Pro-football player Isaiah and Russian ballet dancer Victor meet and spend one night together with the understanding that it’s a one-time hookup. Their chemistry is obviously off the charts but Isaiah, having lost his husband three years ago, is solely focused on raising his teenage son and is not interested in another relationship. Victor has been outspoken about his country’s brutal treatment of gay men and when his request for asylum is denied Isaiah steps in with a surprising proposition: a quickie wedding in Vegas meant to keep Victor safe in the U.S. Now navigating a new marriage of convenience, Isaiah struggles to balance his need for privacy with Victor’s activism – all while trying to ignore his growing attachment to this new man in his life.

Despite having several fundamental differences, Isaiah and Victor had an instant attraction with the possibility of so much more. Unfortunately, Isaiah was dead set against opening himself up to a new relationship. He had been devastated by the death of his husband and was determined to never feel that kind of loss again. As a professional football player, he was a public figure but maintained a very low profile. He was naturally a private man and was also adamant about providing his son Evan with a normal life outside the spotlight. I applauded Isaiah’s commitment to protecting Evan and, to an extent, understood his resistance to a new relationship, but only up to a point. There were times I was frustrated with Isaiah for continually keeping Victor at arm’s length and at times his rigid stance was downright hurtful to Victor.

Speaking of Victor, he’s described in the synopsis as brash and loud but I never saw that. He was a committed and outspoken activist for gay rights and was a man who was strong with the power of his conviction. But he was also a lonely man who was raised as ward of the Russian government when his talent for ballet became evident. Victor was sweet and kind and so desperate to be a part of a loving family. From the first time Isaiah’s mother met Victor and engulfed him in a welcoming hug it was obvious this man pined for the safety and security of family. I wanted that so much for Victor and my heart hurt for him each time Isaiah made a choice to shut him out.

What I enjoyed about Isaiah and Victor was the fact that they were so different and they appreciated those differences in one another. And they were almost always honest and upfront with each other. I also loved Victor’s connection with Isaiah’s son, Evan. The two of them bonded quickly and had such a great relationship. Unfortunately the length of the book (barely over 200 pages) didn’t allow for much character development and the end of the story felt rushed. It would have been nice to see this expanded into more of a full length novel and allow for more time to form a real connection with the characters and their story.

i was excited abt this book bc the blurb promised that 1) there's a fake marriage trope & 2) victor is gender fluid. (i see now that this part isn't in the blurb anymore? which... interesting)

it didn't deliver on any of the fronts. i mean, there is the fake marriage thing yeah, but it's not enough to make u want to suffer through this.

there was so much info-dumping in just the first chapter i never would have even imagined it possible. the writing is awkward and basically feels like the author's first work which it clearly isn't. everything is fake and over the top, and just not able to convey any emotions at all. and then u have the way the author writes gay men...

so the book literally starts w one of the main characters describing the other as a "wet dream" & if that isn't bad enough for u, it goes on to talk abt sex for like 3/4 of the first chapter alone. obviously all gay people want to do is sleep w each other. thanks. there was some awkward lip biting while ogling the other man, lowkey foot fetish & generally just so much embarrassing rubbish! i'm just glad i dropped this book before the first sex scene because i rly don't think i could handle it...

as for victor being gender fluid - honestly, the main selling point for me - all we got was that he wear make up sometimes? and is like, not overly masculine? whoever wrote the blurb really didn't do their job very well.

so anyway. as a book w lgbt rep, this is a joke to me. as a sports romance, it's just very much mediocre.

It's kind of amazing how sometimes authors manage to write textbook examples of abusive relationships without realising it.

I was very excited to read this book, as the premise sounds wonderful. I quite literally pounced on it and was left disappointed and angry. God, I was so angry by the time I finished. I was promised a non-binary russian activist ballet dancer falling in love with a black widower nfl player with a son. I got... this book.

I have so many issues with this book that I don't know where to start. There is barely any development for Victor and Isaiah as a couple. They meet, they fuck and are immediately in love. We never get anything explaining why these two are suddenly in love, they just are. When Isaiah suggests they get married, we don't see how he feels about the decision or why he suggested it. You'd think Isaiah, the man still grieving his husband after three years (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with grieving someone for years), would have something to say about the fact he's marrying someone he barely knows, no matter the reasons? We get a lot of "oh no I can't fuck him bcs that's unethical and I might fall in love even more", but nothing about the actual marriage.
Those two as a couple are mess. A horrible, horrible mess. I wouldn't mind the characters by themselves, but together, they made me back my head against the table. Their relationship is horrible. They spend half the book yelling at each other and they never, ever talk through any of their arguments. They yell at each other, ignore each other for a day, and then fuck to resolve it and then go back to ignoring their problems. They spend most of the book in denial about what they need out of a relationship and they never talk. Ever.

What made my skin crawl was how the "activism" was handled. Isaiah repeatedly tells Victor to "keep that bullshit on the down-low". He, the black gay married man calls a gay rights activism "that shit". Oookay. No. He repeatedly calls activism bullshit and never gets called out on it. It's horrible and damaging. What's worse though is that whenever something happens, such as reporters getting into Victor's face about Russia, Isaiah then yells at Victor, as if it was his fault. He repeatedly yells at Victor for apparently hurting his kid by association and please don't do that.
So whenever something bad happens that's out of Victor's hands, Isaiah makes it his fault and yells at him. And of course Victor is his dependent now and can't escape.
That's literally abusive behavior. Cut that shit out.

Then, around 80% in, we have some disgusting hate speech thrown our way. I understand the writer wanted the readers to understand that Evan's classmates are bad, but reading those lines? As a queer person, it made me feel horrible. It made me feel horrible and disgusting and I can't even imagine how triggering those lines could be for others. Don't make me read such disgusting hate speech in a gay romance novel, jesus christ. But that's not even the worst part, no. We get repeated and much worse version of all their previous arguments about activism and then Isaiah's kid calls him a coward for never doing any activism. Right, let's unpack this bit.

So first we have Isaiah blaming Victor yet again for having his "activism bullshit" "harm his kid". Because Evan defended himself from bullies spewing horrible violent hate speech. That is somehow Victor's fault. Random people's homophobia is Victor's fault, yet again.
Then we have Evan, Isaiah's kid, calling Isaiah coward for "not doing any activism". Later on Evan has to explain his father the concept of "straight passing." So let me get this straight. You're telling me that Isaiah, the twice-married openly gay black nfl player with a queer kid, has A) no concept of straight passing and B) has never been an activist??? His existence alone is activism! Every queer person just existing in this world is a form of activism. Someone as famous as Isaiah being openly gay is already so radical, it's obvious the author has no idea how much his existence alone would mean to people. But since he never says the "right words", he's a coward who never helped anyone, because the author says so. God, that made me so angry. Not to mention we actually don't see any "activism" being done on the pages. Victor talks about doing activism, but actually... doesn't. So I'm not even sure what the author is on about.

There's also Isaiah's passive-aggressive homophobia towards Victor and his slut-shaming of his best friend that he never gets called out on and made my skin crawl. Also in the version of the book that I got, Victor was supposed to be non-binary (one of the reasons I picked up the book so that was a huge disappointment), but given how that bit was erased from the blurb, the publishers agreed there was no basis for that. There were also a lot of grating inconsistencies, but in the context of the rest of the book, I'll let them slide.

There were things I liked. Isaiah's family were wonderful and the book had a really strong start, but then it all started falling apart. By 50%, I knew I wasn't going to like it and by 80%, I was angry and despairing. Missed potential is so much worse than just a bad book.

Overall, I enjoyed Isaiah and Victor's story. I loved the characters' connection to each other. I loved Isaiah's son, and Victor was easy to love- BUT Isaiah I had a hard time with. I understood where he was coming from but his argument started to feel weak, and his hot and cold behavior towards Victor started to grate on my nerves.

Not a slam dunk for me but saw lots of potential in the writing. I would try this author again.

3.5 Stars

His Convenient Husband by Robin Covington is absolutely my favorite book to date from Ms. Covington. This book gave me all the feels and I honestly wanted to re-read it as soon as I read the last page.

Isaiah and Victor are such an amazing couple. I really felt like their differences made them work so well as couple. I loved that Isaiah is an NFL football player and Victor was a ballet dancer. While they are both athletes, they have such different jobs and ideas of how to live in or out of the spotlight. I totally got that Victor was more open and outspoken about gay rights and his lifestyle than Isaiah, and absolutely loved that about him. I also understood Isaiah's choice and didn't fault him for his choice not to live in the spotlight.

Isaiah and Victor had the most incredible chemistry between them. Even before they shared their first kiss, the way they looked at each other made me fall in love with them as a couple. I loved they tried to keep their relationship platonic, but knew the more time they spent together the harder it would be for them not to act on their attraction. OMG when they finally did get together, their love scenes totally and completely steamed up my kindle screen.

I will flat out just say that my heart almost broke when Isaiah and Victor were apart for a bit. I understood Isaiah's reaction, but I still wanted to Gibbs smack him upside the head every bit as much as I wanted to hug Victor. I loved that it took Isaiah's son Evan to make him see the light about Victor's choices and Evan's choices as well and how they alined completely. I loved that Isaiah really just wanted to protect the men he loved and while he didn't always go about doing it in the right way, he did see the light before he lost Victor forever.

I absolutely adored His Convenient Husband and thought it was an amazing start to the Love and Sports series. I can't wait to read the rest of the book in the series next year.


Rating: 5 Stars (A+)

**My thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

It has been a long time since i have read a M/M book and i am quite glad that i picked it up.

Yes, there can be some quite graphic sex scenes, so if that is not your thing, this book is not for you, but the emotional connection between the two and the growth of the characters is just what i expected from Robin.

A well written book that really makes you feel that the two deserve each other and that they have a special connection and some really great friends and a wonderful adopted son.

A difficult book to give a firm rating to. On the one hand, the characters are great. I really enjoyed reading an imperfect black gay man who was allowed to be imperfect - too often authors think their gay characters aren't allowed flaws, and stubborn Isaiah has many. This never makes him unappealing, however. Similarly, Victor is stubborn as hell in how he pursues his dreams and goals, and I like that we're invited to see that even the most sympathetic character in the narrative (Victor) can be imperfect. Points also for Isaiah's son, Evan, who very nearly steals the show.

All this said, the plot premise is flimsy. Yes, I know it's a staple, but this sort of fake marriage simply doesn't work for immigration purposes. Perhaps having a legal background makes me more sensitive to this, but there's not a chance that the US government would give Victor a green card based on his marriage to Isaiah in these circumstances. And that inaccuracy nagged me throughout the book. Overall, a flawed by enjoyable read.

This is my first read by Robin Covington, but I have heard of her before. From what I've read online, she mostly writes category romances, and this is her first m/m story. I'm not a sports fan, so I usually skip sports romances, but a marriage of convenience plot? That's my catnip, sign me up.

NFL football player Isaiah Blackwell meets Victor Aleksandrov, Russian ballet dancer, via their mutual manager at a backstage event at the ballet. They're very different personalities, with Isaiah not in the closet since he'd been married to a man and adopted a kid with him, but still not “in your face” about being gay. Victor is out, proud, and vocal about how LGBT+ people are being treated in his home county. As a result, if he doesn't get asylum in the US, he'll be sent back to a country where he could be killed.

They have a one night stand, but Isaiah doesn't want anything more because he's still in mourning for his husband, Stephen, and doesn't want to risk his heart again. He also feels he needs to shield his son, Evan, who is is much more flamboyant than either of his fathers, and is quite the fanboy for Victor even before the marriage of convenience plot kicks in. Victor's a bit disappointed but not terribly surprised that Isaiah doesn't want more, considering his history, and they go their separate ways.

So of course Victor's amnesty is denied, and their agent (who is out of town) calls Isaiah to go talk to Victor, and he ends up proposing a trip to Las Vegas to get married. Just long enough for him to be able to legally stay on his own. Of course. A little niggle here, but there was talk of it taking two years, but if he's applying for citizenship, it takes much longer than that in most cases, even if you marry a citizen. In some cases, it can be a decade or more before citizenship. There's also never a mention of any meetings with immigration officials, who would certainly take note of an NFL player marrying a dissident who was recently denied asylum.

For a sports romance, the NFL stuff didn't play much of a role, other than being part of the reason Isaiah is so leery of not being in the spotlight as a gay man, despite admiring Victor for being so outspoken. He was married and didn't have much problem, but as his team manager tells him later, it wasn't so bad when he was happily married with a kid and stayed out of the tabloids. Being married to Victor could create a problem for the team if he continues to be so outspoken. In other words, it's OK if you're gay, just don't keep talking about it.

We see much more of Victor's life in the ballet, which is just as demanding an athletic pursuit as football, and thankfully Isaiah knows it. We get a little history of Victor being taken from his family at a young age to train for the ballet, then traveling around the world, so he's never really had a home. He craves it, and bonds with Evan, who was in the system before his dads adopted him. Evan is also strongly hinted to be bisexual as well as very artistic, so they bond over his art as well, with Isaiah being supportive, but not really “getting” his son's endeavors.

This being a marriage of convenience story, we all know where we're going, especially since they already know what they're missing sexually, and long for something emotionally, though Isaiah is very reluctant to admit that even to himself. I do wish we'd spent a bit more on the “I don't want a relationship, but I don't want this guy to die, so I'm going to marry him” part of the story. What can I say? I like the angst.

When I started reading this, I thought it sounded like a traditional m/f category romance with a m/m twist. Turns out I was right, as there's a mention of it in the notes at the end of the book, and visiting the author's web site showed her previous works were m/f category romances. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, “categories” are those slim romance books most people call “Harlequins” after the main publisher of this type of book. They're quick, formulaic reads, and are often a monthly fix for voracious readers who find a line of categories they like. Reading it with a familiarity of the style can make a difference to the reader. Those expecting a “regular” m/m romance might get disappointed over the shorter story and lighter than normal plot, even though this one does deal with some heavy issues such as the treatment of LGBT+ people in Russia and homophobia in the NFL.

I feel bad for those who were misled by the earlier blurb which said Victor was genderfluid, which I didn't read. There's no indication of that, unless the original blurb writer though an out, proud, and loud ballet dancer wearing eyeliner counted. Honestly, Evan comes across as more genderfluid than Victor does. I don't blame those who feel let down by that element not being in the book when it was originally advertised, but I do feel terrible for the author because she was getting buzz for something she didn't write in the first place (and she didn't write the blurb either), with some reviewers possibly knocking off stars for the lack. I am glad the blurb has been corrected for publication, and I hope the initial one doesn't hurt the book in the long run.

It's a pleasant read for a category, especially for a first time author writing m/m after writing m/f. This appears to be the first in a series, and I'm curious to see if the rest will be m/m, or go back to her usual m/f stories with sports as the theme. Perhaps a mix? I think the disappointment over the lack of a genderfluid lead in this one shows there's demand for more representation.

3.5 stars
There was quite a bit of buzz about this book on my social media timelines, so I wanted to see what it was all about. This was my first time reading this author.

Isaiah is quite content living a quiet life with his teenage son. The loss of his spouse has put him off all relationships as he just can't go through that sort of pain again.

But when he arranges a meeting between his son and one of his idols by the name of Victor, Isaiah's world goes into turmoil. He's attracted to Victor in a big-time way, only his grief over losing his husband keeps him from letting go. After a one-night stand, Isaiah moves on.

Victor is a gender fluid ballet dancer and artist. He's attracted to Isiaih, but accepts that he's not going to have more than one night. But when Victor's application for asylum is refused, Isaiah can't let Victor go back to Chechnya and possible death for his sexual orientation. They do the only thing they can -- fly to Vegas and get married.

Even after all this, Isaiah is sticking to his rule that they can't have a relationship. It's all for show. But there's a big bucketload of chemistry between them, and it's hard to always follow Isaiah's rule.

Isaiah may find out too late just what his no-relationship rule is going to cost him.

I loved Victor in this, especially his interactions with Isaiah's son Evan. Victor's honesty and believe in himself and his causes really made this book for me. I did find the pacing to be slower than I like with this book, and there were quite a few times I wanted to smack Isaiah upside the head.

Overall, I liked this diverse story and how it highlighted some of the difficulties of being out and proud.

An ARC was provided for review.

This was my first foray into this author's writing, but hopefully not my last.

I found this to be an excellent use of the "marriage of convenience" trope, showcasing a romance between a still-grieving widowed football player and a somewhat effeminate Russian ballet dancer seeking and being denied asylum in the US, who get married avoid deportation and potential death in the homophobic climate of Mother Russia.

I adored Viktor, the ballet dancer and activist, who's not afraid to use his fame position to shine a light on homophobia and the persecution of LGBTQ people everywhere. He was loud in his advocacy, but also thoughtful and kind and generous and loving. And very insightful, too.

Isaiah on the other hand is much more reserved and chooses to live his life much more quietly, afraid to rock the boat, even though everyone knows he's gay, considering he was married to a man before his husband's untimely death. He's unwilling to confront homophobia in others, and prefers to focus on his football career and on raising the teenage son he and his late husband adopted. He's also still grieving and unwilling to open his heart to a second chance at love, thinking that it would diminish what he had before.

Viktor and Isaiah meet, spend a hot night together, but decide to part as friends. When Viktor's asylum request is denied and he's faced with having to return to Russia, Isaiah steps in and offers marriage and the subsequent Green Card, but takes sex completely off the table.

Isaiah is an interesting character. I was wondering many times whether his reluctance to live his life "out loud" was because of his career choice and the still rampant homophobia among NFL players/teams/coaches/owners, or because of his skin color, or because of his need to keep his son Evan safe and protected, or just because that's who he is - quiet, introverted, and perhaps just a little spineless.

Obviously, Isaiah's desire to keep a lid on Viktor's activism backfires spectacularly. But that's not the only thing that backfires - his plan to keep his hands off Viktor and not fall for the man crumbles just the same. For a lot of the book, there's a ton of tension in the relationship, and more often than not, I was angry with Isaiah for making Viktor feel like he had to walk on eggshells. There's clearly a power imbalance at play as well, what with Viktor dependent on keeping the marriage "alive" for as long as he has to until he's no longer in danger of losing his immigration status.

The two men have zero issues getting along in the bedroom, and there were plenty of steamy scenes inside. And still, Isaiah is reluctant to examine what he's feeling for Viktor, and ends up pushing the other man to his breaking point.

Of course, this being a romance, a HEA is expected and was delivered, in a grand romantic fashion when Isaiah pulls his head out of his ass, listens to his son, and runs after Viktor to grovel. While I loved the romantic conclusion, I was a little irked for two reasons. One, Isaiah's change of heart came way too quick for my taste, and two, he didn't have to grovel nearly long enough before Viktor took him back. Yes, yes, I know - the grand romantic gesture - but that didn't excuse the hurt Isaiah inflicted on Viktor before that.

Still, all's well that ends well, right?

I'm definitely interested in reading the next book in this series. The story flowed well, there were no massive time jumps or lulls in the plot, and the writing was not overly purple. The characters' actions and reactions were, for the most part, reasonable and realistic, and the dialogue felt organic as well.

"...one prince had everything and lost it, and the other prince had nothing but was willing to fight for the right to have it."

This is my first time reading Robin Covington and it 100% certainly won't be my last. I was sucked in and connected to these characters from the very beginning.

Isaiah and Victor are complete opposites.

Isaiah is an out gay man, however he's quiet about it. He doesn't feel the need to march in parades or publicly speak out about his personal life. He's a widower (his husband died 3 years ago in a car accident), a father, and he plays football. Those are his priorities.

Victor is vocal about what he believes in and feels that his somewhat celebrity status as a popular professional dancer gives him a platform to fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ members around the world. Especially in his home country of Russia.

The attraction between these two is instantaneous. And one night together is enough to calm the desire, but not enough to keep either man far from the other's thoughts. When they decide to marry it's a little quick and jarring, but I went along with it.

It's clear that the two men share a connection, but Isaiah is determined to keep Victor in a box. He can't afford to have emotions tangled up in this convenient arrangement.

"Sex leads to intimacy and intimacy leads to feelings, and this is not about feelings."

However, he plays hot and cold with Victor for a good portion of this book and well, that got frustrating at times. He also has a couple asshole moments (principal's office anyone?) where I wasn't sure if I'd ever fully believe that he'd move beyond his hang ups. Don't worry, he did and I believe!

Victor was impossible not to love. He's lived a difficult life and so much of what he'd dreamed for himself comes in the package that is Isaiah. His desire and longing for the man was a constant need, and in the beginning he'd take whatever Isaiah was willing to offer.

"Victor knew how good they could be together, and while he knew they would walk the razor's edge between emotion and pure physical indulgence, he was willing to risk it. If he fell, then he'd embrace it.

But he knew he'd be falling alone."

The push and pull was delicious angst along with hair-pulling frustration. For my tastes, Robin Covington walked this line with fragile precision. The scale never quite tipped into the negative. Just when I wanted to throttle either man, a small breakthrough would come and the scales would balance.

"...it would be everything; it would be life changing. A risk of his heart, one he wasn't sure he was ready to make, but might not have a choice."

And Evan (Isaiah's son)...he shines so bright in this book. A boy who's lived a rough life, seen the ugly side of people, and still isn't afraid to speak up and to fight for what he believes in. He's strong, he's brave...and he hugged my heart so tight in this book!

"I'm just like Victor, Dad. We don't have to come out because we wear it on our skin. You're huge and athletic and a macho professional football player, and if you don't tell people you're gay, they never know, and even when you do tell them, they don't always believe you. If you wanted to, you could pass as straight. So, don't talk to me about me creating risk. I'm at risk because I can't hide who I am."

However, as much as I loved this book, there were a couple of things that kept me from rating this higher...because let me tell you...this book had some SERIOUS 5 star potential for me.

1. Certain scenes weren't included that I felt could have really added some depth and emotion to both the characters and the story arc. For example, I would have loved to see the morning after Isaiah and Victor's first night together, or their Vegas wedding, or the couple of days after they got married. Especially that last one. The author glossed over their first few days back home with a time jump and a throwaway sentence that they'd settled into a warm, homey and domestic routine. Isaiah, Victor, and Evan easily became a family and I really wanted to have seen that transition.

2. I wish the author would have went all the way with how committed Victor was about speaking up. I didn't need anything big, but just some mention of what he was doing. It was such a big part of his character and the big conflict between him and Isaiah...yet I felt it was something that was happening waaaay back in the background. Not too much mention of it.


Overall, this was a book that I really liked and if real life didn't get in the way, I would have easily gobbled this up in one sitting. I was drawn in by the characters, engaged in the story, and rooting for everyone. And damn it, I love me a nice grovel...and Isaiah delivers beautifully!

"To watch him dance is breathtaking. To hear him speak is uplifting. To observe him playing video games on the couch with our son is joyful. To have him smile at me is...a gift. To have him love me is priceless. To love him is humbling..."

Highly recommend this book! Pick it up and fall in love.

I want to start with the cover of the book: the man on the cover does not match the description of Isaiah. Isaiah has a goatee. Minor complaint, seems petty I know. It just rubs me the wrong way when the cover doesn't match the book, seems like a wasted cover. There is also no game action, so why is Isaiah in a football stadium?

The book itself read quickly. Isaiah's best friend is also his agent, so naturally the best friend uses that to get Isaiah laid. This time it was from a gorgeous Russian dancer named Victor. Victor was also a pretty good step-dad to Isaiah's son. So it just all flowed too easily. So Isaiah had to have an angst-fest the entire book about that. I was trapped. I loved it. I wanted more angst. I wanted more hurt-comfort type feelings. This book hit so many buttons for me. I can't believe I fell so hard into this book. It has been a few days since I finished and I am still happy with it.

I had a whole three issues with the book (outside of the cover):

There was a habit of Victor to repeat whatever was said before him. It was obnoxious, annoying, and didn't fit his character. It wasn't like he wasn't sure of a word because of a language barrier. It was him just being obnoxious. Thankfully that settled down throughout the book otherwise I wouldn't have liked Victor at all.
The book didn't delve far enough into the angst for me. I wanted more. I am hoping for so much more heartache and heart string pulling. I can live with this disappointment though because I just loved it all.
The sex was hot but condom and lube usage was off. The guys didn't use lube in the pool (pool water is not a good lube fyi), there were no condoms for all the blowjobs throughout the book, only anal sex had condoms (but any STIs were already shared so why was that included?), and magically they were both able to bottom with little to no prepping despite how large they were both said to be. So if I sit here and over analyze the sex, then boo. If I just let it be, then it was pretty damn well written and I enjoyed it.

HIS CONVENIENT HUSBAND is the first M/M book in the Love and Sports series by Robin Covington. While she has written a couple of short novellas in the M/M genre this full-length novella packs everything I’ve hoped from a longer book since the others have left me wanting more.

There is an ease to Robin Covington’s writing that allows for the characters to come to life and I especially enjoyed the diversity and the motive behind this couple coming together. In its own way, although fictional, the plot sheds some light on the hardship of acceptance in Russia, the perceptions around gay men in the NFL and the struggles of finding love after the loss of a loved one.

Isiah has always lived a quiet but open life as a gay NFL player, a husband and father. Doing his best to support his family has always been a priority and may be attributed to his slightly reclusive nature. Things take a bit of a detour when the likes of Victor come into his life; a one-night stand that was meant not to go any further turns into a marriage of convenience when Victor cannot obtain asylum.

The emotional struggle of the arrangement plays a toll on the development of the relationship, especially on Isiah’s part because in his own secret way, he has issues with how open and unapologetically loud Victor lives his life. Like any new relationship, Isiah and Victor face their fair share of challenges around individual perceptions of what it means to be a gay man and it starts to affect Isiah’s thirteen-year-old son.

Nothing gets me more riled up than when a partner, friend or anyone close, tries to quiet the spirit of an another human being and I will admit on more than one occasion Isiah drove me batty with his expectations of Victor. Granted these instances describe the challenges around a newly forming relationship with its own set of boundaries but while reading I couldn’t believe how much I supported Victor’s stance. I wanted more grovel from Isiah, much much more than what we are given but that may be my petty little ass inflecting judgment of sorts. But that is what Robin’s writing has the capabilities of doing to a reader.

Evan, Isiah’s son is a refreshing secondary character that portrays what I hope the future stands to gain in understanding diversity, acceptance and standing up for what doesn’t always conform to societal norms. If this series spans a few years down the road, I can see young Evan being a great YA hero…wink, wink!

To conclude, a true romance wouldn’t be complete without an HEA and great sex and this story delivered in a way that only Robin Covington can. I look forward to more tales in this series and highly recommend taking a chance on this new voice in the M/M sub-genre.

Title: His Convenient Husband
Author: Robin Covington
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Series: Love and Sports #1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"His Convenient Husband" by Robin Covington

My Thoughts....

I found this novel a very interesting well written read that definitely kept my attention all the way till the end. I found the main characters...Isaiah, Victor and Evan and Ian some very intriguing, well developed and believable giving the readers one good story. Was this a gay read? Yes! With the two main characters Isaiah [football player] and Victor [ballet dancer] both being from two different backgrounds it was quite interesting in how this author was able to give the readers a story that did connect quite well and bringing the son [Evan] into the picture really helped bring this story altogether. Even though this was the second marriage for Isaiah [after having losing his former husband Stephen from a accident] will he be able to leave the past behind and start a new one with his new husband? Will Isaiah began to love again? I will say that I didn't really care very much for Isaiah until toward the end where it seems like after a certain incident that involved his son maybe he got some sense in what was really happening in this whole situation. Now, I don't want to spoil it ...just saying you will have to pick up this novel and see for yourself what all it is about and how this author will bring it all out in the end. I felt that this was a enjoyable story that in the end you will find out if these two will get their HEA.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 Stars

Robin Covington is a new-to-me author, and I was surprised how much emotion could be packed in so few pages. His Convenient Husband ran the full gamut of emotions for me, strumming my heartstrings from the beginning to the end.

Isaiah is a gay, widowed father, and an NFL player, who has to deal with the stressors of being in the limelight. He’s introverted, reserved, and doesn’t wish to be noticed – he’d rather stay in the shadows of fame, live his life and raise his son, and play football the game, not the media circus… but all of that changes when he meets his son’s idol.

Victor is a ballet dancer, with all the trappings that comes with it. He’s Isaiah’s total opposite, wishing to be the center of attention. Victor has a voice which cannot be denied, advocating for LGBTQ rights, especially in his home country.

Their attraction was incendiary from the start, but after an initial hook-up, the novel shifts into slow-burn territory. ANGST, and more angst – Victor seeks asylum on US soil but is denied, so starts the marriage of convenience trope, but it has much more depth and strife than others of its ilk.

Isaiah refuses to bring emotion into their relationship, forever mourning his late husband, terrified of loving and yet again losing them. Victor feels resentment as he competes with a ghost. While the couple is the perfect balance, Isaiah has a propensity to behave like a douche to push Victor away, and understanding and compassion only goes so far when you wish to keep your self-respect intact.

I highly recommend this title, especially to those who are fans of the author and MM romance.

His Convenient Husband was a well-written novella, giving a full spectrum of emotions from developed characters, and a complete story from start to finish.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
This is a well-developed, emotionally-packed novella. You are given a scenario that seems impossible, only to see how love can truly overcome the obstacles of life.

Isaiah and Evan have suffered an immense loss. They are still grieving to a point, but Isaiah, a NFL star, is trying to move on with his son, Evan, and Evan is just trying to figure out his place in the world.

When Evan goes with his dad to see Victor dance, all the rules go right out the window. There is an immediate attraction between Victor and Isaiah. However, due to an over-developed sense of devotion on Isaiah's part, their relationship becomes one of convenience.

Isaiah is shy and hates being in the limelight. He is also fiercely protective of his son. Victor is an activist and doesn't mind talking to the press about the horrible lifestyle that gay people in Russia have to endure.

When emotions run high, it limits their ability to communicate and see that love will help heal.

This novella was full of angst and emotion, but not in a cheesy way. I really enjoyed this.


Angie – ☆☆☆
This book really wasn't my cup of tea. The blurb sounded really good, I thought going into the book I would at least like it if not really enjoy it. Sadly, I didn't like it. I found myself skimming at times, I was hoping it would get better but it didn't. I couldn't stay engaged with the storyline or the characters. I usually connect with someone, anyone in a book, but this time I didn't. I can't even pinpoint why, I just know it didn't work for me. I am sure others will love it, I seem to be the minority when it comes to not liking this book.


Sarah – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

Victor and Isaiah’s ‘marriage of convenience’ is actually plausible and Victor’s experience as a gay man in Russia makes the story timely and relevant.

I loved Victor and I really loved Isaiah’s son Evan. They are both passionate and vibrant and their artistic talents give them an instant connection. I loved Victor’s passion for dance and his fierce championing of gay rights. He is a wonderful leading man. Evan is an inspiring and original teenager and I’d love to read his YA or NA story.

However, I struggled to engage with Isaiah. He’s bland. For a man who was married to another man for some time, he is oddly closeted. And fearful. I would also expect most het parents to give their queer kids more support than Isaiah does as a gay man. By the end of the story, Isaiah was so hurtful towards Victor that while I wanted Victor to be Evan’s dad, I didn’t really want Isaiah for his partner.

Ultimately, I feel like the premise/blurb has more promise than the actual story provides. This is a low heat story – but it is also low romance. I know it’s a marriage of convenience, but I never felt like the relationship became anything more than friendly and convenient.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of hotness

I really enjoyed this book – I love sports romances, but that the other protagonist is a ballet dancer, just added to the hotness. The descriptions of what Victor was wearing (usually not a lot) were super enticing – no wonder Isaiah found him hard to resist!

This is a story with considerable depth and so much more than I really expected. Isaiah is a good man, and in spite of great personal sadness, he immediately steps in with a solution – and the knowledge that resisting temptation will be difficult. His love for his son, and the pleasure in knowing how Victor treats him is beautifully written.

There was a lot of fun and humour too; their manager, Ian, was a funny guy and the perfect foil for the two of them. All in all, this book is a definite hit for me – I have been thinking about it all day!

¸.•*´¨)¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ ★Victor Aleksandrov was a walking wet dream...
(¸.•´ ★Isaiah Blackwell was temptation. Worse than sweets...

His Convenient Husband was a good read for me. An out footballer, not hiding...so perfect. Most sport stories I have read the athletes are closeted and eventually outed or retired then comes out. For Isaiah, he was still an active football player, widowed with a son who was going through his own search for his se*uality. Even if Isaiah was not shouting it from the roof top, there was barely any backlash. He was whom he was and wore his heart on his sleeves for his family.

Then he met Russian principal dance Victor, an out and proud activist who had no problem using his voice to defend the downtrodden especially in his home state. With instant and definite attraction, these two were soon married when Victor's visa was not renewed. A bit cliché and done to pieces, but Victor and Isaiah proved that they were compatible, exccept when it came to being vocal.

Victor and his stepson, Evan's relationship was inspiring and the rest of the cast helped elevate the story. There was a storyline within the story, but eventually life became cohesive after some pull and push. I am glad these two made it work. You just have to read to see their struggles. Would I recommend this book? Er, yes.

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from Netgalley.

Mixed bag.

From now on (until I find something else that amuses me) this is my mixed bad image of choice!

Go read that blurb and look at that cover. That cover is sit on face worthy, man. I'd scoop that cover model up and butter my biscuits. Consider my basement flooded, if you catch my drift. And I think you do.

The blurb is trope city (and I definitely don't hate on that). Between the cover, the blurb, I was stoked. So stoked, I ignored the buzz book potential and requested this sucker.

I tied on my reading bib and dived right into this sucker. And from the first chapter, something was off. SoI kept reading, because I'm stubborn and hopeful (what a combo) with books. I don't like to DNF and hope the author will turn it around.

His Convenient Husband is a mixed bag and I got mixed emotions while reading this. On one hand I got happy with certain things: the mention of LGBT issues and activism (hold that thought), interracial romance when the POC isn't written as a kink (I'm not a fan of that). However, there were issues as well: characters that said the right things but didn't back it up, telling rather than showing and not having a true grasp on either main characters' character. They could've been anybody.

Hence me:

The category romance (it's cracky fluffy on speed) is a fluff tale of a one night stand meets fake marriage. It was a meld of some of my favorite tropes. Chechen ballet dance Victor is world famous and out. The reader is told how much he stands up for gay rights, how he's loud and brash. (Not really) He applied for political asylum assuming he was going to get to stay in the States. On the world's worst set up through a shared agent, gay football player and widower, Isaiah invites the dance to his house since Isaiah's teen son is a huge fan of Victor (and Isaiah's agent wants them to get together)

So they do. Very hotly out in a pool, but I didn't see a connection between either guy other than insta-lust.

The time jumps weirdly in this where the one night stand meant something to both men. So when the political asylum falls through, Isiah offers to marry Victor to save him.

You would potentially go to jail (should anyone finds out about a fake marriage) and if the person who was denied gets married the next day, I would expect this country's immigration agents to flag the fuck out the entire thing and personally fly Victor back to his country.

But no mention of worry. In fact the couple blab to friends and family it's a fake marriage to keep Victor in America. After searching high and low to see if this was an alternate reality, no such thing. Unfortunately, I've read this plot written stronger with defined repercussions earlier this year.

The pair have really no connection. Consider me crossing the bridge leaving reality.

The secondary characters are used heavily to tell the read how much the two can't take their eyes off each other, how much of an activist Victor is. This is a pet peeve of mine, using secondary characters to get the romance and plot across.I liked that the author had a character bring up social issues, I just wish it didn't read like a suit being put on to look cool.

Besides the info dump and heavy telling, I think I figured out what the main issue of the story was: the characters had the potential to have depth. I've read fluffy romances where the main characters have difficult backgrounds and still make some impact.

The first half of the story was weak. It wasn't until the last third where the story gained some ground but I wasn't invested in the characters. They talked a good talk but I'm not buying what they're selling.

Funny thing is, even if the characters were hovering the two dimensional mark, the sex scenes were rocking. Hence my mixed emotions. If this was pure erotica - 3.75-4 Hearts easy. I read a lot of erotica, the smut was pretty good: dirty talk, outdoor sex (pool/porch), some possessive inclination, rimming, lots of oral. Nice.

Alas, this is a romance and the meh characters have to be counted in my rating.

And a few times Victor rubbed me the wrong way with his view on being different or gay due to wearing makeup. I expected a different stance from him. It's more than just makeup. This could be from me reading better written activists in previous romances.

Eh, he tried. And I'm looking for depth in a fluff piece. So I'll just wrap this up now.

Loved the tropes, not a fan of the execution or characters. But I liked the sex and the premise potential.

This face sums it up just about right.

I'm not going to write this author off either. There were a few moments when it wasn't so bad. There were other sports characters that have lead potential. The author is not a newbie to writing romance, but still fairly new in writing MM. The intimate scenes (sexual and non sexual) didn't read awkward or like used to be MF. I've read worse, so it's a step in the right direction.

I might try something else from this author.

Maybe, if I'm in the right mood.

Ugh, mixed bag.

*smh*

Victor is a dancer, Isaiah a football player. Isaiah stays out of media is widowed and is raising his son. Victor is all over the media fighting for gay rights in his country. When he is not granted asylum Isaiah steps in and decides to marry him for convenience.
I found the story to be lagging in some spots, and right to the point in others. It was not what I would usually expect from a M/M book.



** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

When I saw the blurb for His Convenient Husband, I was pretty excited to read it. I couldn’t wait to read Isaiah and Victor’s story and see how they fall for each other. What I ended up with was a huge disappointment to me.

The plot for His Convenient Husband was simple. Isaiah is still getting over the death of his husband when he meets Victor, a ballerina. Victor has applied for asylum in the United States. He is a gay activist in Chechnya*. Being gay in that country is dangerous. Lesbian and gay people are being purged. Victor is afraid that he will be on the next list because of his activism. When Victor is denied asylum, Isaiah does something that surprises himself. It also surprises friends and family. He marries Victor to keep him safe. The only thing, Victor isn’t exactly the fade into the woodwork kind of guy. He is out, proud about it and not about to tune it down. When Victor’s activism starts affecting Isaiah’s professional and personal life, he is faced with a choice. Either love Victor for who he is or let him go.

I mentioned in the first paragraph that I was disappointed by His Convenient Husband. The main reason I was so disappointed was because of Isaiah. While he was a good man and a great father, he wasn’t willing to open himself up to love again. But that wasn’t even the problem I had with him. The problem I had, and the reason I gave the book the review I gave it, was that he was cruel to Victor. He said and did such cruel things and Victor took it until he couldn’t take it anymore. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Every time Isaiah even though he was getting close to Victor, he did or said something to drive him away. Made me go “WTF” several times during the time while reading.

I loved Victor. He was what Isaiah needed, even though Isaiah was doing his best to keep him at arm’s length. He put up with so much from Isaiah. Much more than I would have, to be honest. I would have left long before he did. I did like that he was shown as being human. I mean, he meant to cheat of Isaiah at the club and had second thoughts. What I enjoyed was the positive influence that he had on Isaiah’s son, Evan. Evan, who is genderfluid, learned how to stand up for himself from watching Victor. See, Victor is an activist in his home country of Chechnya. That country is purging gay and lesbians. Victor is doing everything within his power to bring attention to that and it rubbed off on Evan. So yes, it is safe to say that I liked Victor much more than I liked Isaiah.

The sex between Isaiah and Victor was hot. The sex grew hotter and hotter as the story went on. Even when Isaiah and Victor were relieving themselves, it was hot. My feelings for Isaiah aside, the sex scenes were very hot with Victor. I did like that later in the book, they were starting to get more emotion driven….even if Isaiah was fighting it.

The end of the book was actually very nice. I liked the dressing down that Isaiah got from Evan. I did a double fist pump and went “You go, boyfriend“. I also liked the epilogue. I don’t know if Isaiah and Victor would make it as a real-life couple. I give them a 45% chance with hopes that Isaiah does some major changing.

Like I said above, His Convenient Husband disappointed me. The male romantic lead, Isaiah, couldn’t get his head out of his butt to see what he had and almost lost it. He also was cruel to Victor. What saved this book from being a 2-star review was Victor and the hot sex scenes.

Will I reread: No but I will read other books by the author

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

I would like to thank Robin Covington, Entangled Publishing, Indulgence, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review His Convenient Husband.

All opinions expressed in this review of His Convenient Husband are mine.

I received no compensation for this review.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

What is happening in Chechnya is a very real thing. The world needs to speak out against the purging of the gays and lesbians of this country and let their leaders know it will not be tolerated.