4.5 Stars

Ugh, this wasn’t an easy read. From the very first few chapters and the first meeting of Dane’s parents, I was livid. I’m not sure hate is a strong enough word for what I felt for these people. It took me forever to get through the beginning because I kept starting, then I’d get angry and have to step away before I hurt my precious iPad. My co-blogger, Mari, who’d read the book before me had to keep talking me down and reassuring me that it would all be okay. And she was right, and besides Dane’s parents, I absolutely loved this book.

Second chances are my absolute favorites and this one was great. I wasn’t so sure about Dane or Alex at first, but it didn’t take long for them to win me over. Swimming is my favorite event during the Summer Olympics, so I love that this book is set to that backdrop and I hope to see some more swimming action in book two, which I’m really looking forward to.

This was a really great read, well, aside from Dane’s parents, well-written, paced well and filled with emotion and a bit of mystery, that I thoroughly enjoyed. Dane and Alex had amazing chemistry and fit together perfectly and I’m hoping to see much more of them in the next installment! Very recommendable!!

*copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

When I received Relay I was in a foul mood after dnf-ing the last three books I've read, so I put it aside, because I was sure if I would read it with a feeling of lingering disappointment that I would not like it. That was a wise decision by me. Instead I read it after I read a book I absolutely loved. Lol.

Layla Reyne is a new-to-me author, but after reading Relay I will check out her other books as well.

Anyway Relay had all the things I love combined: m/m romance, an enemies-to-lover relationship that also included a second-chance romance and it had a sports theme. I loved the whole animosity between Dane and Alex in the beginning of the book. That was fun.

Also their whole 2nd relationship was a slowburner, which I also loved. Slowburners are more fun in my opinion and the relationship makes more sense if its built up slowly instead of over the course of just 30 pages like in some books I've read. We didn't get to find out a lot of their first relationship though. Normally I'm not a big fan of flashbacks, but in this case I would have liked one or two, but that's me nitpicking.

Dane's parents I wanted to hurt - a lot. Poor Dane. I kinda disliked the fact though that Dane let them control his own life for that long of a time, but I'm glad he finally stood up to them.

The writing style was really good and while I read some reviews that were disappointed that the whole swimming thing wasn't as prominent as they hoped and that we didn't find out if they won any medals at the Olympics, I was quite glad this was the way it was. I want an incentive to read the next book - which I would have read nontheless, just saying - to know how they did at the Olympics.

Also I'm curious about Bas and Jacob. Their book will be the second one in the Changing Lanes series and according to Riptide Publishing's website it's called Medley and will be released April 23. Can't wait.

Rating: 4 stars

Ok....I'm a bit mixed on how I feel about Relay.

It started off pretty good, and as it was just ramping up-things took a weird turn.

Dane and Alex were past lovers. Dane left Alex because of his ultra-conservative, ministry seeking ways of his parents. Alex was broken hearted. Dane had to do what his parents wanted-no questions asked and although he felt bad, he had no choice but to cut ties with Alex.

Flash forward ten years. Alex and Dane are both on the Olympic swim team-Alex being the captain-and talk about tension!! Alex can not let go of his anguish of what Dane did to him so many years ago. Dane is still his closeted self, and Alex never moved on. Hate and Love travel along a very thin line here, and through the hate, the lust is just below the surface. These guys were acting like they were still in middle school!

I liked the book up to about 50% through, then there was just some things that went sideways for me. I was just getting sold on their chemistry. I also liked that Dane had side hacker business. But the whole computer plot line just didn't belong in this book. It didn't fit for me. It detracted from the training for the Olympics storyline.

Secondly, this is billed as a sports romance book-but there was literally no sports in it! Yes, we have a blurb about practice here and press junkets there, but we get no real swim time. I wanted to get into their heads about how they prepare for a race of this magnitude and we got none of this. I have read many a sports romance and I like the aspect of learning something new about that particular sport. Whether it be about the race itself, their competitors, or how they prepare, it gives me insight I might not have previously had. For this being billed as a sports romance, it was sadly missing sports and for that I was majorly disappointed. In my opinion, a big missed opportunity.

Ultimately Dane and Alex still have a connection. Can they make it work?? A lot has to happen before it can. Unfortunately with the way the story veered to the wayside, I was left not really caring if they did or not.

I did, however, enjoy the interactions with Bas and Jacob and look forward to reading their story. I just hope we get much more sports in that sports romance.

2.5 Stars/4 Flames

reviewed by Deb

I think I'm in the minority with this one, because so far I've only seen great reviews for it on social media, but I just didn't click with it. I was very excited when I first heard of this book. I used to swim competitively myself - definitely not on a high level as Alex or Dane - but I really enjoy diving back into this world from time to time. If you're looking for a romance that focuses a lot on the sport, then this probably won't be for you since the book plays more outside of the pool than inside of it. Maybe that plays a bit into why I didn't love it. Another big part of why I didn't fall for it where Alex and Dane themself.

The book starts off kind of rocky when Dane and Alex meet again for the first time after ten years. And things go downhill from there. Alex and Dane were boyfriends for a summer when they were teenagers and things didn't end amicably. Meeting again after all this time stirs up a lot of forgotten feelings - not all of them positive. It all culminates when it turns physical and one of their teammates gets injured because he comes between them. Dane ends up taking the now open spot on the relay team.

I just don't know how to review this because there were parts I really enjoyed -- that made putting the book down almost impossible. First scene that comes to mind is the club scene with Dane and Alex. That one really enthralled me and I could practically feel their connection. I also really, really loved the pup! I'm so excited to get Jacob's and Bas' story in Medley. But then there is the way these two are incapable to communicate and for someone who held a grudge for 10 years Alex forgot about it all way too fast. I missed the groveling and apologies from Dane. I understand why Dane did what he did -- but I felt like Alex was too fast to forget what happened. These two had a physical fight just a couple of chapters before!

A minor thing that bugged me all through the book was the drinking. I'm not sure how exactly it works -- and I've heard of the olympics being party central for some athletes. Maybe it's only because exessive drinking is a thing for me... but I felt like the partying was a bit much considering that there is so much on the line. The olympics only happen once every 4 years -- wouldn't they want to be the best possible?

This all sounds really negative now, but I did enjoy Relay. Most of all because I really love the side characters like the coach, Bas and Jacob. The latter two will get their own book Medley and I am SO excited for that one! Jacob definitely was my favourite character out of everyone in Relay and knowing that his book is next has me buzzing in excitement! Because most of why I didn't love Relay was because I didn't gel with either of the MC's I'd still recommend you to read it. I think if you love Dane and/or Alex you will definitely enjoy this more than I did.

Ok....I'm a bit mixed on how I feel about Relay.

It started off pretty good, and as it was just ramping up-things took a weird turn.

Dane and Alex were past lovers. Dane left Alex because of his ultra-conservative, ministry seeking ways of his parents. Alex was broken hearted. Dane had to do what his parents wanted-no questions asked and although he felt bad, he had no choice but to cut ties with Alex.

Flash forward ten years. Alex and Dane are both on the Olympic swim team-Alex being the captain-and talk about tension!! Alex can not let go of his anguish of what Dane did to him so many years ago. Dane is still his closeted self, and Alex never moved on. Hate and Love travel along a very thin line here, and through the hate, the lust is just below the surface. These guys were acting like they were still in middle school!

I liked the book up to about 50% through, then there was just some things that went sideways for me. I was just getting sold on their chemistry. I also liked that Dane had side hacker business. But the whole computer plot line just didn't belong in this book. It didn't fit for me. It detracted from the training for the Olympics storyline.

Secondly, this is billed as a sports romance book-but there was literally no sports in it! Yes, we have a blurb about practice here and press junkets there, but we get no real swim time. I wanted to get into their heads about how they prepare for a race of this magnitude and we got none of this. I have read many a sports romance and I like the aspect of learning something new about that particular sport. Whether it be about the race itself, their competitors, or how they prepare, it gives me insight I might not have previously had. For this being billed as a sports romance, it was sadly missing sports and for that I was majorly disappointed. In my opinion, a big missed opportunity.

Ultimately Dane and Alex still have a connection. Can they make it work?? A lot has to happen before it can. Unfortunately with the way the story veered to the wayside, I was left not really caring if they did or not.

I did, however, enjoy the interactions with Bas and Jacob and look forward to reading their story. I just hope we get much more sports in that sports romance.

2.5 Stars/4 Flames

This was such a great read. I already want to read the new part of the series. Dane and Alex are well rounded characters. A fun, well paced mystery to solve. Alex and Dane have such a great chemistry and passion that is fun to go through. I really want to find out more about what happens in the Olympics! Would definitely be recommending this to friends.

So, I have a lot of feelings about this book. Because feelings are strong, I find it hard to articulate. If I could post a video of me waving my hands all around, maybe doing some charades, jumping up and down, making strange faces, and maybe floating a spoiler or two, that would be easier. Since that’s not going to happen, let me try and tell you what I think.

What I think is that this is a strong start to this series and I loved it. I loved it even though it had me frustrated and sad, pissed off and raging for much of it. At first it was the frustrated and sad feelings because OMG THE HATE. Alex is carrying a lot of hate around. Like, really a lot. That much hate hurts and can really impact life, you know? And in this case it does… dramatically. And all that hate made me frustrated until that turned to sadness because of the reasons for it. That hate was because of all these painful memories that won’t just go way, and decisions that can’t be changed. It was so sad. My heart hurt for Alex. But my heart also hurt for Dane. He’s carrying a lot of pain too, and nobody sees it.

When really getting into the story, and things start to change, I could see behind all the hate, behind all the pain, to the longing. The want. The need. The… love? Yes, the love and a serious case of lust. It’s there, and it is so strong and sweet and wonderful. It feels like something new and old all at the same time. The relationship between Alex and Dane is full of angst, totally and completely electric, and fun as hell to witness. And then there is another change, team wide. That feels fantastic and gives the book this whole other feel. Actually, the more I think about it, this really felt like a book in three very distinct acts, and that made for a reading that was smooth. So smooth that when I checked for notes and highlights, I had none. Not a single one. This is almost unheard of for me. I think I just didn’t want to stop to take the time to do them because that would have meant not moving on, not getting to the next act. And I needed to get there. I needed to know what happened next.

And yes, there are things that I would have appreciated more of, little things I would have liked to be slightly different or more flushed out. But none of those things were really worth thinking about once I got to the end. Once finished I just wanted to keep going and find out what happens next. If anything, I think one thing bothered me the most was the realness of the media questions. Not because of how real the media interactions seemed, but because it just reminded me of how stupid and inconsiderate the media can be. Alex, being a person of color and gay, made for the media not focusing on the accomplishments of the team and what they were working towards, but on his personal life. While sadly realistic, it still angered me a lot. So I guess, yay for realism? LOL

I really enjoyed each character that we get the privilege of meeting. Most especially Sebastian, Alex’s best friend. (Regarding Sebastian, a hearty thank you to the author for not nicknaming him Seb. Bas is a far superior nickname.) There is also Jacob, or ‘Pup’. These two… Book two of the series features Bas and Pup and I can’t wait for it! Not only do we get to see more of them, but with the way Relay ends, there is more story waiting to be told. Not just with Alex and Dean, but for the whole team.

And well, I suppose I didn’t enjoy every character. I hated Dane’s parents. I still hate them. I hate them with such rage. They’re such horrible people and I can’t, not for the life of me, think of any other character I hate as much as them right now.

With that, I highly recommend this book and series. I can only hope it goes longer than two books because I know I’m not going to get my fix so quickly. So if you’re looking for some sports romance, heavier on the romance but still with plenty of swimming, pick up Relay now.

I love a good sports romance. Who doesn’t, right? And, Layla Reyne’s newest release, Relay, is incredibly good. I loved so, so many things about it. I actually did have one main criticism about the book, though—and, aside from a couple of times that I wanted to shake the main characters, it’s really my only criticism—which is that it was lacking in actual sports. I wish there had been more swimming and competition stuff. In fact, when I got to the end, and the thing I was dying to see happen, the thing the whole book had been leading up to, didn’t happen, I was all, “Whut?!?” But, then I read the blurb for the next book, Medley, and I simmered down. 😀 And now that my criticism is out of the way, I can get to all the things I loved!

First and foremost, I loved, loved both Dane and Alex. I loved Dane’s drive and his perseverance in becoming dominant in his sport once again, after being sidelined by an injury and left out of the last Olympic games. I loved his friendship with Mo, and his respect for his other teammates. And, I loved that he never stopped loving Alex. He knows how badly he hurt Alex when they were kids, and that he needs to put in some OT in the sucking up and apologizing category. Tell me this quote doesn’t make you swoon pretty hard…

“Every day for ten years, Alejandro. Every day I looked at these pictures and remembered you. Remembered that this was the happiest I’d ever been.”
Dane does have pretty good game, but Alex makes him work for it. He doesn’t just fall back into Dane’s arms immediately, like Dane wishes he would. I was torn between loving that Alex didn’t let Dane off the hook too easily, and hating that he didn’t. They were kids when Dane allowed his parents to tear him away from Alex. He was sixteen and didn’t know how to stand up and be himself. He’s been a puppet, controlled by his parents his entire life, and it has taken him every bit of his twenty-six years to find the courage to finally go for what he wants, both personally and in his swimming career. Alex’s fear that Dane might still allow his parents to manipulate him, and could easily hurt him again, was completely valid, however. He needed Dane to prove himself in a big way.

Alex is amazing. His strength and love for his family were perhaps his two most standout characteristics. I loved how close he was to both his mother and his sister, and how he worried about how his being gone all summer would affect the family. He worried so much, in fact, that he was burning the candle at both ends, working for the USOC and spending all his other time at the pool, garnering both the worry and scrutiny of his coach. I also loved that he was out and proud, along with his best friend and teammate, Sebastian ‘Bas’ Stewart, and how natural that was for them both. I can’t wait for the time when an athlete’s sexual orientation being a non-issue is the norm, and they no longer have to live in fear of their fellow athletes and fans not accepting them.

Another thing that worked quite well, I think, despite there not being much competition in the book, was the pacing and flow of the story. Reyne managed to keep the intrigue and excitement up with the sheer charisma of the characters, and their individual and collective dramas, and with the doping plotline. The allegations against Alejandro caused everything to come to a head, and I loved how it all played out. I was worried it might be a bit predictable, but it really wasn’t, and I loved everyone’s role in the storyline. I honestly couldn’t put this book down, especially through the last thirty percent.
A few final thoughts…Dane’s parents are awful people, but, thankfully, most of the other characters are pretty rad. I adored Mo. The coach was (mostly) cool. Even Dane’s agent, Roger, ended up surprising me. But, I especially adored Bas and Jacob. I can’t wait for their story in Medley. And, I’m majorly stoked that we’ll get the Olympics in the next book! But, let me leave you with this one final bit of swoon from Alex and Dane’s story.

“Te amo, Alejandro,” Dane whispered, speaking the words that had been trapped in his chest for a decade. He’d loved Alex from across the pool and across a dorm room, then from across the country and across the years. Across everything that had stood between them…Always, even apart, that love hadn’t wavered.

*siiiiiigh* Go check this one out, guys.

4.5*

This book was, for some reason, very sad to me. I had a lot of tears in my eyes throughout the story. I felt so bad for Dane. His parents were so pushy and controlling. One being former beauty pageant and the other renowned preacher with his own TV show and everything. To them, everything is about appearance, pleasing sponsors and toeing the line. Everything is fake and scripted, literally, scripted.

The only time Dane has ever known any freedom is the summer he spent at camp with Alex Cantu as his roommate. He was free to be who he wanted and could explore a side of himself he could never do with his parents, and fall in love. Only, that couldn't last, so Dane had to walk away.

Fast forward 10 years and Dane and Alex are on the same team going to the Olympics. There is still a LOT of anger on Alex's end and he can barely contain it. It isn't until something bad happens to a team member because of their shenanigans that they snap out of it and call a truce. Events lead to some blackmail gone wrong and Dane has to further grow a backbone and FINALLY stand up for the life he wants to live and the man he wants to love.

One thing about this book is, all the training and talks of relays and winning golds... the ending, they still haven't gone to the actual Olympics yet. I am hoping in book 2, Medley, they talk about this more.

So, we get an HFN with an upcoming story of one of my favorite characters, Bas (Sebastian), Alex's best friend. I can't wait!

4.5 Stars!

Alex hasn't had the easiest of times. He's training to compete at the Olympics, has been recently elected Captain by his teammates, works as the team administrative assistant and helps out at his family farm whenever possible. The last thing he needs and wants is to deal with the man who broke his heart ten years ago.

Dane comes across as a privileged ass at first, but he's more of a pawn to his parents, who are absolutely horrid and I hated with the fire of a thousand suns. Unfortunately, even if he longs to cut the umbilical cord with them, Dane finds it hard to stand up for himself, but seeing Alex again might change that, even if neither of them seems able to be in the same room without snapping at each other. I really enjoyed seeing his growth throughout the book and how he proved himself worthy of Alex.

I liked Alex and Dane, but it took me a while to warm up to them. Even if I understood Alex's motives for being angry, I thought they both acted a bit immaturely at first and I was starting to get fed up with their inability to reach a truce when they finally moved past it. Once they did, I finally saw why they hadn't been able to forget each other. They had great chemistry and were really good together, both in and out of the bedroom.

I loved Bas and Jacob (Pup) and I'm so looking forward to their story, April can't get here fast enough!

Overall, I love enemies to lovers books and this one was very well done. I could sense the animosity between Alex and Dane sizzling in the background and I felt that Alex truly had good reasons to hold on to it. Relay had a bit of romance, swimming action, awesome characters and a twist I didn't see coming and coupled with Layla Reyne's awesome writing skills you simply can't go wrong with it. Definitely recommendable!

*** Copy provided to me by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

Reviews shared on Goodreads, B & N, Amazon, and V's Reads: https://vsreads.com/2018/01/09/gotta-make-the-relay-review-and-giveaway/

4.5 Stars for this start to a great new series.
Dane Ellis and Alex Cantu were teammates, roommates, and lovers one summer ten years ago, but being gay isn’t something that Dane’s controlling parents will accept, or understand. His father, a powerful televangelist, and his mother, a Home Shopping diva, have ensured that the money Dane earns from sponsors goes into a trust fund he can’t access until he’s thirty, four years from now. Though he’s now 26, they control his life, and he’s not that happy with the results. Dane may be the fastest freestyle swimmer in the country, but he’s socially isolated and a pariah on his team, mainly due to his grandstanding parents. But, also, Alex still harbors the hurt over their teen love lost. And, the other guys on the team really look up to Alex, who is their captain.

Alex has had to fight and work for all he’s earned his whole life. His parents own a small farm, and he spent years pitching in, and caring for his younger siblings. To him, Dane had a charmed life with plenty of money and no qualms about leaving him behind. As captain, he has some say in which swimmers make the relay teams. And, he doesn’t want Dane on the medley with him. This is a four-man team where each one swims a different stroke: backstroke, fly, breaststroke and freestyle. Alex is the reigning gold medalist in backstroke, and he selects another swimmer, Dane’s teammate and mentor, to swim the freestyle part of the relay. It breaks Dane’s heart, and enrages his parents. It also leads to strife on the team.

The more time they spend together training, however, the more Alex sees that Dane isn’t the arrogant jerk he’d built up in his mind since their forbidden summer. Dane is vulnerable, and tired of his parents stomping all over his life. Seeing the out and proud members of his team being real, Dane decides he’s had enough of the facade, and it leads to a truce with Alex–and a lot more, including acceptance from his teammates for the first time in…ever. But his parents aren’t above blackmailing Dane to get him to fall into their line yet again. When Alex is accused of doping, Dane is sure his folks are the guilty parties. It’s up to his newly-gelling team, and Dane’s particular expertise, to clear Alex’s name.

I really liked this one. There’s a good mix of athleticism, anger and acceptance, including love. Dane’s life isn’t pleasant, and seeing him take the necessary steps to find his own happiness is engaging. Alex is a bit of a jerk, and I understood why–watching him get over his busted heart was nice. I liked his family, and how loving they were. And I liked how his mom, who is struggling with breast cancer treatment, made sure Alex knew that he didn’t need to break his back for everyone besides himself. Expect a lot of drama; these guys are really high stakes competitors, and have tempers to match. It seems as if the next book will take us to the Olympics, and feature a new couple on the team…which is interesting. I’m looking forward to it!

Relay is intense and captivating story, that left me yearning for more; I need the sequel.

The whole medley relay team is hungry for the coveted Olympic gold, since four years ago they went home with silver, because Dane was injured and had to miss it, and Bas's some personal drama. They are hungry for victory and everything is intense because of the high adrenaline - and it doesn't help that one member of the medley relay team, Mo, gets injured in practice and Dane replaces him, which Alex doesn't like at all because he's still hurt from a decade ago when Dane broke his heart. Still, they have to learn to let it go and work as a team if they want to win the Olympics.

Relay is a journey of growth, forgiving and forgetting, for Alex and Dane. To reach unity withing the US Olympic swim team, Alex has to forgive Dane for breaking his heart ten years ago, when after an intense summer of romance, Dane decided to stay in closet and left Alex. And Dane has to stand up against his controlling parents, who disturb the swim team with constant publicity stunts. I loved the tension and feelings, and I rallied for Alex, who has always taken so much as his responsibility - the captaincy of the men's swim team, as representative of both Hispanic and LGBT communities, and providing for his family, especially since his mother's cancer has come back. I also loved the romance and how Alex and Dane respected each other, even when their feelings were hurt and when they 'hated' each other.

Relay is character driven story, and it had the perfect cast for it. I loved Alex and Dane, both together and separate, and the other team members, especially Bas and Jacob (and I can't wait for their story in Medley!) The only people I couldn't stand were Dane's controlling and bigoted parents, Reverend Ellis and Mrs Ellis. Relay is also complicated and taking sides is extremely hard, which is why it was such captivating and perfect story.

I highly recommend Relay, because of how captivating and intense it is. There's drama and there's competitive swimming and character growth. It's simply a book, that I couldn't put down.

This is my first book from this author, and I was intrigued to include this on my review list because I think this is my first sports romance dealing with the world of Olympic swimming and I was eager to see how that would be handled. I love it when a sports romance actually includes the sport, and I did like how Layla Reyne incorporated the sport into the story.

Dane and Alex fell in love with each other ten years ago at a developmental camp. When Dane can't stand up to his ultra conservative family and be honest about himself, Alex moves on but doesn't forget what he feels is a betrayal. Ten years later, Alex and Dane are back together again, training for the Olympic swim team. Things do not go well for them at the beginning, as Alex tries to take out some of his anger on Dane by keeping him out of one of the relay teams. He believes that Dane is just a product of his privelige and the grudge he holds against Dane is pretty big.

What Alex doesn't realize is that Dane is a product of his ultra-conservative parents and their manipulation. Dane is very unhappy with his life and the way his parents control him, but it isn't until he faces this head on that he gets himself together. After a "truce", Alex shows Dane what kind of life he could have, and that starts Dane's journey to being his own man.

When Dane's parents find out and make threats, everything almost falls apart, including the Olympic team. Dane has to really find his backbone to make things right. There's a bit of a mystery and a few surprises along the way too.

I liked Relay, especially how the team dynamic was utilized in the story. That may have been my favorite part of this sports romance. I adored Alex and Dane's illicit night out, especially Alex showing him how those less fortunate live. It's an eye-opener for Dane all the way around, and he responds to it just beautifully.

Relay whet my appetite for more in this world, so I'm already looking forward to the next book. I hope to get a view of the team at the Olympics!

An ARC was provided for review.

I fell in love with Layla Reyne and her words after I read her Agents Irish and Whiskey series. I wasn't big on romantic suspense, but reading Layla's book changed my tune rather quickly.

When I saw she was releasing a duology about Olympic swimmers I was intrigued. The swimming events are my favorites to watch during the games. Add in a M/M enimes-to-lovers stroyline and you have me hooked before I even pick up the book.

Dane has it all, good looks, money, sponsors, and a world record for freestyle. But that means nothing to him, not when he's living a lie.

Alex is trying to juggle his busy home life, his job, his still fragile heart, and his swimming.

Dane and Alex being thrown together on the Olympic team brings tension to a already stressful environment.

The chemistry between these two is insane. Right away you know that they're either going to make up and be stronger together, or they're going to bring everything down around them. They're that intense. My heart went out to Dane and all the crap he had to deal with. From the press hounding him, to his agent, to his sponsors, to his parents, to Alex. Poor guy couldn't catch a break.

Alex has all these feelings for Dane he doesn't know what to do with them. He wants Dane, but he doesn't want to get his heart broken, again.

When things heat up between Dane and his parents, between the two of them, and Alex comes close to losing it all, they have to work together.

Dane has to prove himself.

Alex has to choose to let go.

Layla Reyne can write romance. Yes she can.

I can't wait for the second book. Even though it's about a different couple they're all on the same squad. They have to work together to improve their times and their lives.

Relay follows Dane and Alex, short for Alejandro. Alex has just been made captain of the US Men's Swim Team, while being openly gay and Mexican. Dane is a star swimmer who has just made the team. He's the son of a famous preacher, putting him in the public eye. The two are also ex-boyfriends. They met when they were sixteen at a swimming training camp and were roommates, leading them to have a fling of sorts, but due to Dane's internalised homophobia, they broke up. But ten years on, the two are still in love with each other and have to work through that.

This was a really emotional read. Because their breakup was due to Dane's internalised homophobia, there's a lot of fear on Dane's part. His parents are excessively homophobic, at a point even saying they wanted to 'help' Alex stop being gay. He also has a lot of pressures of sponsorships and keeping a good image to the public, namely the conservative people who are fans of his father. This puts a lot of pressure on him and pushes him more into the closet.

At the start, due to their breakup there is bitterness between Alex and Dane. Alex never belittles Dane for being in the closet or for going through internalised homophobia, nor does he make him feel guilty for it.

When they do eventually start to form a relationship again, the book doesn't do the typical thing where the out person is upset about keeping their relationship a secret. Alex let's Dane go at his own pace and never puts pressure on him. The most he wants out of him is to stand up to his parents which he didn't do ten years ago after being pushed around for so many years.

There are elements of family. Alex's mother is going through breast cancer for the second time so there's scenes of him spending time with her. And again with Dane, he learns to stand up to his parents and not let them treat him terribly for not being their vision of perfect. Through that, he gets a lot of character development.

Relay has all the fun in a second chance romance and a sport romance, as well as the angst that leads you to route for the couple and the characters.

This is a enemies to lovers/second chance romance between Alex and Dane, both men in the US swim team. Alex is the team captain with a lot of underlying anger towards Dane. While, Dane the golden boy has a pair of world most despicable parents. Despite the 10 years since they last seen each other, there are still a lot of anger going on. The hate lust is through the chart. Now that both guys are into their mid twenties, they still acted like a pair of teenagers. The way they acted ain't age appropriate to me. Maybe if they are still 16, I might be able to swallow it down. There are so many miscommunication and misunderstanding between them that make my head spin.

During the second half, things turn for the better. We finally see Alex and Dane stop acting like a pair of jackass. There are more drama towards the end that I honestly didn't expect from a sport romance. Anyway, there ain't much 'sport' drama going on, more like family and relationship drama. Just woah! I'm quite speechless with the things that went on here. This is definitely a sport romance with some added spice.

hot swimmers, queer found-family (on the swim team), betrayal, new found courage, is-he-isn't-he, hot new/sweet couple in supporting roles, sweetie-pie-supportive family...it ticks a lot of happy buttons, including the fact it was an easy fast read.

where it fell down is the over-the-top aspect of emotionally abusive familial relations, not necessarily believable cyber-detective work, and instaforgiveness.

but, you know, on a cold rainy day...or for a day on the beach with a beer... i'd be okay recommending this one.

I have to admit that the cover whore in me was immediately intrigued- cause, well gorgeous cover! Then the blurb finished hooking me in.

Relay by Layla Reyne was different than I anticipated but in a right way. I was expecting a fluffier enemies to lovers story. You know, some UST that eventually led to an HEA, but what we got was way more than that.

Some highlights:

-Dane and Alex. These men came from two different places, but once they came together, it was... beautiful.

-Enemies to lovers. I love sexual tension, and this book had some severe UST. Hate lust FTW!

-The flashbacks. We were given flashbacks of Alex's, and Dane's past from both their perspectives and they helped see the full picture of how they got where they were. I'm not always a fan of flashbacks, but they worked in this case.

-Suspense! It kind of came out of nowhere, but I rolled with it and found myself actually intrigued.

-There was some martyrdom and sometimes that can be a turnoff, but it didn't bother me in this story.

-I found the writing engaging and smooth.

My only niggle was the conflict/miscommunication. It felt a little contrived.

All in all, this was a great read. It delivered the whole package.

-Chemistry
-Outstanding character development
-Some suspense
-A strong hfn ending
-And an excellent set up for the next book in the series!

4 Solid Stars!

I have nothing but love for this story!!!!

Layla Reyne has brought to us Alex and Dane. The two first meet at age 16, where Dane discover's and acknowledges his attraction to men. They spend the summer as roommates and so much more...but in the end, Dane walks away breaking both their hearts. 10 years later they are thrust back together on the Mens swim team for the Olympics. The fire still burns between these two but Alex refuses to let himself fall into the same trap where Dane walks away...again. Alex has a ton on his plate with his captain duties, his swimming and his family. He's struggling and Dane coming back into his life throws him for a look. He's still bitter, but he still has feelings for Dane.

Dane is a grown man who lives each day doing his parent's bidding. He is now allowed to be the man he wants to be, and because of that, he cannot be WITH the man he wants to be with. Until one day he has enough. He makes a decision and that decision, much to the chagrin of his parent's, does NOT ruin him or his career. But they have lost their meal ticket, that's for sure.

I loved this story, the character's. the writing, everything!!! I could not put it down once I started it! I loved Dane and Alex together, not so much when they were struggling to be around each other though, so I jumped for joy when they reunited. But....will they get their gold? Stay tuned!!