Elle Kennedy - The Deal

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she's carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush's attention, she'll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice... even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he's worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he's all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

Comment: This book had been in the virtual pile for years but it kept being left behind. This month I've decided it was finally time to get it out of the TBR list.

College life at Briar is being very rewarding for Hannah Wells,even if it includes some people she needs to endure like her duet partner, and all the people partying which reminds her of things she prefers to let go of. Thankfully, she has her friends and now a crush on Justin Kohl, although she is unsure on how to approach him. Things change when hockey player Garrett Graham, whose grade on their latest test has put his game attendance in jeopardy, asks her to tutor him, in exchange to help her socially, so she can get Kohl's attention. She wishes she could be better than this, but for a week, she says yes. Of course, spending time with Garrett helps her in a way she didn't think a jock could actually do...

This new adult story was published ten years ago and several people I knew had read it and liked it. I can only suppose that was why I've added it to my list. Plus, other similar books I read (by Sarina Bowen, for instance) and that I enjoyed convinced me this might be a good try, even though, just like with general YA, it is a genre I no longer gravitate towards, unless it includes a specific theme or situation I'm interested in seeing developed.

I don't mean to say YA or NA stories aren't good, only that the dynamics often frustrate me because if it's a romance, usually the characters are immature or act like it, and it's difficult to believe in a HEA. If it's not a romance, sometimes I like it better, but the age is always on the back of my mind and I simply prefer more adult characters. This said, I did like reading The Deal for the most part, and the writing felt fluid and easy, with interesting situations and behaviors here and there to make the plot more appealing to me. It is a pity, however, that certain expectations on what a college experience might be were met...

I'm referring to the apparent partying vibe that almost everyone shares in this college, the incredible amount of drinking going around and, of course, the promiscuity which seems to be taken for granted and even desired for these students, especially f they are popular or in the sporting teams. I can only assume it is a way of life for students everywhere, with an obvious focus on students in the US, as we seen in books and movies so often. I don't really care for this, but it was portrayed and it was a key element in this plot, so it is not possible to avoid it. I'm glad the main characters were more intriguing than they appeared, but this element was not one I cared for at all.

Garret seems to be the cliched jock, but he is more attentive and clever than he looks, which I liked, because if he had been as immature as he seemed at first throughout the whole book, this would have been quite the disappointment. He had some interesting layers but since the book was focused on the romance with Hannah, this part of his character was not developed as much as it could, I think. nevertheless, I liked Garrett and I could almost see his assurance as something positive and not as arrogance.

Hannah is, to me, the clear protagonist. She is a likable person, she is smart and dedicated and a talented singer. She is happy enough at Briar, but her heart is with her parents, stuck in a place that only brings them unhappiness because of something she feels guilty for. I think some of her thoughts regarding this were quite on point, valid and I think this proved how mature she actually was, but life experiences and trials do that for us, of course. She has quite the layered personality 'd say, so the whole think with Garret at first because of the other guy, even with her explanation for it, felt annoying to me.

Still, their romance developed in a good way, considering all the issues and their age. most situations were believable, if not truly interesting for me. There is a rather serious issue related to Hannah, which should certainly merit a lot more pages than the ones we have about it, but I wasn't too fond of how it was also a sort of prop for the strengthening of their intimacy and connection. Also, closer to the end, there is a ridiculous conflict, which I thought Hannah would be too clever to fall for, but she does and it's not that such a thing could not exist in a real life situation, but it's so obviously a tactic that I felt disappointed they didn't ignore it. 

Thus, with some predictable elements and a lack of genuine interest in the situations these characters live in while at college, reading this book was certainly a good experience, but, ultimately, a forgettable one for me, personally. I can appreciate the elements I liked the most but this book was only average for me.

Grade: 6/10

Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy - Good Boy

Hosting her brother’s wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning’s life. Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody - absolutely nobody! - can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.
Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor, and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.
But Jess has more pressing issues to deal with than sexy-times with a giant man-child. Such as: Will the ceremony start on time, even though someone got grandma drunk? Does glitter ever belong at a wedding? And is it wrong to murder the best man?

Comment: After having really enjoyed the Him books by these two authors, it was no wonder I was curious about the spin off featuring the sister and friend of the protagonists of those other books. Despite this curiosity, I still delayed reading this but I'm glad I finally decided to pick it up.

In this story we follow what happened to Jess Canning and Blake Riley after their surprising encounter while they attempted to help Jamie, an event from Us. Jess feels embarrassed she gave in to Blake, since she feels he is someone she can't like but now it seems they will have to spend more time together, not only because she is planning her brother's wedding but also because Blake is the best man. During this time she can't help but interact with him, and things get more complicated between them when she sees a side of him not often seen by everyone else...that underneath that bubbly and confident persona is someone with his own disappointments and problems. Could it be these two will have a lot more in common then, since Jess feels she isn't good enough and feels judged by others too? As they spend more time together, perhaps both can find in each other the best friend they needed...

This was a surprisingly sweet and cute novel. I mean, I already knew this team of writers wrote things I enjoyed, but there's always a certain expectation when starting something a little different. I was a little hesitant because Jess and Blake seemed very simple characters whose relationship would be set on how much chemistry they would have or how much fun times they would share until they admitted their feelings but I'm glad to say this had more complexity than I anticipated.

As the story begins, we learn Jess feels a lot of pressure to do a good job with planning her brother's wedding. She wants everything to be perfect but she feels guilt her parents had to help her once more and now she can say she doesn't really feel event planning is something she can see herself doing, but she has already quit so many things, she feels her parents will be so disappointed if she tells them this isn't the way either and I could immediately sympathize because we all feel like we aren't doing enough to meet the expectations of those we love... I think this aspect of Jess' personality was well presented and easily explains the mood for the rest of the book.

Then, the relationship with Blake is the drive that propels much of her decisions for her interactions with him both calm and challenge and we can see how, in so many little things, apparently unimportant, their mutual affection sets in and they start to develop feelings for each other, even if not readily admitted. I think the romance was so cute, fun and serious in balanced amounts, so I really felt they complemented each other and the things they shared made it seem as if they really understood each other.

Blake was also a positive surprise. He seems to be a silly man, always joking around, not concerned about much but we also have explanations for this as the novel develops and we learn why he is now such an easygoing guy. He has had some bad experiences in the past and decided to not let that affect his life nor his relationships with others. I liked how he sees the world even if at times he sounds a little too silly. Nevertheless, his more serious side was one I also appreciated and respected.

There are some scenes I could do without, some situations are meant to be played as something too superficial, as if it doesn't matter, or perhaps that was included to make the story feel less dramatic when, in reality, some things were that, but I felt the things I didn't like as much weren't reason enough to ruin the overall story for me. Plus, in the end, the main characters discuss and accept each others' faults, they decide to move on and life on the things they feel they are best at and it just feels the story is complete.

Grade: 8/10

Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy - Us

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves—Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.
Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.
Or can they?
When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Comment: Having Him being one of the books I loved the most in the previous year, I obviously had to try this one as well and this month I added it to my reading list. I'm very glad that it didn't disappoint and gave us the same solid characters we care about from the first book.

In this sequel, we see Wes and Jamie living together in Toronto, the home base of both their jobs. Jamie is working as a coach and Wes is living his rookie year in the Hockey League. Both are enjoying their lives and their relationship but keeping heir feelings a secret is taking a toll on them and in how they face their routines and friends.

Sadly, Jamie gets sick and need to go to the hospital but will that be his wake up call for the problems they need to address before breaking up? Or will their love be stronger than any issue or difficulty?

I'm very happy I loved this book as much as the first. There's an incredible consistency we see in the two author's work that is not something all co-authors can achieve. The words just flow whether we have Wes or Jamie's POV. By the way, I really like how we have them both narrating, it makes everything so much better and special! I wish more author thought about this when writing romance.

The plot is not complicated but it does provide challenges. Living together is one thing, who wouldn't accept a roommate? But to tell others about their real relationship is more difficult... I like how the authors presented this difficulty so well, even when they had things to help them like Jamie's family accepting things. The way a secret weights on you, how you start to doubt and to think if it's worth it, if they can make it together... This is not the worst angst filled story I've read but it does provide interesting situations and states of mind from both of them that it makes it believable how they act sometimes and why it's a struggle. In terms of plot believability and characterization, the story is very well accomplished.

At some point, Jamie gets sick. From then on, there's a change on the attitudes, the way they think about what it means to be together, to try to keep the secret for longer. It was actually very interesting to see them both deal with the repercussions of Jamie's illness and recovery. This changes things but I'm very glad to see everything worked out very well! Well, this is a romance after all.

The relationship between Jamie and Wes is the most interesting part of the story, of course. I liked it how they are so strong together but they keep individual fears, individual ideas that shape their behavior. Wes seems to be more carefree but we know how he has always suffered with his parents negligence and Jamie has the family support but he feels inadequate when compared with Wes, not professionally but in other little things. They still feel the same two wild guys from the first book who took chances in their love and now they are settled. But life goes on and I liked how they faced what was to come with naturalism and not childish behavior.

The secondary characters were amazing, even those who we don't care about. I'm happy to think the world could be as understanding and such a great friend as some characters in this book were. It's always nice to see how reality could improve from fiction when it comes to acceptance and simplicity in just letting other be happy no matter what they are or whom they love.

I'm very hopeful for a new installment, if it ever is written and published!

Grade: 9/10

Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy - Him

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.

Comment: This book has caught my eye because many readers have liked it, including people whose taste I trust. I got the book and thought to let it wait but I've been rather moody and being so busy has removed some of my reading time, plus feeling tired at night made me get behind on my reading goals. This book seemed like a good one to get me some ahead time and I'm quite glad I read it because it's as well done as many people say.

This is the story of Ryan Wesley and Jamie Canning, two young hockey players who've met in their teenager years and became good friends but one lost bet changed everything until the last year of college, where their opposite teams are facing each other. Now the good times and the doubts and the unanswered questions will have to be addressed. Ryan knows why he stepped back, but how will Jamie react? Can their friendship be salvaged? What if Ryan wants more than friendship?

This is the first time I've read something by these two authors. I have books by both in my TBR list but as it happens so often, I still haven't got to them. But the comments about this story were so good I felt immediately the will to read it. I was quite impressed with the level of structure this story has and how "easy" is was to read and simply be marveled by it.

Usually I'm not very fond of NA because in all the books with characters in this age group I've read, most of them had characters acting like teenagers and not adults, youth aside. So, I was expectant to to see if this would be another of those annoying books but thankfully, this was quite the opposite and I was impressed. I think the best thing about the writing was how fluid and smooth it was and I couldn't stop reading because every word seemed to make sense. I feel much more curious to try other series by each author now, considering this book and the level of work they presented.

The plot is captivating enough, although I don't know a lot about hockey. I was very interested in the relationship aspects of the story but all the details about the hockey game, the trainings, the efforts they do to work hard and have success, the message that is supposed to be given to young players and possible new ones, the way things seem to work was all interesting, even more so because I didn't feel I was being given a lesson. Although, to be honest, I can't really say how truthful each information is but it sounded good and was inserted very well into the two protagonists' lives and thoughts.

Of course the best thing is the relationship itself. I liked how we gradually learn about their pasts, how they become friends and why and how is that the step from friends to something else happened. Ryan's feelings have been serious for a long time when it came to Jamie and I liked how well the authors shown that intensity in the scenes we got from their pasts. It made what they have now so much more, much important too. I enjoyed each step they took to become each others' life and strength.

I liked how Jamie didn't go all cliché on realizing he had deeper feelings than friendship for Ryan, eve if he had never thought about himself other than hetero. And his thought process was convincing making this a very believable GFY sort of story.

I loved Ryan too, he's a wonderful person hidden under so many less than stellar moments (he says so himself) and it was amazing to see him not only prove his feelings were deep and serious but how glad and better he turned out to be because he was reciprocated.

The romance is amazing. Yes, there is sex but always with a purpose, always making them feel more in love. I had a lot of fun seeing them develop their relationship and even making it an important part of each others' lives to the point where it gave them the power to make decisions that could improve their future happiness (in this case, Jamie more than Ryan).

Each moment seems like a jewel between them. I couldn't put the story down because I wanted to see them more, I wanted to see what more they could do to be happy.  Yes, there are some conflicting scenes towards the end but I'm glad the authors didn't overdid this and actually presented such a wonderful scenario for the romantic I love yous....

All in all, this is a wonderful story. Yes, one or two little things I'd change but sincerely, this was so romantic it feels unfair so many couples, hetero or gay, don't have a story like this to enrich their relationship or their lives. I do recommend this lovely story to every reader.

I'll try to get the sequel soon too!

Grade: 9/10