Banned in Boston Review: 5+ Stars for Him, by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Title: Him

Author: Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Publisher/GR Link: GR- Release Date 7/28

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Hockey, OFY, Friends to lovers

Rating: 5+- A Banned in Boston 5 Star book!

Lock this book up: 4 out of 5 keys.  This book is HOT, but the sex supports a wonderful romance

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: Very hot.

Best Line: "Loved you every summer since I was thirteen years old.  Love you even more now."

Synopsis: Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

Impressions:  Though I am not a fan of athletics, I am definitely a fan of a good MM sports story...and this one was Ah-Maz-Ing!

Wes and Jamie have spent their formative summers together at hockey camp.  Wes, a prankster and the life of the party, comes from a cold, detached family.  Jamie is the youngest of a large brood of siblings, and follows Wes' high jinx summer after summer, until the night Wes fears that he pushed too far.

Years later, they reunite on the cusp of their professional hockey carriers....Jamie is looking for answers, and Wes cannot get his past, or his hopes for the future, out of his mind.  

This is a story that is filled with love, humanity and hope.   Wes, who is a tattooed bad-boy on the outside, really craves a love that he secretly worries he can never have.  Between the pull of his family, and his burgeoning NHL career, love seems like something he has to set aside, and until he is able to love and be loved by Jamie, that loss seemed like something he could live with.

Jamie pulled me into his heart as he struggled to realize that his love for Wes went beyond the pull of friendship and brotherhood.  Once Jamie opens his body and heart to Wes, he knows things will never be the same.

This is a sweet, engaging and captivating novel.  I literally could not put it down, and I was glued to each page as I got to watch two men realize that there are things in their lives that are more important than hockey, dreams, or the NHL, and that maybe they can figure out a way to keep the things they need...including each other.  

This novel was smoking hot and so romantic that it was the perfect combination of a well paced plot, strong, developed characters, and a romance that gives you goose bumps and hot flashes!

I am proud to give Him, by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, a 5+ star rating and a Banned in Boston award for superior books!

Do not miss this book when it releases on 7/28. Clear your calendar and be ready to settle in with a great summer read!

Wild Pitch: Homeruns #1

Title: Wild Pitch, (Homeruns #1)

Author: Sloan Johnson

Publisher/GR Link: GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Athletes, OFY

Rating: 4.5/5

Lock this book up: 4 out of 5 keys.  This one is hot!  Turn on the AC 

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: Those eyes?  Love it.

Best Line: "I want you...I need to be yours."..."You already are."

Synopsis: There’s never been any question in Sean Tucker’s mind that he’d do whatever it took to make it to the major leagues and be one of the best pitchers of his time. The day he acknowledged to himself that he was gay was also the day he vowed to stay in the closet in order to chase his dreams. The problem is, he never counted on Mason Atley.

Sean showed rookie short stop Mason Atley the ropes, both on the field and off. The two forged a friendship which continued as both of them moved through the ranks of the farm system and into the majors. Unfortunately, there’s always been one secret Mason never felt he could share with Sean. Until now.

For seven years, Sean lived with the fact that he loved a man who would never reciprocate. When Mason admits that he’s always known he’s bisexual but has never allowed himself to pursue a relationship with a man, will Sean be able to put aside his reservations about starting a relationship with the friend he’d always assumed was straight? And more importantly, will they be able to find a way to stay together when their careers keep them apart more than they can be together?

Impressions:  I've loved Johnson's previous books, and I love a good sports romance, so I was excited to read this one!  It was great.  I loved that Sean and Mason know that they are meant to be together, and the conflict is more about how this can happen given their careers and their lives, but I never doubted their love or desire for each other.  I really enjoyed that this book focused on their lives and their hopes for their futures, and was not a cry inducing read.  That's not to say it didn't have its "oh crap!" moments, but they just made me turn the pages faster!

I loved getting to know the other members of Sean's team, and I am excited to read their stories too.  I am hoping we get to revisit Sean and Mason a little too.  Their lives seem to be moving in a great direction, and I am excited to see their developments too!

Lastly, I couldn't end this review without saying that this book is H-O-T!  Make sure your AC is cranked up and enjoy!  The sex was great, and totally supported by, and supported, the plot line and character development.

This was a great read that I did not want to put down.  Johnson just made your weekend by releasing this a few days early, so treat your self and download this one today!