully overwhelming for the romantically inexperienced goalie. August quickly discovers that Sal is everything he’s dreamed of in a man: mature, settled, sinfully handsome, and filled with gentle humor. Sal is also HIV positive.
Will Sal’s revelation about his status end this budding relationship before it can even begin? Or will the two men be able to handle the challenges life—and a championship run for the Cougars—throws at them?
Augie, as his friends and teammates call the unassuming young goaltender, is on the fast track to the pros. The starting goalie for the Cayuga Cougars, he has a year or two in Cayuga to hone his skills and all his career dreams will have come true. Pity his personal life isn’t riding the same high. He’s the only one among his group of friends without that special someone to call his own.
Until he meets Salvatore Castenada at a lakeside party. The attraction is white-hot and more than a little wonderfully overwhelming for the romantically inexperienced goalie. August quickly discovers that Sal is everything he’s dreamed of in a man: mature, settled, sinfully handsome, and filled with gentle humor. Sal is also HIV positive.
Will Sal’s revelation about his status end this budding relationship before it can even begin? Or will the two men be able to handle the challenges life—and a championship run for the Cougars—throws at them?
200 pages, ebook
First published August 16, 2017
46 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
V.L. Locey
201 books719 followersV.L. Locey loves worn jeans, Dr. Who, Torchwood, belly laughs, yoga, reading and writing lusty tales, walking, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.)
She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.
When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, fresh cup of java in hand.
Sign up for my newsletter here: http://vllocey.com/Newsletter
She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.
When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, fresh cup of java in hand.
Sign up for my newsletter here: http://vllocey.com/Newsletter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 20, 2017
I want to really applaud the author for putting HIV into the conversation of the MCs in a realistic way (although I really missed a discussion of PrEP that I felt should have been in there.)
Augie is a great character, the MCs are excellent together in both sweetness and heat - I actually wanted just a bit more doubt and conflict there, since there were some real potential issues between them. Not just age and experience gap, but the intensity of a pro athlete life, the health issues, family, fans, etc. Things went off too smoothly for me, with each obstacle kind of rolling over and vanishing (other than Mario being an ass with a good heart - he really saved the book from being an upbeat text on dealing with long-term HIV in a relationship.)
I would love for this to be the real world, but it felt more rosy than I could credit. At the same time, good information, good intent, and characters I really cared about. A reasonable amount of hockey action, some emotions, some heat. So it's a book I enjoyed, and I will pick up the next one.
Augie is a great character, the MCs are excellent together in both sweetness and heat - I actually wanted just a bit more doubt and conflict there, since there were some real potential issues between them. Not just age and experience gap, but the intensity of a pro athlete life, the health issues, family, fans, etc. Things went off too smoothly for me, with each obstacle kind of rolling over and vanishing (other than Mario being an ass with a good heart - he really saved the book from being an upbeat text on dealing with long-term HIV in a relationship.)
I would love for this to be the real world, but it felt more rosy than I could credit. At the same time, good information, good intent, and characters I really cared about. A reasonable amount of hockey action, some emotions, some heat. So it's a book I enjoyed, and I will pick up the next one.
January 10, 2019
3.5 not as smooth
Having a Poz character can be challenging I think, since authors want to educate without being preachy and show the realities of living with the threat without dragging the book’s tone down too far. The subject was presented well here, with the exception of not mentioning PrEP. Sal was shown to be adamant about protection even with oral sex and I didn’t enjoy seeing that level of fear about his condition. I wouldn’t want it not taken seriously but it wasn’t quite balanced enough in light of current medical findings about the condition.
Mario was made a little too antagonistic over Sal but otherwise, most of the secondary characters played well off of Augie’s. It was pretty instalove and I feel like I missed a bonding scene or something as they went from 0 to 60 in a blink. It was still good, just not the same easy flow as Victor Kalinski’s stories.
Having a Poz character can be challenging I think, since authors want to educate without being preachy and show the realities of living with the threat without dragging the book’s tone down too far. The subject was presented well here, with the exception of not mentioning PrEP. Sal was shown to be adamant about protection even with oral sex and I didn’t enjoy seeing that level of fear about his condition. I wouldn’t want it not taken seriously but it wasn’t quite balanced enough in light of current medical findings about the condition.
Mario was made a little too antagonistic over Sal but otherwise, most of the secondary characters played well off of Augie’s. It was pretty instalove and I feel like I missed a bonding scene or something as they went from 0 to 60 in a blink. It was still good, just not the same easy flow as Victor Kalinski’s stories.
October 15, 2017
Cute romance carrying an important message
This was really sweet age gap romance focusing on the wonderfully clueless goalie August and the older hospital orderly Sal.
That Sal was HIV positive was addressed in both an educational and sensitive way, and it addressed a lot of the myths and misconceptions about living with this status.
I loved how both men talked through their fears and their expectations for each other, although Augie needed a bit of a kick up the bum for the way he dealt with taking Sal home to his parents.
Other than that, I loved him for his sweet and open nature and it was good to catch up with all the rest of the Cayuga gang.
This was really sweet age gap romance focusing on the wonderfully clueless goalie August and the older hospital orderly Sal.
That Sal was HIV positive was addressed in both an educational and sensitive way, and it addressed a lot of the myths and misconceptions about living with this status.
I loved how both men talked through their fears and their expectations for each other, although Augie needed a bit of a kick up the bum for the way he dealt with taking Sal home to his parents.
Other than that, I loved him for his sweet and open nature and it was good to catch up with all the rest of the Cayuga gang.
January 21, 2019
✫ღ˚•。*°•💧💦5-star Review💧✰✰¸.•°*✫★
I am always touched and humbled when a book brings me to my knees. As a medical profession, this one made me proud. As a reader, I am in awe. And as someone touched by HIV/AIDS on a daily basis, I am more than happy to say, well done V.L. Locey, well done. It was touch and go for a while there, but I loved how you intergrated more than just public education into this story. You made it real and personal. If all our sero-pos clients can be like Sal, I would be forever grateful. And if persons can just gain knowledge and share information and just EDUCATE, that would help one more person. Ok, enough with the public service announcement, now onto what you came here for: the review.
I LOVED August. Somewhat shy, twenty two years old and as he puts it...a semi-virgin. OK, I am still cracking up over that one. Augie was goalie for the Cougars, but once he was in the game, he knew just what he wanted. And the Latino man named Sal, 37, had game written all over it.
I enjoyed the camaraderie between the team members, but I enjoyed watching Sal and August fall in love. Sal was a straight up sharp shooter but he was humbled by his sexual awareness. He did not let HIV keep him down. He was honest to a fault and he made sure August understood all of the issues that would be between them.
Mario, psuedo father to August and main character of book one, Snap Shot was like the most real. He let his anger and his fear show, but he was man enough to say sorry.
Some stories stay with you for a season, this one will stay with me for a long, long time. I will go out on a limb and encourage people to add this to their read list. Keep an open mind and then make a promise to get educated. It's not as scary as we think.
I am always touched and humbled when a book brings me to my knees. As a medical profession, this one made me proud. As a reader, I am in awe. And as someone touched by HIV/AIDS on a daily basis, I am more than happy to say, well done V.L. Locey, well done. It was touch and go for a while there, but I loved how you intergrated more than just public education into this story. You made it real and personal. If all our sero-pos clients can be like Sal, I would be forever grateful. And if persons can just gain knowledge and share information and just EDUCATE, that would help one more person. Ok, enough with the public service announcement, now onto what you came here for: the review.
I LOVED August. Somewhat shy, twenty two years old and as he puts it...a semi-virgin. OK, I am still cracking up over that one. Augie was goalie for the Cougars, but once he was in the game, he knew just what he wanted. And the Latino man named Sal, 37, had game written all over it.
I enjoyed the camaraderie between the team members, but I enjoyed watching Sal and August fall in love. Sal was a straight up sharp shooter but he was humbled by his sexual awareness. He did not let HIV keep him down. He was honest to a fault and he made sure August understood all of the issues that would be between them.
Mario, psuedo father to August and main character of book one, Snap Shot was like the most real. He let his anger and his fear show, but he was man enough to say sorry.
Some stories stay with you for a season, this one will stay with me for a long, long time. I will go out on a limb and encourage people to add this to their read list. Keep an open mind and then make a promise to get educated. It's not as scary as we think.
January 9, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up. Liked this story of Augie and Sal.
August 18, 2017
I kinda have a bad habit of not reading blurbs when I am reviewing later books in a series I’ve already reviewed. I knew this was about Augie–one of my favorite characters from the first book–and I knew that it was about hockey, so I was content with whatever else I was given. And while sometimes that bad habit does come back to bite me, I think I lucked out quite a bit on this one.
Augie is by far my favorite character from this series. Anyone who knows me must be aware of my penchant for oddball goalies (or, as their more commonly known: goalies). By the first page I was so totally in love with him that it could have been 200 pages of him being just his crazy self and I probably would have been happy. And then he runs into Sal at a graduation party for a friend…and, well, hello there, hot stuff! Sal may be a bit older than Augie (which Mario, doing a rather good impression of a jackass for the majority of this book, is not hesitant to point out), and certainly more experienced, but these two click like no one’s business. Their interactions at the party had enough sizzle to power the grill for a week at least. Not that them getting together is easy, or anything (especially with Mario McJudgeyface), but they have a simple yet heartfelt connection from the moment they meet to the moment the books ends. It made the story very readable.
One of the things that not reading the blurb did though, much to the stories credit I think, is that I had no clue that Sal was HIV positive going into this. So when the reveal came along, I was genuinely shocked. I really liked that. I also found Augie’s reaction to be rather realistic. He didn’t shun Sal, but I honestly think taking some time to think about the consequences–both bad and good–of dating someone seropositive was the adult thing to do.
I honestly can’t think of anything bad to say about this story. I did think that some of the conversations about HIV felt a tad bit like Things You Need to Know About HIV! in structure, but it didn’t get too distracting. And while I don’t think it is the book of the year, it was very well written, entertaining, and had some great characters. There is not a whole lot here that is new, but I wasn’t expecting there to be. It is just a really good story and one I recommend.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Augie is by far my favorite character from this series. Anyone who knows me must be aware of my penchant for oddball goalies (or, as their more commonly known: goalies). By the first page I was so totally in love with him that it could have been 200 pages of him being just his crazy self and I probably would have been happy. And then he runs into Sal at a graduation party for a friend…and, well, hello there, hot stuff! Sal may be a bit older than Augie (which Mario, doing a rather good impression of a jackass for the majority of this book, is not hesitant to point out), and certainly more experienced, but these two click like no one’s business. Their interactions at the party had enough sizzle to power the grill for a week at least. Not that them getting together is easy, or anything (especially with Mario McJudgeyface), but they have a simple yet heartfelt connection from the moment they meet to the moment the books ends. It made the story very readable.
One of the things that not reading the blurb did though, much to the stories credit I think, is that I had no clue that Sal was HIV positive going into this. So when the reveal came along, I was genuinely shocked. I really liked that. I also found Augie’s reaction to be rather realistic. He didn’t shun Sal, but I honestly think taking some time to think about the consequences–both bad and good–of dating someone seropositive was the adult thing to do.
I honestly can’t think of anything bad to say about this story. I did think that some of the conversations about HIV felt a tad bit like Things You Need to Know About HIV! in structure, but it didn’t get too distracting. And while I don’t think it is the book of the year, it was very well written, entertaining, and had some great characters. There is not a whole lot here that is new, but I wasn’t expecting there to be. It is just a really good story and one I recommend.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
March 14, 2022
Minor league Hockey brings our men together in upper New York. They met and liked each other right away. Sal flirted, August blushed.
August, 22, from Canada is a Hockey goalie,
he's big, 6'2", brown hair and brown eyes, is tough and focused. He was adopted by older parents and is closeted.
Sal, 37, is a hospital orderly, lives with HIV, loves to cook and has an accepting Mexican family.
Sal invites August to dinner, where they have fun, shoot hoops, and had a fun evening.
Sal then tells August he's HIV positive, and Auggie goes home to do a cram session on everything he can find on the topic. He's very cute, and shows up another day at Sal's. There are deep conversations and a kiss that seals their beginnings. First times for sweet August, and they are vers, each tops and bottoms.
I was surprised PrEP wasn't used or even mentioned, for August to be taking. Sal was so extreme about the safety, I thought for sure it would be mentioned. August's teammate, we met in book #1, was very much against Sal and August being together, but we don't know why he was so blunt about it.
We see a lot of fun, great friends and players, family love, and we like our MCs. We learn about hockey, HIV, and much more.
This is a marvelous romance, love in the making with deep thoughts and caring. It's playoff time and then finals, with serious winning mind sets.
Sal and August are going strong and after the hockey season our men take a trip to meet their families. All is well until Sal lands in the hospital, with devoted August with him all the way.
This is touching, loving, heartwarming and forward looking.
A wonderful story.
ENJOY !
=====
August, 22, from Canada is a Hockey goalie,
he's big, 6'2", brown hair and brown eyes, is tough and focused. He was adopted by older parents and is closeted.
Sal, 37, is a hospital orderly, lives with HIV, loves to cook and has an accepting Mexican family.
Sal invites August to dinner, where they have fun, shoot hoops, and had a fun evening.
Sal then tells August he's HIV positive, and Auggie goes home to do a cram session on everything he can find on the topic. He's very cute, and shows up another day at Sal's. There are deep conversations and a kiss that seals their beginnings. First times for sweet August, and they are vers, each tops and bottoms.
I was surprised PrEP wasn't used or even mentioned, for August to be taking. Sal was so extreme about the safety, I thought for sure it would be mentioned. August's teammate, we met in book #1, was very much against Sal and August being together, but we don't know why he was so blunt about it.
We see a lot of fun, great friends and players, family love, and we like our MCs. We learn about hockey, HIV, and much more.
This is a marvelous romance, love in the making with deep thoughts and caring. It's playoff time and then finals, with serious winning mind sets.
Sal and August are going strong and after the hockey season our men take a trip to meet their families. All is well until Sal lands in the hospital, with devoted August with him all the way.
This is touching, loving, heartwarming and forward looking.
A wonderful story.
ENJOY !
=====
January 26, 2019
I enjoyed this story, more than the other I read from this author and I may read more of this series because...hockey players!
Augie was sweet and adorable, virginal, and ready to come out. Sal was much older (and I love age gap, for sure) but he was HIV positive and that presented some issues. At first, Augie need to learn more about it but he was whole-hearted in his acceptance of Sal. And Sal would not, under any circumstances, have sex without a condom so points for that, IMHO.
I was disappointed that Augie didn't tell his parents he was gay before he took Sal to meet them, but I was really happy with the way the author treated the scene. Not all old folks are prudes. A bit clueless, maybe, but many can easily go with the flow.
The drama surrounding Sal's sudden illness was intense and made their HEA that much better.
Great story for those who love athletes and age gap romance.
Augie was sweet and adorable, virginal, and ready to come out. Sal was much older (and I love age gap, for sure) but he was HIV positive and that presented some issues. At first, Augie need to learn more about it but he was whole-hearted in his acceptance of Sal. And Sal would not, under any circumstances, have sex without a condom so points for that, IMHO.
I was disappointed that Augie didn't tell his parents he was gay before he took Sal to meet them, but I was really happy with the way the author treated the scene. Not all old folks are prudes. A bit clueless, maybe, but many can easily go with the flow.
The drama surrounding Sal's sudden illness was intense and made their HEA that much better.
Great story for those who love athletes and age gap romance.
August 1, 2017
Book 2 of the Cayuga Cougars series. This one centres around August Miles and his boyfriend Sal as they meet, fall in love and tackle some scary stuff together.
Oh Augie, he was just so adorable. Young, inexperienced, shy and certainly not out, everything changes when he meets Salvatore Castenada. Sal is gorgeous, older and a lot more experienced in all things than Augie - also Sal is HIV positive.
It's a whirlwind romance for our two heroes, and I loved it. As usual, the book was all in first person and we get an insight to all that's going on inside Augie's head. Sal's HIV was present everywhere, but not intrusively - as it would in real life too, well done on that point. Plenty of drama and dramatics here but the basis of it is that Augie is a sweet boy who deserves all the love.
Oh Augie, he was just so adorable. Young, inexperienced, shy and certainly not out, everything changes when he meets Salvatore Castenada. Sal is gorgeous, older and a lot more experienced in all things than Augie - also Sal is HIV positive.
It's a whirlwind romance for our two heroes, and I loved it. As usual, the book was all in first person and we get an insight to all that's going on inside Augie's head. Sal's HIV was present everywhere, but not intrusively - as it would in real life too, well done on that point. Plenty of drama and dramatics here but the basis of it is that Augie is a sweet boy who deserves all the love.
August 22, 2017
4 Stars
Augie meets Sal at a mutual friends' party, but Augie is deep in the closet. Sal isn't deterred and asks Augie over for dinner. The two click right away, but the deck is stacked against them, besides Augie being in the closet, they are also faced with the fact that Sal is older. This doesn't bother Augie, but his best-friend Mario has a huge problem with it and he isn't shy about letting it be known. Mario finally starts to warm up to the idea of Sal and Augie as a couple, until at dinner with friends he discovers Sal is HIV positive, something Augie is aware of, but has tried to keep his bestie from discovering. This puts the final nail in the coffin for Mario.
I usually don't mention secondary characters that often in a review, but Mario was such a huge thorn in my side. I wanted to strangle him for meddling. There is a difference between caring and trying to protect someone you love and making a freaking nuisance of yourself. Mario may have thought that he meddled out of love, but I thought he was just being an ass and I wanted to throat punch him!!
I loved Augie and Sal, their relationship and feelings for one another move at lightning speed, making the story very instalove, but it worked for the most part. Augie and Sal were sweet together and the love they felt for each other practically comes off the pages at you.
I thought the author handled Sal's HIV status well, Sal is cautious and the issue is there, but it doesn't take over their relationship. I loved that Augie educated himself, but didn't let it stop him from acting on his feelings for Sal.
This was a really sweet and easy read. The road to Augie and Sal's HEA is littered with Mario size bumps, but their journey is worth it. This story had some angst, but most of it is from outside sources *cough* Mario *cough*, but mostly the story was sweet, sexy and filled with acceptance, family and love. Speaking of love, I LOVED getting to revisit Victor and Dan and can't wait to see what Ms. Locey has in store for us next! Very enjoyable and highly recommended!!
*copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
Augie meets Sal at a mutual friends' party, but Augie is deep in the closet. Sal isn't deterred and asks Augie over for dinner. The two click right away, but the deck is stacked against them, besides Augie being in the closet, they are also faced with the fact that Sal is older. This doesn't bother Augie, but his best-friend Mario has a huge problem with it and he isn't shy about letting it be known. Mario finally starts to warm up to the idea of Sal and Augie as a couple, until at dinner with friends he discovers Sal is HIV positive, something Augie is aware of, but has tried to keep his bestie from discovering. This puts the final nail in the coffin for Mario.
I usually don't mention secondary characters that often in a review, but Mario was such a huge thorn in my side. I wanted to strangle him for meddling. There is a difference between caring and trying to protect someone you love and making a freaking nuisance of yourself. Mario may have thought that he meddled out of love, but I thought he was just being an ass and I wanted to throat punch him!!
I loved Augie and Sal, their relationship and feelings for one another move at lightning speed, making the story very instalove, but it worked for the most part. Augie and Sal were sweet together and the love they felt for each other practically comes off the pages at you.
I thought the author handled Sal's HIV status well, Sal is cautious and the issue is there, but it doesn't take over their relationship. I loved that Augie educated himself, but didn't let it stop him from acting on his feelings for Sal.
This was a really sweet and easy read. The road to Augie and Sal's HEA is littered with Mario size bumps, but their journey is worth it. This story had some angst, but most of it is from outside sources *cough* Mario *cough*, but mostly the story was sweet, sexy and filled with acceptance, family and love. Speaking of love, I LOVED getting to revisit Victor and Dan and can't wait to see what Ms. Locey has in store for us next! Very enjoyable and highly recommended!!
*copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
October 13, 2017
I loved Augie and Sal's story!
Open Net is book 2 in the Cayuga Cougars series. We met August (Augie) Miles in the first book, Snap Shot. As the starting goalie, Augie is one of the newer members of the Cougars hockey team. He's only recently admitted to himself that he's gay and that he wants a real relationship like the ones that a few of his teammates enjoy. This story is told in first person POV, from Augie's perspective.
Augie meets Salvatore (Sal) Castenada at a party and they hit it off but Sal guesses correctly that Augie isn't out yet. There is a significant age difference between the two but they are drawn to each other.
When Sal later tells Augie that he is HIV positive, and explains what that would mean for any relationship they might have, Augie asks for time to think about it. He then spends a lot of time researching and learning all he can about being HIV positive and having a relationship with someone who is.
Augie gets a lot of flak from his best friend, and teammate, Mario McGarrity because of the age difference and the fact that Augie has so little experience as a gay man. But Augie has no intention of giving up Sal even after Mario goes a bit off the rails when he finds out about Sal's HIV status.
I'm not good at writing analytical reviews about a story or the writing. I know what I like and don't like and I liked Open Net a lot and I loved Augie and Sal. My heart hurt for Augie because he wasn't ready to come out yet to his family which caused him some anxiety. Sal was so patient and good to Augie that I couldn't help but love him.
There is a significant crisis in the story, but it wasn't a relationship crisis which was nice for a change. Most of the time I don't mind a relationship crisis in a book but it was refreshing for this to be something different even though it brought on the tears.
I'm definitely learning a lot about hockey by reading this series, while at the same time enjoying a very sexy romance.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
Open Net is book 2 in the Cayuga Cougars series. We met August (Augie) Miles in the first book, Snap Shot. As the starting goalie, Augie is one of the newer members of the Cougars hockey team. He's only recently admitted to himself that he's gay and that he wants a real relationship like the ones that a few of his teammates enjoy. This story is told in first person POV, from Augie's perspective.
Augie meets Salvatore (Sal) Castenada at a party and they hit it off but Sal guesses correctly that Augie isn't out yet. There is a significant age difference between the two but they are drawn to each other.
When Sal later tells Augie that he is HIV positive, and explains what that would mean for any relationship they might have, Augie asks for time to think about it. He then spends a lot of time researching and learning all he can about being HIV positive and having a relationship with someone who is.
Augie gets a lot of flak from his best friend, and teammate, Mario McGarrity because of the age difference and the fact that Augie has so little experience as a gay man. But Augie has no intention of giving up Sal even after Mario goes a bit off the rails when he finds out about Sal's HIV status.
I'm not good at writing analytical reviews about a story or the writing. I know what I like and don't like and I liked Open Net a lot and I loved Augie and Sal. My heart hurt for Augie because he wasn't ready to come out yet to his family which caused him some anxiety. Sal was so patient and good to Augie that I couldn't help but love him.
There is a significant crisis in the story, but it wasn't a relationship crisis which was nice for a change. Most of the time I don't mind a relationship crisis in a book but it was refreshing for this to be something different even though it brought on the tears.
I'm definitely learning a lot about hockey by reading this series, while at the same time enjoying a very sexy romance.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
August 18, 2017
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This is a sweet romance between a young hockey player and an older man.
Augie is very young and his inexperience makes him feel younger. I suspect that this is a more accurate portrayal of a young professional athlete than most. Augie’s world is hockey and he’s pretty sheltered and naive beyond his sport. The innocence rolling off of Augie had me just as protective of him as his friends are. I’m not sure I ever liked the idea of a 37 year old HIV positive man for Augie - but I did eventually warm to the relationship and I did come to like Salvatore.
Sal is unusually ordinary for a leading man in a romance novel. He’s attractive and charming but he is also a hospital orderly without grandiose dreams or ambitions. Augie and the other characters acknowledged my many reservations about Sal but as I came to care for him I wondered if he didn’t have more to lose in his unlikely relationship with a beautiful young athlete just poking his head out of the closet.
I don’t often get quite so reflective about characters or so emotionally involved in their decisions. These two felt very real to me and I found myself completely invested in their relationship.
More objectively, this is very much an instalove story without much action that moves quite slowly. There isn’t as much hockey in this story as I usually want from a sports romance. haven’t read earlier books so I struggled with characters the author expected readers to know. But there is something special about the way Augie and Sal both come to life in this story.
This is a sweet romance between a young hockey player and an older man.
Augie is very young and his inexperience makes him feel younger. I suspect that this is a more accurate portrayal of a young professional athlete than most. Augie’s world is hockey and he’s pretty sheltered and naive beyond his sport. The innocence rolling off of Augie had me just as protective of him as his friends are. I’m not sure I ever liked the idea of a 37 year old HIV positive man for Augie - but I did eventually warm to the relationship and I did come to like Salvatore.
Sal is unusually ordinary for a leading man in a romance novel. He’s attractive and charming but he is also a hospital orderly without grandiose dreams or ambitions. Augie and the other characters acknowledged my many reservations about Sal but as I came to care for him I wondered if he didn’t have more to lose in his unlikely relationship with a beautiful young athlete just poking his head out of the closet.
I don’t often get quite so reflective about characters or so emotionally involved in their decisions. These two felt very real to me and I found myself completely invested in their relationship.
More objectively, this is very much an instalove story without much action that moves quite slowly. There isn’t as much hockey in this story as I usually want from a sports romance. haven’t read earlier books so I struggled with characters the author expected readers to know. But there is something special about the way Augie and Sal both come to life in this story.
August 22, 2017
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend that you read Snap Shot first, although it is not essential - there we got Mario and Lila's story, but met many of the other team members including Augie.
Although this is a sports romance, and does have the issues of the Cougar hockey team as a feature, the core of the story centres firmly around Augie and Sal, their romance, and their issues. Just as Snap Shot gave the reader an insight into issues of transgender, Open Net focusses on Sal's HIV status and how it affects his relationship with Augie, and both their relationships with Augie's friends and family.
We are reminded of the mistaken preconceptions that are so easy to form, and of the disappointments when close friends behave in a way which hurts. As Augie opens up about his nature, and introduces his new love to those that mean the most to him, the results are at times unexpected, and unwanted, but at others affirmatory and welcome.
A more thoughtful book than I was first expecting, but as I thought back to the impact Snap Shot had on me, I knew I shouldn't have been surprised; Ms Locey is good at getting to the heart of the matter.
This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend that you read Snap Shot first, although it is not essential - there we got Mario and Lila's story, but met many of the other team members including Augie.
Although this is a sports romance, and does have the issues of the Cougar hockey team as a feature, the core of the story centres firmly around Augie and Sal, their romance, and their issues. Just as Snap Shot gave the reader an insight into issues of transgender, Open Net focusses on Sal's HIV status and how it affects his relationship with Augie, and both their relationships with Augie's friends and family.
We are reminded of the mistaken preconceptions that are so easy to form, and of the disappointments when close friends behave in a way which hurts. As Augie opens up about his nature, and introduces his new love to those that mean the most to him, the results are at times unexpected, and unwanted, but at others affirmatory and welcome.
A more thoughtful book than I was first expecting, but as I thought back to the impact Snap Shot had on me, I knew I shouldn't have been surprised; Ms Locey is good at getting to the heart of the matter.
August 16, 2017
Once again V.L. Locey has knocked another one out of the ballpark or should I say into the net! I simply love how V.L. isn't afraid to approach touchy social issues. This one, in particular, being HIV.
August Miles is a charming character that is closeted, though he wonders why since there are players on his team openly gay. He meets Sal at a graduation party for Heather, the baby momma to Victor one of Augie's teammates.
Sal is a transportation orderly at the hospital and a close friend of Heather's. Sal and Augie hit it off right away and their romance develops quickly but will Sal's secret be too much for Augie?
As usual, all of the characters are well-developed, charming, quirky and fun. We get another look at Vic and Dan and also Mario and Lila.
The topic as I mentioned is dealing with an HIV positive lover and I learned a lot. I didn't want to put this book down once I started!
If you like interesting characters, Hockey players, Orderlies, a sweet romance with a touchy subject, coming out a spicy romance with some hot man-sex you will like this.
If you are not a sports fan don't let that stop you. The hockey does not overpower the story and does add flavor!
August Miles is a charming character that is closeted, though he wonders why since there are players on his team openly gay. He meets Sal at a graduation party for Heather, the baby momma to Victor one of Augie's teammates.
Sal is a transportation orderly at the hospital and a close friend of Heather's. Sal and Augie hit it off right away and their romance develops quickly but will Sal's secret be too much for Augie?
As usual, all of the characters are well-developed, charming, quirky and fun. We get another look at Vic and Dan and also Mario and Lila.
The topic as I mentioned is dealing with an HIV positive lover and I learned a lot. I didn't want to put this book down once I started!
If you like interesting characters, Hockey players, Orderlies, a sweet romance with a touchy subject, coming out a spicy romance with some hot man-sex you will like this.
If you are not a sports fan don't let that stop you. The hockey does not overpower the story and does add flavor!
November 21, 2020
4.5 von 5*
Beruflich gesehen ist der junge Goalie August Miles angekommen. Sein Platz im Team ist ihm sicher und er gilt als großes Talent. Auch an Freunden mangelt es ihn nicht. Aber August hätte gern mehr. Und er würde gern auch einen Menschen an seiner Seite haben. Seine Schwärmerei für Mario war ja nur oberflächlich und er freut sich natürlich für seinen älteren Freund und dessen Partnerin Lila, die August sehr schätzt. Auf einer Party lernt er dann jedoch Sal kennen. Und der Mann geht ihm sehr schnell unter die Haut.
Im Gegensatz zu Augie ist sich Salvatore Castenada sehr sicher. Er ist um fünfzehn Jahre älter als Augie, lebt offen schwul und arbeitet in einem Krankenhaus. Mit seiner Familie hat er ein herzliches Verhältnis und an Freunden an und sozialen Kontakten mangelt es ihm nicht. Aber Sal ist nicht gesund. In sehr jungen Jahren hat er sich mit HIV infiziert und lebt seither ein Leben in ständiger Unsicherheit und Vorsicht. Die Diagnose ist natürlich fast immer ein KO-Kriterium für eine Beziehung, egal wie vorsichtig Sal ist und wie sehr er auf sich und seinen möglichen Partner achtet.
Für Augie ist Salvatores Geständnis ein Schock. Damit muss er sich erst auseinandersetzen und sich informieren. Doch dann wagt er den Sprung ins kalte Wasser. Er will Sal und sich eine Chance geben. Auch er will dieses Stück vom Glück haben. Dabei wird seine enge Freundschaft mit Mario jedoch auf eine harte Probe gestellt. Denn Mario ist gegen diese Beziehung und will August lieber erst sein jungen Leben erkunden sehen. Das führt zu Spannungen. Aber auch Augies Familie ist ein Problem. Denn seine älteren Adoptiveltern wissen nichts von seiner Neigung und August will sie nicht verlieren oder verletzen. Und dann schlagen plötzlich auch noch gesundheitlichen Probleme bei Salvatore zu. Für August kaum zu ertragen!
August erwischt es hier wirklich knüppeldick. Nicht nur, dass er sich endlich zu seiner Sexualität irgendwie bekennen muss, auch die Konfrontation mit den Eltern ist für ihn schwierig. Seine 'Qual' ist absolut nachvollziehbar und man leidet mit ihm mit, als auch noch die Freundschaft mit Mario plötzlich so arg auf dem Prüfstand steht. Man kann Marios Argumentationen durchaus folgen und seine Bedenken verstehen, dennoch bekommt er in dieser Geschichte eher die Rolle des Badboys zugeschoben.
Eine richtig schöne Geschichte, die echt unter die Haut geht. Es gibt viel Drama und Freundschaften geraten ins Wanken. Doch es gibt natürlich ein Happy End und diese Reihe macht wirklich Lust auf mehr.
Beruflich gesehen ist der junge Goalie August Miles angekommen. Sein Platz im Team ist ihm sicher und er gilt als großes Talent. Auch an Freunden mangelt es ihn nicht. Aber August hätte gern mehr. Und er würde gern auch einen Menschen an seiner Seite haben. Seine Schwärmerei für Mario war ja nur oberflächlich und er freut sich natürlich für seinen älteren Freund und dessen Partnerin Lila, die August sehr schätzt. Auf einer Party lernt er dann jedoch Sal kennen. Und der Mann geht ihm sehr schnell unter die Haut.
Im Gegensatz zu Augie ist sich Salvatore Castenada sehr sicher. Er ist um fünfzehn Jahre älter als Augie, lebt offen schwul und arbeitet in einem Krankenhaus. Mit seiner Familie hat er ein herzliches Verhältnis und an Freunden an und sozialen Kontakten mangelt es ihm nicht. Aber Sal ist nicht gesund. In sehr jungen Jahren hat er sich mit HIV infiziert und lebt seither ein Leben in ständiger Unsicherheit und Vorsicht. Die Diagnose ist natürlich fast immer ein KO-Kriterium für eine Beziehung, egal wie vorsichtig Sal ist und wie sehr er auf sich und seinen möglichen Partner achtet.
Für Augie ist Salvatores Geständnis ein Schock. Damit muss er sich erst auseinandersetzen und sich informieren. Doch dann wagt er den Sprung ins kalte Wasser. Er will Sal und sich eine Chance geben. Auch er will dieses Stück vom Glück haben. Dabei wird seine enge Freundschaft mit Mario jedoch auf eine harte Probe gestellt. Denn Mario ist gegen diese Beziehung und will August lieber erst sein jungen Leben erkunden sehen. Das führt zu Spannungen. Aber auch Augies Familie ist ein Problem. Denn seine älteren Adoptiveltern wissen nichts von seiner Neigung und August will sie nicht verlieren oder verletzen. Und dann schlagen plötzlich auch noch gesundheitlichen Probleme bei Salvatore zu. Für August kaum zu ertragen!
August erwischt es hier wirklich knüppeldick. Nicht nur, dass er sich endlich zu seiner Sexualität irgendwie bekennen muss, auch die Konfrontation mit den Eltern ist für ihn schwierig. Seine 'Qual' ist absolut nachvollziehbar und man leidet mit ihm mit, als auch noch die Freundschaft mit Mario plötzlich so arg auf dem Prüfstand steht. Man kann Marios Argumentationen durchaus folgen und seine Bedenken verstehen, dennoch bekommt er in dieser Geschichte eher die Rolle des Badboys zugeschoben.
Eine richtig schöne Geschichte, die echt unter die Haut geht. Es gibt viel Drama und Freundschaften geraten ins Wanken. Doch es gibt natürlich ein Happy End und diese Reihe macht wirklich Lust auf mehr.
August 10, 2017
'We fit like jigsaw puzzle pieces, tight and perfectly aligned.'
This is a nice, sweet, easy read with the added bonus of hockey players! Book 2 in this series but can easily be read as a standalone.
“Looking at you makes me wonder how I survived before you entered my life,”
This is the story of Sal and August. August is a hockey player rookie in the AHL, he's so sweet and kind and loveable and I just adored him.
Sal is a hospital orderly and HIV positive. He's so honest and sweet and a really likeable MC. They meet at a party and decide to meet up for a date. Sal is open and honest from the beginning that he is HIV positive and that he is not prepared to take any risks that compromise August's health. This was all very well written and whilst the seriousness of the disease was made clear it was not over done or dramatised.
"I think I should be jealous of hockey.”
I blushed just a little, then placed a kiss on the back of his bruised hand. “You’re number one, always.”
What I disliked about this book was the Insta love. Arrghhh I HATE Insta love. Its a testament to how loveable these charcters and the overall story was that I stuck with it but I'm glad I did.
Secondary characters were gray in this book. Well developed and added a lot to the overall story. There's plenty of characters from the authors other books but they are well introduced and I didn't feel like I needed to have read their books to understand their role in this story.
Overall a sweet, easy read but as I said can't cope with Insta love and I feel it would have had more depth to it had they got to know each other a little slower and explored their feelings over time. Just a personal preference I guess!
Reviewed by Lulu from Alpha Book Club 
November 8, 2017
3.5 Stars. Augie is super sweet and Sal is super hot. This makes for a lovely little hockey romance that deals with having a partner that is HIV Positive and coming out.
It is great to see a circle of friends as close as Augie has and I love all the hockey details and especially how quirky Augie is like most goalies.
We could have had more character development and back story for Sal and less insta love but it was a nice way to spend a afternoon.
It is great to see a circle of friends as close as Augie has and I love all the hockey details and especially how quirky Augie is like most goalies.
We could have had more character development and back story for Sal and less insta love but it was a nice way to spend a afternoon.
tried-sample
May 31, 2020Tried sample. I did not get far due to poor writing.
February 14, 2018
Little Augie! How darn adorable did he come across in book 1, Snap Shot. Suffering from hero worship, crushing on his team mate Mario (who wouldn’t?) he was stumbling and finding his way and I hoped to hell he got his own story.
I knew this wouldn’t be an easy story reading the blurb, and also after reading the Point Shot series and the first book in the series, I knew the author would have some real talk and real problems for poor little August before he finds any happiness. It’s one of the many things I love about his authors writing, it’s just true and honest, there’s no fluff and fairytales here. For every tough, heartbreaking and real-life situation that these characters endure, the good times are just as impactful.
I so wanted Augie to meet his special guy; one who deserves him and loves him to pieces and he did in meeting Sal, whose patience and love for August was so evident. Although I thought they met and fell for each other really quickly, without August having much previous experience either (he didn’t have to kiss many frogs before meeting Sal), the connection between them came across as very real and I genuinely liked the both of them. I loved that their families were supportive―especially Augie’s Mom. Sal’s HIV story was told realistically and sensitively and while it was crucial to the book, it didn’t dominate it.
Props to Mario for looking out for Augie, even though he didn’t give Sal a chance at the beginning, it was obvious it all came out of love for August. And Lila... OMG, what an absolute angel she is, no wonder Mario is besotted!
The brotherhood and camaraderie between August and his team mates and friends was really evident in this instalment, as it was in Snap Shot and the Point Shot series and as I said in a previous review, this really makes the book for me. It was funny, heartbreaking and full of feels and this is just about everything I want in a read, and when it’s done this well, I’m a happy camper. Another 5* read for and I can’t wait for more.
I knew this wouldn’t be an easy story reading the blurb, and also after reading the Point Shot series and the first book in the series, I knew the author would have some real talk and real problems for poor little August before he finds any happiness. It’s one of the many things I love about his authors writing, it’s just true and honest, there’s no fluff and fairytales here. For every tough, heartbreaking and real-life situation that these characters endure, the good times are just as impactful.
I so wanted Augie to meet his special guy; one who deserves him and loves him to pieces and he did in meeting Sal, whose patience and love for August was so evident. Although I thought they met and fell for each other really quickly, without August having much previous experience either (he didn’t have to kiss many frogs before meeting Sal), the connection between them came across as very real and I genuinely liked the both of them. I loved that their families were supportive―especially Augie’s Mom. Sal’s HIV story was told realistically and sensitively and while it was crucial to the book, it didn’t dominate it.
Props to Mario for looking out for Augie, even though he didn’t give Sal a chance at the beginning, it was obvious it all came out of love for August. And Lila... OMG, what an absolute angel she is, no wonder Mario is besotted!
The brotherhood and camaraderie between August and his team mates and friends was really evident in this instalment, as it was in Snap Shot and the Point Shot series and as I said in a previous review, this really makes the book for me. It was funny, heartbreaking and full of feels and this is just about everything I want in a read, and when it’s done this well, I’m a happy camper. Another 5* read for and I can’t wait for more.
April 18, 2021
Such a let down
I was so excited to read this story because it touched on a sensitive topic that I have yet to read in any other books a character with HIV. However, when the news broke about Sal having HIV that would have been a perfect segue into talking about Prep or Pep or other safe measures of engaging in sex with an HIV positive person besides condoms. Instead you ignored any mention of that. Not to mention August not once went and saw a doctor when he found out about Sal diagnosis nor did he go see a doctor after they engaged in sex. Condoms are effective but there are slip ups. The fact visiting a doctor was completely ignored really bothered me because this book literally ignored the progress that science has made regarding medicine for both people with HIV and those who are HIV negative. There was zero research done regarding HIV, medications and the probability of an HIV positive person and HIV negative person on proper medication becoming intimate without always using protection and the HIV negative person remains that status. Such a disappointment. 😑😒😔
I was so excited to read this story because it touched on a sensitive topic that I have yet to read in any other books a character with HIV. However, when the news broke about Sal having HIV that would have been a perfect segue into talking about Prep or Pep or other safe measures of engaging in sex with an HIV positive person besides condoms. Instead you ignored any mention of that. Not to mention August not once went and saw a doctor when he found out about Sal diagnosis nor did he go see a doctor after they engaged in sex. Condoms are effective but there are slip ups. The fact visiting a doctor was completely ignored really bothered me because this book literally ignored the progress that science has made regarding medicine for both people with HIV and those who are HIV negative. There was zero research done regarding HIV, medications and the probability of an HIV positive person and HIV negative person on proper medication becoming intimate without always using protection and the HIV negative person remains that status. Such a disappointment. 😑😒😔
July 26, 2017
Though this did not wow! me, I really enjoyed it.
In the previous book, Augie had a crush on Mario, and so far he's the only one who knows he's gay. Sal is an orderly who is friends with Heather, Victor's baby mama. They meet at her college graduation and hit it off. They start a relationship after Sal admits to being HIV+ and gives Augie time to think about if he's still interested.
The bulk of the book is them getting to know each other better and introducing Sal to friends and eventually each other's families. Of everyone, Mario has the toughest time accepting Sal, but when Sal has a health scare, he's there for Augie and he sees how serious the two are for each other, and he comes around.
In the previous book, Augie had a crush on Mario, and so far he's the only one who knows he's gay. Sal is an orderly who is friends with Heather, Victor's baby mama. They meet at her college graduation and hit it off. They start a relationship after Sal admits to being HIV+ and gives Augie time to think about if he's still interested.
The bulk of the book is them getting to know each other better and introducing Sal to friends and eventually each other's families. Of everyone, Mario has the toughest time accepting Sal, but when Sal has a health scare, he's there for Augie and he sees how serious the two are for each other, and he comes around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2020
What I Think: The beginning of this tale had me scrambling to check if it was part of a series because a slew of wonderful characters with the most entangled relationships are mentioned. As a vampire, how do I resist undoing those knots? In the meantime, the tale continued. Augie is apparently so sweet and deep in the closet that I immediately go mother hen on him but something about Sal’s perceptive eyes and maturity makes me sense Augie is in good hands almost immediately. Their first conversation is simply adorable.
Augie is bumbling as usual while Sal and I couldn’t be more delighted. I don’t even think Augie sees himself as attractive which I have noticed seems to happen to some of the most beautiful people I know. He definitely sees Sal as a demi-god, which he is for his culinary skills alone (did I mention I love food?) but add in his looks, and damn right, he gets the stamp of demi-godhood. He is mature yet gentle and I hope he will take some time to teach Augie to have more faith and confidence in himself because he’s such a naturally lovable person and doesn’t even know it. Even his choice of a particular musician tells me how sweet my boy which is making me give Sal a stern side-eye only to get distracted when Sal hits him with news that would have sent anyone scrambling for the hills. Then, Augie’s inner strength shows and my heart just melted for the boy as I began to see the qualities that makes him a great goalie. His focus, assuredness, determination and big heart gives him all the tools he needs to handle things better than I could have imagined.
Only for Marcus to try and steal the Mother Hen role from me! I actually growled at my poor ereader because I just couldn’t believe that Marcus of all people would not only want Augie to slow down, but want him to do the ‘sow the royal oats’ thing. Yes, I took it way too personally because I’ve been told the same thing so many times that it’s beginning to poke my inner She-Hulk. Not everyone needs to do the sleep around thing (no slut shaming, promise, because I am so jealous of people who can take their pleasure wherever. I’m just too possessive and tooo shy) but it’s not for everyone and if Marcus can’t see that, my boy needs to handle it.
This tale is such a tease though. Throwing out information about the other tales in the series that’s making my curiosity peak only to come face to face with the price love sometimes exact. My heart ached with worry as I found myself crossing all crossable limbs that this wasn’t one of those romance novels where a partner dies and the other has to move on. Which of course meant I had to fight to control myself from reading the last page before continuing.
But the end was such a tidy clean up that I could imagine Mme. Locey sweeping off crumbs and dusting her hands because truths come to light, Augie finds out who his clan really are and gets the HFN he so very well deserves! (It is under duress that I admit to hopping off my bed with a cry of triumph as I read the ending again!)
Verdict: A realistic keeper of a tale that manages to tease even as it shows that love is perfect in its imperfections!
Augie is bumbling as usual while Sal and I couldn’t be more delighted. I don’t even think Augie sees himself as attractive which I have noticed seems to happen to some of the most beautiful people I know. He definitely sees Sal as a demi-god, which he is for his culinary skills alone (did I mention I love food?) but add in his looks, and damn right, he gets the stamp of demi-godhood. He is mature yet gentle and I hope he will take some time to teach Augie to have more faith and confidence in himself because he’s such a naturally lovable person and doesn’t even know it. Even his choice of a particular musician tells me how sweet my boy which is making me give Sal a stern side-eye only to get distracted when Sal hits him with news that would have sent anyone scrambling for the hills. Then, Augie’s inner strength shows and my heart just melted for the boy as I began to see the qualities that makes him a great goalie. His focus, assuredness, determination and big heart gives him all the tools he needs to handle things better than I could have imagined.
Only for Marcus to try and steal the Mother Hen role from me! I actually growled at my poor ereader because I just couldn’t believe that Marcus of all people would not only want Augie to slow down, but want him to do the ‘sow the royal oats’ thing. Yes, I took it way too personally because I’ve been told the same thing so many times that it’s beginning to poke my inner She-Hulk. Not everyone needs to do the sleep around thing (no slut shaming, promise, because I am so jealous of people who can take their pleasure wherever. I’m just too possessive and tooo shy) but it’s not for everyone and if Marcus can’t see that, my boy needs to handle it.
This tale is such a tease though. Throwing out information about the other tales in the series that’s making my curiosity peak only to come face to face with the price love sometimes exact. My heart ached with worry as I found myself crossing all crossable limbs that this wasn’t one of those romance novels where a partner dies and the other has to move on. Which of course meant I had to fight to control myself from reading the last page before continuing.
But the end was such a tidy clean up that I could imagine Mme. Locey sweeping off crumbs and dusting her hands because truths come to light, Augie finds out who his clan really are and gets the HFN he so very well deserves! (It is under duress that I admit to hopping off my bed with a cry of triumph as I read the ending again!)
Verdict: A realistic keeper of a tale that manages to tease even as it shows that love is perfect in its imperfections!
August 3, 2017
Augie’s story! From Mario and Lila’s book, Snap Shot, we got a little glimpse of August Miles. New goalie to the Cougars, shy, not out and so sweet. Written in first person point of view by Augie, we get an idea of how much he wants his personal life to match the shining loveliness of his hockey life. Augie is young, 22 years old. He knows who he is but so far hasn’t been able to be that person in public. Only Mario knows the true Augie and looks at him as a son (and Mario only knows because Augie was crushing on him!). He’s sort of wistful, Augie. “I liked Lila. She was so at peace with herself and her identity. I envied her. Hell, I envied all the Cougars who could be themselves in public.”
He meets Sal, a 37-year-old coworker of Heather, at a party and sparks fly. While the two of them are getting to know each other, Sal is also letting Augie know that he has HIV. Sal is so upfront and honest about it, while being so vulnerable it was heartbreaking. “I would totally get it if you walked out and didn’t come back. Most guys do, and I get it, I really do.” Sal is afraid of what Augie will face when people know he’s with a much older man, let alone one with HIV. I loved that Augie didn’t say, “no biggie, into bed we go.” No, he was responsible, researching, talking to Heather (as a medical professional) and doing a ton of research on HIV. When he makes his decision, it was an informed decision.
This installment of the Cayuga Cougars has a more serious overtone than the usual V.L. Locey hockey stories due to Sal’s HIV status. I thought the response by Mario was real (jerky, sure, but he’s so protective of his Augie). I appreciated that Sal’s HIV status was important but it wasn’t everything about him. It never felt preachy or judgmental but felt real. There was real fear when Sal gets sick and real concern about thinking about a relationship. That made sense to me, especially with it being August, who does think things through.
It’s not all serious, of course. We get the Cougars, who are down and dirty. Speaking of dirty, we get some mud sex. Augie in a kilt. In other words, life beyond the HIV.
I really enjoyed this story, Sal and August working together to find a way that is best for them. Protective friends stepping up, especially Heather for Sal – that girl is amazing. We get to see Viktor and Dan, also, which was a bonus. I admit I was worried about who Augie would end up with after Snap Shot, because he’s just so lovely. I wanted someone worthy and I’m so happy that’s who he got.
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
He meets Sal, a 37-year-old coworker of Heather, at a party and sparks fly. While the two of them are getting to know each other, Sal is also letting Augie know that he has HIV. Sal is so upfront and honest about it, while being so vulnerable it was heartbreaking. “I would totally get it if you walked out and didn’t come back. Most guys do, and I get it, I really do.” Sal is afraid of what Augie will face when people know he’s with a much older man, let alone one with HIV. I loved that Augie didn’t say, “no biggie, into bed we go.” No, he was responsible, researching, talking to Heather (as a medical professional) and doing a ton of research on HIV. When he makes his decision, it was an informed decision.
This installment of the Cayuga Cougars has a more serious overtone than the usual V.L. Locey hockey stories due to Sal’s HIV status. I thought the response by Mario was real (jerky, sure, but he’s so protective of his Augie). I appreciated that Sal’s HIV status was important but it wasn’t everything about him. It never felt preachy or judgmental but felt real. There was real fear when Sal gets sick and real concern about thinking about a relationship. That made sense to me, especially with it being August, who does think things through.
It’s not all serious, of course. We get the Cougars, who are down and dirty. Speaking of dirty, we get some mud sex. Augie in a kilt. In other words, life beyond the HIV.
I really enjoyed this story, Sal and August working together to find a way that is best for them. Protective friends stepping up, especially Heather for Sal – that girl is amazing. We get to see Viktor and Dan, also, which was a bonus. I admit I was worried about who Augie would end up with after Snap Shot, because he’s just so lovely. I wanted someone worthy and I’m so happy that’s who he got.
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
August 21, 2017
Just looking at the sensual cover of this book had me wanting to read it, let alone knowing it was Augie’s story. I found August Miles such a sweet and unassuming character in Snap Shot, and I was so happy to find out the second book of this series was his story. The fact that this is an age gap story was another draw for me.
For one so young, Augie actually has a pretty good head on his shoulders and is a man who knows what he wants. His youth does shine through in the innocence he projects, something that makes his friend Mario a bit overprotective of him—much to Augie’s continual dismay. I really liked Augie, he’s become my favorite character of this author’s.
Sal is a wonderful character, he’s well aware of the challenges of him being HIV positive and how it affects any relationship he wants to have. I liked how protective he was of Augie, his insistence upon keeping Augie safe for them to be together. The way their relationship blossoms feels natural, even if to others it may seem fast. To me, the two of them came across as a perfect fit for each other.
There were a few things that bugged me, mostly Mario’s attitude toward Augie dating Sal, and how he would continually push Augie to keep playing the field. The way that Sal brought up his status with Augie’s friends was also another thing I wasn’t happy about. But those things aside, I loved Augie and Sal’s relationship…you could really feel the love between them.
Open Net was a 4-star read for me, and I’m looking forward to more in this series! This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
For one so young, Augie actually has a pretty good head on his shoulders and is a man who knows what he wants. His youth does shine through in the innocence he projects, something that makes his friend Mario a bit overprotective of him—much to Augie’s continual dismay. I really liked Augie, he’s become my favorite character of this author’s.
Sal is a wonderful character, he’s well aware of the challenges of him being HIV positive and how it affects any relationship he wants to have. I liked how protective he was of Augie, his insistence upon keeping Augie safe for them to be together. The way their relationship blossoms feels natural, even if to others it may seem fast. To me, the two of them came across as a perfect fit for each other.
There were a few things that bugged me, mostly Mario’s attitude toward Augie dating Sal, and how he would continually push Augie to keep playing the field. The way that Sal brought up his status with Augie’s friends was also another thing I wasn’t happy about. But those things aside, I loved Augie and Sal’s relationship…you could really feel the love between them.
Open Net was a 4-star read for me, and I’m looking forward to more in this series! This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
January 10, 2019
3.75 Stars
I was really happy to see August's book. We met Auggie in book one, where he was the newest member of the Cayuga Cougars hockey team. He was one of those weird goalies that each hockey team seems to have, but still pretty innocent and young, with an adorable crush on Mario. I was glad to see him move past all of that in this book, even though he seemed to still retain some of his sweet innocent shyness. It’s obvious he really grows as a person and it’s cute watching him come into his own along the way.
I was pretty nervous when August met Sal. To an extent, I definitely agreed with Mario that Auggie jumped in way too fast and fell way too hard for Sal pretty instantly. This was Auggie's first relationship and I just felt like he should have taken a small step back a bit. But Sal made me fall for him, almost as much as Auggie did.
I really did appreciate how the twist with Sal was written and covered in this book; I loved that no one turned their back on him and that there were some who even embraced him further after learning what was going on. I think it’s a huge issue that has a lot of stigma attached, and it really shouldn't be that way anymore. Auggie and Sal have a great relationship and the amount of communication they have just makes them so much stronger as people and as a couple. I liked this book a lot and I'll be reading the rest of this series now too.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
I was really happy to see August's book. We met Auggie in book one, where he was the newest member of the Cayuga Cougars hockey team. He was one of those weird goalies that each hockey team seems to have, but still pretty innocent and young, with an adorable crush on Mario. I was glad to see him move past all of that in this book, even though he seemed to still retain some of his sweet innocent shyness. It’s obvious he really grows as a person and it’s cute watching him come into his own along the way.
I was pretty nervous when August met Sal. To an extent, I definitely agreed with Mario that Auggie jumped in way too fast and fell way too hard for Sal pretty instantly. This was Auggie's first relationship and I just felt like he should have taken a small step back a bit. But Sal made me fall for him, almost as much as Auggie did.
I really did appreciate how the twist with Sal was written and covered in this book; I loved that no one turned their back on him and that there were some who even embraced him further after learning what was going on. I think it’s a huge issue that has a lot of stigma attached, and it really shouldn't be that way anymore. Auggie and Sal have a great relationship and the amount of communication they have just makes them so much stronger as people and as a couple. I liked this book a lot and I'll be reading the rest of this series now too.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
October 3, 2017
August Miles is 22 years old and the goalie for the Cayuga Cougars. He is looking for that special someone in his life but hasn't quite come out of the closet yet. When he meets Salvatore Castenada, 37, at a party he thinks his life is about to change for the better.
But Salvatore has HIV and August must decide if love is worth the risk. But he also has to keep his mind on his hockey game as his team tries to make a run for the playoffs for the first time. Will the pressures be too much for August?
I enjoyed this story but found there wasn't as much focus on the hockey aspect as I would have personally liked. I found it a little unbelievable that there was so much time for August and Salvatore to spend so much time together when the Cougars were making a run at the playoffs.
August is innocent and naive and I understood why Mario was so protective over him and wanted him to "test the field" before settling down with the first man who showed an interest in him. I did understand that and agreed a little but August knew he had fallen for Salvatore pretty quick.
As for "drama" there really isn't any in this book. Even the coming out was super easy and there was nothing much that caused any tension other than Mario being so upset.
The ending gave us a small twist and I wondered if Salvatore was going to be ok and if had anything to do with his diagnosis.
This is the first book that I read by this author.
But Salvatore has HIV and August must decide if love is worth the risk. But he also has to keep his mind on his hockey game as his team tries to make a run for the playoffs for the first time. Will the pressures be too much for August?
I enjoyed this story but found there wasn't as much focus on the hockey aspect as I would have personally liked. I found it a little unbelievable that there was so much time for August and Salvatore to spend so much time together when the Cougars were making a run at the playoffs.
August is innocent and naive and I understood why Mario was so protective over him and wanted him to "test the field" before settling down with the first man who showed an interest in him. I did understand that and agreed a little but August knew he had fallen for Salvatore pretty quick.
As for "drama" there really isn't any in this book. Even the coming out was super easy and there was nothing much that caused any tension other than Mario being so upset.
The ending gave us a small twist and I wondered if Salvatore was going to be ok and if had anything to do with his diagnosis.
This is the first book that I read by this author.
August 19, 2017
The cover of this book shows exactly what this book is about. Two men who love and cherish each other through good and bad times. The softness you see in their faces is what you feel when reading their story.
Sal is a gorgeous older man, living with something that happened to him when he was just a young man. One drunken night, changed his life forever in one sense but didn't change who is is at his core....a wonderfully loving and nurturing man. He is also extremely hot. Augie is a younger man, who knows who he is but is afraid of what his parents reaction will be to his truth. He is more than willing to let everyone know his secret for the love of Sal. Augie is also very hot. Both these men know that what they have is special and wonderful and well worth fighting for. I fell in love with both immediately. The fact that we get to see some of the great characters from the previous books connected to this is the icing on the cake. Yes there is amazing love making in this story but right away you realize just how much these men care for one another.
There are a few surprises in this book but I will leave them for you to discover.
Great story and in my opinion, a must read...if you like hot men, love, some problems, strength to get past them and hockey.
Sal is a gorgeous older man, living with something that happened to him when he was just a young man. One drunken night, changed his life forever in one sense but didn't change who is is at his core....a wonderfully loving and nurturing man. He is also extremely hot. Augie is a younger man, who knows who he is but is afraid of what his parents reaction will be to his truth. He is more than willing to let everyone know his secret for the love of Sal. Augie is also very hot. Both these men know that what they have is special and wonderful and well worth fighting for. I fell in love with both immediately. The fact that we get to see some of the great characters from the previous books connected to this is the icing on the cake. Yes there is amazing love making in this story but right away you realize just how much these men care for one another.
There are a few surprises in this book but I will leave them for you to discover.
Great story and in my opinion, a must read...if you like hot men, love, some problems, strength to get past them and hockey.
January 11, 2019
Review by: Jennifer
(3 stars)
We met August in book one, a rookie that came out to Seamus in hopes that they could have a romance. After Seamus turned him down, the twos friendship was a bit rocky but they did work it out. Now, August is working up the nerve to find someone, but he has this problem with being shy and saying things he shouldn't. When he meets Sal at a party, he is interested in the older man, but once again he is awkward and has no clue what to say, its not until Sal asks about hockey that August really opens up. The next step is a date, which to August's dismay didn't go too badly, but when Sal opens up about his HIV status in an attempt to be completely upfront and honest, August has no clue what to think, and needs time. Will August be willing to take the risks of dating someone that is positive? Worse will this affect his hockey career?
So, once again, I found this to just be an ok story. This did have a different aspect with the HIV factor, and I did feel this was done very well. There was a bit of drama, a few steamy bits, and we got to revisit Lila and Seamus from book one and thats always nice. I give this 3 stars.
(3 stars)
We met August in book one, a rookie that came out to Seamus in hopes that they could have a romance. After Seamus turned him down, the twos friendship was a bit rocky but they did work it out. Now, August is working up the nerve to find someone, but he has this problem with being shy and saying things he shouldn't. When he meets Sal at a party, he is interested in the older man, but once again he is awkward and has no clue what to say, its not until Sal asks about hockey that August really opens up. The next step is a date, which to August's dismay didn't go too badly, but when Sal opens up about his HIV status in an attempt to be completely upfront and honest, August has no clue what to think, and needs time. Will August be willing to take the risks of dating someone that is positive? Worse will this affect his hockey career?
So, once again, I found this to just be an ok story. This did have a different aspect with the HIV factor, and I did feel this was done very well. There was a bit of drama, a few steamy bits, and we got to revisit Lila and Seamus from book one and thats always nice. I give this 3 stars.
January 21, 2018
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
For the full review visit https://wp.me/p220KL-cJD on 1/22
From that review: " The second in the Cayuga Cougars series, Open Net is a marvelous joining of hockey and romance by V.L. Locey. This author is amazing at this love/hockey combo because of her in depth knowledge and love for the game which flows through her narrative like a hockey puck on ice. Here the hockey player who falls in love is a goalie, that special quirky teammate on ice that every team has. He's past oddball, having some indefinable character element that all great and even not so great goalies must have. And Locey captures that in the persona of Augie, aka August Miles. How I love Augie. I see him so clearly even now, adopted late in life elderly parents, raised out in the middle of nowhere in Manitoba, hockey is his life. It's his only thing until he meets Salvatore "Sal"Castenada and realizes Sal is everything."
For all our reviews, author interviews and such, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
For the full review visit https://wp.me/p220KL-cJD on 1/22
From that review: " The second in the Cayuga Cougars series, Open Net is a marvelous joining of hockey and romance by V.L. Locey. This author is amazing at this love/hockey combo because of her in depth knowledge and love for the game which flows through her narrative like a hockey puck on ice. Here the hockey player who falls in love is a goalie, that special quirky teammate on ice that every team has. He's past oddball, having some indefinable character element that all great and even not so great goalies must have. And Locey captures that in the persona of Augie, aka August Miles. How I love Augie. I see him so clearly even now, adopted late in life elderly parents, raised out in the middle of nowhere in Manitoba, hockey is his life. It's his only thing until he meets Salvatore "Sal"Castenada and realizes Sal is everything."
For all our reviews, author interviews and such, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
August 23, 2017
What a great story. August is the shy new boy on the team, at 22 years old, he is inexperienced and hasn’t really dome out of the ‘closet’ yet. He has shown interest in only one person, Mario, but Mario is totally in love with Lila. Although, Mario has taken Augie under his wing and kind of treats him like a son, he is very protective of him.
When he finds out that Sal is sniffing around Augie, Mario is not too happy. But, Augie takes a stand and goes about ‘his’ business. As the story goes on, things happen to darken the relationship between Mario and Augie. Sal is older and more experienced in life than Augie. He also has his own demons that he is dealing with and that causes problems for the whole lot of them.
Love this story of Love is Love, doesn’t matter who you fall for, when you fall you fall hard! I really like how we see all of the other players in this book. Cannot wait for book 3!
When he finds out that Sal is sniffing around Augie, Mario is not too happy. But, Augie takes a stand and goes about ‘his’ business. As the story goes on, things happen to darken the relationship between Mario and Augie. Sal is older and more experienced in life than Augie. He also has his own demons that he is dealing with and that causes problems for the whole lot of them.
Love this story of Love is Love, doesn’t matter who you fall for, when you fall you fall hard! I really like how we see all of the other players in this book. Cannot wait for book 3!
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