I absolutely adored Layla Reyne’s debut series, Agents Irish and Whiskey, so I came into Relay with very high hopes and expectations. The amazing writing I loved from the other series, plus second chances and Olympic athletes? Yes please. Unfortunately, I ended up not exactly loving this.

What I liked: The enemies-to-lovers and hate lust was palpable. Alex and Dane were roommates and each others’ first loves at swimming camp when they were 16. But at the end of the summer, Dane left as if Alex didn’t exist, returning to his homophobic parents and cheerleader girlfriend. After that, Alex spent 10 years hating Dane and Dane spent 10 years hating himself. When they come back together for Olympic training, they both wear their anger and annoyance on their sleeves. While I didn’t exactly love how much the guys hate each other at first, the I-hate-you-but-I-want-to-bone-you thing was believable. At times I almost couldn’t even see how they could get past it.

The book reads like an action movie with a bit of romance. This is a big strength of Reyne’s - her writing fully immerses the reader and creates such vivid imagery, it’s almost like watching it play out on a screen. Despite the issues I had with the story (more on that later), I didn’t want to put the book down. I also really liked Bas and Jacob, two other swimmers on the team. Book two is their book, and I can NOT wait for it. Honestly, I liked Bas and Jacob much more than I liked Dane and Alex. Whoops.

What I didn’t like: Almost everything is very much overdone. The hate and anger between Dane and Alex; Dane’s villain parents; the suspense/mystery surrounding Alex’s doping allegation; Dane being a super hacker (I was a bit disappointed in that twist - the author’s first series heavily featured super hackers, and it fit - they were FBI agents. But here? I wasn’t expecting it and wasn’t a fan. Here’s hoping she doesn’t find a way to force it into book two as well.). I also was disappointed in the lack of actual swimming in this book that is supposedly about Olympic swimmers during training. More narrative was given to solving the doping allegation mystery than preparing for the Games, and I was really looking forward to reading a different angle by this author. Instead it was basically Agents Irish and Whiskey if they spent 25% of their time in a swimming pool and didn’t use firearms.

The thing I didn’t like most, though, was the incredible lack of relationship building. Unfortunately, the reconciliation and love between Alex and Dane felt disingenuous. I think it was the over focus on the action portion of the plot that caused the romance between the guys to suffer. It became much more telling than showing.

All in all, this isn’t my favorite book by this author, however it does kick off what has the potential to be a great new series. I’m really looking forward to book two and seeing how she writes Bas and Jacob’s story.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

With the Olympics around the corner, Alejandro (Alex) Cantu has taken on the role of captain and leader of the U.S. Men’s Swim Team. It is another piece of his busy life, between swimming, work, and taking care of his family. But Alex is honored to have the position and works hard to help lead his team. It is not always easy, however, with the presence of Dane Ellis, freestyle super star and Alex’s former lover.

Ten years ago, when the men were 16, they attended a summer training program together. There the young men fell for one another until Dane’s refusal to stand up to his controlling family and be honest about his feelings left their relationship shattered. Now Dane is swimming’s golden boy, with sponsors and a carefully controlled media presence run by his fame-seeking parents. Dane still refuses to stand up to them and admit who he is, and it is all Alex can do to be around him. Yet be around him he must, especially as Dane ends up on the medley relay team along with Alex.

As much as Dane pines for Alex, he has never been able to stand up to his parents or the giant machine they have created around his career. He knows he can never have the man he wants if he is not able to defy his parents’ expectations, but they are a force he can barely fight against. When Alex’s career is threatened by doping allegations, however, Dane knows he can help him. He also knows it is time to finally stand up for himself and reclaim the man he loves.

I am a huge fan of Layla Reyne’s romantic suspense Agents Irish and Whiskey series, so I was really excited to see what she could do with a more straight contemporary. Relay has many elements I really love, including an enemies to lovers story and a focus on elite athletes. I can also see Reyne’s style here, particularly with the bit of a suspense storyline toward the end of the book. The focus here is on the relationship between Alex and Dane, but it is set under the bigger picture of the Olympic Games and the members of the swim team preparing to leave for the competition.

From the romance end, we get a great enemies to lovers setup here, as these guys have been at odds for the last ten years after falling for each other one summer as teens. We can feel both the hostility between them, but also so clearly how much the men are still pining for one another. Alex struggles as the team leader to not let his feelings interfere with the team dynamics, but it is almost impossible for him to hold back his emotions, especially when Dane’s family keeps turning everything into a media spectacle. Alex still hurts from Dane’s rejection, and even when Dane shows signs of changing, Alex is wary of being hurt again. For Dane’s part, he loves Alex and always has, but he hasn’t been able to figure out how to get out from his parent’s influence. He is so used to falling in line, and they steamroll through just about everything, that even his little forays into independence get quashed. This story has quite a bit of angst as these guys struggle with their feelings, and in Dane’s case, struggle with taking an action that will change the course of his life. But I also like that Reyne pulls together the relationship end of things early enough on that we can really see the love the guys have for one another and then gives them an external conflict that they can work together to resolve.

I do wish we had a better sense of exactly what went on that summer ten years ago. We know that Alex feels betrayed, that Dane somehow rejected him in favor of falling in line with his parents, but we never really get details. Given that this event is the lynchpin for the story’s conflict, I wanted to better understand what happened. Particularly because we are talking about the actions of a 16 year old living under the control of his parents, not an adult. I needed to better understand what Dane did that was so bad to cause this ten years of hurt. Along the same lines, I also wanted more detail on their relationship itself back then. These were 16 years olds who were together for a couple of months ten years ago. It is very much presented as the two being in love and the feelings they had have carried through the intervening years. Given their age, the amount of time passed, and the short time they were together, I had a little trouble quite feeling the intensity of their connection with no real detail given to it in the story. Now I know people can fall in real love at 16; I started dating my husband at that age so I know it happens. But for me to really get the connection between them after so long, I wanted to see a little bit of it, or at least hear more details.

As I mentioned, in addition to the romance, this story focuses on the swim team and the lead up to the Olympic Games. Relay is the first book in a two-book set that features the four men on the medley relay team. Dane and Alex get their story here, and then Jacob and Bas are featured in Medley, which comes out in April. I’ll say that despite being a connected story in terms of the big picture of the Olympic team, this book totally stands alone as far as the romance. The relationship between Alex and Dane is fully developed and resolved here and we aren’t left with any loose ends. We meet the guys from the other story, as well as other members of the team, but this feels fully like Alex and Dane’s story and I wasn’t left with a sense of it being unfinished in any way. So while I am really excited about the next book, I think you can definitely read this one without waiting for the second.

Relay is romantic and engaging with two heroes who are so clearly pining for one another, but sure that they can never be together. I loved their relationship and the way we see growth from both of them, Dane in particular. The chemistry between the men is intense, and when they get together they are all kinds of sexy. I loved the setting within the larger swim team and the details on their lives as athletes. I think Reyne really has set this up nicely and I am eagerly looking forward to the second story in the set.

I couldn’t resist this book about swimmers on the road to the Olympics and a love lost years ago when they were teens. A look at the rigors of training for the Olympics, controlling parents, jealousy, friendship, life and love, I thoroughly enjoyed Relay by Layla Reyne.

Alejandro “Alex” Cantu has more on his plate than any 26 year old should have; worry over his mother’s chemo treatments, the family farm needing extra help while he is away for Olympic training and the games, working extra shifts to help his family, as well as his duties as captain of the swim team, and now dealing with his ex-lover not only being on the team but the media circus that surrounds him thanks to his publicist and overbearing parents. While many people see the swimming star that Dane Ellis has become, Alex can see the stress and pressure that Dane’s parents bring each and every time they show up. Alex still harbors ill will towards Dane, but the more he is around his parents, the more Alex begins to realize just how much control they hold over Dane and his life.

This was my first book by Layla Reyne and I appreciated that it was multi faceted. Not only was the relationship between Alex and Dane both past and present explored, so was Dane taking control of his life, the team dealing with losing a veteran member, Alex being accused of doping, and trust lost and broken. I liked that for most of this book Alex and Dane were at odds and it took time for them to figure out how to be civil and more to each other; there was no easy, magical fix, it took hard work and compromise for them to find their way back to each other.

A story of hope, betrayal, healing, change, acceptance, and love, Relay was a treat to read.

I loved this book! Super cute. Will recommend for sure! This book was exactly what I didn't know I was looking for!

I come from a family of college swimmers - and I love sports romances. But this book skimps on the sport and overkills the romance. I didn't like anything about it.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while. I don’t think I’ve read enough books about swimming and this one sounded right up my alley. Alex and Dane met at summer camp when they were teenagers. They quickly went from being friends and roommates there to developing feelings for each other. Feelings that ran deep and even though there’s been ten years and lots of heartache in between, being close to each other now as part of the US Olympic swim team it won’t take much to bring them to the surface.

There were things about this story that I liked and others that I had a hard time dealing with. Dane has struggled with his parents pressure to keep a certain image and pretend like he’s something that’s he’s not for all these years. I found his easy turnaround now to be a bit hard to believe, but that may be just me. Nevertheless, I was totally rooting for that to happen!

Alex was the one I cared for the most. He’s had a raw deal from life. Dealing with prejudice, accepting himself and having others accept him as well. Striving to be the best at his sport while also carrying a heavy burden of responsibility back home. He was definitely the one I admired the most, the one I wanted to see gets his HEA.

RELAY delivered a sweet and surprisingly romantic story about a second chance at a love that never could blossom. And it’s definitely left me intrigued to read the next one in the series.

Anything Olympics related, especially swimming and gymnastics (anyone on that one???) and I will snap it up right away, without question. So when I saw this up for preorder, it was with grabby hands that I requested this one, and I was not disappointed. The author did a fantastic job with this story.

It has to be difficult to write about an area of sports that is only really seen by the public every four years, but well done by the author to connect with those that have an inside track into how that world works.

Alex and Dane certainly had their work cut out for them to come back together. Lovers at 16, then Dane turned his back when his parents said he had to leave. The anger and hatred that burned between them was palpable from the first day they were back in each other’s orbits. With Alex as captain, he was able to make decisions, along with the coach, who would swim what group events, and he didn’t hesitate to use that power to push Dane to the side, even knowing there was a chance it could affect the team’s chances of bringing home gold. In the end, the choice was taken away from him, once their anger was so out of control, it affected the entire team.

It took time for Alex to come to terms with where Dane was at in his life that he would walk away from what was clearly love, and even when he began to, Dane found a way to make it worse, allowing Alex’s belief in him to falter, because he knew there would be no way he could save him otherwise.

They worked together to overcome the outside forces that worked against them as individuals and a couple, even overcoming a small twist I didn’t see coming.

I do like a book that doesn’t tie everything up neatly, 100%. That to me is real life. There were several unanswered questions, along with people who definitely needed more of a comeuppance, but that is how real life is sometimes. Not all the questions are answered, and not everything ties up in a neat little bow. And that works just fine for me.

These two got their HEA, and the reader gets a glimpse of the next book, and even through how the secondary characters react, what their issues will be. I’m looking forward to it.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Dane and Alex had a love affair when they were 16, which ended with Dane turning his back on Alex. Ten years later they are both on the US Olympic swimming team and things between them are not good. There is so much resentment, jealously, and animosity between them I was wondering how this story was going to end up a romance.

Alex’s jealousy of Dane and the way he treats him in the beginning really bugged me. But at the end of the day, Alex is a good, hard working guy and he eventually came around. I also struggled a little with the fact that at 26, Dane was still being ruled by his parents. Neither of these characters is prefect, which makes them easier to relate to.

The emotions, both positive and negative in this story, came across really strongly, as did the sexual tension between the pair. I think this is why I was so swept up in their lives that I read this book in less than day. I didn’t want to put it down.

The only negative for me was how the doping was dealt with. My brain kept wondering where WADA was, and I had to keep reminding myself that this is fiction and to stop being so pedantic.

I adored Relay and as soon as it was finished I wanted to dive in to Medley, which is book two. Unfortunately for me, it isn’t out until next month so I’m just going to have to be patient.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
Reunited as adults at an Olympic training camp, swimmers Dane and Alex may be the best in the world, but neither man can completely move past the fallout from their teenage romance.

This book’s strength lies in the characters. Dane is an entitled rich kid who allows himself to be controlled by his pushy parents and lucrative sponsorship deals. Alex has made it onto the Olympic team through hard work and bloody-minded sacrifice. I love the contrast between these two. Alex enjoys personal freedoms Dane doesn’t allow himself to hope for while Dane enjoys financial security that allows him every possible advantage in his swimming career.

The chemistry between Dane and Alex is hot. Teenage heartbreak and adult resentments combine to ensure that every encounter between the two fiercely competitive Olympians is electric. Interestingly, though, there isn’t a whole lot of sex in the story. I enjoyed the growth in both characters – but especially in Dane. I had more empathy for him through the whole book than I expected to.

The plot is a little bit over-the-top. Without spoilers, I enjoyed the training scenes and the interactions between all the teammates. Sadly, Dane’s parents are caricature baddies and I’m still not sure how or why a story about an Olympic swim team became a story about computer hacking, chemotherapy, and private jet trips. While I loved the characters and their relationships, I did have some issues with the story itself.

This was a cute, fast paced MM sports romance with just the right amount of angst and conflict. It's sexy and romantic, emotional and well written and it checks off all the boxes for a solid storyline. I enjoyed it.

I loved this story of two swimmers with a shared past, who are both training for the Olympics. I thought both characters were very relatable, with one scared to come out and feeling the pressure from all sides to win at all costs, and the other struggling to swim and meet his family obligations.

It's fitting I finished this book just as the winter games started. With so few out LGBT athletes, at any level of sport, not only was it was great to see representation through Dane and Alex's characters, but also the challenges and pressures athletes of Olympic caliber face, regardless of orientation. The ending has me hoping for a second book with Bas and "Pup".

Alex is captain of the Men's Olympic swim team, and part of being captain is dealing with people you would rather never see again, but when Dane makes the team, Alex will have to learn to put the hurts of the past behind him in order to be the type of captain he wants to be. Dane knows he hurt Alex 10 years ago when he turned his back on him, but he is hoping to be able to overcome the past. Dane much learn to stand up to his parents before the past will be able to be let go and both of them can move on.


This was a great start to the series, a bit of a open ended ending, but it sets up the next book nicely, I will be interested to see the next book and the development of the relationship between the two secondary characters from this book.

I love finding new authors. When that author’s grabs you from the very first book, it’s even better. That’s exactly the category that Layla Reyne has fallen into for me. From the very first book (Single Malt) in her Agents Irish and Whiskey series I was hooked and couldn’t wait until the next book was released. The fact that this was her very first book continues to amaze me. Yep, the series was just that good. Now she’s got another series that I can’t wait to continue. 🙂

Relay is one of those books that I was grateful for POVs from both characters. Otherwise, I may not have liked Dane nearly as much as I did. For as together and privileged as he seemed on the outside, he was more than a little broken on the inside. Alex didn’t have that luxury though. All he saw was the man who had hurt him years ago. He had no idea the internal battle that Dane was going through or how much he regretted his past actions. He didn’t have the time or patience to deal with Dane while he was going through personal battles of his own.

There was so much to love about this book. I loved the turning point where Alex saw just enough to make him want to reach out to Dane. I loved the supporting characters, especially Alex’s larger than life family. I loved the connection and attraction between Dane and Alex that became too much for either of them to ignore. I also loved the lengths Dane was willing to go to protect and clear Alex. There were also more than enough characters to loath in Relay and a couple to strongly dislike – if only for a little while.

So yeah, this series is off to a great start and I can’t wait to see what Layla Reyne has in store for the team in Medley, the next book in Changing Lanes.

This is an enemies to lovers story about two guys who end up on the Olympic team together. They first met as teens and feel for each other. Dane is not out though and as a result he shuts Alex out. Over the years they keep tabs on each other but have not been back together in ten years.

I had to suspend reality pretty early on. These two haven't seen each other in ten years but have built this huge amount of animosity that totally overshadows their lives. I didn't buy it but I went along with it because their dislike of each other was entertaining and watching them fight it was hot. I was enjoying their connection as well as the swim aspect of the story. I also enjoyed the side characters who made up the team.

I was pretty into the story until the last 20% or so. It just went all wonky for me then. The plot turned totally OTT and I didn't buy a second of it. I also didn't like the extreme villain parents aspect. That plotline is over done and I'm honestly just sick of it.

I think if the author would have cut out all the unnecessary drama and just focused on the two MC's and their relationship this could have been a much better book.

The set up of the next couple for the next book seemed interesting so I will probably give it a try. This wasn't a bad book but it was one of the many meh books that just kind of falls off of my radar.

**ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley*

RELAY is a story about an Olympics team coming together, but more than that, it's a story about second chances, self-acceptance and forgiveness, and learning to fight for who you are and what—who—you want, no matter the cost.

Grade: C-

With the Olympics right around the corner, I’m all about an Olympic romance, even though this one takes place in the summer. We have Alex and Dane, who have both made the team for the Olympics as swimmers – but they hate each other. Like, really hate each other. They have a bad history, and now have to train together in the three weeks heading into the Olympics. Alex sees Dane as the charmer, all-american who gets everything he wants. He doesn’t know that Dane’s parents are extremely controlling his life. Alex has a sick mother and a family without much money and has a lot of stress since he can’t be home much to help them.

I didn’t really enjoy this book. This group of Olympic swimmers were so immature and unprofessional, I just don’t see them in real life (although I should remember the antics of Ryan Lochte….). Dane and Alex get in a physical fight and when their teammate tries to separate them, he slips on the wet floor and his bone comes out of his leg. No longer can compete! Probably forever! And he is like – eh – I can go home and see my wife. It’s all good. HUH?? Even the coach wasn’t that upset. It didn’t make any sense

Dane’s parents are horrible and get way too much page time. I didn’t need to read about them for more than a paragraph. They constantly call the newest member of the team, “pup” and it got on my nerves. The romance gets lost in this one as well. Didn’t work for me.

*2.5 stars*

Decent story that gets bogged down with melodrama.

When I read a sports story about Olympic athletes I honestly expect something more... realistic. I mean, these guys acted like children. I wanted more discipline or something, something to make this story feel more grounded.

There is so much guilt and resentment here that it's hard to find the romance underneath. I had a hard time believing that a summer fling from 14 years ago would be so impactful on day to day life. I get that there may be simmering chemistry or lingering feelings, but the depth of those feelings after so much time bordered on strange.

I also just wanted more sports, more action in the story. I know a little about the world of competitive swimming, like any Olympics junky, and I was disappointed at the lack of competition and knowledge about the sport in the story.

While there were some bright moments, the villainous super-villains and the family drama grew tiresome, and I think the story was just a case of expectations vs reality. Bummer.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

One for fans of swimming, more than fans of a good romance, I think. And that curveball? Really? Not very believable.

This book has a lot of swim terms in it, but not to the point of distracting from the tale. It's a tale that doesn't quite live up to the romance factor part of the blurb - there's **************************************slight SPOILER FOLLOWS*******************************



...no huge big reunion, no instant connection. There's quite a lot of minutiae that I wasn't sure was necessary and the book dragged a fair bit, tbh. It does end with the start of the leads getting back together, and with one at 26yo, overdue a showdown with his parents (and what horrors they were). It was quite clear that the book would be setting up at least one more romance, with a couple of decent sounding characters, so I will check that out. However, if it's set at competition time, like this one, then I'm not sure it'll satisfy the romantic in me.

ARC courtesy of Riptide Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.