Him
by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
Series: Him #1
Published on July 28th, 2015
by Rennie Road Books
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT
Format: eBook
Source: Gifted
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Also by this author: Him, Us, The Deal
They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?
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.
Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.
So this is my first New Adult M/M contemporary romance book and I loved it!!
The story is about Jamie Canning and Ryan Wesley. They used to be best friends a a hockey summer camp in Lake Placid, but because of one night of foolishness, that Ryan can’t seem to forigve himself for. He believes he did Jamie wrong, so he pushed his then best friend out of his life and focused on his dream to become an NFL hockey player. So when they have a reunion in the form of a hockey tournament, Ryan tries his best to find a way to apologize. It just so happens that their reunion changes more than Ryan ever expected.
Let me say again, how much I just loved this book! It was soooooooooooooooooooo much better then I thought it would be. I was sceptical at first thinking it would be just some can’t-read-it-daylight smut book. But it’s much more than that! There’s an actual story between the characters. Their hopes and dreams and what they accomplish as they grow closer together.
Jamie and Ryan are perhaps once of the best couples I’ve seen in a long while. And I adored the fact that they were just friends (and became friends again) before they became lovers. And I never knew hockey could be so hot! Have to admit, I was a little bit afraid that the steamy scenes would be tacky but they were actually really tasteful and amazingly well written, hatts off to ladies for that accomplishment.
I don’t know how much more I have to say that I loved the characters. Tough, tattooed Ryan Wesley, is a lot more than just a cocky, upcoming hockey star. There’s so much more depth to him then I ever expected there to be. Though, he doubts himself when it comes to Jamie, especially after they actually start “getting together”. Sometimes I wanted to shake him and say: don’t be so stupid, he loves you, damnit!!!
And Jamie, oh sweet, sweet Jaime with his laid back atitude and easy-going nature. He’s so freaking nice, that I just want to eat him up. It was amazing to see him start from being playing the female field, to questioning his sexual orientation. Not to mention the big “career decision“ he made. And I couldn’t stop smiling when he did that!
Oh and I adore Jamie’s family! They’re all so nice and welcoming . Seriously, they’re just so great about everything and they’re supportive. Unlike Ryan’s family, they’re so cold and distant and just plain a-holes, to be honest. But it’s incredible to see why the boys are the way they are when they interact with their family. You can see what shaped them into the men they are now. It’s incredible.
I enjoyed reading this book so much that I hurried to my computer and bought its sequel Us, which I will be reading soon.
About Elle Kennedy
A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
I use most of my free time doing either of those three things. When I'm not reading, writing or gaming, then I'll go watch movies with my best friend, Bee or I'll treat myself to dinner at a fancy restaurant.
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Twitter: Liza
Well, a five star review Effie! I’ve only read The Deal by Kennedy and loved it, so I imagine this one is really good too. I loved your review 🙂
It is soooooooooooooo good, Liza! And thanks!
You had me at m/m and hockey. 😀
LOL, right? 😀 Never knew how hot that combination could be.
Twitter: birdie_bookworm
Yay!! This is one of my favorite romances ever, and I agree with everything you’ve said. There is a lot more depth to this story that most people would assume.
YES, IT DOES!!!! I loved it so much. It’s definitely become one of my favourite M/M romance books.