Him

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Or an oar, because God knows it’s long and hard enough to single-handedly propel an entire fucking canoe. Don't worry if you aren't into sport romances - the book doesn't concentrate all that much on the actual playing of hockey. I'm not usually one to go gaga for sports romance or big, muscle-men, but I think hockey might be the spot where I make my exception.

There are two narrators for this story, Teddy Hamilton, who did the voice of Jamie Canning, and Jacob Morgan, who did the voice of Ryan Wesley. At first, my heart hurt so much for how much Wes loved Jamie but then watching Jamie fall in love with Wes made it sooo worth it. The love and romance killed me, I was in tears at points, mainly happy my-heart-is-so-full tears, some sad angst tears too. Jamie and Wes met at an ice hockey training camp when they were young teens, both boys lives revolved around hockey. Some of the dialogue is a little juvenile, as other reviewers have pointed out, but considering that the MCs are 22 and grew up in locker rooms, I found their sometimes crass way of talking believable.Their friendship-turned-more had all the right elements it needed to create a beautiful romance; the pining, the yearning, the angst of having feelings for your absolute best friend, the figuring out of what this means for you both individually and together, wanting to give each other space but unable to do so. I have no idea which narrator read which character [Teddy is Jamie and Jacob is Wes], but I was mightily impressed with both. I am so glad that they chose to have dual narration because it made this story come to life for sure. Ryan Wesley's biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship.

It is not a story about the struggles of being gay, about coming out to the world or one’s battle with their own sexuality—the focus of the story remains on the irrevocable bond and the sexual attraction between these two men, and the courage it takes to put love first.We watch a young man being finally able to express all he’s ever felt for his best friend after a decade of secretly longing for him, and another young man facing a side of himself he never knew was there, a side that equally confuses and excites him, but also a side of himself he refuses to deny—both their journeys being equally compelling and believable.

Ok, those of you who are masterful in the art of reading between the lines (because subtlety is my specialty, obvs) have probably realized by now that Wes wasn't exactly my favorite. And while I was not as familiar with Sarina Bowen (I did read book 1 of the Ivy League series) I knew her stuff wasn't quite as steamy as Elle's. Their friendship lasts the test of time and their budding relationship is so sweet, perfect and sexy. What I love:The witty banterThe realistic questioningThe sincerity of caringThe deep yearningsThe serious questionsThe steamy bitsThere really isn't anything that I didn't like except the book ended. If only because I adored Jaime as an MC and look forward to the relationship actually developing on equal terms and with what I hope is a shared sense of trust.Wes' fears went beyond just mere insecurities and turned into toxic assumptions, showcasing that not only did he not fully trust his boyfriend, but also thought his sexuality was a passing fancy — Which was especially ironic, considering how Wes' bigoted parents had also hurt him by spewing similar nonsense his way. So not only was this miscommunication, but an acute case of "are you two even speaking the same language? This book is HOT, and when I got home from the trip, I spent the next five hours listening so I could hear how it ended! An underlying ease between them was a major characteristic for most of the book, the sort which made long stretches of silence comfortable rather than awkward. Warning: contains sexual situations, skinny-dipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.