Member Review

Oliver Harris is a Camden boy who made good on his football dreams and became the star of the Camden Roses. He's living the dream, even if it means hiding a big part of himself from everyone. It's football now, romantic life later. Until a midseason injury sidelines him, and a recruit is called to fill in. Leonardo Davies-Villanueva is young, talented, and eager to prove he's worthy of filling in for Oliver, who dislikes him on principle. However, the more time they spend together, the more Oliver begins to crave Leo's warm humor and companionship. Will they be able to win more than just the championship in a league that's never had a player come out?

This one hit me in the feels from the get-go. Oliver has a lot of deep feelings and hurt buried in smiles and an enviable work ethic. Getting sidelined by an injury makes it impossible to hide behind busy days, and he's having to face some truths about himself he'd rather not. Having a young, excited new player join and being asked to mentor him feeds his depression. But Leo is like a puppy that you can't ignore, and seeing their relationship develop despite Oliver being one giant worrywart is adorable. It's the ultimate grumpy/sunshine romance with the added detail of having to keep it secret. The reasons for keeping it a secret aren't good, but the sneaking around was enjoyable. Then the inevitable revelation led to the best, most supportive conversations, and it really made me so happy. Oliver has a lot more support than he realizes, and even though there is the inevitable ugly stuff from strangers, the people who matter are all there for him and Leo.

It's a fun, romantic, and sentimental story that pulled me in from the first page and delivered on everything one could possibly want from a sports romance.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the very sweet and lovely romance read!