Member Review
Review by
Reviewer 2157519
Lorraine. Lorraine. Lorraine.
Oh, my dear Lorraine.
Thank you for this.
Normally, I’m a one and done romance reader, but knowing that this is the start of a series makes me VERY, VERY happy because this is exactly the kind of couple someone like me would want to read about again and again. Alex Carter and Daniel Morgan feel real. There are no histrionics or over-the-top bullshit. No dumb ass third act break-up. There is no insta-love here, just really potent lust and curiosity that gradually builds over time until something else accompanies those feelings - something scary (to some 😏 ) but more enduring. Its opposites attract but in ways that complement. I really liked the way the author wrote about the magnetism between our couple. IRL, sometimes we’re drawn to ppl for reasons we struggle to articulate. “Past the Whistle” captures that well.
If you go into this, like me, knowing absolutely fuck-all about amateur or Olympic wrestling that’s fine because, apparently, this wrestling league isn’t even real - but it FEELS real! As I was reading, I ABSOLUTELY felt like I was learning about wrestling outside of WWE theater. And, in that regard, this is sports romance in the truest sense. These guys are wrestlers first and foremost and wrestling is just as important to this story as the romance is.
SO! Great pacing - requires patience, but that’s fine. After all, we’re here for a story. Great structure - I enjoyed following the guys along the international wrestling circuit and watching the relationship progress alongside career milestones. The characterization also worked for me. Also REALLY love the cover. The only problem I ran in to, and it was something that came up throughout the book, was the prose. Specifically, there were many syntax choices that puzzled me as well as instances of repetitive phrasing. As a result, while I was generally able to understand the overall gist of what was going on, I often found myself stopping and rereading certain descriptions or pieces of dialogue and questioning what they meant. I suspect that at least 65% of the disconnect is the fact that I am not Australian. I wonder if, perhaps, this is an instance of an author writing the way they speak. Anyway, absolutely NONE of this will keep me from either continuing the Alex/Daniel series whenever the sequel is available or reading the author’s other work once THAT is available. Just think it’s important to be honest about the totality of one’s reading experience.
Eternal gratitude to Lorraine H, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book ahead of publication!
Oh, my dear Lorraine.
Thank you for this.
Normally, I’m a one and done romance reader, but knowing that this is the start of a series makes me VERY, VERY happy because this is exactly the kind of couple someone like me would want to read about again and again. Alex Carter and Daniel Morgan feel real. There are no histrionics or over-the-top bullshit. No dumb ass third act break-up. There is no insta-love here, just really potent lust and curiosity that gradually builds over time until something else accompanies those feelings - something scary (to some 😏 ) but more enduring. Its opposites attract but in ways that complement. I really liked the way the author wrote about the magnetism between our couple. IRL, sometimes we’re drawn to ppl for reasons we struggle to articulate. “Past the Whistle” captures that well.
If you go into this, like me, knowing absolutely fuck-all about amateur or Olympic wrestling that’s fine because, apparently, this wrestling league isn’t even real - but it FEELS real! As I was reading, I ABSOLUTELY felt like I was learning about wrestling outside of WWE theater. And, in that regard, this is sports romance in the truest sense. These guys are wrestlers first and foremost and wrestling is just as important to this story as the romance is.
SO! Great pacing - requires patience, but that’s fine. After all, we’re here for a story. Great structure - I enjoyed following the guys along the international wrestling circuit and watching the relationship progress alongside career milestones. The characterization also worked for me. Also REALLY love the cover. The only problem I ran in to, and it was something that came up throughout the book, was the prose. Specifically, there were many syntax choices that puzzled me as well as instances of repetitive phrasing. As a result, while I was generally able to understand the overall gist of what was going on, I often found myself stopping and rereading certain descriptions or pieces of dialogue and questioning what they meant. I suspect that at least 65% of the disconnect is the fact that I am not Australian. I wonder if, perhaps, this is an instance of an author writing the way they speak. Anyway, absolutely NONE of this will keep me from either continuing the Alex/Daniel series whenever the sequel is available or reading the author’s other work once THAT is available. Just think it’s important to be honest about the totality of one’s reading experience.
Eternal gratitude to Lorraine H, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book ahead of publication!
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.